The Seeds of Dissolution

Dissolution Cycle #1

by William C. Tracy

On a bright August day, the sun disappears.

Sam van Oen barely escapes freezing to death in his house, as his watch stops and fire ceases to burn. He is pulled into the Nether—a nexus between ten alien cultures—where he meets Rilan and Origon, two maji who can control the musical foundation of the universe. While coping with anxiety attacks prompted by his new surroundings, Sam must learn to hear and change the Symphony, and thus reality, in order to discover what happened to his home.

But more freezing voids like the one that started his journey are appearing, and Sam’s chances of getting back are fading. The Assembly of Species is threatening to dissolve and the maji are being attacked by those they protect, while rumors grow of an ancient, shape-changing species of assassins, returning to wage war.

The Dissolution is coming

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBT, Queer, M M Fantasy, M M Romance, Genderfluid

415 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 19, 2017

About the author

William C. Tracy writes tales of the Dissolutionverse: a science fantasy series about planets connected by music-based magic instead of spaceflight. This series currently includes a three-book epic space opera cycle. It also includes five novelettes and novellas, including a coming of age story, tales of political intrigue, a Sherlock Holmes-like mystery, a Jules Verne style adventure. Several books include LGBT-friendly elements.

His first epic fantasy from NineStar Press is Fruits of the Gods, about a land where magic comes from seasonal fruit, and two sisters plot to take down a corrupt government.

William is a North Carolina native and a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy. He has a master's in mechanical engineering, and has both designed and operated heavy construction machinery. He has also trained in Wado-Ryu karate since 2003, and runs his own dojo in Raleigh NC. He is an avid video and board gamer, a reader, and of course, a writer.

In his spare time, he cosplays with his wife such combinations as Steampunk Agent Carter and Jarvis, Jafar and Maleficent, and Doctor Strange and the Ancient One. They also enjoy putting their pets in cute little costumes and making them cosplay for the annual Christmas card.

You can get a free Dissolutionverse short story by signing up for William's mailing list at http://williamctracy.com/contact-me/

Or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/wctracy for writing updates, cat pictures, and thoughts on martial arts.

Reviews

[Garfield666 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Found the premise of the book quite interesting. It's portal fiction, a hapless non mage human guy is thrown into a world with magic in another dimension.

The beginning got me hooked successfully. The writing style is effective, on a professional level and pleasantly devoid of any purple prose.

One, possibly two interesting enough antagonists plus social unrest and xenophobic and anti magic user riots going on get introduced fairly quickly. The worlds, alien species and the scenario that are introduced make sense and come to life nicely. Good worldbuilding there.

I like that the human main character struggles with agoraphobia and social phobia. I find it refreshing that a main character has quite realistic problems in life. Big plus!



And now the reasons why I stopped reading around page 150:


SPOILER!!!









The characters don't act like their age and rank.

The earth human pov character we get introduced to in the intro chapter is a high school student, so about 16-18 years old. He doesn't act that age.

The masters of magic are just plain dumb when investigating what's going on. One master is attacked by an anti mage mob in the street who were trying to kill her, overwhelms the chief attacker, drives the rest off and what does she do? Instead of instantly dragging the helpless guy to her mind mage friend to grill him for the names of the agitators behind this, she lets him go, thinking to herself to give his name to the police as soon as she has time. Erm WHAT?????????????????????????? This is the biggest incident of this kind until page 150, but there are plenty of little incidents where these magic masters are just dumber and more naive than their rank suggests.

There are these happenings going on and a lot of high rank meetings, but nowhere among these ten races cooperating in the Nether is there a secret service or something. No party among the mages is ruthless enough to round up some of the troublemakers to use magic on them to get names and plots revealed. That bunch is just utterly boring and useless!

Then our main apprentice character with the panic attacks. Besides not acting his age (he comes across at maximum 14), there is absolutely nothing else about the character than his phobic problems, that would define him as a potentially interesting human being.
Plus, he is a young guy from contemporary earth who is thrown into a situation with alien cultures that are all pre industrialisation. I mean, if I would get thrown into a situation where transport is done with beasts of burden, no telephone, no electricity, no computers/internet, airplanes, radios, TV etc, no modern technology at all I would be awestruck (and the magic in this world is by no means a solution for every problem we use technology for). For this contemporary human who is used to having a smartphone to contact anyone he wants any time he wants, surf the internet or turn on the TV to see what's going on in the world or for entertainment it's not even worth much thought. That's so unrealistic that along with the dumb magic masters it had me thrown out of the story. Sorry.



This could have been really great if the characterisation of the characters and the political scheming and investigating would have been handled better/more realistic. So, only two out of five stars for a book with a lot more potential.

[William Tracy]

Hello folks! I'll be using this space to provide some updates for when the sequel will be released! If you want some more to read while you're waiting, check out the four side-novellas I already have out. You can read them in any order, and each one will give you a little more insight into the Dissolutionverse...

Tuning the Symphony
Merchants and Maji
The Society of Two Houses
Journey to the Top of the Nether

August 4th, 2021: Been a while since I did one of these, but I'm very pleased to announce that my first anthology, Distant Gardens, is released! My stories include one in the Dissolutionverse and one in a new universe. There are eight other stories as well, by my fellow authors!

April 21st 2021: The audiobook for Tales of the Dissolutionverse is released on Audible! Go check it out!

February 11th 2021: The audiobooks for Facets of the Nether and Fall of the Imperium are now available on Audible! In addition, The Seeds of Dissolution is available on Chirp, Kobo, Nook, Google Books, and more with updated audio and better voice acting. Check it out!

January 6th 2021: It's been a while since the last update, but I can happily say the audiobooks for Facets of the Nether and Fall of the Imperium have been released! You can find them on Chirp, Kobo, Nook, Google Books, and anywhere else you consume audiobooks. They will be available shortly on Audible as well, but it's taking longer than usual to approve them.

August 25th 2020: Book 3, Fall of the Imperium is out! Time to go finish up the trilogy. What lies in store for Sam, Enos, and Inas?

July 23rd 2020: The cover for book 3, Fall of the Imperium, has been revealed! Mark your calendars for August 25th and the release of the last book of the trilogy!

June 24th 2020: Book 2, Facets of the Nether is released! Go out and get it, people! I'm hoping to finish up Fall of the Imperium in 2-3 weeks, and that one will be released in August to finish out the trilogy.

May 13 2020: The Kickstarter is finished and the covers and illustrations are funded. Thanks to everyone who helped this project. In other news, I've finished the last draft of Facets of the Nether (book 2) and the planned release date is June 23rd! Now on to another round of edits on book 3, planned for August 2020...

April 08 2020: The Kickstarter for books 2 and 3 of The Seeds of Dissolution is live! You can get the books early, become a character in the story, or have a special Dissolutionverse story written just for you. Check out the link here:
https://kickstarter.com/projects/spac...

February 18 2020: Draft 4 of book two is complete! This fixes the last bits of feedback, as well as some consistencies I noticed while writing the third book. That means it's back to book 3, to start making large structural changes based on my writing group feedback. The Kickstarter is still a go for April!

January 15 2020: I'm finished with draft 2 of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! Going back now to make some small changes based on feedback in book two. I plan to release these in May and July of 2020, with a Kickstarter running in April. You can the first copies of the books as well as some cool swag by backing! The titles are as follows:
The Seeds of Dissolution (Book 1)
Facets of the Nether (Book 2)
Fall of the Imperium (Book 3)

October 8 2019: Starting on the first draft of book three in the Seeds of Dissolution timeline! I'm planning to release books 2 and 3 close together in 2020.

July 31 2019: The audiobook is now out! So if you like to listen to your books instead of read them, go try it out!

April 26 2019: I finished the second draft of the sequel last week! Currently it's going out to my first batch of alpha readers, and I know a lot of places I need to tidy things up. I should be starting the next draft soon, and will probably start outlining the third book soon.

Feb 20, 2019: If you want a story to tide you over until the sequel comes out, how about a novelette about Origon's past? You can get it for free right here! BookHip.com/PAHQDG

Jan 09, 2019: Well, the first very, very rough draft is done! There are a lot of things I need to go back and improve, and I need to add another layer of emotional reaction and scene detail (two things I always fall short on in first drafts). However, the bulk of the words are in place, and that's what matter. Currently it's clocking in at a little over 80,000 words, but I'm guessing it will be about 100,000 after I finish revisions. There are a lot of places I need to flesh out. I'm really excited to share this with you, so I'll be putting in sneak peeks in my monthly newsletter. If you want to sign up (and get a free short story too) head on over to http://williamctracy.com/ and sign up!

Sep 13, 2018: I'm about 5000 words into the sequel, and starting to get back into the story. It's great to be writing these characters again. You're going to see some different points of view in this one...

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Portal fantasy is a genre I periodically suspect I've grown out of, until a good one comes along to make me reconsider that assessment. This book, it turns out, very much fits that description.
A richly imagined, immersive, fascinating world populated by a variety of species in a variety of genders, a well-developed and very intriguing magic system, a diverse set of characters and relationships, and a complex plot that had me hooked from the start - there's a lot to love in this book, meaning that the series is off to an excellent start. Sam's agoraphobia and anxiety issues add an unusual, realistic element to this sci-fi/fantasy world - If you find new people and places overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, how screwed are you when unexpectedly ripped from your world and deposited in a whole different universe? It's an interesting element to include that I don't think I've ever seen used in this genre before, and it was well handled.
On the whole, I really enjoyed this series opener and am looking forward to seeing more of this world and its inhabitants.

*** I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. ***

[Jadin · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching his parents die in a freak storm as a child, Sam's anxiety has kept him from leaving his house. When another inexplicable force of nature drags him out of his house, across space, and into the Nether--a place outside our universe--Sam must learn how to live with his anxiety amongst aliens while also discovering the magic that lives inside himself.



