What do you think?
Rate this book
Apotheosis
Death welcomes Tom Maxwell, a policeman, into the world of the afterlife. Maxwell will learn to work with the complexities of his new world, a world of a new DNA, the shock of not meeting his God, hieroglyphs and psychic power beyond his wildest dreams as a hard-boiled New York City cop finds himself tested in his faith. A heart-stopping metaphysical adventure into time, space and immortal energy, Ross Friedman’s Apotheosis is a shot of pure light into the dark horizon of science fiction.
As Science’s endless pursuit of answering the unanswerable questions never tires, Maxwell is challenged to question the intent of the questions themselves. Perhaps the endless pursuit is designed to be endless? Destiny has a design for Tom and it is a man named Ajay Mehra who will show him the way. In Daygon, the world he finds himself in, Tom is tasked to protect God’s intent while others believe that since they did not find God after their deaths, that there must not be a God and conclude that they can become Gods themselves by mastering the sciences involved in the afterlife. Friedman addresses a thorny modern question in the adversarial struggle between Insu Dong Yul, a scientist and Tom–the question of God’s existence after modern science has written him out of the equation. It reflects the seemingly endless struggle between believers and non-believers that rage on today. In entering the portals of Daygon, Apotheosis challenges the characters to have faith in God after experiencing death and not meeting God.
Tom Maxwell turns into a denizen of Daygon–and his policeman’s mind is perfect for the quest he is set on. In the ensuing philosophical, scientific, religious and physical struggle, he learns a new way of life and protects the intention of life’s very design, the way that God had intended for mankind. Apotheosis is a thinking person’s adventure book that covers scopes of beliefs of many cultures and philosophies while maintaining fast paced action; it has a love story which underscores the importance of man’s consistent error of not learning from history; and an intriguing conundrum about the afterlife, which is a test of faith, regardless of belief. It leaves readers enjoying the adventure and pondering the many questions mankind cannot answer. It will leave them wondering when Friedman will come out with his next novel.
As Science’s endless pursuit of answering the unanswerable questions never tires, Maxwell is challenged to question the intent of the questions themselves. Perhaps the endless pursuit is designed to be endless? Destiny has a design for Tom and it is a man named Ajay Mehra who will show him the way. In Daygon, the world he finds himself in, Tom is tasked to protect God’s intent while others believe that since they did not find God after their deaths, that there must not be a God and conclude that they can become Gods themselves by mastering the sciences involved in the afterlife. Friedman addresses a thorny modern question in the adversarial struggle between Insu Dong Yul, a scientist and Tom–the question of God’s existence after modern science has written him out of the equation. It reflects the seemingly endless struggle between believers and non-believers that rage on today. In entering the portals of Daygon, Apotheosis challenges the characters to have faith in God after experiencing death and not meeting God.
Tom Maxwell turns into a denizen of Daygon–and his policeman’s mind is perfect for the quest he is set on. In the ensuing philosophical, scientific, religious and physical struggle, he learns a new way of life and protects the intention of life’s very design, the way that God had intended for mankind. Apotheosis is a thinking person’s adventure book that covers scopes of beliefs of many cultures and philosophies while maintaining fast paced action; it has a love story which underscores the importance of man’s consistent error of not learning from history; and an intriguing conundrum about the afterlife, which is a test of faith, regardless of belief. It leaves readers enjoying the adventure and pondering the many questions mankind cannot answer. It will leave them wondering when Friedman will come out with his next novel.
- GenresFiction
228 pages, Paperback
First published April 24, 2013
4 people are currently reading
1544 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 27, 2019
I am going to preface this review with the disclaimer that I am a writer of nearly 12 years who has taken several courses on the subject, but I've not yet been published outside of my university's creative writing journal nor do I have my masters degree and clearly this author has/does, so what do I know? I am also going to preface this with the disclaimer that I have not read the entirety of Apotheosis, though not for lack of trying.
I know that Mr. Friedman reads these reviews and I debated whether or not to review it because I do not want to hurt any feelings, especially as a fellow writer. However, I feel that I have a duty to review the things that I read because I entered and won the giveaway, and I want to do so honestly. I have no intentions of upsetting Mr. Friedman, but I feel as if it would be doing him and potential readers a disservice not to. After all, he has already received a few low ratings aside from my own, and I want to voice why as clearly and politely as I can.
