Discover the early lives of your favorite characters in The Tribal War Series FREE ebook
STELLA ATRIUM
SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITER
STELLA ATRIUM
SPECULATIVE FICTION WRITER
Available Now! New Release!
The Matrix Opal
BOOK one of the Duchy Wars
From a 5X Award-Winning Author Comes a Bold New Chapter in The Tribal Wars Saga
Ariseng was never meant to survive. Raised in the misty stone forest, she was trained to obey, to sacrifice. But she strikes a hard bargain; she’ll join the new mission only if she holds the Matrix Opal, for magic and protection. The greater threat isn’t the enemy she is sent to face… but the one fighting beside her.
In this standalone science fiction adventure, Bybiis the beastmaster, once a fearless girl, enlists Ariseng’s talents to help define her purpose as a grown woman among the fractured tribes. The warrior Kristos el Arrivi watches Ariseng with a growing need to understand her unusual methods. When a deadly force of Ciska assassins emerges from the shadows, their bonds are tested in ways none of them saw coming.
A gripping fusion of space travel, political intrigue, and character-driven drama, this novel offers a fresh entry point into The Tribal Wars series while expanding its rich universe. If you crave action, complexity, and magic rooted in survival, Ariseng’s journey will keep you turning the pages late into the night.
WHERE TO ORDER THE MATRIX OPAL
Praise for Stella Atrium’s Writing
Stella Atrium’s writing is fluid and her superior storytelling skills leave a spell on readers, forcing them to keep on turning the pages. This deeply moving tale is filled with humanity and realism.
Book Commentary
As always, Atrium builds worlds and cultures with anthropological rigor… and tour-guides readers through those creations with such exacting prose and immersive detail that the textures of life and conflict come to feel real.
Book Life
A hard-edged coming-of-age story in a sprawling new sci-fi/fantasy realm, setting off The Duchy Wars series in spectacular fashion. The blurry blend of science fiction and fantasy draws on a wealth of genre traditions to craft this unique gem of a novel. The world-building is remarkable and constant, and there are myriad powerful and subtly woven themes throughout the story that add even more prescience to the prose, resulting in a compelling genre tour de force and an entertaining new chapter within Atrium’s ever-expanding universe.
Self-Publish Review
The world-building overall is remarkable and constant; the tribal landscape is rich and complex, imbued with multilayered power struggles and a seamless interweaving of mysticism, tradition, and modernity. There are myriad powerful and subtly woven themes throughout the story that add even more prescience to the prose, touching on imbalances of power, retribution, perspective, and flexible ideas of destiny. Alternating between narrative viewpoints is a particular strength of this story, and the characters’ distinct personalities and speech patterns are refreshingly consistent. The storytelling voices shift smoothly from introspective to manic, whip-smart to curious, pithy to provocative, nudging the reader towards intention and meaning without overburdening the prose.
Book Viral
… a beautiful masterpiece of worldbuilding with richly drawn characters, nuanced politics, conflicting cultures, and strange and wonderful creatures… It would be a shame to miss out on any of it.
Catherine Langrehr
Indie Reader
Author Stella Atrium infuses her central character with energy and power that leaps off the page in this bold new sci-fi story with a heroine who sits perfectly in a vividly realized world of magic and resistance. I was with Ariseng from the start, and her attitude is authentically built from the detailed world around her, with Atrium’s top-tier world-building offering readers a layered, immersive, and compelling space to step into. Having read a lot of this genre and enjoyed a great many different action-adventure tales, it was so refreshing to see a deeper piece that maintains its tension and thrills but also breathes new life into dystopian YA with moral nuance and emotional depth. This is enhanced by the groundwork that Atrium puts into the relationships and cause-and-effect for her characters, with complex tribal alliances that are naturally conveyed in the dialogue and evocative personal stakes that make this a standout in the genre. Overall, I would not hesitate to recommend The Matrix Opal to YA dystopian fans looking for an elevated and highly engaging read.
K.C. Finn
Readers’ Favorite
From Stella Atrium on The Matrix Opal
In this standalone novel, the reader will find a new protagonist and sidekick. Some side characters may seem familiar from the previous 5-book series. The writer style takes a turn in that narrators are multiple and not restricted to one section.
I know the characters so well now, the challenge I set for myself was to speak in their voices. I’m so pleased with the effect, like each one is singing her own aria.
Bybiis is joined by more young, gifted characters. A powerful enemy emerges with child kidnappings and assassinations. The demands to grow paranormal talents are more than how to live well, or service to the community. The demand from leaders is to train the talents for strengthening group defenses.
