Quod Olim Erat

Information

Status

Ongoing

Year

2017

Author

Lise Eclaire

• Available on Amazon and Kindle
  Apr 22, 2024
• Bonus: Fractal Contact
  Oct 5, 2023
• Bonus: The Cassandrian Theory
  Jan 2, 2021
• Bonus: The Scuu Paradox
  Mar 5, 2019
• 5. Twenty Percent Reduction
  Jan 14, 2018
• 4. Ship Medical
  Jan 7, 2018
• 3. Being Different
  Dec 31, 2017
• 2. Friend in the Service
  Dec 24, 2017
• 1. Plastic Letter
  Dec 17, 2017
• Prologue
  Dec 10, 2017

Reviews

Community Reviews(10)

• BarracudazRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  A retired war experienced ship A.I. returning to service but with a twist. Now experiencing everything like the thousands of people that used to occupy her old self. While also giving the military a headache on how to handle her situation.
  With only 9 chapters out and a steady release date of about 1 chapter a week, we get some world building and excellent conversations and grammar. At no point was I disrupted from the flow of the story and was thus able to binge read until the final chapter without pause. The characters, both human and A.I., to this point, have different personalities and feel unique. While the M.C. experiences this with excitement, not knowing what to expect next.
  Definitely a story that deserves much more attention and praise.
  If you are interested in A.I. related stories read it, if not read it anyway cause this story is good.
• MaulisiusRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Really enjoyable mix of exploration, world building and character development!
  Keep up the good work!
• NecamijatRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  With an eye for detail and a (lack of a) sense of direction, Elcy leads us in this Sci-Fi fiction to realms uncharted. Or that's what I got from the book, at least.
  Follow along as we are thrust in the mind of something that is far away from the usual protagonist known to Royal Road, and yet feels so vaguely familiar and nostalgic.
  Pros:
  Excellent Grammar
  Imaginative, interesting, compelling, and well thought-out storytelling
  Likeable characters with a flair for higher things than two dimensions
  Well made scene-setting and world-building
  Sci-Fi goodness not found on RR
  Neutrals:
  Pace can sometimes feel off, but it's not bad
  Cons:
  Sometimes there's a bit too much technicality going on and words can feel like they're pouring into your mind that you struggle to get a sense of; a lot of tech drivel, as I sometimes like to call it
  Overall enjoyment: Excellent.
  Reasons on why to read: all the pros. Reasons against: you hate good books.
• VMJaskierniaRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  A well written and easy sci-fi to get into, even if sci-fi usually isn't your thing.
• FortySixtyFourRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Lise Eclaire creates a preeminently novel premise that's guaranteed to impress... but may not necessarily satisfy. Elcy, formerly the intelligence of the battleship Light Seeker, has been retired into human form for decades when she is spurred to reenlist—this time, as a cadet crewman.
  As a new cadet, our cool and occasionally snarky protagonist is thrust into the tale's tribulations (with a sobering dash of tedium) by virtue of having both the safety tolerances of an expendable robot and the finesse and capabilities of a human being. As a former battleship, Elcy remains stoic and unfazed by the rude and dismissive way the supporting cast treats her, though it begins to chafe throughout the story and render many of the characters rather unlikeable.
  Memories of Elcy's past are teased throughout the present story and are an honest joy to read, but appear frequently enough that it becomes difficult to discern which context is framing the other. Connecting the dots is all the more difficult with the stifling cloak of military secrecy acting the part of our abstract antagonist; with orders classified and the driving reasons behind situations secret, characters and reader alike struggle to glean relevance to what exactly the hell is going on.
  The story is populated with interesting scifi settings and presented in suprisingly realistic fashion, with plenty of adventure, tension, great lines, and moments of levity. Lise Eclaire's love of the genre is apparent to see, and I won't hesitate to say that the genre loves her in return... but, there's an overall unrewarding sense that the story as presented isn't the one we most want to read, here.
  Quod Olim Erat paints portraits of fleets of shocking size engaging, sprawling space battles with missiles exploding and beams blazing, and even excels at more intimate, personal moments... the story then suffers from continuously flirting with the reveal of that defining moment that shapes Elcy, and refuses to deliver, leaving what see
• Hero FodderRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Lise Eclaire takes readers on an interstellar adventure with "Quod Olim Erat," offering a premise that's nothing short of original and impressive. However, while the story brims with potential, it occasionally leaves a sense of unfulfillment in its wake.
  The protagonist, Elcy, once an intelligent battleship, is now confined to a human body after being retired from the front lines. Her quiet life is upended when she receives a letter that reignites her connection with the stars, leading her to reenlist as a cadet crewman. Elcy's journey as a new cadet unfolds with all the trials, tribulations, and yes, a fair dose of tedium that one might expect.
  Elcy's character, cool and occasionally snarky, serves as the narrative's anchor. However, the supporting cast's rude and dismissive treatment of her can wear thin over time, rendering some characters less likable. Memories of Elcy's past are tantalizingly teased throughout the story, adding depth and intrigue but at times making it challenging to distinguish between past and present.
  The narrative immerses readers in intriguing sci-fi settings, rendered with remarkable realism. Eclaire's evident passion for the genre shines through, creating moments of adventure, tension, and levity. "Quod Olim Erat" boasts excellent grammar, imaginative storytelling, well-rounded characters, and meticulous world-building. While the pace occasionally falters, it doesn't detract significantly from the overall experience.
  In conclusion, Eclaire's work is an engaging foray into the depths of space, offering a refreshing departure from the typical Royal Road fare. While it has its moments of brilliance, it leaves readers yearning for a more complete exploration of its central themes. "Quod Olim Erat" is a worthy read for any sci-fi enthusiast.
• JerosRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 5.0

  Absolutely loving the story so far. It gives me occasional vibes of Heinlein's Starship Troopers with those occasional glimpses of humanity's interstellar conflicts and how society responds to them (overtly and covertly), and Iain M. Banks on the other hand, with various ships interacting with each other, following protocols (and not).
  It both provides a compelling and plausble backdrop for the main character, whose quirkyness I've come to enjoy (though it seems to have become a bit more subdued lately?)
• molenirRoyal Road

  ★★★★★ 4.5

  I very much enjoyed this story.  It really is right up my alley.  However as I was reading it, I had some issues that really made me wonder what kind of future this is.  Things that are never really addressed.
  The first problem is, that Elcy, and other battleships, go into battle with a captain, command staff, and lots of crew.  But none of them seem needed.  Apart from the Captain perhaps, to give orders and direction, and perhaps some command staff to help, none of the crew seem needful.  They're not running the engine rooms, Elcy is.  They're not running the guns, Elcy is.  Whenever damage occurs, she has her bots start fixing it.  Again, why is the crew even there?
  Next, captains.  People seem awfully fragile in this universe.  Captains fall apart at the first whiff of battle.  Given that Humanity has been at war for hundreds of years, and can edit memories at will, you would think they might manage to develop some psychiatric techniques to screen for who can handle command.  I mean we do it in the US all the time, have done for hundreds of years, but apparently they forgot this lesson, because all the captains seem to fall apart at the first hint of danger, or stress.
  Having pointed out these problems, I also have to acknowledge, that these are not central to the story.  A story which is about Elcy the battleship, her life after, and her return to duty from retirement.  With frequent flashbacks of her time as a ship.  Its a fun story, with mystery, and some minimal character development.  It could definitely have been done better, but regardless, it was a fun read, with an interesting MC.
  Definitely recommend.
• gyro2deathRoyal Road

  ★★★★ 4.0

  Honestly I love the depictions of AI in this novel, the world building is fantastic and the style is great. You might note my poor score for characters, this is not for the main character, nor any AI character in the story. The issue is the humans, as others have mentioned in the reviews they're intollerable. Worse they're not even realisticlly intollerable but the top gun style, comically exageraded charactures.
  To delve deeper would be spoilers so I'll avoid it but needless to say the fact this novel isn't about the AI's leading a revloution to purge humanity is a hugely missed oppertunity and would make the story far more realistic. I really want to read on, and will, but honestly I recommend anyone looking to read this story for the AI's to take serious heed of the reviews mentioning how bad humans act in this.
  Other than the humans making every scene objectively worse by existing, the rest of this novel stands up to even the heights of stories like the Culture Series, and we don't have to juggle PoV as often as a bonus. The AI's are the highlight just like in the Culture Series, just the quality of the human characters and their role in the story serve to drag the ratings down.
  Overall this novel is a great series with a facinating world it is building up, excellently written AI characters that come across just the right amount of non-human to still be relatable but clearly different. Space combat is written quite well and while not 'hard' science fiction feels logical and thought out. If this novel had decided to make humans even slightly likable I'd have no qualms to recommend this whole heartedly. As is I can only provide the warning that the humans here are really pushing the buttons on the reader and can break the enjoyment of the story if you ignore their rediculously suicidal nature.
• CrappolaRoyal Road

  ★★★★ 3.5

  Wheels within wheels within wheels... The author seems to flourish in kafkian complications, but ultimately fails to convey a point beyond the one that 'life in a dystopia sucks'.
  At the same time, its a solid B - decent even if unoriginal and personable MC, recognizable military bureacracy, etc, on a par with various modern recasts of 'master and commander', like honor harrington and multitude of others