Waking God
Brian L. Doe and Philip Harris
Reviewed by Barb Radmore
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.