What do you think?
Rate this book
The Corruption: Age of the Watchers
“Even now sin is knocking at our door.” Little did the people of Siriad know how literal Seth was in his deathbed prophecy. Several Watchers were already united with Satan in a massive effort to abandon their posts in Heaven and claim the Earth as their own. When they arrive in their physical forms on Earth and peacefully offer Heaven’s knowledge in exchange for men’s daughters, how can the inhabitants of Eden refuse?
Siriad’s leaders alone stand firm in their backmountain belief in the Almighty who will save them from the economic sanctions of the Watcher-united Eden. However, when Siriad’s gate is attacked by raiders from the plains, Jared, heir to the throne of Siriad, is sent on a mission with his new wife and some friends to discover how far the Watchers will go to conquer them.
As they travel throughout Eden, trying to hide their backmountain ways and blend in with the scantily clad and technologically advanced Watcher cultures, they stumble across secret alliances with the savage raiders, genetically altered monsters, the banished mate of the dragon who deceived Eve, and a huge ‘hospital’ where women are sacrificed to breed some of the Watcher’s creations. Will they uncover the plot to destroy mankind in time to save Siriad?
Siriad’s leaders alone stand firm in their backmountain belief in the Almighty who will save them from the economic sanctions of the Watcher-united Eden. However, when Siriad’s gate is attacked by raiders from the plains, Jared, heir to the throne of Siriad, is sent on a mission with his new wife and some friends to discover how far the Watchers will go to conquer them.
As they travel throughout Eden, trying to hide their backmountain ways and blend in with the scantily clad and technologically advanced Watcher cultures, they stumble across secret alliances with the savage raiders, genetically altered monsters, the banished mate of the dragon who deceived Eve, and a huge ‘hospital’ where women are sacrificed to breed some of the Watcher’s creations. Will they uncover the plot to destroy mankind in time to save Siriad?
634 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2014
3 people are currently reading
206 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 12, 2016
Corruption and fallen angels. What would you do if you were one? I’d end up nicking every Hershey chocolate and custard Krispy Kreme doughnut on the market and watching an endless movie marathon with my saggy ten-tonne ass on a supersize sofa. I also like other carnal pleasures but who would want me then?
It turns out fallen angels might just be a tad jealous of all the transient joys that befall a human being. None of them mentioned doughnuts but I know better.
So, Adam and Eve are exiled from the Garden of Eden and settle in Siriad. Fast forward some generations, cherubim are planning a mutiny whereby they will subject people to servitude. The angels want a lifestyle of power and indulgence, and who can blame them. The plot starts with them persuading Ralaen to kill his brother for not allowing a human-angel wedding, and some dodgy discussions on how to orchestrate a mutiny. Looks like angels are not so angelic after all.
But I am not here to reveal the plot.
I was unable to get engrossed in the story for a multitude of characters introduced one by one. Dozens, if not hundreds, vague mythology-inspired names dot the pages of this novel. I actually quite admired the inventiveness, but it fails to help the reader come out of the confused maze to relax and simply enjoy the story. I secretly dub this phenomenon ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ because I cannot differentiate between the persons mentioned as they all seem as vapid as one another. I’d prefer to get closer to the main heroes, their dreams and misgivings, their internal and external conflicts of character. Here, there is little scope to develop any of them and, consequently, ensure the reader’s emotional involvement. How can you root for heroes that you don’t know? I cannot say I found it hard to give a damn; I didn’t give a damn.
I would expect any novelist not to mention any non-essential characters by name and instead make them ‘part of the crowd’ or ‘some people / aliens / mutants / plumbers / comfort eaters / couch potatoes / leech collectors / pimps’ etc.
On top of that, the reader needs to work out some new invented words which cannot be found in the dictionary, and remember what they mean to understand the story. And believe me, I am the biggest fan of fancy, obscure words, but ones that exist and can actually be useful in some contexts. To illustrate further, let’s take ‘The Clockwork Orange’ for example. I hated the guts of it. The Nadsat speak detracted from the story. It was like trying to figure out the colour of the walls while groping around in complete darkness. There was no reward at the end of the journey, the reward being newly learned words I could actually use in speech or writing.
For the above reasons, I found the plot difficult to follow and felt brainwashed towards the end.
Having said that, this novel has a lot going for it. I enjoyed the basic premise and any locales, landscapes that came to me whilst imagining the scenes. Whenever I managed to ignore the effect of the endless new names, I would notice that the writing style was very nice indeed.
I felt that the authors could accomplish a lot if they only thought about their reader and how not to confuse them.
This new biblical mythology could capture attention and imagination like no other given a bit more editing and some fewer characters.
It turns out fallen angels might just be a tad jealous of all the transient joys that befall a human being. None of them mentioned doughnuts but I know better.
So, Adam and Eve are exiled from the Garden of Eden and settle in Siriad. Fast forward some generations, cherubim are planning a mutiny whereby they will subject people to servitude. The angels want a lifestyle of power and indulgence, and who can blame them. The plot starts with them persuading Ralaen to kill his brother for not allowing a human-angel wedding, and some dodgy discussions on how to orchestrate a mutiny. Looks like angels are not so angelic after all.
But I am not here to reveal the plot.
I was unable to get engrossed in the story for a multitude of characters introduced one by one. Dozens, if not hundreds, vague mythology-inspired names dot the pages of this novel. I actually quite admired the inventiveness, but it fails to help the reader come out of the confused maze to relax and simply enjoy the story. I secretly dub this phenomenon ‘Fifty Shades of Grey,’ because I cannot differentiate between the persons mentioned as they all seem as vapid as one another. I’d prefer to get closer to the main heroes, their dreams and misgivings, their internal and external conflicts of character. Here, there is little scope to develop any of them and, consequently, ensure the reader’s emotional involvement. How can you root for heroes that you don’t know? I cannot say I found it hard to give a damn; I didn’t give a damn.
I would expect any novelist not to mention any non-essential characters by name and instead make them ‘part of the crowd’ or ‘some people / aliens / mutants / plumbers / comfort eaters / couch potatoes / leech collectors / pimps’ etc.
On top of that, the reader needs to work out some new invented words which cannot be found in the dictionary, and remember what they mean to understand the story. And believe me, I am the biggest fan of fancy, obscure words, but ones that exist and can actually be useful in some contexts. To illustrate further, let’s take ‘The Clockwork Orange’ for example. I hated the guts of it. The Nadsat speak detracted from the story. It was like trying to figure out the colour of the walls while groping around in complete darkness. There was no reward at the end of the journey, the reward being newly learned words I could actually use in speech or writing.
For the above reasons, I found the plot difficult to follow and felt brainwashed towards the end.
Having said that, this novel has a lot going for it. I enjoyed the basic premise and any locales, landscapes that came to me whilst imagining the scenes. Whenever I managed to ignore the effect of the endless new names, I would notice that the writing style was very nice indeed.
I felt that the authors could accomplish a lot if they only thought about their reader and how not to confuse them.
This new biblical mythology could capture attention and imagination like no other given a bit more editing and some fewer characters.
July 2, 2014
This is a biblical fantasy, set between the Fall and the Flood. The authors have created a very intricate world. The various locations in Heaven were described well and the descriptions of the angels were interesting. However, a few issues let the book down.
The prologue is a history/geography lesson. Some love this style but many people don't.
Because the authors wrote the story in a linear manner, the first eight chapters (following the flight of some angels from Heaven) form what is really a second long prologue. The actual story only really gets going after this.
There are a lot of characters (many just names), and a lot of hopping briefly into unnecessary heads. Sometimes, key scenes were followed from secondary viewpoints when one or more of the main characters were present/in the vicinity. Several of the main characters have more than one name. One had three.
Midway through the book, the schmeerps breed like rabbits. Many of the many coined terms have to be worked out based on (sparse) context. The characters wonder about the term 'porter' but are unfazed by the plethora of other words they come across. The words for time (danna, uturra, mina, etc.) were particularly confusing.
This story has great potential. With more editing and focus, it could be an amazing book.
The prologue is a history/geography lesson. Some love this style but many people don't.
Because the authors wrote the story in a linear manner, the first eight chapters (following the flight of some angels from Heaven) form what is really a second long prologue. The actual story only really gets going after this.
There are a lot of characters (many just names), and a lot of hopping briefly into unnecessary heads. Sometimes, key scenes were followed from secondary viewpoints when one or more of the main characters were present/in the vicinity. Several of the main characters have more than one name. One had three.
Midway through the book, the schmeerps breed like rabbits. Many of the many coined terms have to be worked out based on (sparse) context. The characters wonder about the term 'porter' but are unfazed by the plethora of other words they come across. The words for time (danna, uturra, mina, etc.) were particularly confusing.
This story has great potential. With more editing and focus, it could be an amazing book.
August 16, 2014
I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The review pledge occurred before I understood that this 400 page missive was an imaginative expansion of the first seven lines of Chapter 6 of the Book of Genesis. The book addresses the period after banishment from the Garden of Eden and before the Flood. A series called the Lost Histories of Eden is being created of which this book, The Corruption:The Age of the Watchers is Volume 1. The world building in this book rivals that of the boldest science fiction novels set on imagined faraway planets. Imagination did not limit these authors. Heaven is described as an efficient bureaucracy. The book has angels descending from the heavens to earth on beams of light, talking horses with attitude, elevators, and air ships - all before Noah built his Ark.
The talking horse, Fury, amused me greatly. Here is one of his lines: “'Hey, look, no reason to get jumpy. Classic humans– come to lend them aid and this is the reception you get.' The entire group gasped. In front of them, stood a red steed with an onyx mane."
This book threw me for a loop because I first tried to read it as if it was a novel. While there are characters and a plot, there is no sense of constraint limited plot twists. In conventional novels, it is not a compliment when someone points out deus ex machina in the plot. In this book, our heroes are saved by deus ex deus on multiple occasions. When you know that the good guys will be saved no matter how bad things look, the tension evaporates. When anything can be invented at any convenient time, it is difficult to maintain any sense of suspension of disbelief.
Another key element in my consideration of fiction is the agency of main characters. When I read, I want characters that have a sense of themselves and make decisions and take actions to get what they want. Too many of the fallen angels all have the same motives - enjoy earthly delights. Too many of the humans who are tempted have the same issue - jealousy. The good guys all seem to have the same motivation - to follow the ways of the Almighty.
The only element of tension is how the good guys respond to questions like this one: “What would Enosh have us do? Trust in our ramparts or trust in the Almighty?”
Invention was not restricted to the plot. New words were constantly being introduced. Here is a partial list: okale, uturra, gurmidnum, ninda, opsarap, ushumgal, and gankiri.
The world in this book is Eden, the part outside of the Garden, and its score of cities. Two hundred angels disappointed that they are doomed to serve man for eternity, decide they'd prefer some worldly delights. Halel (Satan) works with them to move to the earthly realm. The 200 then begin a systematic process of tempting the city leaders with knowledge and technology in exchange for women and the right to rule. Siriad, the city of Seth and Goodness, is a hold out. Surrounded by cities that sold out and now have greater technology, the Siriads send a handful into the stronghold of the bad guys to see what they are up against. It wouldn't be giving anything away to say who succeeds but there is no way to guess how.
It is obvious that lots of work went into writing this book. Some of the fight scenes are quite vivid.
For those who might enjoy fantasy based on the Bible, this might be something to read.
The review pledge occurred before I understood that this 400 page missive was an imaginative expansion of the first seven lines of Chapter 6 of the Book of Genesis. The book addresses the period after banishment from the Garden of Eden and before the Flood. A series called the Lost Histories of Eden is being created of which this book, The Corruption:The Age of the Watchers is Volume 1. The world building in this book rivals that of the boldest science fiction novels set on imagined faraway planets. Imagination did not limit these authors. Heaven is described as an efficient bureaucracy. The book has angels descending from the heavens to earth on beams of light, talking horses with attitude, elevators, and air ships - all before Noah built his Ark.
The talking horse, Fury, amused me greatly. Here is one of his lines: “'Hey, look, no reason to get jumpy. Classic humans– come to lend them aid and this is the reception you get.' The entire group gasped. In front of them, stood a red steed with an onyx mane."
This book threw me for a loop because I first tried to read it as if it was a novel. While there are characters and a plot, there is no sense of constraint limited plot twists. In conventional novels, it is not a compliment when someone points out deus ex machina in the plot. In this book, our heroes are saved by deus ex deus on multiple occasions. When you know that the good guys will be saved no matter how bad things look, the tension evaporates. When anything can be invented at any convenient time, it is difficult to maintain any sense of suspension of disbelief.
Another key element in my consideration of fiction is the agency of main characters. When I read, I want characters that have a sense of themselves and make decisions and take actions to get what they want. Too many of the fallen angels all have the same motives - enjoy earthly delights. Too many of the humans who are tempted have the same issue - jealousy. The good guys all seem to have the same motivation - to follow the ways of the Almighty.
The only element of tension is how the good guys respond to questions like this one: “What would Enosh have us do? Trust in our ramparts or trust in the Almighty?”
Invention was not restricted to the plot. New words were constantly being introduced. Here is a partial list: okale, uturra, gurmidnum, ninda, opsarap, ushumgal, and gankiri.
The world in this book is Eden, the part outside of the Garden, and its score of cities. Two hundred angels disappointed that they are doomed to serve man for eternity, decide they'd prefer some worldly delights. Halel (Satan) works with them to move to the earthly realm. The 200 then begin a systematic process of tempting the city leaders with knowledge and technology in exchange for women and the right to rule. Siriad, the city of Seth and Goodness, is a hold out. Surrounded by cities that sold out and now have greater technology, the Siriads send a handful into the stronghold of the bad guys to see what they are up against. It wouldn't be giving anything away to say who succeeds but there is no way to guess how.
It is obvious that lots of work went into writing this book. Some of the fight scenes are quite vivid.
For those who might enjoy fantasy based on the Bible, this might be something to read.
December 6, 2014
Intriguing! Love it!
August 14, 2014
I was given an e-book copy of this fantasy in exchange for a fair review. It took a long time for me to read as I had to keep forcing myself back to it. This is unfortunate, because the writers spent enormous effort planning the back story for this series. I would recommend that future books be given to an editor for feedback on pacing, plotting, and characterization before publishing.
The Corruption started with a detailed, expansive and largely unnecessary prologue told in the first person by a chatty narrator. Once into the story, this completely disappeared. Basically the plot is this. Wicked angels come to earth and try to rule the humans. They bribe them with the gift of knowledge and take human women as sexual toys and breeders. Not all cities agree to be part of this coalition. I loved the premise. I really wanted to get into the heads of the main characters and feel their turmoil and fear.
However, the dialogue is stiff, wordy, artificial, and, at times, even pompous. Everyone speaks the same way. There is an overuse of descriptive dialogue tags. 90% should be substituted with the word said. Slowing down the text even further, adverbs and extraneous explanation often accompany the excessive dialogue tags. For example: "Don't worry, I will," Asbel smugly concluded. "Jeqon, what a surprise to see you here," the man spoke in a kind voice that was forceful enough to be demanding.
Characters often sound like they feel compelled to use five words when one will do: "As to this debate, my mind is already decided. Now, excuse me as I entertain myself while you finish with your insignificant pretensions. I should be ready to discuss the more important details when you finish. And if Michael does appear before you conclude, I shall be satisfied that I have spent my time enjoying myself instead of trying to be more pious than the rest of you." The spheres took orbit over his knee and he locked glared with Arataqoph. (error in text - quite a few in fact.) The characters had potential but with similar dialogue and a distant, report-like style of writing, the reader has difficulty connecting or caring about any of them.
The text drags because the authors often use passive writing. For example, in the above paragraph it could have read: the spheres orbited over his knee. Unnecessary detail that does nothing to further the plot also weighs down the novel. For example: Once the light of one door met with the light of the other, the doors began to open slowly and majestically. Jeqon waited until the door stood completely open before entering into Shemihazah's chambers.
The rebellious angels' flights down from heaven was interesting. The plot, unfortunately, seems to jump here and there and it was often difficult to know who was supposed to be the reader's focus. The plot read like a videogame with huge chunks of emotionless battles. It seemed that every chapter introduced a new creature of terror.
The end was plausible, if sudden, but then the authors tagged on a bewildering little cliffhanger to get the reader to buy the next book. I cannot, in all honesty, recommend this.
The Corruption started with a detailed, expansive and largely unnecessary prologue told in the first person by a chatty narrator. Once into the story, this completely disappeared. Basically the plot is this. Wicked angels come to earth and try to rule the humans. They bribe them with the gift of knowledge and take human women as sexual toys and breeders. Not all cities agree to be part of this coalition. I loved the premise. I really wanted to get into the heads of the main characters and feel their turmoil and fear.
However, the dialogue is stiff, wordy, artificial, and, at times, even pompous. Everyone speaks the same way. There is an overuse of descriptive dialogue tags. 90% should be substituted with the word said. Slowing down the text even further, adverbs and extraneous explanation often accompany the excessive dialogue tags. For example: "Don't worry, I will," Asbel smugly concluded. "Jeqon, what a surprise to see you here," the man spoke in a kind voice that was forceful enough to be demanding.
Characters often sound like they feel compelled to use five words when one will do: "As to this debate, my mind is already decided. Now, excuse me as I entertain myself while you finish with your insignificant pretensions. I should be ready to discuss the more important details when you finish. And if Michael does appear before you conclude, I shall be satisfied that I have spent my time enjoying myself instead of trying to be more pious than the rest of you." The spheres took orbit over his knee and he locked glared with Arataqoph. (error in text - quite a few in fact.) The characters had potential but with similar dialogue and a distant, report-like style of writing, the reader has difficulty connecting or caring about any of them.
The text drags because the authors often use passive writing. For example, in the above paragraph it could have read: the spheres orbited over his knee. Unnecessary detail that does nothing to further the plot also weighs down the novel. For example: Once the light of one door met with the light of the other, the doors began to open slowly and majestically. Jeqon waited until the door stood completely open before entering into Shemihazah's chambers.
The rebellious angels' flights down from heaven was interesting. The plot, unfortunately, seems to jump here and there and it was often difficult to know who was supposed to be the reader's focus. The plot read like a videogame with huge chunks of emotionless battles. It seemed that every chapter introduced a new creature of terror.
The end was plausible, if sudden, but then the authors tagged on a bewildering little cliffhanger to get the reader to buy the next book. I cannot, in all honesty, recommend this.
October 17, 2018
I was very impressed with the plot. The story was interesting, however it was a very long read. In my personal opinion, if a prologue or epilogue are longer than two pages, they are another chapter. The story doesn't flow very smoothly due to the overwhelming details. There are a lot of extra details that only seem to confused me as what they were trying to describe instead of actually telling a story. I was a bit overwhelmed by the excessive number of characters. I think this would be a fantastic book if it was about third to half as long as it is now.
June 10, 2014
What an Amazing Story. I totally love it. I admire the author dedication for writing an incredible story. This story grabs my attention from the very start of the book and couldn't put it aside till I finish it. It was a wonderful read. From me, I will definitely rate this book and the author's hard efforts a 5-STAR. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Read
May 23, 2014I decline to review this book because I helped to write it.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews