An interesting Dystopian take with a lot of religious commentary
922233
An interesting Dystopian take that's (arguably) science fiction...it's not man that has advanced, but the animals! When animals gain sentience and physically evolve humanoid traits, and ants battle humanity for control of the Earth, far more of the world's destiny than anyone expected ends up in the hands of a common housecat turned assassin, inspirational war hero, and reluctant Messiah--a cat stuck somewhere between being Mort, or becoming Morte, the French word for Death itself.

It's a bit overt in hammering on what seems to be its primary point: a mocking of the illogical nature of religion, and an odd counter-sense of schadenfreude at the expense of those who hope to ever rid the world of it. It's well-written, and I enjoyed it mostly, in spite of the Atheistic spirit of the whole thing.

But, it will not be everyone's cup of tea. The book starts off with a few really great chapters setting up the premise, which is probably the most interesting part of the experience.  The twists are mostly on the front half of the book, with the back half's broad strokes mostly being predictable.  Many of the characters ended up feeling just a bit flatter at the end than I expected.  Perhaps it's because of the main character whose eyes we live vicariously through, but the book suffers from a bit of melancholy, mixed with a strange sense of distance, and even disgust or disdain at its own plot, even as great scenes are happening.  This really detracted from the end of the story for me, and left me feeling like the first half was the better half.
4265875
This book has a very similar post apocalyptic feel that many of the dystopian YAs out right now have (Hunger Games, Divergent, etc). The regular people, "Cits", were obsessed with following reality shows of "Hunters" who deal with the supernatural threats, and the government was keeping secrets from the population, which are themes common in this genre.

I enjoyed the mix of technology and "magic", and the general world building. Most of the world building came through the main character, Joy, learning about the city, or thinking about her home, which resulted in multiple dumps of information. There was some interesting setup regarding the Folk, and the beginning of the apocalypse, known as Diseray in the book which I hope to see in future books.

Overall, an enjoyable read, and I'll read the sequels, but I definitely felt like I'd read some parts before, due to similarities to other books in the genre.

*I was given an Advanced Readers Copy by the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I was not given any money or material incentives for an honest review of this book.
24836
I'll be the first one to say we need more quality Christian dystopian books, and I was excited to see this one! It had some things that personally threw me off, but I suspect that it is just because the author's writing style feels like my own so much that I'm harsher in my judgements. :) There were a few typos, and more places than I liked that felt.... choppy, but it was good. I hope there will be more books, the ending felt a bit incomplete. But again, I think I'm just prejudiced ;)
4712946
Overall I enjoyed this book. It had some great scenes that were well executed and thrilling. I agree with the past reviews that Maria seems underdeveloped in this novel, but reading the second and third books shed some light on Maria.

This book left me perplexed about several of the characters and it seemed all over the place. There are so many different groups of people that it jumps back and forth to describe. The reason that I like this book is because it has a unique and dark perspective on religion. If you finished this book feeling confused, I would certainly recommend reading the next books of the series.
4545432
_1000_ by Salem Kirban

This is a continuation of the author's book _666_: having read that book is helpful, but not absolutely required. _1000_ takes place in during the post-Apocalypse 1000 year reign of Jesus. Satan has been bound for this period, and the planet enjoys an unprecedented realm of peace and prosperity.

Many of the characters of _666_ re-appear in the sequel. There are a few new characters as well. Most important of these are Bart Malone and Esther Sanders, children born near the start of the Millennium.

Although one would think that everything would be perfect and wonderful in a world directly ruled by Jesus, there is still a streak of rebellion present, as some people start to chafe, and then protest certain things, such as some of God's judgments, or (of certain countries) having to send a delegation to Jerusalem every year. Bart in particular starts to question life in the Millennium, egged on by co-worker Phil Sutherland...or is there something more to Bart's restlessness?

It is interesting to compare this book with the more recent (by about 34 years) Kingdom Come, by Lahaye and Jenkins. In both books, people living in the Millennium are divided into what Kirban calls "Living Believers" ("naturals" in Kingdom Come) and "Resurrected Believers" ("Glorifieds"). Resurrected Believers are those who had been taken up in the Rapture, or martyred during the Tribulation, and have returned to earth after seven years in heaven.

 The difference is that the "naturals" in _Kingdom Come_ do age, albeit very slowly, while the "Glorifieds" do not. No one ages in Kirban's book.

Only Living Believers have the capability (and desire?) to reproduce. Children of these unions are born with a sin nature and must make an affirmative choice to believe in Jesus in order to enjoy eternal life once the Millennium is over. In _Kingdom Come_  a person must make this choice by their 100th birthday or face death and damnation; there's no such time limit in _1000_, where one has the whole Millennium to decide which way to go.

It's apparently difficult to write a smooth narrative over 1000 years; most of the action in _1000_ takes place about 45-50 years into the Millennium, while that in _Kingdom Come_ is centered around 90-100 years or so into this time period. Then both books leap ahead to the last days of the Millennium, when Satan is let loose "for a little while" and the final rebellion takes place...

Kirban's book is certainly shorter; 185 pages (with illustrations) to Kingdom Come's 356. And it gets to the point faster; no he-said-she-said soap operas or condensed Bible stories here. (Bible verses apropos to the text are placed in the margins as a handy reference)

I personally found _1000_ more disturbing to read than the La Haye/Jenkins book, most likely because Kirban spends a lot of time having characters agonize over friends and loved ones who have ended up in Hades. And just about every chapter ends in a "cliffhanger"-type sentence foreboding doom.

Beyond that, some things in _1000_ are just bizarre. After the judgments, people doomed to Hades are loaded on buses? And Hades turns out to be a black hole in space? Hmmm...

If you are an aficionado of this type of literature, _1000_ may be worth seeking out.
91781
"Templar's Quest: Ghost Killer" is the first entry in a "modern Templar" series by Thomas Ward. Personally, I have always been fascinated by Templar stories, but this is the first to my knowledge to place the Templars into the modern, or actually a slightly futuristic world. Thus Ward gives the novel a slightly dystopian flavor - which is very popular today - as well as the historical. The book starts a bit awkwardly or slowly as plot and character are developed into this dystopian American world of the Templar; however, as the book progresses and the "plot thickens," the pages do turn faster.

Young Adam de Molay has now become the Grand Master of the new Templar Warriors. The modern Templar Warriors are twenty-four battle-hardened retired US Marines, who fought ISIS for years in the middle-east. There is of course a quest, and a very dangerous desolate American landscape in this post apocalyptic United States of America. Obviously being a dystopian Templar novel, it is a different than the normal Templar books, but it was still enjoyable and it kept me reading until the last page. Ward did have great character development and a nicely crafted plot. The book was good, not great; however, I will try the next one to see where Ward takes this group of modern Templars. If you enjoy the Templar stories and Action genres, then I suggest you give Ward's "Templar's Quest: Ghost Killer" a try yourself.
4487780
First in a series, Bellanok the Reluctant Savior invites readers into a beautiful but failing world, where fairies, unicorns and dragons keep peace with their Creator Father, safely hidden from evil. But evil is killing unicorns and causing panic attacks for the Lady Fauna. This mythical realm has a very modern feel as the queen embarks on a serious quest to find the only human who will save Bellanok.

Meanwhile, on earth, Pastor Brian is losing his faith, because in the real world, his light does not shine as brightthe faith of this world is much weaker. Cultures clash, and there are some great lines of dialog as Brian begins to see beyond the ills of this world, and maybe even learns to believe in demons. But can he really have been chosen? Will he believe enough to embark on his task?

The story is filled with pleasing allusions to Eden and the Fall, complemented with questions of faith and practice, and pleasingly portrayed with fun and faith. There are more books to come, and readers should be ready to embark on reading them soon when theyve finished this one.

Disclosure: I won a copy and I offer my honest review.
4345909
Dystopian fiction is one of the major players in the young adult book space these days. Put shortly, these types of books present a world that has not gone well and has the main characters dealing with that reality. Whether that says good things about our society or not is a discussion for the long-term, but I have my doubtsrather than a hopeful view of the future, we seem to be taking a dim view of the likely outcomes.

Dystopian fiction typically picks up on the specific fears or concerns of the author. Thus, some show an environmental collapse while others show violence and war. The First Principle, todays book, takes a look at the collapse of religious freedom.

Marissa Shrocks novel is set in a future world where the United States has collapsed into a consortium of regions. Her main character, Vivica, is the daughter of one regions governor. The situation of religious freedom and government tyranny moves up close and personal to Vivicaand we see how she responds.

How well does Shrock execute this?

1. Believability of the setting: there is no future projection here that is too far to believe. The idea of a government-approved Bible version that is sanitized of all controversy fits some current trends in public religion. The use of public schooling to automatically force-deliver birth control and deal with teen pregnancy is perhaps a stretch, and perhaps not.

2. Believability of the plot: teenage girls and boys get into trouble? People rebel against an oppressive government? One can believe that.

3. Believability of the characters: you have a teenage boy who is struggling with living his faith and having been sexually active. Thats real. The other characters? Skeezy politicians? Yep. Sacrificial and hypocritical people? Indeed.

4. Believability of the events: theres one event that I think strains credibility, because I have been present at the birth of three children. I think a scene where an individual gives birth but then carries on without much difficulty? Without immediate and present medical care? It doesnt quite fit with the rest of the setting, where there is an attempt to pamper over and medically control everything, that an individual would have that ability.

Beyond that, the rest seems to fit well.

Appropriateness? This is a young adult novel, so its aimed into the teenage market. I think thats a good aim, but Id watch the low-side of the ages. If they are already reading works like The Hunger Games, then theres no new innocence lost in thinking through this dystopia. If you haven't gotten there yet, then waiting another year won't hurt.

Is it smooth to read? Yes. One can definitely knock back a chapter or two at a sitting and keep up with the plot line. In all, a good book. I am curious to see how the series develops from this starting point.

The First Principle is by Marissa Shrock. Learn more about her here, at her website.

(Free book in exchange for the review.)
4182199
The Year of the Flood is a novel that brings forth cli-fi, religion, and the ugly truths about prostitution, class and corporations. The novel itself is about a religious group called the gardeners who are aware of an impending waterless flood about to take place. The gardeners find peace in living a simple life with no meat, they only wear recycled clothes, and believe in their faith more than anything else. They are founded on the fact that they believe the human race has strayed away from what God originally set out for us, and with the world being run by less than moral corporations thats not exactly not true. What I really enjoyed most bout this book were the flash backs. It really surprised me that a lot of people found it really hard to follow and even thought that the flashbacks weren't important to the story. The flashbacks, for me, gave the context for everything that was going on. They explained why things were the way they were at this present moment in time, and even showed us a different side of the characters. One of the most interesting things about the books for me were the elements of prostitution and corporations that seem to go hand in hand with these dystopian societies. The fact that both girls were stuck in opposite sides of the spectrum with one being stuck in a high end day spa while the other is stuck in the cleaning room of a strip and prostitute club where the girls would go to get tested for STIs. I thought it was really interesting how Atwood showed these two sides in great detail and how they definitely relate to the actual struggles that some girls go through today. Maybe not the being stuck in the room parts, but definitely the high class and low class doing-what-needs-to-be-done work ethic. What really is different is youd think it would be Ren who would have this deep hatred for the corporations because shes in the current situation shes in but its actually Toby. Tobys whole entire life has been abandoned because her father shot himself with a rifleand she couldn't even report it because the blame of having any firearm at all would fall back on her. So shes stuck abandoning her entire identity and going underground all for the sake of staying alive. Just when you think things cant possibly get worse for her, she gets a job and falls under the eye of a her manager who happens to be a sexual predator. He objectifies women and turns them into his own personal sex slave just for the thrill of it. The importance of class is all too relevant when we see how there are definitively two different types of people, those who live in the corporate compounds and those who find refuge in the slums. The corporations run the world like a drug cartel, and if you cross them or get in the way of their agenda you will probably find yourself dead in a ditch somewhere. At the end of the book we can see how Toby starts to see through this, and how she notices that only the few, the privileged are reaping the benefits. Atwood does a great job of bringing in a serious problem into a book that at first glance is just about climate change. I think this book is a lot more than what it looks like on the surface, with so many back stories and other things going on that makes it turn into one cohesive work about many major social problems.
2434668
I love reading dystopias.  It is always fascinating to imagine the world that might be, if events unfold a certain way.

Ferrigno has created a world that draws you in with characters that spring to life and compel you to keep reading.  I read all three books in the trilogy and couldn't wait to see how everything came out in the end.

This series merits four stars because it was enjoyable, and worth reading. I withheld the fifth star because I don't think it is so good that it will become a timeless classic.

The prose in this book seemed leaner than in the #2 book, so it had a more cinematic feel.  In that sense, I was a little disappointed, because I didn't feel like the places were quite as life-like.  This book seemed to focus more on the action between characters.

Through the course of the series, I felt like there were some plot points and devices that I couldn't quite buy into.

That being said, this series is a thrilling ride, and one that causes you to think and question the world we live in.  Ferrigno does a good job explaining ideas that motivate radical Islamists and critiquing our current society through the lens of the future.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good page-turner; is interested in the current clash between Islam and the West; or who likes to imagine possible future scenarios.

Though not a masterpiece, Ferrigno's trilogy is certainly entertaining and enjoyable.
1275587
This novel takes place in 21st century and in the 15th century. It is alternating between the two eras, as the main character, Clara/Clare (depending on which country she is in) was also a slave in the past named Abda, caretaker of the Emira. The two timelines blur in Clare's mind once she discovers the serpent bracelet, which she is constantly wearing due to feeling uneasy without it. It, in turn, leads to these dreams of a previous existence. She falls for a man named Samir, who was also in her life as a guard when she lived as Abda. We see the Inquisition as it occurs through Abda's eyes, the goriness of it, and the eagerness to have people recant their faith in Allah. With the jumping back and forth, some may find it difficult to follow, and there could have been better editing in places, but otherwise this is an intriguing book. Not a light summer read, mind you, but something you can really sink your teeth into.
1132882
Spirituality genes, a society that doesnt allow religion, and a life of exile for having faith are just some interesting components of this novel. A much-flawed character, Colton, who extracts people of faith, is forced into a tough position when the love of his son enters the equation of work. The book flowed well and kept me engaged throughoutwhich is a big deal since Im not the biggest fan of speculative fiction and only read it seldom. I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for a review.
816797
I am going to give this four stars because it was a well written story that was easy to read, even if i didn't necessarily love the content all of the time.  I was lent this book under the premise that it's "religious but not so religious that you'll hate it".  Let me just say, while this is a very different (and in my opinion good) way to view, discuss, and write about religion, this book is So Very religious.  There were a lot of things in the way this author explains religion that I love but I still walked away from this confused and questioning things and I don't know if that's a great thing.

Overall, the concept was unique and interesting and I was pretty well entranced with this book so I read it pretty quickly.  I think it's a good read for a lot of people as long as you're okay with reading about God a lot.
449019
First the good. I love the strong and developed female characters. They are far more interesting and multidimensional than the Hunger Games. The story moves at a good clip and there is enough intrigue to keep the reader turning pages.

