Reign: Genesis

by Jeffrey Wergin

Genesis (Reign, Book One)

Reign is a dark apocalyptic trilogy, which often veers from its light fantasy and science fiction roots with strong dramatic elements of romance and genuinely funny, original humor, with provocative psychological and philosophical undertones.

Mercenary and ex-marine, Owen Schaffer, fights to protect his family when a shadow government plunges the United States into indefinite martial law. The corkscrewed plot leads the man down a noxious, transformative path, which contests his usual knack for nobility, forged by his guiding light—his seraphic wife, Emily. For their decade of marriage before the civil war began, she kept Owen’s predestined identity hidden from him, eventually also fooling herself into believing that they had outrun the secret, while blended in the normalcy of Midwestern American life. But it becomes increasingly difficult to hide what they are when her husband insists on taking a proactive approach to the military sweeping from coast to coast, crushing dissent and rebellion one state at a time.

This book is intended for mature audiences. Due to harsh language, graphic violence and strong sexual content, readers should be 17+.

377 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 10, 2013

About the author

Novelist, Jeffrey Wergin, weaves dark yet fun stories that consistently leave the reader guessing. It was early in his pursuit of stand-up comedy that Jeffrey realized his excellent joke writing was hindered by a lacking showmanship, so he decided to shift his focus entirely to the craft of writing. Regardless of the root genre, Jeffrey’s story telling hits on notes of romance, humor, drama, action, erotica and whatever the characters and situation call for, with thought-provoking psychological and philosophical undertones. His debut novel, Reign: Genesis, firmly establishes that Mr. Wergin already found his voice, filled with rich plot, colorful narrative, adult centric material and his unique brand of humor.

Jeffrey was born, raised, and currently resides in West Bend, Wisconsin. He has a wonderful wife and a house full of children. Currently, he's in the latter stages of the editing process with the second book in his apocalyptic Reign trilogy, Decadence, while finishing school, spending time with family, and managing to carve out an hour or two here and there for the occasional video game.

Reviews

[Nicole Burzynski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very dark towards the end but I absolutely loved it. Chapter 40 made it worth the read alone.

[Bob Fierro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing!!!!! From the very beginning I was pulled into the story. I found myself wanting to read more and more. I love the amount of detail that was put into it. I was able to clearly picture the scene, the people and emotions. At times it was kinda hot sexually so no children should read this.
Since the book was digital I didn't pay attention to how close I was to the end so when the end of the book was reached I found myself going, "noooooooooo!!! What happens?" Great job Jeff!!!! Hurry with the next one, I can't wait!!!

[Jennifer ♛Jenna♛ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with a very open mind and didn't really know what to expect, but once I started it was hard to put down. There are so many plot twists that keep a reader thoroughly engrossed. I really liked Emily and Owen's dynamic but did find that the book was a little too detailed at times. If you like conspiracy thrillers this is a book for you. I can't wait for the next book to see what is going to happen.

[Brielle Saleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy moley, what a book. I'm floored. I think I may have a new favorite here. It was so unique and so much was happening, while still be easy to follow. There were a bunch of characters, all with their own believable persona. Then Owen's transformation and the ending(s)!!!

[Nirbush · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing book, keeps your attention and this author paints an amazing visual picture of what is going on, not to mention many intense situations which literally had me in the edge of my seat I know sounds cliche but really am shocked. Haven't read many books last few years but if I can find a book like this once a yr makes reading 10 boring books worth it. I would love to have this in a autographed paperback version!

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

both well written and thought out. has a style or voice I wouldnt normally enjoy but I was drawn in and was eager to find the answers and discover the hidden clues. I liked owen and his family, the moments between father and son were touching. what makes this story is the believability. go on give it a chance I doubt you'll regret it

[Claire Fun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Firstly, I'd like to say I read this as a pdf copy from the author, Jeffrey Wergin, in return for an honest review. I'm glad for the opportunity. Formatting seemed fine in the copy I read but there were a few small typos (get passed instead of past, birds were parched instead of perched - I did feel sorry for them! - all minor ones like that).

There were things I liked about this book, and sadly, things I didn't like, as well. I wanted very much to love it, and certainly the description sounded exactly like my sort of thing. The overall story / plot / setting was exactly my sort of thing, as well, and it was this that kept me sticking with it (although I do admit to taking a long time due to stopping a 5 year smoking habit half way through - enjoyed it more when I came back to it (oddly!), so no harm done).

However, I didn't get on with the present tense it was written in - I found it jarring and that it didn't flow very well. At times it seemed like the tense had changed in one paragraph only, or that individual lines would stand out just as being slightly 'off' and I couldn't quite work out why, and again I feel that it was due to the way the tense had been worded. I also didn't always understand some of the 'slangier' phrases - I think perhaps they may be americanisms - and found it odd to have slang and swearing thrown hand in hand with rather formal and detailed description. Mentioning the description, I didn't like the various words used for the same thing, ie Emily / the wife / his love / the mother / the woman and so on - all within just a few pages. In a scene with a few people exiting a car I remember being frustrated that I'd been jolted away from the description of 3 or 4 people getting out, by one being ejected, and one being birthed - it didn't seem natural. As for the description of someone who was basically in shock after a (non-sexual or invasive) trauma 'shuddering like a dilapidated rape victim' I was disgusted and offended - maybe as an ex-victim myself I took it too personally, but I thought it was a shocking and unpleasant way to describe someone, and was surprised to read it. It pretty much spoiled my enjoyment of the rest of the plot, sadly.

Aside from these issues, I liked the setting, I liked the pre-apocalypse and the 'world-gone-to-hell' feel. Some of characters felt believable (though some like easy stereotypes - maybe less people but more detailed would have worked better). I have recommended it to a prepper friend of mine and have no qualms as I know that he'll enjoy that side to it. I liked the camp and the 'getting the gang together and getting the hell out of dogdge' sections. I'm not sure I liked the main character much but did like the few bits where he felt more real, ie when joking about with his friends or wife. The fishing scene was fun!

Overall, I'd be interested to see what else the writer releases in future. It's nice to have an 'end of the world as we know it' book that at least starts before and continues as it's happening, and to not be about zombies (yes we all love the walking dead, sheesh get over it! ;) ). As for the...let's say slightly more unusual aspects, I liked the little hints before the big reveal and thought it was done pretty well - and again, reasonably unusual and not what I was entirely expecting, so good stuff. A star rating? I'm going to have to ponder for a few days, I think. The downsides really were quite large for me, but I did really *want* to enjoy it, so I'll see how well it sticks in my mind and what I take away from it...

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright. Let me gather my thoughts first.
As I was reading the summary plot of the book, I was contemplating whether to give it a shot or not. The book cover doesn't quite tempt me, but the premise of the story is tugging at my 'pre/post-apocalyptic' fascination that I decided to pick it up. So I read it without expecting anything.

Owen is a very strong man, physically and mentally. He has a wife, Emily the love of his life, mother of his two children. The story started with a promise of chaos around them. War is most likely what will ensued. So he did what he must, to survive, to save the people he loves. As doing so he unravels secrets that will changed his life.

I'll start this by saying it's my first time to read a pre-apocalyptic genre. However, after a few pages I was captivated by my curiosity which fuels me to go on. Honest, that I keep on putting it down, for some reason, as I was distracted by some things and have to do some of this and that but my mind keeps on reeling on what will happen next and what is really happening. That is the routine I had, and probably the reason why it took me so long to finish the book, it doesn't grip my attention that much but the curiosity is lingering.

So as I finished the book, all the anticipation of it is very well paid off. I knew by then, all that, has to happen, because it's a start of a more exciting journey for Owen and everyone. I sympathize with the man after that 'Viewing' 'cause I feel the same way. My mind explodes, too much exciting information. Oh and Emily, I'm looking forward in knowing more of you! Just really, why did it has to be Jeff?! I was so disappointed, I would prefer Seth to die in any day. But maybe he has a purpose, I don't know, just, it better be important because really Seth?! UGH. I'm just annoyed at him and I like Jeff. lol

There, I carefully chooses my word because I don't want to spoil anything because the author did a very great job in hiding it that you'll be surprised despite of the vague hints dropped here and there. It did not disappoint, well written and is worth reading. I'm anticipating the next book. :)

If you're in for a pre-apocalyptic, with a divine fantasy and a very action packed book. Well, there you go, Reign: Genesis is just right for you!

All in all : 3
Ending : 4
So, I'm giving it a 3.5

[Sharleena Bramley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the sound of this novel, but wasn't sure if it would be my cup of tea after reading the prologue.

But, it was.

Although written in a way that would not usually appeal to me, it caught my attention and kept my interest all the way through. I was drawn into the story of Owen and his family, and they all seemed very 'real'. This made it an exciting and quick read!

Chapter 40 was also to die for! It definitely transformed the book for me.

Ultimately, this was a dystopian novel and a dark one at that. I wouldn't recommended it for children, or anyone slightly immature.

My only suggestion? More exciting cover art - the book deserves as much!

[Brian Kasten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book. Can't wait for the next in the series.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I would like to thank the author for giving me a copy of his book in exchange for an honest review.

I’m not often asked by authors to review their work so when I am asked I’m slightly wary in case I hate the book and I inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings. After reading the synopsis and other reviews for this book (which range in ratings – something I consider a good thing as if they were all 5* ratings I would be rather suspicious of the bias) I thought I would take Wergin up on his offer and give this a go.

The book is set in modern day and although described as a survival in a post-apocalyptic America, it really doesn’t have that urgent and despairing dystopic feel for me so I viewed this as more of a governmental conspiracy theory and the initial breakdown of modern society.

The story itself is interesting but I found the character descriptions to be rather vacant and blasé so I could not empathise with them at all. In fact, I could have cared less about them as their physical descriptions were just a bit too much for me and rather tiresome to read about; I don’t care how the light shines on someone’s hair and how perfect their backside is, or how you can lose yourself looking into their eyes. These are unimportant details for me and I felt the character descriptions held the story back.

The pace of the book, once it got going (about 20% in), was great. I really enjoyed reading about the escape to Safe Haven and the inevitable cabin fever problems that this could cause. There was plenty of action to keep the story moving along nicely and I even started to like the main protagonist, Owen. Still don’t like his wife, Emily, though. Anyone who is written to be *that* perfect I find suspicious, and I rolled my eyes more than once at some of the adjectives used to describe her. I enjoyed the conspiracy theory direction that Wergin took and I enjoyed how Owen became a one man army and started blowing shit up still, nowhere near as cool as John McClane though!.

What I really don’t understand about this book, and what made me seriously question that I was in fact reading the same book, was the ‘other beings’ bit that was explained near the end (chapter 40 I believe). This ‘other beings’ bit was only hinted at once during a fight scene and it was a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ sort of moment, or in my case it was a ‘what the hell was that?!’ kind of moment and a section I had to reread to make sure I hadn’t gone mad.

Now don’t get me wrong, this particular chapter was very well written and interesting, but I just don’t see what the hell it had to do with the rest of the book. It felt like an afterthought in trying to make the book a bit more ‘sci-fi’ (which it certainly is not) and was therefore tagged on to the back of the book to help set up a sequel. I feel this particular chapter did not mesh with the rest of the book at all and really do not understand its origins. It would work great as a short story on its own but I don’t think it belongs in this book.

There were quite a few grammatical errors and spelling mistakes scattered throughout the book and I feel it would greatly benefit being professionally proofread. Silly things like “per say” instead of “per se”, “too” instead of “to”, quotation marks not correctly closed, etc. etc. All things which can be easily fixed and would vastly improve the book.

Overall, this was a decent book with plenty of action. A bit disjointed at times (and a section that made no sense to me in the context of the story) but generally well executed.

[Lisa P · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the idea of this story…What would one brave man do in the face of total collapse of his country, in order to survive and save those he loves. The nation is in total chaos and destruction with no one coming to the rescue. Owen takes it upon himself to take control of his own family’s destiny, and leads them on a perilous journey of endurance and preservation. Owen made a good hero…tender and loving at times with his family, yet strong, capable and merciless with those that stood against him. He would save his family and defeat the evil, no matter what! The storyline and action flowed along at a comfortable pace and I was always looking forward to what would happen next.

What I didn’t love about this book was the writing style in some parts of the story. It just made me feel a little uncomfortable at times. I felt that there was a little too much “telling” instead of “showing me” the story, with some "info dumping" at times. I don’t necessarily want to know everything all at once. A little revealed here, and a little more there, throughout the story, is much more appealing in my opinion. And this leads right into the end of the story. The religious mythological, fantasy element of the story is explained to us all at once in one of the ending chapters. It was very vaguely hinted at earlier in the story, but not nearly enough. I think the story would have flowed better with little bits of this secondary storyline revealed to us a little at a time throughout the entire story. It just came too “out of the blue” and didn’t seem to fit correctly with the rest of the story. I personally think it is a good story even without this particular element. Of course I haven’t read the next book in the series, so not sure what direction the author might be going with this.

All things considered, this was an entertaining read. Don’t expect any closure at the end however…will definitely have to read the next book in the series to find out what finally happens to Owen, his family, and the rest of mankind.

[Ben]

Summary:

A ex-military family man tries to hide his family from danger when the Government of the USA goes a bit facist starts attacking its own citizens.

Things I liked:

Setting: I found the idea of how ordinary people might react when a traditionally democratic government goes facist pretty interesting.

Things I thought could be improved:

Exposition: large chunks of the plot and character relationships are simply stated in the text "An infrequent altercation may pop up here and there but it would be nearly impossible to find any couple with a relationship stronger than theirs". Rather than being told this I'd prefer to observe it through the characters interactions and statements. There's also a massive 'plot dump around the 95% mark where Emily pretty much explains the whole back story in a what I found to be a fairly unnatural way . If this information could be handed out in smaller chunks it would leave me guessing a bit more and help to underline some of the biases of the characters in what they choose to reveal.

Characters: I didn't really buy into the main character Owen. I found many of his actions to be contradictory to his stated intentions. I found other characters like Emily to be pretty simple and they didn't seem like real people to me. In regards to improving this I'd probably suggest less characters with more interaction times for each.

Ending: The book finished abruptly. Some people may find this intriguing I found it disconcerting. I prefer books (even series) to have a bit of a wrap up and a natural resting point. So that I can pretty much read each book as a stand alone if I want.

Highlight: I found the scene near the start where Emily was trying to get food from the supermarket when the riot starts to be be very tense and exiting.

[Rebecca · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to thank Jeff for a copy of the book for me to read; it is always good to expand one's literary horizons. I thought that the description of the book sounded good but unfortunately the book didn't work very well for me. The voice in the story didn't flow and because of it I had a hard time getting involved in the story. I.e. Emily was referred to as 'she' 'her' 'the woman' and 'the mother' all in 2 sentences; for me that isn't very clear and keeps me unsure about if I am reading about the same person or not. With that happening throughout the book I had a disconnect with the characters. I also didn't quite understand some of the physical descriptions of the characters along with their physical interactions, such as with their sex scenes, things were very clinically and precisely described which took some of the fun of imagining it out. The story was interesting as the fled to their Safe Haven, and there were some exciting parts when they were exploring and fighting for their lives. I feel the end was a bit disjointed and, while its hinted at non-Earthly beings being involved, I just didn't think the two parts of the story meshed together very well. There were parts of the book I liked, but unfortunately not one I would read again.

[Ami E. Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, first things first; I must Thank Mr. Wergin for giving me a copy of his ebook to read and review and I must say that it took me by surprise. At first I didn't think it would be for me as it seemed like mostly shoot 'em up guy lit, but after reading it and getting more involved in the story I swiftly found myself altering my course of thought in that regard. Yes, the main character is male and ex-military but the similarities to typical guns, boobs and cars guy-lit ended there. The characters are engaging and the dialog funny and true to life and the story and action had me on the edge of my literary-devouring seat. The supernatural aspect was interesting and though it may offend some hardcore bible-thumpers, (sorry for the crassness of the offending nickname), but, it's fiction and meant for entertainment, after all! It was a very creative turn on the story of a higher power and humanity and the origin/ending story theory. If this was Jeffrey's first go-round with published work I think he did a decent enough job with the tale itself and the editing as I didn't find too many glaring errors; only a few and they were easily missed and didn't take away from the actual storytelling. Good work, Mr. Wergin!

[Richard Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

When life as they knew it starts turning into a hell on Earth, the Schaffer family has a patriarch who won't go down without a fight. Our protagonist is a strategist, a fighter, who is equipped and trained for the challenge, and when the threat is revealed to be greater than he thought, it's revealed that he's more capable than he thought. No punches are pulled, this is no polite struggle, it's brutal, bloody. Dark. A hero is required to master his dark side, to be effective, and Owen Schaffer meets that criteria. There are losses, sacrifices, allegiances, betrayals, secrets revealed, even from those he believed held no secrets from him. But the focus is on the goal, and that is to get to the bottom of this evil that has introduced itself with a nation's nukes, police and military turned on its own citizens, without warning. Some citizens turning against each other, for survival, or their own darkness rising to the surface. In its darkest hour, the best and worst of humanity is displayed, and it serves as the environment of this ancient mystery unfolding before the radiant eyes of the complex man who is on this quest to discover his true destiny.

[Trace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a lot of different things. Ultimately it's a fall of America, dystopian tale. In that regard it succeeded well. It hooked me from the beginning. I was interested in Owen and his family. And their story was told well. It was a surprisingly quick read. But the book was more than that. And that's where the problems for me began. The sex scenes were hot, but were they necessary? They just seemed out of place. Then the story of a family's survival in an upside down America turned into sci-fi with the introduction of the invisible cloak. That was a real WTF moment, but it still somehow worked with the story. Then came, I believe, chapter 40. Oh chapter 40. Welcome extra-terrestrial religious mythology. What utter nonsense. I actually wanted to stop reading at this point. Having said that, the positives out weighed the negatives. But just barely.

