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The Newirth Mythology #1
The Invasion of Heaven
Psychologist Loche Newirth becomes hunted when he sees a painting that opens a window onto the afterlife. An ancient order of men seeking to control the art pursue him across the world through centuries, into madness and beyond. The first part of Michael B. Koep's The Newirth Mythology-The Invasion of Heaven is mystery, adventure, myth, betrayal, murder and madness.
Psychologist Loche Newirth wonders if it was his fall: the fifty foot drop rom the rocky cliff to the icy water below. Is this why he has been hallucinating? Or is it because one of his clients is dead, or his mentor has gone mad or that his wife is leaving him? He can't bring himself to believe what he has been seeing. Insane things like a massive, searching eye. He sees it in the water below the cliff. He sees it in mirrors, on walls: a massive, crystal blue iris and fathomless pupil there in the center of his life, looking at him.
To find the answer, Loche pens the recent events of his life into a book and leaves the work behind for his mentor, Doctor Marcus Reardon, to interpret. As Reardon reads, he plunges into the harrowing depths of Loche's reality:
his loss of a client, the discovery of an unknown past, an ancient conflict over possession of the human condition, the awesome reality of the gods walking among us, and the crimes of humanity invading the hope that lies beyond the grave.
And along the way, Loche tells of unforgettable characters: the torn and manic housewife that teeters on the edge of sanity, and the depressed, swashbuckling swordsman that believes he is over six hundred years old, the stoned and prolific painter and his perilous work he must keep secret, and the beautiful business woman that abandons her life's work for a love she never expected.
Psychologist Loche Newirth wonders if it was his fall: the fifty foot drop rom the rocky cliff to the icy water below. Is this why he has been hallucinating? Or is it because one of his clients is dead, or his mentor has gone mad or that his wife is leaving him? He can't bring himself to believe what he has been seeing. Insane things like a massive, searching eye. He sees it in the water below the cliff. He sees it in mirrors, on walls: a massive, crystal blue iris and fathomless pupil there in the center of his life, looking at him.
To find the answer, Loche pens the recent events of his life into a book and leaves the work behind for his mentor, Doctor Marcus Reardon, to interpret. As Reardon reads, he plunges into the harrowing depths of Loche's reality:
his loss of a client, the discovery of an unknown past, an ancient conflict over possession of the human condition, the awesome reality of the gods walking among us, and the crimes of humanity invading the hope that lies beyond the grave.
And along the way, Loche tells of unforgettable characters: the torn and manic housewife that teeters on the edge of sanity, and the depressed, swashbuckling swordsman that believes he is over six hundred years old, the stoned and prolific painter and his perilous work he must keep secret, and the beautiful business woman that abandons her life's work for a love she never expected.
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2013
138 people are currently reading
8445 people want to read
About the author
Michael B. Koep
11 books252 followersMichael B. Koep has been a college educator, an international touring musician and a dynamite waiter. He is a swordsman, an avid world traveler, a visual artist, and a professional rock drummer. He has climbed the pyramids of Giza, fenced an Italian master and has done battle with the infamous North Korean propaganda loudspeakers by aiming a massive PA across the DMZ and taking a drum solo. He is known as a drummer and lyricist for progressive rock group KITE , as well as the percussionist for the rock power trio The RUB. Michael is a winner of a Costello Poetry Prize and the award winning author of The Newirth Mythology. His next book GIGMENTIA: A Drummer's Love Song to Rock Shows, Fatherhood, Writing, and the Passing of a Beloved Mom releases in July, 2023. He lives in North Idaho with with his family in a house filled with books, vinyl records, paint brushes, maps and musical instruments.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
May 3, 2017
"But truth, answers, questions are all a part of our natures. They define our lives. Without them, life would be plain and unadorned."
The Invasion of Heaven deals with the riddle of man's mind. It is the first hesitant step into a journey that ventures into the truly, truly unknown. You, yourself, toss this question about inside of your own head. Why am I here and what, for heaven's sake, is my real, bare-all purpose?
Loche Newirth, a struggling psychologist, has received the news that one of his patients has taken her own life. He is beyond grief-stricken and holds himself somehow responsible for her death. Loche finds himself on a high cliff near his family's cabin in North Idaho. These woods were once a place of solace for him. Suddenly, he loses his footing and drops into the icy waters below. Within these once familiar waters is a monolith of an eye floating unseemingly near him. Is he hallucinating or is this "the real" real?
Loche cannot even begin to reveal this uncanny experience to his wife, Helen, and their young son. He takes to writing his thoughts down in book form and then turns it over to his mentor and friend, Dr. Marcus Rearden.
What takes place hereafter is an adventure ladened with fantasy, the supernatural, murder, mayhem, 600 year old individuals, and being smacked alongside the head with otherwordly creatures beyond description. There's a bit of swashbuckling thrown in to keep you on the precipice of its jiggety jaggety edge. Obviously, this novel will not ring every individual's bell. That's why I would insist that you not open the door on this one unless you are full-out willing to walk across its bizarre threshold.
But if you do feel your legs and your mind moving in this direction, Michael Koep will wisk you away to a world in which you will be "winked out of existence" and back once again. "When I called this morning, the world was too much with me. I had given up to be sacrificed by a past I cannot change, a present I cannot hold and a future that promises nothing but the emptiness that I've known since my coming of age." Sounds a bit familiar for all of us.
Is there far more here than what meets "the eye" you ask? Oh, most certainly....... And decisions made will affect generations as the story continues in The Newirth Mythology with Leaves of Fire.
I received a copy of The Invasion of Heaven through NetGalley. My thanks to Michael B. Koep for the opportunity.
The Invasion of Heaven deals with the riddle of man's mind. It is the first hesitant step into a journey that ventures into the truly, truly unknown. You, yourself, toss this question about inside of your own head. Why am I here and what, for heaven's sake, is my real, bare-all purpose?
Loche Newirth, a struggling psychologist, has received the news that one of his patients has taken her own life. He is beyond grief-stricken and holds himself somehow responsible for her death. Loche finds himself on a high cliff near his family's cabin in North Idaho. These woods were once a place of solace for him. Suddenly, he loses his footing and drops into the icy waters below. Within these once familiar waters is a monolith of an eye floating unseemingly near him. Is he hallucinating or is this "the real" real?
Loche cannot even begin to reveal this uncanny experience to his wife, Helen, and their young son. He takes to writing his thoughts down in book form and then turns it over to his mentor and friend, Dr. Marcus Rearden.
What takes place hereafter is an adventure ladened with fantasy, the supernatural, murder, mayhem, 600 year old individuals, and being smacked alongside the head with otherwordly creatures beyond description. There's a bit of swashbuckling thrown in to keep you on the precipice of its jiggety jaggety edge. Obviously, this novel will not ring every individual's bell. That's why I would insist that you not open the door on this one unless you are full-out willing to walk across its bizarre threshold.
But if you do feel your legs and your mind moving in this direction, Michael Koep will wisk you away to a world in which you will be "winked out of existence" and back once again. "When I called this morning, the world was too much with me. I had given up to be sacrificed by a past I cannot change, a present I cannot hold and a future that promises nothing but the emptiness that I've known since my coming of age." Sounds a bit familiar for all of us.
Is there far more here than what meets "the eye" you ask? Oh, most certainly....... And decisions made will affect generations as the story continues in The Newirth Mythology with Leaves of Fire.
I received a copy of The Invasion of Heaven through NetGalley. My thanks to Michael B. Koep for the opportunity.
May 28, 2017
Loche Newirth is a psychologist whose patient has recently committed suicide. Newirth is consumed by feelings of guilt and questions what part he had to play in the death. At the same time he is being investigated for the death and he takes off, leaving behind his journal for his mentor Marcus Rearden to interpret. Rearden receives a painting from Newirth for safe keeping that he has been told not to look at and must read through Newirth's journal to track him down after he goes missing. As he reads more and more of Newrith's journal though he is pulled into a story that seems hard to believe.
I didn't particularly like the writing for the book but it wasn't badly written. I think my problem is mostly ideological because a lot of what Newrith thinks clashes with my own beliefs that I kept feeling really irritated, especially about mental illness. I've also mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of these conspiracy books that weave through religion and this book really didn't do anything to change that. I appreciate the authors effort to try and question certain things like sanity and religion. Newrith's struggle with his own sanity through out his journal was pretty well done.
Mostly I had trouble with buying into the story line, especially . I just think the whole thing was asking me to suspend my disbelief too much and I just couldnt do it, I couldn't buy that or the origin story for Newrith and his twin.
I have the ARC for the second book and now I'm kind of like fuck because I'm not sure I want to sit through that damn it.
I didn't particularly like the writing for the book but it wasn't badly written. I think my problem is mostly ideological because a lot of what Newrith thinks clashes with my own beliefs that I kept feeling really irritated, especially about mental illness. I've also mentioned before that I'm not a big fan of these conspiracy books that weave through religion and this book really didn't do anything to change that. I appreciate the authors effort to try and question certain things like sanity and religion. Newrith's struggle with his own sanity through out his journal was pretty well done.
Mostly I had trouble with buying into the story line, especially . I just think the whole thing was asking me to suspend my disbelief too much and I just couldnt do it, I couldn't buy that or the origin story for Newrith and his twin.
I have the ARC for the second book and now I'm kind of like fuck because I'm not sure I want to sit through that damn it.
April 24, 2018
I won this book in the Goodreads contest and am giving my honest review.
As I read this book there where times I just wanted to give up and throw it against the wall (glad it wasn't an ebook!), but then I felt obligated to read on and found some things entertaining. There were some twists and turns which caught me off guard, but some were kind of silly. (See spoiler note 1 below.) With that mouthful said, I will add that while some may really enjoy it, I did not like it at all and do not wish to read any further books from this series. Let me list my grips without revealing too much in the way of spoilers.
The plot is basically good verses evil, being fought out here on earth. Evil is trying to invade heaven, if that makes any sense.
To begin with, one of my biggest turnoffs is when a movie or book has an action scene and then says something like, "Two weeks prior," and then takes it from there. That is not creative to me but rather just another form of spoiler! Quit doing that! Arrrrggg!
Another big turnoff, and makes me mad as hell, is when you follow the story and find it wasn't for real, only in somebody's screwed up head. (They just imagines it.) In a sense that is what sort of happens here. (See spoiler note 2 below)
To my list above I will have to add that I don't like it when stories jump around timeline wise. It may take a brilliant mind to keep all that straight while writing it, and for that reason I am rounding this up from 2.5 stars. However, I found it too much work when I was reading the book for relaxation. I want to read that Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Not Jill came tumbling after, and Jack broke his crown, and Jack fell down.
It seemed to me that this story seemed to have multiple points of view, which due to the nature of the story I found confusing.
If you don't share my complaints and think I am just a whiner, then you might like this book and I hope you enjoy it.
Spoiler Notes
1)There was a secret passage in the closet that led down underground. What are they, Keebler elves?
2)The book Julia read wasn't real, it was just a story. Or was it? (Now that pisses me off too!)
As I read this book there where times I just wanted to give up and throw it against the wall (glad it wasn't an ebook!), but then I felt obligated to read on and found some things entertaining. There were some twists and turns which caught me off guard, but some were kind of silly. (See spoiler note 1 below.) With that mouthful said, I will add that while some may really enjoy it, I did not like it at all and do not wish to read any further books from this series. Let me list my grips without revealing too much in the way of spoilers.
The plot is basically good verses evil, being fought out here on earth. Evil is trying to invade heaven, if that makes any sense.
To begin with, one of my biggest turnoffs is when a movie or book has an action scene and then says something like, "Two weeks prior," and then takes it from there. That is not creative to me but rather just another form of spoiler! Quit doing that! Arrrrggg!
Another big turnoff, and makes me mad as hell, is when you follow the story and find it wasn't for real, only in somebody's screwed up head. (They just imagines it.) In a sense that is what sort of happens here. (See spoiler note 2 below)
To my list above I will have to add that I don't like it when stories jump around timeline wise. It may take a brilliant mind to keep all that straight while writing it, and for that reason I am rounding this up from 2.5 stars. However, I found it too much work when I was reading the book for relaxation. I want to read that Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water. Not Jill came tumbling after, and Jack broke his crown, and Jack fell down.
It seemed to me that this story seemed to have multiple points of view, which due to the nature of the story I found confusing.
If you don't share my complaints and think I am just a whiner, then you might like this book and I hope you enjoy it.
Spoiler Notes
1)There was a secret passage in the closet that led down underground. What are they, Keebler elves?
2)The book Julia read wasn't real, it was just a story. Or was it? (Now that pisses me off too!)
December 13, 2018
I could not finish this book. Michael B. Koep needs to learn not to write in the passive voice. As my daughter says, "If you are aware the author is using the passive voice, he is needs to quit it." He is also a student of the " never say in three words what you can just as easily stretch to two-and-a-half
pages. "
I found this so annoying I had to quit. There is some sort of metaphysical plot buried among all the words in the book, but I couldn't find them. I was too busy trying to figure out why inexperienced writers give their characters names with ambiguous pronunciations. The main character, Loche, is probably supposed to be pronounced like the economist/philosopher, but I kept saying it like the fish.
There is something about some paintings which drive men mad if they look at them, which reminds me too much of the old comedy sketch about the joke that's so funny if you hear it you did laughing, so they use it as a weapon in a war.
it is printed on rather high quality paper for a paperback.
pages. "
I found this so annoying I had to quit. There is some sort of metaphysical plot buried among all the words in the book, but I couldn't find them. I was too busy trying to figure out why inexperienced writers give their characters names with ambiguous pronunciations. The main character, Loche, is probably supposed to be pronounced like the economist/philosopher, but I kept saying it like the fish.
There is something about some paintings which drive men mad if they look at them, which reminds me too much of the old comedy sketch about the joke that's so funny if you hear it you did laughing, so they use it as a weapon in a war.
it is printed on rather high quality paper for a paperback.
April 2, 2016
The big deep heavy. Gods and giant eyeballs.
One of the characters says, channeling the author, perhaps, "When I was very young I remember wanting to write stories, and I did. Composing in a way that brings a reader in and takes them on a journey." Loche Newirth is a painfully ordinary shrink, writing a little prose on the side, and doing his best to help his patients through their pain. Until one turns up dead and authorities believe he is responsible.
Okay, so where does the giant eye come in?
"How else does a drama continue without treachery? Without betrayal? Without death?" There's a shocking reveal, and then we begin to learn the backstory. It takes a little while to get everyone into place, but when the story starts to rev up, you'll be hanging on for dear life.
I was reluctant in the beginning to give myself over wholeheartedly to the story, knowing that it is the first of a trilogy and I've been burned by cliffhangers before. Not a problem here. The Invasion of Heaven works as a stand-alone novel with a satisfying finale, and more than enough wonderment to whet my appetite for the following books.
Received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest-to-goodness review.
One of the characters says, channeling the author, perhaps, "When I was very young I remember wanting to write stories, and I did. Composing in a way that brings a reader in and takes them on a journey." Loche Newirth is a painfully ordinary shrink, writing a little prose on the side, and doing his best to help his patients through their pain. Until one turns up dead and authorities believe he is responsible.
Okay, so where does the giant eye come in?
"How else does a drama continue without treachery? Without betrayal? Without death?" There's a shocking reveal, and then we begin to learn the backstory. It takes a little while to get everyone into place, but when the story starts to rev up, you'll be hanging on for dear life.
I was reluctant in the beginning to give myself over wholeheartedly to the story, knowing that it is the first of a trilogy and I've been burned by cliffhangers before. Not a problem here. The Invasion of Heaven works as a stand-alone novel with a satisfying finale, and more than enough wonderment to whet my appetite for the following books.
Received this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest-to-goodness review.
November 3, 2014
I found myself captivated by how the author described things in the story. Here are a couple examples: The cell phone winked alive; She wore a sheer, grey-violet caftan that spilled over her body like a thin layer of evening-lit water. Wow! This book took a little longer than normal to read because I would pause so often and ponder on his words. The story line was something I have never read about before. I look forward to the next chapter in Loche's life and to really understand his gift.
October 13, 2017
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
An artist somehow paints pictures of the afterlife. After he commits suicide, school chums of his start to poke around and find a conspiracy to control the art.
Almost Lovecraftian. I quite enjoyed it in that regard.
An artist somehow paints pictures of the afterlife. After he commits suicide, school chums of his start to poke around and find a conspiracy to control the art.
Almost Lovecraftian. I quite enjoyed it in that regard.
November 14, 2019
I won this in a goodreads giveaway. It’s an interesting concept and decent writing.
January 23, 2019
I won this book through a giveaway in exchange for an honest review...
The writing was great...but the story was pretty confusing. It kept me reading, so it had to be decent enough for that, but it wasn’t one of my favorite reads. I guess I just wish it was easier to understand. But i know that’s the whole point. I suspect it is meant to be complicated. It is easily comparative to the movie “Inception” if you will. Not the story line, but the story within the story sort of thing. I haven’t decided whether or not I will read the rest of the trilogy yet...I think I need time to comprehend this first...but I don’t want to wait too long and have it be even harder to understand the next book. Especially if it’s anything like this one.
The writing was great...but the story was pretty confusing. It kept me reading, so it had to be decent enough for that, but it wasn’t one of my favorite reads. I guess I just wish it was easier to understand. But i know that’s the whole point. I suspect it is meant to be complicated. It is easily comparative to the movie “Inception” if you will. Not the story line, but the story within the story sort of thing. I haven’t decided whether or not I will read the rest of the trilogy yet...I think I need time to comprehend this first...but I don’t want to wait too long and have it be even harder to understand the next book. Especially if it’s anything like this one.
February 6, 2014
I didn't expect a mystery, but it was very interesting. I especially like some of the theological ideas that are explored via the characters in the book. It has a strange way of feeling "real". Definitely recommended.
October 28, 2018
This story is deep, and shows a wild imagination. Loche Newirth , his wife, lover JulieIris, Marcus Reardon and Basil Fenn are the main characters. Loche is a therapist going to a therapist, Marcus Reardon.
This one is hard to explain without giving too much info. For some reason The painter Fenn, thinks Newirth is his brother, and will not be effected by his paintings as others have been because of their blood connection, and a dream.
The paintings have never been shown and have had ll effect on those sneaking peaks, some have even died.
Both men are looking for answers, Fenn thinks trough his paintings he has found them, he thinks him and Newirth are special, that they have the answers, and need to spread the word.
I enjoyed this which is both good and bad, because to find the answers, I need 2 more books. Authors please send me some stand alone books.
Religious overtones, kind of a vision of God/Gods
This one is hard to explain without giving too much info. For some reason The painter Fenn, thinks Newirth is his brother, and will not be effected by his paintings as others have been because of their blood connection, and a dream.
The paintings have never been shown and have had ll effect on those sneaking peaks, some have even died.
Both men are looking for answers, Fenn thinks trough his paintings he has found them, he thinks him and Newirth are special, that they have the answers, and need to spread the word.
I enjoyed this which is both good and bad, because to find the answers, I need 2 more books. Authors please send me some stand alone books.
Religious overtones, kind of a vision of God/Gods
April 10, 2017
If you like sci-fi then this is a book for you. Strange, weird and interesting. It's really out there.
I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways
I won this book through Goodreads Giveaways
April 17, 2016
This book is difficult for me to review and rate. I'm not going to rehash the description since it's easily accessible.
The book had a rough start for me. The reader is dropped in the middle of the action within the mind of a character that is confused about what is going on. This was very disorienting for me and I kept trying to get a grasp on the plot. It did finally even out a bit. The story is told from a few POVs and told out of order, which doesn't aid the reader to form a coherent vision of the story.
The story has the feel of a thriller, has several plot twists, and a touch of the paranormal. There is an off-kilter feeling of being watched and manipulated.
There are powerful people and conspiracies. When you're caught in the middle, who do you trust? What is the meaning of life?
There is a thing that that isn't answered. And this frustrated me. It IS perhaps my biggest complaint and brought the book down in rating for me.
Other readers may not be bothered by this at all, but it makes me consider not reading further in the series. After so many labyrinthine twists and emotional investment, I wanted clarity dammit. I wouldn't care what answer it was....I just wanted an answer.
Also, the book seemed long, but perhaps it was because the tone is so "Big deep heavy".
Kudos to the author on a fresh idea with amazing execution. I enjoyed the story (with the exception of the unanswered thing), and appreciated the skillful writing.
Thank you Netgalley and Will Dreamly Arts for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book had a rough start for me. The reader is dropped in the middle of the action within the mind of a character that is confused about what is going on. This was very disorienting for me and I kept trying to get a grasp on the plot. It did finally even out a bit. The story is told from a few POVs and told out of order, which doesn't aid the reader to form a coherent vision of the story.
The story has the feel of a thriller, has several plot twists, and a touch of the paranormal. There is an off-kilter feeling of being watched and manipulated.
There are powerful people and conspiracies. When you're caught in the middle, who do you trust? What is the meaning of life?
There is a thing that that isn't answered. And this frustrated me. It IS perhaps my biggest complaint and brought the book down in rating for me.
Other readers may not be bothered by this at all, but it makes me consider not reading further in the series. After so many labyrinthine twists and emotional investment, I wanted clarity dammit. I wouldn't care what answer it was....I just wanted an answer.
Also, the book seemed long, but perhaps it was because the tone is so "Big deep heavy".
Kudos to the author on a fresh idea with amazing execution. I enjoyed the story (with the exception of the unanswered thing), and appreciated the skillful writing.
Thank you Netgalley and Will Dreamly Arts for a free digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2018
This was a Goodreads First Read giveaway win for me. The write-up seemed interesting, and being a huge fan of mythology I just had to see what this one was all about.
And holy crow! What a story!
Now, as someone who reads as much as I do, and someone who has studied storytelling and writing as much as I have, I can often tell the direction a story is going to take. This one, however, kept me guessing. There were several things I didn't see coming, couldn't see coming, and there really is no way to predict how this one ends.
Like, I don't even want to go into any of the story here because I'd rather you come to it fresh if you wind up picking this one up, and I highly recommend you do. It's just that good.
All I'll say about the ending is this: Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. And I'll follow that with a "Dang."
And holy crow! What a story!
Now, as someone who reads as much as I do, and someone who has studied storytelling and writing as much as I have, I can often tell the direction a story is going to take. This one, however, kept me guessing. There were several things I didn't see coming, couldn't see coming, and there really is no way to predict how this one ends.
Like, I don't even want to go into any of the story here because I'd rather you come to it fresh if you wind up picking this one up, and I highly recommend you do. It's just that good.
All I'll say about the ending is this: Wow. Wow, wow, wow, wow. And I'll follow that with a "Dang."
January 18, 2015
I enjoyed reading this book. If you enjoy Dan Brown, art, and mysteries with a hint of the supernatural, you might like it too. The tenses switch back and forth between the present and the past to indicate when a diary is read, and that is a little difficult to get used to, but that's a minor point.
I look forward to reading more.
I look forward to reading more.
December 15, 2017
I don't think I have ever read a book as original as this one. I thought it was pretty damn great! The twists and turns of the story kept me guessing right up until the end. And even then I was caught completely by surprise. I am almost desperate to continue this story, and cannot wait until I am able to read the next book! Great plot, great characters, great read!
July 26, 2016
I loved this book! It is smart, creative and has characters that make you love them. I found Keop's way of dealing with the subject matter to be very intelligent and unique. Would recommend this to anyone looking for a good read. Looking forward to the next instalment!
November 15, 2015
Just finished it. It kept my interest and had some great twists and great character developement. I enjoyed it and now have started the "Leaves of Fire". Couldn't help it, gotta find out where this goes.
April 12, 2024
i’m going to be so real idk wtf is happening a good chunk of time. i like to think i have good reading comprehension skills but parts of this left me so confused. also so much time was spent on loche’s diary, whenever it was time to read any other part is was disinteresting. not enough was spent on marcus and julia i just really didn’t care about them.
September 17, 2018
I won this book in a good reads giveaway. It was much more than I was expecting. Not only was it a great story with lots of twists and turns but it wound itself in a crazy and amazing journey. The only thing I didn't like was that was the book was nonlinear. It went from the recent past to the far past to the present and back and fourth. Sometimes I was confused about where the timeline the character was. If I had know that the book was nonlinear I probably wouldn't have entered the giveaway. That would have been terrible because the book is excellent. While I doubt I would read the future books, I exspect I will read this book again. I would highly recommend this book. It is well written and quite an addictive story.
EDIT:
Recently I read some of the other reviews. For those who prefer a story that takes them away from their daily strife and allows them to escape, this book may not be for you. I found myself making notes occasionally about characters, time periods and events. While this is an amazingly well crafted book, it may be a book that looses people. The main character has to set metaphorical traps and fakes in the way of those who would try to invade heaven. This book sends you this way and that and upends you on your ear repeatedly. The book is well worth the read if you are willing to work though the confusion, time changes and convoluted loop de loops.
EDIT:
Recently I read some of the other reviews. For those who prefer a story that takes them away from their daily strife and allows them to escape, this book may not be for you. I found myself making notes occasionally about characters, time periods and events. While this is an amazingly well crafted book, it may be a book that looses people. The main character has to set metaphorical traps and fakes in the way of those who would try to invade heaven. This book sends you this way and that and upends you on your ear repeatedly. The book is well worth the read if you are willing to work though the confusion, time changes and convoluted loop de loops.
March 24, 2016
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Will Dreamy Arts!
Full disclosure: the author is from the Inland Northwest and lives in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho - my neck of the woods. This probably gave this novel an extra layer for me, as the descriptions of the Priest Lake area were even easier to picture and I laughed with some of the "that's Idaho for you" jokes. But it is so much more than that that made me award five stars to this excellent novel. It is smart and the language is beautiful. It is not a quick, easy read but if you engage your little grey cells you will be greatly rewarded. There are stories within stories full of Theology, Philosophy, History and the magic of dreams. The world that it creates is impressive in its complexity and the way that the characters interact with each other is highly realistic (despite the subject matter). The twists were unexpected and the ending was simply fantastic. I really look forward to reading more about the world that Mr. Koep has created.
Full disclosure: the author is from the Inland Northwest and lives in beautiful Coeur D'Alene, Idaho - my neck of the woods. This probably gave this novel an extra layer for me, as the descriptions of the Priest Lake area were even easier to picture and I laughed with some of the "that's Idaho for you" jokes. But it is so much more than that that made me award five stars to this excellent novel. It is smart and the language is beautiful. It is not a quick, easy read but if you engage your little grey cells you will be greatly rewarded. There are stories within stories full of Theology, Philosophy, History and the magic of dreams. The world that it creates is impressive in its complexity and the way that the characters interact with each other is highly realistic (despite the subject matter). The twists were unexpected and the ending was simply fantastic. I really look forward to reading more about the world that Mr. Koep has created.
March 31, 2016
DNF at 10%
I don’t like giving up on books so quickly, but The Invasion of Heaven just wasn’t for me. I was excited to receive this from NetGalley because the synopsis is intriguing. I thought I was going to love this and was hoping that I would. This had the potential of being a great story if it had been written differently.
I didn’t like the execution. Some novels take a few extra pages of reading before you understand what’s going on, but it still happens pretty quickly. The story structure and writing style made the story confusing. It didn’t help that the e-galley was poorly formatted — the eBook lacked spacing between paragraphs. I kept reading one more page thinking that everything would click and that would be when I started loving it. Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen for me.
Some people may love this book and based on the early 5-star ratings on Goodreads, I have a feeling that my opinion is going to be in the minority group.
I don’t like giving up on books so quickly, but The Invasion of Heaven just wasn’t for me. I was excited to receive this from NetGalley because the synopsis is intriguing. I thought I was going to love this and was hoping that I would. This had the potential of being a great story if it had been written differently.
I didn’t like the execution. Some novels take a few extra pages of reading before you understand what’s going on, but it still happens pretty quickly. The story structure and writing style made the story confusing. It didn’t help that the e-galley was poorly formatted — the eBook lacked spacing between paragraphs. I kept reading one more page thinking that everything would click and that would be when I started loving it. Unfortunately, that just didn’t happen for me.
Some people may love this book and based on the early 5-star ratings on Goodreads, I have a feeling that my opinion is going to be in the minority group.
April 1, 2016
I feel bad that I can't give this a bunch of stars, but I stopped reading it after about a third of the book. It's just moving too slow and I'm still not really sure about what's going on. I know it's about two men that find out they are brothers - they are supposedly gifted, one with his writing and one with his art. I think the "gods" use their gifts to feel human or something like that. There's a suicide - not really sure how that ties in. All in all, the book was just taking too long to get to a point - any point so I had to give up on it. I'm sure someone will love this book. It just doesn't happen to be me.
April 2, 2016
This book is totally WOW! A rollercoaster ride right from the beginning!! This is one of the best novels in all the thrillers/suspense/paranormal genres that I have read in a very long time. It's almost difficult to put into words how strongly this book affected me. A true page turner from the start that sucked me in and I had a difficult time putting it down. It is filled with surprises, turns, twists and honestly, the end blew me away.
I highly recommend this book to lovers of suspense, thrillers, paranormal!
* I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion*
I highly recommend this book to lovers of suspense, thrillers, paranormal!
* I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest opinion*
Read
April 12, 2017I'm not giving this a rating as I gave up about 20% in. Other reviews lead me to believe that if you stick with it long enough, it turns out to be really good. However, my TBR list is already so long I'll never get through it and I figure an author needs to do something to capture my interest sooner rather than later. I will say that this book is certainly different!
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me an e-ARC of this book.
January 20, 2019
I received this book through a giveaway on Goodreads. I found this book hard to get into, up until half way through the book. Then I got sucked in. Then, I just had to finish it. I think part of my issue in the first half was the size of the book. I would estimate the size at 6x3" and this did make it more difficult than other books to open and keep open. Now that I have finished the book, I will be adding the next one to my TBR list.
March 16, 2016
his book was not the normal genre of mystery that I read but it was a great read and the story has a way of drawing you in. If you enjoy a touch of the supernatural and art mysteries, then you will enjoy this book. Great Read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
December 27, 2013
There are a lot of twists in the story and if you don't pay attention, then you'll get lost real quick! Read the rest of my review here: http://readingisawayoflife.blogspot.com/
May 16, 2015
WOW!
An incredible book. The excitement and suspense will keep you riveted until the end. I highly recommend this book,but be warned......You won't want to put it down!
An incredible book. The excitement and suspense will keep you riveted until the end. I highly recommend this book,but be warned......You won't want to put it down!
October 15, 2019
I finished it, but won't be picking up the follow-ups. The story is very engrossing, but written in such a manic way, that my head was spinning. When it comes to male/female relations, the story abounds with cliches and author's male fantasy wish-fulfillment. The dialogue, exposition, characterization - one big mess made out of a really good mystery.
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