An ingenious twist upon the Mayan calendar controversy that will leave you thinking...and even worrying
587512
I believe that just about everyone is aware on some level of the significance (or not) of December 21, 2012. That is the date, according to the Mayan calendar, on which the world as we know it will end. This is either prophesied by the calendar or intuited by same, depending on with whom one speaks or what one reads. As a result, it has been the subject of numerous films and books, and even series of novels, dealing with the run-up to the date and the morning after, such as it may be. With 12.21, Dustin Thomason --- whose credits include co-authorship of THE RULE OF FOUR with Ian Caldwell --- has put a bit of an ingenious twist upon the entire controversy. The conclusion will leave you thinking and perhaps worrying just a bit.

Most of the theory behind the general December 21st panic has to do with the reversal of the earth's magnetic fields occasioned by something else, with the result being that, among other things, my android phone won't work. Thomason's take is a bit more grounded. The novel commences on December 11, 2012, with the discovery in Los Angeles of what is believed to be a prion disease with symptomatic fatal familial insomnia. The patient X in this case is a gentleman who appears to be of Central American origin. At approximately the same time, Chel Manu, a Guatemalan researcher at the Getty Museum, obtains possession of an ancient codex that, remarkably enough, originated in a lost city of her ancestors. It is an artifact that should not exist, yet it appears not only to be genuine but also to reveal why the Mayan kingdoms vanished seemingly overnight.

What Manu does not realize is that she and the city of Los Angeles are only a couple of days away from getting a really good and modern look at what occurred. What is initially thought to be "mad cow disease" turns out to be an extremely deadly contagion that quickly infects the population of the Los Angeles area and spreads outward. Dr. Gabriel Stanton, an expert in the identification and etiology of prion diseases, races against time to the jungles of Guatemala in hopes of discovering the "ground zero" of the disease that has inexplicably jumped to Los Angeles and will almost certainly decimate the population of the contiguous United States --- and beyond --- unless a cure is found quickly. It appears that Stanton has only a few days, and this question hovers over his desperate gambit: Is this the disaster predicted by the Mayan calendar?

12.21 presents a frightening set of circumstances and what is perhaps the ultimate in "ticking clock" scenarios. While the execution is a bit heavy-handed at times (the pages of translations from the codex that pepper the book could easily have been left on the cutting room floor), the overall plot behind the story makes it worth reading. Those who enjoy their beef and pork --- myself included --- will find the tour of a meat processing plant that occurs in the opening chapters particularly interesting, and the ins and outs of the transmittal of contagions that are described in fascinating detail here will provide justification to those germaphobes who keep the hand gel at the ready when out in public. It is a testament to Thomason's descriptive powers that I have joined their ranks, at least temporarily.

Whether you are buying into the Mayan calendar doomsday scenario wholeheartedly or not, 12.21 is worth considering.

Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub
2602432
The concept presented in this book is so profound it's almost amazing that nobody has noticed it until now.  The appearance of patterns throughout history seems to clearly prove to the finger of an external influence over the affairs of our civilization, and it's almost incontrovertible.  This type of pattern is also similar to the ELS Bible Code, a way of weaving a message into a larger body -- except in this case the larger body is history itself.  There's a related book which uses this code in order to predict a  major "religious" event... in 2016.&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Timelike-Synchronicity-The-Hundred-Year-Prophesy-1916-2016/dp/1484812298/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Timelike Synchronicity: The Hundred Year Prophesy, 1916 - 2016</a>
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The accompanying review by Melissa Rene Cody doesn't describe Hyam Maccoby's book, which is about human sacrifice in Judeo-Christian mythology.  Her review, in my opinion, seems instead to match the book "The Highest Altar", by Patrick Tierney.

Maccoby's book has some very speculative aspects that I wish were better supported, and some that don't seem very likely to me.  Nonetheless, I think his ideas are well worth consideration and his topic a very important and interesting one.
366991
I'm a big fan of anything involving ancient history, so when I was given the chance to read Middleworld, I couldn't say no. One of the most interesting things about this book was the plot. This wasn't your typical adventure story. The story is full of mystery and action, but it ties in a lot of interesting information about an amazing ancient culture. That was something that really set this story apart. It seemed to aim for an accurate depiction of an ancient culture, and the Maya still living in South America. I can't think of any other books that involve the Maya, which is one of the reasons that I enjoyed this book so much.

