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The Brandywine Prophet
Suburban life has turned William Carmelfrom a drug-fueled prodigy into a gentle husband and father. When the voice of God commands him to construct a million-dollar theater on the hill behind his home, the budding prophet obeys and unleashes his dormant madness and savage creations on his family and town.
From the tragic prologue to the breathtaking climax, The Brandywine Prophet weaves a gut-wrenching tapestry of family, faith, obsession, and the devastating power of a little white lie.
From the tragic prologue to the breathtaking climax, The Brandywine Prophet weaves a gut-wrenching tapestry of family, faith, obsession, and the devastating power of a little white lie.
333 pages, Paperback
First published August 21, 2012
10 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Jake Vander-Ark
6 books188 followers"I want to offend my readers. I want them to fall in love, to lose their minds, to think and feel and dream. If they're not shellshocked and hungry by the final page, I haven't done my job."
Whether it's a modern-day fairytale or hardcore science fiction, Jake Vander Ark attacks every story with brutal realism and down-to-earth characters. No subject is taboo. Truth is paramount.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago influenced the experimental quirks of his stories, while his pursuits in Hollywood hammered the importance of traditional storytelling. This unique fusion of structure and innovation gave life to the most beautiful girl in the world in THE ACCIDENTAL SIREN, the gritty morality tale of LIGHTHOUSE NIGHTS, the cryptic prologue of THE BRANDYWINE PROPHET, and the mind-melting climax of THE DAY I WORE PURPLE.
When Jake isn't writing, he's building rustic furniture for his small business, engaging with his readers online, and livin' it up with his dog. To see more of his creative work, check out www.vanderarkbooks.com.
Whether it's a modern-day fairytale or hardcore science fiction, Jake Vander Ark attacks every story with brutal realism and down-to-earth characters. No subject is taboo. Truth is paramount.
The School of the Art Institute of Chicago influenced the experimental quirks of his stories, while his pursuits in Hollywood hammered the importance of traditional storytelling. This unique fusion of structure and innovation gave life to the most beautiful girl in the world in THE ACCIDENTAL SIREN, the gritty morality tale of LIGHTHOUSE NIGHTS, the cryptic prologue of THE BRANDYWINE PROPHET, and the mind-melting climax of THE DAY I WORE PURPLE.
When Jake isn't writing, he's building rustic furniture for his small business, engaging with his readers online, and livin' it up with his dog. To see more of his creative work, check out www.vanderarkbooks.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
February 4, 2016
I stumbled upon Mr. Vander Ark in the deep bowels of Reddit, in a request to help as an advanced reader for a yet unreleased novel of his. Suffice it to say, after reading this early copy, I needed more. I Googled the man's name, found his Goodreads profile, and snatched up whatever novels of his that were available for Kindle.
The Brandywine Prophet was the first recommended to me, by both the author himself and the overwhelming positive response it has received from its readerbase. I was warned that it was a long read, but definitely worth it. So, hiking up my big-boy reading pants, I began my journey into the Brandywine neighborhood.
Now, I will admit: I normally don't read Fiction. That is to say, I'm kind of a sci-fi/fantasy nerd. So in reading this and realizing halfway through this was probably not going to include either of those elements, I hesitated in continuing... for about ten seconds. If that.
Jake has a talent, my friends. This book, containing divine inspiration, familial bonding, trust, and betrayal, is perhaps one of the most intricately woven tales I've had the extreme privilege to read. And I do not claim this lightly. Each character is fleshed out with enough nuance and development that there's no need to suspend any disbelief in their behavior. They act HUMAN. The emotions experienced and decisions made are carefully crafted and woven throughout the narrative by the hands of the author. I can feel Janie's quiet desperation to remain loyal to a father slowly going mad. I can empathize with Sarah in her pleas to both her husband and herself, attempting to maintain a fragile balance of trust and love. I can watch in dismay a crumbling relationship between Hyde and Kayla, the narrative carefully time-jumping scenes to flesh out why their love eventually fails. Finally, I can see where William found his muse, his arrogance, and his desperation to create his opus to the world in his theater, riding on the firm belief that he is supported by Divine Purpose.
