Erica's illustration of Alex holding an open book that glows ice-blue, snowy mountains behind her

E. Gallegos

Stories that are inclusive, bold, and at times, deliberately uncomfortable.

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The Ephemeral Trilogy, book 1

An outcast cursed to consume the memories of anything she touches. A woman fated to repopulate the nation's army. A breeder barred from the sword.

Read chapters 1–8 free

But ultimately, we didn’t go to war. It fell from the sky and buckled the pavement.

Breeder

The series

The Ephemeral Trilogy

In a nation that breeds its daughters and buries its sons, one girl rejects her place—and lands in a war between worlds.

Explore the trilogy

Reviews

What readers are saying

  • This trilogy is just written so beautifully with brilliantly real and sophisticated characters, that you become so immersed into this crazy world…

    Nuala on Goodreads

  • Such a fantastic debut that every young woman should read. The writing style scratches an itch for me, and Alex is such a layered, entertaining protagonist.

    Gems&Garbage on Goodreads

  • And I thought the first book was good. HOLY CRAP… The author really knows how to deliver an emotional punch in a pretty, clever package.

    Gems&Garbage on Goodreads

  • It gives me the feeling of the 2010s when all of those dystopian/apocalyptic books and movies were coming out… But Breeder feels so much different because it’s truly original.

    Rachael Carmichael on Goodreads

  • …stories only get better as their authors do, and this version of Ikelos sent my love for this series into the stratosphere.

    Nicole S on Goodreads

  • Ikelos is a powerful continuation of the series that raises the emotional stakes while expanding both the world and the moral complexity of the story.

    Heather Thompson on Goodreads

  • A must read for anyone who roots for the longshot and loves action adventures.

    Kate Rhinehart on Goodreads

  • Not often a book makes me gasp at clever turns of phrase every other paragraph but this one made me enjoy the craft as much as the story.

    Athena M. M. on Goodreads

Meet Erica

About the Author

Erica’s writing journey began in 5th grade with her first illustrated book, Running Rain. Since then, she’s won a Watty Award (Breeder, 2020), sat on a world-building panel at WattCon (Los Angeles, 2022), and published the first two books in The Ephemeral trilogy.

Read more about Erica

Erica Gallegos smiling, holding paperbacks of her books
Erica's drawing of Will in battered armor, sword raised, emerging from a splash of black ink

The Gritz

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The Gritz is my Discord server for readers. It's home base for announcements, chapter updates, and art, and a place to talk about my stories and whatever else you're reading.

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