Customer Reviews

Waking God

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I read this book with a bit of apprehension, as it sounded to me like a mockery of Christianity. However, what a wonderful surprise lay ahead of me!
WAKING GOD is a book that takes a contemporary setting, throws in a bit of fantasy in a trip around the world in the future, then flashes all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and does it with such smoothness and grace that you hardly know where you are living when you finally reach the end and set it aside.
Authors Doe and Harris, I understand, have a trilogy planned for this book, and I can't wait for the next one.
I am one of the few people on the planet who has not read The Da Vinci Code, but from what I've heard about it (and that is a lot), I'd grab another Doe/Harris book over it any day.
Well done, and highly recommended!
Janet Elaine Smith, author of 14 published novels (OLD HABITS DIE HARD is the latest one) and 2 non-fiction books (PromoPaks: Nearly Free Marketing for Authors the latest).

Waking God is a book you want to set a good chunk of uninterupted quality time aside for, and make sure you start early in the day, because once you start reading you will probably not eat or sleep until you are finished. It's that good.

The book effortlessly and fluidly transports you to another world. A world filled with wonder, mystery, suspense and danger. Brian Doe and Phil Harris spin a tale of the Gods that may shake up some of your beliefs about things divine, because this other world being written about is the very spiritual foundation of the world we live in.

I for one will be recommending this literary work many times over, and I am certainly looking forward to future offerings from this brilliant emerging team of writers.

Review written by: Marvin D. Wilson, author, I ROMANCED THE STONE.

Sorry: if you must have this sort of thing (secret societies struggling to control the hope of the future; the devil as misunderstood gadfly; the established churches in the grip of fallen angels; codes hidden in the Tarot pack; the possible birth of messiah) then Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is better written, more profound - and immensely funnier. See Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch [GOOD OMENS] [Mass Market Paperback]

A well written, fast paced fantasy thriller that is hard to put down. I found the plot and the character development to be excellent. The only flaw with the book is that it kind of leaves you hanging at the end. Hopefully the rest of the trilogy will be published soon.

As a piece of visionary fiction, it does make you think. Religions mythology from many different religions is woven into the story seemlessly. Most of this does not come out until the second half of the book, the spirituality is a part of the story, not it's focus. I did not come away with any great insights that left a lasting impression.


Entertainment: 5 stars
Enlightenment: 3 stars

The American Constitution dictates separation of church and state. After reading "Waking God", I'm wondering if it's possible. The key word here is 'wondering'. If the intent of this book, and the ones to follow in the series, is to provoke critical thinking, it's a huge success. Calling it provacative is an understatement.
It's centered around the 'precipitating event' theory that all that was, or is, has been directed by a cause or an effect of that cause. Which came first the chicken or the egg kind of thinking.
But, this work is written to entice and to please a broad cross-section of readers. First, it's a novel rather than a research report or a purportment of doctrine. Second, it's cross-genre driven. It's a thriller, a mystery, a sci-fi epic, and almost a romance. Thirdly, it's timely. So timely that it encompasses questions and events as ageless and as current as humanity itself. Questions and events, however, that few have courage to ask or even address.
As a writer of things more Philosophical and Spiritual myself, and as a reader of anything thought provoking or environmental, I was mesmerized by this book's premise. Were all my questions answered? No. Were more questions raised? Absolutely. But, it succeeded in doing what I think the authors intended. It made me think.
I highly recommend "Waking God" to anyone who has an open and questioning mind. If you're locked into a limited scientific or political view, or a rigid doctrinal thinking, you may end up frustrated. Perhaps, the authors intended that as well. My kudos to both of them.

Susan Haley, Author
RAINY DAY PEOPLE - A NOVEL
FIBERS IN THE WEB

Writing reviews is never complicated. You hear about the book, agree to review it, read it and then write your opinion. Easy as making apple pie in Maine in the fall. At least it usually seems to be like that. But sometimes a book crosses all the easy lines, makes a reviewer stop and truly look at all the art of literature, in all its glory. Waking Gods has been one of those books for me. (See- I hate when reviewers use first person in their reviews and now this review has me doing it!) I can not comfortably put this book in a genre category. Is it a thriller? Yes. Sci fi? No, not really. (Yeah- I know the authors think so!) An introduction to comparative religious speculation? Speculative Fiction? (Anyone know what this newly minted category really is?) Supernatural thriller? (Yea, it does have cool werewolf type creatures.) It even has romance. But with this new novel there are no easy answers, no cozy slot in which it can be inserted. It is a book that transcends categories, a book that makes the reader really think about what they are reading, question commonly held beliefs and understandings. It is literature used at its finest- to create ideas, discussions and a search for truth. It is also a lot of fun to read.
So my solution to this multi-layered book is two reviews- read one or both, just read the book!