Maybe it's simply due to the lack of exposure I've had to this genre. Maybe it's because of the tropes and pitfalls characters in science fiction and fantasy easily succumb to. But I don't frequently see an author expose to his readers the kind of talent that I found in The Brandywine Prophet. Very, very few, in fact, and those authors are placed on the very first and foremost of my bookshelf.
Don't take my word for it. Please. Read this for yourself. Read the opus of Mr. Vander Ark and make that call on your own. I would imagine you find yourself feeling the same way.
~Ken
The Brandywine Prophet was the first recommended to me, by both the author himself and the overwhelming positive response it has received from its readerbase. I was warned that it was a long read, but definitely worth it. So, hiking up my big-boy reading pants, I began my journey into the Brandywine neighborhood.
Now, I will admit: I normally don't read Fiction. That is to say, I'm kind of a sci-fi/fantasy nerd. So in reading this and realizing halfway through this was probably not going to include either of those elements, I hesitated in continuing... for about ten seconds. If that.
Jake has a talent, my friends. This book, containing divine inspiration, familial bonding, trust, and betrayal, is perhaps one of the most intricately woven tales I've had the extreme privilege to read. And I do not claim this lightly. Each character is fleshed out with enough nuance and development that there's no need to suspend any disbelief in their behavior. They act HUMAN. The emotions experienced and decisions made are carefully crafted and woven throughout the narrative by the hands of the author. I can feel Janie's quiet desperation to remain loyal to a father slowly going mad. I can empathize with Sarah in her pleas to both her husband and herself, attempting to maintain a fragile balance of trust and love. I can watch in dismay a crumbling relationship between Hyde and Kayla, the narrative carefully time-jumping scenes to flesh out why their love eventually fails. Finally, I can see where William found his muse, his arrogance, and his desperation to create his opus to the world in his theater, riding on the firm belief that he is supported by Divine Purpose.
Maybe it's simply due to the lack of exposure I've had to this genre. Maybe it's because of the tropes and pitfalls characters in science fiction and fantasy easily succumb to. But I don't frequently see an author expose to his readers the kind of talent that I found in The Brandywine Prophet. Very, very few, in fact, and those authors are placed on the very first and foremost of my bookshelf.
Don't take my word for it. Please. Read this for yourself. Read the opus of Mr. Vander Ark and make that call on your own. I would imagine you find yourself feeling the same way.
~Ken
November 4, 2012
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy for review
Jake Vander Ark's latest novel in his Blank Canvas Series, The Brandywine Prophet, is the first adult novel I've read by him. Eye-opening, occasionally unnerving, and with a disturbingly intriguing protagonist, Vander Ark's latest is an exploration of the dangers of creativity and the human existence. Written in a near-omniscient style, yet maintaining William, the protagonist, as the main focus of the novel, The Brandywine Prophet is an interesting little book.
The novel is laced with the occasional red herring. Whereas other novels may adopt the use of red herrings, they are very rarely as effective as Vander Ark's false leads and spoilers. The reader will think that s/he knows everything there is to know about the story. Heck, s/he might even think that the story is predictable.
Wrong.
The beauty of red herrings is that they are rarely used, which I find tends to lull the reader into a false sense of security. I love that Vander Ark uses the possibility of having a slightly predictable novel and turns it into something completely unpredictable.
This unpredictability helps the characters grow or wither (depending on their situations) effectively. The reader often learns truths and falses as the characters do. Most importantly though, the reader sees how characters bond, or fall apart thanks to Vander Ark's somewhat sadistic twists and turns. And I mean that as a compliment, since he obviously has a great grasp of what makes his characters tick.
The two negatives that I could not ignore in The Brandywine Prophet, however, was the occasional lack of editing, and the sometimes slow pace of the story. Though definitely a book to read if you've read Vander Ark's previous works in this series, I found the editing to be weaker than in his other novels and the story was a bit harder to get into.
But keep in mind: once the story picks up, it doesn't relent--in fact, the slow pacing mostly occurs in the first half of the novel. If you stick with the story until the pivotal point where William's world begins to fall apart, you will be pleasantly surprised.
As always, Vander Ark's prose is beautiful. His descriptions, metaphors, dialogue, and poignant observation of a disturbed and artistic mind is what the reader should keep an eye on.
The story itself, though very complicated at times, tells the reader that not everything is as it seems. Religion is shown as a savior for some, but as the destruction of others. The topic of God is introduced, it is pursued, questioned, abandoned--but it is never forced.
Vander Ark's latest is as much a contemporary fiction piece as it is an existential examination--if we put aside the obvious dark themes of the novel. If you've enjoyed The Accidental Siren and Lighthouse Nights, then you should consider giving The Brandywine Prophet a shot.
I received a copy for review
Jake Vander Ark's latest novel in his Blank Canvas Series, The Brandywine Prophet, is the first adult novel I've read by him. Eye-opening, occasionally unnerving, and with a disturbingly intriguing protagonist, Vander Ark's latest is an exploration of the dangers of creativity and the human existence. Written in a near-omniscient style, yet maintaining William, the protagonist, as the main focus of the novel, The Brandywine Prophet is an interesting little book.
The novel is laced with the occasional red herring. Whereas other novels may adopt the use of red herrings, they are very rarely as effective as Vander Ark's false leads and spoilers. The reader will think that s/he knows everything there is to know about the story. Heck, s/he might even think that the story is predictable.
Wrong.
The beauty of red herrings is that they are rarely used, which I find tends to lull the reader into a false sense of security. I love that Vander Ark uses the possibility of having a slightly predictable novel and turns it into something completely unpredictable.
This unpredictability helps the characters grow or wither (depending on their situations) effectively. The reader often learns truths and falses as the characters do. Most importantly though, the reader sees how characters bond, or fall apart thanks to Vander Ark's somewhat sadistic twists and turns. And I mean that as a compliment, since he obviously has a great grasp of what makes his characters tick.
The two negatives that I could not ignore in The Brandywine Prophet, however, was the occasional lack of editing, and the sometimes slow pace of the story. Though definitely a book to read if you've read Vander Ark's previous works in this series, I found the editing to be weaker than in his other novels and the story was a bit harder to get into.
But keep in mind: once the story picks up, it doesn't relent--in fact, the slow pacing mostly occurs in the first half of the novel. If you stick with the story until the pivotal point where William's world begins to fall apart, you will be pleasantly surprised.
As always, Vander Ark's prose is beautiful. His descriptions, metaphors, dialogue, and poignant observation of a disturbed and artistic mind is what the reader should keep an eye on.
The story itself, though very complicated at times, tells the reader that not everything is as it seems. Religion is shown as a savior for some, but as the destruction of others. The topic of God is introduced, it is pursued, questioned, abandoned--but it is never forced.
Vander Ark's latest is as much a contemporary fiction piece as it is an existential examination--if we put aside the obvious dark themes of the novel. If you've enjoyed The Accidental Siren and Lighthouse Nights, then you should consider giving The Brandywine Prophet a shot.
July 29, 2012
This book took me on the most twisted and insane journey I've ever been on while reading a book...and I loved every second of it! This story was constantly making me question things not only in the book, but in my own world as well. When I finished this book, I was literally speechless--something that doesn't happen to me often. My brain was still struggling to comprehend what had happened. Vander Ark never fails to have an unexpected (but perfectly executed) ending, and that is one of the things that I love about all of his books. Follow Will Carmel's journey in this epic book, and you won't be disappointed!
March 16, 2014
This book was harder for me to get into. Once I did I had a hard time putting it down. The characters were all dark to me except Chase. It made the story sad and almost like the characters were helpless. Great book though! Now I need to read a lighter story! Lol
July 30, 2012
This novel is truly amazing! It has a well thought out storyline that has left me wanting to read even more! Definitely something that I would read again and again.
September 26, 2013
Woah. I'm still trying to comprehend what I just read! That was insane and awesome :)
October 14, 2016
Where should I begin?
I finished reading this several days ago, but I’m still thinking about it. I don’t know if a book review on amazon or Goodreads can really do it justice. I feel like it’s one of those stories that should be reviewed in a literary magazine or a well-respected blog. While I was reading it, and after, I felt like starting a book club just so I’d have someone to talk to about it.
The characters are enigmatic. And they keep surprising you. Just when you think you have one figured out, a deeper exploration of their psyche tells you otherwise. The more I read, the more I concluded that Chase was the only one in the story with a functioning moral compass. It’s not that the others are unlikable or unsympathetic, just fallible in ways that sometimes leave you disappointed in them.
There are a lot of lessons here—the dangerous of self-righteousness, the vulnerability that comes with loving and trusting someone, the price of blind loyalty, the naivete of thinking you can change someone just by loving them, to name a few. You think you know how it will all come together, that the ending won’t be a surprise, but it is.
Maybe it’s just me, but Vander Ark’s characters and his exploration of them reminds me of Maragaret Atwood’s. When you read what’s going on in their minds, it feels like you’re reading someone’s diary, where they reveal all of their darkest secrets, greatest fears, and wildest hopes and dreams. It feels almost like you’re invading their privacy. You can’t help but develop and almost intimate attachment to them. Coming from me, this is high praise, as I love getting inside the complex minds of human beings, which is usually why I prefer books written from the first-person perspective. But Vander Ark doesn’t need to write something in first-person voice to utterly and completely lay bare the souls of his characters.
The book is not suspenseful in a traditional way, with lots of fast-paced action, but still found I couldn’t put it down. I just had to find out what Will was going to do next, or what would happen with Hyde and Kay’s relationship, or how deep Sarah’s devotion really ran.
I can’t wait to read his next book, which is why it really pains me to say that this book has editing issues. There were a few times when I cringed: paid spelled “payed” and piqued spelled “peaked” for example. I know this is one of the dangers of self-publishing, but it still bothers me.
I highly recommend this novel to pretty much anyone and everyone.
I finished reading this several days ago, but I’m still thinking about it. I don’t know if a book review on amazon or Goodreads can really do it justice. I feel like it’s one of those stories that should be reviewed in a literary magazine or a well-respected blog. While I was reading it, and after, I felt like starting a book club just so I’d have someone to talk to about it.
The characters are enigmatic. And they keep surprising you. Just when you think you have one figured out, a deeper exploration of their psyche tells you otherwise. The more I read, the more I concluded that Chase was the only one in the story with a functioning moral compass. It’s not that the others are unlikable or unsympathetic, just fallible in ways that sometimes leave you disappointed in them.
There are a lot of lessons here—the dangerous of self-righteousness, the vulnerability that comes with loving and trusting someone, the price of blind loyalty, the naivete of thinking you can change someone just by loving them, to name a few. You think you know how it will all come together, that the ending won’t be a surprise, but it is.
Maybe it’s just me, but Vander Ark’s characters and his exploration of them reminds me of Maragaret Atwood’s. When you read what’s going on in their minds, it feels like you’re reading someone’s diary, where they reveal all of their darkest secrets, greatest fears, and wildest hopes and dreams. It feels almost like you’re invading their privacy. You can’t help but develop and almost intimate attachment to them. Coming from me, this is high praise, as I love getting inside the complex minds of human beings, which is usually why I prefer books written from the first-person perspective. But Vander Ark doesn’t need to write something in first-person voice to utterly and completely lay bare the souls of his characters.
The book is not suspenseful in a traditional way, with lots of fast-paced action, but still found I couldn’t put it down. I just had to find out what Will was going to do next, or what would happen with Hyde and Kay’s relationship, or how deep Sarah’s devotion really ran.
I can’t wait to read his next book, which is why it really pains me to say that this book has editing issues. There were a few times when I cringed: paid spelled “payed” and piqued spelled “peaked” for example. I know this is one of the dangers of self-publishing, but it still bothers me.
I highly recommend this novel to pretty much anyone and everyone.
November 25, 2012
I received this book through a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
(5, 6, 7, 8) Disintegrating lies, disintegrating lives. Madness simmers beneath the manicured lawns of white picket Brandywine. William Carmel, a middle-aged father and husband whose creativity was fueled and later subdued by a drug-filled youth, hears the voice of God and is divinely inspired to build an amphitheater in suburban Michigan. Is he truly hearing the voice of God, has his ambitious madness overtaken him, or is his auditory vision something else entirely? Nothing is what it seems, either in Brandywine or in the minds of the characters. Dark pasts and presents are revealed as lies unravel and families are torn apart.
It took me a little while to fully engage with this book. The slow first third coupled with the lengthy scenes comprised entirely of dialogue without speaker tags or context regretfully make me rate The Brandywine Prophet a four star instead of a five. The slow build at the beginning was remedied by the fast-paced and unexpected second half, so if you're having trouble with the beginning, stick with it. It is certainly a worthwhile read. The unpredictability of the plot was wonderful. I detected faint notes of Field of Dreams and Donnie Darko within the twisting and complex storylines, but it is still very much an original piece of art. I look forward to reading Mr. Vander Ark's other novels soon and I wish him luck in the further pursuit of his own creative madness.
(5, 6, 7, 8) Disintegrating lies, disintegrating lives. Madness simmers beneath the manicured lawns of white picket Brandywine. William Carmel, a middle-aged father and husband whose creativity was fueled and later subdued by a drug-filled youth, hears the voice of God and is divinely inspired to build an amphitheater in suburban Michigan. Is he truly hearing the voice of God, has his ambitious madness overtaken him, or is his auditory vision something else entirely? Nothing is what it seems, either in Brandywine or in the minds of the characters. Dark pasts and presents are revealed as lies unravel and families are torn apart.
It took me a little while to fully engage with this book. The slow first third coupled with the lengthy scenes comprised entirely of dialogue without speaker tags or context regretfully make me rate The Brandywine Prophet a four star instead of a five. The slow build at the beginning was remedied by the fast-paced and unexpected second half, so if you're having trouble with the beginning, stick with it. It is certainly a worthwhile read. The unpredictability of the plot was wonderful. I detected faint notes of Field of Dreams and Donnie Darko within the twisting and complex storylines, but it is still very much an original piece of art. I look forward to reading Mr. Vander Ark's other novels soon and I wish him luck in the further pursuit of his own creative madness.
Want to Read
February 7, 2014{Feb 7, 2014} UPDATE
GAAAAAH. I still want to read this one. I really miss reading Jake Vander Ark books. Like seriously now... ;=;
FYI: Will probably end up rereading the other two again at this rate. GAAAAAAAAHASDFGHJKL.
GAAAAAH. I still want to read this one. I really miss reading Jake Vander Ark books. Like seriously now... ;=;
FYI: Will probably end up rereading the other two again at this rate. GAAAAAAAAHASDFGHJKL.
July 29, 2012
Amazing. "The Brandywine Prophet" is breath-takingly beautiful. This novel has definitely kept me up into the darkest hours of the night. Simply and utterly amazing!
October 13, 2021
Worth the read
It took a while for me to really get into this book after the prologue, but I'm really glad I kept with it. The characters were very dynamic, and I honestly enjoyed how everything just slowly went off the rails. I never quite knew where things were going, at some points it was difficult to tell what was real and what was imagined within the story, but I think that it gives some valuable perspective on mental illness.
I found several typos in the kindle version of the book, nothing that detracted from the story but enough that I made a mental note of it.
Overall I'm happy to have found this author's work. This is the third book I've read from him and haven't been disappointed yet.
It took a while for me to really get into this book after the prologue, but I'm really glad I kept with it. The characters were very dynamic, and I honestly enjoyed how everything just slowly went off the rails. I never quite knew where things were going, at some points it was difficult to tell what was real and what was imagined within the story, but I think that it gives some valuable perspective on mental illness.
I found several typos in the kindle version of the book, nothing that detracted from the story but enough that I made a mental note of it.
Overall I'm happy to have found this author's work. This is the third book I've read from him and haven't been disappointed yet.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews