Customer Reviews

The Eye of the Idol

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm new to the whole ebook thing, and have purchased hardcover books until now. This is my very first ebook purchase.
I've read the reviews given here, which range from gushy to negative and unfair, in my opinion. Gushy is kind of useless, but unfair is too. To me, this is overall a great read and a nice intro to the ebook world. It reminds me of Cussler's books and I kept expecting Dirk Pit to appear out of the fog at any moment. Fortunately, unlike Cussler's work, the ending in this book was very real.

The first review on the list by GraceKrispy lists one dimensional characters. I found this to be exactly opposite - Abilio Sanchez, Amont and especially The SIS agent all seemed very real. The female character Michelle is to a lesser extent, but real all the same. I especially liked the exchanges between Sanchez and the agent Coleman, which was believable.

There were a lot of facts which made the read a little boring at times, but I found them important to the story. I was happy I was paying attention as a lot of these facts came in later on and factored in the storyline's twists and turns. I have to admit that reading some of the secondary stories also seemed a little much at first, but most of the stories read like short stories and were entertaining in themselves. I think that the one about the assasination of the archduke was unecessary, but again, there was stuff I didn't know there and I enjoyed it. I especially liked how they all tied together. I did look up some of the stories on the internet and was surprised to find out how closely they matched the author's version. Daton's links were also usefull, and his pictures too. I did wish they a few had better resolution. Not sure if this is possible.

As to the missing lines and issues mentioned by Grace, I didn't find any. My copy is fine and I think it might be something with the Grace's file...

I did find two misspelled words, but overall, this was a fantastic story and it only cost 99 cents! I think its worth more, and will be looking at the author's other stuff now - specifically his Dysfunctional Family book.

I would have rated this a four and a half because of the unecessary story and the two spelling mistakes, but hey - at 99 cents, this is a great bargain and a great read, so it's 5 stars.

What a fantastic story. I loved the 17th century intrigue and it just kept ramping up from then on. It had all my favourite elements: adventure, suspense, mystery and wonderful characters. Paul Dayton has certainly done his research and there's a wealth of tasty historical titbits enriching this skilfully woven tale.

Looking forward to the sequel!

The Eye of the Idol

In Eye of the Idol, Paul Dayton has crafted highly memorable work with three-dimensional characters. Each new character introduced to the reader have their own set of worries, complexities and characteristics so believable it seems as if they could be standing right before you.

Before I was even through the first chapter, I already knew this book was a winner. Immediately attention grabbing and intense, Eye of the Idol seizes the reader's attention and refuses to let go.

With his excellent use of descriptions, Mr. Dayton pulls you into the setting of the book seamlessly. He has an amazing talent for transporting the reader well into the past and back to the present in one fluid motion. The writer opens a portal to yesterday so intriguing, that one cannot help but step through willingly.

The first character introduced in the book stirred raw emotion within this reviewer. Even through the remainder of the book I carried his burden with me as if it were my own. The reader feels as if he is a long-lost friend.

With a complex, well designed plot and fast paced storyline, this book left me positioned at the edge of my seat in anticipation of what would happen next. A subtle, yet warming amount of humor graces the pages of Mr. Dayton's book, making it a joy to read.

As the past and the present begin to form ever more solid ties to one another, the plot thickens and the reader is left breathless with suspense, wondering what will happen on the next page.

As multiple scenarios begin to build in the reader's mind of what the conclusion of this work might bring, Mr. Dayton once again surprises the reader with his fantastic ending. Try as I might, I couldn't guess what was in store for me; which made me love this book even more.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fast-paced, quality read. For this reviewer, Paul Dayton's Eye of the Idol has earned five well-deserved stars. I look forward to reading further works by this remarkable author.

[...]

Paul Dayton's `Eye of the Idol' is a fascinating mix of fable and modern-day political thriller, incorporating a number of historical incidents into an intriguing tale. The action moves from seventeenth century India and the plottings of the Jesuits to the machinations of Kim Jong Il's North Korea. In the telling of the story, Dayton recounts a number of true incidents from the point of view of the people involved, weaving fact and fiction together into one thread.

The story starts with Jesuit priest, Jacob, tasked by his order to find a `valuable item' associated with the Hindu faith - the `eye of the idol' of the title. Jacob takes possession of the jewel but then it is lost and we join three people - professor Sanchez, secret agent Coleman and detective Michelle in chasing down its whereabouts. But they are not the only ones looking and moreover, something else is also being sought, something so valuable and controversial that its discovery would lead to world war three.

The story itself held my interest right to the end as I wondered how all the disparate threads would come together. On the down side, I found the references within the text distracting and would have preferred the author to find some other way of conveying meaning than by requiring them to look something up. Where the reference was to prove the veracity of the information, I would suggest in a work of fiction there is no need. A short reference list at the end of the novel would do the job. I feel, too, that the MS could have stood another round of editing. I noticed errors such as `throws' for `throes' and places where extra words or incorrect tense intruded.

But on the balance these are minor matters; because of the strength of the story, I've given this a 4.

Well. I have to say this is, by far, THE best work I've read on this site, so far. I thought I'd found it yesterday, but you, by far, blow it away. You have a skill, my friend... I hope you rise to the very top with it, because it truly deserves it.
Carla René, The Gaslight Journal
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"Paul, I'm finding this fascinating. Your writing style makes me wish you'd been *discovered* long before Dan Brown... and that, perhaps, you'd written the Da Vinci first!! A literary thriller and a half..."
Kay Fenton, Waystation to Prosperity Street
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It is not just a gripping story - it is also an intellectual delight.
Your book makes compelling reading, a mine of information which enriches the story.
Katy Roberts, Phobic Dawn
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Wow, this is a story I couldn't stop reading. It's wild and fascinating and told with a driving skill.
Katherine Holmes, The Swam Bonnet
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The Eye of the Idol certainly has an epic sweep through history. It's a complex narrative which appeals to a reader of great intelligence.
Walden Carrington, Titanic - Rose Dawson's Story
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This is quite complex and extremely intriguing, The amount of research you put in is astounding.
Columbia Scot, Matters of the Heart
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Great story - the old superstitions of the past colliding with a modern global arena, where the rocket arsenals are assembled to await the destruction of the planet.
Daniel Manning, No Compatability
I found this really enjoyable, almost 'old-fashioned' read - in that it's a great story, told to entertain.
Polly Johnson, Stones
The Eye of the Idol

The Eye of the Idol. An incredible and mesmerizing artifact that has touched the lives of many. An artifact with a story and a history- cursed, perhaps, as those who touch it seem to suffer the consequences. North Korea on the warpath, a luxury ship sunk in the early 1900s, a thief forced to execute his own wife; all seemingly unrelated elements that are somehow connected in the most unusual ways.

Blending fact with fiction, Paul Dayton weaves a tale of intrigue that spans centuries. The author pulls seemingly unrelated pieces of history together in a fictional tale fueled by actual truths. I thought the concept was really interesting, and I was pulled in by the description. I was envisioning an exciting tale filled with historical facts and fascinating ties. I wanted to be drawn into the story, to escape into a fascinating tale of adventure. I really wanted to love this book.

While I was interested in the historical details included in the book, I just couldn't immerse myself in the story. I was confused by some of the exchanges and events in the story; perhaps because the characters all sounded the same to me. The conversations between characters didn't ring true, and I felt the characters were mostly one-dimensional. A lot of historical context gets explained by way of conversation between several RCMP officers, and, although the facts themselves were of interest, the conversation relaying those facts was dry. Adding to my confusion, there were several sentences with entire words missing, and the punctuation (including quotation marks) was incomplete in places-- this story would really benefit from additional editing. Some of the transitions to different time periods in history were clearly defined by chapters and headings, others were not defined at all, leaving me to wonder where in time I was. I felt the characters and the connections needed some more polish and substance. I think the potential is there for this story to be a riveting adventure, and the author has really done his research into these historical events, but the execution fell flat for me.

In the beginning of the story, there were numbers (but not hyperlinks) that I assumed corresponded to endnotes. Later in the text, there were hyperlinks that led to websites with more information. When I got to the endnotes after the epilogue, the notes had no numbers attached. It wasn't easy to see which note went with which item in the story. As I read most of this story on my Sony PRS-505, the endnotes and the hyperlinks were useless to me. I could click on the hyperlinks on my Droid X, and that was nice, but for ereaders with no touchscreen capability, it doesn't serve much purpose. I wish the author would have chosen either endnotes or hyperlinks: I vote hyperlinks, even though I couldn't access them on my 505, as they are less obtrusive. Endnotes make me feel I'm reading a history book, and this was meant to be a fictional tale with historical facts embedded. If I'm reading a novel, I don't want to be flipping back and forth (a frustrating task on an ereader, in particular). A hyperlink I can ignore or follow (if my device supports it).

In short, a great concept with real possibility, but it just didn't do it for me. Add in the need for further editing, and I gave this 2.5 stars at MotherLode blog.