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An Apology to Lucifer

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Father Thomas Morelli thought he knew the story behind Lucifer’s fall from Heaven. However, upon making the acquaintance of renowned book authenticator Lorenza Pellegrini and being invited to stay in the opulent Venice villa belonging to her “master,” Thomas discovers he has only heard part of the story.

In Boston, psychoanalyst, best-selling author, and outspoken atheist David Wright has been tasked to handle the funeral arrangements for his dear friend Albert Kennedy. What could have driven this controversial exorcist to take his own life? The answer, it seems, is contained in a tome that isn’t supposed to exist.

Joining forces, Lorenza, David, and Thomas must race against time to prevent an ancient battle from reigniting.

About the Authors:
Wayne E. and Sean P. Haley are a father and son. Wayne is a retired University of California administrator who has been writing for pleasure for thirty-five years. Wayne spends most of his free time with his amazing wife, Kathleen, walking the beaches and writing near his home in Hawaii. Sean Haley has spent the past twenty-working for two prominent Southern California investment firms. Now living outside of Los Angeles, Sean spends much of his free time with his wonderful wife, Kristy, and their blended family of five children - usually shuttling them to various activities and sporting events.

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2022

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5 stars
157 (43%)
4 stars
111 (30%)
3 stars
64 (17%)
2 stars
22 (6%)
1 star
10 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Jacque.
998 reviews22 followers
March 23, 2022
Huh. Now that was a curiously interesting book. An Apology to Lucifer was not what I expected. It has this supernatural, mystery, church historical vibe to it that you would think would be a strange combination, but in reality, complimented each other very well.

Although sometimes I found the plot sometimes a little dry as certain aspects unfolded, you know those necessary backstories that need to occur so you can later on think ‘AHA! That’s why that happened!’. That’s where I hit a point where all the build-up eventually hooked me in. I’m normally not a giant history reader. In fact, I tend to stay far away from it. The authors definitely found a way to make it interesting for me and had me curious, so curious that I had to keep reminding myself this was a piece of fiction. That was the tricky part of the book, to not get completely lured in and forget it is fiction.

The characters are completely likable, and I found them to be well fleshed out. Some almost have this mysterious edge to them and I was constantly guessing what their ulterior motive was. Even the books in the stories were characters of their own with the details of their making and their contents.

Towards the end, I was just unable to An Apology to Lucifer down. I can definitely see church purists not liking this book at all as the authors re-write history and create something totally unexpected. Or shall I say, unorthodox. It really is a book to make you think. But do remember, it IS a piece of fiction. Wink-wink!


Stars: 4
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for C.J. Wills.
75 reviews15 followers
February 27, 2022
An apology to Lucifer. An excellent novel taking the reader from one end of the spectrum to the other. Not knowing what to expect from this very well written book, I jumped right in with no expectations.

What I found was an amazing story with plenty of twist and turns along the way. Any fan of Rome, the Catholic Church and it's history as well as fans of the mythos of demonology are going to really, really enjoy this one. It has the feel of The Davinci Code books but in its own unique way and style.

The two authors must have done a massive amount of research or are either fans of the subject matter as I am. So if your interest is peaked, well hands down you should pick up a copy and enjoy it as much as i think you will!!

This book was very adventurous as well as mysterious. Intense in some moments as well as heart felt in others. I enjoyed the characters as well as their growth. This book was excellent and I could go on and on about how much I enjoyed it!!!
2 reviews
February 8, 2022
Excellent debut from this father-son author team. It's a supernatural thriller set primarily in Venice, Italy and filled with religious intrigue. The authors have created a highly readable and richly evocative story that is hard to put down. It is reminiscent of the works or Deborah Harkness or Dan Brown with central characters which I hope they will bring back in a future book.
Profile Image for Abbella DiNoto.
403 reviews13 followers
August 2, 2022
>is there a part two ? You can’t end it there? I hate cliffy’s especially since I bought this book.

