AURA

Senses Novels #1

by K.M. Aul

Our world stands at the crossroads. An enemy is coming. An enemy so ancient that time itself becomes meaningless. Six most unlikely heroes are all that stand between life and the total desolation of our world. Six that will defend us regardless of the consequences. No one else can do it, no one else knows what is coming. Their reality is not our reality, and that may be our only salvation. "AURA" is a poignant and surreal analysis of the fickle nature of perception and reality. A Science Fiction novel with an equal mixture of Fantasy and Paranormal elements. The main character is a relatable and sympathetic young man who takes us through various stages of his life, beginning from birth to adulthood and beyond. His entire life is fraught with difficulty because he is technically blind and must rely on his "gift" to "see" the world around him. Reality Is Not What You Think...

Genres: Fiction

184 pages, Paperback

First published June 24, 2015

About the author

KM Aul is the best-selling author of the Senses Novels series. His first full-length novel, AURA was released in 2015 to critical acclaim.

KM Aul has worked in diverse industries ranging from raw chemicals to consumer goods and has owned and operated businesses ranging from retail coffee stores to Karate Dojos. Having traveled North America, Europe, and Asia, KM has met people from every walk of life and in every circumstance. In the years and miles of travels, KM has learned that all people matter.

KM currently lives on a small private lake in Georgia.

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness, THIS BOOK. Wow. This is seriously my favorite read of the year, hands down. You think the description sounds good? Well the book is 10x better. I am so blown away by this book! I loved every page. The action and suspense was amazing. I loved the plot and setting so much. I read this story ( and every other book in the series ) as fast as I could haha. I was so intrigued with it all! Wow, seriously loved it so much. This author is so talented! This is definitely her genre. Her writing style is amazing and she’ll take you on a wild ride with every story. Highly recommend this to readers who enjoy this genre! It’s an exciting tale you don’t want to miss.

[Henry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply Magnificent!

[Pegboard · Rating 5 out of 5]

AURA: Book One of the Senses Novels opens up a whole new world as Jacob sees it, which is in colors unlike we are able to relate. K M Aul records the life Jacob experienced and the control he has on the animals and weather at him whim. He has unique incidents as he learns to manage the power he wheels. Using this knowledge, he finds others to assist him in concurring the evil that lurks to destroy our world.

I found AURA: Book One of the Senses Novel fascinating and rare in its content. K M Aul is definitely a creative author and will be seen as a gifted fantasy scribe. This book opens a world of many possibilities and paths. I loved this style of writing and was quite impressed with the story line. Though I also found myself laughing at some of the mishaps Jacob had because of his distinct vision.

[Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘I cannot see through glass.’

Georgia author KM Aul has a depth of experience in the world of people and labor that should keep him writing for years! He has worked in industries ranging from raw chemicals to consumer goods and has owned and operated businesses ranging from retail coffee stores to Karate Dojos. His travels have taken him throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and he warmly states that these experiences have taught him that all people matter. His books to date are SYNESTHESIA, DULCET, TA’AM and AURA – the first book of his series he terms THE SENSES. His novels are in the Christian fiction genre and his reading audience is meant to be ages 12 – 18.

Aul wisely incorporates the inviting uses of a Prologue, since this is Book One of this series – ‘The six of us sit close to the fire. Some to warm themselves, some just to be near the light and all of us for the company. We are huddled here in this cold, quiet place waiting and knowing that soon we will be all that stands between a world full of life and an eternity of darkness. The six of us have two things in common; we were all born sometime from mid-July through the end of August during the Perseid meteor shower, though on different years and we all have a handicap that is our gift, our talent. Diane has told us all that we have to write about our journeys. She’ll record and preserve them for us because some or all of us may not make it to the other side of this. Diane isn’t one of the six of us, but she has a talent all her own. My name is Jacob, and this is the story of the journey that brought me to this place.’ The format for the series is set and is most inviting.

The senses of each of these characters will provides the focus of the journey, but the story lies solidly in the fantasy fiction role. Aul describes the direction of this, is initial novel, and does so by taking the primary character Jacob form infancy into adulthood – ‘Time is up. There is nothing you can do and no place that you can hide. Your comfortable existence is about to vanish forever. Darkness is falling and none of us may survive. Near the end, a handful of heroes will emerge that may or may not be able to save us. The evil that we face is all-consuming and those that stand between it and us are so very few. Each of these heroes has a disability that is tied to their unique talent.

Jacob is blind since birth, yet able to see and manipulate the very life-force that is in and surrounds each living thing. He, along with Rachel and Clarisse, will battle the human shaped simulacrums that their real enemy uses. Survival isn’t just winning this battle, it’s finding others like them to help, and winning the war. Reality is not what you think.’

The novel is relative short (just over 200 pages) but in this span Aul is able to construct a novel that is at once compelling and spellbinding. Fine start for a new series!

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read the 4th book in this series (I'm good at doing that!) and was so impressed and intrigued with the concept of the series I decided to go back to book one. The two books have been written in a way that each is a complete story that can be read as stand alones but also are important segments of the whole picture.
The central idea is a group of unknowns, referred to as "them" are intent on destroying mankind and have been working to this end throughout time.
This book, based in contemporary times covers a shorter time period and the emphasis is on how "them" are manipluating the downfall of mankind by controlling political and religious leaders to cause unrest and bitter conflict. I won't say anymore about the storyline and ruin it for future readers but although published in 2015, chilling parallels can be drawn with recent political events around the world.
One negative I have about this book is I didn't think the first few chapters, running through Jacob's childhood does justice to the ideas and the story that follows. For me the story starts when Jacob meets Clarissa on his arrival at college.
Overall, an intriguing and thought provoking read and I will be reading the entire series.
Recommend.

[Valery · Rating 4 out of 5]

AURA: Book One of the Senses Novels by K.M. Aul is a great read from the beginning to the end. The protagonist Jacob sees the world differently, and this difference sets the tone for the entire book. His character is well developed and has depth and emotion. Aul does a great job of pacing the story effectively, and pulls the reader in with fully descriptive passages. While the story itself is thought provoking, there is a bit of meandering here and there, and the plot can be a little difficult to follow. With that said, Aul creates an alternate reality that require delving into, not only to learn more about the unique characters, but to find out what happens. This book reads somewhat like a great plot for a movie, and utilizes a tried and true plot that revolves around the forces of good and evil. While somewhat predictable in that way, the writing is strong enough to overcome any qualms the reader may have about the storyline. Highly recommend for a unique read.

[Julius Blitzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The fate of the world always resides in those unlikely hands, those who are always doubting about their own strength, and why? Because those who doubts are the ones afraid of losing, and fear is what makes us thrive, because we have a heart and because we care, blind confidence can guide you to an abyss of failures, so if you are not feeling your inner-strength, don’t worry is there.
Jacob is a magnificent character, there are so many traits and contrast on his weaknesses and powers, it’s ultimate a battle within him, and it’s so well done you won’t even bothered, despite the premise this is a very realistic take, the coordinate of all of this starts with Jacob, but as he is the best part of this book you should not worry, the other aspects of the book are equally amazing as well, and I can’t wait for next installments to come.

[Jimmy Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read from page one

Aura is a captivating story from the first page to the end. The story revolves around 6 people, each with a special gift and a responsibility to save the future for everyone. As the group gathers to prepare for this mission, each member documents the journey for history. Characters are developed and the storyline is intriguing. This is a Christian sci-fi drama which is an interesting approach. I enjoyed the story and was excited to find out how things turn out. It is a short book and an easy read that provides the reader with a fun journey as we turn the pages to see what happens. Check it out , you won't be dissatisfied.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aura is the classic good versus evil story. It follows Jacob, who has exceptional powers he uses to help defeat evil while seeking out allies to help him win the war. I loved how Jacob was portrayed and developed throughout the story. I felt the author had a good handle on who he is and where he wanted to go with the character. This was certainly a strength for the author.

My only sort of challenge with the book is I had some trouble following along. There were parts I was a bit confused by or felt there could have been more explanation. But overall I was able to understand or get the jist of what was occuring.

[Archie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel on Inner strength!!
An interesting novel with a plot based on contracts of weakness and strengths. The book is the story of Jacob, the main character who is aware of his weaknesses and overcomes them to emerge as powerful, believable and close to reality character. The book comes with the message that there are weaknesses within everyone one’s character and sometimes that makes us feel different or down, BUT we all have inner strength and it’s just the matter of realizing it and mostly it does show up when we need the most.

[Addison S · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the cover for this book and thought the plot sounded intriguing so I quickly grabbed it up. I was pretty disappointed. The concept is great but it was too slow with way to many details given in one chapter. I felt no connection to the main character whatsoever which is not a good thing to have in a book. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.

I received a free ebook of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had no expectations for this and was pleasantly surprised. This is aimed a young audience so it's a pretty easy read, but it's well crafted and the author shows his imagination nicely. It also has a bit of a movie-feel to it. Scifi fans seeking a quick read will likely dig this.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

[Belle · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - Stunning cover, with a fascinating premise, but unfortunately the execution was off for me. I couldn't connect with the voice of the protagonist, I found him quite patronizing and didn't enjoy reading his point of view. I decided to put this one down.

*Free e-copy received in exchange for an honest review

[Jess Frankel · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a DNF for me. I didn't care for the characters--any of them. I liked the premise, but it was brought off in a very dull manner. The writing was stilted at times, which is forgivable, but the story didn't really move and the MC was annoying.

I may pick it up again in the future.

Then again, I may not.

[Paige ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC

[Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was amazing!

[Rebekah Laird · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from library thing for an honest review
I must admit I found the storyline of this book intriguing but all in all I felt it read more like a brief movie proposal rather than a book. The beginning bits that take you through his infancy to the point of his adulthood was a little chaotic in writing with asides that I felt detracted from the story itself. I will say a few things I like about it here though:
1. When we did finally get into the story it was interesting to read and I was intrigued by many of the plot points.
2. The characters were fun to read and I felt they could be ones I could get behind in the story.
3. The book has a great potential to be a good beginning to a series.
4. Some of the action sequences looked really awesome when I imagined them from their descriptions and would love to see in a movie sometime.
With that being said there are a few critiques I have:
1. I felt the beginning of the book was a little chaotic, as I have mentioned before, and overall I was tired of hearing that I would hear more about it in another story or I would hear more about that later (which sometimes we never did). It felt like it was an overlong prologue and I could have done without.
2. Too many times years and months were glazed over I felt could have used some more explanation as to what was going on.
3. The storyline moved too fast and I think that had to do with the overlong prologue that took up a good amount of the book. A lot of this also made it feel like too much of the story was left unexplained and left it feeling a little confused.
Overall the book was not terrible and it amused me at times with some of the dialogue but I feel like this book might make a better movie and as I have said before it sounded more like a movie proposal as it is written.

[Jana Petken · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was unique, thought provoking, and highly intelligent. I'm at odds as to how to describe it! Jason was a great character and superbly written.
I do think it is the kind of book that the reader has to concentrate on. It is not a light read if one wants to understand the world that the author created

If I were to say that it reminded me of anything else, the closest title would be the X Men, simply because of the structure of characters. But that was where the similarities ended. A five Star read for me.

[Beth]

Very well-written and descriptive! Wonderful integration of many topics, like politics, religion, and economics, to explain context and events.