Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish, Book 1 (Primeval Origins (the Primeval Origins Epic Saga)) Paperback – March 19, 2014

Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish by V.A. Vonsik is the first book in the Primeval Origins series. Nikki young woman working towards her degree in college assists on an archeology site in South America when she and her peers stumble across evidence of a primeval civilization that is far more advanced than anyone thought possible for that point in time. This modern day prologue then leads in to the Primeval story itself. Where we leave the story of Nikki and focus on the adventures of Rogaan as he survives the trial and conflicts of a complicated society plagued by deceit and intrigue in a time before recorded history.So admittedly when you read the concept of this young adult novel series it’s a bit jarring. A political intrigue adventure story back in the time of dinosaurs? It is certainly an original concept, and one that is well pulled together and in a fantastic story. V.A. Vonsik does a wonderful job of building us a world that takes place before the time of man. The world and the various creatures in it are exciting to read about, and how the characters interact and have named the creatures of the world are primitive but make fantastic sense for the setting. If you are fond of creative adventure stories I strongly suggest you pick up this book.

Primeval Origins: Path of Anguish by B. A. Vonsik is a sci-fi novel that focuses on two main characters. Nikki lives in the 2080s, and she is a graduate student taking part in a dig in South America. When her team stumbles on a mysterious blue-steel sword, she gets plunged into memories of a young boy living 65 million years ago.Rogaan joins a hunt, hoping to prove himself capable enough to join the warriors of his day. He conceals a weapon his father has forbidden him to take and, upon the hunting party’s return to town, draws the attention of the authorities.Will Rogaan and his friends survive being chased by an assassin? And will they be able to free their imprisoned family members?I enjoyed the first instalment of Primeval Origins. It is well-written and engaging throughout, and it’s easy to empathize with the characters. I liked the fact that the fantasy aspects of the world were explained well, but some of the descriptions read a bit slowly and broke up the action. I also would have liked to learn more about Nikki’s story, which only came up at the beginning and very briefly at the end.Despite this, I thought the story was excellent and captivating. It will appeal to lovers of fantasy and young adults looking to dive into a completely different world.

B.A. Vonsik's Paths of Anguish is the type of book that will pleasantly surprise you with its ability to straddle the lines of both fantasy and sci-fi at the same time. Having spent countless hours trying to find a novel that would satisfy my desire for something new and unique, I came across Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish. A book that not only lived up to my expectations of being nothing short of amazing but is also a book in which I found myself becoming emotionally involved in Nikki’s and Will’s journey. His ability to maintain my attention and keep my page turning long past the point I wanted to be reading. It's time to go to bed I'd tell myself before finding myself reading another chapter into the wee hours of the morning. This idea that someone leaving in the distant future could be plunged into the life and memories of someone from millions of years before is so fascinating to me. Vonsiks worldbuilding is on point and I’m looking forward to reading book 2 and continuing their journey. Additionally, Vonsik manages to intertwine a sweet coming of age story into the book almost without you even noticing. Enjoyed the read. Looking forward to more.

"Paths of Anguish" is a YA fantasy/ Sci-fi novel and the first in the series "Primeval Origins" by author B.A. Vonsik whose creative storytelling defies the creative limitations of any set genre.Nikki and Rogan are two protagonists living in two different lifetimes but their paths cross unexpectedly to shape the destiny of humankind. Here, biopunk elements blend with genetics, myths, and mysticism and the result is a remarkable tapestry worth turning the pages. Vonsik's book is strong on atmosphere and the nuanced construction of two flawed protagonists alongside other well-fleshed-out characters manages to give this book an elevated aura.Perhaps the most significant win in this novel is its prose which is concise and cinematic. The action scenes are neat and deftly orchestrated and manage to keep the reader glued. Overall, this was one text that took me on a rollicking adventure, and teenage and adult readers alike will welcome this inexpensive edition of a literary benchmark.

What if you read a novel set at the time of Noah's flood. But what if the novel was closely linked to events in revelations? Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish is that book.What starts out as a coming of age story for Rogaan becomes a nightmare adventure where his father and many that he cares for are in danger.I believe this novel serves as something of a giant and thrilling prologue to the series.The imagination is brilliant, and I cannot wait to read the next installment.

The idea behind "Primeval Origins: Paths of Anguish" seemed very interesting to me. It sounded like a very promising plot, but unfortunately, it did not quite deliver what I expected. The description said that Nikki (I really liked her) would find herself plunged into the memories of a prehistoric young man. You do get the story of Rogaan, but I did not feel Nikki's presence anywhere within his story. I feel like Nikki could completely be erased from book 1 and nobody would notice - which is disappointing and should not be the case for someone who is supposedly one of the main characters.The main part of the book is about Rogaan and his hunt that feels a lot longer than it actually is, and then about his next quest. It all never really becomes clear what the main overarching purpose of the whole story is. What I really missed is a strong and likeable main character. By that, I do not mean physically strong, but strong in a way that engages me as a reader and makes me care. Rogaan could have died, I would not have cared. What is the flaw that he needs to overcome? What is his real hero's journey? What is his nausea about?I thought it would be interesting to read about a world in which humans and dinosaurs exist at the same time, but somehow I missed the sense of real danger for these old settlements. Why were they never truly worried about being trampled into the dust by a T-Rex or any other bigger dinosaur rampaging through their settlement? I feel like I learned a lot more about how the places smell (the author REALLY seems to love describing smells, stenches, and the wrinkling of noses) than about the interaction between humans and dinosaurs. There also were a lot of descriptions of locations, sometimes it read more like a guide for tourists than a novel.I did read the book from beginning to the end, always hoping that there'd be something Nikki related soon, i.e. I expected there to be more time-jumps in the story. I feel the book would be much better if some passages were shortened because readers like to use their imagination.All in all, it was okay to read, but I had expected something very different.

I bought this as a gift for my granddaughter, so I hope she loves it.