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Newhope
Newhope is a quiet, religious farming community where no one locks their doors. There has never been a murder in its 200 year history – until now. The savage slaying of a pregnant girl sets off a chain reaction that will eventually reveal something no one could ever imagine.Set in a timeline of over a thousand years with strong female seers who will stop at nothing to achieve their goals,
Newhope is the story of a constant struggle between good and evil.
Get ready for the biggest twist since 'Sixth Sense' and please don’t spoil the secret!
Newhope is the story of a constant struggle between good and evil.
Get ready for the biggest twist since 'Sixth Sense' and please don’t spoil the secret!
334 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 15, 2018
About the author
Ed Morawski
39 books46 followersMy books do not always fit into established genres - most of them have elements of sci-fi, mystery, crime, action, and especially - romance. I will warn that my idea of 'romance' is not typical, but more along the lines of strong women and men making sacrifices for them.
While my books are not a series in any sense of the word, many are connected through characters and events. I will also say I strive for realism and logic. My books are never fantasy, but rooted in what is actually possible,
I invite you along for the ride and hope it will be memorable.
While my books are not a series in any sense of the word, many are connected through characters and events. I will also say I strive for realism and logic. My books are never fantasy, but rooted in what is actually possible,
I invite you along for the ride and hope it will be memorable.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 3, 2023
I didn’t know what to expect when I first read this book, wary that it would be overly religious from the blurb.
The book starts strong, we are thrust right into action, and it’s easy to read. There is a murder in what seems like a peaceful small town where crime is unheard of and everything is meticulously orderly. At least that was what I was prepared for a few chapters, then something, a very weirdly worded proposal, threw me off.
I will try to keep this vague and brief, but warning not to read ahead if we want to experience this book fully.
There are times when I thought the book ventures around the territory of Louis Lowry (The Giver), which I am not a fan of. Fortunately, it has a much more satisfactory conclusion, and the journey to get there is both fascinating and weird in a good way. I didn’t expect the span of the period, the way characters come and go, and what I thought would be a repetitive circle turns out to be different. I like how it’s built up, the mystery behind everything, and how the story is told. Even though I don’t have answers to all my questions, and there are some questionable things, they don’t interfere with the reading experience. I would say that there is realism, despite how unlikely, in the tale. The diversity and religion touches are not over the top, yet the author is daring enough. Jewel is something very realistic in our current world as a unification metaphor. It may or may not last long.
Overall, this is an unusual read, but I really enjoy the creativity and everything that is put together until the last page.
The book starts strong, we are thrust right into action, and it’s easy to read. There is a murder in what seems like a peaceful small town where crime is unheard of and everything is meticulously orderly. At least that was what I was prepared for a few chapters, then something, a very weirdly worded proposal, threw me off.
I will try to keep this vague and brief, but warning not to read ahead if we want to experience this book fully.
There are times when I thought the book ventures around the territory of Louis Lowry (The Giver), which I am not a fan of. Fortunately, it has a much more satisfactory conclusion, and the journey to get there is both fascinating and weird in a good way. I didn’t expect the span of the period, the way characters come and go, and what I thought would be a repetitive circle turns out to be different. I like how it’s built up, the mystery behind everything, and how the story is told. Even though I don’t have answers to all my questions, and there are some questionable things, they don’t interfere with the reading experience. I would say that there is realism, despite how unlikely, in the tale. The diversity and religion touches are not over the top, yet the author is daring enough. Jewel is something very realistic in our current world as a unification metaphor. It may or may not last long.
Overall, this is an unusual read, but I really enjoy the creativity and everything that is put together until the last page.
December 3, 2019
I received a free copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
When I finished this novel, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Not because it was a bad read, though. Sure, I found a few technical mistakes, but there were few and I hardly noticed them. Otherwise, it was well edited.
No, the reason I needed a few days to mull over my thoughts is because this book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. And just when I was getting comfortable with the direction of the story, it took a sharp swerve. This wasn’t a bad thing in the slightest, but I haven’t had a book do this to me in quite some time. I enjoyed it a lot.
This story was such an interesting look into a confined populace over a thousand years through (mostly) the eyes of one family. The special trait this line of women has was unexpected, and I wish there was a bit more explanation as to why the people of Newhope had it. Was it divine intervention? Were they all selected because they had the trait for it? It just seems odd to me that out of all the people that manifest by the end of the book, this select group are the only ones that have it. But this detail doesn’t upset me. Its answer would enrich the story, but the story isn’t lacking without it.
Though there are a lot of characters that are cycled through, they aren’t hard to get invested in, and I loved seeing what the shifts in society over the centuries did to these people. How small occurrences blew up into huge events was realistic and sometimes chilling to read about it. Given the right components, some of this stuff could happen in real life.
The setting is perfect for all that happens. It’s small and secluded, but also big enough to create the perfect amount of tension. It’s even better when the truth of everything comes out. The author put a lot of thought into how specific components would need to operate for the crux of the story to work.
My biggest complaint is with the ending. It’s not rushed, and there is a lot of set up prior to it happening, so it doesn’t come out of left field. Yet, I think it could have been more exciting. It was such a huge hurdle to overcome, but it was handled with minimal effort and sacrifice. The ending didn’t go out with the pow! I was looking for, though it does work with the tone of the novel.
Sci-fi isn’t my go-to genre, but I’m glad I gave this novel a shot. It reminds me a lot of the old The Twilight Zone episodes, and I love them. This book is a solid 4 stars, and I can’t recommend it enough.
When I finished this novel, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Not because it was a bad read, though. Sure, I found a few technical mistakes, but there were few and I hardly noticed them. Otherwise, it was well edited.
No, the reason I needed a few days to mull over my thoughts is because this book was nothing like I thought it was going to be. And just when I was getting comfortable with the direction of the story, it took a sharp swerve. This wasn’t a bad thing in the slightest, but I haven’t had a book do this to me in quite some time. I enjoyed it a lot.
This story was such an interesting look into a confined populace over a thousand years through (mostly) the eyes of one family. The special trait this line of women has was unexpected, and I wish there was a bit more explanation as to why the people of Newhope had it. Was it divine intervention? Were they all selected because they had the trait for it? It just seems odd to me that out of all the people that manifest by the end of the book, this select group are the only ones that have it. But this detail doesn’t upset me. Its answer would enrich the story, but the story isn’t lacking without it.
Though there are a lot of characters that are cycled through, they aren’t hard to get invested in, and I loved seeing what the shifts in society over the centuries did to these people. How small occurrences blew up into huge events was realistic and sometimes chilling to read about it. Given the right components, some of this stuff could happen in real life.
The setting is perfect for all that happens. It’s small and secluded, but also big enough to create the perfect amount of tension. It’s even better when the truth of everything comes out. The author put a lot of thought into how specific components would need to operate for the crux of the story to work.
My biggest complaint is with the ending. It’s not rushed, and there is a lot of set up prior to it happening, so it doesn’t come out of left field. Yet, I think it could have been more exciting. It was such a huge hurdle to overcome, but it was handled with minimal effort and sacrifice. The ending didn’t go out with the pow! I was looking for, though it does work with the tone of the novel.
Sci-fi isn’t my go-to genre, but I’m glad I gave this novel a shot. It reminds me a lot of the old The Twilight Zone episodes, and I love them. This book is a solid 4 stars, and I can’t recommend it enough.
February 4, 2025
What seems at the beginning to be a murder mystery becomes much more as events unfold quickly, with a greater mystery behind the townsfolk of Newhope and their apparently serene existence.
The characters were interesting, but with the story spanning so much time, I felt like I didn't really get to know several of them. Still the story moved at a good pace, with a deliciously ominous feeling that important secrets lurked in the background. It kept me reading, wondering what was going to happen when those secrets became known. And boy, when they did...! There were good twists, and although I figured out a couple before they were revealed, I enjoyed how the story got there and all that was involved.
There were a few technical issues, little hiccups in the story's flow that caused minor confusion, resolved by re-reading the affected section. Small blips in an otherwise truly entertaining story.
Overall, this is a riveting tale of a civilization and its citizens operating under various rules, such as a religion-based culture and one based on fantasy and magic. It was interesting to see how the differences played out against the backdrop of the secrets behind Newhope and the ultimate direction the story took. An engaging read!
4.5 stars rounded up
(I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.)
The characters were interesting, but with the story spanning so much time, I felt like I didn't really get to know several of them. Still the story moved at a good pace, with a deliciously ominous feeling that important secrets lurked in the background. It kept me reading, wondering what was going to happen when those secrets became known. And boy, when they did...! There were good twists, and although I figured out a couple before they were revealed, I enjoyed how the story got there and all that was involved.
There were a few technical issues, little hiccups in the story's flow that caused minor confusion, resolved by re-reading the affected section. Small blips in an otherwise truly entertaining story.
Overall, this is a riveting tale of a civilization and its citizens operating under various rules, such as a religion-based culture and one based on fantasy and magic. It was interesting to see how the differences played out against the backdrop of the secrets behind Newhope and the ultimate direction the story took. An engaging read!
4.5 stars rounded up
(I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.)
May 18, 2020
A thought-provoking look at different philosophies, morals and beliefs over thousands of years.
I received a free copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Newhope tells the multi-generational story of a community controlled in minute detail by a high priestess. The book spans thousands of years during which we see the passage of different philosophies, morals and beliefs, and the drawbacks and benefits of each of them. They are all very pertinent to our own world, and thus thought provoking.
Due to the scope of the story, it is impossible to connect with any of the characters. They are not developed in any depth, and instead just feel like pawns in a vast game, which is skimmed over very quickly. The point is the game itself. Being a character driven reader, that was an adjustment for me. I found myself in the beginning getting involved with the murder and the peacekeepers, only to be forced to move on from them very quickly. Having said that, I found myself drawn most to the character of high priestess, Chloe. It seemed like she had more spunk and personality than the others.
There were missing words, typos, and some awkward use of tense throughout the book, which took me out of the story when I encountered it. It would have benefited from another round of proofreading.
While I admire the ambition in writing a book of this scope, there were times it felt very repetitive. Large chunks of words were copied and pasted in subsequent generations. I understand this was done to show history repeating itself, but it made the reading tedious. A retelling with different words would have been more enjoyable to read than a copy and paste.
I received a free copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Newhope tells the multi-generational story of a community controlled in minute detail by a high priestess. The book spans thousands of years during which we see the passage of different philosophies, morals and beliefs, and the drawbacks and benefits of each of them. They are all very pertinent to our own world, and thus thought provoking.
Due to the scope of the story, it is impossible to connect with any of the characters. They are not developed in any depth, and instead just feel like pawns in a vast game, which is skimmed over very quickly. The point is the game itself. Being a character driven reader, that was an adjustment for me. I found myself in the beginning getting involved with the murder and the peacekeepers, only to be forced to move on from them very quickly. Having said that, I found myself drawn most to the character of high priestess, Chloe. It seemed like she had more spunk and personality than the others.
There were missing words, typos, and some awkward use of tense throughout the book, which took me out of the story when I encountered it. It would have benefited from another round of proofreading.
While I admire the ambition in writing a book of this scope, there were times it felt very repetitive. Large chunks of words were copied and pasted in subsequent generations. I understand this was done to show history repeating itself, but it made the reading tedious. A retelling with different words would have been more enjoyable to read than a copy and paste.
October 25, 2018
The blurb for Newhope promises ‘the biggest twist since ‘Sixth Sense’ and it also begs us not to reveal that secret. We must say the book delivers on the promise, so shall will we…
New hope is a peaceful farming community of about 60,000 people and it is clear it roots are steeped in Christianity. It also becomes slowly obvious that something is a little off about this place. For one thing the folks there think Newhope is the center of the universe. Heck they think Newhope is the whole world.
And it gradually gets weirder from there. The trouble starts with a gruesome murder of a woman with child and that event seems to fire off a chain reaction that spirals out of control over the next thousand years. The book is cleverly written and everything means something. For instance, pay close attention to the chapter headings…
What sets ‘Newhope’ apart we think are the characters. This is really a character driven story and there are some great ones. Caleb and Naomi are the Peacekeepers that are assigned the murder. They have a touching romance in the process. And then along come Hannah, Salome, Chloe, and Trinity to single out just a few of the most important ones. Women you will not soon forget…
Mix thoroughly with equal parts religion, mystery and the paranormal and dump in a big old ice bucket of a twist you can’t possibly see coming, that all ends up where you can never possibly expect, and my friends you are in for one sweet ride.
New hope is a peaceful farming community of about 60,000 people and it is clear it roots are steeped in Christianity. It also becomes slowly obvious that something is a little off about this place. For one thing the folks there think Newhope is the center of the universe. Heck they think Newhope is the whole world.
And it gradually gets weirder from there. The trouble starts with a gruesome murder of a woman with child and that event seems to fire off a chain reaction that spirals out of control over the next thousand years. The book is cleverly written and everything means something. For instance, pay close attention to the chapter headings…
What sets ‘Newhope’ apart we think are the characters. This is really a character driven story and there are some great ones. Caleb and Naomi are the Peacekeepers that are assigned the murder. They have a touching romance in the process. And then along come Hannah, Salome, Chloe, and Trinity to single out just a few of the most important ones. Women you will not soon forget…
Mix thoroughly with equal parts religion, mystery and the paranormal and dump in a big old ice bucket of a twist you can’t possibly see coming, that all ends up where you can never possibly expect, and my friends you are in for one sweet ride.
February 23, 2019
Newhope tells the story of a somehow hopeless community caught in a social experiment which purpose is fully revealed only close to the end. Led by a High Priestess or Caretaker - depending on which phase of development they are going through - Newhope people pass from atheistic, religious, paranormal and again atheistic phases in a matter of one or two generations. And of course, apart of the leader, no one knows what really happens in the community. Please keep in mind that the ‘experiment’ is going for more than a thousand years, and characters change with each generation, so the focus is more on plot than character development. In many aspects, the novel resembles a software experiment: If Naomi 1 and Caleb 1 Then Crime 1. If Naomi 2 and Caleb 2 Then Crime 2. If High Priestess 1 Then Action 1, and so on.
In the end, the novel looks a lot like the allegory of the jewel wasp that is presented close to the end. We have a first body of the story, then the author injects a new seed that grows into a very different story, and we finally learn what this experiment is about.
In the end, the novel looks a lot like the allegory of the jewel wasp that is presented close to the end. We have a first body of the story, then the author injects a new seed that grows into a very different story, and we finally learn what this experiment is about.
January 7, 2019
Interesting Plot-Driven Concept Sci-Fi
There are very few books around today which are concept driven rather than character-driven, even in the realm of science fiction where the genre itself is focused on futuristic concepts. 'Newhope' is an exception to this. It is concept driven over and above all else and if delivers on that very strongly. It starts with a murder happening in an idealised religious community but the plot moves quickly on and the generational shifts take the reader ever further into the complexity of it.
The downside, however, is that other aspects of the book are not always so well formed as I might wish. I found the characters were relatable, but not so in-depth as I would have liked. If you enjoy character-driven fiction this is not one for you. The writing style was also one I struggled with in places.
Overall, a good read for anyone seeking a different science-fiction read who enjoys plot-derive, concept sci-fi.
There are very few books around today which are concept driven rather than character-driven, even in the realm of science fiction where the genre itself is focused on futuristic concepts. 'Newhope' is an exception to this. It is concept driven over and above all else and if delivers on that very strongly. It starts with a murder happening in an idealised religious community but the plot moves quickly on and the generational shifts take the reader ever further into the complexity of it.
The downside, however, is that other aspects of the book are not always so well formed as I might wish. I found the characters were relatable, but not so in-depth as I would have liked. If you enjoy character-driven fiction this is not one for you. The writing style was also one I struggled with in places.
Overall, a good read for anyone seeking a different science-fiction read who enjoys plot-derive, concept sci-fi.
December 19, 2018
I was blown away by the futuristic world that Mr Morawski has created in ‘Newhope’. This is a place of heightened compliance with religious rituals, short birthing seasons and little crime. That is until a suspected murder and this changes everything.
The big reveal, which comes three quarters of the way through the story is a good one and I didn’t see it coming (no spoilers here).
I sat down on a Sunday afternoon, intending to read just a couple of chapters, and the day disappeared as I devoured this book.
It is well written, imaginative and exciting.
Well done, Mr Morawski.
The big reveal, which comes three quarters of the way through the story is a good one and I didn’t see it coming (no spoilers here).
I sat down on a Sunday afternoon, intending to read just a couple of chapters, and the day disappeared as I devoured this book.
It is well written, imaginative and exciting.
Well done, Mr Morawski.
September 10, 2024
Interesting story with a twist.
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2023
For a while, I didn't know how to think about the story. At first, I was caught off-guard by the unusually written nature of the story, where there was a religion-based society named New Hope, always concerned about its population control in the future. It was toward the ending that I thought the story became better after the plot twist.
Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2023
For a while, I didn't know how to think about the story. At first, I was caught off-guard by the unusually written nature of the story, where there was a religion-based society named New Hope, always concerned about its population control in the future. It was toward the ending that I thought the story became better after the plot twist.
April 2, 2020
This book was unlike any other I have read. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect as every few chapters the plot changed and went off in a different direction than I imagined. I don’t want to ruin anything but I will say you won’t see the ending coming!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews