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The Fourth Awakening #2
The Gathering Darkness
#1 KINDLE BESTSELLER in "Metaphysical & Visionary"
Be careful what you wish for. A year earlier, with the help of enigmatic industrialist Michael Walker, all of Penelope Drayton Spence’s dreams had come true. Now, as one of the country’s top journalists, she has discovered what she thought would make her happy was only making her busy.
After months of avoiding her, Michael Walker burst back into her life with an outlandish plan to launch his controversial “Hermes” satellite into space. But she soon learns someone just as resourceful and well-financed is willing to go to any lengths to stop the launch.
After the Hermes Project’s facility in Jackson Hole is attacked, Penelope gets a ringside seat as two of the world’s most powerful men go toe-to-toe in a battle of wills that could change the course of humanity.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The first book in this series, “The Fourth Awakening” focused on the science and history of the previous awakenings. “The Gathering Darkness” explores what all this means on a more personal level. Penelope, like so many before her, has started down the path toward enlightenment but has lost her way.
Throughout this fast-paced thriller are gentle clues and suggestions that readers can use to advance their personal growth. By presenting this science in a Joseph Campbell “myth” format, the authors are striving to capture the timeless “around the campfire” storytelling that will resonate on multiple levels.
Be careful what you wish for. A year earlier, with the help of enigmatic industrialist Michael Walker, all of Penelope Drayton Spence’s dreams had come true. Now, as one of the country’s top journalists, she has discovered what she thought would make her happy was only making her busy.
After months of avoiding her, Michael Walker burst back into her life with an outlandish plan to launch his controversial “Hermes” satellite into space. But she soon learns someone just as resourceful and well-financed is willing to go to any lengths to stop the launch.
After the Hermes Project’s facility in Jackson Hole is attacked, Penelope gets a ringside seat as two of the world’s most powerful men go toe-to-toe in a battle of wills that could change the course of humanity.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The first book in this series, “The Fourth Awakening” focused on the science and history of the previous awakenings. “The Gathering Darkness” explores what all this means on a more personal level. Penelope, like so many before her, has started down the path toward enlightenment but has lost her way.
Throughout this fast-paced thriller are gentle clues and suggestions that readers can use to advance their personal growth. By presenting this science in a Joseph Campbell “myth” format, the authors are striving to capture the timeless “around the campfire” storytelling that will resonate on multiple levels.
296 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 12, 2009
165 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Rod Pennington
24 books69 followersRod Pennington writes a mixed bag of suspense stories filled with quirky characters, rapid-fire dialogue and whiplash inducing plot shifts. With his off-beat sense of humor and original storylines that do not fit comfortably into any established genre, he has developed a hard-core group of fans.
In addition to fiction, Pennington has either sold or has had optioned seven screenplays and also writes regularly in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal.
You can reach Rod at AuthorRodPennington@Gmail.com
Books by Rod Pennington Available on Amazon.com
The Fourth Awakening Series:
A woman overcomes her mid-life crisis by going a vision quest with an enigmatic billionaire.
The Fourth Awakening
The Gathering Darkness
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles I
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles II
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles III
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles IV
El Cuarto Despertar (Spanish translation of The Fourth Awakening)
The Family Series
A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of four of the world's best assassins.
Family Reunion (The First Charon Family Adventure)
Family Business (The Second Charon Family Adventure)
Family Secrets (The Third Charon Family Adventure)
Family Honor (The Fourth Charon Family Adventure)
Family Debt (The Fifth Charon Family Adventure)
Stand Alone Books
Indweller
"It is not often you stumble across a new and original character that immediately grabs your attention. This is the case with Gabriel Indweller. A Black ops veteran inadvertently forced into a state of total enlightenment by a botch government experiment, he is now like an Old Testament Archangel with a James Bond style license to kill."
What Ever Happened to Mr. MAJIC?