I received a copy of Apotheosis in a Goodreads giveaway. The cover art and name immediately struck me and I was very excited to read it. I also checked the topic and reviews and they seemed to indicate that this was a well-researched and well-written novel about an interesting subject.
I opened the book and read the first page, thought, "Hmmm this can't be right..." and then flipped to the last page and realized my mistake in entering this contest. What I had thought might be an opening fluke or maybe a form of stylistic humor turned out to be the exact reason I firmly advocate against authors self-publishing novels. Self-publishing firms don't want to see you succeed while publishing houses want to keep you from becoming famous, it's usually the other way around with self-publishing firms just wanting your money, time, and dignity. I know it can be exhausting and nerve-wracking when you all you want is to see your book in print and develop a loyal fan base. Waiting, perfecting your craft, and continuing to accept the heartbreaking rejections from publishers will one day lead to a "yes" and it will make you a better writer.
The main problem with this novel is that the author does too much TELLING and not enough SHOWING. Too often I felt like I was being told the premise of a story rather than the actual story itself. descriptions are unpolished, forming scattered thoughts that could be shortened for clearer understanding. In many places long strings of words could be replaced by a single term.
Most of these problems could have been corrected if the author had spent more time in the revision process. I had trouble identifying why it was taking me so long to read this short novel. The writing is very drawn-out and dislocated. It needs more variation and it needs to flow. For example, there were many sentences that jumped around or included far too much information for one sentence. Transitions should be smooth and natural rather than forced. Transitional language was also very repetitive and awkward. Descriptions ramble on, full of rough and dry language that evokes no emotion.
I have included examples to clarify what I mean and also to show the author that I'm trying to help rather than tear him down:
"'My mind is made up, sir,' he said to the president, raising an arm, motioning what would be understood as body language indicating the world 'no,' while sitting on the black granite chair that had been carved to his liking, which was located in his position at the gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension" (p. 7). This could easily have been improved by simple rewording: "My mind is made up sir," he said to the president, motioning "no" with a raised arm. Ajay sat on a black granite chair (explain here how it has been carved with descriptive words such as ornate, modern, etc.), which was parked in front of Ajay's gate - a gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension. I felt like I was being given the most unnecessarily complicated, elaborate descriptions of a man sitting on a throne and conversing with the president.
"Traveling at what seemed like a rapid pace over a long distance in a short amount of time that started in the instant of a fall..." (p. 12). Although I'm not too sure of what the author was going for here, I concluded after reading it several times that he wanted to convey a sensation similar to Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Page 228, the final page, is a blur of awkward dialogue and transitional sentences in which every character appears to be talking in unison, and the word 'as' is used too often and mostly inappropriately.
Another problem was that the dialogue of one person was often not separated from that of another which made things very confusing and paragraphs too long.
In the end, there is just too much wrong with Apotheosis to cover it in a brief review without crossing the line from stern & truthful into harsh & hurtful. I am the only one of three reviewers, it seems, to have read the book and not applauded it. I don't know why this is. Perhaps it is the fact that I have read nearly 500 books or that I am a writer myself and know what good writing is and thus am being overly judgmental and placing too much emphasis on the style. Perhaps the reviewers were friends/family of the author. Perhaps the reviewers didn't want to hurt a budding author's feelings. Perhaps the reviewers really did enjoy the novel. Like I said, I only want my review to be seen as the candid opinion of a sole member of the audience.
I will say this: I cannot comment so much on the plot of the story as the composition of it because I did not finish it. It may be an interesting philosophical concept. It may be thought-provoking and eye-opening and all those other things that the reviewers have said. It may just be - but I might never know because whatever it is, it is wrapped in such a heavy cloak of terrible stylistic decisions that this very well may be my first official DNF although I am trying doggedly to power through it. And that makes me so, so sad.
In conclusion, I am not saying that Ross Friedman will never be a good writer or that this could never be a good book. The concept was very intriguing, the characters were not poorly developed, the title was very witty and held true to the topic of the novel, and the cover was beautifully designed. I am, however, saying that Apotheosis should never have been published in its current condition and that I do not recommend it. I hope that Ross Friedman keeps developing his creative writing skills and that I do not dissuade him from his dreams in any way.
