On the heavily forested planet of Lumin, the Network has slept, dormant, for over six hundred cycles. Only a select few remember that it resides beneath the crust of the planet, waiting, and for them, the battle for Lumin’s future has raged in the shadows. When Mia Jayne’s path crosses with an ancient volume in the Archives of the Order of Vis Firmitas, the battle moves from the shadows into the light. Compendium opens up a world of knowledge, and, for the first time since arriving at the Order, Mia has the key to reclaim the freedom she lost. To do so, she must choose between her conscience and her heart. Conceived against an ailing world of fantastical beauty where long-lost technology tips the balance between extinction and survival, Mia must remember that there is always a choice, and that makes all the difference.
Compendium (Artifacts of Lumin, Book 1) by Alia Luria is a one of a kind captivating story that combines incredible science fiction, adventure, drama, intrigue and suspense. Set against a post-apocalyptic background, the story portrays a planet plunged into chaos, darkness, suffering, wars and other forms of social disintegration. It combines a one of a kind plot, a fascinating setting, fresh and memorable characters and a flawless and gripping descriptive writing style capable of pulling you from this world into a new world – Lumin. It was simply amazing to see the plot come together and the story come to life through the combination of all these factors. Each chapter of the novel brought a new thrill as more of the history of Lumin was revealed and new secrets discovered; this was an adventure to look forward to. The story kept me on edge the entire time with intense anticipation of what might happen next. I cannot wait to read the next book in the Artifacts of Lumin series. - FIVE STARS
Wow, wow, wow. Talk about unique. This sci-fi fantasy world that Alia Luria has created in Compendium will blow your mind away with its balance between detail and breezy pleasure. There’s so much information to absorb here, but you never feel too overly burdened. And the characters could be my next door neighbors; they’re so realistic. I really feel that the planet of Lumin exists out there in the galaxy. That is a difficult thing to achieve when the author is talking about fantasy stories.The society on this planet has its own aura to it. There are little quirks about the way people talk and interact that creates a civilization to rival Tolkien and Lewis in its detail and spread. If you have plans for the next few days, do not pick up this book. I repeat: do not start unless you are willing to read for hours on end, gripped by the racing story line and breathtaking intrigue that fills the pages. I cannot wait for the next book to come out and I hope the series continues for many more books after that. I’m bookmarking this author because I know I will fall in love with every word she writes. Wow. - FIVE STARS
Alia Luria's Compendium has received the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award in the Fantasy category. Entry is open to all presses other than the big six as well as self-published books., and only one book wins per category.