"Grace and Sunny are sisters but as different as night and day. When their mother dies they find out why. In searching for a lost manuscript and a lost father one of them finds a new way of looking at life."
Better Choices
"Despite dealing with the serious topics of divorce, complicated family relationships and death, this is a lighthearted and life-affirming story full of funny and interesting characters."
In addition to fiction, Pennington has either sold or has had optioned seven screenplays and also writes regularly in national publications such as the Wall Street Journal.
You can reach Rod at AuthorRodPennington@Gmail.com
Books by Rod Pennington Available on Amazon.com
The Fourth Awakening Series:
A woman overcomes her mid-life crisis by going a vision quest with an enigmatic billionaire.
The Fourth Awakening
The Gathering Darkness
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles I
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles II
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles III
The Fourth Awakening Chronicles IV
El Cuarto Despertar (Spanish translation of The Fourth Awakening)
The Family Series
A dark comedy about a dysfunctional family of four of the world's best assassins.
Family Reunion (The First Charon Family Adventure)
Family Business (The Second Charon Family Adventure)
Family Secrets (The Third Charon Family Adventure)
Family Honor (The Fourth Charon Family Adventure)
Family Debt (The Fifth Charon Family Adventure)
Stand Alone Books
Indweller
"It is not often you stumble across a new and original character that immediately grabs your attention. This is the case with Gabriel Indweller. A Black ops veteran inadvertently forced into a state of total enlightenment by a botch government experiment, he is now like an Old Testament Archangel with a James Bond style license to kill."
What Ever Happened to Mr. MAJIC?
"Grace and Sunny are sisters but as different as night and day. When their mother dies they find out why. In searching for a lost manuscript and a lost father one of them finds a new way of looking at life."
Better Choices
"Despite dealing with the serious topics of divorce, complicated family relationships and death, this is a lighthearted and life-affirming story full of funny and interesting characters."
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 21, 2024
I wasn't particularly thrilled with this book - while I enjoyed the storyline about enlightenment...i did not enjoy the stereotypical portrayal of a southern woman, who btw..has it all and gets the guy in the end. wash, rinse, repeat.
Want to read
February 19, 2022 🎁 The complete Series is FREE on Amazon today (2/19/2022)! 🎁
March 15, 2022
Excellent
February 16, 2013
A Good Extension of the Fourth Awakening, Part I
I wrote a review on The Fourth Awakening, Part 1, indicating that was a good book; it included much metaphysical material in the manner of the “Law of Attraction” and I have been a practitioner of metaphysics since 1960. This book continued with metaphysics, but extending it more in how to release pent-up negative emotion so that one attracts the best in any situation. In this case it was not Michael in long dialogues explaining to Penelope, but a young man, Ian Fleming, who showed up at Penelope’s side, but didn’t really explain why he was attached to her. He continually gave short hints to Penelope as to how her thinking could improve her life.
This novel has much more action and drama and I found it to be more interesting as entertainment and just fine writing and plot construction than the first in the series. And finally the hinting of a romance blossoming in Part I, which I felt left much to be desired, was developed in this novel and satisfying. The authors did a good job of making a power hungry, extremely wealthy Russian out to steal or destroy the satellite that Michael had constructed, into brilliantly schemed adversarial actions, which kept the story moving along. It sort of bored me with the continual use of “mischievous grin” or “twinkling eyes” in describing Michael, which I felt was the only weakness in the writing. I enjoyed this novel and although it can be used as a teaching tool of metaphysics, it was not so overwhelming that it can’t be enjoyed as an action-packed thriller. Also it is not necessary to read the first book to keep up as this book inserted necessary information to fill in the gaps.
I wrote a review on The Fourth Awakening, Part 1, indicating that was a good book; it included much metaphysical material in the manner of the “Law of Attraction” and I have been a practitioner of metaphysics since 1960. This book continued with metaphysics, but extending it more in how to release pent-up negative emotion so that one attracts the best in any situation. In this case it was not Michael in long dialogues explaining to Penelope, but a young man, Ian Fleming, who showed up at Penelope’s side, but didn’t really explain why he was attached to her. He continually gave short hints to Penelope as to how her thinking could improve her life.
This novel has much more action and drama and I found it to be more interesting as entertainment and just fine writing and plot construction than the first in the series. And finally the hinting of a romance blossoming in Part I, which I felt left much to be desired, was developed in this novel and satisfying. The authors did a good job of making a power hungry, extremely wealthy Russian out to steal or destroy the satellite that Michael had constructed, into brilliantly schemed adversarial actions, which kept the story moving along. It sort of bored me with the continual use of “mischievous grin” or “twinkling eyes” in describing Michael, which I felt was the only weakness in the writing. I enjoyed this novel and although it can be used as a teaching tool of metaphysics, it was not so overwhelming that it can’t be enjoyed as an action-packed thriller. Also it is not necessary to read the first book to keep up as this book inserted necessary information to fill in the gaps.
October 11, 2014
There is so much more to this fictional series than the very skilful 'fiction' it presents...in fact it is so obvious to anyone already on the awakening track that these books have been created to attract even more people to the very tangible material they introduce, which amounts to a whole 'new' and life-altering perspective of reality. For anyone already well advanced on that journey, they serve as a series of reminders and workshops on how this stuff 'works' in real-life challenges and situations; a very practical reminder that the spiritual perspective is not some sort of abstract state of being that takes you out of life but something that can be drawn upon to TRANSFORM your experience of life and the kind of outcomes you manifest.
Both books - The Fourth Awakening especially and also The Gathering Darkness - are highly recommended and I am already immersed in The God Formula (non fiction) and about to embark on the four, shorter, Chronicles that continue on from these two books. To all those who had all but given up on fiction, thinking there's nothing out there to keep pace with your evolving perspective...but just longing to experience the excited tingle of a gripping page-turner that keeps you up at midnight or in your deck chair like you used to....try these!
Both books - The Fourth Awakening especially and also The Gathering Darkness - are highly recommended and I am already immersed in The God Formula (non fiction) and about to embark on the four, shorter, Chronicles that continue on from these two books. To all those who had all but given up on fiction, thinking there's nothing out there to keep pace with your evolving perspective...but just longing to experience the excited tingle of a gripping page-turner that keeps you up at midnight or in your deck chair like you used to....try these!
February 6, 2016
"The Gathering Darkness" picks up about a year after "The Fourth Awakening" book ends. It spends a bit too much time talking about how the romance between reporter Penelope Spence and "awakened" billionaire genius Michael Walker never really developed, to Penelope's chagrin.
Its main theme, however, on how Michael's plan to launch a Hermes Project satellite is being constantly thwarted by an Evil Russian Billionaire™, is fairly engrossing. The ensuing battle of wills is somewhat like a strange chess game where new pieces are being constantly introduced and existing pieces take on new roles.
I generally enjoyed the book -- 4 stars.
Its main theme, however, on how Michael's plan to launch a Hermes Project satellite is being constantly thwarted by an Evil Russian Billionaire™, is fairly engrossing. The ensuing battle of wills is somewhat like a strange chess game where new pieces are being constantly introduced and existing pieces take on new roles.
I generally enjoyed the book -- 4 stars.
May 24, 2013
This is the sequel to The Fourth Awakening.
A year after Penelope Drayton Spence wrote the story about the Hermes Project, Michael Walker, director of the project, comes back into her life. Michael is planning to launch a satellite with Hermes technology, but someone is trying to prevent that.
This is a good thriller, but is a bit slower paced than the Fourth Awakening. Part of the reason is that it does a bit more preaching.
A year after Penelope Drayton Spence wrote the story about the Hermes Project, Michael Walker, director of the project, comes back into her life. Michael is planning to launch a satellite with Hermes technology, but someone is trying to prevent that.