Unfortunately, the story devolves into a typical religious persecution fantasy near the end. Save one example, the religious faction is entirely composed of do-gooder types who somehow control the entire government. It is the smart people who are evil and turn everyone into mindless robots to go on a murderous rampage to take over the world. If you were raised in a fundamentalist household, this scenario probably seems familiar as you were likely warned of the evils of scientists and heard countless conspiracy theories about environmentalists and evolutionists trying to keep the poor Christian man down and push God out of schools. Based on recent history, if the religious were truly to run government, we would more likely end up with a situation like Iran or A Handmaid's Tale than a society with no murders and free food and clothing for the poor.
760937
In the oh-so-crowded Dystopian genre, Pierce Brown has certainly made a mark for himself.  I appreciated this intelligent Dystopian novel, an imaginative blend of The Hunger Games and Lord of the Flies.  The fusion of Greek and Roman mythology into the story makes for a literary treat, and the continuous opportunities for the young characters to determine their moral philosophy in unimaginable situations makes for impactful life lessons.  Though the eugenically engineered teens struggle with their God-complexes throughout the novel, they are time-and-again brought to their knees when they realize that they are fallible human beings, not unlike those in the rest of the social classes.  Even the protagonist has moments of imperfection, albeit few. The pacing was somewhat uneven; at times I was on the edge of my seat, while at others, I was a bit disinterested.  Unfortunately, the violence was somewhat overdone.  I struggled with the setting, partially because it was so reminiscent of the Hunger Games arena and was therefore difficult not to draw comparison, but also because it was incredibly disorienting (unlike the Hunger Games).  Also, there were a barrage of secondary characters introduced, making for information overload for this feeble mind of mine.  Overall, however, it was an enjoyable read and will make a terrific movie!
2772845
Dauntless by Dina L. Sleiman is an interesting read set during the reign of King John of England in 1216. The lead character has fallen out of graces with the king and her band of orphans ranging in age from 3 to 17 lives in the forest. They are a group similar to Robin Hood who must steal some food and supplies for their group to survive.

Overall, the story is interesting and entertaining. For those reasons I would recommend it. It is a fun read. However, there are a few issues that I take with the book. The first is with the story itself. At the end of the book, one of the male leads has the opportunity to kill an enemy who is trying to kill him and the lead female, sadly, he passes that responsibility off to the woman. I felt that this was a sad moment in the book where the guy does not protect the girl.

My other issues with the book are all theological. Chapter 11 discusses the mystic connection with God. Being one who rejects mysticism this is an issue for me. Chapter 30 has a miracle take place. The issue that I take with that is that if someone else were to say, "In the name of Jesus. By His power, by His blood - child, live!" or insert their own desired miracle there, and God did not respond by granting them their desire, it might lead one to question their own faith. Some of the characters in the book see angels at various times that help them out of bad situations or help them do or find something. While there isn't anything really wrong with knowing that angels protect us, having them play such a prominent part in the book can make readers wonder where God was in their own disastrous situations and why He didn't send angels then. In addition, towards the end of the book, there is a lot of discussion about God's plan for one's life. The issue that I take with this is that God's plan for your life is salvation. As far as what we do and become in our lives, He gives us all First Article Gifts (Apostle's Creed) and in that the reason and senses to make choices for our lives. Once we are in a vocation, we are to do our duty in that vocation, but we are free to choose among many different vocations be that wife, mother, soldier, teacher, whatever.

All in all, the book's theology was not such a big problem this time that I would not recommend it, but I recommend it with caution. Read it for entertainment as opposed to reading to learn about theology.

I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
1280425
Salvation City is a well written novel with a compelling premise.  It's not the first time that I've read a novel combining a coming of age tale with the end of the world, but this might be the first one that I've read that so deftly combines these elements with established societal conflicts.  The secular and Christian worlds collide in this novel, with the focus placed squarely on one young and very confused young man.

The author does a fabulous job of presenting characters on both sides of this new world equation in an even handed manner that exhibits all their flaws and strengths.  It was gratifying to follow Cole on his journey through his grief as he comes to terms with his future and learns to take control of his own destiny.  The fact that this turned out to be a character driven dystopian novel was rather surprising.  It works well here, although as a fan of dystopian and apocalyptic tales, I did find myself wanting more of a world view than what this novel provided.

Salvation City is a thoughtful examination of important societal issues that combines perceptive observations with the tension generated by a flu epidemic that decimates the population.  It is a compelling, slow moving read that will satisfy fans of coming of age tales with a twist.