Customer Reviews

Powers: A Novel

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A press release for this book led me to expect a modern fantasy/horror novel when I picked this up. In fact, that was very misleading. Powers is something of a blend of urban fantasy (voodoo priestesses and Gypsy magic in a modern setting) and Christian storytelling, with elements of mystery and thriller mixed in for good measure.

In brief, the story follows the heroine, Mariutza, raised by a Gypsy grandfather (and local prophet) in traditions that include Biblical studies, how to escape or fight off trained soldiers, and Louisiana bayou life. When the grandfather is killed by an attack of the "walking dead", Mari must follow the instructions he left for just such an eventuality, including escaping the walking dead, and inexplicably hostile military and police forces. Her orders include finding the hero-prophet "Jaazaniah", who is currently playing jazz in New Orleans, unaware of his ordained destiny. Destiny comes calling in the form of highly inconvenient waking visions, which are followed by attacks from - guess what - the walking dead, and inexplicably hostile military and police forces. The rest of the story involves Mari finding Jazz, both of them finding allies, and Jazz finding God and the solution to all their problems, more or less in that order.

The combination of elements is pretty intriguing in the beginning, as it departs from the usual cliches of the urban fantasy genre. As we go along, though, that seems mostly because it mixes in cliches from the conspiracy-thriller genre and the christian inspirational genre. This could make up a tasty Louisiana gumbo, and is in fact not a bad start, but it would need to go several steps further to achieve true originality. The hero Jazz is believably flawed, but it's a bit disappointing (to me, at least) to find that his Hero's Journey turns mostly into an ongoing come-to-Jesus message. Mari already has God in her life, which is disappointingly expressed as her being a self-doubting, childish figure with killer kung-fu moves. Other characters tend toward the two-dimensional; Jazz is repeatedly helped by a woman who wants excitement in her life, only to be abandoned by her when it gets too exciting. An FBI agent who has mixed feelings about being involved in the inexplicably hostile pursuit is a stock character from, e.g., "The Fugitive". The Dark Forces have no apparent goal or motivation other than to be evil, and therefore provide the threat against which the heroes must hurl themselves. The resolution is, by the end, pretty predictable and something of a deus ex magica.

After all that negativity, let me come back to say that the book does have some entertaining and promising elements. The author made some effort to culturally flavor the aforementioned gumbo, with research into Gypsy parlance and bayou life, among other things. The characters show flashes of depth from time to time, as they refer to their various backgrounds. The plot is actually rather neatly twisted around the concept of prophecy, and the writing style is colorful and flows naturally enough to hold the reader's interest. I suspect, though, that those just looking for a good fantasy read may be startled to encounter the Christian inspirational elements. However, if you're looking for a modern-world Christian fantasy/conspiracy novel, this might just be your cup of tea, or bowl of gumbo.

My thoughts...This is book two in the series. I have not read the first book, so initially I was really confused as to what was going on. You begin by reading the POV of several characters. They are all experiencing intense situations such as being chased, attacked and feeling intense pain. The beginning of the book left me dizzy, but I was still intrigued enough to keep reading. About 100 pages or so into the story, the characters come together and the plot begins to make more sense. Mari is an odd heroine. She was raised in the swamplands by an old man she believed to be her Grandfather. He is murdered and she goes on a mission to find the prophet she has been learning of her whole life. Jazz, the prophet, is a musician who has not clue that he has been the object of legends and fairy tales. Mari is a child of God, she has strong belief. Jazz however, has none. The pair, along with some new acquaintances are being chased by the FBI, the police, and something purely evil.

Powers provides non-stop action. It is very easy to get swept into this world of mysterious cloaked figures, cops and robbers, and fairy tale romance. It was very hard for me to put down. The story contained a subtle religious undertone, but I did not feel like a was reading a Christian novel. The end wrapped up nicely, but left room for another adventure. Overall, I think it was a very unique storyline that would entice readers from a variety of genres. I enjoyed this book and I would read other books in this series.

Gypsy girl, Mariutza, was raised in the Louisiana swamps away from all modern conveniences. When "the Badness" kills her grandfather, Mariutza must go into the city and find the prophet, Jaazaniah, but Mari feels completely out of her element. She's never even ridden in a car or tasted Sprite. Still, it's what she trained all her life to do. Find Jaazaniah, the prophet.

Jaazaniah is a musician in a bar. He has a seizure of some kind and is convinced that someone spiked his drink. He goes home to find his apartment ransacked, and strange cloaked men start chasing him. Then he meets Mariutza, a beautiful girl whose religious ideas are a bit far-fetched. She claims he is some prophet and clearly has a few screws loose from growing up in the swamp. Still, she knows things about him that she can't possibly know, and Jaazaniah is drawn to working with her to figure out what is going on.

I loved John B. Olson's Shade, so I couldn't wait to read Powers. At first, I was disappointed to find all new characters. When I really want to read a sequel, it's because of the characters in the first book. Still, I kept at it. Olson's non-stop action gripped me and kept me turning the pages. His characters, Mari and Jaaz, were totally intriguing. Then some old characters popped up and things started to come together in a bizarre and exciting way. And then it was over, leaving quite a few questions hanging. Where Shade reads as a creepy vampire/monster novel, Powers reads as supernatural suspense. "The Badness" is always at the characters' heels, but I never really knew why or saw much of it until the end. So...a really fun read. Entertaining and action-packed. But the ending left me wondering. Is there a book three? I hope so.

Mariutza's grandfather, Purodad, and beloved teacher, Miss Caralee were murdered while Mariutza stayed helplessly hidden. Before her grandfather died in her arms, he told Mariutza what she must do. She had been kept hidden in the swamp and cared for by her grandfather, but now she was alone, and being chased by the Badness. She had to get out of the swamp and find Jaazaniah the Prophet. He was the only one that could help her now.

As soon as the book arrived, I was eager to start reading. Between the cover art and the blurb on the back, it looked like a fantastic read. I was not disappointed. From the first few paragraphs, I was drawn in, and had a hard time putting it down. I loved the characters of Mari (Mariutza) and Jazz (Jaazaniah) and found myself cheering them on. This is truly a page turner full of suspense and surprises, twists and turns, and even some conspiracy thrown in. Powers was one great read!

John B Olson has done it again! Powers is a great novel.
Although I knew the book was part of a series I was surprised when the two primary characters from Shade appeared, but they make it clear that the strange experiences of Mari and Jazz are part of something bigger - much bigger. And, although the plot has a satisfying conclusion, it's obvious that there will be more to discover in the next book.
Besides people who are already fans of this gifted author, Powers will appeal to anyone who likes scary, mysterious books. (The Christian message is subtle, and not at all preachy-teachy.)

I received this book for free as part of the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program.

I tried to read this book. I really did. I think I am just not the intended audience for this book. Try as I might, I could not even get past the first chapter. So, I gave up. Bear this in mind.

This book was difficult for me to read because of its style. It had a very strained attempt at what I assume is Creole dialect in the beginning. I'm guessing from the setting of the book because I am unable to tell what dialect is actually intended. The first chapter also seemed terribly overwrought. I actually thought the same thing about another book I received from the Early Reviewers program that I ended up liking, so I flipped through the rest of the book. It seemed much the same. I was also nonplussed to discover this book is marketed as a Christian thriller. I am not actually opposed to this in principle. I just don't like it when it is done so poorly.

Catholic authors I think write well and can recommend are Tim Powers The Anubis Gates and Ralph McInerny The Wisdom of Father Dowling (Five Star Mystery Series), if one is inclined to look for fiction that is philosophically and theologically astute. I am certain I would not give this book to my children to read.

Powers by John B. Olson
B&H Publishing Group, 2009

Review by Debra Louise Scott

Olson attempts a book about gypsy life in the swamps of Louisiana contrasted with a jazz musician in New Orleans who are both stalked by a never explained evil called the Badness, and of course a government conspiracy. This would sound interesting if it actually worked. Apparently this is a sequel to Shade, but it doesn't say that anywhere nor does it refer to it in the writing. There is a certain amount of suspense in all of it, but mostly in trying to figure out what the heck is going on and waiting for a reveal that never reveals itself. The characters are initially interesting, but soon become predictable stereotypes. It appears that he understands neither gypsies, nor jazz musicians. He does understand Christian fundamentalist morality plays however, which portray the world as an evil place with only one remedy for life.

The gypsy girl, Mari, is part of a Bible-based separatist cult handed down through her family. She obeys a strictly literal interpretation of obscure Bible passages and is trained in some useful military strategy and tactics with neither understanding nor question. For the most part, her dialogue is simplistic, with an always degrading self-image as an ignorant swamp girl. (However, in one part she inexplicably breaks character with a more sophisticated syntax when she meets up with her kin, making one wonder if the ignorant talk is an act, but it turns out it is just a slip up by the author.)