I know that Mr. Friedman reads these reviews and I debated whether or not to review it because I do not want to hurt any feelings, especially as a fellow writer. However, I feel that I have a duty to review the things that I read because I entered and won the giveaway, and I want to do so honestly. I have no intentions of upsetting Mr. Friedman, but I feel as if it would be doing him and potential readers a disservice not to. After all, he has already received a few low ratings aside from my own, and I want to voice why as clearly and politely as I can.
I received a copy of Apotheosis in a Goodreads giveaway. The cover art and name immediately struck me and I was very excited to read it. I also checked the topic and reviews and they seemed to indicate that this was a well-researched and well-written novel about an interesting subject.
I opened the book and read the first page, thought, "Hmmm this can't be right..." and then flipped to the last page and realized my mistake in entering this contest. What I had thought might be an opening fluke or maybe a form of stylistic humor turned out to be the exact reason I firmly advocate against authors self-publishing novels. Self-publishing firms don't want to see you succeed while publishing houses want to keep you from becoming famous, it's usually the other way around with self-publishing firms just wanting your money, time, and dignity. I know it can be exhausting and nerve-wracking when you all you want is to see your book in print and develop a loyal fan base. Waiting, perfecting your craft, and continuing to accept the heartbreaking rejections from publishers will one day lead to a "yes" and it will make you a better writer.
The main problem with this novel is that the author does too much TELLING and not enough SHOWING. Too often I felt like I was being told the premise of a story rather than the actual story itself. descriptions are unpolished, forming scattered thoughts that could be shortened for clearer understanding. In many places long strings of words could be replaced by a single term.
Most of these problems could have been corrected if the author had spent more time in the revision process. I had trouble identifying why it was taking me so long to read this short novel. The writing is very drawn-out and dislocated. It needs more variation and it needs to flow. For example, there were many sentences that jumped around or included far too much information for one sentence. Transitions should be smooth and natural rather than forced. Transitional language was also very repetitive and awkward. Descriptions ramble on, full of rough and dry language that evokes no emotion.
I have included examples to clarify what I mean and also to show the author that I'm trying to help rather than tear him down:
"'My mind is made up, sir,' he said to the president, raising an arm, motioning what would be understood as body language indicating the world 'no,' while sitting on the black granite chair that had been carved to his liking, which was located in his position at the gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension" (p. 7). This could easily have been improved by simple rewording: "My mind is made up sir," he said to the president, motioning "no" with a raised arm. Ajay sat on a black granite chair (explain here how it has been carved with descriptive words such as ornate, modern, etc.), which was parked in front of Ajay's gate - a gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension. I felt like I was being given the most unnecessarily complicated, elaborate descriptions of a man sitting on a throne and conversing with the president.
"Traveling at what seemed like a rapid pace over a long distance in a short amount of time that started in the instant of a fall..." (p. 12). Although I'm not too sure of what the author was going for here, I concluded after reading it several times that he wanted to convey a sensation similar to Alice falling down the rabbit hole.
Page 228, the final page, is a blur of awkward dialogue and transitional sentences in which every character appears to be talking in unison, and the word 'as' is used too often and mostly inappropriately.
Another problem was that the dialogue of one person was often not separated from that of another which made things very confusing and paragraphs too long.
In the end, there is just too much wrong with Apotheosis to cover it in a brief review without crossing the line from stern & truthful into harsh & hurtful. I am the only one of three reviewers, it seems, to have read the book and not applauded it. I don't know why this is. Perhaps it is the fact that I have read nearly 500 books or that I am a writer myself and know what good writing is and thus am being overly judgmental and placing too much emphasis on the style. Perhaps the reviewers were friends/family of the author. Perhaps the reviewers didn't want to hurt a budding author's feelings. Perhaps the reviewers really did enjoy the novel. Like I said, I only want my review to be seen as the candid opinion of a sole member of the audience.
I will say this: I cannot comment so much on the plot of the story as the composition of it because I did not finish it. It may be an interesting philosophical concept. It may be thought-provoking and eye-opening and all those other things that the reviewers have said. It may just be - but I might never know because whatever it is, it is wrapped in such a heavy cloak of terrible stylistic decisions that this very well may be my first official DNF although I am trying doggedly to power through it. And that makes me so, so sad.
In conclusion, I am not saying that Ross Friedman will never be a good writer or that this could never be a good book. The concept was very intriguing, the characters were not poorly developed, the title was very witty and held true to the topic of the novel, and the cover was beautifully designed. I am, however, saying that Apotheosis should never have been published in its current condition and that I do not recommend it. I hope that Ross Friedman keeps developing his creative writing skills and that I do not dissuade him from his dreams in any way.
January 12, 2016
"Apotheosis" by Ross Friedman is like reading about "Evolutionary Darwinism." The "unevolved" are the primitive modern man and the "evolved' are the evolutionary man. Friedman tackles the myths of what we think the meaning of life is. Maybe the meaning of life is transcendent. We live, we die, we evolve. Friedman attempts this concept very well. He takes the reader's perception into a new possibly unchartered direction, leaving the reader fascinated "is there life after death or at least an experimentation of it worth being open to besides just meeting our Creator and looking for that holy light to carry us to the Heaven awaiting us. There's nothing wrong with entertaining a very different perspective on this theory. A very intriguing character study of human nature.
November 27, 2014
So.. Apotheosis... As always, here is my most honest review.
Positives:
- Nice cover. It is very representative of the book.
- Some notions are thought provoking.
Negatives:
- Synopsis is way too long and sets too high of an expectation. I wish I could have gotten all the satisfaction and mind teasing it announces that I am supposed to feel.
- Now, my main issue. The writing. My first impression was that it was not very focused, sometimes quite confusing.
First of all, the sentences were way too long. Example right at the beginning of the book: "My mind is made up, sir," he said to the president, raising an arm, motioning what would be understood as body language indicating the word "no," while sitting on the black granite chair that had been carved to his liking, which was located in his position at the gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension. Besides the commas being inside quotation marks instead of out (which I am sure is a very valid writing style, I just personally don't appreciate it), it bothered me that this was a single sentence, making it hard to absorb the notions there described. This happened throughout the book. The something something something, which something something something, while etc etc, as well as he did something something, as he something something, as he yadda yadda yadda. I felt like screaming 'Hey!! Stop! Period! Let me picture this in my head first!'. Long story short, I had to constantly reread whole sentences and sometimes paragraphs, once or twice even whole chapters.
Due to this and other aspects, some explanations were too confusing. For instance, the whole thing about evolved, unevolved, their deaths, the various portals, the island. I think all this information, which was so important, was fed in an unclear manner, did not give me the chance to catch up to the concepts and some just didn't seem to add up, like what they remembered as evolved/unevolved.
Some aspects of the book left me feeling very disappointed, such as introducing machines who are capable of free will, anything from humour to outright mocking and even feelings such as friendship and loyalty but giving no further explanation as to how they came to be other than they were obviously built with very advanced technological. Not to mention that here we are on a planet which supposedly gets everyone who gets killed on earth and yet there are only 4 cities in it. And what exactly was the currency in this world, if any?
A lot of times I felt that there was no fluidity in the writing. It was like there was a chunk of text here, then another chunk there and sometimes the following chunk mentioned things already said before. Often there was just no apparent transition in action.
Quite a few typos (typing there instead of their always makes me cringe, eurgh) and words were placed in odd orders, especially adverbs.
The love scenes are extremely awkward. It's like every single one of the main males in the picture needs to fall heads over heels over a woman. So there he goes, sees the one, feels an immense attraction and so on and so forth and BOOM, he's in love. She loves him back, of course. Why? No idea. I can understand physical attraction but little more. Certainly not love. Certainly not something so strong that makes the character forget years of projects or draw lovely pictures of the selected female.
- The characters had no depth. Tom Maxwell, the supposed hero, could be anyone. There is nothing distinctive about him. We know close to nothing of him, other than the fact that he was a cop and that his mother was an alcoholic at some point. Only after the second half started did we get a glimpse of villain #1's past, which gives him a bit of depth but I have to admit I enjoyed seeing Timshel's progression the most. But Tom, the one the synopsis got us all worked up about, was just... hollow, as most of the characters.
- The ending was quite disappointing. I found myself asking that question a lot, how? How does this happen and why?
Conclusion:
As you can tell, I struggled to find something good to say about the book. It took me FOREVER to read it. Maybe there were some good ideas here. I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because I want to give it the benefit of the doubt. But I just don't know. I was completely distracted by the writing.
Even if there were good ideas, or certainly good intentions for good ideas, I feel that they just weren't executed in the best manner. Some descriptions need to be shortened, other ideas/concepts better developed and especially the sentences need to be shorter. They don't convey a better sense of fluidity as they are, on the contrary, they lead to the reader getting lost and having to waste time rereading.
Another reviewer said the author does too much telling and not enough showing. I couldn't agree more. I wish I could say more, especially something more positive, but nothing comes to mind. I think it's one of those books that just will not stick with me. It didn't make me feel much other than boredom and annoyance. Maybe it will work for others but, to me, it was just ok - barely.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Positives:
- Nice cover. It is very representative of the book.
- Some notions are thought provoking.
Negatives:
- Synopsis is way too long and sets too high of an expectation. I wish I could have gotten all the satisfaction and mind teasing it announces that I am supposed to feel.
- Now, my main issue. The writing. My first impression was that it was not very focused, sometimes quite confusing.
First of all, the sentences were way too long. Example right at the beginning of the book: "My mind is made up, sir," he said to the president, raising an arm, motioning what would be understood as body language indicating the word "no," while sitting on the black granite chair that had been carved to his liking, which was located in his position at the gate that had been his for time beyond typical comprehension. Besides the commas being inside quotation marks instead of out (which I am sure is a very valid writing style, I just personally don't appreciate it), it bothered me that this was a single sentence, making it hard to absorb the notions there described. This happened throughout the book. The something something something, which something something something, while etc etc, as well as he did something something, as he something something, as he yadda yadda yadda. I felt like screaming 'Hey!! Stop! Period! Let me picture this in my head first!'. Long story short, I had to constantly reread whole sentences and sometimes paragraphs, once or twice even whole chapters.
Due to this and other aspects, some explanations were too confusing. For instance, the whole thing about evolved, unevolved, their deaths, the various portals, the island. I think all this information, which was so important, was fed in an unclear manner, did not give me the chance to catch up to the concepts and some just didn't seem to add up, like what they remembered as evolved/unevolved.
Some aspects of the book left me feeling very disappointed, such as introducing machines who are capable of free will, anything from humour to outright mocking and even feelings such as friendship and loyalty but giving no further explanation as to how they came to be other than they were obviously built with very advanced technological. Not to mention that here we are on a planet which supposedly gets everyone who gets killed on earth and yet there are only 4 cities in it. And what exactly was the currency in this world, if any?
A lot of times I felt that there was no fluidity in the writing. It was like there was a chunk of text here, then another chunk there and sometimes the following chunk mentioned things already said before. Often there was just no apparent transition in action.
Quite a few typos (typing there instead of their always makes me cringe, eurgh) and words were placed in odd orders, especially adverbs.
The love scenes are extremely awkward. It's like every single one of the main males in the picture needs to fall heads over heels over a woman. So there he goes, sees the one, feels an immense attraction and so on and so forth and BOOM, he's in love. She loves him back, of course. Why? No idea. I can understand physical attraction but little more. Certainly not love. Certainly not something so strong that makes the character forget years of projects or draw lovely pictures of the selected female.
- The characters had no depth. Tom Maxwell, the supposed hero, could be anyone. There is nothing distinctive about him. We know close to nothing of him, other than the fact that he was a cop and that his mother was an alcoholic at some point. Only after the second half started did we get a glimpse of villain #1's past, which gives him a bit of depth but I have to admit I enjoyed seeing Timshel's progression the most. But Tom, the one the synopsis got us all worked up about, was just... hollow, as most of the characters.
- The ending was quite disappointing. I found myself asking that question a lot, how? How does this happen and why?
Conclusion:
As you can tell, I struggled to find something good to say about the book. It took me FOREVER to read it. Maybe there were some good ideas here. I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1 because I want to give it the benefit of the doubt. But I just don't know. I was completely distracted by the writing.
Even if there were good ideas, or certainly good intentions for good ideas, I feel that they just weren't executed in the best manner. Some descriptions need to be shortened, other ideas/concepts better developed and especially the sentences need to be shorter. They don't convey a better sense of fluidity as they are, on the contrary, they lead to the reader getting lost and having to waste time rereading.
Another reviewer said the author does too much telling and not enough showing. I couldn't agree more. I wish I could say more, especially something more positive, but nothing comes to mind. I think it's one of those books that just will not stick with me. It didn't make me feel much other than boredom and annoyance. Maybe it will work for others but, to me, it was just ok - barely.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Read
December 19, 2013I loved this book, I won this as a giveaway. It did not disappoint. I loved how it just flowed from one characters perspective to another. Could not put down.
