Wyatt is a schizophrenic firefighter from New Jersey. Gabriel is the quick-witted, bisexual Messenger of God. Together with their siblings and Earth's first vampire, they must defeat the most twisted and depraved demon the world has ever known before she closes the gate between Heaven and Earth, enslaving humanity and slaughtering millions.
Leslie Swartz is an author, ex-poet, and mother of three. She enjoys long walks in the stationary aisle and uninterrupted sleep. Biggest fears include failure of gravity and "The Wizard of Oz".
This was a very entertaining, funny, character driven story. It could be gory at times and blunt, but I genuinely enjoyed the characters and their story. They were well-rounded and driven. I have so many favorite lines!
I was really looking forward to reading this book - it came highly recommended in one of my urban fantasy book groups, and with a description of "Buffy meets Supernatural", I was 100% there for the concept.
BUT. Unfortunately, I found the writing style and lack of editing so distracting that I DNFed it 20%. Issues included regular head-hopping, SO MUCH telling instead of showing, and drowning in a flood of dialogue tags.
For me, this leads to scenes that read more like screenplays with dialogue lines broken up with a little bit of exposition about what various characters are thinking and feeling, and each line tagged with a different verb. So you end up with a scene that's basically introduced by what Wyatt is seeing or thinking, then:
"xxxxx", she said giddily. "xxxxx", he shouted. "xxxxx", she exclaimed. "xxxxx", she asked "xxxxx", he rebuffed. "xxxxx", she explained "xxxxx", he interjected "xxxx", he told her "xxxx," she corrected "xxxx," he continued "xxxx," she commanded...
And so on (and don't get me started on the 'he joked' and 'she joshed' as consecutive line tags in a different scene). And OK, *some* of that dialogue is broken up by the odd person seeing or doing something - but still - having all the shouting, exclaiming, interjecting, correcting and commanding happening within the same scene is... like I said, super distracting.
I feel like I should continue with this one, if only for the character diversity, which I know several people in the group have commented on, and is something I genuinely want to support. Unfortunately, I just can't get a sense of who the characters are because the writing style gets in the way for me.
Seraphim thrusts you into a familiar world where the devil walks amongst us, angels have personality, and vampires are as seductive as a teenage dream (sorry Katy Perry). At first read you are pulled into the action, reeling afterwards into the heart of the series - the characters. Remember folks, this is Book 1 - don't get antsy when rich backgrounds and character profiles are presented...trust me, you will appreciate it later on. This book is for everyone who was ever scratched with a slight curiosity for the occult, fans of the TV show Supernatural, and those who fall weak in the knees for 'foul-mouth' heavenly beings who can handle Lucifer himself. Give it a read...immerse yourself in the fist book of an exciting series. Put down the remote, hit the buy button, and strap yourselves in for a reimagining of a timeless battle between good and evil. Do it before the gates of hell open.
I loved this book, it wasn't at all what I expected but it was a great take on angels and demons. The characters were hilarious, I especially loved lucifer. They were all very well thought out and each had their own roles to play, plus I'm a sucker for witty banter and there is an abundance of this in this marvelous book!
The start was very unexpected but it soon became clear when Gabriel showed up. The story was gripping and I enjoyed following their journeys and getting to know the characters. There were some unexpectedly sad moments but they were well done and played an important part in the story.
I cannot wait for the next book and to see where the charcters are taken. The twist at the end was surprising and promises to be a very interesting story, I hope we get to see where it goes.
More like this! Vampires, check. Demons and ghosts, check, check. Angels of varied sexual orientation kicking ass and taking names, CHECK. This book is killer. Highlights for me include the dogs scene, Valerie's use of the term "baby dick" and Gabriel overall. Really funny. I enjoy the anti-bigot sentiment, the way the author turns religious mythology on it's head and the family dynamics of the core characters. You can really hear them. They really feel like real people. I'm left with two thoughts after read this in a marathon session of six hours because I couldn't put it down. 1) I hope my new fictional character crush isn't about to kill that poor girl. She's been through enough. 2) I see this says "book 1". I'm dying for the next book. Leslie Swartz, please write fast.
I enjoyed a lot of the characters in Seraphim, and it's neat seeing the sibling relationships between such powerful creatures. I'm also a fan of how the author played with the universe's lore relating to Nephilim and the "rest days." However, I noticed several typos that impeded readability, and I thought more could be explored about Wyatt's mental health and his realization that he's an archangel. He seems to accept everything pretty quickly, which can be a little jarring to read. It was also strange that Gabriel and Lucifer killed so many people without any repercussions, even emotionally--this lack of accountability made their actions seem insignificant to the plot, which derailed my immersion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
As a fan of paranormal fantasy, I found this story thrilling. The bad-ass good guys hunting down the innocent-looking bad girl, the supernatural powers, the diversity, and the family-comes-first theme all hit the right spots for me. I loved the authors take on the angelic and demonic characters, and the no-holds-barred evil of the antagonist was surprisingly shocking, yet helped build the character so well. My attention was held from beginning to end (I had to drag myself away to sleep after starting it yesterday, and finished it today. Definitely looking forward to reading more work by this author, and great to know this is a series :)
I loved the story and I'm looking forward to the sequel! It is a fast paced story that reads easily. The final fight with Lillith was a bit rushed maybe. As a final fight it could have lasted a bit longer and described in more detail. But overall it's a really enjoyable book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
An imaginative dark fiction/ horror novel that’s fast paced and full of descriptive battles of encounters between re-born Archangels and demons during Gods rest period of 40 days and 40 nights.
Seraphim written by the author Leslie Swartz is the first book in the Seventh Day series. Story started with Wyatt Sinclair sitting in therapist's office and telling about his lost job and his wife Annie who has left him. Wyatt has been on pills from a long time but his condition is not improving. He kept on having hallucinations, nightmares, etc.
One day when Wyatt was in therapist's office, a woman Gabriel interrupted his therapy session. She told Wyatt that she knew everything about the voice in his head and the strange things that happen with him. She told Wyatt to call and visit his dad in New York. Wyatt followed her instructions and visited his dad. Finally he found out what happened to his mom Abigail.
Grab a copy of this book and get to know yourself about Wyatt's encounter with the angels. Plot of the story is very interesting. Pace of the story is fast and it keep me on the edge of my seat as I read it. It's a gripping novel and one couldn't keep it aside while reading. Author's writing style is nice and I loved the cover of the book. I like to highly recommend this book to my friends.
Seraphim The Seventh Day Series Book 1 by Leslie Swartz
Wyatt is a typical schizophrenic firefighter with daddy issues when his life falls into shambles. His wife leaves him, he loses his job and the voices in his head are getting louder. Just when he thinks he’s finally made a breakthrough, a woman interrupts his therapy session, setting his life on a course more unbelievable than his hallucinations.
Gabriel is the Messenger of God, and she loves humans. Like, all of them. Beautiful men, gorgeous women…and sometimes both at the same sexy time. But, when she’s called to save the world from a long-forgotten enemy, she drops everything and gets to work. Four angels, born human, must join with Lucifer and the vampire queen to stop the sadistic Lilith from destroying the Gate between Heaven and Earth, enslaving humanity, and slaughtering millions.
A story with supernatural characters such as angels and demons with the age old good versus evil theme. Witty and clever.
Nephilim The Seventh Day Series Book 2 Elohim The Seventh Day Series Book 3 Cain The Seventh Day Series Book 4 Alukah The Seventh Day Series Book 5
There is explicit, and then there is shocking. Savonarola would have had a field day thrashing this novel, were it not so creative, imaginative and so very well written. (Clean Spoiler) Wyatt’s hearing voices. He loses his job and eventually his wife. The problem is, the voices are real; and Wyatt has no clue about who he really is. Imagine, if you will, God asleep while his more powerful archangels try to deal with Lucifer’s rogue (the mildest way to describe her) sister, who goes on an indescribably sordid rampage. I can’t go into more without shaking to the core readers steeped in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The story has several explicit scenes, but the plot would be banned by religious institutions for describing the most powerful celestial figures as uninhibited human beings. Why did I read it? I read it because it is a masterpiece of imagination and literary devices. Swartz is that good. If you are sensitive to explicit scenes or religious, stay away from this Five Stars novel.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I just recently came across this book and decided I'd give it a try since I like a good angel and demon story. I'm so happy I did because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were so good in my opinion and I love the diversity of the bunch.
There were definitely some scenes that I was not expecting that made me have to take a minute before getting back to the story. I really liked the author's little twists throughout the story on what I would typically be expecting out of this type of genre.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it sure is mine. Go grab it and make up your own mind. I'm moving onto the second book in the series and I'm so excited
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook version of this story, and I'm super glad I did! I believe Ruthie (the narrator) did an amazing job of bringing these characters to life.
And they are... characters. Angels packed with personality. Demons that take over the bodies of unsuspecting humans. Vampires who love to heat things up no matter what time of day or who's around. Even Lucifer himself makes an appearance in the body of a British man on his death bed.
It almost felt like these characters were as controversial as MTV's Real World but with hearts of gold. I guess when God takes a rest and tells you that your sole purpose on Earth is to keep it from falling apart, then that's what you do, no matter what the cost.
I loved the idea of this book. The concept hooked me. The book came highly recommended saying it was like Buffy meets Supernatural and I jumped on that immediately. Unfortunately I feel like the writing style left much to be desired. I found it really hard to keep reading because of this. I felt lost sometimes and feel like there should have been indications of POVs and definitely more descriptive writing.
I did live the diversity of the characters and I haven't really seen that in other books yet so that was great.
I will be giving this series another chance and read book two because I do believe people grow and thus their work grows with them.
This book was interesting and it has a blurb on the back that describes the overall vibe of this book perfectly "if dean Winchester and Buffy had a baby that grew up a little slutty" and that is so accurate!!! There were times I laughed out loud at the banter within the pages and a couple times where I was shaking my head going "wtf" but it was well written. I will say this is normally not my type of book as it has to do with angels in the biblical sense, but it was pretty decent and I will be reading the rest of the books so that way I can see how it ends, because it definitely leaves on a cliffhanger.
"Serephim Seventh Day" follows Wyatt, a schizophrenic firefighter from New Jersey, and Gabriel, the witty bisexual Messenger of God, as they unite with their siblings and Earth’s first vampire to confront a twisted demon threatening to enslave humanity. The blend of humor, action, and emotional depth makes for an engaging read. Wyatt's mental health journey adds realism, while Gabriel's charm lightens the narrative. With a playful twist reminiscent of supernatural heroes, this urban fantasy is a thrilling adventure that explores love, loyalty, and the fight against evil in unexpected ways.
The book centres around main character Wyatt. His life is just falling apart. He’s in therapy because of his misdiagnosed ‘schizophrenia’. His wife has left him, he’s lost his job and now he’s getting even more sucked into the voices and the hallucinations.
All is not as it seems though, and Wyatt is actually very special.
A story of the end of the world would usually be quite macabre but this one isn’t. Its full of witty characters, interesting relationship developments and is a unique and untold version of the angels and demon’s trope.
There are many things I loved about this book, but the things I didn't like were problematic. Great characters, a wonderfully diverse cast, and a compelling plot. But so much cursing! Don't get me wrong, I'm not easily offended and I love it when the author makes good use of foul language. But not by every character, all the time. The sexual violence on Lilith scenes felt gratuitous, and that's something I've never been comfortable with.
This is a book for occult fans not the average reader.
Wyatt, who believes himself to be schizophrenic, discovers that he is a misplaced angel. Lucifer, he finds, is a nice guy. Add a bi-sexual angel Gabriel (female) a bunch of vampires and you have a totally confused conglomeration of nonsense.
I loved this book, though it's definitely different than the usual romances I read. The characters are hilarious, especially Gabriel, and you can empathize with the male lead as he struggles with his sanity, his wife leaving him and his heritage he knew nothing about before. It keeps you hooked from the start and never lets go.
WOW... This book was a chaotic, poorly written, mess. The dialogue is crass and sophomoric though these are supposed to be adult characters, it reads like a BAD YA novel. There was no storyline to speak of just threads that went nowhere. I found some of what happened incredibly disgusting, offensive and absolutely unnecessary. I wish I had not wasted my money on this.
I love fantasy, I love all books in general. The author on TikTok was just looking for people to view her book, to boost its rating. I bought it, read it and am now revising it in the same day. It was well written. I normally do not read cliff hangers, but this one looked good. I am so glad that I read it.
I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to dive headfirst into book 2. I love all of the characters, they are all so relatable.. well besides having supernatural powers but you get what I mean. This book had me hooked throughout and I was not expecting any of the twists and turns that kept me on my feet. Definitely check this series out! Highly recommend!
A start to a compelling twist on angels, fallen angels, and demons. I couldn't put it down once I started! A must read if you love urban fantasy. Be warned it gets pretty dark in some spots, but that only added to the integrity of the world building for me.
Wyatt Sinclair thought he was crazy but the truth turned out to be a lot wilder and more dangerous than he ever dreamed. Engaging and hypnotic, with well-developed characters and a unique spin on Christian history. I enjoyed the story very much
It's difficult to review without spoilers. So I'm just gonna say, I haven't connected with characters so easily since I read Harry Potter in high school. There have been a lot of stories about the supernatural, but this is definitely one of my favorites so far. Give it a read.