Ronovan Hester’s Book Review of The Judas Robe by author Larry Rodness.

The Judas Robe Kindle EditionDESCRIPTION OF THE JUDAS ROBE by Larry Rodness

During the height of the Spanish Inquisition a ruthless inquisitor by the name of Bishop Roberto Promane tortures a fellow priest, Father Sanchez, for information about the whereabouts of a relic known as The Judas Robe. The robe is believed to be the single piece of physical proof of God on Earth. Promane succeeds in uncovering the robe only to lose it to Sanchez’s rescuers, the knights of The Order Of Christ.

Present Day

Joel Gardiner, a pre-med student, is attacked one night by thugs after leaving a campus pub. A young woman named Sophia rescues him and reveals that Joel’s mother, Natalie, is descended from the Order Of Christ, the faction that has kept the robe hidden for centuries. These thugs are part of a conspiracy group led by a Bishop Newman who seek the robe in order to uncover a secret held for centuries.

A BIT ABOUT WHO IS IN THE STORY

JOEL is a by-the-book pre-med student who comes from a divorced family where his father and brothers leave him with his mother who they believe is crazy for believing in a myth of her heritage. Once he gets to college he meets LISA and they quickly begin a relationship. Joel gets an internship at BIOPHARM, a pharmaceutical company, due to a discovery he made that could change the health of the human race, under the condition he can conduct his own research into a cure a rare that affects only around 7000 people. (This is all already established and explained as the story flows.)

Joel’s discovery as well as the Robe of Judas, the myth Joel’s family doesn’t believe in, are the two targets of BISHOP NEWMAN and his conspiracy group.

Joel is aided by SOPHIA and FATHER SANCHEZ who are all too familiar with the bishop and the robe. The reveals at the end are shocking actors in this play, but a couple are hinted at during moments in the story. All are believable in the context of the story.

THE REVIEW

LARRY RODNESS creates a fun ride that is engrossing and will keep you turning the pages. As a writer my biggest compliment to give another author is I want these characters to appear in a series of books. It would be an easy thing to do. The characters are all well defined and have distinct voices.

I’ve seen some reference Dan Brown, because it  has to do with the hunt for a Jesus associated item. I don’t get that vibe. The book is not that detailed or plodding as are Dan Brown’s famous books. The story has the details it needs as far as the Judas Robe. This keeps the book as a fast paced read. This book is its own story and not a pretender. The search for the robe is not a mystery of solving this puzzle or whatever. The real goal of Joel and Lisa is to survive. And if they can discover the Judas Robe is real and if so keep it out of the hands of the antagonist groups (yes I said groups), find a cure for the medical condition and make Joel’s discovery work for the human race along the way, then all the better.

As with any book I read I’m looking for the relationships and personalities. This one has reality relationships, meaning not perfect. There are strains on Joel and Lisa, Joel and his mother, Sophia and other characters and even some messy moments of bad choices made, or so the characters think. I personally don’t think so. But that’s the great thing about the book. You have villains you like and you want things to work out somehow and heroes you just can’t stand, or at least I can’t. And I think that’s the way it should be.

You come to understand choices made by both sides or all sides, there are multiple sides, but easy to follow.

As much as I like the story there are some plot holes that I think contribute to my attitude toward some characters as well as what I consider a confusing moment between Joel and his mother during a pivotal turn in Joel’s view points about so many things. Perhaps if there is another book it can be explained, but I suppose for now the reader has to come up with their own solutions. This moment doesn’t take away from the story or enjoyment, but the plot holes do pull you out of the world Rodness has created for a brief moment.

The pace of the story is excellent and I think that’s part of why any hiccups aren’t huge problems with enjoyment.

My favorite character is Sophia. A quiet character that seems to just be there and you’re not surprised by it but you should be. I got to the point I was expecting her to be just on the edge watching  each scene play out.

I will say there are sexual scenes in the book as well as killing with a bit of gore. Really only the sexual scenes were a little surprise but I think in a way they explain a bit about why the people end up willing to do what they do later on. Just mentioning the scenes wouldn’t have worked.

Summing it up: Not much filler. But as with any book there is a lull between those big moments, but as I said, not much. Great characters. Surprises. Mystery. Some layers and subplots that could play out further in later books but didn’t need to here.

 COMPARING

As I’ve said before… I’m not good at comparing authors work although that helps a reader get a feel for what they are getting into. Maybe you can think of a movie or book that is a mystery with a bit of action and rabid cult where you don’t have any fighting skills or clues and you’re told to find the treasure or your loved ones die.

RATING

A solid 3.6 out of 5 Stars. The only reason it is not a sold 4 is because of the plot holes.

A note on rating a book: People these days throw 5’s and 4’s around, when they really mean 3’s and 4’s. 3 means the book meets what you expect it to be. 4 is a really good book. A 5 rating should be a rare thing.

The above rating is just shy of a really good book rating because of just a few plot holes.

I rate using:

Realistic Characters/Character Development based on genre,
World Building
Editing
Believability based on genre
Overall Enjoyment,
Readability/Clarity
Flow

RECOMMEND?

I would read other books by this author. I would say the book would be for maybe 18 and over due to the sexual moments. You may say 16 because of it being a book and not visual. And I get that. I am on the fence.

Click one of the logos below to visit the book site so you can purchase. You can also read the first 3 chapters on Amazon with the Kindle Look inside feature.

241 pages.

$6.99 for Kindle.

$10.54 Paperback at Amazon

$16.00 Paperback at Barnes & Noble

amazon logobarnes & noble logo

 


Larry Rodness author profile photoAbout the author

Larry began his professional career as a singer at the age of 19 working with various bands around Toronto. After studying musical theatre Larry worked in summer stock where his love of writing began. From that point on he wrote for dinner theatre, trade shows, and even ice skating shows. To date he has written over 10 screenplays and has had 3 optioned.

 

https://www.larryrodness.com/
https://twitter.com/LarryRodness


© 2021- Ronovan Hester Copyright reserved. The author asserts his moral and legal rights over this work.

#BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “CATCHING FEATHERS IN THE WIND,” BY AUTHOR @CHANNELLINGLOVE

Catching Feathers in the Wind

  • Title:  Catching Feathers in the Wind
  • Author: Diane Hall
  • File Size: 1090 KB
  • Print Length: 306 pages
  • Page Numbers Source ISBN:
  •  Publisher: Diane Hall; 3 edition
  • Publication Date: September 2, 2015
  • Sold by Amazon Digital Services LLC
  •  Language: English
  • ASIN:  B0145AT30S
  • ISBN-10: 0955973384
  • ISBN-13: 978-0955973383
  • Formats: Paperback and Kindle
  • Goodreads
  • Genres: Women’s Fiction, Romance, Religion, Spirituality, Humor

Do you believe in Angels?  

Jayna is an Archangel who decides to incarnate back to Earth into a human form when her life in heaven leaves her yearning for something she just can’t put her finger on. Her existence on the celestial plane is filled with infinite love and harmonious co-creation as she teaches souls to fly to heaven. In this heavenly existence, Jayna murmurs inspirations into the ears of the world’s greatest artists, while dead musicians and renowned artists help her on her way to her last and final life event.

Jayna really seems to grapple with her decision to ascend to the highest level of cosmic consciousness.  Eventually, after a series of challenging lifetimes she realizes she is ready to attain the final rung in the wheel of life. Just as nothing in human life is ever perfect, and during her last final lifetime, Jayna meets Stephen, whom she falls madly in love with. Prepare to be swept off your feet!

As Jayna’s human life spins crazily out of control on a predestined course, a series of events propels her to question her true existence as Stephen’s love continues to pull her towards the earthly realm. Through it all, Jayna shares with us her multi-dimensional life filled with love, life after death, reincarnation, and rebirth. Her tale is a love story that will have you not only believing in angels but believing in the reality of everlasting love.

Recommendation:

Catching Feathers in the Wind is one of those rarely written phenomena that will touch you and shake you to your very core. For me, it was a spiritual and emotional read that I could not put down. During the day when I was not reading, I found myself thinking about the philosophical elements in the story. The descriptions of heaven and angels filled my dreams. By the dawn of each new day, I awakened refreshed and renewed. Coincidence? I really don’t think so.

I also found the writing of the author, Diane Hall to be poetic and mesmerizing. At times, the prose took my breath away in explanations of divine and human existence that seemed so logical and concise I had to ask myself how it could be any other way.

This is a unique love story, one of which I have never read the likes of before. More than that, it is the story of true love and the many forms it imbues. Each of the characters experiences great sadness and despair but champions their way to find their true destiny. I connected with each of the characters in such a way, I just knew that I had met them before.

By the end of the book, I felt like I had read the cosmic secrets of the universe. I felt like I had been given a special gift all tied up with a bow the color of sparkling stars. Ironically, I found this book on Facebook, part of a “free” campaign to introduce readers to the book. Wow! Was that ever my lucky day!

A visit to Diane Hall’s blog gives you a glimpse into the story with this excerpt: “Unseen Hands.” She also shares:

“An earlier edition of this book was very briefly known as Earth Angel, but has now undergone a huge revision and has been returned to its original title, of ‘Catching Feathers in the Wind.’ ~ A phrase used by one of the main characters, to describe the process of inspiration.”

Silver is such an angel

If you are interested in spirituality and enjoy romance novels you will adore Catching Feathers in the Wind. This is the kind of book that I will read over and over again knowing I will be touched by some different element each time I read it. I know one thing, your ideas about everlasting love will be forever changed!

Diane Hall

Author, Diane Hall

Character Believability: 5
Flow and Pace: 5
Reader Engagement: 5
Reader Enrichment: 5
Reader Enjoyment: 5
Overall Rate: 5 out of 5 stars

5gold-star3
About Diane Hall:

Diane Hall is an author and channel who writes novels, non-fiction, magazine features, comedy scripts, and songs about love, spirituality and the joyful challenges of communication between dimensions.

She is inspired by her guides and the angelic realm to create books that touch the heart with memories of Heaven. She is also a drama postgraduate with a passion for Shakespeare and Rumi, and a desire to bring a sense of fun to the genre of spiritual fiction. She is a singer/songwriter, a meditation and intuitive development teacher, and a recovering chocoholic.

As a freelance writer, she has contributed to a number of new thought publications and websites, including Soul & Spirit and Kindred Spirit magazines.

“My dream is to create a life-changing body of work  –  literary, musical and lyrical  –  that reaches many hearts and minds and brings peace, awakenings, love, learning, joy and ultimately, a Heaven on Earth.”

~*~

Make certain to connect with Diane Hall through Twitter @Channellinglove and Facebook at Diane Hall.

Book Review by @ColleenChesebro of silverthreading.com

Colleen 1122016

BOOK REVIEW BY @COLLEENCHESEBRO OF “IN THE BEGINNING” @AUTHORABBYVANDIVER

In the Beginning

Title:  In the Beginning, (Mars Origin I – Series Book 1)

Author:  Abby L. Vandiver

Blog: Abby L. Vandiver.com

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ISBN: 0989546306

ISBN13: 9780989546300

ASIN:  B00DPOF6IE

Published:  December 16, 2013

Pages:  332

Genre:  Science Fiction, Religious and Inspirational Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

A Biblical Archaeologist named Justin Dickerson decides that she needs a change to her dull academic lifestyle. She accepts an invitation to attend the 50th Jubilee of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and participates in the last of the translation process regarding the ancient writings. While working on the interpretations of these writings, she stumbles upon a journal that one of the original translators compiled. This amazing artifact propels her to search for humankind’s true beginnings in our world.

The original translator, Dr. Amos Sabir was assigned to translate four manuscripts found in Cave #4 at Qumran in the Judean Desert in 1949. A total of seven scrolls were unearthed and translated. What this group of original translators discover, is evidence so earth-shattering that they hide the findings from the world; burying the secret in plain sight hoping it will not be detected. Until 1997, when Justin finds the notebooks and realizes the hidden translations clarify the true beginnings of our species and our existence on earth.

I love science fiction, history, and mystery novels, so when I stumbled upon this book as a “free” Kindle download I was excited. After the first few pages I knew I had scored an excellent read. I did a bit of my own research and found a great site called Bibleplaces.com which helped to fill in some of the questions I had about the Dead Sea Scrolls, the location of the caves, and the actual condition of the authentic manuscripts. The more I read, the more excited I got. I felt like a researcher too!

However, be prepared. This is not a Dan Brown novel that introduces you to religious conspiracy theories. Instead, Abby Vandriver takes a more realistic course. She tells the tale through the eyes of a woman who has deep religious convictions rooted in the traditions of her tight knit family. The whole concept of the hidden translation is thought provoking and will leave you thinking about the origins of man for a long time to come.

Abby L. Vandiver

 

Author, Abby L. Vandiver

The writing was so well done, that I had a hard time separating fact from fiction. This story was so believable that many times I had to remind myself that this was creative writing at its best, and it was not true. Although, I still cannot help wondering if it could it be true…

If you love books that deal with history, biblical history, The Gnostic Texts, aliens, and the unknown, you will love this rendition on the theme of man’s origins. There are two additional books available in the trilogy: “Irrefutable Proof – Book II” and “Incarnate – Book III.” You can bet that I have both of them on my summer must read list!

RATINGS
Realistic Characterization: 5/5
Made Me Think: 5/5
Overall enjoyment: 5/5
Readability: 4/5
Recommended: 5/5
Overall Rating: 5.0

Goodreads

Buy it at: Amazon
Format & Pricing
Paperback: $12.95 US
Kindle: $2.99 US

Colleen 10.21.14

 

 

 

 

 

@ColleenChesebro

www.SilverThreading.com

 

 

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