AQUILA [Book 1 Complete]

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Twenty one. That’s the age when everything changes. Everyone manifests a symbiont, a creature invisible to all but its host that shapes their destiny in a rigid world. Conrada Dorrien harbors a dangerous secret:she alone can see everyone’s symbionts. But revealing her gift could trigger a buyout of her contract, separating her from family and friends, and placing her at the mercy of ruthless corporations. Best case she ends up a lab-rat in some R&D project, worst case a weapon to a private military contractor. As manifestation approaches, Conrada hopes for a life within the sanctuary of academia following in her father’s footsteps and providing refuge from the confines of her serfdom. But she fears her extraordinary connection to the symbionts means she’s destined for anything but easy obscurity. All it takes is a single word. Classified. Conrada finally learns what happens when bidding wars between recruiters erupt at manifestation when she becomes the latest acquisition by Aquila Operations, a boutique corporate consulting firm. No corporate mergers, land acquisitions, or balancing budgets here. Conrada joins a team known for their unorthodox methods and a reputation for always getting the job done. For Aquila is in the business of the unique and the dangerous, and charges prices accordingly. ~2k word chapters, updating twice a week (Thurs + Sat).Season 1 complete, Season 2 currently posting! What to Expect:1st person present POV narrator who is unreliable, low fantasy, dystopian corporate-feudalism. It's not quite cyberpunk, it's not quite grimdark. Diverse and grey side characters. Angry hyena noises! A slow-burn hetero romance, with some unhealthy baggage. Weird side tangents about trees 'n' stuff! What Not to Expect:LitRPG or system elements, protagonists who are going to solve every problem with power ups or killing, a discrete 'bad' guy/antagonist that can be defeated to make everything better. Profanity is a common occurrence, other content warnings are there for when the plot needs it. Occasional trigger warnings will be at the top of chapters in spoilers. There is a soundtrack onSpotify(which includes the occasional community suggested contribution!) Main cover by me! Volume cover art bynunesk!

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2025
Author: nyctophilus

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.6/ 5.0
Followers: 1,531
Views: 274,497

Chapters(111 total)

What readers say about AQUILA [Book 1 Complete]

“What we have here gentlemen is a true specimen of a great story within this site. To use the author's own setting, If this story were manifesting, it'd manifest as a great white tiger God and I'd be throwin in my own gloves onto the ring for the bidding war…”
emssitumorangRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“It’s a bold choice going for first person perspective and hard to do well, but this nails it. A times it felt like I was reading 1984 or something of that nature but with this symboint twist. The fact I've never heard of a symboint is also a bonus as it rea…”
C.K. BradleyRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

emssitumorangRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
What we have here gentlemen is a true specimen of a great story within this site. To use the author's own setting, If this story were manifesting, it'd manifest as a great white tiger God and I'd be throwin in my own gloves onto the ring for the bidding wars. This story is such a combination of so many previous ideas done well that it ends up looking and feeling completely original so kudos to the author on that.
For the grammar of the story, it is immaculate to me. No complaints to be had. The style is succinct and great, I could easily imagine all the scenes playing out in my head as if it was a clear movie. The prose is that good and is very much engaging.
The story and setting of the world is simply unique yet of course has tinges of inspiration within the setting. It leaves you feeling both intrigued with it's uniqueness yet also anchors you with a certain sense of familiarity. All in all great stuff here. Really makes you think on the ethics of effective serfdom and one's lot in life.
As for the characters, I love hearing Conrad's inner thoughts. She navigates her world well enough and is a very believable character. I don't tend to agree with all her tendencies, but it's made real clear her own line of reasoning so I do get why she acts the way she does. I enjoy the interactions she has with the rest of the cast in the pilot first chapter and if things continue as they are, things are gonna be good.
All in all, this is a great story, still severely underrated but a precious gem nonetheless.
C.K. BradleyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It’s a bold choice going for first person perspective and hard to do well, but this nails it. A times it felt like I was reading 1984 or something of that nature but with this symboint twist. The fact I've never heard of a symboint is also a bonus as it really frames this world in something new and exciting. The main character is duelly relatable and helps ease your way into this corruptmworld of symboints. Which themselves tickle the imagination as you keep searching for information about their origins.
The writing itself is good and easy to read which really allows you to get sucked into the world, and there not much fat too it which I'd the good pacing of the story and the first person perspective.
I really don't have much to say as I'm a fan of this type of writing these type of creature stories. The only critic or advice I have is don't mess it up because this could be something special, and you'd hate to have it was all a dream style ending. But I dont have any doubt that the author knows what he's doing with story and I'm looking forward to see how this all plays out.
lordnikelasRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Having just gotten through the prologue: I'm pretty excited to continue reading. Dystopian/urban society like Shadowrun or some of the other cyberpunk settings, where partnerships with (normally) invisible spirit critters are the norm. You WILL need to look up taxonomic classification names for animals (unless you're good enough to know what a Theraphosid is; turns out it's a tarantula!), but also: some of the descriptions.
If you like corporate serfdom culture, rebellion, and angry hyena noises, this is a good pick.
prissiRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A future, maybe a different planet, maybe Earth. Greed and Feudo-Capitalism has exhausted all resources, the last one are ghosts, symbionts bound to humans to do their bidding.
Occasional misfits are culled, but somehow the MC has not met that fate ….
I love the raw emotions and burning live of this grimdark setting. This gets even better further down the story, which start rather tame. But more and more thing are revealed. Somehow this clashes with the quite normal food and clothing, a far cry from the Soylent orange one would expect from such a scenario.
This is really my only complaint. The writing is great and has me routing for the morally rather grey MC, which I usually not like.
AnaktoriaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Come for the gorgeous smart overworked mess that is Conrad(a). Stay for the feral OP magic hyena familiar that is Pooka (baby boy). Write fanfic for the hunk of a philosophically tortured corpo-Scion that is Rhett (also baby boy but in a different, more gentle way). Dude seriously just fucking read this.Advanced review to come when it isn’t midnight and I have a brain!!
theospalRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I have never felt such guttural rage, disgust, and horror at the contents of a story. And I cannot stop reading it for the life of me. This is one of the highest quality pieces of fiction I've consumed, ever. Characters feel so real, plot is enjoyable but not predictable, and hot damn if the writing isn't some of the best I've read. 10/10, recommend this to your friends and family
FuDawgRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
It’s like archer with summoned companions set in a corpo world. Super bleak world that the author is adding some spice to with their characters. The MC is starting out with some jagged edges that are being sanded down- I’m looking forward to seeing her settle in for the long haul with the company! The support cast so far has been meaningful and has potential as characters with their own personalities and depth. I see some shenanigans and tension in the future.
overall, great idea- please keep it up on the execution-so far it’s very well done. Worth the read!!
Mik WilkensRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I admit it: I'm a sucker for anything with animal companions, especially animals with special abilities. But Aquila is so much more than that. I've just started reading the second episode, and I've already come across so many different aspects of the story, all blended together seamlessly: dystopian, fantastical, dark, gritty, rebellious, corporate overreach, science/biology, espionage, intrigue. And, of course, the animal companions themselves, which add a touch of the supernatural, given their hinted-at origins and abilities.
All of these aspects add up to a unique and intriguing 5-star story that draws the reader in with a well thought out world and spunky rebellious main character, and keeps them reading to find out what happens next.
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STYLE : 4.5 Stars
The story is told in first person present tense - far from my favorite POV to read in a story - but it works here and is written in a manner that makes it flow well and keeps it from being as distracting as I've found it to be when used by less skilled writers.
The world-building, backstory, characterizations, and descriptions are well integrated into the prose, giving the reader the information they need to understand what's going on without disrupting the flow of the story or being obvious infodumps, with one exception: The descriptions of the symbionts (the "animal companions") is very sparse in many places, leaving a somewhat gaping hole in the story's world, especially since the MC/narrator has the unique (or at least very, very rare) ability to see everyone's symbiont (normally, symbionts can only be seen by the person they are bonded to).
There are also a few conventions the author uses, such as referring to characters only by their initials in "text messages" and not italicizing direct "quotes" in thoughts that can sometimes make the prose a bit difficult to understand on a first read, but these are minor issues that are easily fixed with an editing pass. (ADDENDUM: The author has just informed me th
B.DanteRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A ZOOLOGIST'S DREAM: AQUILA REVIEWAn educational read that parallels The Golden Compass with a dystopian flair...STYLEThe style is straightforward and easy to read. It easily immerses you in the story and prompts you to keep turning the page... er, scrolling down.That said, the descriptions—particularly of environments and creatures—tend to be fairly minimal. While this is offset by the author’s clearly deep knowledge and enthusiasm (especially in their Author Notes), readers who prefer deeper environmental description might find themselves craving more detail within the narrative itself.The Author Notes, however, are a genuine highlight—educational, humorous, and brimming with personality. They help bridge the gap for curious readers, though the experience may feel uneven if you’re not one to read the fine print. For those whodo, it adds an extra layer of charm.That being the case, it may benefit from more descriptive prose to make it more accessible to readers who don't want to have to read it alongside a compendium. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but mileage may vary.STORYThe influences are clear, but this isn’t just a derivative work—it stands on its own with a unique and well-thought-out premise.In a dystopian world, people manifestSymbionts—real-world animals with fantastical flair—on their twenty-first birthday. These creatures are assigned Latin binomial names and reflect both the social and physical value of their human hosts. The commodification of Symbionts is not only a clever metaphor but also a rich narrative device.The story blends natural science, speculative fiction, and social commentary in a way that feels fresh and rewarding.CHARACTERSThe story is told in 1st person limited from the POV of Conrada, an artist, scientist, beer connoisseur—oh, and the only person in the world who can see Symbionts belonging to other people.Conrada is likeable enough. She's a young woman making small rebellions against an oppressive system. I want to root for her, but she
BattlenerdRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall this book both thrills and terrifies me. Nyctophilus has built a world and characters so entrancing that I'm going to be legitimately upset if it falls off in the long run.Story:A setting so compelling I find my self googling mid chapter to make sure I have the most accurate mind picture possible to do it any justice which for the record isn't necessary anyway since the author notes typically hold the answer. No lore dump so far everything we learn is done organically through the MCs pov. The only gripe I have with it is there isn't enough for me to read yet.Grammar:I'm going to assume there is at least 1 editor and proof reader working with the author as I can't recall any grammar or spelling mistakes.Character:The main cast is a diverse group of true individuals all seeming to do their damnedest making the best of a bad situation. We don't understand everything about even our MC but that's what makes them believable to me. Growth is already evident not just in the MC but also supporting cast and their tentative bonds which makes you wonder what makes them truly tick and how far they are willing to go for each other.