I typically read for a few hours before bed I stayed up til 3 am to finish this book could not put down I tried went to bed, then got back up.. I needed answer and they would not wait till the next evening

I enjoyed this book it was an amazing ride of fact, fantasy, and dogma with a very healthy dose of Vatican corruption exposure and truly fills in the blanks of the missing puzzle pieces. I’ve never understood how Lucifer Became a demon, it just never made sense obviously this author felt the same way. Whether he created the “truth” based on nag hamandi scrolls or Dead Sea scrolls or purely out of his own fantasy…I don’t care, it was brilliant yes it has a slight da Vinci code conspiratorial aura about it. AND TJUS WOULD BE A THRILLING FILM indeed I’d go see it! . I was a tad disappointed in who “the MASTER” & the Priest “Thomas” turned out to be. the blurb for some reason made me think the master was a vampire or Judas turned vampire or mr. Lucy.. and then Thomas was not who he seemed to be he reminded me of father kurnan from movie stigmata. (I wonder if that was whom inspired the author) but when he turned out to be someone else, honestly I was a teeny bit disappointed. It would have been more thrilling if he had had been ordinary, thrust into the extraordinary instead of an extraordinary who had forgotten, who he really was. but that final battle scene was epic! I felt like I could truly see this in a film! And then you just had to go and do it didn’t you? Shame on you!

“Lucifer my son, there is something I need to tell you.”

What? What? What? It ended there it can’t end there! There better be a part 2, and soon . Btw I am an arc reader.. and an alpha reader for several authors. I would love to be one for you SEAN P. HALEY? I give honest full, reviews. And I’m actually really good at pointing out continuity issues. I catch things others do not. Not that you had any continuity issues. this was a well formed book, and you had best have a part two and not just leave me dangling free on a branch waiting to crash or climb. lol
I wanna climb! Part two? Book two? Soon? answers please.
Profile Image for Barry.
41 reviews6 followers
May 30, 2022
All I can say is I Loved This Novel! The suspense and mystery of the storyline held me in thrall and what an ending. This is one story you cannot miss 👍
Profile Image for Ann Frizzell.
68 reviews4 followers
November 23, 2022
I am a sucker for this type of book; not just the bible, but all forms of esoteric practices, angels, demons, extraordinary humans of faith and heart, old texts....good vs evil. Ah yes. What's not to like?
1 review
March 17, 2022
Short but well paced and engaging

Good read. Wish it had been just a bit longer. Interesting premise. I would have appreciated more back story on the original conflict, but I enjoyed the story.
2 reviews
June 6, 2022
Fantastic! If you liked The Da Vinci Code, you’ll love this!
3 reviews
September 21, 2024
Davinci Code written by a 3rd grader. Not worth the read
Profile Image for Joyce.
1,831 reviews41 followers
March 21, 2022
206 pages

Debut

5 stars

Father Thomas Morelli, scholar and professor, is currently researching the life of Girodano Bruno. Centuries earlier the Church branded him a heretic and he was put to death. Thomas is out to clear his name and convince the Church to retract their opinion of him. He is working in Venice when he is approached by a woman and elects to follow her to her “Master’s” home. There he finds a stupendous library, complete with books that he didn’t know still existed. He stays for some time studying the collection. Bruno had remarkable insight into the workings of the universe.

Lorenza Pellegrini, who also is associated with the “Master,” meets Dr. David Wright shortly after the suicide of Father Albert Kennedy. Father Kennedy was an exorcist, one of few. He became tormented by the demons he had faced in his work. He left a very special book to David upon his death. Lorenza has been looking for the book.

Together, they fly to Venice, with the book. They are detained at the airport by an official who demands the book. He claims it was removed without permission from the Vatican Archives. He says they want it back. David hands it over. Lorenza is puzzled at his reaction. David tells her he was bored on the flight from Boston, so he photographed every page in the book on his cell phone.

During a lavish dinner, The trio finally meet the “Master:” Angelo Michele Dominico. Father Thomas is certain he has met the man before.

Dinner discussion is about angels and demons, God and Lucifer. It is very thought provoking.

Keep an eye on Cardinal Zimmerman. He’s a bad one. He knows not what he is doing.

This book is literally mind expanding. It is wonderful and terrible all at once. Well written, great dialogue, engaging characters and excellently plotted, this book is a true gem. If you like books about the supernatural fight between good and evil, this book is for you. I really like the way the authors laid out this story. If the reader is able to suspend their doubts, it is believable. At the very least, it is food for thought.

I want to thank NetGalley and DX Varos for forwarding to me a copy of this most remarkable book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.
6 reviews
August 30, 2022
I was really looking forward to this one but was flustered by the writing, editing and most of all- pacing.

Let me start with the good: the premise of this novel is strong. The authors took the (likely) most well-known good vs. evil battle and put a novel spin on it. I also appreciated the fact that the authors expanded the Hollywood version of Christianity's demonology to include some less familiar faces and elements from other religions and ancient cultures.

Where things fell short, for me, was the actual execution. The editing was awful (not the writers' fault, but the publisher should do better); full of missing punctuation and basic writing elements that make it possible for the reader to understand the flow of the story.

More importantly, the story is hard to believe (and no, I don't mean the stuff about angels and demons). The characters behave in ways that make little to no sense. For example, going abroad with a woman you just met and know next to nothing about? Crazy. Telling your entire life story, including intimate details about your romantic life to a stranger on an airplane? No woman in her right mind would ever do that. Stay at a house with complete strangers and a freaking LEOPARD, without so much as slight hesitation??? What???

Even if I could take on faith that these people are just going with it, not just to advance the plot, the plot... barely moves. 200 pages hardly anything happens. There are maybe 2-3 spooky scenes that, by the way, the characters don't seem too impacted by, but nothing really to build up towards the climax. The dialogue is also kind of a slog; a lot of it could have been described in a sentence (like, instead of individual greetings at a dinner party, "the host greeted guests" would suffice-- it's a pedestrian interaction, not something revelatory).

All in all, it seems like a solid first draft, but the novel needs a lot of work. I suspect it would work better as a film or miniseries.
35 reviews
June 9, 2023
An apology to Lucifer appears to be a really interesting book based off of the description. I am a horror book fanatic, and so a story about a priest who had to end his own life because of the harassment he faced from demons seemed interesting. however, a large percentage of this book is setting up the final scene without much other dynamic behavior from the characters in the meantime. and the final scene is incredibly disappointing. This book ends with some basic storytelling. the book has multiple parts where punctuation and proofreading errors are apparent and the end climax of the book is entirely childish, and some thing that a brand new, creative writer that is a freshman in college would come up with. It was not an interesting twist at the end was not interesting overall this book was a letdown.
329 reviews2 followers
March 2, 2022
Wow!

What a concept! If you are someone who must have all your religion exactly as it appears in the bible, this book is not for you. This re-writing of creation is so very clever, you almost wish God had taken notes. I will not spoil it for anyone. Suffice it to say that this is both the beginning and end of the world as no one else has ever imagined it, and well worth the reading. It was totally mind-blowing!. I couldn't stop reading once I started. I finished in one night!
64 reviews1 follower
May 16, 2022
An Apology to Lucifer

Apology to Lucifer is an amazing book. It gives new meaning to the battle of the angels especially Michael and Lucifer. The Vatican has long held secrets and this might be an explanation for the fall of Lucifer- very different than what the Church wants us to believe. It is a well written and well researched story that is very believable. It has a lot of history, and a lot of action, and even some hope for mankind.
Profile Image for Bek.
162 reviews8 followers
August 17, 2024
This book sounded great… but the writing fell really flat.

The premise is what initially drew me in, but the entire story built up for the final twist, and the execution of how that panned out just didn’t excite me.

The actual responses and actions from the characters felt jarring by comparison to what the book was asking of them.

I really think the book could use another round of editing and fleshing out. The story has some good bones but it’s really only has that propping it up
Profile Image for Amy Lierz.
96 reviews2 followers
November 4, 2024
Picked this book up after seeing it in my facebook feed. The title was definitely an attention grabber, and I'm so glad it grabbed mine! I wasn't able to put this book down! I don't want to compare it to Dan Brown's books, but it definitely has that vibe. The authors may be newer, but they have nailed these characters and the story line. It will definitely give the reader some food for thought while you're on this adventure.
Profile Image for Irene.
1,140 reviews15 followers
March 29, 2022
An Apology to Lucifer by Wayne E. Haley & Sean P. Haley The story kept up the interest and the curiosity as to the motives of the people involved. Very well written with engaging characters and though provoking conversations. A fast paced page turner with a unique premise.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.
9 reviews
April 4, 2022
The interesting title and simple cover art peaked my interest, but the story left me feeling a bit indifferent. I wish the authors had elaborated on the backstory and spent a little more time developing the characters. Overall, it was a decent story to take up a rainy afternoon but I doubt it will be a story I carry with me.
9 reviews
May 11, 2022
Literary Masterpiece!

There are no words within the human language to describe this book, this work of art, this literary masterpiece. I was thoroughly enthralled from the beginning and completely enraptured by the very end. I purchased the Kindle version and now must have the hardcopy to be able to hold it within my hands and turn each page. Absolutely Astounding!
143 reviews9 followers
October 8, 2024
Lucifer We Misjudged You

This was a very moving and exciting book. I had recently started delving deeper into the truth about Lucifer. His intentions were not Evil. He was instilled in us through religion to be a Dark Entity and fear him. I see that was so wrong! Lucifer I am Sorry! Thank you so much.
Profile Image for Johanna.
18 reviews
January 23, 2025
Que delicia de viaje con este libro, caray!
Será que amo las historias bíblicas y la guerra entre el bien y el mal… puede ser. Y aunque en algunos momentos me faltó más sustancia en la historia, siento que el final fue bastante conmovedor. Me quedé con ganas de seguir leyendo a sus autores y eso ya dice bastante de la calidad de un libro.
Bravo!
50 reviews1 follower
February 19, 2025
This book has great potential. Some of the passages were rather like reading someone's dossier file. More back and forth conversation would have been nice. Quotation marks were thrown around willy nilly, never entirely sure where they were supposed to be. This story is a good 1st draft to me. It needs to be flushed out quite a bit and the "love" element needs to go. It's way too forced.
Profile Image for Samantha  Hehr.
318 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2022
For fans of The Lucifer Diaries, and anything by Dan Brown or The Magdalene Deception. A fast paced thriller where a war in heaven finds its way to modern Venice, and where rare book enthusiasts race against Catholic Cardinals to uncover its secrets.

Needs some fine tuning and editing
15 reviews
May 25, 2022
Great story

I was hoping there would be a part 2!!! I love the Dan Brown books, and books like it, and this one was right up there. Great story from page one he had me enthralled. I would love to read more!! Definitely recommend
Profile Image for Jim.
572 reviews19 followers
October 2, 2022
This is an interesting exploration of the constant struggle between good and evil...did the devil make me do it?
Truth and belief again are the topics, and the author really doesn't resolve the issue.
I enjoyed the banter and the intrigue...I kind, sorta wish there was a sequel....I'll check.
Profile Image for Annalise Clark.
Author 41 books41 followers
February 9, 2023
A great read! I love books about angels, Lucifer, etc. and this one had a unique, refreshing take on the story of Lucifer, along with some unexpected twists and turns. I loved it and can't wait to read more from these authors.
Profile Image for Michael Wells.
1,078 reviews6 followers
August 31, 2024
Lucifer

This is a fictional story about Lucifer. I found the story very interesting as a plot revolves around a book which goes back to the beginning when Lucifer and his angels were thrown out of heaven. Recommend this book for all who like religious fiction.
36 reviews2 followers
January 30, 2025
Supernatural meets the Dark Vinci code

Enjoyable but it seemed like it started strong and then got tired of writing and ended it quickly. The last 1/4 of the book feels rushed. Not bad just rushed.! Ppl
72 reviews2 followers
February 20, 2025
One of the best books that I've ever read

This book is absolutely amazing! I don't know how to explain it without giving anything away. Completely original with a story that builds and builds until the climax. I wish that it was longer. An absolute must read!
1 review
May 1, 2025
Tried the audiobook twice, switched to the hard copy and tried that twice. Found myself wanting to grab a pencil and edit so switched back to the audiobook but never made it even halfway. Finally realized the plot is quite similar to The Dante Club, which was great. Just read that one instead.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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