Time Jump: Apocalypse by Brandon Barr

Time Jump: Apocalypse

Jack Henshaw and the millions left alive on Earth are desperately looking towards a time jumper to help them elude the cataclysmic disasters wreaking havoc across the globe. If a jump is successful, those seeking refuge might maintain some semblance of civilization. The problem is, there are only two men genetically able to handle the extremes of a time jump . . . and one of them has been lost. Henshaw, the head of NASA's JUMP program must race time and disasters to unravel the mystery of the first jumper's disappearance, all the while struggling to find the answers to his own urgent question: What is causing Earth to destruct . . . and why has his wife vanished without a trace? 

Time Jump: Apocalypse, and end of the world short story.

The Guru's Review: 

I read this while waiting overnight in Accident and Emergency for my wife to be treated. I had left my kindle at home and had to use my wife's; seeing that we share the same account I could access my books (the book I was currently reading was not from Amazon so I could not access it on my wife's kindle).

This is the first book of Brandon Barr I have read and now that I have, I am looking forward to reading one other of his that has been on my TBR list. 

Barr packs a lot into this 17 page short. It had me riveted to my chair and kept me awake while waiting for my wife to be seen by the Doctor and being rather sleepy (it was the middle of the night!). 

Barr writes well and this is one action packed short due to the subject matter and its plot. Mystery, suspense, action and adventure and a very unique take on the Rapture and what is left in its wake. I love the latter and would love to have either had this short longer or as a full-length novel. Barr has some very interesting concepts with this and would be worth having these explored further. I especially want to explore more of the spiritual aspects that are introduced so briefly (due to the length of the short). 

I loved the touch of romance that still has Jack tied to his past when his wife so instantly and mysteriously disappeared and how this has motivated him to use the technology of time travel to find her or what happened to her and what is causing the destruction of the earth.

I sincerely hope that Barr has further shorts in this series. I am quite willing to allow myself to become lost in this world building and plot that he has very successfully created in such a short writing space. 

Strongly Recommended (4/5)

To buy or read a sample, click on the Buy or Preview buttons below (will open in another tab). 

The Called: Chosen (The Called Series, Book 2) by Justin Price

The Called: Chosen (The Called Series Book 2)

The Called Series continues with Chosen. The Antichrist has unleashed something terrible on earth that is gaining power by the day while believers must flee for their lives. Nations rebel against Samyaza al Assad and the World Council, causing global war to break out. More twists and turns await in the second installment of the series as the tribulation officially begins and the called of God find their place in a world that has become brutal to them.

The Guru's Review:

I was really excited to be back in this novel, with familiar characters,  its setting, past pace, suspense, and I am so glad to see that Price has continued what he started in the previous volume where I described that he,

blended the genres of the supernatural, science fiction, apocalyptic and eschatology into a multi-layered construct that works very well and adds depth to the plot and the overall enjoyment of this novel.

This provided strength to the previous novel and does the same with this one. Price has progressed everything in this novel. The plot is developed more with the evil plans of Samyaza al Assad, the world population becomes deceived by his charm and deceptive schemes, the one world political system forges deeper roots into the threads of society with more control of the masses and Christians are further persecuted with an ever increasing search to destroy their underground residences and force them to recant their faith or be executed. This adds to the pace making it a cannot put down tale just like the previous installment. Despite the pace, Price still manages to develop the characters further and their fear, despair, trust in God, faith is very evident and I found myself relating to their emotions in a tangible way. I kept thinking that I pray this is what I would do when similar plot lines become reality in this world. 

This is one thing that I enjoy about novels like this. May sound like an oxymoron but while being entertained immensely, Price paints a very sobering picture of what the future could be like and it is this that provokes the Christian reader into thinking about their faith, being ready for this, and drawing closer to God in preparation. We are encouraged in the Word to always be ready and to be prepared to take a stand for our faith. Price succeeds here. I would love to think that a reader who does not have a relationship with Jesus would also be encouraged to consider their future as well and to identify that God needs to be a part of this. 

I loved the example of Abbie, how being submitted to God, she risked everything out of obedience to Him to have her singing career instrumental in bringing multitudes to Christ and despite being reprimanded by the government for it, she still found it worth the cost. I pray that this encourages Christians to stand firm in their faith through whatever trial or adversity they are going through, whether now or in the future as depicted in this novel, that they lay down their lives and count the cost for Christ.

It is also good to see that Price has continued the work of the Spirit in bringing people to Christ by using various characters as a witness to Him. Seeing one major character from the previous installment come to Christ and another being on the verge is very encouraging as the Word tells us that there will still be conversions to Christ in the last days before Jesus comes back and during the Tribulation Period which this novel has as its setting. It is through plot lines like this that an author gets to deliver the message of the Gospel in a showing and not telling/preaching manner. Price does this well and it is very refreshing.

Price continues his inclusion of angelic visitation and I appreciate his depiction of them as Messengers that they are, as described in the Bible, that they seek no vain glory or attention to themselves; they just want to deliver God's message, encourage those they have been sent to minister to and be on their way. Another aspect of the realistic world building that Price has created. 

I can see that the next installment will have more of the supernatural and spiritual elements developed as this installment lays the foundation for this. Demons and or demonic beings are released into the world at the beginning, but do not have any involvement in this novel, other than being prepared for their role which will take place in the next installment. Sounds like that is going to be one even more action packed read. Bring it on, Justin!

I consider that Price has developed his writing skill and plot development further in this novel than the previous and this is good to see, shows he is becoming more seasoned as a writer and creator of edgy, speculative fiction.  

Despite its shorter length, 126 pages, he does pack quite a bit in and it does feel longer which is a good quality for a novel of this fast pace and subject matter. It is enough to drop you in the mix of it, allow you to be taken for a fast paced ride and then left with one riveting cliff hanger, dangling for more. The opening sequence to this next installment based on this ending, should make the reader hit the road running. I look forward to this immensely. 

Highly Recommended. 

Impact (Fuzed Trilogy, Book 1) by David E Stevens

Book Description:

Winner of the 2014 Epic Award and ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year, Resurrect is a cross between The Bourne Identity, Avatar and Armageddon. It tackles the most likely and preventable cataclysms facing humanity.

What if you were fatally injured but offered a second chance in a genetically perfect body? The price? You don't look the same and everyone you knew believes you're dead. Oh, by the way, you have two years to prevent the extinction of humanity. 

Ridiculous plot? Not so fast. According to new research, the probability of a sudden global cataclysm is ten times more likely that we originally thought (see Author Page for video). A portion of all proceeds will be donated to non-profits, such as the B612 Foundation, that are working to protect humanity. 

This Kindle eBook is a Second Edition and has been updated from the paperback version in preparation for taking the Fuzed Trilogy to the movies.

The Guru's Review: 

I originally bought the first edition when it was released, thanks to Amazon's Recommendations. It remained on my kindle unread until Amazon advertised the updated 2nd edition recently. 

I knew from the description, and the fact that Stevens knows what he is talking about that I would like this book. Stevens is a Former Navy Commander, graduate of Strike Fighter Weapons School (“Top Bomb”), and nuclear weapons qualified, he served as the Navy’s Strike Operations Officer for the Persian Gulf during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. With a Top Secret clearance, he also developed classified weapon systems, test piloted new fighters and earned a patent. I think that more than qualifies him to know what he is talking about!

One thing I hate is when a new author writes about what they know and it ruins the novel because they don't write well, but I cannot say this about Stevens. He writes well and this definitely makes this novel all the more enjoyable and easier to understand with all the technical content he includes about how government defense forces work, aviation, military intelligence, science, and all things concerning astrophysics. Where some authors bog the reader down with too much information about an issue or background information distracting the reader and causing them to become disconnected from the plot, Stevens successfully avoids this by only including information that the reader and plot requires is worded carefully and concisely. After reading this novel constructed in this way, any reader is going to walk away with a better understanding of all the concepts and topics that Stevens has included. 

This novel grabs you from the start and does not let you go! Stevens keeps your curiosity piqued throughout. It is one very interesting construct where science and the supernatural intersect. It is very easy to see that the description of this novel being a cross between The Bourne Identity, Avatar and Armageddon is very true, and can only add to the various layers that this novel has in its development. Makes for one very action packed and totally absorbing read. 

One of the strengths of this novel is that everything is in its place, there is not too much or too little of any of its ingredients. It is one very well-rounded and very well-balanced novel. Another is the balance Stevens achieves integrating the knowledge of astrophysics, aviation, science, military and government politics with the action and adventure, suspense and even the element of romance that I feel fits in extremely well here. I do look forward to seeing how the relationship between Elizabeth and Josh develops in books 2 and 3. I do like romance in novels like this as long as it does not take over or stick out from the plot. I love romance written by male authors. Stevens does this well, and what he has included on this issue actually enhances the suspense of this novel. 

A major plot element is the genetically perfect body and enhanced abilities that Josh is given following his death.  As the reader progresses in the novel, it is tempting to see Josh as a superhero, but Stevens portrays Josh as a rather humble one and he does not see himself as such or expects the accolades or notoriety that we are used to being placed on characters such as these. Again it gets back to my comment previously that everything is balanced, but I can see that how Josh is developed is not the main focus of this novel but rather the reason he was created this way is, and that is for the mission that Jesse has given him. His enhanced human abilities are there to enable him to achieve this mission. It is really fun as well as enthralling seeing Josh use these abilities to achieve his mission. My kind of superhero! 

Stevens has entered the author arena on one very firm footing and comes across as a natural, one would not realise from reading this novel that he is a new author. It very encouraging for any author and reader to then have reviews either 4 or 5 stars on Amazon. Then the icing on the cake is to have their debut novel optioned to be made into a movie!  

I have an interview I recently conducted with Stevens that will be posted a few days after this review and it reveals a lot more about the background to this novel, the Fuzed Trilogy, and the author himself. It also has a giveaway of 5 copies of the updated 2nd edition (only published in kindle format). I encourage everyone to read it on this blog and consider entering in the giveaway. You won't regret reading this book!  

Took me a few days to come down to earth after finishing this novel. I look forward to Book 2 with great anticipation. 

Highly Recommended. 

The Beginning of the End (The Called, Book 1) by Justin Price

The Called: The Beginning of the End

The Called is an action packed apocalyptic sci-fi thriller written by Justin Price. In a world where all religion has been purged from society, a remnant of individuals is called out for the purpose of withstanding the evil that has emerged onto the world scene. The World Council takes steps to snuff out the pockets of believers who will not swear their allegiance to Samyaza al Assad, the Syrian leader of the new world government. Advanced technology causes untold chaos as the battle between good and evil spills out onto earth.

The Guru's Review:

One of the great things about being an avid reader is getting absorbed in a novel that is in the genre you love, written well, fast paced, plot flows seamlessly, content grabs you and does not let go, and the characters are ones you can relate to. The icing on the cake is when you also know that it is written by a new author! That for me is a real treat and a win/win for both the reader and the author. The reader gets a well-crafted novel and can get straight into it and be transported to the world created and the author has had a great head start into his new field. 

Such is the case for myself reading Price's The Beginning of the End. I am very impressed with this. It is a real page turner and I became lost in the apocalyptic world that Price constructed very convincingly and consequently I could not put this down. It has a real cliff hanger ending not just for one character, but a few; not just for one plot line but more so. This makes it even more baited with anticipation for the next instalment and according to Price, he is more excited about this sequel than this first instalment! I would more than agree with this.

Price has successfully blended the genres of the supernatural, science-fiction, apocalyptic and eschatology into a multi-layered construct that works very well and adds depth to the plot and the overall enjoyment of this novel. It is this that is all the more enthralling and is what draws the reader in. This also is a great part of the success of this novel and series.

The spiritual elements are excellent in this novel. I loved the sincerity of Price to show the Christian characters being faithful to God and willing to risk everything including their lives to know the truth of the Gospel, and to lead those who seek Him to this truth. It is really confronting reading how realistic this scenario is where all religion is banned and the penalty for disobeying and defying this ban is either death or imprisonment for life. 

I pray that the reactions and motives fo seeking the Truth of Christ and the Gospel by these characters challenges and encourage Christians to not falter but to take a stand for Christ and the Gospel. I pray that these reactions serve as a role model for us to consider when what is described in this novel becomes our reality; because this is our future.

I thoroughly enjoyed the angelic visitation to various characters and this is significant as Price shows the reader a God who is active and present in a believer's life or in one who is not a believer but seeking Him. I feel this is a strength in this novel. Just as the Spirit is alive and acts in our lives, so He needs to be in fiction. I believe that fiction can portray the realities of life and also of the supernatural. The Spirit can minister to the reader in fiction just as He can with His Creation.  

I am so glad that I came across Justin on Twitter. I definitely had a good feeling about his book when he described it to me. It has more than been worth it.

Highly Recommended.