Review for the Thriller:

Waking God has is the debut novel of two talented new authors, Philip Harris and Brian L. Doe. It is a plot driven story that draws the reader into an ever expanding web of intrigue and action. The pace of the story alternates between suspense building while the authors provide the background information needed, to full out, ripping adventure.
The action begins with the kidnapping of a new born baby from her hospital bed. Two opposing forces arrive simultaneously to steal the infant from her mother's arms but the battle is won by a pair of wolves. Her parents are killed and Baby Mara disappears into the night. Mara then begins a life that seems to alternate in parentage and places, unaware of the role she plays in the structure of the world's future. Andrew is a young professor of Theology and Comparative Religion. He is plagued by vivid dreams, flashes of images, sessions of automatic writing and feelings of unknown knowledge. He has strong opinions and ideas on the evolution of the God concept and the role of organized religion. They are not common ideas but he is sure of his questions. He ends his teaching semester by presenting the idea of "precipitating events", that all happenings and ideas are the result of a build up of pressure that is only released through a "precipitating event" to release the pressure. This concept rings very true when the Pope is assassinated and the world plunges into chaos. It is at this point that Andrew's life changes for ever.
Andrew is flown to Rome to meet a stranger who calls himself Mantrella. He is the leader of one of the groups that kidnapped Mara many years before to protect her from his nemesis, Michael. As Andrew sees Mara herself he realizes she is the one he has seen in his dreams, a woman he saw years before at a seance. But before he can straighten out why she is so important to him she is again kidnapped, this time by Michael. When Andrew is abducted also, he fears for both her and his own life. The culminating battle could destroy the world forever.
The characters of both Andrew and Mara draw the sympathy of the reader while opening up many varied possibilities. This is the first book in a planned trilogy. It leaves the reader anxiously awaiting the future.


Review for the Philosophical Study:

Philip Harris and Brian L. Doe are the authors of the debut novel Waking God. It is an introduction into a new philosophy disguised as a work of fiction. A fascinating journey through the world of religious theory, it is a work that will bring questions to believers and non believers alike. Doe and Harris have offered an alternative view of 'God', of the foundatoins of all organized religions and the evolution of the world itself. In a work of breath taking depth and scope they have proposed an alternative theory that binds brilliantly with the current events of our world. It destroys the allegiances of man to churches that promise safety in return for blind obedience. It offers a world where man must accept his own personal actions and the choices he makes.
The story begins with the kidnapping of a new born baby from her hospital bed. Two opposing forces arrive simultaneously to steal the infant from her mother's arms but the battle is won by a pair of wolves. Baby Mara disappears into the night, her parents dead. Mara then begins a life that seems to alternate in parentage and places, unaware of the role she plays in the structure of the world's future. Andrew is a young professor of Theology and Comparative Religion. He has strong opinions and ideas on the evolution of the God concept and the role of organized religion. They are not common ideas but he is sure of his questions. He ends his teaching semester by presenting the idea of "precipitating events", that all happenings and ideas are the result of a build up of pressure that is only released through a "precipitating event" to release the pressure. This concept rings very true when the Pope is assassinated and the world plunges into chaos. It is at this point that Andrew's life changes for ever.
Andrew is flown to Rome to meet a stranger who calls himself Mantrella. He is the leader of one of the groups that kidnapped Mara many years before to protect her from his nemesis, the archangel Michael. Mantrella is also the one known to the world as Satan or Lucifer. His information as to the actual story of Adam and Eve leads Andrew to the spiritual answers he had been seeking. As the story explodes with the battle of the angels, it is not good vs evil, angel vs devil but a war that could destroy the world forever.
This book delves into the realms of religion. mysticism, mythology and magik. It unfolds layer after layer to expose the inner locking patterns of development and changes in man's quest for understanding. It is a cornucopia of information and speculation on items as varied as Tarot cards, Masons and crop circles. The authors' gift is to open the minds and curiosity of their reader. It is impossible to read this book without one hand on Google to search for more details on the multitude of information the authors' share. Whether you agree with the philosophy introduced or not, it creates the questions that mankind must face to find spiritual acceptance and growth.

Well researched and very provocative. An amazing fantasy wrapped around a bit of conspiracy with just a dab of myth. In other words a must read.

A newborn baby girl's DNA holds the key to something important enough to change Humankind's future. Why is this infant, significantly named Mara, kidnapped and her parents assassinated on the day of her birth? Clearly someone has plans for this child, and just as clearly someone else doesn't want to see those plans carried out. Nor does a young professor of comparative religion want his passionate skepticism challenged in ways he can't begin to ignore - but someone also has plans for Andrew.
Ancient prophecies coming to fulfillment. The end of days drawing near. Cataclysmic events working themselves out as if scripted. Fantastic beings appearing to Humans, and interacting with them, as one more speculative fiction tale utilizes the classic morality play format...no, wait a minute! That's where this book leaves other works in its apparent genre behind, because this is decidedly not a morality play.
Authors Doe and Harris have done an impressive amount of research into ancient myths, manuscripts, and belief systems. They've used this research to spin a tale that kept this lifelong lover of speculative fiction turning pages far into the night. Their characters, even the fantastically non-Human ones, came to life and demanded that I care what happened next. Their plot held together, and the universe they created stayed consistent even as it also became progressively more complicated. I'll want to read the rest of this intriguing speculative fiction trilogy for sure!

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of SAGARMATHA and other speculative fiction including 2005 EPPIE winner REGS