Audio Book Review: A Thousand Fiendish Angels

A Thousand Fiendish Angels

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  November 26, 2013, Audiobook Release February 8, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 1 hrs 30 mins
Narrated By:  J.F. Penn

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  Short stories inspired by Dante's Inferno

Impression:  Suspenseful short stories

Synopsis:
Three short stories inspired by Dante’s Inferno, linked by a book of human skin passed down through generations. On the edge of horror, thriller and the occult.

Sins of the Flesh: When the tortured and mutilated corpse of a wealthy author is discovered, the police officer sent to investigate finds a curious diary amongst the occult objects at the scene. Will he uncover the author’s secret at the ruined chapel, and can he pay the price that it demands?

Sins of Treachery: On the death of their Grandfather, twin brothers Simon and Gestas are left a map covered in alchemical symbols that could lead them to great wealth and power. But they find more than they expected in the frozen wastes of the Arctic north …

Sins of Violence: In a brutal post-apocalyptic world, a young girl is about to be taken to The Minotaur for a Blessing that will end her innocence. Can her sister gain access to the fortified city of Dis in time to stop the ritual and avenge her own lost youth?

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I didn't know what to expect with J.F. Penn narrating her own stories. I was highly impressed from the beginning! Penn's accent adds to the character of the story. Her knowing the story's intimately and giving us the rise, fall, and pause in her voice that gives the story suspense and intrigue. We don't get as much in different voice tones for the characters, but that's okay for this set of short stories.

These stories fit J.F. Penn's style of writing with a touch of suspense and mystical. There is a religious element used to the stories. I really enjoy J.F. Penn's writing from word selection to pacing. J.F. Penn has great talent in selecting words to describe the feeling in that action. She holds my attention in each short story.

Each story is not long, but they feel complete in telling. Even if they have a time jump, I feel as though it's not an impact time we are missing. I get what I want from each scene written, and it continues along with completing the story we are getting.

After the stories, J.F. Penn explains where the stories came from. She tells of her research and connection in the stories to the story Dante's Inferno. Very neat and cool to hear.

Sins of the Flesh:
A police officer who's down and out on is called to a death scene. While investigating the mutilated corpses items, a diary is found and intrigues the officer to find a secret hidden. The officer could find more than expected.

Sins of Treachery:
With the death of their Grandfather, Simon and Gestas go on the adventure their grandfather wanted them to take for wealth and power. The map is from the leather book Grandfather held dear, and now Simon does too.

This is a continuation of the item found in Sins of the Flesh, but thirty years in the future. The item is strong in it's hold on people and impact on them.

Sins of Violence:
A young girl returns to the city of the Minotaur to stop the blessing of her sister. Can she get to her sister in time?

This story is said to be in the future from the last story, Sins of Treachery. The world is now in a post-apocalyptic setting. What has happened to the world is mentioned in the story, but it does not divert from the direction of the story. This information adds to the danger of the world on the outside of the city.


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Audio Book Review: Valley of Dry Bones

Valley of Dry Bones

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  January 6, 2016, Audiobook Release January 21, 2019

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 4 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Suspense

Series:  10th in ARKANE series; Book 1 ~ Stone of Fire, Book 2 ~ Crypt of Bone, Book 6 ~ Gates of Hell, Book 7 ~ One Day in New York, Book 8 ~ Destroyer of Worlds, Book 9 ~ End of Days

Impression:  Facing what they've lived through, and more.

Synopsis:
An ancient prophecy.
An occult secret.
The power to raise the dead.

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author, J.F.Penn.

When a long-hidden tomb and a body covered in Voodoo symbols are found in New Orleans, ARKANE agent Jake Timber discovers a mystery that stretches back to the Spanish Empire and the bloody dungeons of the Inquisition.

But he is not the only one who seeks the Hand of Ezekiel. A shadowy billionaire, backed by those who seek immortality at any price, will stop at nothing to find the relics that can turn bones to living flesh.

When disaster strikes in the heart of the Louisiana bayou, Jake calls on ARKANE agent Morgan Sierra to help him once more as they race against time across the outposts of the Spanish Empire.

From Madrid and Toledo to the Philippines, Peru, and on to New Orleans and San Francisco, can Morgan and Jake find the relics and stop the resurrection of the dead?

A page-turning archaeological thriller with elements of the supernatural and occult, Valley of Dry Bones blends religious mystery with Indiana Jones-style action adventure.

Valley of Dry Bones is book 10 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be read as a stand-alone novel.

First Sentence:
The screaming didn't stop until just before dawn.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles 

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I'm thrilled to listen to Veronica again. I love her voice acting. She's got many great voices for different characters along with accents. And she's so clear in her speaking that I have no problems knowing what words she's saying. Veronica has brought the same love and caring for the characters in this world back to life for us. One thing I noticed in this audiobook is there isn't much of a pause at the end of the chapter. It feels like it's a shock to hear Chapter (number) when I hear it. I don't realize that a chapter has ended until I get the quick next chapter announcement. Lost in the book, I am.

I love that J.F. lets the story dictate the length. Some stories need more pages, other not so much. This is a shorter audio book, at 6 hours, so it's a shorter book. But she hits it all hard along the way, keeping up moving along to find out what they learn and what they will face. The story moves forward constantly. Each scene an important part of the mission in finding the relics. I like we don't get the down time of the characters, but what impacts the story line or the characters relationships.

Where we left off with Morgan in previous book, she had a big possibility of not returning to work for ARKANE. I even thought she might not return but Jake goes on with a new partner. We do get to see Morgan again in this book. The best part, we watch Morgan struggle with what she's seen and make a huge choice that will affect her life... Whether to work for ARKANE or go on with mundane life after all she'd seen and lived through. Jake does return for the current case and is partnered with Naomi, who we meet in a previous book. I like Naomi, but like Jake knows, she's new to the world of ARKANE cases.

What Morgan and Jake have lived through and seen, even sees in this book, has impacted them. It's hard to see and know about things the ARKANE deal with. There's a line that people could cross that questions morality, all for power. The relic found here could bring anyone to cross that line for love or power.

The ending felt as though Morgan and Jake have changed with all they've learned. They act on what they've seen and know. This feels like a turning point for them. This has me curious to read more stories with them and relics they will find.



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Audio Book Review: End of Days

End of Days

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  January 1, 2017, Audiobook Release April 4, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 27 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Fiction

Series:  9th in ARKANE series; Book 1 ~ Stone of Fire, Book 2 ~ Crypt of Bone, Book 6 ~ Gates of Hell, Book 7 ~ One Day in New York, Book 8 ~ Destroyer of Worlds

Impression:  A race to stop the serpent from being raised before the end of days comes to pass.

Synopsis:
The thousand years are ended.

An ancient tablet is found in the ruins of Babylon that warns of the resurrection of a banished serpent in the final days. A sarcophagus is discovered in the deepest ocean locked by seven seals that are scattered through the ancient world.

As the Brotherhood of the Serpent race to find the seals before a rare lunar eclipse over the heart of Jerusalem, Agent Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber battle to find them first.

But this time, evil threatens to destroy all that Morgan loves and she must wrestle her own fear as well as an apocalyptic foe.

In a fast-paced adventure from the ruins of Iraq to the snake-handling churches of the Appalachian Mountains, from archaeological digs in Israel to snake-worshipping cults in Egypt, Morgan and Jake must find the seven seals and stop the resurrection of the Serpent before it’s too late.

End of Days is Book 9 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be read as a stand-alone story.

First Sentence:
It was dark when Massoud went back to the tomb.

Purchase At:
Amazon

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I'm going to warn you up front. I've been loving this series, author, and narrator so my thoughts are probably going to sound like rambling praise.

The narration. Veronica is one of my favorite voice actresses. Her work feels to create a whole character in voice, emotion, and personality in compliment to the authors words of actions and personalities. This world of Morgan and Jake is wonderful while listening to Veronica. I find myself slipping into the world with the characters and don't even realize she's narrating. This is a hats off to the author and Veronica. An amazing bond between the words and voice, great pairing!

J.F. Penn has a way of writing senses that liven the book. The red sand or smelled of freshly turned earth... These sound like simple phrases, but I knew exactly what they looked or smelled like. And when used in the phrasing Penn uses to describe things, oh, they tell all and heighten the feel of the story. The use of senses so familiar gave me a quick reference to what is happening, drawing my senses with me to feel the emotions of the moment with the characters. And, being of a familiar reference, gives me time to focus on other things that are happening.

Penn has crafted her stories to give details of the most important moments, wasting no time in telling us about what we are looking for and the connection through history and religion. (Mind, the story is NOT preaching, it's actually an interesting twist on Religious beliefs and history.) Her characters, Morgan and Jake along with Martin and others, are well versed in the beliefs and legends so all their logical connections is explained. I love that there is always action or worry of danger when at different sites. The story is constantly moving forward with troubles and what we are searching for.

We are back with Morgan and Jake, on a dangerous mission before the groups out there seize the opportunity to bring the End of Days to pass. There are signs surfacing with the stars and tablet found.

The story is told for a few different POV's. But! Before you worry, Penn does an amazing job at dropping enough details or descriptions that you know exactly who's head you are viewing through. There is NO confusion. What you learn in each moment with different characters is spot on to the events happening and draw you in even more. You know what's happening on the inside of the troubles along with our agents trying to stop it from happening. Penn blends these in a way that you want to rush Morgan and Jake along to get there in time! Awesome!

As for the characters, I do love them. I enjoy them together as they have different strengths that is highlighted by the other on their missions. Morgan is starting to see her job in a new light. What about her family? After the last book, she fears that she's putting them in danger with her work. But, she seems to like the adrenaline and research blend of working for the ARKANE. And Jake too. We get to spend time with Martin and learn a bit about him, and see him out in the field. Yep, it's a little hard on him in this book but with working in this secret agency it can happen.

Another magnificent installment to the world or ARKANE. I'm curious about the next mission and what Morgan will decide.



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Audio Book Review: Destroyer of Worlds

Destroyer of Worlds

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  April 21, 2016, Audiobook Release September 14, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 44 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Suspense, Thriller, Adventure

Series:  8th in ARKANE series; Book 1 ~ Stone of Fire, Book 2 ~ Crypt of Bone, Book 6 ~ The Gates of Hell, Book 7 ~ One Day in New York

Impression:  Hindu god statue that can destroy the world.

Synopsis:
An ancient weapon threatens the heart of India.

From New York Times & USA Today bestselling author, J.F.Penn.

A bomb explodes in the center of London and a fragment of an ancient Hindu sculpture is stolen from the ARKANE Headquarters by a secret organization bent on mass murder. If the sculpture is put together again, it will reveal the key to the Brahmastra, a weapon with the power of a nuclear explosion.

As those they love are threatened, ARKANE agents Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber must search for the pieces of the relic before it can be activated at the Kumbh Mela, the greatest pilgrimage on earth.

In a fast-paced adventure from the slums of Mumbai to the temples of Kolkata, the Taj Mahal in Agra to the killing fields of Rwanda, Morgan and Jake must find the pieces of the sculpture before it’s too late.

>>> Destroyer of Worlds is Book 8 in the ARKANE action adventure thriller series, but can be read as a stand-alone story.

First Sentence:
Tendrils of crimson dawn touched the Thames and turned the river to blood as it heralded a new day.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

A bomb in Westminster exposes the belly of the underground ARKANE headquarters, right where the vault holding artifacts that could destroy civilization. There is one thing that's stolen. A box that could lead to the destruction of the world. Morgan and Jake are on the case to find the remaining pieces before the person searching for them finds and puts them together.


I find Veronica to be one of the best narrators with pauses and speed of speech to go with the events of the story. She adds the right amount of suspense in the moment of pause and she picks up the cadence of speech with the race of the moment. All taking us along for the ride, drawing our hearts to slow and race with the story. She also adds different voice tones and accents for characters making listening a great pleasure.

J.F. Penn always starts us off quick with a huge event. I love these beginnings. They make me curious and hold my attention. I thrive off of every word when we start because I know it's going to set the events of the book to come. So much hinted at, so many questions. And we get all the connections and answers through out the story.

The story never seems to slow down for me either. There is always a closeness to the timing to keep me held to the words I'm hearing. I don't want to stop listening as there is so much to learn or action to live through. But I do stop, so I can piece together what I've learned, and it does all piece together.

Another thing, other than the story/plot writing that holds my attention is the characters. I enjoy Morgan and Jake as a team. The personal tension between Morgan and Jake starts to surface here. Maybe they'll grow closer? Hints have lead up to them possibly doing so. Then their's Director Mariette. Mariette plays a more important part in this book, even if he's not with our two agents throughout the book. We learn more about him and his past. And we get the story from the 'bad guys' POV as well. To see their thinking and actions is always a great addition to moving the story along and keeping me enthralled.

This book could be read/listened to on it's own. Sure, the previous books are mentioned, and may have you curious and wanting to go back to them. But the mentions are not detailed to the point that you feel you've missed something. The characters are human and their previous cases and what they've learned will linger with them in their minds, maybe even help them in the current situation, but you will get the information you need if that's the case.



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Audio Book Review: Risen Gods

Risen Gods

By:  J.F. Penn & J. Thorn

Publish Date:  November 23, 2015, Audiobook March 8, 2016

Format:  Audiobook - 4 hrs 18 mins
Narrated By:  C.J. McAllister

Genre:  Dark Fantasy Adventure

Series:  Stand alone

Impression:  The gods of legends are returning, and the world is crumbling for humans.

Synopsis:
Can Ben and Lucy battle the Risen Gods to find each other again and save the country from destruction?
When a tidal wave strikes the coast of New Zealand, Ben Henare and Lucy Campion are separated in the chaotic aftermath.

As earthquakes shake the land and volcanoes erupt on the Pacific Rim of Fire, Ben wrestles with his Maori heritage as he faces the supernatural powers that threaten the land of Aotearoa. He must fight his way north on a quest through ice caves and oceans, battling the manifestations of the evil god Whiro and the creatures of the sky.

Lucy faces personal tragedy and human evil on her own trek, confronting a mighty demon of the deep as she crosses into the Cook Strait. Then Ruaumoko, god of the volcano, stirs, and the powers of the land threaten to pull the country into the sea.

As the people they love are threatened and Aotearoa begins to crumble in the face of natural disaster, can Ben and Lucy battle the Risen Gods to find each other again and save the country from destruction?

Risen Gods is a dark fantasy action adventure set against the backdrop of Aotearoa/New Zealand, rich with the myth and history of the island.

First Sentence:
In the Time Before, Ranginui, god of the sky, and Papatuanuku, goddess of the earth, were joined together in their love.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles /  Book Depository

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Ben and Lucy are out on dinghies having fun racing with the wind in their hair and sails. Suddenly the air chills and dark clouds roll in, bringing a tidal wave with it. Ben speaks a prayer when separated from Lucy in their rush to return to shore. The protection chant to the god of the sea changes his view, and he sees beyond the wave to a terrible, starving tentacle monster inside the towering wave rushing to New Brighton. New Zealand is rocked by a tidal wave, earthquakes and after shocks, and volcano eruptions as unnatural things take over. It doesn't matter what the people believe, the gods are coming. Ben's grandfather wants to make a journey to the ancient ice, where the veil between the worlds is thin, to offer the gods a talisman handed down for generations. With the smoke demons attacking, Ben makes the trip on his own. Lucy is given her own protection pendant and makes the journey to save her sister, and the land.

In the beginning I felt as though the narrator was a bit emotionless in his voicing of the story. When we get news clips sharing the devastation with 'viewers' and information about New Zealand and it's natural events of earthquakes and such, C.T.'s voice fits for them. C.T. does do different voice tones and softness for each character when they speak, different from the story line. The audio was clear and clean sounding.

The story is a journey for Ben and Lucy to find each other again after being separated along with stopping the gods from destroying the humans that have lived here for ages. They never told each other they loved the other, but in the wake of the disasters they realize it. They also know they need to survive and save their families, or what's left of their families, too.