Another appealing aspect was the expertise of the authors, who spent years researching the story. Their website shows pictures of their travels, and their blog also talks about their trips. I really thought that their experiences made the book that much more interesting. There was information about the Maya throughout the story (including some pronunciation help), and some fun information, and a recipe, in the back of the book. Knowing that the authors spent time learning about the culture made me appreciate the way the facts were seamlessly woven into the fictional aspects of the book. I also appreciated was the way the story addressed the 2012 Maya calendar myth. You know the one, right? Supposedly, the calendar ends in December of 2012, and that predicts the end of the world. Well, not so according to Middleworld. I thought that the authors did a great job of tying that into the story as well. I personally was unaware that there was no archeological evidence that that calendar stopped in 2012.

The only issue that I had was with the character Max. For the first half of the story he was extremely whiny, and I found it hard to sympathize because of this. Over the course of the book, Max realized that he had been behaving pretty horribly, and began to change. I personally wish that these changes has started sooner, and that they had been a bit more gradual. I did enjoy his character in the second half of the story, however.

Middleworld ended with a great setup for the sequel, and I'll definitely be picking it up. For those of you who hate cliffhangers, don't worry. The authors did a great job of tying up the loose ends, and the story feels complete. It did, however, leave me wondering what would happen next. I can't give away too much, but I will say that there is definitely more to Max's story. If you're interested in learning a bit more about the Maya culture, and want an exciting read, I'd definitely suggest picking this one up.
1753180
"The God Patent" not only tells an obsessively readable story, but it is also remarkable for how it tackles that old religion vs science debate head-on.

Because concepts from physics, calculus and computer science play such a crucial role in the lives of the characters and the mystery they are attempting to resolve, scientific semi-literates (like me!) might be tempted to avoid this book for fear of being exposed to the full extent of our ignorance, but Stephens has devised a number of very effective strategies to keep us engaged--and even learning--as we read.

The characters in "The God Patent" are both quirky and memorable, the plot has a tidal pull, and ending will leave everyone with many new ideas to ponder.
525965
Mayan Equinox is a debut mystery novel written by Keith Jones, and published by Salvo Press. The book, with its setting usually in Mexican tourist resorts or the Mayan ruins, is well written but not remarkable. The book's plot centers on the end of the Mayan calendars in December of 2012.

There is an ancient superstition about a hidden key that will extend time. There's one problem. It's not just a matter of finding the key. There are certain steps that must be taken to find it, steps that include two human sacrifices. This doesn't really bother Stuart Everly. He's working under orders from a man known only as the Professor, and all he knows is a story told to him by a tour guide at the Mayan ruins. Everly only sees the money he can earn if he can get this sure to be valuable key.

The first sacrifice, however, attracts the unwelcome attention of Brandon Sharpe, who calls his colleague, a professor of Central American civilizations at a Los Angeles university. Russell Palmer, haunted by a tragedy in his past, hops on a plane to Mexico to investigate the murder that was much more than a random killing. Even they, who only want to prevent more murders, are the focus of much unneeded attention. The authorities are wary of the two men from California who are much too interested in the gruesome murder of a young tourist whose heart has been cut out. Before the next sacrifice, Russell must convince the authorities of his good intentions, recall important half-remembered information about human sacrifices and the end of time, and find the killer deep in the tropical jungles.

Mayan Equinox has the flaw of having the answer to the mystery revealed at the very beginning. The reader knows so much more than Russell, Brandon, and those working with them and it takes away almost all of the suspense that might have made this novel more of a page-turner. It was still an interesting story, with a good, if uncomplicated, plot. There are no sudden twists, and what happens is fairly predictable. There is the fascinating story of the end of time, Mayan superstition, and the culture of Mexico's ancient people. It added a lot to what might have been an unoriginal mystery novel. The characters, while clearly well thought-out, are not very realistic. They are not unbelievable but the story doesn't take us deeply into their lives or what they're thinking. Of course, that's not necessary in a mystery novel which centers on the plot. The settings are the best part of this book. The jungles, small towns, and resorts of Mexico spice up what would have been a rather less interesting novel, had it taken place somewhere in the middle of Ohio. Some descriptions of the actions of the characters are very detailed while other parts are stated simply. The contrast is a little bit too much. There is a happy medium, but it's not always found in this book.

While not a must-read, Keith Jones' book was certainly worth the time it took to read. It kept me interested for the most part- in some parts, it really was a page-turner but in parts my mind tended to wander. I recommend it for fans of Central American culture or history, but not for those in love with suspense. On the whole, it was a good book, especially considering it is the author's first.
1379567
With an interesting Mayan historical mystery for background (that is sprinkled with a dash of the future), the author has set her intriguing story in the present-day lush California countryside, balancing it perfectly with two inquisitive scientists unexpectedly turned detectives.
The novel is full of masterful shadings of place and character and appealing local color, where danger seems to abound at every turn, where nothing is what is appears to be, and where no one is who they say they are.
The book's vivid descriptions, detailed historical background, stylish writing, and cleverly crafted plot left me wanting more from this exciting new author, Margaret Evans. A most interesting and intriguing fast-forward slant on an ancient mystery - a fascinating and suspense-filled read - I couldn't put it down.
I highly recommend this book as a "must" for all mystery fans!
4023654
For a brief moment in the 16th century, a teenage slave was the most influential woman in the world. Malinche, to use one of her many names, was the translator and go-between in perhaps the pivotal cultural drama of the last millennium - the moment when the Old World represented by Hernan Cortes, conquered the New World in the form of Montezuma's Mexico.
Anna Lanyon, an Australian backpacker, stumbled onto the story of Malinche while travelling in Mexico in the 1970s. Intrigued, she returned home, studied Spanish and Portugese to literary translation level, and revisited Mexico in search of this enigmatic woman.
So few are the clues, and often so contradictory, that Lanyon  works like an archeologist with a soft-haired brush to bring Malinche's life into relief from its bedrock of myth.
In official Mexican history, Malinche is the "betrayer". Her name forms the root of a modern-day word for traitor. Lanyon finds a teenager blessed with intelligence, intuition and a sharp instinct for survival. Her options were few. Given as a sexual slave to the conquistadors, Malinche became Cortes's concubine, adviser, and mother of his first child. She died in obscurity, probably before she was 30.
But those close to her admired her. Lanyon makes the point often forgotten in facile renderings of the conquest: to vast numbers of people in what now is Mexico, Montezuma's "Aztecs" (more accurately, the Culua-Mexicans) were the feared and hated enemy. Malinche was therefore not a betrayer so much as a warrior, within her own context. But even more than that, she was a woman, condemned to slavery as a child, "assigned" to alien men when not yet 20, who simply did the best she could.
While the full personality of Malinche may be irretrievable from what history has left us, Lanyon does great work in debunking many of the myths about her and in exploring how national myths come about. And tantalisingly an impression emerges of this accidental figure of history: a woman we would like to have known, a woman from the lowest rungs who took a hand, for better or worse, in changing the world.
2575431
I just completed reading this book. I was very interested in the presentation of the similarity of myths from around the world. Equally fascinating was the mathematical patterns in the pyramids. As a former cartographer, I also found the maps at the beginning quite interesting as well.
I believe that this book was not meant to be an end all discussion on these subjects and attacks on the author are unwarranted and unprofessional. This book presents an interesting theory supported by interesting "coincidences" and  serves to penetrate the tunnel vision of the academic world which is clearly biased not only by it's own ego, but quite possibly (although never admitted to) the convictions of the scientists. It is hard to admit to being wrong and it is even harder to absorb facts that conflict with grass root level beliefs.
This book has left me wanting to read more by Mr. Hancock as well as others. Someday I would like to visit some of these places, but not until I have absorbed as much information as possible (both orthodox and non-orthodox). All in all, it was a great read and I highly recommend it!
674610
I was intrigued by the blurb of this book, there is something that intrigues me about Biblical interpretations and the study of the concept(s) of God and when that is mixed with politics it makes for some very volatile arguments and fascinating reading.

Naturally America is the setting for the Second Coming, with its polarised and well publicised leanings of both the political and the religious sort.  With such subjects on offer, I didn't have a clear idea about how the story would be structured or if I would miss some of the points due to my Anglo nature.

I neednt have worried on either score, its very much a book where the plot is threaded through a series of set piece scenes, which are the platform for discourses of theological and social arguments.  A lot of which will be familiar to anybody who has had thoughts on the subject for any length of time..  That is not to say there is nothing new in the book, putting age-old arguments into a modern-day context meant I did pick up some new thought paths and other reflections.

The crucial element of the book is that both messiahs are written to be believable, in fact I found each of the arguments very convincing and makes you consider the choice of words more closely.  The author keeps a neutral tone throughout, adding even more uncertainty to who is telling the truth.  It is fun to see how both players communicate in the 21st century as well as the Biblically named characters and their occupations which raise a smile.  There is enough satire in here to break up the well written arguments and stop the book becoming too much like an essay.

I don't imagine that this is a book for all Christians as there is a fair amount of swearing  which is something prevalent in the modern world so adds that element of realism  and some of the book is downright sacrilegious as well but there is enough thought-provoking material contained herein to perhaps forgive the odd transgression should anybody be offended.

I did find that the odd piece of evidence didn't quite stand up to my scrutiny but then again that is part of the enjoyment of a book like this, to weigh up the arguments and expand your thinking, even if you have no Christian leanings whatsoever the philosophy of the ideas is still going to intrigue you. I also found the switching to the war in heaven bits a little distracting but that is a minor complaint for a book which invites the reader to think, to be critical of what is in front of him or her and that is how it should be.
2178083
Review of Change- Described_Explained_Predicted. By Paul Drewfs

In this period of suppressed hysteria about looming Armageddon predicted by the Mayan Long Count Calendar, or its opposite, a contemptuous cynicism and indifference, this book is a sharp knife that cuts cleanly to the bone.

It is a most compelling analysis of the structure of the Calendar, and its penetration into every aspect of Galactic and Global change. Un-put-downable. Exciting, and, by the end, so vast in its indications, and yet equally intimate in its bearing on human life, I hardly know how to describe it, except to urge everyone to read it.

Superficially it is not an easy read: systematic, assiduous, closely argued, it offers the sceptics evidence they will find difficult to ignore--no, make that 'impossible' ( I was perhaps initially in this camp); it will douse the hysteria equally.

The author, himself initially a sceptic, set out to disprove the validity of the calendar and by every means he analysed found, instead, its consistency, validity and the great wealth of evidence of its mapping every aspect of macro evolution: predicting the patterns of change, the pace of sudden advance, the stasis of periods of gradualism.

Because the work progresses with an inherent logic that begins with an examination of the epochs of rapid  pre- sapiens and human change as evidenced geologically in mutations, migrations and extinctions and then moves to celestial affairs, showing similar patterns, I am reluctant to summarize. It demands instead that a reader follows. For the author is at pains to make this easy. The diagrams summarise, the data is provided, but the gathering of threads weaves a consistently developing magic carpet of closely stitched evidence.

Having shown indisputably the wealth of correlations, the book looks for the underlying causal explanation and finds it in the Waves of Gravitation Torque emerging from the centre of our rotating galaxy, and bearing on every aspect of human affairs.

It slaughters not a few holy cows in the process, showing that Co2  build up, has been the result, not of recent human selfishness, but the intermittent compression of space: is also indicates the evidence of our brain waves having a resonant connection to this underlying galactic hum. It provides the human evidence for its influence in the rapidly increasing rates of change, in DNA recently, and in recent economic, global and biological consequences. It certainly limits our self-importance, but instead integrates us with the history of our solar system, both smaller and larger than we think. Certainly smaller than the Mayans.