[Oni · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, there so many things that I want to like about this novel. The genre is my favorite, apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic. It is also based on a biblical interpretation, which is another favorite of mine. But somehow it does not work. Let me elaborate it one by one.

First, the writing. The writing is really dry, near boring. I have to force myself to finish the novel, skimming some not interesting parts. (The last time I did this was when I read Twilight). If I were not asked to write this review, I would have stop reading the novel right away.

You have pages and pages of descriptions of how beautiful and attractive the wife (of the main character) is, while the world (or America) is going to end. You don't want to think about how beautiful is your wife, if the world is ending. Some actions and sex here and there also do not make it interesting. The sex scene is even a distraction to the story, because it is not part of the overall story. Maybe it is written to attract the male readers, but for me it just does not work. (It does not mean I do not like sex scene.) If you want to incorporate some sex with apocalypse, at least it has to make sense. In one scene it does, it is a supermarket riot, where the wife almost got rape. But for the rest, it does not.

Second, the apocalypse. The story is about apocalypse, but the writing does not seems so. The tension is not felt by the readers. It is written more like a thriller, rather than an apocalyptic novel, a soldier trying to save this family from a conspiratorial government. In an apocalyptic scene, everything is falling apart. It is devastating, because all others does not matter. It is more like a Katrina disaster rather than the end of the world. Yes, you have looters. But in real apocalypse, unexpected things that you have never thought possible happens. As written in the Bible, fathers will turn against sons, husbands against wives, siblings against sibling. No, it does not happen in this novel. The novel makes it more like a vacation. For a few weeks it might looks like a vacation, but after that things get rough. And it is not seen in the novel. You can compare it with One Second After (it is not even the best novel in the genre). You can really the tension building, that your daily life is over.

The novel also contains some prepper (preparation for the apocalypse) culture. Unfortunately, it also does not work. It does not fill in the story. The main characters is not a prepper. He is a mercenary. He may have some fighting and survival skills, but he is no prepper. Being a prepper is very specific, you have to invest a lot of money and times. In this novel, the main character suddenly become a professional prepper. At least the writer should invent some plots to explain this, whether the soldier somehow knows someone who is a prepper, or anything. You do not become a prepper in a matter or days, or weeks, or months. It takes years or even decades. Some parts even made me laugh. You barely have enough electricity, you have to siphon gas for the generator. But somehow, you still use the extremely rare electricity for laundry? Why don't just do hand washing. Almost all people in the third world country do hand washing. You can save the electricity for more important thing, such as refrigerating essential medicine or food, but definitely not for washing. Another missing point in prepper culture is communication. Communication is very important, it is your link to the outside world, to contact the other group or among your group members in a mission.

Third, the overall story. The writer seems undecided to make this novel a science fiction or a thriller. It does not mean that it is not possible to make a sci-fi thriller or a thriller sci-fi, but again, in this novel it seems just does not work. The two objectives seem to nullify each other. The thriller part makes it a bad sci-fi, and the sci-fi part makes it a bad thriller.

You have to dig for 39 chapters before you get into the gist (in chapter 40), out of 42 chapters in total. And once you get that part, what you have is an info dump. It will be much better, if the author disperse the info in chapter 40 into many parts, before the readers loose interest. Leak the info bit by bit, to keep the readers attention, without revealing too much.

Well, since this novel is the first of the series, I think I will skip the next one.

[Bror (Abrar) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genesis by Jeffrey Wergin

Ex-marine and family man, Owen Schaffer, is thrust into his dark apocalyptic destiny when a shadow government plunges the United States into disarray. The corkscrewed plot leads the man down a noxious, transformative path, which contests his usual knack for chivalry, forged by his guiding light—his seraphic wife, Emily. For their decade of marriage before the civil war began, she was able to keep him ignorant to his predestined identity, eventually also fooling herself into believing that they had outrun the secret, while blended in the normalcy of Midwestern American life. But it becomes increasingly difficult for her to hide what they are as her husband insists on taking a proactive approach to the military sweeping from coast to coast, crushing dissent and the rebellion one state at a time.

I got this book from the author for an honest review .

This book was good for a debut novel , a new idea with lots of potential , i liked some characters and others not very much , i just didn't relate to them .

The world creation was really good , the end was also nice and made me waiting for more to come . I didn't like one thing about this book and that was the religious references , i don't like it in novels .

I don't put spoilers in my reviews but this book is worth reading for sure .

[Hayley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Being offered a copy of the book directly from author, I was happy to give this a try. Unfortunately I can't recommend it. The writing is stilted and distracted me so much that i couldn't engage with the story. With so much to read I simply can't justify spending more time on this. Best of luck with the rest of the series.