This is a good thriller, but is a bit slower paced than the Fourth Awakening. Part of the reason is that it does a bit more preaching.
March 16, 2014
Amazing read! The premises had me skeptical at first, but the story turned out to be believable and something I easily lost myself in. This story picked up where book one left off, and I thought book one was seriously complete. I couldn't imagine what else there could be to the story! I was wrong. Rod Pennington did an amazing job of producing two books that stand on their own, but expand into another story if you read them both. Brilliant! My worst problem was that I missed doing a lot of chores in favor of getting back to this book.
February 22, 2012
my biggest problem here?....I'm ready to read the next book! I'm hoping to learn more about Penelope and how she will affect Michael in his next step to help the world with the fourth awakening. Will they be able to help keep people safe when it may be to the political world better to hold people back? Will we get to see the world as it awakens? Will the author take us that far? This was a good lead up to something great, I can just about feel it!
July 25, 2012
The Gathering Darkness picks up the story of the first book perfectly. The story keeps moving well and multiple sidelines keep your interest piqued. Characters from the first book are back to their old ways, but new introductions progress the story and help the old characters to grow and develop. Overall, easy read, engaging, and interesting.
August 7, 2012
This was a totally disappointing story, worse than the first one in the series! Again a bunch of self help type stuff in bedded in a fiction book, took me 2 1/2 days to wade through it, not very believable and kept falling asleep through it! Super ugh and was NOT worth the .99 I wasted on it! I will read more of his Charon Family Adventures but NO more of these!
March 12, 2013
The story is a little lame. Certainly the book is not a sit on the edge of your seat thriller. It is not all negative though. The author has entwined some important messages in the book that every person can benefit from and that really work.
January 20, 2012
....I got to read this early, and absolutely loved this follow-up to THE FOURTH AWAKENING. What an awesome and intriguing book. I hope that there will be more!
March 6, 2015
Enjoyable and worth reading if you've read The Fourth Awakening, but not nearly as good. The "twists" of Michael Walker's foresight and Plan Bs get a little wearing after a while.
January 5, 2013
I love this book. It continues the story in The Fourth Awakening and illustrates the unsatisfying low level uses/abuses of the next spiritual step. I want to continue to follow this saga.
January 15, 2013
The power of positive thinking helps win all!
January 17, 2013
AS the first book this one continues with the intrigue and suspense but... a little disappointed with the ending. I will still read the nest installment and hope it explains why we are left hanging!!
December 29, 2013
Addictive
Well written. Exciting, suspenseful and entertaining throughout. Difficult to put down. Recommended reading. Better read over a weekend, time permitting.
Well written. Exciting, suspenseful and entertaining throughout. Difficult to put down. Recommended reading. Better read over a weekend, time permitting.
January 7, 2015
Really interesting read, especially after reading the Fourth Awakening.
January 31, 2016
This is a continuation of the fourth awakening I enjoyed the twists and turns. I can say I am hooked on the series.
April 1, 2016
Not enough New Age Fourth Awakening and too much women's romance novel for my taste. Fast paced with many twists but shallow. Needs some editing for typos and grammar.
July 22, 2016
Enlightening
There is a very important message in the stories in this series. They made me think and work on attitude adjustment. The stories ,themselves, are highly entertaining.
There is a very important message in the stories in this series. They made me think and work on attitude adjustment. The stories ,themselves, are highly entertaining.
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February 25, 2016on my kindle .99 cents
January 20, 2013
Quick read, full of "impossible" scenarios to make it interesting.
November 3, 2013
Awesome! Not much else to say...
Read
May 14, 2019Really good
This series is evolving, and I'm really enjoying the science and the story. Suspense, plot twists, amusing dialogue, Good vs. Evil, and ready for the next one!
This series is evolving, and I'm really enjoying the science and the story. Suspense, plot twists, amusing dialogue, Good vs. Evil, and ready for the next one!
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews