Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Brotherhood

Rate this book
Aaron Davis joins his father's ministry at seven years of age. He attracts national attention when he heals a woman of cancer. His services draw thousands of worshipers. He creates an organization with his sister Esther, called the Brotherhood of Man, that unites the major religions of the world. He brokers a treaty that ends the conflict in the Middle East and Northern Africa. He fields a powerful army to maintain the peace. Jack Holder, a former Congressman, becomes President. The United States is under intense international pressure to join the Brotherhood of Man's effort to create a new world order. Jack's secret Masonic organization wants Aaron Davis eliminated. Barbara Holder, Jack's religious wife, believes Aaron Davis is the Antichrist. The fate of the world will depend on which side Jack chooses.

520 pages, Paperback

First published July 2, 2013

1 person is currently reading
175 people want to read

About the author

Lawrence R. Deering

6 books5 followers
Lawrence R. Deering spent more than forty years as a healthcare executive. His first novel Youth Group, was based on his experiences in the Southern Baptist church. The Spider Web Charmer featured Michael and Michelle Crawford, married private detectives with unique abilities chasing down a serial killer.

He wrote The Brotherhood, The Hart of John, (the New Apocalypse,), and The Hart of God, (the End of Days) all part of the Hart trilogy.

He is an avid audiophile and enjoys listening to his rock vinyl record collection. He lives with his wife, Lisa, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
5 (38%)
4 stars
4 (30%)
3 stars
3 (23%)
2 stars
1 (7%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Patrice Hoffman.
563 reviews280 followers
Read
August 22, 2013
I have completed the latest novel by Lawrence R. Deering named The Brotherhood. My initial interest in this title is because who doesn't love a good story about the Antichrist? When we all live in a world that shows how divisive religion can be, it's hard not to get mesmerized by the idea that there's someone laying in wait to prey on these people.

Aaron Davis is a modern-day phenomenon. At the age of 7 he heals a woman of cancer. From that point on, his life as a "messenger" grew into an empire. By 14 he was packing stadiums only to be later dubbed as a prophet who was given the "gift". His graduation from Harvard Divinity School was even televised. Suffice it to say he's bigger than Joel Osteen. An older, wiser Aaron, at the height of his ministry, creates a global nonprofit religious organization named The Brotherhood of Man.

The Brotherhood of Man is to be used as an international peacekeeping force comprised of leaders from the six major religions. These churches would then pay stipends for the Brotherhood to maintain military forces and broker peace wherever needed. Sounds good you say? Initially everything's all good.

Enter Congressman Jack Holder who's soon to be Pres. Holder. Unlike other countries, he's not so quick to jump on the Aaron Davis train. And he's conveniently, secretly, a Mason. His wife, Barbara is actually convinced that Aaron may be the Antichrist. But is he?

Lawrence R. Deering writes an extremely interesting and ambitious novel exploring what happens when we allow wolves in sheep's clothing to rule the world. When there seems to be no separation between the church and politics, The Brotherhood seems to be what could happen. Although an extreme case scenario, it's still very "accepted" or "plausible" because the story's been sold over and over again in the book of Revelations. This seems to be the most terrifying aspect of this novel.

What I liked most about The Brotherhood is it's use of verses in the Bible prophesying that maybe Aaron is not on the up and up. For those who aren't completely familiar with the spotting of an Antichrist, these verses work wonders. Including these verses and the fact that this novel moves swiftly is not an easy feat.

On the topic of pacing. I thought for sure there were moments I wished Deering has slowed down. I didn't ever feel like I was watching a story unfold as opposed to just being told what's happening. And the main characters are not easy to relate to. Everyone loves a fast read when it's time for one, but it shouldn't be at the expense of great storytelling or caracture development.

Overall, The Brotherhood by Lawrence R. Deering is an interesting read about the fate of the world should an Antichrist come to power. The exploration of allowing our religious beliefs murky our polical actions is always topic worthy. I'm left wondering would I be one of the flock following a wolf in sheep's clothing when the time comes? I hope not...
1 review1 follower
September 25, 2013
Five Stars. The Brotherhood was one of those rare books where you feel let down when you turn that last page.... because you've thoroughly enjoyed the read, the premise was so intriguing, that you didn't want it to end.

The author successfully engaged me in the story, full of suspense and unexpected twist and turns, plus an eerie sense that this isn't all that far-fetched. The more I read, the harder it was to put down, as the author is especially gifted at creating suspense. Mr. Deering developed the characters effectively, to the point that they felt familiar and evoked feelings. The tapestry is very well thought out and moves fluidly between plots and characters. The research, facts, quotes and verses provided depth and significance to the story line, and I found myself re-reading many of the passages.

At first, the main character, Aaron seems heaven-sent. Who wouldn't want world peace? It is easy to understand how people were mesmerized and followed such a charismatic and powerful man, whose displays of peace-making and miracle-making were impressive. They saw hope and healing. They saw a messenger of God. Others saw Aaron differently, oppositely in fact, including the President of the United States. Based on biblical passages, Aaron fits the bill for the Antichrist to a tee. Holding on tightly to their beliefs, a determined few pressed on for what they believed is right; risking their lives, up until the end, to unmask evil. Through the author's writing, you understand all that is at stake for our country, and the world. All the time, it feels very real, which is what makes this book so thought provoking.

I am affected. To me, this is the sign of a book that I would highly recommend.

The only question I have for Mr. Deering.... Will there be a sequel?
Profile Image for Beth (bibliobeth).
1,945 reviews57 followers
March 7, 2015
First of all, many thanks to NetGalley and Authorhouse Press for allowing me to read a copy of The Brotherhood, an intriguing novel with an exciting premise. It tells the story of a remarkable young boy called Aaron Davis whom at the tender age of seven joins his father's ministry and becomes instantly famous after he manages to heal a woman suffering from cancer. His father is overjoyed at first, imagining the potential for his business but things become slightly difficult when people flock in their hundreds to the preachers events, some who have debilitating illnesses and are hoping to be cured, others just to catch a glimpse of the young boy who performs miracles on a daily basis and whose fame now eclipses his fathers.

On growing up, Aaron and his sister Esther form a new religious organisation with Aaron as the ultimate leader known as The Brotherhood of Man. Aaron's goal is to use representation from each major religion of the world and combine them into just one religion - his. On some levels, he is very successful. He manages to draw up peace treaties in troubled areas of the world like the Middle East and parts of Africa and mounts the largest army the world have ever seen whose sole function is to maintain the peace. Apparently.

Meanwhile, Congressman Jack Holder is about to become President of the United States and is under increasing pressure from The Brotherhood of Man to join and accept them as a new power in the world. Jack is actually a secret Mason and his society have many doubts about Aaron Davis and the new religion in general and believe he might actually be more of a danger to the world. Even Jack's ultra-religious wife has misgivings and has been studying the Book of Revelations convinced that he may in fact be the Anti-Christ. So is Aaron a genuine religious leader or does he have a darker side? And can President Holder risk upsetting the organisation which is gathering more followers, more media coverage and more power as the days go by?

As I mentioned before, I think this novel had a fascinating premise and I suspect that the author may have used a lot of his personal experiences in the Southern Baptist Church in his writing. It is a bit of a slow-burner as all the characters are established and unfortunately I didn't feel a connection with many of them. It almost feels like the author put so much work into Aaron's character that a lot of the others, many of whom had great potential, were left on the back burner. Aaron's sister in particular, Esther, was a character I warmed to almost immediately and it would have been nice if she had been developed a bit further. However, I have to say that after a short while, the suspense and action were ramped up and it was a very enjoyable story that made me eager to find out what happened next. There's a few excting twists and turns where secrets are revealed and even my own thoughts on religion felt challenged, which I loved. I would probably read another novel by this author as I enjoyed the pace once it got going and the compelling and unique ideas which built this story in the first place.

Please see my full review at http://www.bibliobeth.com
Profile Image for Rob Slaven.
485 reviews45 followers
October 11, 2013
First and foremost it must be said that as usual I didn't pay anything for this book but instead received it through a LibraryThing giveaway. Despite that kind consideration I give my candid opinions below. Also, it's worth noting that this book has a decidedly religious and conservative bent and I personally have a decidedly non-religious and non-conservative bent. Despite that fundamental disagreement, I'll judge the book on its merits rather than its ability to agree with me.

This is usually the bit of the review where I sum things up without spoiling them. The easiest way to do this will be to say simply that this book is an interpretation of end-time events described in the Bible.

So to the positive side of the review, the author has woven one heck of a story. In 500 widely-spaced pages he covers several years of a long-developing story and does so in a readable and engaging way. Unlike a lot of Christian novels his characters act like real people who curse and screw up and general wander off the accepted path from time to time. I could easily believe these people exist and might act in just this manner under these circumstances. The author has a great storyline which he executes on in a narrative sense wonderfully.

To the negative, I'm bothered by the low-level execution of this novel. The text is riddled with typos and at times just seems to skim over important events. Despite being 500+ pages, I think the whole thing would have been better in a multi-volume format. This could easily range out to a 3-volume set that had a bit more patience with plot and character development. Also, despite being a great story, it does end up being rather plastic in the end. The good guys are still the good guys; Israel, Great Britain and the U.S. are duking it out against the evil Middle East and the Russians. While I do like the story it's just very obvious in its right-wing leanings. Conservative readers will no doubt view this as a positive statement and they're welcome and encouraged to enjoy the book!

To summarize, this novel is a rather rare and entertaining nugget in the genre. Conservative readers will be thoroughly entertained and their blood will bubble with martial delight. Those of a more liberal persuasion will be entertained too but they'll have to ignore some of the bias in the story. This is not a book written for the culturally elite, but if you're just wiling away the hours waiting for the seals to be broken and for the four horsemen ride through the sky then this'll be massively entertaining. Personally, I'm holding out for the real thing or the extended version.
Profile Image for Tracy.
285 reviews1 follower
September 12, 2013
--I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.--

I really really enjoyed this book. It started out slow for me, and then the story became so consuming that I could only read for a bit and then needed to stop to take in what I had read. Then the last quarter of the book I just could not put it down. There are plenty of lead characters but when the story switches from one person to another I did not have a problem keeping up with the switch in characters like I have in other books. The subject matter, a person who seems to be God sent to bring the world to peace is an interesting concept. And one that if people are really honest with themselves this is something that we all do want. The end of wars, and countries working together for the good of all. To me this seems like something that would be wonderful. But then you get the adage if its too good to be true then it probably isn't. I think that saying is true for this story. Seeing the growth of Aaron from the little kid who seemed to have the God given talent to heal those who needed it, to the teen preacher who was all about peace and helping his fellow mankind. To the young adult who was forming his own army and basically cult to make sure that peace was achieved in the world. His movement to create peace throughout the world, to get rid of hunger, and other problems that affect the world. Is a great one, but the way he did that was to build himself into a power that can stand up to those who would challenge him. I really did like how the story was told where we only really see the public view of Aaron, and we only see glimpses of his private world. He becomes an enigma to the whole world, and while his followers and believers don’t question this and accept things on face value. There are people who don’t, who can foresee problems and while they might like what Aaron is trying to do they don’t like the how. The progression of this story really does grips you, and then you won’t be able to put it down. Another way that I can tell I really did enjoy this book is that I am still thinking about it 2 days after I finished reading it and my mind has not already moved on to the next book on my list.
Profile Image for Tobyann Aparisi.
575 reviews53 followers
October 4, 2013
I won this book in the "Good reads draw" and I have to say this is one of the best books I have written this year so far. This is a very well written and intriguing book! Raised personally in an environment where I am no stranger to "revivals", at a young age I learned to be warry of those who claimed to "heal" in the name of GOD. Those who claim to be able to pick you from a crowd and know your hearts secrets and desires or hurts. Those who claim they can speak straight to GOD or take you in a room to do a meditative trance to see if you can see GOD. I have learned by those I trust and by what I feel GOD says to my heart that these are all wolves in sheeps clothing. This book hit home on many a scene such as I have described and some. The characters were very well built and believable. The eerie part is how true this could be. No one yet knows who the "antichrist" is and many do not believe they will exist (that is what the devil wants us to believe). I really felt moved and affected by this book that is how well it has been written. I wonder if the author will be adding anything further to this story by making a sequal to this volume. Don't get me wrong there is plenty of mystery and intigue in this story. This is a story that from the moment I started reading it I could not put it down. I was like I was meant to read it (and I am very glad I did). This author' writing proves he is a well thought out and exciting story teller. I believe he has a lot to offer the readers of our world. I highly recommend this book and thouroughly enjoyed it. I hope you do too. Thank you Mr. Deering for such a thought provoking and thrilling book. I am so glad I was chosen for the free copy. Also thank you for singing it and the bookmark. I look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Profile Image for Jennie.
241 reviews12 followers
September 18, 2013
I received a copy of this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway.

I really enjoyed this book. The book started out a little slow for me, since it took some time to establish all characters, before the story really picks up. At first, I thought that this would be story based off the book of Revelations but it really had its own little twists and turns that really added to the story.

The book starts out with Aaron Davis becoming this young tent revival preacher that miraculously heals people. His popularity explodes and he rises to power and begins preaching a new way of living. The Brotherhood of Man is established as a supposed peace keeping force but foreshadows the rise of Antichrist and his army. Lawrence made Aaron a very interesting character. I was expecting Aaron to follow the cookie cutter characterization that I’ve read in other books but he took in an entirely different direction. At first, I didn’t like that we only got a public view of Aaron but it really added to the mystery of him. I knew it wasn’t going to follow the standard storyline of the Antichrist.

I also loved that the author added the ultra-secret Masonic society into the mix that also had their own agenda. Add to that, a rebellious American President that doesn’t bow down to Aaron Davis’s Brotherhood of man’s plans. There were times that something big happens and wasn’t sure who was pulling the strings behind the scenes. The book did not end the way I had anticipated it would.

It gives me pause to think that we are a society of mostly followers and often following blindly. This could very well be a plausible scenario that we would only realize what is happening before it is too late.
Profile Image for Misha Almira.
Author 1 book1,472 followers
December 22, 2013
Pastor Jonathan Paul Davis is finishing his revival weekend and has saved as many willing souls as possible. He returns with his wife, Rebecca, to their small apartment to join their two children. They are accustomed to being on the road, traveling for their revival circuits, they started with Jon's father, shortly after they were married. Their children Aaron and Esther cannot get enough of listening to Jon's revivals. When Aaron joins his father, at the age of seven, they realize how gifted he is. He lifts his bible over his head as he shouts, "Jesus loves you." People can feel his power instantly, as he invites them forward to be saved. Soon after, the crowds gather to hear Aaron more than Jon. What follows is intriguing and mind blowing. People are drawn to his miracles as he continues to step into his destiny.

As his reputation soars, others start to doubt his actions. His influence with highly esteemed political leaders and secret societies takes it to global levels. As it does, truth unravels the darker side of this tale. It contains nonstop action, complex characters, and suspenseful twists. The ending is an adrenaline filled rush!
Profile Image for Chris James.
339 reviews7 followers
March 20, 2014
While at first I thought it was going to be a lot like the Left Behind stories, I quickly realized that this story was being told from an entirely different perspective. I was surprised at how quickly I became hooked. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thank you Goodreads and Mr. Deering for sharing this book.
Profile Image for Patricia.
189 reviews
September 14, 2013
This is a fast moving book full of action and is a real page turner. Aaron at a young age begins to preach and heal people, he is thought to be a great minister with the power from God to heal people but there is something not quite right going on with him. Is Aaron a good man or is he the antichrist??
Profile Image for Maggie.
15 reviews1 follower
September 15, 2013
Not my usual type of book, but was very good. Plan to pass it on to my father to read! Received this book from a GoodReads giveaway!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.