THE ARRIVAL (The Unveiling Book #1) by J D Utt Snr @pastorjduttsnr

 5 GOLD stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: The author liked a post of mine on X, and I looked at his profile because I hadn't seen him before - and I saw this book.

In a Nutshell (from the blurb): 'Christian end-times fiction series written to challenge believers to think biblically about fear, survival, prophecy, and the modern UFO phenomenon.'

*

Jesus warned about great deception in the end times, and Pastor Josh Haldon recognises the power, signs and lying wonders for what they are, but he worries that nobody else can.  He knows that when the man of lawlessness arrives he will come not in flames of wrath, but as a man of peace.  A saviour, who will deceive many.  When people are desperate, they will follow the person who provides solace.

The alleged alien ships have not been in the skies for long before complete chaos ensues in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Pastor Josh finds himself battling between what is right, and what will keep his flock safe.

Whether or not you're Christian, this is an excellent piece of apocalyptic fiction.  It's very down to earth, and although Pastor Josh thinks and talks about his faith a lot it never feels 'preachy'; it's just a man trying to do what's best under terrible circumstances - aside from the fact that he doesn't believe those metal objects in the sky are filled with aliens, friendly or not.

If you are of Christian belief, and especially if you have an interest in Bible prophecy, you'll love The Arrival.  I feel this book is an important one, somehow.  Like it needs to be read by a lot of people.  I really, really want to read Book #2!

LOVE, FAIL, REPEAT Part 1: NOT SAFE by Alice Bohane

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)
On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: it was submitted to Rosie's Book Review Team, of which I am a member.

In a Nutshell: Tense domestic thriller

What an excellent piece of writing this is - I was engrossed throughout.  It concerns Genna and her husband Melchior, and their five month old baby, Jim, and begins with a tragic scene that doesn't immediately connect to the rest of the story.  I love a prologue/first chapter that's a snapshot of an event in the past or one to come; done well, it means that the reader will keep turning the pages, eager to find out more, and this was executed very well indeed.

We realise early on that Genna is deeply affected by something in her past, to the extent that many of her security habits verge on OCD, but she's aware of her idiosyncrasies, and tries to keep a hold of herself.  Her fear and anxiety is so very cleverly drawn.  Intricate domestic details run through the whole book, but it's never boring, because the undercurrent of fear and possible danger is forever present. And just when you think she's imagining it...

Events take a turn for the worrying around halfway through, and it's real edge-of-your-seat stuff.  Gripping.  By the time the story was nearing its close, I suspected everyone of everything.

This is not a long book, it's either a long novella or a short novel, but it works perfectly for the length.  It's part one of a continuing story that will be told in three books, and as such it does not wrap up neatly at the end.  Suffice to say I'll be first in the queue for Book 2.

A great read, I highly recommend.

THE FOREST DWELLERS by Judith Arnopp @juditharnopp

 5 out of 5 stars

On Amazon (universal link)

On Goodreads

How I discovered this book: one of my favourite authors, I shall eventually read them all!

The Blurb, from Amazon

When the Normans come, the people of the New Forest are persecuted, evicted from their homes and forced to live in exile from the lands Saxons have inhabited for generations. Life is hard. The Norman interlopers are hated.

Twelve years after the invasion, three Norman soldiers molest a forest girl who is fairer than any they have ever seen. Leo stops the attack in the only way he can ...violently.

His actions that day trigger a chain of events that will end only with the death of a king.

The format of this book was not what I expected, in a very good way.  The story is told from the point of view of several of the characters starting with Ælf, younger sibling of Leo.  The first half takes place over a short period of time, with much detail, and then about half way through it moves swiftly on.  This took me by surprise but I soon understood that the earlier time period had to be told in more detail to make the broader view of the second half work so well.  From about a third of the way through I was dying to know who killed William Rufus and why - when the answer arrives, it's a beautifully thought out take on a question discussed by historians for centuries.

I loved the detail about Saxon life, especially about the forest dwellers themselves.  Made me long to time travel even more than usual.  Suffice to say I was engrossed all the way through.  My favourite characters were Leo, Thurrold and Tyrell.

This is one of Judith Arnopp's earlier books, but it's all still here.  The way you know the character immediately he or she opens his mouth, the flowing storylines, the research and love for the time, the accessibility of her writing style.  Highly recommended!