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Eric N. Lard
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Dawn of the Construct: Book 1 of the Soul Machine Saga (The Soul Machine, 1) Paperback – November 1, 2022

by Eric Lard (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings
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Earth is a prison and you're living in it. It's called The Construct and its keepers carefully manage the rise and fall of humanity in order to extract soul energy to fuel the galactic expansion of an alien race... but we'll get to that. When an enigmatic magic known as the Astrig Ka'a turns D'avry's life upside down, he finds himself in a struggle to save humanity, not only in his own time and place but throughout Earth's untold histories as well - histories replete with mechanized armor, steampunk airships, wolf-borne goblins, and creatures crafted from the very void between worlds. Now D'avry's dreams have become a playground for this world-bending chaos. When he saves the girl of his dreams, in one of his dreams, he inadvertently brings her back and must figure out what the Astrig Ka'a is trying to tell him and why the keepers of the Construct want so badly to kill a crippled girl from the future. The answer to these questions may be the only hope that humanity has, not just to escape its prison, but to survive as a species.

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 1
    The Soul Machine Saga
  2. Print length
    312 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Cosmic Egg Books
  5. Publication date
    November 1, 2022
  6. Dimensions
    5.6 x 0.68 x 8.38 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1803410787
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1803410784
  9. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Loved it!
A fantasy/sci-fi hybrid set in a trio of timelines featuring reluctant heroes and a refreshing take on magic... Well-paced, with high stakes and rapid action, Dawn of the Construct...promises to be an action-packed saga - Joey Madia | Reedsy Discovery

Dawn of the Construct is an epic like no other, and Lard's style is relentless and suspenseful throughout. It's (the) seamless blending of technology and magic that make this a groundbreaking shift for the sci-fi fantasy genre. Whether you're a fan of Lit-RPG, fantasy, or Sci-Fi tales, there is something in these pages that will whet your appetite. Highly recommended (5 stars!)" - Seth Halleway, author of Fable's End: A Shentonia Story

Complete with a well-paced story line, and one, even given its three dimensions, that doesn't come off the rails or lose you at any juncture, this is very much a high stakes story complete with pulsatingly-induced, accelerated moments of action, and thus Dawn of the Construct: Book 1 not only promises to be an action-packed saga, but here in its opening works, delivers upon it in spades. - Anne Carlini - annecarlini.com

About the Author

Eric's base camp is at the foot of the oft-smoldering Sierra Nevada in NorCal where he surfs, snowboards, and mountain bikes with his wife and three adult sons. You can check out excerpts, upcoming projects, and short stories on his author page.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Cosmic Egg Books (November 1, 2022)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1803410787
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1803410784
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.68 x 8.38 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 10 ratings

About the author

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Eric N. Lard

Eric N. Lard

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Eric's base camp is at the foot of the oft-smoldering Sierra Nevada in NorCal where he enjoys, surfing, snowboarding, and mountain biking with his wife and three adult sons. His work primarily appears on the galactic interweb as bits of static between other, more important stuff. Find out more about what Eric's been up to at: https://enlard-author.weebly.com/

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
10 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Josh H.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story that pulls you in!
Reviewed in the United States on July 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
Really enjoyed this book right from the beginning. So many authors get bogged down with minutiae and detail, but Eric Lard uses this to his advantage. I loved the detailed descriptions of everything...the characters...the world...it drew me in and my imagination ran with it. The story flowed well and kept me wanting more with each turn of the page. Looking forward to the next installment!
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Joey Madia
5.0 out of 5 stars a must-read contribution to the fantasy/sci-fi genre
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022
Although one could lump Dawn of the Construct into the fantasy/sci-fi hybrid that coopts much of its monsters, characters, and content from Tolkien, Martin, and D&D, that would be doing Eric Lard’s opening book in what promises to be an action-packed saga a disservice. Two things set it apart, which I will focus on here.
First, the narrative happens in three timelines. One is Earth, centering on the war in Afghanistan. Another is sci-fi and futuristic, taking place on a forbidding planet. The third—where most of the story unfolds—is a fantasy/D&D world where goblins and orcs menace the simple folk just trying to survive.
Enhancing this triple-timeline structure is the literary device of “constructing the team.” Because the three heroes representing the timelines come from other places/times/dimensions, Dawn of the Construct is reminiscent of Stephen King’s second book in the high-fantasy/sci-fi series The Dark Tower—The Drawing of the Three.
The second device that sets the book apart from typical, currently popular fantasy/sci-fi hybrids is that none of its heroes are confident. They are each, in their own unique ways, physically or otherwise damaged, and they fumble to some degree through much of the book.
D'avry—the hero of the fantasy/D&D world—is the least confident and most in danger. He’s a mage who draws magical ability and strength from something called Astrig Ka’a. This may sound familiar (The Force, etc.), but here’s what I love about Dawn of the Construct—even when D’avry’s magic works, he doesn’t understand why or how. To the end, it’s a mystery. He collects magical items of which he can only guess at the future use and opens portals that lead him to the others he’s meant to meet. As he goes, we see an unsure, kind-hearted hero for whom we have to cheer.
As for the other two: The first is Captain Major Rutker Novak—a name as cool as his hi-tech, futuristic weapons—who is in the weeds, on an important mission, although his wife’s never far from his mind. The second is Deven—an Afghanistan veteran who lost her legs when her Humvee hit an IED. She’s learning to use her metal alloy legs and get herself back to form in mind, body, and spirit.
Well-paced, with high stakes and rapid action, Dawn of the Construct mixes familiar and new, as any worthy genre novel should.
One person found this helpful
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snkfhrd
4.0 out of 5 stars Never a dull moment
Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2022
D’avry, the main character in Eric Lard’s Dawn of the Construct, is a bull caribou who admires his fine caribou cows and enjoys munching on aquatic vegetation, until he realizes something’s not quite right. He’s supposed to be a human mage. He’s confused, and I was confused right along with him, but I hung with D’avry while he assembled his team of assorted and mismatched warriors from our present time, from farther in our future, and from various other realities. At first, he thought it was all to kill an undead warlord orc who wanted to unite the orc tribes and enslave humanity, but the truth was much more complicated. There’s a lot D’avry and I still don’t understand about the threat to all existence, but I’ll follow him on to book 2 because his quest is noble, his companions loyal, and I really would like to know what happens next …

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Levitara
3.0 out of 5 stars Promising start to a series.
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022
"Earth is a prison and you're living in it. It's called The Construct and its keepers carefully manage the rise and fall of humanity in order to extract soul energy to fuel the galactic expansion of an alien race... but we'll get to that."–from synopsis.

So, it’s Matrix, but with magic?

That was my first thought when I read the synopsis. And I believe “we will get to that” but let's see where we are now.

This book has three story lines that are connected.

First, we have a mage D'avry, the main protagonist. He goes around pulled by a strange magic called Astrig Ka'a which he calls luck magic because it seems to always pull him out of problems.

Next, we have Rutker, a soldier in mecha suit on a mission for peace with an alien race, that gets stranded with his crew on an unknown planet after they get attacked.

And finally, we have Deven, a woman war veteran.

The characters are quite interesting, not exceptional but likeable. D'avry gets developed the most since we spend most time with him. We also get some interesting side characters. While at the beginning of the book, we get distinct POVs. In later parts, the D'avry storyline starts to have very jumpy POV from all surrounding characters, but it isn't hard to follow.

We spend a lot of time in the fantasy world and while we get to know some things and visit some places, it remains quite mysterious. I wish we learned a bit more about the world. Especially since we are trying to save it. Same with the sci-fi timeline where, of course, it’s more reasonable because Rutker just got to the planet.

As for the magic, I am a bit on edge. It leads the MC in a certain way, providing him with new knowledge at the right time and, as such, one might start thinking if it isn't just a convenient way to solve every situation. I think I will keep my judgment on that once we know more. So far, it keeps the stakes quite low despite the surrounding danger everywhere. On the other hand, though, the way this magic gets used can be unique at times. Not really your standard fantasy magic.

Now the story itself. We get hints. We get peeks, but ultimately, we don’t get much revealed. As for the overarching storyline, the synopsis reveals most of it already. And honestly, without being told about the Construct from the synopsis, I wouldn’t be that much interested in the story. All in all, it feels a lot like we are on a side quest, while now and then we progress main storyline a bit. This book could almost be called a prequel.

I am fine with that as long as we get more into the overarching story next book. From the end, it seems that will be the case. I am definitely interested enough to continue.

I would recommend this to people that don’t mind long set up and slow reveal. It gives you enough hints for you to start pondering on what happened and is going to happen. To make predictions. If the second book delivers, it might be a ride. For now, I would treat this first book as a sneak peek at what’s coming.

I enjoyed it but also was getting frustrated with the slowness and the convenience of the magic so can’t give more than 3,5*.

The final judgment is: promising. Let’s see if it will keep the promise.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Joan Nord
5.0 out of 5 stars Unputdownable. Grabbed me from the first line
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2022
It's hard to believe this is a debut. Super vivid prose. Dynamic characters. Unique magic system. What a great ride! I can't wait for the next book.
One person found this helpful
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DJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally imaginative narrative
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2022
I do not normally read recent fictional literature. In a time of recycling the same stories again and again. This is a real piece of literature magnificence. I am proud to have been a reader and to own a copy.
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