Plot

At it's most basic, yes, this is a 'white boy goes on a journey' story. But it is so much more than that. At 400 pages, this is a high fantasy story (science fantasy, mind) with multiple POVs, a well-defined magic system (music!), and a relatable, flawed MC. The world is rich and lush, well described but never ad nauseum, the characters well rounded, and the species distinct and colorful. Tension builds steadily throughout, the ending is satisfying, and narration is easy to read. Bonus - the cover art and interior illustrations are gorgeous. I was also really pleased that Sam (our MC) does not get over his mental illness, but instead, learns coping mechanism throughout the story that help him interact more with his friends. Even at the end Sam is still gripped by his anxiety, but is able to do his part to save the day. It's rare to find books that do not treat mental illness as something to get over, but rather, allow for it to simply be a part of a character.



Relationship

The main relationship is a polyamorous one, between Sam and Inas (male) and his twin sister Enos. Sam is on-page bisexual (an argument could be made for pansexual, as one line notes Sam is interested in the twins for their personalities, not their forms). He is not closeted at the start, and as his interests unfold there is no mental turmoil about being attracted to another male, or being attracted to two people at once. This was all very refreshing, and it was nice to see not only aliens being fine with canon queerness, but an actual human being okay with it, too.



Enbies. Enbies everywhere

I want to do a special callout to the gender representation in this book. It seems ridiculous that this is so rare in SFF, as any time you deal with new species there should never be an inherent assumption of a gender binary. And yet, SFF, especially science fiction, is rife with the strict male/female dynamic. Tracy presents species with genders of all variants, from agender, to third gender, to straight up uncategorized nonbinary, to a gender fluid main character (and no one, no one, freaking cares that they have to pronoun check every so often for this character!). None of the POV characters were outside the binary, but the world was so rich with enby characters I didn't even mind. It felt nice, for once, to be 'included' in a SFF narrative without being the reason for the narrative existing, if that makes sense. Sometimes the most useful way to show your support for a group of people is to make them everyday players, and this book does just that.



The joy of self publishing

This book is a great example of why self-publishing can be a wonderful thing. Books like this, which walk right between science fiction and fantasy, which have a YA-aged protagonist mixed with much older POV characters, and which have a high word count (book is right at 400 pages), can be a very hard sell to agents and publishers. SEEDS is exceptionally well written, avoids the pitfalls I see with many self-pubbed books (lack of editing, unattractive cover art, lack of act structure and/or through line) and delivers a quality story. The interior art, as well, is a hallmark of Tracy's stories and really adds the finishing touch to this novel.



Overall, this book should appeal to readers across science fiction and fantasy, as well as YA and adult readers. Queer readers, especially those outside the gender binary, will feel right at home in the Nether, and there is plenty of 'standard' fantasy fare to keep general readers interested. I'm very much looking forward to the next installment!

[Petros · Rating 2 out of 5]

The protagonist is a common teenager that is suddenly thrown in a different dimension of magic, and unlike the usual treatment of the isekai premise, it is not done for purposes of escapism. He did not want to be there and does not have any control over what is happening; therefore he has a passive role to the most part. And that ends up being a big issue, since if you keep your protagonist completely powerless and unwilling, he feels useless and a burden to everyone else.

The main role he has in the plot is asking what the heck every single thing around the magical city does. Narrative-wise, having a fish out of water character is a cheap excuse for lots of infodumps to take place in second person (someone talking about someone else) instead of third (the narrator explaining everything in a rather distant way from what is happening in real time). But they are infodumps nonetheless and can get pretty tiresome because of their sheer volume. Too much talking, not much acting. Also, despite the extensive explanations, most of the weird stuff in the magic city come down to “hey, it’s magic”.

There is also a serious lack of first person narration (the hero talking and thinking from his point of view), which leaves him as a bland self-insert type of character. Yes, he has panic attacks from all the stuff he experiences, but that is as far as his characterization goes. He is just having an expected emotional reaction to what is happening, and even that is not as big as it should be, considering how it changed his life completely. Besides that detail, he has nothing special in his behavior or skill set to make him stand out from the most cookie-cutter of teenage protagonists.

The above two issues crawl into the conflict of the story, causing tension to be lacking. Despite the threat being big enough to destroy a million planets, there is so much emphasis on the protagonist spending his time asking about the world, to the point you are given no reason to care about the conflict in the plot. You never have the impression the assembly of the different species is that worried about the crisis if all you see is the hero asking around and them casually explaining stuff. Once again, everyone is just talking instead of taking action.

There are good ideas in the conspiracy regarding the Aridori, and the world building is captivating. The problem is, you are mostly told about them instead of seeing them, thus becoming a tiresome read as a whole.

[Esme · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a review request but it’s also been entered into the SPFBO competition this year within Fantasy Faction’s grouping.

The main character is sitting in his room one August afternoon when all of the sudden the sun goes dark and the air goes extremely cold. Frost forms on the glass and he thinks he’s having a dream or maybe hallucinating when his aunt comes up the steps with a candle and confirms that she’s seeing the same thing.

