The Elysean Trials

The Holy Bloodlines, Book 1

By: D.N. Hoxa

Narrated by: Hollie Jackson, Troy Duran

Elyseans are so wise… Elyseans are so beautiful…. Elyseans are divine…

Elyseans are power-hungry assholes with a god complex.

Yes, I said it. Sue me and bring out your pitchforks.

Unfortunately for me, the deadly Elysean Trials are right around the corner. Despite my unpopular opinion of them and anything Olympian-gods related, when they unleash their strange blue birds to select mortals around the country as candidates, one of them chooses me.

Naturally, I politely tell them to shove it, but that's the thing about Elyseans: they're not used to taking no for an answer. So, together with my legal guardian, they force me to go to their trials just two days shy of my eighteenth birthday—and for what?

A chance to attend the Academy of Divine Light and Beauty. A chance to become Elysean… What a joke.

They can keep their Academy and their magic, but I will finish their trials because I have no other choice. I will survive these monsters disguised as gods because my freedom has never been closer.

My own kind can't stand me, but that's nothing new. The Elyseans despise me—especially Shade, a descendant of Hades, who commands darkness with a wave of his hand and is sinfully beautiful, even when he's reminding me of how perfectly powerless against them I am.

But the more I get to know him, the harder it gets to ignore who he really is, and the more impossible it gets not to give in to my attraction for him.

The deeper into the trails I go, the more I learn, and the more I realize that Elyseans are not the perfect god-like people the world paints them to be.

Worst of all, my past might not be quite like I remember, either…

Intended for mature listeners.

©2023 D.N. Hoxa (P)2024 Podium Audio

A work of art that rivals the gods 💗

I walked into this story expecting adventure and discovery, but what I got was so much more!

Sera an orphan raised by her uncle alongside her little cousin that was the light of her life. They lived in a world that lived for the gods, shrouded their eyes to a truth that no one wishes to admit.

The journey Sera takes in book one, this world’s history that we get to see, the minute details that were brought back to light with answers to questions we didn’t know we had. Now, we have even more questions and I can’t wait to see what else happens with Shade, what else happens with the other mortals, what else will they all face, and what everyone’s true intentions are.

I’m stunned in the best way possible, thank you for creating this masterpiece!

the research

the author did a fantastic job with the greek mythology stories. I loved it very much! the story was written so well and I can't wait to start the second book.

HOOKED

Wonderful story, and couldn't stop listening.
I was sucked in from the start!
At first I was like "Hunger Games"! Then the story started to come alive.
Troy Duran only narrated the last chapter of the book. I wish he had more of a role.
While it's an awesome story, and Hollie Jackson does a wonderful job. It's one toned, and could have been brought to life with a secondary voice.
I'm now listening to the second book, and can't wait for the rest of the story!
Definitely going to relisten to them as the new audiobooks come out.

Loved It

I'm hooked, I can't wait for the next one. I love Adrien's voice, I hope I hear more.

Going to take a break @ 31%

I am going to take a break from this one for a while. I'm at around 31%.

I think that it might just be me and not necessarily the book - but I'm not sure. I unfortunately have had a run of unlikeable FMC's in the last week or so and I honestly don't think I'm up to this again. In this small part I've read, the FMC has already made a couple of TSTL decisions that, as usual, have only ended up hurting her and giving the other students reasons to not like her.

From what I've read so far, every 4 years the Elyseans choose a specific number of "mortals" to go through the "trials" - even though no one really knows what they consist of. While the other candidates seem to be excited about being chosen, our FMC harbors an intense hatred for these Elyseans (that I'm sure will be shared with the reader at some point) and has attempted to run away a couple times already. Did I mention that the Elyseans are supposedly descended from gods so they have supernatural powers and strengths? Where she thought she was going when she ran - I have no clue. How she thought she could out run them or get away....again...no clue.

Anyway, it was getting a little more interesting during the last few pages I read, but I'm going to take a break now and maybe come back to this later. So, I'm not going to rate this as a DNF - yet.

Incredibley whiny

I'm on chapter 4 and the main character has been nonstop whining and complaining the ENTIRE time. she has a bad attitude and makes it everyone else's problem and listening is genuinely making me angry and annoyed. she's also super pick me "I'm the only one in the world who thinks this way! everyone else are idiots!" she's so negative and unlikeable it's insane.
I'm going to try and finish this book since it's so expensive, and the storyline sounds interesting, but as of now it's infuriating. the voice actor also mumbles and her voice annoys me as well. Now here I am complaining, it's contagious I guess.

Hard to Rate

I find it very disingenuous when it is presented that an audiobook is narrated with one of the top voice actors and in actually they only have a 15 min part at the very last chapter!!
That being Troy Duran.
Yes I do base my choices on narration!
I won’t say this story is bad , I just will leave it at No Troy Duran!!!!!!