The story dives into the magic of the Maori people of New Zealand. We get to see quickly the enchantment of the prayers when used, and the creatures that are present. There is a connection between the people and to nature, we get to see this with Ben and his Grandfather. Grandfather tells the humans have abused the land of the gods, and they are coming to reclaim it. Grandfather is an Elder of the local tribe and close to the land. Ben knew the Maori believed in many gods and creatures but never believed in them.

We get most of the story from Ben and Lucy's POV. Seeing what is happening and the evils through their eyes. We do get moments from a few others that give us a view on broader things people do in a time of chaos and also a view on our two characters.

I didn't feel as I got close to the characters in this story. With being a shorter story, it felt as though the story focused on the events happening and not the characters connecting to the reader. Maybe that's something with the audio, but it fell short on that end for me.

I have read a few New Zealand based books with Maori beliefs and legends and enjoyed them. For some reason I wasn't drawn into this book as I thought I'd be. Was it the narration? Was it the writing and style? I'm not sure. Maybe both. It didn't feel as though the characters were expanded and given a chance for us to relate to them. I think it might have been the writing in that token.



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Audio Book Review: Crypt of Bone

Crypt of Bone

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  December 2011, Audiobook July 29, 2013

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 25 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Thriller

Series:  2nd in ARKANE series; 1st Book ~ Stone of Fire, Book 6 ~ Gates of Hell, Book 7 ~ One Day in New York

Impression:  Buried in the bone crypts are the pages of the Devil's Bible and can bring forth a demon in the speaker, to kill.

Synopsis:
The prophecy in Revelation declares that a quarter of the world must die … And now a shadowy organization has the ability to fulfill these words. Can one woman stop the abomination before it’s too late?

ISRAEL. A victim of Jerusalem Syndrome jumps to his death from the top of the Western Wall, his body smashed on the ancient stones. Another disembowels himself under the scrawled figure of the Pale Horse of the Apocalypse with the chilling words, “God told me to do it.”

Dr Morgan Sierra travels to Israel to investigate the deaths and becomes embroiled in an international conspiracy that will use cutting-edge technology to carry an ancient curse to mankind, and threaten those she loves.

Morgan joins agent Jake Timber at ARKANE, a secret government agency investigating the supernatural. Together they must hunt down the Devil’s Bible, pursued all the way by the evil forces of Thanatos.

From the catacombs of Paris to the skeletal ossuaries of Sicily and the Czech Republic, Morgan and Jake must find the Devil’s Bible and stop the curse being released into the world before one in four are destroyed in the coming holocaust. Because in just seven days, the final curse will be spoken and the prophecy will be fulfilled.

Previously published as PROPHECY.

First Sentence:
Blood has seeped into the stones of Jerusalem for millennia.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Morgan jumps on the plane to Jerusalem Israel when her friend, Dr. Dinah Mizrahi calls. Dinah has two suicides at her Institute where she treats Jerusalem Syndrome patients, those who think they are religious people or messengers of God. Morgan wants to help her friend, but she has found she enjoys the rush of adventure. When she gets there, Morgan recognizes the symbol from those that were after her and her sister three months ago. The pale horse. When she starts to ask about the head phones for the audio stimulation's run on the patients, Izra Institute explodes. Morgan knows it's a cover-up to stop questions from being asked. The prophecy has been leaked. A quarter of the world will die... Morgan knows who's behind the events and makes a call, to ARKANE.

Veronica is back voicing Morgan and all the characters again. I do enjoy the different attitudes and feel I get from the characters as Veronica voices them. (I really did grow to dislike Natasha, thanks to Veronica's voice and J.F.'s writing of her.) Some moments of information, about people or places, felt quick in speaking. I repeated a few to catch all the details. But things do move fast with Morgan and there is a lot of information given.

I know J.F. jumps in with a quick hitter at the beginning, but it takes me a few listens to get on page with the beginning and all the details. The first scene is a deadly one, as seems to be the trait of the books and I enjoy this, but I also know there are a lot of details here that set the stage for what's to come. I like to get as much out of this moment as I can.