December 7, 2014
This is the kind of book that prods the reader to consider the meaning of life. It questions human belief systems, whether they be the following of and faith in God or the surety that science will eventually answer all questions and make Mankind eternal and immortal, therefore godlike. The questions are posed through a thriller plot as the recently deceased police officer hero of the story tries to first understand and then prevent a plan by the villain to change the natural order of things.
While it took most of the book to get there, I appreciated that the author took time to humanize and motivate Insu, the baddie, with more than a drive for all-consuming power. It helped to elevate the character above a stereotype. The after-life setting was well described. My only criticism is that the general population didn't seem much changed for having experienced death, even when they became genetically evolved.
While it took most of the book to get there, I appreciated that the author took time to humanize and motivate Insu, the baddie, with more than a drive for all-consuming power. It helped to elevate the character above a stereotype. The after-life setting was well described. My only criticism is that the general population didn't seem much changed for having experienced death, even when they became genetically evolved.
November 26, 2014
When I got this book downloaded, I wondered about the title. It has a strong meaning in theology or belief, which the kinda topic I really want to dig into. I kept on wonder what is the highest point in the development of this book. I like the way the author describe things in specific, because as a writer I also focus on detail. The downside in this part is sometimes the author explains too detail instead of straight to subject and kinda off the grip. The conversations are well built, and clearly the author is keeping up-to-date with what happens in the world today. Overall, for me, this book has an interesting philosophical concept. Not the kinda book that you wanna read before you go to bed. This is a smart and eye-opener reading.
January 13, 2015
Science and faith or is it science versus faith. Apotheosis takes us on an adventure to where we might all go when we die. The idea of conservation of energy where energy cannot be created or destroyed is allowed to blend with the faith of those who believe in heaven and hell. The story takes us to a world where dying is more of an inconvenience than something to dread. The story is very slow in the beginning but moves better in the end. It also jumped around in time a little too much which made it tough to follow at times, but in the end it was a book worth reading.
September 20, 2013
Everyone, READ THIS BOOK. I couldn't put it down! Mr Friedman is on the road to becoming the best author EVER. I NEED ANOTHER BOOK!
February 19, 2014
I enjoyed this book very much, and couldn't stop thinking about it until I finished it! Actually, still thinking about it....Thank you goodreads for this free book!
April 19, 2015
I won a copy of this book on Goodreads. I didn't find the writing style appealing or fluid. This was a very tough read for me. Unfortunately I couldn't give it a higher ranking.
January 25, 2015
Apotheosis is by Ross Friedman. It is a science fiction. I generally do not like science fiction but I did find parts of this one interesting. It did turn out to be good once I figured out what was going on. There are still many parts I did not understand.
Tom Maxwell was a police officer in New York City and was on the narcotics task force. They had already raided several other places but to Tom, it seemed like the first one again. Tom rushed into the apartment at his designated position. When the shots began from an automated weapon, he tried to figure out where they were coming from; but he couldn’t and when two of the suspects entered the kitchen spraying the area with shots, Tom was hit and felt himself falling, and falling, and falling.
He came to in only a pair of soft pants and in a desert area. He only knew that he was dead and that was all. He was met by Ajay Mehra and told he was indeed dead and had arrived on Daygon. Here he would live until it was his time to move on. Hopefully he would soon be evolved so no one could read his mind. Of course, he was very confused. Ajay was there to orient him to Daygon. Normally the orientation would take longer; but it was time for Ajay to move on to another destination. Thus, this orientation would be rapid. Ajay downloaded information to Tom, more than he normally would. He told Tom the information was secret and to be kept that way. It was for Tom to use but not for anyone else. His last request was for Tom to seek out Reese Riley and to protect her. He told Tom about the portals. They were gates from Earth to Daygon and from Daygon to the Island and to other worlds they didn’t know of yet. No one came back from any other world. When a person came from Earth to Daygon, he was unevolved and anyone could read his mind and he had no privileges that the evolved had. If he died, he became unevolved again and went to the Island. Here he stayed until he evolved again and returned to Daygon. Tom was utterly confused when Ajay left him.
He went to the North part of Daygon to see Reese Riley. As he arrived, he found someone trying to melt the portal and in the ensuing fight, his taxi was hit and caught on fire. Tom was saved. He was taken with the others to the President. When it was decided he did not have anything to do with the portal, he was released to go into service with the government as an assistant to Josie who was on Daygon’s moon. So he was taken in the pods to the moon. Upon his arrival, he is taken on a tour and is in the process of this when an altercation breaks out in the arrival area. A man is running from the bots and manages to get a gun off of them and begins shooting. Tom reverts to his cop persona and races after him. In the flight, Tom and the man find themselves in a tunnel with bots coming after them. Before the bots get them, the tunnel is closed by an explosion and Tom and the man are killed and end up on the Island to start over.
What in the world is going on? Where isTom and what is he supposed to do now? What is going on with the political scene on Daygon? Where is Reese and why was Tom supposed to protect her? Is Tom alive or dead? Is this a nightmare or is it his new reality?
Tom Maxwell was a police officer in New York City and was on the narcotics task force. They had already raided several other places but to Tom, it seemed like the first one again. Tom rushed into the apartment at his designated position. When the shots began from an automated weapon, he tried to figure out where they were coming from; but he couldn’t and when two of the suspects entered the kitchen spraying the area with shots, Tom was hit and felt himself falling, and falling, and falling.
He came to in only a pair of soft pants and in a desert area. He only knew that he was dead and that was all. He was met by Ajay Mehra and told he was indeed dead and had arrived on Daygon. Here he would live until it was his time to move on. Hopefully he would soon be evolved so no one could read his mind. Of course, he was very confused. Ajay was there to orient him to Daygon. Normally the orientation would take longer; but it was time for Ajay to move on to another destination. Thus, this orientation would be rapid. Ajay downloaded information to Tom, more than he normally would. He told Tom the information was secret and to be kept that way. It was for Tom to use but not for anyone else. His last request was for Tom to seek out Reese Riley and to protect her. He told Tom about the portals. They were gates from Earth to Daygon and from Daygon to the Island and to other worlds they didn’t know of yet. No one came back from any other world. When a person came from Earth to Daygon, he was unevolved and anyone could read his mind and he had no privileges that the evolved had. If he died, he became unevolved again and went to the Island. Here he stayed until he evolved again and returned to Daygon. Tom was utterly confused when Ajay left him.
He went to the North part of Daygon to see Reese Riley. As he arrived, he found someone trying to melt the portal and in the ensuing fight, his taxi was hit and caught on fire. Tom was saved. He was taken with the others to the President. When it was decided he did not have anything to do with the portal, he was released to go into service with the government as an assistant to Josie who was on Daygon’s moon. So he was taken in the pods to the moon. Upon his arrival, he is taken on a tour and is in the process of this when an altercation breaks out in the arrival area. A man is running from the bots and manages to get a gun off of them and begins shooting. Tom reverts to his cop persona and races after him. In the flight, Tom and the man find themselves in a tunnel with bots coming after them. Before the bots get them, the tunnel is closed by an explosion and Tom and the man are killed and end up on the Island to start over.
What in the world is going on? Where isTom and what is he supposed to do now? What is going on with the political scene on Daygon? Where is Reese and why was Tom supposed to protect her? Is Tom alive or dead? Is this a nightmare or is it his new reality?
January 17, 2017
I received this book as a Goodreads First Read. I want to thank the author for giving me a chance to read this novel.
Apotheosis is a part philosophical fiction and part sci-fi. The concept and premise of the story is promising but the novel fell short when it came to execution.
The cover was well designed and representative of the book. The plot was passable but sometimes felt forced and meandered from its main focus. When it came to characters, the author made several memorable ones but, unfortunately, the main protagonist was not one such figure. Tom Maxwell felt, for lack of a better word, flat. I was left with the impression that the story would have been best told with a different character as the focus. Several of the other major characters felt incomplete as well. The writing style was not horrible but it did need some polishing—the author seems to favor long, complex sentences which were not always conveyed well and caused some ambiguity for the reader.
Don’t let my litany of critiques turn you away from this book, however. While I do think that there are many aspects of this book that needed more time in the oven I didn’t dislike the book overall. The author came up with a creative storyline and provoked some interesting ideas. I think that this book could be a very good read if it was just polished up and structured a bit more.
Would I recommend this book? Perhaps. If a reader is a fan of this genre I would likely encourage them to give this book a shot with the caveat that they should keep an open mind when it comes to the quality of the writing.
Apotheosis is a part philosophical fiction and part sci-fi. The concept and premise of the story is promising but the novel fell short when it came to execution.