It ends with an analysis of the possible new synchronisation that could occur on the 21st December 2012 and what it could mean. That understanding demands first the reading of this superb analysis.
1022303
I like to work logic puzzles and I love a good plot-filled mystery with lots of surprises, and this one had them in abundance.  And the city of Paris in general and the Louvre museum in particular are made to order for heart-pounding thrillers, and this book is no exception.  The symbolism is wildly fascinating,the characterizations are good, the pace is fast, and the twists and turns of the plot kept me on the edge of my seat.
However, I had two problems with the book -- or maybe I can say ONE objection with two aspects, and each objection cost it one star in my evaluation.
1.  There are a lot of historical "facts" given here that challenge the teachings of Orthodox Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant).  I won't go into detail about them here, but I'll say this:  I wish the author had given some good, solid sources so that we, the readers, could have checked on the sources ourselves.  One of the characters in the story states that many "respected" historian-scholars could corroborate the view about the "real" meaning of the Holy Grail and the "real" history of Christ.  I would have liked to know who they were.  I also would like to have known if the story's take on the life of Christ, the Knights Templar and the Holy Grail legend was an honest-to-goodness historical view or one invented by the author for the story's purpose.
2.  I also felt like the author was "blaming" Christianity for the bad treatment of women.  Maybe he wasn't, and I misunderstood him.  But I feel it is important to mention that the church did not invent the bad treatment of women.  This is important to know, because while the church(both Catholic and Protestant) has left a lot to be desired in its treatment of women, the view of women as inferiors (which is unBiblical, by the way) was in existence long before the church ever came into being.
Anyone who has studied Western Civilization and/or Far Eastern history will know that ancient cultures, many of whom had a plethora of female deities, still treated their women like dirt.  The ancient Greeks held women in contempt -- just read Aristotle, who lived before Christ. Ancient and not-so-ancient India and China have historically mopped up the floor with women, female deities in their culture notwithstanding.
I know what an extreme patriarchal mindset some churches have -- as a woman I have been on the receiving end of it.  But let's not blame Christianity in general and the Catholic Church in particular for causing it.  Misogyny is extremely ancient!
The book is worth reading, but before taking any of its claims as truly historical, it behooves us all to check out our facts!
283618
I am going to give this book 5 stars because I really loved reading it.
however, i am going to post this from national geographic:
Correctly reasoning that she would be branded mentally ill, Marina has told her story only recently and now has a book. In last nights show she was subjected to all sorts of psychiatric and physical exams, and then taken to Colombia to see if her story held up.
Unsurprisingly, experts were extremely sceptical about Marina. But the evidence, such as signs of malnutrition in the bones at exactly the right age of development, won over each naysayer sufficiently to lend credence to many parts of her tale. Still, it turned out Marina might have concocted a false memory, particularly with regard to living in the jungle. This involuntary invention may be shielding her from an even more horrific past than the Tarzan story she remembers. Either way, what shone through, in spite of the plodding television, was that this quiet, modest and earnest woman was an incredible survivor who deserves our admiration and attention.
source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/10514565/Woman-Raised-by-Monkeys-National-Geographic-review.html
3839787
Dr. Lina Taylor has no earthly idea that a member of her family is the feared El Maya and that he has plans to make her his next beautiful sacrifice to the Mayan gods. BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE is a summer romance not far from the glitzy beaches of Cancun, but it's the adventure, death, intrigue and stunning imagery about the Mayan apocalypse that bring Lina and former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent Hunter Johnston to the brink of sacrifice upon a Mayan altar.
Lina's mother, Celia Reyes Balam, is a direct descendant of Spanish conquistadors and Mayan royalty. She has built a vast fortune exporting the art of her people's culture. As a child, Lina chose to work on the digs with her "obsessive, erratic" archaeologist father. Philip Taylor is a harsh man who has little warmth for his only daughter, but he does teach her about the legends and myths of the ancient Mayan deity Kawa'il. Ultimately, Lina chooses to live and work in Houston as curator for the city's Museum of the Maya, but her heart will always be tied to the Reyes Balam family lands in the Yucatan.

As the anticipated celebration of the Mayan Long Count calendar approaches, the prophetic date of December 21, 2012 has captured the attention of the media and fanatics who believe in myth. Lina is approached by sexy Hunter Johnston from her class at the museum and asked to help him and his partner Jase decipher the meaning of some Mayan artifacts that were confiscated at the Mexican border and subsequently stolen from an ICE warehouse. Lina is more than ready to work with the handsome man with silver-blue eyes, but is instantly frightened when she sees the photos of the missing artifacts. Blood was central to Mayan sacred rituals as were symbolic images of feathers, lightning and obsidian masks --- and these photos contained all of these images.

Lina's words to her class at the museum were eerily prophetic: "To sacrifice someone of royal blood was a tremendous gift, a desperate gift, done only in times of extreme need." No wonder Lina is feeling like she's being watched. When she and Hunter are attacked by men of Mayan descent in a parking garage and Jase is shot, Hunter becomes Lina's personal bodyguard and whisks her away to a beachfront hideaway near San Padre Island, Texas. It is here, in this intimate location, that New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Lowell begins her primal, descriptive narrative drawing the reader into the story with a vengeance. The romantic location with the coastal scrub, scent of salty air and roar of crashing waves is a locale made for love, and Lowell does not disappoint.