The room around them gets colder and colder so they try and start a fire in the fireplace, he falls asleep, and when he wakes up he finds that she’s died. The last of the embers are going out when he sees a shining light, a circle of different colors shimmering in the fireplace. Without thinking, he goes through the portal to find himself in another world entirely. He’s made his first portal into the Nether, an artificial realm made of multiple cities all enclosed in an enormous sphere.

A man finds him coming out of the portal and he tries to help him get back home, only to find it’s a moot point because he’s never heard of Earth, and recognizes Sam’s species as Methium. (It’s later explained that all the humans known to the Ten Species come from a planet that’s not Earth) It’s all overwhelming for Sam, he already has an anxiety disorder and can’t handle himself well around other humans, let alone this new species of alien greeting him on the other side of a portal. Sam barely holds it together as he walks through this new city that’s outside of space and time.

The man who found him is a mage named Origon, and after learning about what happened on Earth with the sun going out and the world becoming cold he identified the event as a Drain. Seeing an opportunity to finally bring the council’s attention to the danger of Drains, Origon tries to get Sam to testify in front of the council to try and convince them of the impending danger. The council has been preoccupied with what Origon considers “boogeyman stories” of an ancient shapeshifting race known as the Aridori that were thought to be extinct but are now “coming back and causing problems again”. It’s gotten to the point where people are starting to turn on each other, accusing others of being Aridori and things are getting dangerously tense. Rilan, another mage who believes in Origon’s cause is also trying to help by working with Sam on his anxieties. She’s able to cast a spell which settles his nerves enough that he won’t have panic attacks walking down the street.

On their way to the council Origon offers Sam an apprenticeship, together they are going to try and research the Drains and find a way to get Sam back to Earth. When they arrive at the council to give them their new evidence for the Drains they are nearly laughed out of the assembly. They won’t listen to Origon and tell him that they have mounting evidence the Aridori’s have returned, they’re killing and replacing farmers within the Nether and that these are the issues that the council will focus on. They even try and deny Sam his right to apprentice under Origon. Luckily for them both in the end they at least get to work together even if they won’t have the council’s support.

Meanwhile, councilor Rilan from the house of Healing has been assigned her first apprentice, and it didn’t get off on the right foot. Her new apprentice wants nothing to do with the mental aspects of healing, and considers the psychological aspects of healing to be an affront and a breach on an individuals privacy. Her apprentice and Sam work closely together throughout the book trying to gather more evidence about the Drains when suddenly a Drain pops up on the Metherium homeworld and that’s where things start to pick up.

I liked Sam, he’s a very different kind of character than I’m used to reading. A lot of MC’s are super confident, they’re usually very talented in one area or another, and sometimes have an ego that’s too big for their britches. Sam struggles with day to day things like being around people he doesn’t know. I don’t see social anxiety or panic attacks as a trait that many fantasy characters have and it’s refreshing to get a different sort of main character. He’s often pre-occupied with worrying about one thing or another and is forever second-guessing himself.

The magic system in this is rather ornate and more along the lines of a hard magic system over mysterious magic. Magi can harness what’s known as the Grand Symphony, and depending on what frequencies the mages can hear determines what kind of magic they can use. There are healers, communicators and other classes of magi that has a council as a ruling body. This story is also more along the lines of science-fantasy than high fantasy or epic fantasy since the magic system itself is referred to as a science and not magic since it’s “repeatable and consistent”.

The Nether itself works as a translator for all the species that inhabit it, if you listen closely you’ll notice that you don’t actually understand the language being spoken to you, but you understand the intent of what was said without having to think about it. It also gives you a sense of navigation, if you think of where you want to go you get little instincts about what streets to use and where to turn to get to where you’re going. And technically, the Nether isn’t even inside the real universe, it’s outside of time and space and no one really knows why.

There are ten species that are currently known to be able to create portals and travel the galaxies, they are all pretty different from each other and many are brand new creations by the author rather than using traditional fantasy races. I have nothing against traditional fantasy races, I loves orcs and elves, but reading about brand new species is always fun. I really loved how the author used body language for Origon’s character, a lot of his emotions were expressed through the feathers on his crest.

The writing had a bit of weird dialogue when it came to the MC’s aunt, she used the word “shall” a lot, and I think it was to show dialect difference and maybe her ‘proper’ personality type, but it came out a little awkward. I did however like the way the different aliens spoke with strange usages of tenses and sentence structure which felt foreign but was also understandable. I also liked how some of the world-building that couldn’t fit fluidly into dialogue was integrated into the book at the beginnings of each chapter as an excerpt from a history book – that works way better than trying to jam 1,000 year old history bits into dialogue.

This book starts off really quickly, it just throws you into what looks like the end of Earth and flings the MC into an entirely alien world. From there, however, things slow down a bit and the world building is introduced along with some character development and another POV, the real meat of the story didn’t really pick up until about halfway through the book.

