As Wings Unfurl

by Arthur M. Doweyko

Applegate Bogdanski returns from Vietnam with a missing leg, a Purple Heart, and an addiction to morphine. He stumbles through each day, looking forward to nothing and hoping it will arrive soon. When he attempts to thwart a crime, he is knocked unconscious and wakes up to discover that people are once again calling him a hero, though he feels undeserving of the praise.

Apple returns to work and meets Angela, a mysterious woman who claims to be his guardian. Immediately, he feels a connection to her, which morphs into an attraction. But he soon discovers that Angela is much more than she seems.

Apple and Angela are swept up in a conspiracy that stretches through time and space. Together, they must fight to save everything they hold dear from an alien race bent on destroying humanity.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy

217 pages, Paperback

First published July 19, 2016

About the author

As a scientist, Arthur has authored 100+ publications, and shares the 2008 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for the discovery of Sprycel, a new anti-cancer drug. He writes hard science fiction, fantasy and horror. His debut novel, Algorithm, which is a story about DNA and the purpose of humanity, garnered a 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award (RPLA) and was published by E-Lit Books, NY in October, 2014. His second novel, Angela's Apple, now called As Wings Unfurl, won 1st Place Best Science Fiction Novel at the 2014 RPLA and has been published by Red Adept (July, 2016). He has published a number of award-winning short stories, including several with Honorable Mentions in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future competitions. He is currently working on a novel about the last creature with a human brain. He lives in Florida with his wife Lidia, teaching and wandering the beaches.

Reviews

[Dianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is the world Applegate Bogdanski given his blood and his leg for in battle all a lie? A Vietnam vet, with a Purple Heart and a morphine addiction, his days are empty and meaningless, but inside he will always do the right thing against all odds.

Then she walked through the door of Apple’s dead end job, claiming to be his guardian. Sure, the mysterious Angela is beautiful, and yes, Apple feels a pull towards her, but little did he know this woman was not one brick short of load, she was telling the truth, well, mostly.
Follow they journey through time and space, battling evil at every other turn, while being deceived while on a quest for good.

Is Apple hallucinating? Is he dreaming? Is it possible there is more to the creation of Earth and its inhabitants than evolution or divine creation? If it quacks, it’s a duck, right? But if it has wings, is it an angel from above or an alien from places unknown??

As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko is a rapidfire read filled with a myriad of characters, astounding twists and if you are not paying attention, you will miss some of the best ones.

I was hooked, no doubt about it as I was unable to predict where this tale would go next. Looking for something just off center of your regular reads? Want some science fiction with that fantasy? Do you like to ponder the what ifs that are raised? Try a sample, I think you’ll like it!

I received this copy from Arthur M. Doweyko in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC (July 19, 2016)
Publication Date: July 19, 2016
Genre: SciFi | Fantasy
Print Length: 234 pages
Available from: Amazon |  Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[Kit (Metaphors and Moonlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

Full Review:
*I received a free ecopy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

I don’t think there was anything particularly wrong with this book, and other people may enjoy it, but I just couldn’t really get into it.

There were still some things I liked though. I was really excited for this book because I always get excited when I find sci-fi/fantasy about characters with disabilities or chronic illnesses, and this protagonist had one of his legs amputated. What made it even better was that the story was in no way about his amputation, it was simply a story… and oh yeah, the protagonist just happened to have a prosthetic leg. He still had the same crazy adventure any person would’ve had, just with a bit of an added struggle sometimes.

There was also a pretty unique story involving aliens and yetis. I had never read about yetis, so it was neat having one be a side character in this story. And there was lots of action, what with the characters being chased, being attacked, scheming, fighting bad guys in order to stop their evil plans, etc.

One of the problems though was that I just didn’t feel anything toward the characters. Well, I disliked Angela because of how vague and mysterious she was instead of just explaining things. The rest though, they weren’t dislikeable or too perfect or anything extreme, but I feel like I didn’t get to know them well enough. I was also a bit put off by the instalove, but the focus wasn’t on the romance, so that wasn’t a huge problem.

Another problem I had was that I had a hard time picturing everything. I felt so lost as to what the settings looked like and what was actually happening in some scenes. It might’ve been the writing, or it might’ve just been me. My brain may have been too distracted to focus properly, or it could’ve had to do with how unfamiliar I was with those particular settings. For example, there was this whole action scene on a subway, but I’ve only been on a subway once in my life. For another example, a lot of scenes took place in a cathedral, and there was a rectory, a sancristy, and all these other words and rooms that I had no idea what they looked like or what the layout of the buildings would be like. (Just a note, the book wasn’t religious, that was just where some things took place.)

The last main problem I had was that having four POVs and having them jump around the way they did added to the action-y feel, but it didn’t seem quite necessary and made it harder for me to get into the scenes.

As I said though, there wasn’t anything necessarily bad about this book, just things that weren’t quite for me. I think anyone who likes action, big bad villains (albeit with an actual motivation), conspiracies, and plot-focused books may enjoy it more!

Recommended For:
Anyone who wants to read a story about an amputee main character that focuses on the action rather than on his disability. Anyone who likes plot-focused, action-packed science fiction/alien books.

Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight

[Melonie Purcell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien angels and a yeti. How can it not be good? Wings Unfurled followed the story of ordinary war vet Apple Bogdanski. A survivor and an amputee, Apple is living his own version of hell, self-medicating to cope with PTSD and guilt, when he is thrown into a massive conspiracy to destroy the human race. As he works with an unpredictable band of allies, Apple moves from victim to hero and rediscovers his place in the world.

Some things that make this book stand out, without giving away the plot, is how Doweyko challenges preconceived ideas about religion, the origin of man and angels. Apple’s guardian angel, Angela, turns out to be much more than the winged beings in pictures, and when Doweyko brings the supporting characters, a yeti and a Tibetan farmer, into the fray, he does it with a fresh approach that makes it easy to fall into the world he has created.

Doweyko does a great job painting a picture without overdoing it and his characters are both believable and endearing. My only complaint was having the two main characters in the book with such similar sounding names. It drove me nutty. But the story and world Doweyko created are well worth that minor trouble.

[SydneyGen]

Brilliantly written sci-fi!
Will post a full review to Sydneygenreads.com

[Leigh Holland · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko, 234 pages, July 19th 2016, Red Adept Publishing LLC, Genre: Science Fiction. Warning: May Contain Spoilers.

“There are no atheists in foxholes”, stated a military man on the field of Bataan in 1942. When people are under fire and in extreme survival situations, we usually wish fervently for the aid of a higher power. We’re all hoping we have a guardian angel. People across many cultures and time periods have created artwork of angels, integrated them into architectural designs, and even tattooed angel wings on their bodies. Angel wings are symbols of protection, comfort, hope, faith, and love. In As Wings Unfurl, the symbolism is fitting, as guardian angels seek to protect their charges on the battlefield of Earth itself.
Set in New York in 1975, this is a story about good versus evil, about a war for the fate of mankind. The primary protagonist is Applegate “Apple” Bogdanski, a Vietnam Veteran retail bookstore clerk whose only injury from the war more traumatic than the loss of his foot is the damage to his sense of self-worth. His boss agreed to hide some compromising photo negatives in one of the books for a private detective. Unfortunately, these were negatives of an angel, Dane, and the angel Dane will stop at nothing to prevent them from becoming public. Angela, Apple’s guardian angel, arrives in time to prevent Dane’s goons from harming Apple and getting their hands on the negatives. Finding the negatives, Angela and Apple are on the run from a group of renegade angels hellbent on destroying mankind. Numerous battles take place in various locations across the city as Angela fights to protect Apple, with whom she has fallen in love, and to discover Dane’s sinister plot to destroy mankind. Angela is aided in her quest by other guardian angels led by Quinn; a Tibetan man named Shilog; and Shilog’s new friend, a Yeti named Yowl.
The story is filled with action and is fast paced; a series of chase and battle sequences with little time for the characters to rest in between. The settings include New York, Vietnam, and Tibet. Although action oriented, the characters are developed a little at a time as the story progresses and we learn more about them each step of the way. The conflicts and themes include good versus evil, man versus the supernatural, soldier versus enemy, the overpowering nature of love, and fate versus choice. Although the angels, both the guardians and foes of mankind, overshadow the human characters in power, it is ultimately the choice a human being, Apple, makes in the end that determines the fate of humanity. Apple realizes that if humanity with all its flaws is worth saving, he too as a person with all his flaws is worth saving and is worthy of Angela’s love, of her protective wings shielding and supporting him.
My favorite supporting characters were Yowl the Yeti and Shilog of Tibet. To me, they represent soldiers drafted into a war they had no personal stake in, transported through some fluke of fate to a distant battlefield, missing their wives and kids back home. Shilog wants nothing to do with the suspicious and malicious ‘deva’ and the Yeti certainly has no personal stake in the fate of a species that displaced his own. However, when they realize that the stakes are higher than a squabble between a handful of deva, that billions may suffer, they are willing to risk everything to fight and save mankind. Self-interest melts away in the face of a higher purpose.
I enjoyed reading “As Wings Unfurl”. I was hooked by the end of the first scene. I’d recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction, especially mash-ups with mythology, and action-oriented stories.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apple has a dead end job at a book store. His boss does not treat him right and he feels he should have died in the war instead of his buddies. Addicted to pain meds he thinks he is dreaming when he meets Angela is she for real or crazy she says she is his guardian angel but there is something strange going on. I loved this book lots of twists and turns to keep you interested

[Brian Driver · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’ve looked at any of my recent reviews you might find that I’m getting to be an Arthur Doweyko fan, having read Algorithm, Wind in Trees and now, what might be my favorite, As Wings Unfurl. I know he is not a household name, but I consider him to be akin to a local restaurant you’ve driven by countless times until that one day when you stopped and ordered food from it and, voila! It’s now one of your favorite haunts.

When I first considered reading As Wings Unfurl I thought the plot might not be able to live up to its ambition: after all, how can one hope to combine Catholicism, wormholes (kind of), angels, yetis and, as the title hints, the Vietnam War. I mean, really.

But Doweyko does it, and – when all is said and done – he does it well. True, there were times in the book I doubted him. Why do we have to have the yeti in this, I thought. Why do we start the book with characters we seem never to meet again?

Yet the secret is the author’s sense for characterization, and that’s what really sells it all here. And it DOES all come together, trust me. Actually, trust Doweyko. In fact, I wish there were more of it – I would love to have had more of the yeti, or the mountain man who first establishes contact with him. But the author proves that it is better to have less than it is to have too much.

The most examined and important character is Apple Bogdanski, a character wounded in more than one way from his service in Vietnam. While we can see the loss of his leg from the knee down – and unfortunately hooked him to morphine, we have to wait some time to find out more about the real damage done to him. He eventually meets his guardian angel, Angela (I guess even the divine have senses of humor), and within no time at all, the game is afoot (with my apologies to Apple’s infirmity).

What follows is the sometimes frenetic, frequently dangerous, and definitely adversarial quest to find out what “the game” is, exactly. Why are some of the angels their enemies, and who can one trust? How does a yeti fit into all of this? And what part in this tale does the existence of a few frames of very old film play?

Doweyko’s tale is a very fun, exciting, and character-driven story, as is the earmark of this author’s writing. It would have been easy, for example, to make Yeow (the yeti) a character who exhibited an overly kitschy "mugging," say, in a Harry and the Hendersons manner. But, if anything, the author holds back on Yeow's development, resisting the urge to over-create him. In that sense, As Wings Unfurl makes for a grand, but still personable tale, and one that makes sense of the back-cover phrase “a conspiracy that stretches across time and space … and threatens the existence of humanity itself.”

I would probably rate this a 9 out of 10 were such a rating system offered (based of some errors on my Kindle version, which I feel should not necessary reflect on the author), but I’ve given it a 5/5 because it tells its tale well and made it a pleasure for me to pick up the story every time I’d been forced earlier to put it down. And that's it ... this book was a gratifying, enjoyable read.

My next excursion to his work will probably be his short stories, and that will probably take place early next year. But I would like to add that the artwork in all of his novels and collections has been created by the author, and he has distinguished himself by winning several literary and artistic awards … as well as his having created an anti-cancer drug called Sprycel.

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The face of an angel stared down at him with bright, smiling eyes. Her mouth twisted into a grin.’

Florida author/scientist Arthur M. Doweyko was awarded the 2008 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for his contribution to the discovery of Sprycel (dasatinib), an anti-cancer drug successfully brought to the marketplace in 2009. He has authored over one hundred publications (papers, abstracts, patents, book chapters) and has been an invited lecturer in a number of drug-discovery and computational venues. Now retired, he is embracing writing fiction. His novel ALGORITHM (a story about DNA and the purpose of humanity) won a 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award, and his of short stories have been selected as Finalists in the Royal Palm Literary Award contest, and two Honorable Mentions in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. He teaches college chemistry and is a fine artist!

To discover a scientist who creates real time additions to the benefit of medicine and mankind while able to expand his field of vision into the interstices of science fiction is gratifying to readers whose exposure to sci-fi is relegated to beyond credible tales. Arthur drives home a tale that has sufficient grounding in now and in humanity that it makes approaching his writing immensely exciting.

A solid hint that this book is unique in the genre is The author’s use of a Prologue that sets a tone without opening too many windows to the coming story. His writing style is infectious as he introduces his main character – ‘Apple Bogdanski looked away from the window and folded the letter. He still couldn’t get over it. A damn car accident, and his parents were gone. He had read the letter over and over on the flight from Vietnam. It was impersonal, written by some lawyer’s aide. Never having had the chance to say good-bye was like a knife turning in his gut. He slipped the letter back into its yellowed envelope and dropped it into a coffee-table drawer. The knife continued turning. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, and his gaze wandered over the dim interior of the apartment. The memory of his parents lived in every room, in every piece of furniture, even in the sound of dishes clattering in the sink. On quiet nights, he still heard Mom in the kitchen and the rustling of a newspaper being folded in his dad’s easy chair. His father had talked about sending him to college and a future full of other possibilities when he finished his tour. How screwed up is that? His hand eased down to his left calf and caressed the wooden prosthetic. The war had cost him everything below his left knee, and in return, the army had given him a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Apple shook his head and smirked. Fair trade. He was a coward then and a morphine addict now.’

So the plot is offered in the synopsis: ‘Applegate Bogdanski returns from Vietnam a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and missing a leg. A fair trade, he thinks, for a coward, whose only remaining passion is to dull his grief with morphine. He stumbles through each day, looking forward to nothing and hoping it would arrive soon. Enter Angela, who claims to be his guardian angel. Neither one is an angel, but together, they uncover a conspiracy that threatens to undo humankind itself. This is a story of courage, redemption, and a forbidden love which overcomes all obstacles.’

Science fiction and fantasy swirl together in a completely satisfying novel by a fine writer. Highly recommended

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting concept

This is the type of book you may have trouble reading quickly. It helps to go a bit more slowly as the characters are developed to understand how they react & why.

The story takes place just after the end of the war in Vietnam. The protagonist is an amputee (one leg) due to the war. He has what we would now call PTSD, but which back then was called "battle fatigue" or even the WWI term, "shell shocked." Both older terms had a stigma attached of cowardice, yet most of those men endured horrors about which we will nwver know.

The unusual name of the protagonist is Apple, short for Applegate. He becomes "addicted" to morphine for the pain of the prosthetic limb as well as the limb that is no longer there, a phenomenon known as "phantom limb pain." I would say today, having read what I have about chronic pain, particularly phantom limb pain (a sensation where the part of the limb that is missing hurts even though it is no longer there), that perhaps it is unkind to call it an addiction. He likes the way he feels relaxed...but considering how much the muscles of the legs must endure to use a prosthetoc limb (esp back in that era), they would spasm, & relaxation of those cramps would help with the pain. Nevertheless, the book...the protagonist himself...refers to it as "addiction." This also shows how judgmental Americans have always been towards those who endure chronic pain, except for a brief period in the mid 1990s through the mid 00s, no compassion.

Apple works for an old man who runs a used bookstore. He likes books, & the job pays him enough for a small apartment & basic needs like food & doing the laundry & such.

Apple has a guardian angel. He doscovers her when a couple toughs come into the bookstore looking for a particular book & threaten his life. She finds what they were looking for & hides it, & the chase is on.

Meanwhile, half a world away, a Tibetan hunter hears a cry for help, & finds a most unusual being, the stuff of legends. He helps, a bond is formed, they stumble across some odd, highly modernistic looking places, & end up in NYC, where Apple & his guardian have been. In this timeframe, the angel takes Apple to a remote ruin & detoxes him cold turkey off the morphine.

As it turns out, there are 2 groups of "angels." One is there to observe our progress. The other is there to exterminate humanity because they believe we have failed too badly. While actual wars have suspended for a while, the Cold War is raging & the West & the Soviets have enough muclear capabilities to annihilate the planet several times over. The side that wants us gone has in mind a race to replace us. The observers believe we will outgrow our tendency to war.

With nukes planted in several major cities worldwide, & aimed at pointing the blame at an enemy, the question remaons: will the giardians manage to get help from their council in time to stop the madness, or will humanity, aimed at each other like living guns, go to all out war & destroy each other?

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Applegate Bogdanski returns from Vietnam, he has traded a leg for a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, a hero's welcome, and an addiction to morphine. He stumbles through life in a drug-induced cottony daze, wishing to die and knowing deep inside that he's not a hero but a coward. His job at a small bookstore in New York City is hardly interesting, until a man shows up pummeling his boss and looking for negatives to some incriminating picture.

A mysterious woman named Angela shows up and saves him, and claims to be his guardian angel. The negatives become the focal point of a string of attempts on his life by beings far more powerful than any human, and only the superpowers of his angel can save him. But all isn't as it seems. The angels and demons struggling over secrets seem more alien than divine, and the two of them uncover an unholy plot that could eliminate all of mankind.

Content:
Drug Content:
PG – Multiple references to drug addiction and abuse, pushers, and drugs administered against a person's will. Some slight alcohol consumption.

Violence:
PG-13 – Multiple violent scenes, including a few decapitations and severed limbs. Nothing gratuitously graphic.

Language:
PG-13 - The F-bomb appears once, and milder expletives are spread throughout the work.

Adult Content:
PG-13 – A few slight adult conversations, and several scenes with nudity, but no sex.

Christian content:
There's a tremendous struggle of good vs evil in this book, and the bad guys are disguised as monks, priests, cardinals, and nuns. The good guys also impersonate the priesthood. Several religious people pray, and much of the action takes place in religious buildings, like a cathedral. And you'll find loyalty, faith, and self-sacrifice repeatedly here. But don't enter this book looking for a story of the unseen world of angels and demons fighting for the souls of mankind.

Final Analysis:
As Wings Unfurl is a fast-paced high-stakes thriller with a depth of world building and character development that gives it solid realism. The characters are relatable, the setting and story immersive, and the pacing perfect. I found it engaging, gripping, and entertaining. Five Stars!

[Katey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Doweyko gave me a free copy of his book for a review. I will admit I never thought I was a sci-fi reader so I almost declined but decided to give it a try. I am glad I did!
Apple Bogdanski is a Vietnam Veteran with a prosthetic leg and a nasty painkiller habit. He's your average person struggling to live and find purpose in his job as a bookstore clerk. Apple's life changes drastically one boring day at work. He finds nothing is as it seems and a picture really is worth a thousand words.
From the beginning I was very impressed with the detail written to help the reader understand the "superpowers" of some of the characters and the other worldly scenery. The characters were relatable and each had their own personalities to learn to like or love.
A story that played with harmonizing science, aliens and religion was very interesting. The idea of angels, first humans, and fake fossil history was very new and unique for me to read about. I feel the author did this rather well throughout the book. Nothing is more strange than a big, long reveal of everything at the ending. It's just not a fun way to end a book.
My only disappointment was the lack of romance between the two main characters, Apple and Angela. Not that I am a sucker for sex scenes and romance, but I think it would've helped me as the reader to better understand the deep bond Angela had for Apple that he doesn't discover until finally meeting her.
The "bad guys" in the book were unique and well written. The action was consistent throughout the book and detailed well. The "first humans" and Tibetan man were nice side kicks to Apple, but I still am confused about how they got home and why Tibetans were so accepting to the Meh-Teh.
Overall, this book was a great read and fun! It provoked thought with life, spiritualism, and science. Do we really know "facts" about anything?

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars! Happy reading, amigos!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

High Action Good-vs. Evil Story with Mythical Backdrop

The wings mentioned in the title of the book are those of guardian angels. The book opens with the main protagonist of the story Apple, a recently returned Vietnam veteran who lost a limb during the war, confronting otherworldly bad guys (though he doesn't know that yet). Lucky for him, his guardian angel--who has fallen in love with him--is there to keep him from harm on several occasions. She reveals herself to him, and he isn't quite sure what to make of it. Just after we see her help him get off morphine, more characters show up...and the action really starts as the safety of the human race is threatened by a band of rogue angels.

I wasn't expecting Big Foot to show up, so I almost gave up on the book when he did. (Hey, I'm from Oregon...but that strains my willingness to suspend disbelief in a novel.) But I found the writing compelling, and I was a little interested in seeing how the author would integrate the Yeti. The Yeti and his cohort Shilog actually became favorite characters because they were just unwillingly swept up in the major events of the story.

I'm an RN, and I found the depiction of withdrawing from morphine interesting and well done. I don't know if it is accurate, but it feels authentic.

I'm glad I stuck with it, as it is a fast-paced, well-done read. The author is working with big themes here: good vs. evil, love, faith, sacrifice; he weaves in all those and more in an action-driven plot, which isn't easy to do. The book was blissfully lacking in grammar and punctuation errors.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever felt like there's someone or something guiding you through life? This story,  As Wings Unfurl by Arthur Doweyko, is written about this such topic. It's about a man, Apple Bogdanski, who is a veteran of the Viet Nam war.  His leg was blown off as he rescued his fellow soldiers from an ambush. He comes home a wounded,  drug addicted from his injuries, hero. If only he believed it himself.

After the war,  Apple returns to civilian life with a prosthesis as one of his legs. 

Next,  comes a beautiful young lady. She shows an interest in Apple. He can't understand why she has taken an interest in a cripple. 

Without giving too much of the story away, Angela reveals to Apple that she is his guardian angel. She has shown herself to him, because of his bravery during the war. She needs Apple's help to vanquish an evil that threatens mankind. Apple agrees to help her and the battle begins.

Throughout the story, Mr. Doweyko takes you, the reader on a journey of hope, recovery and heroism; the demise of an evil only one with courage and a stout heart can conquer. This fiction novel taps into the belief that there are higher powers at work in this world. It gives one the idea that we are the master of our fate, in control of our destiny. Do Apple & Angela conquer the evil? Do we have something looking after us? I highly recommend this tome if you just aren't sure. It's an interesting concept,  none the less. Read on fellow dreamers, read this novel and form your own opinion. Enjoy,  I did! 

[E.S. Martell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What if the Earth was not the birthplace of humans? What if paleontology and archaeology were dependent on carefully faked evidence? What if human behavior was evaluated by an extremely powerful, yet schizophrenic member of an alien race of guardians and found wanting? What if that guardian was the originator of a plot to instigate a global war that would purge the planet of humans? What if humans were the second owners of the Earth and the first owners were in hiding? What if an alien guardian could fall in love with a physically damaged and morphine-addicted human? What if the guardian's ruling consortium didn't know about the situation?

This story is a high-action science-fiction thriller that grabs the reader from the beginning and holds their attention through to the end. As a picky reader, I found little about which to complain. I highly recommend this story. It's an enjoyable read and, provided you are willing to suspend judgment of the world the author creates, it is consistent and compelling.

I downloaded this story through my KU membership and read it in two sittings.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

AS WINGS UNFURL is a moderately interesting fantasy tale with sci-fi elements about a disabled Vietnam vet, Apple something or other (he lost his leg to a land mine), who runs into some really bad guys only to find that he has a bona fine Guardian Angel. Said Ange, named Angela (including wings, flight and other powers) has been following Apple for his whole life, and has fallen in love with him. Why? No clue. Angela turns out to be an alien, of a race that has seeded the earth with humans and falsified the fossil record to make it look like humanity was not really placed here a few tens of thousands of years ago.

It was sort of fun to read, but there were many plot holes big enough to land a flying aircraft carrier in. The writing was OK, but there was little or no character development. I wanted to like it and hoped that it would get better all the way to the end, but alas, no. The writing was passable but the plotting fails in the end.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in the mid-1970's, this story is about Apple (short for Applegate) Bogdanski, who has just returned from Vietnam, minus part of one leg. Working in a local used bookstore, he comes across a couple of blurry photographs, which other people want very much.

A woman named Angela suddenly appears. like a guardian angel, and gets Apple out of several tight spots. He finds himself in the middle of a war, with the survival of humanity hanging in the balance. Mankind was seeded on Earth several thousand, not several million, years ago. Some, led by an angel named Dane, want to terminate the "experiment" and give Earth back to its original inhabitants, represented by a yeti from Tibet named Yowl. Angela, another angel, has fallen for Apple, and wants to leave humanity on Earth. Who will prevail at the end?

This is a really good novel that will keep the reader interested. It almost, but not quite, reaches the level of being an excellent novel. It is still very much worth checking out.

[Nancy Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Wings Unfurl has something for almost every reader. I was expecting more of a Christian theology to the story; instead, it took a turn toward fantasy and scifi. The characters, Apple (a one-legged war vet) and Angela (a seemingly angelic presence in Apple's life from the beginning), kept me interested. This is so although I still don't quite see why Angela fell for Apple. The other unworldly characters, specifically a big foot, brought something extra to the story.

The unexpected turn to scifi--that the angelic race planted humans on Earth to monitor them--was a creative concept. I'm not much of a scifi reader, so that all the questions and world-building ideas weren't answered or fully developed didn't bother me. Especially because it was more of a mix between mystery, scifi, religion, and romance.

[Naomi Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A morphine addicted Vietnam veteran missing a leg, an angel/alien, a Tibetan farmer and a Yeti team up to save the human race from evil angel/aliens. It's a short book (207 pages) loaded with action, but not much else. There's not much mystery, romance or comedy to break up all the action. I would have really appreciated more story between fighting and escaping. Mostly to explain how/why Angela is in love with Apple.

This book is like a birthday cake without frosting. I had fun blowing out the candles but it needs more sugar.

Solid 3 star story.
Bonus half star for the yeti.

*I won this book from a Good reads giveaway drawing. Thank you to the author for giving me the opportunity to read it.

[KATHLEEN CORTE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review

I really enjoyed reading this book is a Vietnam veteran it was especially poignant. Remembering how we were treated and the things that we went through during that time. I also love the fact of angels. And I love the way that it was brought in that the Consortium ie by God has man transplanted on many worlds and we just have to be ready to understand and accept it please continue writing more books like this I will be looking for it too many more.

[Cmoore · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF...
I couldn't take the willowy voice of the narrator, 2+ hrs in and I had to cry uncle! Plus I really hate a smug bastard of a character who has all the answers but won't tell our protagonist Apple anything, "if you know your life will be in danger" although you're already in danger, that's why we're running! (That's just b*llsh*t)...

It's kinda too bad, cause I liked Apple... Even the appearance of a Sasquatch (I <3 Cryptids) couldn't keep me in the book!

[Carole O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was exciting from start to finish, full of action. We had Angels, Aliens and even a Bigfoot.

Each Human was meant to have a Guardian Angel, but some of the Angels went rogue, they decided that Humans had made a mess of life on Earth and that things should be reset, a battle ensues Good against Evil.


Will be reading more from this author in future.

[Rebecca Larsen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

A good fantasy / science fiction story with moderate religious undertones. There is a strong biblical feeling to events, whereas you feel that one or more of the beings watching over us and our every movement has decided we failed to live up to their expectations of us.
The lack of world building was frustrating as it gave readers no real clue as to the location other than words. I would have liked to see more of a description of the locations such as the landscape, structures, etc.

[Kerry Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

Well told and structured story. It could have been a little too long but the pacing was good so there was no doubt I'd finish it.
The characters were dimensioned we got to know them through the tale. Their motivations added to the story.

[Terra Limburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable

This story has a lot of interesting quirky characters. We meet angels not angels, Bigfoot and evil doers. Plenty of action and intrigue. Quite different from others. Good read.

[David Baird · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows Apple.. he’s not had the best of times but he’s always managed to keep going.. and in this book we find out why. Angela has been with him.. watching..protecting as best she can.

After a murder and a robbery Angela is forced to reveal some truths to Apple. Angels exist and not all are intent on doing good.

It’s a good versus bad tale. We get introduced to some interesting good guys, one such is a Yeti! I loved the Meh-Teh and Shilog, They have a side story which converges with Apples and this is one part of the book that I really enjoyed.

I don’t want to give too much away but there’s a plot out there to remove humanity and start over..There’s a biblical feeling to events whereby one of the higher beings watching over us and our every movement has decided we have failed to live up to expectations and it’s time for a do over.

I really liked the bad guy in this tale. I can't spoil it but clearly they have some obvious issues, you never really know what you're going to get with the character, like they could do anything and I loved the unpredictability of it.

The battle between the forces of good and bad was done pretty well, not graphic in details but the end fight had me hooked as to how things could end.

So you’ll want to know why it’s only a 3* star for me. Well it’s the relationships between the characters, mainly Apple and Angela. I know we are told Angela has been with Apple for years but as this is a fast paced tale I don’t think we had enough time to see or feel the relationship grow itself without it being pointed out to us.

The major plus for this book is the plot itself along with the writing. It’s very easy to read and enjoyable and the plot keeps you hooked with multiple perspectives.

This book is perfect if you like the idea of a good versus bad Fantasy/Science Fiction vibe tale with fast paced writing. An enjoyable quick and interesting read. Enjoy the ride.

My thanks go to the author for the chance to read and review their work.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some very cool ideas explored in this. I enjoyed it a lot. The characters were pretty well fleshed out and none felt overly cardboard-y which is always nice.

[Judi Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M Doweyko

**Originally written for “BigAl’s Books and Pals” book blog. May have received a free review copy.**

Genre: SF/crime

This is a mashup of book genres which, like most hybrids, fizzes with energy. It is set mainly in New York in 1975. As well as apparent guardian angels and an imminent End Of The World As We Know It scenario, there is a new theory of Creation; murder, burglary and general mayhem; and a cast of interesting characters it is easy to root for: there is plenty going on.

Doweyko has an economical, straightforward style which pushes the book along at a goodly clip. Plenty of humour – black, slapstick and ironical – is employed as a well-judged leaven to the running, fighting, and gory bits, of which there are plenty. In addition the author delivers pithy and interesting description of how ‘Apple’ lost his leg in ‘Nam, the second-hand bookshop where he works and the various locations in New York, London and Tibet (yes, Tibet) which all help to drive the book along.

Tibet. Yes. The characters really get around, so the reader needs to pay attention. I like this sort of surprise, the location shifts are well signposted and the changes quickly bed in. None of the scene changes are gratuitous. Tibet is essential if for no other reason than we meet two delightful characters there, whom I enjoyed very much. The epilogue to the book, when these two are returned to the bosoms of their families, is quite delightful.

The book reminded me slightly of Dr Who, in that someone frequently yells ‘run!’ at his or her companions. That sort of frenetic solution to plotting needs to be very well focussed, and used sparingly, to be effective. In a similar vein, people who quite patently should be dead of their injuries, who are described as dead, and are mourned or celebrated as being dead, keep coming back to life and then being killed all over again. This sort of ploy also needs to be used more sparingly than it is here. There are some characters who are significantly more powerful than others – to the point where at times this reader questioned the need for the ordinarily-abled to be on the team. And, finally, the reader is clouted with the (thinnish) reason why the world needs to end rather too frequently. The sum total of which infelicities have lost the book a star.

Nevertheless, the quality of the writing is good enough to transcend that sort of thing, and I think you will find this book an engaging read if you like your crime a bit off the wall and/or your SF rooted in the here and now. And if you have a thing about Tibet it should leave you with a big, goofy grin on your face. It did me.

About the author: “After retiring in 2009, Arthur M. Doweyko took up writing fiction. His novel Algorithm garnered a 2010 Royal Palm Literary Award, and is also available in paperback. He has published a number of short stories, many of which have been selected as Finalists in the Royal Palm Literary Award contest, and two Honorable Mentions in the L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest.

Arthur was awarded the 2008 Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award for his contribution to the discovery of Sprycel, a novel anti-cancer drug successfully brought to the marketplace in 2009. He has authored over one hundred publications (papers, abstracts, patents, book chapters) and has been an invited lecturer in a number of drug-discovery and computational venues.

More about the author here, on his website: http://www.arthurmdoweyko.com/

[Hobart · Rating 3 out of 5]

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
Apple Bogdanski is a morphine-addicted Vietnam vet still having trouble re-acclimating himself to civilian life. The re-acclimation becomes more difficult when the small Book Store he works at is broken into by some pretty nasty guys. There's some fisticuffs, some gunplay and some damaged books. What keeps Apple from being as damaged as the books is a mysterious stranger, Angela. She's a stranger, yes, but one that Apple is convinced he's known for years -- maybe his whole life -- but he can't put his finger on the "how" and "where" of such knowledge. What's more important to Apple at the moment is that she's saved his bacon from these thugs and is pretty attractive -- a winning combination to be sure -- he's just not sure how she saved him, the explanation defies belief.

These events plunge Apple into a plot involving multiple intelligent races on Earth, a group of guys somewhere in outer space, a corrupt and powerful Roman Catholic Church, more beings like Angela and a good deal to chew on. Oh, and multiple threats to Apple's life.

Aside from Apple, there are some pretty interesting characters here. We don't ever really learn what kind of creature/being that Angela (or any of her kind) actually are -- we do learn a lot about them, don't worry, just not everything. Outside of battle, their abilities are a little to hard to get a real handle on. I was intrigued and wondered a lot -- there's evidence to support at least one interpretation, but it's just a guess, so I'll spare you. Shilog and Yowl are pretty interesting characters and one of them becomes pretty important to how things are moving through the later part of the book. I'm not going to fill you in on the details about them, because watching it be revealed is one of the most satisfying parts of the book.

There are some really painful anachronisms here -- probably due to poor editing -- they don't ruin any plot points or anything, but they take you out of the moment enough to say, "Oh come on," or something like that and make you doubt Doweyko's idea to place things in '75. Other than denying everyone around the action cell phones/cell phone cameras and surveillance cameras on every street corner, I don't see the point in that setting, honestly. Again, it's nothing to kill the story, but it's enough to detract from it because you spend far too much time trying to figure it out.

This got the job done, and that's about it, it was entertaining enough to keep you moving. But there's nothing here that made me sit up and pay attention. I liked Apple as a character, and Angela really started to grown on me by the end. I do suggest picking it up if you have the means, but I wouldn't urge you to rush into it.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for my honest thoughts.

[S.L. Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arthur Dowekyo’s As Wings Unfurl is a dystopian novel set primarily in New York City, though parts of the story take place in Tibet, and South Vietnam. It is a world that features unusual characters and action. Remember that when you read the prologue; pay close attention to what is written there, for it returns later. Angelic-like beings, mere mortal types, and native species are all in the mix.

A clerk at an antiquarian bookseller finds himself in the middle of a fight between the demonic and heavenly angelic-like beings. After the store’s owner is attacked by a stranger and lands in the hospital, the clerk, Apple sets out to figure out what brought on the attack. You guessed right. It was a book, a very particular book. In this book, there is a hidden compartment, a sleeve, for hiding small thin objects like photos and negatives. Apple retrieves the sought after items. They are barely X-rated smut, but nevertheless, Apple is also attacked, in the store and then in on his way home. Enter the heavenly Angela. She spirits Apple away. After that the story takes off.

Apple is not just a lowly clerk; he is also a Vietnam vet who almost died in South Vietnam. He lost a leg and now has a prosthetic and is arguably addicted to powerful painkillers. His story as a solider is recounted throughout the narrative in the form of recollections, day dreams, and nightmares.

Add to all of the above a Big Foot creature called a Meh-teh, a Tibetan, a cardinal, a monk, and a monsignor and a few other characters along the way including New York City’s finest, the NYPD and NYFD, a demonic angel that seemingly has more than nine lives, and some otherworldly fighting and time and space travel, and you have a fantastical tale of good versus evil, of a plot to end the world that only Hitler, Stalin, North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un and ISIS could only envision.

I hardly ever comment on a cover but As Wings Unfurl's is amazing. My favorite character was pair, the Meh-teh, Yowl, and Tibetan, Shilog. I wish there had been more description or background on Yowl. Other than the problem of sorting out who is talking when one of demonic angels transforms into two different beings and then carried on a conversation between each (imagine overhearing someone talking to and answering themselves, you not realizing this and then trying to figure out who they are talking with), the writing is fairly polished with a good pace that keeps you reading. The blending of Apple’s memories in South Vietnam into the present-day narrative was masterfully done. It is like you are there on the ground in South Vietnam beside Apple, fighting with him.

*** Copy provided by author for honest review

[Charles Remington · Rating 5 out of 5]

A private investigator who has been hired to gather evidence on a high-ranking Catholic priest is visited by an attractive but arrogant woman demanding to see the evidence he has gathered. A crippled Vietnam veteran is attacked in an alleyway as he tries to assist a man who is being mugged, and unaccountably manages to disarm and disable the two able-bodied assailants. The police find the veteran’s ability surprising – was he helped? The private investigator leaps to his death in an apparent suicide – how are these events linked? So commences the extraordinary science fiction tale that is As Wings Unfurl by Arthur M. Doweyko, the author of the award-winning novel Algorithm. In a fast-paced narrative filled with strange twists and breathtaking revelations, we follow the adventures of Apple Bogdanski as he makes the acquaintance of Angela, an amiable, attractive but not quite of this world female, and becomes embroiled in a plot to destroy all mankind. As the story moves between the USA, England and Tibet, he joins forces with a Tibetan farmer and, more strangely, a Meh-teh (Yeti or Bigfoot) and the three assist Angela in her fight to thwart the plans of an angelic host which is hell bent on the destruction of our species.
In As Wings Unfurl, Arthur M. Doweyko presents a series of astounding scenarios based around our origins as a species, the nature of religion and angels and the fossil record of the planet. Working from a sound scientific base, he has extrapolated a sci-fi thriller that will have you reflecting on what we really know about human history and development. A brilliant piece of work from the pen of an accomplished science fiction author. If you are a fan of the genre, read this book - you will not be disappointed.