Book Review – Astral Seeds: Eclipse of the Celestial War

Reviewed by Jadidsa Perez

A fascinating fantasy world featuring a great protagonist and cosmic repercussions

Set in the fantasy world of Terra Arcana, Astral Seeds by Jhani Mills is about a young hero facing a tyrannical foe to prevent a cosmic war. Our protagonist, Aric, is bonded to one of the many creatures in this world—a gigantic dragon named Ignarion. The bond between Aric and Ignarion is intrinsic to both of their identities. 

But their otherwise peaceful kingdom starts to be plagued by ferocious shooting stars and other stellar oddities. This is believed to be the beginning of the Prophecy of Celestial Balance, which foretells calamity if the Zodiac Guardians, heavenly giants, awaken. 

To complicate matters even further, Aric’s uncle, King Vaelion, is convinced that he is chosen to be the future ruler of the realms based on his warped view of the prophecy. To suppress the Zodiac Guardians and stop his uncle, Aric embarks on a journey with his cousin Dorian and close friend Lireal to collect the Astral Seeds, known as the preservers of order. 

Aric is a wonderful protagonist to lead this story. Rather than an impenetrable, unerring hero, he’s sensitive and insecure. Whenever his bond with Ignarion is tested, he shows a lot of vulnerability, constantly second-guessing himself as a dragon rider. His anxieties feel real and work in grounding this fantastical story; he’s always having pragmatic, genuine reactions to conflict. He’s not a role model but a young man thrust into a position that he did not ask for. One of my favorite parts of his character is that he’s usually motivated by his friends. I don’t see that often enough in fantasy, even though I see it so often in real life.

Astrology and its varying imagery also plays a fascinating role in the story. Using the stars as a prognosis for war sets the plot up perfectly. All the Zodiac Guardians introduced represent their zodiac sign effectively without being over the top. They offer a nice, stark contrast to the more shrouded figures like the Keepers, figures that would arbitrarily appear to warn the heroes. The Keepers are vague and kept mysterious. Each being ultimately has their interpretation of the prophecy and seeks to use it for their benefit, and it’s thrilling see the concept play out using these real archetypal characters. 

The book does well in breaking down genuine fear in Aric when his bond with Ignarion begins to strain, but I did long to get even more into their bond and relationship, like the stories of how they met. While conceptualizing their bond is possible for more creative readers, the answers aren’t often fleshed out in the book.

Astral Seeds certainly delivers for those fantasy readers with an affinity for stars and astrology. Terra Arcana is an immersive world worth visiting.

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