Overall I liked this, it’s really different and I tend to enjoy a mix of science and fantasy, I just don’t come across them all that often. I also really liked the illustrations in the book that really helped me visualize these new species that are unique to this world. Origon was described sort of like a bird but I was having a hard time coming up with a visual in my head for it.


Audience:

science-fantasy
alien species vs classic fantasy races
hard magic system
lots of magic
advanced tech
in-depth world building
MC’s with anxiety disorder


Ratings:

Plot: 11.5/15
Characters: 12/15
World Building: 13/15
Writing: 11/15
Pacing: 10/15
Originality: 12.75/15
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10

Final Score: 78.25/100 = 3.91 /5 on GR = recommended!

[Fer Yuvre · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 en verdad. Las primeras 150 páginas son muy duras y nada atractivas, porque te dan mucha información sin darte información, y hacen que odies al protagonista (Sam, no hay quien te aguante chico). Una vez dicho esto, vamos a ver varios pros:

El mundo mola mucho, esta cuidado al detalle. Me gustan las especies, y sobre todo el sistema de magia. Es original y fresco, la Casa de la Gracia (traducción libre) me ha encantado. No es nada convencional y tiene unas normas claras desde el principio que sigue bastante bien, aunque en ocasiones contadas se lo salta un poco, nada dramático.

Los personajes son carismáticos y se distinguen bien sus voces, aunque en ocasiones en ciertos capítulos se mezclan y no sabes bien quién está diciendo qué.

A nivel de trama, esta bien, no me ha sorprendido muchísimo, pero es satisfactorio. Las últimas 100 páginas se nota un gran cambio de ritmo, que le sienta muy bien y te hace disfrutar de la lectura.

Pegas: Sam. Me pasa como cuando leo la Rueda del Tiempo, me gusta todo menos cuando sale Sam/Rand, que tienen en momentos relaciones muy parecidas, que me parecen muy curiosas. No hace falta que desarrollen cada pensamiento que tiene. Los demás personajes también tienen trasfondo emocional, pero al no machacarlo ni mostrarlo tan abiertamente te permite conocerles y empatizar, y no que tras el primer capítulo te parezca un pesado (aunque evoluciona bastante a lo largo del libro)

En resumen, ha sido original y pasado el ecuador lo he disfrutado bastante. Me ayudaría una imagen de cada especie para hacerme una mejor composición de lugar. Espero que en el siguiente se siga notando el salto de calidad que se da de la primera a la segunda parte de esta novela. Y que Sam se relaje un poco, por favor.

[E.M. Hamill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I definitely liked it. It's so well written, incredibly immersive and I enjoyed the characters and exquisite world building. Major kudos for LGBTQ characters of all species who are real and nuanced and fascinating. My only qualm is that it was a conscious effort to keep reading at times, and I found myself skimming over too much, especially parts in the POV of the maji. I don't feel doing that affected my understanding of the plot or the storyline, so I think perhaps it could have been a little tighter in places.

It's a fantastic mix of science fantasy a la Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentine's Castle, one of my all time favorite books (so big it could have been three or four books, but, hey, that's epic fantasy, right?). Seeds of Dissolution is a really good read, and may end up being someone's favorite book. Sam's reveal in the last third of the book is one of those OH HOLY CRAP moments that I live for. And the magic system is brilliant! A music-based magic system just thrilled the hell out of me. Recommended, just be prepared to give it your full attention.

[Free_dreamer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review @Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

“The Seeds of Dissolution” is brilliant, to put it simply. It has everything I love in a book and I’m so glad I didn’t let the relationship dynamic put me off.

First of all, the world building was incredibly well done. Anybody who’s read a few of my reviews knows it’s hard to impress me with that. I have very, very high expectations of Fantasy and SciFi authors and William C. Tracy fulfilled them all. I’ve read countless books that deal with magic in one way or another, but never before have I come across anything like this. I’ve seen magic by colours a couple of times, but never by music before. It was a very unique and interesting approach.

The author did a brilliant job of slowly introducing all the different species and really making them all appear distinct and unique. I really enjoyed getting to know the Nether and its inhabitants together with Sam. There were a few drawings throughout the book and they really helped my imagination along.

Over the course of the story, we get to know characters from a few of the different species closer. The character cast was actually quite large, but they all had a very distinct voice. We get four three different POVs, but it’s immediately obvious who’s head we’re in at any given moment.

Our main protagonist is Sam. I really liked him. He’s so not your average fantasy hero. He suffers from crippling anxiety attacks, brought on by his agoraphobia and social phobia. That he still makes himself get up every time made him an extremely strong person to me. Far more than any typically perfect fantasy hero you happen across all the time.

The main plot of this book is definitely the fantasy. The romance plays a very minor part overall. This is just the type of book I want to see way more of: a brilliant plot with an MC who just so happens to be homosexual (or bisexual, as in Sam’s case). It’s incredibly difficult to find a really good fantasy novel with a protagonist who isn’t straight. There’s plenty of M/M romance with fantasy out there, but it’s just not the same. I grew up reading epic fantasy novels and I’m still not much of a romance reader, so this book had me extremely pleased. Thank you, dear author!

Long story short, “The Seeds of Dissolution�� is brilliant fantasy. If you are, like me, a lover of epic fantasy with serious world building, then I’m sure you’ll love this unique approach of magic. If, however, you’re just looking for a nice romance novel with a bit of fantasy, keep looking.

Oh, this was also my first ever MMF book and I actually hesitated before picking it up just because of the relationship dynamic. I am SO glad I decided to diversify my reading habits a while ago. I think “The Seeds of Dissolution” will very likely end up being one of the best books of the year for me. And the best part: This is only part one and there are two more books that are set in the same world (but aren’t part of the series). Gonna read those very soon!

The cover is pretty cool. It looks very mysterious. Love those black flowers.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all you sci-fiers out there, this is a good book for you. Full of all different kinds of species, all different kinds of genders, different worlds, a certain type of ‘magic’, and so much more. And in the middle, a poor human boy, thrown into a world he has no idea what the hell happening with or to him.

Sam was just trying to do his homework at home with his aunt, when all of a sudden the house became so cold and the power went out. He tried to make fire to save him and his aunt, but he passed out from cold. When he came to, she was dead and the flames were calling to him to hold on to them. Next thing he knows, he’s been pulled through a portal to another world, Galaxy and all. They can’t even find Earth or the Milky Way on the map his mentor has. So he’s stuck. The magi that pulled hm through, takes him on as an apprentice and once Sam gets a grasp of the ‘magic’ they use, it becomes clear he’s super powerful. But he’s also been dropped in the middle of a conspiracy. A faction is trying to basically take over the world and wipe everyone out. Hence all the drains happening and killing people. With the help of his friends and mentors, they try to figure it all out but it’s so hard when they keep getting captured or kidnapped. But now the big ‘event’ is happening, a friend is kidnapped and Sam has just done something impossible. But how do they fix everything else before everyone dies?

Man if I was Sam, I’d be having more panic attacks than he’s been having. Holy hell. There’s just stuff coming at them from every angle. Secrets are being found out, betrayals from everywhere, lies being spread, all in hopes of starting a war for a coalition that is basically pure evil. The portals they travel to many worlds and dimensions are only adding to the puzzles they have to figure out. It’s a mess.

But it’s one hell of a book. I love these characters. There are so many things represented in this book. It’s amazing. It’s so many things in one book. Sci-fi, mystery, murder mystery, thriller…..just so much packed in this book. I loved it. You guys should give it a try for sure.
http://lovebytesreviews.com/2019/08/1...

[Cheyanne Lepka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly how science fantasy should be written. The world-building is absolutely stunning, with rich varied species, a unique magic system, and fantastic characters. The layers of the world are expertly drawn and the level of nuance with which the characters interact with and relate to the world is impressive.

I love, love, love Sam. I might be biased, but I’ve rarely seen anxiety/agoraphobia rep written so well, and I just loved him. Every time he was down and then picked himself back up I was cheering. And that’s the other thing I have to say about this book, as far as writing diverse characters, it hits the nail on the head. Non-binary characters everywhere, a gender fluid character, bisexual main character, and a polyamorous relationship. And it all just exists beautifully together. So, please world, give me more SFF like this.

The best part of this book is how many moving pieces there are. Everything is happening at once, and you can feel it coming to a head, but there’s nothing you can do. The tension is fantastic, and that ending, wowie. I am so excited for the second book (seriously, can I have it now? No? Well, fine, I’ll go read some of the other books in the universe, while I wait patiently).

Anyway, I could probably rave about this book all night, but seriously, just go read it. If you love epic fantasy, want some more space opera and are looking to get lost in a unique magic system. Just buy this book.

To read more reviews like this one, check out my website:
https://www.cheyannealepka.com/chey-s...

[Sara Codair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tracy does a fantastic job weaving the Dissolution universe together. Every little detail of the world the story took place in was so real and flushed out that it felt like it could be coexisting with reality right now. The diversity of species and their genders was my favorite aspect of world building.

As far as characters go, I could relate to Sam and his anxiety. However, I thought the message the book sent about medication bordered on dangerous. I'll say more about this when I write a longer review on my blog (https://saracodair.com/category/reviews/).

The dynamic between Rilan and Origon was fantastic! There personalities were different but compatible, and the tension between them has me hoping something happens between them at some point in the series.

The plot had a slow build at times, but I never lost interest.

[Sherri Geisler Locke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a good while to really get into this book. Maybe 5 or 6 chapters. I was starting to think I had chosen one I wasn't going to fully enjoy. Then without even being aware of exactly when the change happened I found I didn't want to put it down. I had no trouble understanding what Sam was feeling with the anxiety as I struggle with that myself and at times it takes great strength of will to walk outside. The author manages to bring out many different emotions. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Robin Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I have been a critique and alpha reader of this story for about 3 years. I think because of that, I have rounded my rating down for fear of appearing to partial, but I am very partial indeed towards this excellent story. The sheer depth, breadth and height, and huge scope and detail of the story is completely enthralling to me. For me, the measurement of the a good magic system is that it does not feel like a system at all, of course, but a completely natural part of the story world, and this is something that Bill Tracy has achieved near perfectly. The Great Symphony inhabits the world like a primal, intrinsic, essential presence, and yet it never is overbearing to the characters and their story, it is intertwined, it inhabits that characters and the setting beautifully.

The characters, the races and the locations, for me, all invoke a sense of wonder that is never far away in the reading of the story. All the creatures and characters are bright and distinct, their motivations completely believable ands engaging. Our protagonist has faults, does he ever (and they do grate a little at times), but he presses on, he finds determination, he is drive (sometimes with encouragement), and carries us through a story that, I think, leaves the reader guessing until the very end.

This story is an immense achievement, and deserves your attention.

[Pixie Mmgoodbookreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 💖💖💖💖 Hearts Reviewed by Shorty for MM Good Book Reviews

Sam is a young man staying with his aunt when all of a sudden cold becomes a real threat that they have no hope of escaping. Trying to build a fire Sam is pulled through a portal into another world. Once there he discusses with the magi who pulled him through how to get back. Alas there is no way.

Sam is thrust into a world with aliens, magic and a group hellbent on destroying the world. Sam for his part wants to help and so begins his training in between him and his new friends being kidnapped and rescued. There is a lot going on in this story. Many twists and turns, secondary characters as well as representation of the lgbtqi.

It was a fascinating read. But I do admit to being confused at times as the story progressed. Still it was an interesting mix of situations and characters that had me reading till the end.

Great read.

['thommy Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is the beginning of a fantastic tapestry of a mix of sci fi and fantasy. Yoy see a place where differedn't races work together. I found the definition of magic in this book to be a well thought out system and completely understandable. I can't wait for the next book. A definite must read!!!

[Helgaleena Healingline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam suffers from crippling anxiety ever since he lost his parents as a small child. As the story begins he is about to lose the aunt who raised him as well to a mysterious NOTHING. It nearly claims him too until he reaches out with a talent he didn't know he had, grasps a stranger's hand through a strange opening and is yanked into a whole new universe. Which is a shock, too.

This is a young adult tale of the importance of believing in yourself and the future, in the face of the huge challenges that life can throw at us. It turns out that very few beings, of ten different species, have the ability which Sam used to save himself. Here in the realm called Nether, those who have it work together for the good of all, and to train those with ability to do the same.

We meet the heroes of The Five Hive Plateau, the maji Rilan and Origon, as well as twins from another human planet, Eron and Iran, who also lost their family to an encroaching NOTHING. They gather allies to save the universe with their harmonic abilities, with or without the help of the Maji Council. It's inspiring and thrilling. Highly recommended.

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting tale of fear, loss, and another realm of the universe.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel as an ARC from Book Sirens.
The Seeds of Dissolution is an isekai, albeit a Western one. The story starts when Sam, a young man with anxiety, getting sucked through a portal to a system of planets called the Nexus. Sam’s anxiety was presented well. Although he got some help through magic and meditation, it didn’t just disappear. I'm also glad he didn’t become overpowered, which happens distressingly often in isekai.
However, there were some ways his character could have been improved. Sam didn’t show much shock at the difference in technological levels between Earth and the Nexus. The Nexus doesn’t have devices like smartphones or computers, which would have helped the characters at certain points in the plot. It’s also mentioned in the first chapter that he was planning on taking online courses, so it’s not like he’s inept with technology. I know a lot of young people use technology to cope with mental issues such as anxiety, so Sam’s lack of awkwardness over this loss felt inauthentic to me. Not a whole lot of Sam’s backstory was given, either. The audience learns little about Sam’s life before he ends up in the Imperium.
Besides that, I only have a few quibbles, such as a spelling error I found on one page and an awkward simile on another. The book provided a good framework for how the magic system and the worlds work while setting up some story threads for the next two books. I can’t wait to read the sequel.

[**Elle**Bee**Double U** · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Seeds of Dissolution is such a unique book that I can honestly say I haven't read anything like this.
Sam Van Oen lived his life on Earth as a recluse. He has crippling anxiety that keeps him from leaving the house scared that he'll suffer a panic attack at any moment. However, when the sun disappears and his world turns to ice he discovers a portal opened in his living room. Now Sam has to find a way to navigate his fears and survive in a new world.

One of the things I really liked about this book was the magic element (I guess that's what it would be called). I really liked that it was a Symphony and each house had their own 'threads' that they each were more powerful with and could change in the music.

[Lori Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as a review copy, this is an honest review. One moment the sun was there, the next moment it was gone... taking with it the life of Sam's aunt and the comforting world Sam fought to make for himself. Complicating things even more, Sam finds himself accidentally pulled into a colorfully, bizarre alien world through a mysterious void in the sky. Battling crippling anxiety as he struggles to navigate a complex social structure that mixes magic and science; Sam will discover he can become a very different person... and help protect an alien world that is slowly becoming his home. A unique mind bending adventure that will challenge you beyond comprehension. Highly recommended.

[Reese Hogan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complex worldbuilding, a diverse cast of characters, and a rich setting make a nice backdrop for a plot involving life-eating holes in reality and lost-lost species resurfacing from fairy tales. I liked that the characters were all deeply flawed in realistic ways. It felt more believable, and nicely heightened the tension as well. The action is engaging and well-paced. My favorite parts are the musically-based magic system and the space-bending physics that give this fantasy universe a refreshing scientific edge. Looking forward to more stories from the Dissolutionverse!

[Connie Moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is unlike any other fantasy or science fiction book that I have ever read before. There are different species from from ten different worlds and everything runs on music. Don't let the music idea stop you if you don't like music because this book is wild, full of action and mesmerizing all the way to the end. It is a very rich and imaginative book. Great universe. I got this free and this my honest review. Get this book!

[Gina Stamper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real and Vivid. I liked the way that William C. Tracy wove his tale.
Characterization was huge in this novel. The characters were all very well developed and had their own motivations and faults. It made them seem more real to me as the reader.

I also really liked the flow of this novel. It felt very smooth.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great page-turner of a book set in a rich, original universe with amazing characters. Mysteries revealed in a carefully plotted manner - some you are aware of and looking for the answer and other twists you don’t expect, yet nothing unbelievable or jarring. Also, one aspect I’m very particular about (won’t specify so not a spoiler) was done exceptionally well! Bonus points!!!

[Joscelyn Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable mixture of science fiction and fantasy. The top-notch world building and engaging characters made for a very entertaining read.

*I requested a free review copy of this book through StoryOrigin and am voluntarily leaving a review*

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the story, I like the characters, I am encouraged by the use of gender neutral and the openness between the characters. The audio seems like it is told in an empty hallway, but otherwise it's really good. I will be getting the next book in the series.

[Brandy Dalton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like Piers Anthony's style then this story is for you. I enjoyed the difference between characters and the story plot with its own unique twist on the magic and worlds out there

[Debbie Storms · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." I thought this was a good book. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Red Ink Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Seeds of Dissolution (Book 1 of The Dissolution Cycle) – William C. Tracy

I was provided with a copy of “The Seeds of Dissolution” in order to provide an honest review.

William C.Tracy is an American author who has written a few novels that are fantasy novels with a bit of science fiction twist or two.

“The Seeds of Dissolution” is book one of “The Dissolution Cycle” series by William C. Tracy.

Sam is a young man who struggles deal with his crippling anxiety. He lost his parents at a very young age and lives with his Aunt Martha. That is until the cold came and sucked the warmth and life out of everything.

Next thing Sam knew he was in a dirty alley with what he could only describe as some sort of bird man staring down at him. Sam soon realised he was in a new and very strange world.

The bird man was called Origon and he was what was known in that world as a magus – an individual who was able to hear what was known as the Grand Symphony and use the musical notes that he heard to perform what can only be described as fetes of magic.

Origon was investigating and studying the anomalies he referred to as Drains. The Drains literally drained the life essence of what was near them.

After discovering Sam had come from another world having narrowly escaped a drain, Origon took Sam under his wing. With the help of Origon and his friend Councillor Ayama, Sam began learning about the Grand Symphony and learning to hear its musical notes.

This new world tested Sam’s very limits and he struggled to cope. Yet, despite all this Sam was able to make some friends, something he hadn’t managed to do before. His friends were twins, Enos and Inas, who had recently survived a Drain that had appeared and killed their family.

Origon was more determined than ever to discover and learn more about the Drains and how to stop them. With his friend, Councillor Ayama, Origon assumed he would be heard. Yet what Origon had to say, his warnings, fell on the Council’s deaf ears.

It seemed someone was trying to breathe new life into an old fairy-tale, to scare and divert the attention of the Council from the real threat they faced – the Drains. It was up to Sam, Origon, Ayama and the twins – with the help of some friends, to try and stop the Drains before they managed to destroy this world and the Grand Symphony.

“The Seeds of Dissolution” is a young adult fantasy story that has quite a few science fiction elements and vibes. It read very much like a Robin Hobb story in the sense that it was quite slow and dry to start with but if you pushed through, the story gained momentum – it was turned into quite the enchanting read.

Sam was a character I feel that some young adults may be able to relate to. His story was very sad and emotional but also highlighted that though others may perceive you as weak does not mean that you aren’t strong. If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything you put your mind to.

I liked reading the interactions between Origon and Ayama. I feel there is more to explore there with their relationship. But I also feel there is a lot more to discover about Ayama, I feel that there is more about her past we need to learn to understand where she is coming from now.

Overall “The Seeds of Dissolution” was a delightful and enchanting read.