The cover was well designed and representative of the book. The plot was passable but sometimes felt forced and meandered from its main focus. When it came to characters, the author made several memorable ones but, unfortunately, the main protagonist was not one such figure. Tom Maxwell felt, for lack of a better word, flat. I was left with the impression that the story would have been best told with a different character as the focus. Several of the other major characters felt incomplete as well. The writing style was not horrible but it did need some polishing—the author seems to favor long, complex sentences which were not always conveyed well and caused some ambiguity for the reader.
Don’t let my litany of critiques turn you away from this book, however. While I do think that there are many aspects of this book that needed more time in the oven I didn’t dislike the book overall. The author came up with a creative storyline and provoked some interesting ideas. I think that this book could be a very good read if it was just polished up and structured a bit more.
Would I recommend this book? Perhaps. If a reader is a fan of this genre I would likely encourage them to give this book a shot with the caveat that they should keep an open mind when it comes to the quality of the writing.
January 31, 2015
I read 65 pages before having to stop. This one needs to go back to the drawing board.
While I strongly support the rise of indie and self-publishing, there is something to be said for the role of the gatekeepers in traditional publishing houses. Often they reject perfectly good manuscripts but there is also a massive number that ought to be rejected, sent back to the author to be revised and improved. Apotheosis is one of them. It simply isn't ready.
Apotheosis has a fascinating but dense premise that requires a lot of explanation. The result is heavy info-dumping, where the author is telling and not showing. The novel also needs to be edited by a professional editor, with perhaps two or three rounds of edits and revisions. Only then can Mr. Friedman's story really begin to emerge and be properly digested.
I hate to give it a 1-star rating but I have to in order to maintain some consistency. Self-published authors have a responsibility to have their work edited by a qualified third-party before selling it for $3.99. At that price, readers expect a much more refined product.
I would give this another try if Mr. Friedman had it edited and made some sensible revisions.
While I strongly support the rise of indie and self-publishing, there is something to be said for the role of the gatekeepers in traditional publishing houses. Often they reject perfectly good manuscripts but there is also a massive number that ought to be rejected, sent back to the author to be revised and improved. Apotheosis is one of them. It simply isn't ready.
Apotheosis has a fascinating but dense premise that requires a lot of explanation. The result is heavy info-dumping, where the author is telling and not showing. The novel also needs to be edited by a professional editor, with perhaps two or three rounds of edits and revisions. Only then can Mr. Friedman's story really begin to emerge and be properly digested.
I hate to give it a 1-star rating but I have to in order to maintain some consistency. Self-published authors have a responsibility to have their work edited by a qualified third-party before selling it for $3.99. At that price, readers expect a much more refined product.
I would give this another try if Mr. Friedman had it edited and made some sensible revisions.
December 2, 2014
The book is so very well written I thought it was a good established author that wrote it, but I see this is his first novel.
The story is an intriguing romantic fantasy that keeps the reader engaged to the very end. The book made me think about life and what is more important - balance or your own ego. I have generally very little time to read, but I couldn't put it down.
I think this book could be a good plot for a fantasy thriller movie! Looking forward to reading more from this author.
The story is an intriguing romantic fantasy that keeps the reader engaged to the very end. The book made me think about life and what is more important - balance or your own ego. I have generally very little time to read, but I couldn't put it down.
I think this book could be a good plot for a fantasy thriller movie! Looking forward to reading more from this author.
January 11, 2015
Apotheosis is a good Metaphysical Science Fiction book. The story is engaging and very detailed. The book cover is great! You will even get the feeling that the author has been previously published but it seems like Apotheosis is his first novel.
Even though it takes a minute to get into it, I think it's worth it. After Tom passes into the afterlife, you will enjoy the journey that is ahead of him.
I think that this book may not be for everyone because of the subject and how Mr. Friedman explores it. But that being said, you should have an open mind and give it a try.
Even though it takes a minute to get into it, I think it's worth it. After Tom passes into the afterlife, you will enjoy the journey that is ahead of him.
I think that this book may not be for everyone because of the subject and how Mr. Friedman explores it. But that being said, you should have an open mind and give it a try.
March 14, 2015
Definitely a different book. I won it on Goodreads,otherwise I'm not sure I would have chosen it....but,it was very interesting. Makes you think,that's for sure!
February 10, 2015
The premise of this book sounds amazing; the execution was slightly less captivating, but nevertheless it was a good read and anyone should find in it something for themselves.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews