Unbound

Omega Trilogy #1

by J.B. Simmons

He must be released for a little while.
But the one who sees doesn’t believe.

Elijah Goldsmith has nightmares he needs to ignore. Why would a rich kid from Manhattan dream three straight nights about a dragon and the destruction of St. Peter’s Basilica? He’s never even been to Rome.

It’s bad timing, too. He’s graduating soon and applying to be a spy in the International Security Agency. That’s where he meets Naomi. She’s the kind of girl who makes boys like Elijah want to share their secrets. Were they brought together to learn what his secrets mean? There’s more to their sparks than they think.

This is 2066, the year the world ends.

Genres: Fantasy, Christian, Christian Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 13, 2014

About the author

J.B. Simmons is the bestselling author of twelve books that bring hope to dystopia. Readers can't put them down.

The Five Towers series takes you to a world you'll never forget. Cipher wakes up in a mysterious tower with no memories of his former life. He must learn who he was before he can figure out why he's here...and how to get out.

The Unbound trilogy tells the story of a teen from Manhattan with nightmares of a dragon and the world ending in 2066. It has been acclaimed as "The Da Vinci Code meets Hunger Games meets Left Behind... An imagining epic." (Hugh Hewitt)

J.B. lives and writes in a tree house outside Washington, D.C. You can visit him at www.jbsimmons.com.

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I stopped reading this book because the author's objectifying of women was disgusting. Every single woman character was a supermodel and her beautiful facial features and hot body parts were brought up over and over. Here's an example of the author's lovely descriptions of women: "Long legs walked away." Hate that.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who has followed my book reviews, knows that I love supernatural and spiritual warfare fiction novels. That is precisely why I jumped at the opportunity to review Unbound, the first novel in The Omega Trilogy by J.B. Simmons. It is based in the near future where technology has advanced quite considerably with people allowing themselves to be implanted with a device known as precepts, a computer that responds to your thoughts and enables only you to have access to it unless you agree to sync with another user. Everything in this future is activated by a wrist like implant that allows you to pay for items or even activate users to your internal precept. Security is the main goal in this new futuristic world and those lucky enough to pass the test, can become spies for the International Security Agency or ISA to combat terrorists threats all over the globe.

Elijah Goldsmith, a young Jewish man who is among the wealthy and finishing up college has applied but not without much reservations. Elijah, like his Bible predecessor, has been having what he can only call nightmares of a dragon rising from a giant hole in the ground in the city of Rome after a great earthquake. A charismatic man is also there who speaks to the dragon and then Elijah wakes up. Each night without fail he experiences the same nightmare even with the help of the sleep pills he's been taking to avoid having them. He is struggling with his own faith because none of these things make sense to a Jewish boy. Jesus was just a great guy and nothing more right? The book of Revelation is just something that should never been added to the Bible because all it contains is symbolic myths of a future that some man dreamed. Is not real right? Or is it?

I received Unbound by J.B. Simmons compliments of Believers Media for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation aside from a free copy of the book for my honest review. The opinions contained here are strictly my own. While the reviews on this novel compare it to a mix of The Da Vinci Code meets Hungry Games meets Left Behind, I would disagree. It is more along the lines of Left Behind with a bit more science fiction tossed in for good measure. It was an enjoyable read but the storyline took quite awhile to get to the meaning of the purpose of ISA and Elijah's involvement with it as well as the friends he interacts with along the way. While knowing this is the first novel in the series, I felt the author raced a bit to get to the action level, the purpose of Elijah's dreams, and kinda left us feeling left behind ourselves. I am hoping that the next novel might offer a bit more than what this one did and I was left feeling like I really wanted to know more before moving forward. I would rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars and for fans of books like Left Behind, you might want to check this one out as well.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an unusual read for me!!! The book is intriguing with
characters that are believable involved in a puzzling plot that
keeps you glued to the book from start to finish. The characters
have great dimension and are so well described. There is
mystery, sharp twists and stunning surprises throughout the
story. One must remember, this is a book of futuristic fiction so
do not take it literally. Read as a page turning, cleverly written,
unpredictable book which is the first part of a new series. The
series is called “ The Omega Trilogy “. This book series is
supposed to be written for young adults but should also be read
by the adults as well. Everyone will enjoy the adventure, strange
dreams, the advance technology, the locations visited, the
spiritual overtones and the dragon.
Thank you to book fun.org for this Book. My opinion is my own.

[Yonasan Aryeh · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book has promise to be as realistic as possible, if the copyright page specifically indicates "this is fiction, not prophecy." As book one of a trilogy, the reader meets Elijah Goldsmith, a rich kid from Manhattan that has seen spiritual revelations in his dreams. But since this is a work of fiction, I would hate to give away any spoilers, and therefore can only further comment on the quality of the author's work, leaving the remaining content for you, the reader, to discover.

Simmons writes in a fashion that is accurately representative of the character's point of view: chaotic and imaginative. Where most authors narrate in a manner that illustrates the protagonist's thought processes yet remain detached, Simmons does the opposite. His writing is immersed into Elijah's life. The readers follow everything – his dreams, thoughts, and daily life – as if they are trapped in his mind, and limited to his linguistic abilities to communicate, almost as if it was a live-action diary.

A high quality work, Simmons presents an enticing and enthralling introduction to his new series. Those that enjoy post–apocalyptic works, as well as supernatural thrillers, will find this book a natural next read. The only problem? The world ends in 2068, not 2066…

Disclosure: I was contracted to write an honest review in exchange for a reviewer copy of the product. The opinions stated in this review are solely my own.

[chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING. Read this in less than a day, couldn't put it down. The non-stop action and addicting style and relationships make this book worth reading. The suspense is so intense and everything was perfect. Nothing is over done.

A quick summary of the pot: The year is 2066 Elijah has been having disturbing dreams. During his week of tests to be admitted to the International Security Agency (ISA) he meets Naomi, a girl who's charm is irresistible. She introduces him to people who believe his dreams mean something, and that he himself is special in a way he never imagined. What follows is a maze of secrets that lead Elijah to realize just how special he is, and how important he might be to the fate of the world.

Definitely a book that tackles some hard questions, but should absolutely be read as fiction, not a prediction of the end of the world.

Loved it! And would recommend it to anyone, although it is for an older age group.

[C.J. Darlington · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Unbound is a fresh take on the end-times thriller genre made popular by Jerry B. Jenkins. Lest you think this is a knock-off of Left Behind, think again. First, this is more of a new-adult YA novel (main characters are eighteen). There's lots of adventure and spying and globe-trotting. And strange dreams and conspiracies. Plus a hefty dose of spiritual themes. This is after all about the unleashing of the great evil dragon, Abaddon. The perfect recipe for those looking for an adventure story that isn't set in a dystopian universe. I rate it 3.5 stars because I just didn't connect with the characters as much as I would've hoped. Simmons is a great writer though, so it's probably just me.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This is a fantastic book. From the first sentence the author, J.B. Simmons, draws the reader into this futuristic world.

Set in 2066, this book is set around Elijah Goldsmith. He is a high school senior, Jewish, and dreams of being a part of the international Security Agency, as a spy.

While in training, Elijah meets Naomi, a Christian. The adventure begins from here, with a nightmare that Elijah has about a dragon and the destruction of At. Peter's Basilica.

Wonderful read!

I was given this book by bookfun.org in exchange for my honest review

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

**I was impressed actually...**

I was a bit leery at first of what I was getting in to. I may be a Christian and thus have an appreciation for Christian stories, but I also like stories that are believable. I once read a story in which God was essentially a sort of magical genie, which gave the story too much an air of corniness. Fortunately, this first book of the trilogy had a wonderful presentation to it. It had a great blend of action, thrills, intrigue, and a supernatural element with Biblical inspirations. Originally, I was leaning on a 3-star rating, but once I really digested the effectiveness of making a believable story, I felt it fair to up the rating to 4-stars.

This story takes place in the not-too-distant future where technology rules and religion does not. It is very clearly inspired by the book of Revelation in the Bible, with an inventive story weaved into it. I really liked the creativity of what I was reading, with its nice blend of elements to keep me engaged. I appreciated the mix of characters, especially considering that most of them aren't Christians, which makes things more realistic. I particularly liked main character Elijah. This dude was a great representation of an unbelieving non-Christian who is forced to learn and question things as he goes in a world that is suddenly ending for reasons he cannot explain on his own.

Though this was absolutely a Christian story, I liked that it wasn't "overly" Christian in that all it did was get preachy. And yet, it wasn't watered down to the point that you'd forget it's a Christian story either. I do feel like it can be enjoyed by non-Christians as well--for those who give it a chance, anyway--even if it's just to the point of inspiring questions. Aside from wanting more fleshed-out character developments, I had minimal complaints. The first few chapters were mildly sluggish, but it took no time at all for it to find its momentum. It stayed consistent with a steady pace and each chapter continued fluidly into the next.

All in all, this first book of the trilogy did a great job keeping my attention. I can already tell it's also inspiring me to brush up on the book of Revelation too. I look forward to what else it's gonna do in the remainder of the series. If you're curious of my commentary, click here.

[Carôle Ceres · Rating 2 out of 5]

THIS IS NOT IN THE SAME LEAGUE AS DaVINCI OR HUNGER GAMES!

The hype of “The DaVinci Code, meets The Hunger Games, meets Left Behind”, had me really intrigued by this book (especially as I had read and enjoyed all 3 titles - along with the series of the relevant books).

Only ‘The Hunger Games’ was a YA series but, notwithstanding that it was pitched at a young audience, it was very maturely written.

Not so this book. There is nothing about it that would make you consider it in the same league as the others. It’s written from the viewpoint of a 17 year old boy (he’s definitely no older than 18), about to start college and is supposedly among the best of the best. But he’s still a kid. Can’t seem to follow instructions (orders) and is easily sidetracked by a pretty girl. In this case, Naomi, but most females really. He objectifies all women - so that’s off putting, but hey, he’s only 17 years old!

It took a tediously long time for anything (The ISA, the Order), to make any sense and then, when the action started, Elijah was mentally MIA!

I couldn’t warm to this book! I think that there’s a danger in classing a book with such hard hitters as The Left Behind series, which it’s trying to echo, but failing.

I’m not even remotely interested in progressing to book 2. (I see from a quick perusal, that I’m not alone, there are no reviews for the 2nd or 3rd books in the Audible catalogue, as of July 2022)!

I listened to the audiobook version of this title. The narration by Joshua Bangle was really good.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interest story and different view of the tribulation.

When I hear from the author in an email I will make time for their books and this is one book I am glad I read. It kept me glued until the last page. It drew me in and kept me interested. It was in the first person but to me it was not as distracting from the storyline by constantly talking about the hero as the most important character.
There were quite a bit of religious references being it was set during the time of the tribulation. (I personally thought it better than many such books). The time of history was well thought out and looked like a possible way it could happen.
There is a bit scary happenings but is clean enough for young adults to read. However I enjoyed it enough to consider reading the rest of the series.

[Rnolter Nolter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

I’ve always loved the books which have a trading academy of sorts in them. Where the characters learn skills and interact accordingly. This book does that for me quite well. Sort of like a James Bond Academy of Spies set in the future. The SF aspect also quenches my thirst. Finally the Christian aspect is starting to unfold mid story and is very well told. Absolutely couldn’t put it down after a certain point. Came home from work read while eating and instead of watching TV I snuggled next to the heater with hot chocolate and my puppies with music in the background and read for quite sometime finishing the book. Great time!

[Joshua Berntsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: A Decent Start, But Lacking Depth

Rating: ★★★☆☆

I picked up Unbound after seeing it advertised as "Hunger Games meets Left Behind," which intrigued me. I’ve only read the first book in the trilogy so far, and while it started off well, it fell a bit flat in the second half. The pacing felt rushed and forced, and since it draws heavily from the Book of Revelation, the plot was predictable for anyone familiar with Biblical prophecy.

There were a few interesting twists and creative portrayals of certain events, but the lack of character development made it hard to connect. There were also too many characters to keep track of by the end, and without more depth, they felt like just names on the page.

Overall, it was a decent attempt with some good ideas, but I wasn’t overly impressed. I might finish the trilogy eventually, but I’m not in a rush.

[Sienna S'Zell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, talk about a creative future-writer! Lots of interesting new-fangled ways to live a life, with robots (A/I) doing most everything, including aiding the brain's function. Unfortunately I didn't like the main character -- obnoxious, rich, flip, etc. -- and couldn't understand why anyone would be attracted to him. But I guess it was just Fate. Oh yeah, and there are major disasters, and Biblical Revelations stuff, all packed into one little story. Another book begging the reader to read the next book. I'm really not liking this trend.

[Jefrois · Rating 1 out of 5]

.
.
Comes complete with “coffee,” and “sips” and “mouth watered,” and “showers,” and “eggs,” and “sweat,” and “nightmares,” and “dreams,” exactly like practically the last 27 or so books I looked at.

And other trite bllsht.

I just can’t read this kind of crap anymore.

I quit reading at page 3 and tossed the book.


.
.

[Mickie Kennedy · Rating 2 out of 5]

all this with 18 year old people

I REALLY wanted to like this. The Left Behind books are one of May all time favorite series. This author had interesting parts. Obviously she was writing about the end times. Her imagination was appealing. BUT I just could not take the story seriously with 18 year old high school kids. I won’t be reading anymore of this series.

[Gloria Balentine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure why I gave this book 4 stars, other than I HAD to keep reading.

Now, I have to get the next book to find out who is the father of Naomi's baby. I don't know who I would recommend this book to. Maybe to folks who enjoy Sci-Fi.

[Kirt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mishmash of last-days/end-times biblical prophecy presented as a juvenile thriller/fantasy. This was just for fun, and would make a good comic book. If you want the real story, read the scriptures.

[Martin Pingree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting read. A different take on the whole God & Satan and Catholic & Jew stories. Every 1000 years he becomes unbound. Great beginning to what should be an exciting series. Very engaging cast, lots of intriguing twists & turns. Was fun to read.

[Steve Plehn · Rating 1 out of 5]

A book on Revelations?

A book on Revelations which doesn't get the 1000 year reign, that the Dragon is currently unbound, the power of God, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Save your time.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a Christian end of the world story. It's got some fun technology and the romance is done very well. But the plot wasn't much of a surprise for anyone who has studied the Bible on the end times or read the Left Behind series.

[Kathy Locke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dragon is Real

I loved the picture of the end times painted in words that revealed the story. It gave credence to scripture of the dragon, Abbadon, and the woman running from the serpent.

[Susan Valles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating

I was on the edge of my seat for most of this wonderful read. Fascinating take on the end of days with lots of “aha” moments to life walking in the Spirit. Especially for the gift of seeing that God gives. I’ll be downloading the next one!

[Theresa L. Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unusual Times in Near Future

The technological wonders of the near future clash without warning.
Elite students and weird old men suddenly find themselves fighting against mythological creatures.

[Eden Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have officially finished this trilogy, so I decided to review all three.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down! I don’t often see YA novels that are Christian, so I was very excited to read this. The plot mirrors the general plot of Revelation, but it does take some… interesting liberties. I’ll get into that in my review of the second and third book. The romance is done well, although the author does find the need to point out that every single woman is a supermodel. I don’t think there was a single important woman that he didn’t describe as being insanely beautiful. A little odd, but didn’t bother me that much. Elijah is a fascinating character to follow, and watching him grow was exciting. Naomi was a little cut-and-paste if you ask me, she’s the strong, perfect, Christian woman. She has literally no flaws, never does anything wrong, never gets angry, etc. I liked her, she just really didn’t have any development. Overall though an excellent start to an excellent trilogy.

[Nikki Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite Interesting!!

This book is not my norm…
I have to admit that this is the most futuristic and sci-fi book I’ve personally read… but it held me captive.. I’m really looking forward to book 2!!

[Yvonne THomas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected

Well written. I thought these books were about spies. A fight with a dragon science fiction fantasy action. It is not. INot for young people! It is soaked in religion that is warped. I will not read the other two books in the series.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Won this book on goodreads. Was really good. Couldn't put the book down. Love the plot. I would highly recommended this book to other people.

[Cathy Bickerstaff · Rating 2 out of 5]

End times

An interesting take on end times. I have a problem with date setting.
This didn't feel like book 1 in a trilogy, but the first third of a book.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Maria C. Hollywood · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book got one more star than I usually give for ending in a CLIFF-HANGER. Good erudite descriptions