Title: Seven Point Eight (The First Chronicle #1)
Author: Marie Harbon
Genre: Science-Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy
Publisher: Createspace
Publication Date: April 6th 2012
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Review copy provided by the author in exchange for honest review.
Seven Point Eight: The most powerful number in the universe. The number that connects everything.A long time ago, our ancestors lived in a very different world from the one we inhabit today. We understood the language of the Earth, the stars, the sky people and we knew of the Number. This was a moment known as The First Time.But over time, we forgot all of this and the wisdom of the Number was lost too. We walked through life asleep, ignorant of the truth.Yet we retain a deep and hidden memory of everything that we ever were. There lies within us the hope that one day, we can re-connect with the language of the Earth, the stars, the sky people and the wisdom of the Number. The moment has arrived for The Second Time.It is time to wake up.
A physicist begins a quest to measure the soul but soon finds himself drawn into the world of the enigmatic Max Richardson, where research is sold to the military at the highest bid. However, he soon discovers another purpose when an extremely talented young psychic enters his life. He devises a project
and builds a team to stretch the frontiers of exploration, only to make a reality-shattering discovery…
The First Chronicle is the beginning of a 5 part epic which
follows the spiritual and emotional journey of five people; their quest to understand the universe and our place within it. Along the way, they address the fundamental questions we all seek answers to:
Why are we here?
What is the purpose of the universe?
Is there a God?
Quantum physics meets spirituality in a tale which begins in the 1940s, unfolds during the 1960s; an era of social and spiritual transformation and reaches its conclusion in the modern age.
It interweaves the human dramas of love, betrayal, bitterness and above all, courage in a world where everyone must face their own dark shadow.
Written in the style of a TV series, this is for those of you who love clever and intriguing story lines ‘Lost’ and ‘Fringe’ style.
This is a great read for fans of the paranormal, big
sweeping epics, metaphysics, science fiction, contemporary fantasy, alternate realities and new age/spirituality.
The 2nd edition is scheduled for release in February 2012, which will also make a great YA read for those who like some science with their paranormal. It’s available through all common outlets as an ebook and paperback.
It doesn’t happen often that one comes across a book as detailed and well-researched as Seven Point Eight. This book left me stunned. Dazed. The amount of new information I’d just absorbed kept throbbing in my head like a dull headache. This book offers a myriad of information, without getting too informational. It’s a brilliant mix of science-fiction, mystery, suspense, romance and fantasy. Fantasy and science collide, and it makes an intriguing mix. I can’t wait to read more from this author, and from this series.
What I thought was the best part about this book for me, was the use of science to explain fantasy. Take a step back in time, to the sixteenth century. If you told a sixteenth century villager that in a couple of hundred years, people would be flying through the skies, they’d probably cry out ‘witchcraft’ and condem you to the stakes. Now we have airplanes crossing vast distances. We have Curiosity going to Mars. What Marie Harbon describes in Seven Point Eight is still fiction, but that doesn’t mean that parts of it may not turn out to be true decades from now. It’s definitely a fascinating concept to think about. A professional scientist, Dr. Paul Eldridge, is hired by a rich entrepreneur named Max, who is using psychics from all over the world to help the English government in uncovering secrets from various other countries. Max’ influence changes Paul in a way that isn’t entirely good. He soon leaves behind his ultimate goal of finding the unknown, and turns to money, women and drugs. When he’s finally starting to find himself again, we get to meet another protagonist, Tahra, a young and gifted psychic who Max brought to their falicity to help them with their research.
I’m not sure which main character I liked the most. They’re all unique and different in their own way, and each one plays an important part in the story. What I didn’t like that much is that large chunks of the story are told from secondary character’s POVs. I would’ve probably liked it better had the story stuck to its original protagonists – I’d have a better way to look into their heads then. Of all protagonists, I had most trouble with Tahra. It’s not that I didn’t like her, I just couldn’t connect with her. I found her intriguing, with her mixed heritage, her studious background and her quick wit, but I didn’t like her.
The general consensus for this book is that it’s very intellectual. I love that, but some people might not. The story unfolds over several years, and most chapters mention at least one or two historical events that took place that year. That was probably my favorite part of the entire book, besides how much I learned from it. I got to watch history unfold on those very pages, and it was a great experience. There is no real action in this book though. There’s action here and there, but most battles are fought intellectually. Like I said, it may not be for everyone, but I definitely enjoyed it.
If you want something different that deals with the clash of science-fiction and fantasy, look no further. If you want something intellectual, with vibrant, new ideas and rich, compelling protagonists, look no more. Seven Point Eight is an excellent choice. Give it a try. You may end up being as blown away as I am!
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