Genre - Apocalyptic Horror/Supernatural Thriller
Year Published - 2014
Length - 396 pages
Written by David Dubrow
Rating: 3 Skulls
Plot Summary:
How can you possibly prepare for the end of the world? The end of everything? Armageddon is right around the corner, and there's no guarantee that Heaven's going to be the victor. Hell is real, it's clawing at the edges of the Pit, and its demonically possessed servants are right now gathering powerful artifacts as weapons of war. The End Times are coming. Are you ready?
Hector Shaw isn't. A former soldier suffering from PTSD, he's been recruited to work for a clandestine security company under strange circumstances. What do they really want him for? Siobhan Dempsey isn't, either. She's only just gotten her life together when she finds that she can do magick. Real magick. Why now, and why her?
Connecting multiple characters and building to a shattering climax, this is the first novel in a trilogy focusing on themes of supernatural horror, western occultism, and Biblical apocalypse.
Review:
Okay, I first have a confession to make. I have had this book, since its publication - 3 years ago! Mr. Dubrow contacted me, back in 2014, asking if I would be interested in reviewing this book. (So, Mr. Dubrow wins for being the most patient author to wait for a review!)
At the time, I was under the assumption (my own) that this book was a Christian Fiction book. It is not! (Just because a book has Biblical elements/themes, a Christian book it does not become...) The book is chock full of graphic language and gore, so if that bothers you, this book is not for you!
Anyhow, back in 2014, I read the first 22 chapters of this book (roughly 40%), and just could not get into it. So, I humbly let Mr. Dubrow know that this book was not for me. (I do not review every book I read, unless specifically asked by the author. I would rather not bash a book/author if it can be helped.)
Mr. Dubrow graciously understood, and there were no hurt feelings. In fact, since that time, Mr. Dubrow and I have become pretty solid friends, on-line, and we were even able to meet, in person, last year.
If you follow my reviews, then you already know that I am a big fan of Mr. Dubrow's 'The Ultimate Guide to Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse' and an even bigger fan of this year's 'Beneath the Ziggurat'. (So, never discount an author's other works, if you dislike one piece of their library.)
You may be asking yourself why am I writing all of this now? Well, I decided to go back and give this book a try. I re-started it, from the very beginning, and these are my thoughts - good and bad:
I still stand by my original dislike of the book. The first half of the book , for me, seems very disjointed, causing a huge disconnect with the characters. (Too much jumping around for my taste, and I feel that it could have been trimmed down quite a bit.) However, the last chapter of the book (a good 20% chunk) was formatted differently, and seemed much more congruent and fluid.
My biggest issue with the book is the name of the character Siobhan. (Pronounced Shuh-vawn) How is that name pronounced that way?!? Every time I read her name made me dislike it even more, but that is just a personal issue. The character herself is quite intriguing, and leads into a lot of my favorite aspects of the book (*all of the astral travel).
Another aspect of the book, that I loved, was the demon Legion (who anyone who has studied the Bible is familiar with). Mr. Dubrow came up with a very cool concept, regarding the demon, and utilized him uniquely.
My favorite scene in the book, is when a character (not giving anything away) is handcuffed to a chair. He gets the ability to translate the metal in the handcuffs, transforming them into twin spiked knives. Just an amazing scene, in my head!
While there was stuff that I disliked, there was plenty that I did like (I found the YooTV concept very interesting, and as I mentioned before, I enjoyed all of the astral scenes.)
Overall, I am glad that I decided to re-read this book and push through the first half.
After reading the end of this one, I am pretty much left with little choice but to get the second book in the trilogy. (I definitely want to know what happens next!)
Until next time,
Jason
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