Lowell brings ancient Mayan history to life through glyphs that "tell of power and prestige, nobility and the jaguar, god-smoke and knowledge." The Mexican Riviera is "wild with greenery," the tropical air intoxicating, native bougainvillea abundantly trailing wildly, as Lina and Hunter go in search of secret coves, tombs and shrines. Lowell is a master storyteller who writes as though she is describing what she has seen with her own eyes instead of what she has imagined. She takes the reader on a wild ride through the Yucatan jungle, where ancient Mayan glyphs tell their own story. She captures Lina's glee and awe as she makes an extraordinary discovery. She takes the reader to the brink of sacrifice and inside the rituals of El Maya, including the fear, pageantry, family loyalty and gleaming snake-encrusted jade and obsidian artifacts. She illuminates the destruction of Philip's dream to share the discovery of a lifetime and his life's work hidden so long from tomb raiders.

The book's climactic ending is riveting, terrifying and revealing. BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE is one armchair vacation you will want to take with your seatbelt fastened tight.

Reviewed by Hillary Wagy on June 1, 2012
1588309
I read this book in two hours this morning, because it was so overpowering with its dusty archeological factoids dissolved in the fabric of world mythology and theological theory. Plus in the tradition of James Redfield, it is a thrilling exploration of the inexplicables. It was like entering into the haze of another world and finding a sense that there is something beyond the daily grind to work towards as a human.
Was this classified as a mystery? It was clearly more magical and more meaningful and it saddens me to think it will be parked next to the typical Agathas and Cats series, instead of on the Holy Shelf, where it belongs.
A personal note I wish to share with potential readers. Those of you who have already read this will understand what I mean, when I say that I packed my bags right away, and I plan to visit Grand Central, just to look up at the ceiling and to buy some bread. I do believe a pilgrimage to the Holy Land will be on my agenda thereafter. Such compulsions can only occur when storytelling naturally draws your attention to details in travels that readers will feel they have previously glossed over, or when something just feels familiar and yet strange. Please do include yourself in the circle of those of us who have been touched by this reading experience.
297691
Much ado has been made over apocalyptic events & the date, December 21, 2012. Movies & books, both fiction & non-fiction, have centered around this Mayan calendar glitch.
 James Strait gives us a vibrant new twist in 'Deja Vu All Over Again'. In this science fiction tale, we see the author using mathematics as a key & one genius using it to unlock an unknown world. A man, sitting at his computer, catches a fleeting glimpse of what he determines is a code. Unable to think of anything else, he launches an investigation to find someone, anyone, who can interpret what he saw. Enter Ana, the aforementioned genius. She knows exactly what it means & how crucial the information is- to the world. But, like anyone with an earth-shaking discoveryAna has her enemies, people who are jealous of her talents. These villians want Ana stopped- by any means necessary, including deadly force. Can Ana & her new friend save the world? Can they outsmart the evil chasing them?

  I can state honestly that I read this book in one sitting. When I received it, I had little info as to the plot. I was very, pleasantly surprised. Some apocalyptic fiction is all fire & brimstone or just too far-fetched to appreciate. This, however, is fun & mysterious while holding on to it's sci-fi roots. There is a bit of coarse language & sexual situations, but it doesn't distract from the fabulous plot.

  I loved the characters-even the 'bad' guys. I didn't see the ending coming. I love a good surprise! With rich information that you'd expect in sci-fi & quality dialogue (no filler), I was enamored to read full throttle, straight through.  No one can truly tell the future, but it's easy to predict great sales for James Strait. 'Deja Vu All Over Again' left me with stars in my eyes- 5 stars for sci-fi excellence! Publisher info: Infinity Publishing [...] I received one eBook to do my review. No other compensation was received. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. Find more info on author James Strait here. You can also read more about the book on it's website. I believe you'll find the book appealing. it can be purchased through it's website, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon. Follow the whole book tour by checking here.
2402479
The Second Virgin Birth was unique. The premise of a virgin giving birth to another Jesus Christ through the magic of science is controversial and intriguing. A variety of characters, including a Pope determined to make sure Christ is never born again, make for a complex story. There are many obstacles, some not fully realized (i.e. too little time spent on them), and a host of personal agendas that take place as events unfold. Some of the problems and near-crises could have been further expanded because the idea of them was that interesting. There are many loose ends left to the reader's imagination and the book's finale is open-ended, perhaps for a sequel. Overall, the story is well-paced, believable, and invites contemplation on several modern day topics. Could DNA of Christ be found? Could another Christ child be born? What would happen to the world's religions in this case? Very, very intriguing.