The Arrival

by J.W. Brazier

"Beneath a cloak of
darkness and mystery,
it has arrived …


Palestine: 1948—With the winds of war fast approaching, an unscrupulous archaeologist finally finds the remains of the man he’s been searching for … unwittingly releasing an ancient evil on the world.

White River, Arkansas: 1980—In a secret lab, top-level medical scientists work together to harness the power of previously unheard of DNA manipulation. But when the project finally comes to fruition with the birth of a specially “designed” baby, it just as abruptly comes to a bloody halt, with the facilities and nearly every member of the team wiped out, silenced forever … almost.

White River, Arkansas: 2019—The small town awakens one morning to find itself ground zero of a joint UN-US terrorist training exercise. Residents face martial law, a cashless economy, and a host of ruthless leaders seemingly bent on making the maneuvers more than just a military operation. Outraged citizens begin to rise up and fight back, but it soon becomes clear that something evil has arrived in White River …

A darkness unleashed
on an unsuspecting world."

450 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2015

Reviews

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover of this book caught my interest right away and the plot sounded amazing. I love horror so I knew I had to read this book right away. I had fairly high hopes so I think that's where the book went down hill for me. If I didn't have such high hopes, I most likely would have really enjoyed this book even more.

From the beginning of this book, I had a hard time really getting into it. It's not really easy to read and I had to focus when reading and be careful not to speed read.

The plot is really cool and imaginative which I really liked. There was lot of info dumping, mostly at the beginning, which was a little frustrating. It's a fairly good sized book (about 450 pages) so I thought the info could have been spread out a little bit more. But it wasn't the worst case of info dumping, I've read worse.

I couldn't really get into the characters. I couldn't connect with them or really care about them on a personal level. The dialogue was a little odd at times as well.

Overall, I liked this book but it wasn't all I hoped it to be. I think it could have been a lot better but it wasn't awful by all means. I did enjoy reading it but it wasn't really impressionable on me. I had fun reading it but in a few months, I won't really remember a lot about it.

[Emma · Rating 1 out of 5]

When I read the premise for this I thought it'd be one of those Matthew Riley/Dan Brown/Raymond Khoury style thrillers- some kind of conspiracy/religious relic/genetic engineering nightmare that could end the world. Nothing wrong with that. But...after the fairly intriguing beginning at a dig in Palestine, it all goes a bit silly. Now I can cope with silly if it's well written, but the characters in this might as well be 'cardboard character 1' or 'female scientist character 1' and the writing style/descriptions are full of cliche. Even for my apocalypic disease/devil child style thriller, I like the story to be coherent, the dialogue well written and for it to feel like I haven't read it all before, but better. This just didn't deliver at all for me.

Review copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Mary Hartshorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book caught my attention simply by the cover and spans nearly a hundred years masterfully integrating religion, history, horror and suspense all in one book. J. W. Brazier is an amazing storyteller with a vivid imagination. As I read this book I was completely sucked into not just reading the book and imagining what the characters were feeling, but became each character experiencing everything with them. There are parts of this book that had my hair standing on end, and slightly fearful of the dark.

The Arrival was intriguing, starting with Ian and Charles leading an excavation trying to find a mysterious body with almost no record of its burial location before a war broke out between Arabs and Israelis. Two years, these two have tried to find this mysterious body, but with no luck. Two people have come to try and talk them out of completing their task, because they believe that once this body is found bad things prophesied to happen will come to pass. Although Charles is starting to believe them, Ian is all business and will stop at nothing to get the substantial bonus with the successful discovery of this body. Who is this mysterious person Ian’s benefactor is willing to spend unimaginable sums of money to find? What will they do with this body? What are the far reaching ramifications of this discovery? I recommend that you read this book to find the answers to these questions.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting interested in the book at first as there just seemed to be a lot of information to comprehend and keep straight and it gave me a headache concentrating that hard. I did become quite interested in it as I read further though and found the theory of end times based on Revelation and bearing in mind that this is all fictional, unique and plausible. I became invested in the characters' lives and found myself wanting to get back to reading when forced to take a break for the duties of life.
There were a great number of acronyms used in the book and some of them were not explained in full words the first time they appeared in print so I found myself trying to guess what they meant. The story was fast-paced and full of action and left the reader open to and desiring of a sequel. The book addressed issues of abortion and its effects on society and the church; endtimes; good and evil; angels and demons; a cashless society and antiChrist.
I rated this book 4 stars and would highly recommend it to those who enjoy fictional works based on Revelations and/or endtimes.
I received a kindle version of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Dísir · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was with trepidation that I began 'The Arrival', but fell headlong into the fabulous intrigue that the first part presented, as a rogue archaeologist struggled to find the remains of a mysterious Jew who died two thousand years ago. Happily sucked into the dizzying chaos of Palestine just before Israel emerged from the simmering cauldron of politics, J.W Brazier captures the tense atmosphere with aplomb while introducing the faint tendril of the paranormal.

Apart from the symbolism of biblical names and their myths/stories associated with them, it's the parts after that which made me cringe, proving, unfortunately why Christian fiction can fail (spectacularly at times) on the literary front. The constant switching of POVs left me disoriented and the stylised writing seemed almost farcical at times, while the historical anchor in 1940s Palestine for the explanation of events that happened nearly half a century later didn't feel convincing enough for me to buy the connection that Brazier was trying to make between politics, bioengineering and the supernatural behind-the-scene machinations.

*ARC given by Netgalley

[Broken Bookshelf · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish this one. I got 1/4 of the way through and I wasn't intrigued by any of the characters, plot, or forshadowed circumstances. I found the writing awkward, attempted jokes didn't translate or just weren't as funny as implied. Conversations were unnatural. As a Christian that is usually a sucker for a good demonic realm vs. angelic realm story, I was turned off by the execution. It was just jarring and bizarre and written in a way that I knew I was reading a book; I wasn't being drawn into a believable story.
Once Joshua hit the scene, that's when I couldn't take it anymore. The book took a preachy turn, and it was clear to me that the author was going to use this book as a platform to force his political and religious views in a way that was just that: forced. After two chapters jam packed with Christians just speaking a bunch of christianese, I was over it.

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 4 out of 5]

XXX I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway on July 10, 2015 from J. W. Brazier. Thank you so much for sharing your work with me. I look forward to a good read.

I had a hard time getting into this novel - had to set it aside for a while and start it again. I found this story very frightening. This novel is every nightmare an educated liberal adult has ever lost sleep over. The story is tightly woven and keeps you on your feet. Admirers of The Last Ship and The Dome will love this book. I highly recommend it to everyone with an interest in politics as usual in today's world.

[Mike Milligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Just Wow! Sometimes the line between fiction and a potential reality can be very thin and as in the case of this book, The future of the world could very well happen as its written. The sign of a good book is where you dwell on the storyline of that book long after you finished reading, and this book will not be forgotten for some time. Very detailed but a very good read.

[Emma · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book as the premise really grabbed me. The first part started off really repetitive but got better. I found part two gave a lot of information that wasn't needed but towards the end the book was really good.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Liezl Ruiz · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Arrival is a heavy book with a riveting story that tackles on sociopolitical issues with a touch of the metaphysics. It's thought-provoking with compelling characters that make good reading company.

For the first few chapters, the narration felt so detached with the characters. It would have been better if the author has shown how Ian and Charles had gotten close to each other during their expedition in Palestine (1948) because I still see it unbelievable how they forged a bond of true friendship. By the end of their expedition, suddenly Ian just offered his number and home address to the doctor and the next thing you know in the next chapter, they're still in contact with each other after 3 decades. That does not sound legit to me because I'd always ask how despite working side by side for 18 months.

Reviewed on: zirev.com

Meanwhile, the narration felt warm ever since Joshua Austin, the next mayor of White River, was introduced. Everything went smooth from there.

The book is written in the third-person perspective with a variation of characters good or bad. Primarily, Ian Taylor is the main voice for the early part of the book while Joshua Austin took over for the most part. Both are pretty badass. While Ian's an archaeologist (a sought-after one for that in his 30's), Austin an evangelical-Christian-turned-political-figure (he also was once a chief engineer on riverboats), they both have military background prior to their recent jobs, although Ian's was due to compulsory military service during WWII (he was born on 1910). Not only that, they're big guys! Ian stands at 6'4" while Joshua at 6'2".

There are so many political ideologies which makes this book sound legit. This is a pre-dystopian story with an inside look of a highly-likely world-building plausibility. You know, with the government snooping on everybody, people's excessive dependence on technology, the government's trampling on citizens' constitutional rights in favor of anti-terrorist agenda, etc. Not only does this book address political correctness but it also addresses moral issues like abortion.

One thing, Ms. Gray, is forgotten by this tragedy: the embryo is human, not a nonhuman as the Supreme Court declared. Abortion never was about the poor or about women’s rights. It’s an ideology with an agenda—and it’s a profitable business. So, Ms. Gray, I dare say few politicians will speak that truth for fear of political reprisals. I’m not afraid. Politicians and courts made legal what is a morally reprehensible act of brutality. I call it what it is: judicial tyranny.

To those who are not affiliated with the Christian belief, this book might be a little too preachy. As a Roman Catholic, all things in regards to Christianity sound like the usual Sunday sermon (not that I always attend mass, I haven't for years) so they're normal to me but I could imagine they could be annoying to those who aren't Christians and most likely to those who have no religious affiliation.

Oddly enough when I think that either the author is a devout Christian or he just did his research so well when it comes to the Christian belief, sometimes I think he's being sarcastic. For the most part, the book sounds so leaning towards Christian morality (with me quite agreeing) and yet near the end, there was something that made me feel suffocated with the idea of the church intervening way too much on the affairs of the state. I can't remember what it was but at that point, I couldn't help but groan in displeasure already.

The story kind of drags. There are too many diatribes and long exchanges between characters, especially between enemies that sometimes I couldn't wait for some action. This book has the kind of story that appears not on the big screen but on a tv set with all the regurgitating-yet-on-point dialogues. Whatever message the author was trying to convey, there sure is a need for repetition since people have become amoral these days. More so, that the ones who usually start bloodshed and immoral acts are political leaders whose actions sometimes are hard to reverse (like the legalization of abortion) and especially if something's profitable.

Moreover, you have to keep track of the events in the book (especially some characters' ages). There's a time period of 1948, 1980 and finally 2019.

The enemy's the most unlikely group you'd think. For bad guys, they're quite decent. They follow rules and orders. I can't blame them when they're usually UN-affiliated military guys. It's not about them being so organized, I've been waiting for long until one group goes their own way in attacking the main characters blind.

Basically, Satan is the enemy, preparing for his arrival in the world through his loyal servant, Abram Solomon, a shadowy figure among world elites and CEO of Solomon Industries. Abram is really scary. You can just imagine his disposition similar to that of an SS Nazi (Richard Sammel is perfect for the image). He was this huge figure that his exit has taken me aback.

There was this revelation near the end that has been kept ever since the introduction and yet, I was not surprised. It's not because I guessed right but because I didn't find it something big. That part I say is anticlimactic. The book ended quite at a cliffhanger but whatever transpired before the dénouement wasn't a blast. I don't know if it's just me or there's just no emotion there. Other than those things, the book is good. I strongly recommend this book to those with strong political views and high moral compass.

[Rachel Lobb Deavers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. Reminded me a lot of Peretti!

[Fiction Aficionado · Rating 1 out of 5]

As I write this review I am very conscious of the time and effort that an author puts into any novel, but I have to be honest. I really struggled to get through this book. By the time I had dragged myself 50% of the way through I was seriously tempted to just abandon it, but a romantic thread began developing in the story and I thought maybe that would revitalise my interest a little. Sadly, the romance developed off-page, and so the only thing that kept me going was my irrational compulsion to finish reading a book once I’ve started it.

Like other reviewers I was drawn in by the cover art and description. The concept of ancient DNA being discovered and used in an end-times scenario could have been intriguing, but the writing in this novel drained all of the life out of the premise. Much of the characterisation was simplistic and clichéd and there were so many point-of-view characters I was (again) about 50% of the way through the novel before I felt I was beginning to make sense of who everyone was and their role in the story (like whether they were just passing through or here to stay).

The writing was amateurish on many levels and point-of-view issues permeated the whole novel. We constantly switched between different points-of-view during scenes (just to make sure that the reader was thoroughly informed of each character’s motivations and thoughts) and we were even informed of things that the point-of-view character DIDN’T know or see:

“In his haste to leave and check his cell phone messages, Joshua didn’t see the white van parked behind Gus’s oak and hickory woodpile beside the restaurant.”
“What Jack Cook and his co-conspirators didn’t know was that...”
“With a renewed sense of commitment, he smiled and then walked toward Charles’s gravestone, thinking he was alone, but he wasn’t. Ian had company. The unseen visitor watched and listened.”

This book also takes telling to a whole new level. We are never in any doubt as to what we are supposed to be thinking or noticing, and we don’t have to make any inferences for ourselves because everything is spelt out to us:

“Mary screamed as another excruciating labor pain seized her young body. The baby was coming!”
“Tom’s tight facial expression showed that he was in a tight spot.”
“Joshua understood the formal way Tom used “Mr Mayor.” Tom’s attention to protocol was his way of saying, ‘Be careful’.”

Often the telling came via the character’s thoughts:

“Roger’s an arrogant piece of work, a product of political correctness on steroids. I wonder if his boss – or the owner – feels the same, he mused.”
“Dean sighed and thought, The general knows his politics. He’s copying the president’s typical partisan strategies: prearrange a question and select a target individual to present them.”
“Bingo. Just as I thought. Mr Hirsch has added me to his list of targets, Dean thought”

In many spots the writing is just plain clumsy:

“Mary’s innocent, but curious smile seemed to beg a question. ‘Doc, I’ve a question.’”
“He wasn’t sure, but Ben thought he heard the governor say that he was happy Ben had lost. ‘Could you say that again, Governor, because I’m confused? Did you say you’re happy that I lost?’”
“Excessive drinking after work had become a habitual habit...”

Then there are the grammatical errors:

“My friends, we’ve always known to create our One World Alliance, seeds of change would need planting, watered, and nurtured worldwide.”
“It was as if Charles had walked out the door and drove away...”

We’re given many speeches on the state of politics and morality in America with frequent references to the left-wing progressive and the right-wing conservative and other handy labels. We are left in absolutely no doubt as to the author’s ideology, nor are we given any room to draw conclusions on these matters for ourselves. Even though I was in agreement on many issues, I still found myself gagging somewhat as it was shoved down my throat.

On top of all of this, there was a remarkable amount of blaspheming (using the name of the Lord in vain) in this novel, from both Christian and non-Christian characters, and I thought the violence towards the end was unnecessarily descriptive at times. The supernatural and spiritual elements were trite, and the crucifix amulet was a little too much like medieval reliquary superstitions for me.

In short, there was nothing in this novel that inspires me to recommend it to anyone. It was unashamedly didactic and poorly written. If this is the quality of editing that can be expected from this publisher I’m not particularly inclined to read other books published by them.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did not realize at first that this was a Christian book, I simply found it while browsing for thrillers and sci-fi. Having said that though, as a believer this was a pleasant twist. I think of this book kind of like the Left Behind series, but with much more action and even a bit of very descriptive gore at a few points. It gets in your head and makes you think. The author left just enough at the end to set up for a sequel if he desires.

The main reason I only gave it 3 stars is that you can tell this is a new author. The kindle version I read had just a few typos, but there were also several over-used phrases by more than one character. It was just enough that it made me pause in reading. A few times a character would go off on a tangent that seemed too long. Honestly, the book probably just needed a little bit better editing. Overall I really enjoyed it, and I would definitely be interested in a second book.

[Vera mallard · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise for this story was set in stone thousands of years ago; if you believe the Bible it is all laid out in precise order. This is a take on the end times with America being in the center; in today’s advanced times of medicine, research, and science anything is possible.

This story begins in Palestine in 1948, Ian Taylor, archaeologist and Dr. Charles Wagner, scientist are hired to find a certain 2,000-year-old zealot Jewish body for Abram Solomon, CEO of Solomon Industries in the USA. I won’t tell you who they are hunting as this would be a spoiler.

From there we are taken to White River, Arkansas 1980. Both Ian and Charles are suddenly having horrendous nightmares where the body from 30 years ago and Abram Solomon are the center attractions. Solomon Industries, now GEM-Tech is hidden under ground in the middle of the Bible belt, the most advanced research facility in the world. Something terrible is happening there, Project Phoenix, girls are impregnated and then disposed of if the desired results are not found, then came Mary. Her baby has very unusual traits, horrifying traits. Dr. Deborah Holland, a trusted friend of Dr. Charles and an acclaimed research scientist at GEM-Tech will see what Mary’s baby, still in the womb, can do.

Mysteries abound as well as the most horrendous evil ever known to man, God has plans for Ian and Deborah in the coming fight; through a horrible delivery a baby is born in the presence of demons. What is released on the world and what will be the results?

Fast-forward to 2019 and the coming fight between good and evil. Deborah receives warnings of his coming, and he is coming to White River. She enlists the help of her long last love Glenn Boyd and his number one investigative reporter, Dean Cohen. God is lining up his soldiers for the coming battle; they will be many and varied. Entering the fray will be newly elected Mayor Joshua Austin of White River; angels are watching and protecting God’s Chosen. Many will be lost during this novel, many will be deceived, and many will find the strength of God. What a wild ride this is. From White River where Dean Cohen finds Ann Holland daughter to Deborah and the beginnings of the take over by evil forces and the deception of the masses, the United Nations issuing money less cards and chip implants with DNA links to bank accounts, the halls of corrupt politics, one world order, and to the Middle East, you will not be sorry you took the ride.

The author did a wonderful job of maintaining the tension, horror, presence of evil, and plot pacing of the book. I could almost feel the evil pouring from the pages; becoming lost in the emotions of the book is what makes a great book in my opinion. It does not lag in any way and did not ask you to believe in the End Times, the story did not feel preachy or pushy. Even if you do not believe in the End Times, you will still enjoy this fast paced book.

Strap on your seat belt and get ready for the ride, this is a nonstop action novel taken from the pages of the Bible; it will make you stop and think, it actually made the hair on my arms stand up. The ending leaves the story at a point where a series can develop.

I loved this book, Mr. Brazier and highly I recommend this book to anyone that likes End Times stories or just an action story. It is a clean read.

I received this book from the publisher and Netgalley in return for an honest opinion.

[Tania Godwin-evans · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fervent Matthew Riley, Raymond Khoury fan I thought this would suit my need for factual based mystery thrillers with a bit of sci-fi thrown in.

I would not say that this was the easiest read ever but it was very thought provoking. There were three distinct timelines in this novel 1948, 1980 and 2015. Each time-line provided an interesting element to the story.

The relationship between the two main characters of the 1948 part of the novel was not explained in enough detail and left this reader scratching their head later in the novel. The 1980s DNA sections were interesting but gruesome; and it is this reader’s fervent hope that such things did not and do not continue to occur. The way the three storylines merge is interesting to say the least. Yet slightly fantastical!

This novel started really well and this reader’s initial assumption made concerning the ‘unnamed Jew’ was incorrect yet my second guess turned out to be correct. But how one gets from a despot Jew to the antichrist is too much for this reader to comprehend. There were quite a few places where the detailed dialogue not only did not ring true but affected the action and pace of the novel. I am not sure if this is intended as part of the ‘preachy’ part of the novel or something that just happened but it did detract from the whole experience.

The story is told in the third party and therefore throughout the book the point of view (‘POV’) changes which can be rather confusing for the inattentive reader. That said this reader followed the story easily. The story itself was well paced with loads of action (it may have even left the way open for a sequel). The book also dealt with many ‘taboo’ issues with a great deal of grace.

This reader felt that the ending was rushed, unless the author intends to produce another novel in the series and then the novel ended just right.

It is this reader’s fervent hope that this does not happen but then again would the antichrist use those people who are the dregs of society – somehow this reader does not think so. This novel got me to question my faith to a degree and in so doing resulted in me deepening my faith (not too bad for a novel!).

Full Disclosure: I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Leiah Cooper]

ZERO STARS

All right. It must be “bad book night”. Because believe me – this book was BAD. As in, DNF from skimming at 23% B.A.D. I normally give a lot of leeway for books from publishers as they haven’t gone through final edit and review yet. But the degree of bad writing in this book is embarrassing. Incredibly bad dialog, paper cutout characterizations (take one from column A, one from column B), a truly poorly devised plot designed to instill fear of science (does this guy live in Kansas?!) and I honesty skimmed out to 23% before giving it up as a bad job and deleting it from my reader. I never want to see this again! The writer took all the worst parts of multiple belief systems and crammed them into a diatribe about how, if everyone doesn’t become immediately ‘fall on your belly” religious the world is apparently going to burst into flame… (I skimmed the last couple pages. Gag.)

I saw that it had what I thought was an actual publishing house – then realized it is Inkwell, so no publisher, no content editor. I would absolutely NOT recommend this book to anyone. It is more the ravings of a religious fanatic than thoughtful fiction writing. Brown, Braun, et.al. don’t have to worry about competition here.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for a realistic review. Realistically? This is awful. Truly, deeply, horrendously AWFUL. And the quote the author is proud enough of to post is the height of misogyny. This whole book is an offense to intelligent people everywhere.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of horrific proportions made all the more frightening by rooting itself in a very current and potential reality. The Arrival is about the cloning of Judas Iscariot who is merely a vessel for the devil himself and his attempt to turn the world away from religion. His attempts at creating a one world order start in a small southern town under the guise of antiterrorism training exercises conducted by UN and US military forces. Constitutional rights and religious freedom are subverted and anathema. Christians are considered to be terrorists. Those who fall in line with the new policies enforced under martial law are enticed by monetary rewards and other benefits. Few think of or realize what they are losing. The duality of humankind is portrayed by the choices that are made. Some crave the transient money and power their evil benefactor promises while a transcendent few battle for the soul of the world, knowing their reward awaits them elsewhere. I found this book to be terrifying. I think many of the events in the book are plausible if not imminent. The US government recently discussed implementing a national id. The scary part is that most people will fall in line like sheep, especially if even the smallest incentive is offered. We have become self absorbed, lazy and blind. We have become the frog placed in the pot of water who can not feel the slow increase in temperature before he becomes boiled. The Arrival was a riveting read with characters that were easy to root for or hate. It is a cautionary tale cloaked in excellent storytelling.

[David Ketelsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this author-autographed book from GoodReads.

I liked The Arrival for several reasons but I also have reservations about it since the author, JW Brazier, definitely wrote it for a well defined demographic--and one that I'm not in.

First off, the plot has some great hooks. You've got the Indiana Jones angle with archaeology on the sly in Palestine just before the overturn of British rule in 1948, the techy aspect with advanced biotechnology being used 20 years before it was supposedly available, along with lots of staunchly conservative US politics and some religious mysticism that gives the story arc its beginning and end. Unfortunately Mr Brazier goes a little overboard with the politics and much of the middle of the book is filled with political rhetoric that doesn't advance the plot. On the other hand, that's just more of a good thing for a substantial percentage of the population and for readers of a conservative political philosophy I can strongly recommend this book. For everyone else it's an interesting book that you'll probably like but the middle section of the book does preach a little. As for the writing, with the exception of the first chapter it's very well written with the caveat that the characters did tend to fall a little too smoothly into two ideological camps with nobody in-between.

[Gina Burgess · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really tried to get into this book. I thought the premise was very intriguing, yet the delivery fell a bit flat.

The story line just could not overcome the shortcomings. For one thing, the thought that the most evil character to ever come into this world could be genetically engineered is not biblical. When I realized that this is where the author was going, I couldn't finish it. The story was no longer plausible. Advice to that author -- either stay in the Christian genre by being more biblically plausible or shift over to true horror and gallop down that path. Don't try to mix the two.

Science definitely has its place, and can certainly be used for evil purposes. (More people in America have been murdered through abortion than what Stalin and Hitler did combined.) Science also has a definite place in the Bible...

This is not a very well organized story. Some thing happen that are actually in the back story and just take up space without moving the story along. The dialogue is strained and forced at times. Head hopping happens seemingly randomly; there are no transitions. Therefore the reader is jerked about willy-nilly.

I do not recommend this book.

[Steve P · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story starts off at a good pace with a well drawn picture of events in Palestine 1948 and continues well in America connecting the historic story with genetic experiments in the 1970's. But when the tale resumes in the present day it goes off the rails - one dimensional characters and a naive political viewpoint combining in something that looks like a Tea Party activist's nightmare. Alternatively it might just be a huge religious-political satire. I spent much of the mid-section read unsure of which of these two options was the author's intent. Sadly I came to the conclusion that it was the former, with the author mentally anchored in middle America where whatever passes as a normal political viewpoint in most advanced societies is somehow twisted into an virulent anti-Christian anti-patriotic-American plot. Bible bashers will no doubt enjoy the story and non-Americans will get an insight into the mentality that condones a gun culture that lets more than 30,000 people die from gunshot wounds every year, where children are gunned down in their school and journalists are murdered live on television.

Supplied for review by the publisher.

[Melek · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at around 50%. I just couldn't take it anymore.

In short; full of bad dialogues, characterization no better, plot could have saved face a bit but I wasn't too hopeful about that either, so I quit.

For those who might prefer a longer review:
The writing was awful. I expected to get sucked in as soon as I started it, but there was nothing except boredom. It was too info-dumpy and cheesy, and the dialogues between the people were cheesy and stupid at best. I kept reading in case something interesting happened, but there was only one single page that got me interested, and that was that.

Overall, could be a textbook example of good idea, bad execution. 0/5

[Tom Burkholder · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book The Arrival, author J. W. Brazier writes about several different plots and characters. Toward the end Brazier brings them all together but the conversations between characters seemed unnatural and very forced at times.
This was an excellent idea and plot and I very much wanted to like it. Unfortunately the author was bogged down in unnecessary details and continually attacking politically correct ideas. The book needs an editor to cut out and streamline. While I agree with the author and the story is compelling I found it a bit cumbersome to read. I would recommend the book but speeding through some of the dialogue will not detract from the plot.

[N]

Disclaimer: i listened to the unabridged audio, i did not read the book. I would never have finished reading the book and the only reason i finished the audio was because my wifi was down so i couldn't download a different book to listen to while i was working.

this book is pure dominionist propaganda - spouted by predictable and uninspired characters - wrapped in a crappy end-times sci-fi fairytale thriller. you might get some laughs out of the cringeworthy dialog, but really not worth your time

NO STARS

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best or at least 2nd best book I have ever read. Could not put it down. Kind of based on current policies and government intrusion into our lives and will scare the piss out of you.definitely a must read for everyone before 2016 primaries and elections.