Skip to main content

Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof

Image
By


Epoca: The Tree of Ecrof 
Created by Kobe Bryant
Written by Ivy Claire
Two Rivers Distribution, 2019. 353 p.

The Kingdom of Epoca is ruled by Dreamers and Realists. Which class rules is based upon which side wins a series of games similar to the Olympics every few years. Princess Pretia Praxis-Onera is both. Her father is a dreamer and her mother is a realist. As of this story, no matter who wins the games her parents will rule together (though the mixed-race marriage caused a huge scandal in Epoca). The athletes that compete to have their clan rule are graced with grana, their divinely given talents that supposedly come from the gods and help them to excel in all things sports. Pretia isn’t sure that she likes her grana—the first time she used it there was an accident so she believes it is cursed. Pretia’s story intertwines with the story of Ravi. Ravi is the son of an exiled Visualization trainer at the elite school Ecrof Academy (the place where all those with grana train in various sports). Ravi is sure there was more to the story of what happened when his father was disgraced and sent away from Ecrof, but he has no idea what. Now Pretia and Ravi must work together to figure out what is really going on and to save the school as well as their kingdom.

This is an intricate world built on what seems like a nod to Greek gods and goddesses as well as the Greek Olympiads with a touch of fantasy (that grana and the magic and power that comes with it) and a whole dash of sports—especially track and field. Readers who love fast-paced world building, strong characters, adventure, and sports (and Kobe Bryant) will enjoy reading this tale of adventure and comradery.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If You Like...KPop Demon Hunters

By
KPop Demon Hunters has been one of the most talked-about movies of the summer. If you loved this movie as much as I did, you don't want the magic (or the music) to stop. Try reading these books that touch on some of the same topics and themes as the animated hit! Brick Dust and Bones By M. R. Fournet New York: Feiwel and Friends, 2023. Fiction. 247 pages. Orphaned Marius works in the family business--as their cemetery's ghost caretaker. However, Marius also moonlights as a monster hunter in order to earn the costly Mystic currency he needs to bring his mother back from the dead. As the window to bring his mother back begins to close, Marius's exploits get more and more dangerous, and he may have set his sights on a monster too big to handle on his own. Like Mira, Marius longs for familial connection, and his work as a monster hunter will satisfy the thrill of demon hunting for fans the movie. Where's Halmoni? By Julie J. Kim Seattle, WA: Little Bigfoot, 2017. Comics. W...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Blood in the Water

By
Blood in the Water By Tiffany D. Jackson New York: Scholastic, 2025. Fiction. 255 pages. 12-year-old Kaylani McKinnon can't help but feel like a fish out of water. She's a Brooklyn girl spending her summer on Martha's Vineyard surrounded by wealthy family friends in their mansion. All she really wants is to stay home all summer where she her incarcerated father can easily reach her, and she can keep working to find ways to prove him innocent of fraud and embezzlement. Despite her protests, she finds herself on the island with the snooty granddaughters of her host. Soon after Kaylani's arrival, a popular teen boy is found murdered and she decides to conduct her own investigation. As she tries to discover what happened to Chadwick Cooper, Kaylani finds that not everything on Martha's Vineyard is as perfect as it appears. Thrillers for middle grade readers can be hard to find, but Tiffany D. Jackson succeeds in her first middle grade novel. A quick moving plot, tight d...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Fowl Play

By
  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...
Post a Comment
Read more