The jazz musician, (Jazz, of course) is portrayed as greedy, self-serving, atheistic, and tormented by a sudden onslaught of visions. He is chased by a never explained band of mysterious black-cloaked hunters and refuses to believe in the complete altruism of the gypsies trying to keep him safe, nor in their firm conviction that he is some kind of prophet. For some reason the government appears to also be after both him and the gypsies. A connection is alluded to, but never developed into any coherent entity. Perhaps that was in the first book.

One never truly understands the nature of the threat nor why this conspiratorial society was so interested in Jazz, the gypsies and the grandfather's Bible. Nor is it ever explained what happened to the grandfather who was so adamant that "I must be buried standing." and is in fact never buried at all. After the publisher puts this in large print on the back cover I expected to at least find that there were some consequences to this. There weren't.

Other incongruencies include a portion where Mari jumps in the water to evade detection from helicopters and police with high-powered search equipment. Ok, that's possible I suppose. But then she crawls out on a dock and hides in a shadow. I kept wondering how all the people chasing her didn't think to check out the wet footprints and drips from her clothes. In another segment, she gets cornered in a dead end alley, and somehow manages to walk out past them without their noticing. That's attributed to her psychic power, which later turns out to be prayer. As it turns out, if you pray hard enough, nobody can see you.

The Deus-Ex-Machina climax to the whole thing was almost laughable. If you're going to use a classical Greek plot device, you really should write on a par with say, Aristophanes.

Olson could possibly have delved further into the fanaticism of the Bible cult or defined the connections between the different members of this group better, as he seemed to have a better grasp of that aspect. I wish I could have figured out whether the group that was their nemesis was meant to be after them as a race, or on religious grounds, or a blood feud. I also wondered why he never explained the government/military infiltration. Or perhaps I simply missed the point somewhere while the repetitive dialogue was lulling me to sleep.

"Powers" by John B. Olson and was intriguing. While the publisher is a Christian one, the book seemed to be something of an urban fantasy. It was a sequel to an earlier novel, "Shade".
As I began to read, I found the words and phrases to be disjointed and poetic, almost as if I was watching something unfold before me which was blurred and somewhat incomprehensible. Clearly, this was meant by the author as a literary tool to keep you guessing and to put yourself into his hands for the "ride" and just see what happens.
Set in bayou bogs and forests with mysticism and ancient beliefs, urban centers with smoothly wealthy villains, and even including military/police conspiracy as well, it was somewhat jumbled. This too, seems to be a literary tool, making the setting contribute to the epic feel of the book.
The main character, Jazz, is a man who has power which he is only beginning to experience as blackouts and frightening situations which begin to happen. The "Mulo", the dark side, is already aware of him and has plans for him. He is befriended by several people near the beginning, one of whom seems to be along for the thrill ride of Jazz's current life, and others who claim to know what is going on with him. They claim to be alike, part of an ancient group of special people called the "Standing" which fights against this evil "Mulo".
Never knowing who to trust and how to interpret what is happening to him, Jazz is barely kept from death numerous times. It was this which began to weaken the book. Facing an impossible situation so many times and coming out alive began to get old.
Another main character, Mari (Mariutza), has much training from her grandfather, another of the "Standing", but no knowledge of its history or current situation. She is faced with trying to interpret how to put into action her training.
While I've enjoyed this genre before, I was somehow disappointed by "Powers". The murky setting and confusing plot was emotionally gripping, but didn't satisfy my mind. The Christian aspects didn't seem to be integral to the plot or the characters.
I decided to read the first book in the series to see if I could better understand this one. So, I read "Shade" and found the same types of setting and characters and the same impossible situations consistently resulting in our main characters remaining alive. However, the first book was somehow more satisfying to my mind, although the Christian parts were just as ill-fitting.

I was really excited to read this book since description of it for the Early Reviewers, a reviewers group through Librarything.com, made it seem like it was going to be an exciting gypsy, magic romp.

I was very disappointed. I found the main male character, Jazz, to be annoying, arrogant and one dimensional. Mari had the potential to be interesting with her interpretation of modern things like soda and beds. But then I started getting annoyed at her superstitious fears & her relationship with Jazz.

I have admit that I didn't care for the Christian slant of it all. Also the other characters just seemed flat and the plot got boring half way through.

I made myself finish reading it because I had to review it but it was hard. I definitely would not want to read the book before it or anything in the series after it.

Must read first book first!! Answered so many questions left from book 1. Hope author is writing a book 3. Once again, I was exhausted by the end of the book. Really happy with it.