Beyond the Father by author Opëshum Patroz is a work of fiction in the science fiction and fantasy, adventure, and action subgenres, and forms the first novel of the Gods On Trial sci-fi epic book series. The work is best suited to the mature adult reading audience owing to moderate references to violence and the use of explicit language. In this introduction to a brave new world with plenty of dark goings-on, oppression, domination, and struggle, an eccentric god watches the chaos without much inclination to be involved. That is, however, until a young prince’s curious exploration begins to change the whole planet’s future.

Author Opëshum Patroz has crafted a fascinating introduction to what promises to be a really engaging new science fiction series. The Sub-Median Region has been crafted with a lot of care and thought into its lore, attitude, and systems of governance, and it's this bedrock of commitment to the internal logic of the tale that helps readers jump right in and enjoy the story. I liked the swift introduction to an ensemble of different people and places that will, no doubt, be expanded upon in further books. The self-contained storyline of this first installment was satisfying in itself whilst also getting readers hungry for more. The Xżyberians are suitably rich in their culture, technology, mythos, religion, and way of life, and so it feels all the more exciting to see it suddenly being shaken up as Anglid’s discoveries change everything. Overall, I would certainly recommend Beyond the Father to sci-fi fans everywhere, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

In the Warget Solar system lies the planet of Xżyber where chaos brews and political strife is seemingly never-ending. Beyond the Father: Gods on Trial, Book 1 by Opëshum Patroz focuses on the conflict between the Mollards, sentient beings who have taken on bodies of metal, and the non-Mollards who more closely resemble humans. These two races are in constant competition over scarce resources while battling against the harsh conditions on the planet.

Beyond the Father by Opëshum Patroz can only be described as a masterfully composed tale that offers a rich and thought-provoking world with its complex political landscape and mythology. Patroz truly took the time to flesh out and delve into the history and circumstances of the planet Xżyber and it is this attention to detail that brings the story to life. I found myself intrigued by the political climate and enjoyed the different character viewpoints. Much of the political strife described mirrors the real world and I found myself easily relating to and sympathizing with many characters. There was no distinct good or evil but rather a messy grey area in which this story takes place.

The pacing starts normally but the action starts to pick up after the first few chapters. This is something I enjoyed as the author ensured that the reader is comfortable with the background before thrusting them into the chaos between the various regions. I thought that the book was brilliant and I would like to see what happens in the rest of the series.

Beyond the Father is the first book in the Gods on Trial series by Opëshum Patroz. Set on the fictional planet of Xżyber, the story covers a brewing war between two powerful neighboring countries with inner conflicts between different factions, all vying for control. The Sub-Median Region forces are currently waging war on the borders of the Central Kingdom. But not everyone favors war, as the organic non-Mollard soldiers have become increasingly disillusioned with their Mollard overlords - metal people with artificially extended lives. Meanwhile, King Thio of the Central Kingdom has a firm grasp on the masses using religion to control every aspect of their lives. However, his son, Anglid, rejects his ideology and ventures on a vision quest that tests his principles to their limit. Overseeing it all is a temperamental god with his opinionated companion.

Author Opëshum Patroz lays the groundwork for an epic fantasy saga with this stellar first installment that is as unpredictable as it is compelling. Patroz has built a sprawling world featuring aging kings, technologically enhanced people, angry gods, rebellious princes, religious zealots, and much more. Filled with political intrigue and suspense, with a healthy dose of fantastical elements, Beyond the Father feels like the book that draws people to epic fantasy. Patroz keeps a nice pace to the narrative, weaving an intricate plot with a large cast of characters. There were moments when I was genuinely shocked by the story's direction, especially the plot thread involving Anglid. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the philosophical discourse between Flexix and his companion. Those were some of my favorite parts of the book. If you like epic fantasy novels with imaginative world-building, you won't go wrong with this one.

Book I of Opëshum’s gods on Trial series, Beyond the Father, deserves the highest praises. As we are transported to Xżyber, Opëshum takes us on a journey in which she masterfully weaves together many complex narratives of power, class, spirituality, death and rebirth, identity, memory, mortality, and embodiment into an epic tale rich in vivid imagery and symbolism. The result is a world that is both highly engaging in its creative prowess and a story that is profoundly archetypal and relevant to the human experience. Despite being set on another planet, the story of the Xżyberians in many ways parallels the rise and fall of empires, the spiritual transcendence over religious dogma, the desperate fight for resources, the question of worldliness versus ascendance, the preservation and modification of the body, the struggles of the oppressed class toward liberation, and the impermanence of time, memory, and identity that both enrich and plague the human condition. Likewise, Opëshum writes this incredibly rich and complex narrative with such stylistic elegance and creativity that each chapter is extremely profound, emotionally evocative, and thought-provoking while also being a smooth, immersive read that truly transports you to another world. Of course, the risk of telling such a complex narrative with many interconnected plots is that the story will become difficult to follow or feel chaotic to the reader; however, Opëshum skillfully unfolds the story through consistently clear, engaging, rich narration where the gaps in the reader’s knowledge are opportunities for exciting “aha!” moments as things begin to connect, rather than a source of confusion or difficulty. Toward the end, these interconnected narratives begin to clearly converge, leading to a highly immersive series of conflicts and revelations that challenges one to reflect upon and evaluate one’s own existential paradigms, and an ending that leaves the reader eager for Book II.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading and am eager to dive back into the fascinating world of the Xżyberians in the following books in the series— genuinely one of the most profound and engaging modern fictional works I have read in a long time. I can also see this becoming a brilliant movie. I think the gods on Trial series has much potential as a great work of science fiction.

This was such a rich and captivating read. The author did an incredible job of building a unique and layered narrative with the equally layered mythos. The multiple POVs from such different characters and entities in this narrative allowed the reader to really get a sense of the struggles and power dynamics that this world held. The amount of detail and backstory the author poured into this story within such a short amount of pages was astounding, including the glossary of terms the author procured to make this world feel even more alive on the page.

Yet it was the beautiful fusion of sci-fi and fantasy along with the powerful themes of religion’s influence on politics, the improper balance of the class systems, and our place in the world as a whole that made this story really come alive. The varying arcs of each character allowed not only for this dynamic world to come alive, but to highlight the problems and emotional weight of each faction highlighted in this narrative. The blend of sci-fi tech and the alien world with the more epic elements of fantasy and mythology was great to see, but at the end of the day, the way the author highlighted how despite our class systems separating us, we are all individuals at our core, and each suffers from our own sources of distress and worries, was amazing to read.

This is the first book I've read from Patroz and it absolutely will not be my last. Narratively, there's a huge amount going on - both physically and emotionally/thought-wise between the variety of characters and interweaving plots. Having the all-seeing god who seemingly lets things play out without interfering is a really unique addition to this genre and it works incredibly well. Ultimately yes, I quite literally could not take a pause from reading this book until I finished, and I eagerly await the next in the series.

The first instalment of Opëshum's Gods on Trial series, Beyond the Father (Book 1), is a fine piece of literature between the fantastic and near classic SciFi philosophizing writing. One should recognize, at first sight, the dimensions in which the author outlines a particular original mythology, which is, by far, the most complex task of any writer of the genre. This gets very well done by the exhilarating style adopted by Opëshum which covers the reading experience with several narrative and discoursive layers. Xżyber gets presented as the enclosed cosmos which is, by its own nature, auspicious in its literary deployment as the multiple point-of-view (i.e. fragmented narrator) strategy selected by the author.

Beyond the Father encapsulates, through its plot and captivating cosmic imagery, the grounding of several fundamental (and very humane) questions on identity (not only personal but collective), life after death, memory (as a record of one and all), the pendulum of power dynamics, and the symbolic, spiritual, and religious experience always attached to the experience of being alive.

Opëshum refinement facilitates a seamless translation from elegance into conciseness. The story flows easily and gets quickly to the centre of the plot, without conceding an inch on its incisive approach to the dialectical tension between the materiality of the body and the evocative potency of the last realm of planetary transcendence. This means that even when it's easy to recommend for young readers and SciFi enthusiasts, Beyond the Father is a safe recommendation for almost any reader prone to innovative questions about the human condition in a very singular packaging.

I found this story to be utterly captivating. Opëshum does an amazing job at creating a vivid world you will be completely immersed in. There's a lot going on with multiple POV's. It was a bit slow going at first but once it picked up I couldn't put it down. The characters are all well drawn out. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader on their toes. The sci-fi, fantasy and dystopian blend was done to perfection. I was surprised at how rich this story was due to the size of the book - the author put a lot of work into creating this masterpiece. I can't wait to continue in this world. Overall, a really good read!

Sci-fi and fantasy have always been my staple when it comes to reading. I loved it when I first picked up War of the Worlds and still loved it when I was reading this gem of a book. This book is part of a long 8-book series planned by the author. If the introduction is so good, I feel very optimistic about the other books in the series. Anyway, let me give you a very brief review of what are my thoughts on this book.

The story and the plot both resonate with philosophy and the author's desire for a well-built world. I loved the way the story is paced, there are no over details but that does not mean there is no depth to the lore. The lore is incredibly rich and varied.

The characters are very well constructed. They are very relatable and lovable. Their development is so very evident and very beautiful to witness. As I said, with this caliber of introduction, I am eagerly waiting for further volumes of this story.

In a nutshell, I loved it and will highly recommend it to fans/enjoyers of the fantasy/sci-fi genre. Thank you to the author for writing such a wonderful book for all of us book lovers.

Thank you
Regards

I would love to first off say thanks to @opeshumpatroz and @travelling.pages.tours for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is fast-paced and full of many POV, while each POV is usually connected to one another. In this book each POV is about their journey in a world where there is so much chaos. You get to read about some great character development and each POV is full of such wonderful world-building. Each character is struggling with something, whether it be their emotions, lack of emotions, or deciding between right and wrong. The book takes you on a ride, just when you think that you have each character figured out it throws you for a loop and you are left with more questions than answers. If you enjoy a book that is engaging and full of sci-fi and multiple POV’s then I suggest reading this book. However, be prepared, because this is only one out of eight.

Beyond the Father: Book 1 by Opeshum is a fantasy read set on the planet Xżyber, around citizens of the Sub-Median Region, imperfectly reborn into metal, oppress those who are organic. Mind you, the smallest planet in the Warget Solar System. There is a war brewing over limited resources and nobody knows how the fight will eventually pan out.

Anglid, the son of King Thio, launches a vision quest to find solutions to his ageing father and his crumbling kingdom. A blend of fast-paced adventure fantasy and science fiction, Beyond the Father, is set in a unique world that promises loads of thrill and mind-boggling twists and turns.

It is a story of survival and chaos that results from the fear of a looming end near the horizon.

What I liked the most has been the amazing plot of the book which is simply unheard of. I am usually not into fantasy but this narrative kept me hooked and wanting more. The author has done a fair bit of research into building a world of Kings and Kingdoms that sound grand and surreal.

The narrative is well-written and executed and the characters with their contributions to the story continue to intrigue the readers. The sequence of events is smooth and I loved how the climax changes everything! (no spoiler alert)

I would totally recommend this book to readers who are fans of science fiction and fantasy literature as I look forward to reading the remaining books in the series and finding out what happens next. Oh! Did I tell you this one is a part of 8-part series?

Stay tuned for fun and adventure as details unravel in the next instalments!

This is a great movie in our hands. From Commander Dugar who wanted to win back the trust of the people to King Thio, Liara and Anglid, “gods on Trial” is a reflection of a society where everyone has their own agenda. It’s tough to predict whether they will succeed. However, from the blurb, “When you think you know the direction of the story, the author has yet another surprise.”

Intrigue and power play are friends of a warlord. Some people are wicked but they forget that the world is a small place. As they try to own everything, they are controlled by another force.

Opëshum means business. If we effectively use our imagination, our possibilities will be limitless. The author has been writing since she was a child. She believes that authors are selected by their characters to bring their stories to the world. Incredibly shy, Opëshum does not make public appearances. She prefers to remain behind the scene as the characters in her books take center stage.

Her current work, the 8-Book Sci-Fi Epic “gods on Trial” The Series™ kicks off with the Book 1, BEYOND THE FATHER.