Morgan returns to the world of ARKANE and accepts their job offer when she sees the pale horse symbol and the destruction they are ready to release on the world. Morgan and Jake are paired as they worked so well together in Stone of Fire. They are both ready to find who is the lead of Thanatos. Their first mission, to find the Devil's Bible and bring it to ARKANE where it can be kept safe. If it's found by anyone, the verses of evil when read can turn the speaker into one in extreme blood lust, killing all in violent ways.

Oh! We get to see the leader of the Thanatos group. And it's not a pleasure to do so. Well, it is, to see him but the things he has the group do and the way they worship... Not good. But we get a feel for the creation of this group and what they are striving for.

We get to see some of the history with a few characters. Ben with Morgan's parents and when he first saw the sign of Thanatos. There is a small glimpse at her parents as they worked before the girls were born. Then the Director of ARKANE is also known to Ben, and has a past. But...can people change and grow from that past?

I found it interesting the way J.F. worked audio stimulation to help stimulate the brain in different areas to help with depression or anxiety into the story. This was an interesting twist with how it's approached and used, and of course the bad guy finds his way to it.

We do spend time in the crypts and see the bones and skulls of those long dead. Even bodies that are preserved by the chemicals of one crypt. So neat. I didn't feel creeped out. The bones and bodies feel as a part of the design of the rooms. They all seem to have stories to tell with their clothing, if they have any, and their bones.

The action adventure is here, but this book doesn't feel as the height of action as later books in the series. Start at the beginning with Morgan as it grows with each adventure. I do enjoy the religious mysteries and unraveling the depth of the artifacts in ways that are magical. I do look forward to many more books with Morgan! Though I'm slightly bummed that someone I've enjoyed may not be around for the next adventure. It's not stopping me though!

Audio Book Review: Stone of Fire

Stone of Fire

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  January 5, 2011, Audiobook May 23, 2013

Format:  Audiobook - 7 hrs 28 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Thriller

Series:  1st in ARKANE series; Book 6 ~ Gates of Hell, Book 7 ~ One Day In New York

Impression:  Religion far deeper and adventurous than we ever thought, with a paranormal sway.

Synopsis:
A power kept secret for 2000 years. A woman who stands to lose everything.

India. When a nun is burned alive on the sacred ghats of Varanasi, and the stone she carried is stolen, an international hunt is triggered for the relics of the early church.

Forged in the fire and blood of martyrs, the Pentecost stones have been handed down through generations of Keepers who kept their power and locations secret.

Until now.

The Keepers are being murdered, the stones stolen by those who would use them for evil in a world transformed by religious fundamentalism.

Oxford University psychologist Morgan Sierra is forced into the search when her sister and niece are held hostage. She is helped by Jake Timber from the mysterious ARKANE, a British government agency specializing in paranormal and religious experience. Morgan must risk her own life to save her family, but will she ultimately be betrayed?

From ancient Christian sites in Spain, Italy and Israel to the far reaches of Iran and Tunisia, Morgan and Jake must track down the stones through the myths of the early church in a race against time before a new Pentecost is summoned, this time powered by the fires of evil.

The first in the ARKANE series, PENTECOST is a fast-paced thriller that explores the edges of faith against a backdrop of early Christian history, archaeology and psychology.

If you love a fast-paced, rollicking read, download a sample or buy Pentecost now.

First Sentence:
It is said that those who die in Varanasi can achieve moksha, release from the suffering of repeated death and rebirth.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles
*This book is available for free in ebook.

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*I purchased this book.

The Keepers are being murdered and strange, marvelous miracles are happening at these moments. The stones they keep safe are coveted and taken by another. The Apostles Stone. Morgan Sierra, a psychologist at Oxford University, is now approached about the stone she wears around her neck, along with her sister's. There is a group out to retrieved them all, in time for the comet that last was around Earth at the time of Jesus' Resurrection and the power of Pentecost bestowed on the stones. Morgan is approached by another group, the ARKANE, to join them with finding the stones and keeping them safe, along with her and her sister's family. She has nine days to find the remainder of the twelve stones for her sister and niece's lives. ARKANE is involved and she'll need the help and resources of ARKANE to do so. ARKANE is willing to offer it.

I'm hooked on listening to these books. Veronica shines in her talent of voices. There are male and female voices along with different accents. She easily differentiates personality and tones with each person. There is a moment where she even reads an article from a news paper and has the formal sound of the news. Veronica uses the emotion and rush of the moments in her voice to accent the rush of the moment. When things get moving, and hearts pumping, Veronica does speak with the speed of the moment. This is an older audio and there are moments the vocal sounds a teeny tiny bit of a twang to the voice.

There are different POV's in the chapters broken by the heading of place and time. There is also a long pause between these sections so they do stand out in audio as they would in reading. That long pause is nice to transition me to knowing there is another section highlighting someone else coming, but at times I felt the long pause meant my device shut off.

We meet Morgan Sierra for the first time. She works at Oxford University, but as much as she enjoys her job there feels to be something missing in the day to day work for Morgan. Until she is involved on a mission with the ARKANE to find all the Apostle's stones, and save her sister and niece. We get a glimpse at her life's experiences with the current dangerous events she's living through. And there are hints of things that's happened to her, that I'm hoping we get to see in future books.

We also meet Jake Timber for the first time. He's not so sure about working with an outsider, but finds that Morgan is intelligent and more than capable to take care of herself in dangerous situations. He finds he's even a bit attracted to her. Jake sounds like a wonderful person. I love how he struggles with his job and mission he's to accomplish and his internal cares. It's a rough spot to be in. But he is a hoot at times! Sometimes it calls for extreme actions, and Jake does it. We do get a view of his family past as well. I really do like Jake, and even meeting him here he sticks out for me.

Jake and Morgan end up making a great team.

Penn has a great way of writing a thriller where we get the evil doers POV as well. I like that we get to see the human side of the man who wants these powerful stones, and why. But what he does to get them. *chills* He's in need of help. But! There is mention of another entity here that is skating the trails of Morgan and Jake. We learn just enough to make us curious of this other group, and that they are dangerous. But not much more on them or why they are after the stones, or any powerful religious artifact. This entity feels like an extra that will lead to more in the future.

Penn has an amazing way of describing the city through the religious view and feel of the people. I find this attractive as it tells of the city and it's personality along with the people here, setting a whole stage easily. However at times my interest waned in some of the religious descriptions. I was really glad Penn didn't waste time on the uneventful trips but focuses on the search. The search of the cathedrals and citadels is where she blends in their history and the story, along with great action. Who the characters are is why they are here, so she accents their strengths to get the job done.

This is the first book of the series and well worth a try if you are a fan of Indiana Jones type adventure/searches along with the feel of The Da Vinci Code. Wow, what a blend.

Audio Book Review: Gates of Hell

Gates of Hell

By:  J.F. Penn

Publish Date:  January 5, 2015, Audiobook June 17, 2015

Format:  Audiobook - 6 hrs 2 mins
Narrated By:  Veronica Giguere

Genre:  Thriller

Series:  6th in ARKANE series; 7th Book ~ One Day in New York

Impression:  A current set Indiana Jones type story, without the whip, and with an agency behind Morgan and her partner.

Synopsis:
An ancient manuscript that leads to the Gates of Hell. A woman’s revenge for the death of her father.

When the last of the Remnant is murdered at the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, ARKANE agent Dr Morgan Sierra is drawn into the hunt for a supernatural Key. She's joined by agent Jake Timber, who must face his own fears as they decipher clues left behind by Kabbalist scholars.

From ancient sites in Spain, to Israel and the Czech Republic, Morgan and Jake must follow the trail to the Key, while evading Adam Kadmon, a man consumed with a lust for dark power.

As the planets align, Morgan and Jake race against time to find the Key and destroy it before the Devourers and the Polluted of God emerge from the Gates of Hell to ravage the earth.

First Sentence:
Santiago Pereira stumbled as he ran through the park, dropping to one knee as he gasped for breath, heart pounding.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible


My Thoughts and Summary:
*This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of AudiobookBlast dot com, at my request.

Adam wants the Key. The key to open the gates of Hell and to cleanse the earth. He's demanding the last of the Remnant to give it to him. But the man of devote faith couldn't think of letting that be unleashed that on the world, so he does the one thing he can think of.

Morgan has received a package in her dead father's handwriting, along with another's she doesn't recognize. An ancient book with a loose paper of symbols in her father's script. The person that sent it to her, the last living member of the Remnant, was found dead that morning. The further Morgan digs in this case, the more she learns of her father and the secret organization he was a part of that protected an old secret of the Hebrew. She has three days before the planets align to race a man determined to release the darkness on the world before he gets the Key and to the Gates. Morgan must find the Key first to stop him. But can she solve the answers to the puzzles before Adam and not let the desire for revenge get in the way?

Veronica is one of the best at voicing different voices and accents to make it easy to different characters in a story. I love how Veronica knows when to speed up, then slow down. She accents the scenes as they go, making my heart race in chases and pause in other moments to have the reader feel the impact. One example is a moment where Jake starts to crawl through snakes. Veronica does an amazing job with the pacing in her voice here. A moment you want to creep through unheard, and unnoticed yet I want to hurry. My heart started to race but I know I needed to breath slow with Jake to get there, and not hurt. Then the fast movement around him! Veronica's voice brings this across.

J.F. Penn's prologues are mesmerizing, intoxicating... so well written to draw a whole story in and of itself. This prologue gripped me by the event that happens and tells of what story could come. She uses every word to tell of so many different pieces of information. Wow. I'm amazed by it!

And the writing to follow is nothing short of what we get in the prologue.

Thrilling, action, adventure. All in one place. The descriptions of the sights we see are amazing - diving in the Dead Sea, the city of Barcelona, and the artwork viewed. So beautiful. Not only do we get the stunning view but the emotional reaction of the characters at the sight. This really hits home the beauty, or horror, of it all. The action! Oh there is always some sort of obstacle or attack at every turn Morgan makes. She thinks she's ahead of the bad guys, but not really.

This is book 6 of the series. I don't usually pick up books in the middle of a series, but I listened to a novella that was stand alone as well as in this series and loved the settings. So I had to dive into the series. But I found it easy to dive in. There are brief drops of the last case with Morgan and Jake, where he got hurt. Even cases that Morgan had been on without Jake. This gives us a nice introduction into the book and world of ARKANE. Not only does this give me a feel for the history leading into this book, but also makes me want to go back to those previous books to live through the heart racing moments. But then we go back near where a previous book took place, so it all comes together yet you don't have to have been there the first time. We even get a quick overview into the ARKANE. Arcane Religious Knowledge And Numinous Experience Institute.

The book is the characters and the characters are the book. They are all so closely related and well fit together for the cases they are on. The lives of the characters and what they are brilliant at is exactly what brings them to this job and the cases they are on, even personal ones like this as Morgan was taught to look for these things from her father and he his before him. There is a character we come across later in the story. He knows a bit more than we expected. He's been trained, in a small fashion, for what the Remnant's were keeping secret. I love the magic he brings forth to us.

This book dives a bit deeper into Morgan's history. We get to see her family raising along with her job before joining the ARKANE, her ancestry, and experiences in life. Even her father and his obsession with numerology and translating numbers to letters, and how he died three years ago. Nice to learn all this and give a deeper background to her.

There is more to the story than a personal case and saving the world. Morgan worries about her partner and his return to field work. He had sustained severe injuries in their last case together and she worries if she can trust him, will he be strong enough mentally and physically. And another worry, has she changed without him and will they be able to work together again. This is an underlying worry for her, and it shows for Jake as well. But there comes a point that they will have to make their chooses and move on. In this token, I think the book is readying Morgan and her partner for what they are going to have to deal with next. Which there will be something if the Directors words are true in the beginning of the book.

I enjoy this style of thriller reads. I wanted to listen to this book in one sitting, yet I wanted to pause to absorb all I was learning and piece it together myself. It's got a paranormal feel to the religious aspects and has caught my attention with the writing, adventures, and dangerous action present. I'll be adding the previous books, and any to come, to my library.