Genre: A bit of everything
Publisher: Pricks Like Thorn Media
Publication Date: 1st Sept 2015
Pages: 266
REVIEWED BY NEV
A copy of The Creation: Axis Mundi (Creation Series #1) was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author, The Behrg, in return for an honest review. This is said review.
The Behrg. A name I have seen a lot of on social media. A name that has intrigued me. Why use the name The Behrg? What does it mean? If he signs a book, does he sign it “Thanks for your support……The”?
Anyway. I read a short story of a while ago and loved it then saw some sterling recommendations for his work. Fate brought us together and I managed to bag a copy of The Creation for review. I wasn’t totally aware of what this book was about but I definitely wanted to read it after a short sample of his writing style. I have to admit to it sitting on my pile for a long time due to other commitments. When I started to read it, I couldn’t help but wonder if I should have picked it up earlier.
This is what I thought.
Faye is leading a merry band of eco-revolutionaries deep into the Venezuelan Rainforest, to try and put an end to illegal deforestation in the area.
Accompanying her is her current boyfriend, a highly respected actor who is eager to get his face on the television supporting this noble cause.
Duggan is a phytopharmacologist, searching the rainforest for remedies useful to pharmaceutical companies aiming to make a lot of money. He has a hidden agenda though. He is also searching for someone. Someone ancient and thought to hold powers beyond anything that man can imagine.
Faye also has a hidden agenda, and it concerns Duggan. He doesn’t know just yet but, their paths are sure to cross.
They both have no idea of the power that is coming for them both. Is this going to be the end, or a new Creation?
There are a host of characters that play huge parts in this story so I won’t go into them all here. The ones you need to know about are obviously Faye and Duggan. Faye seems to be a smart girl, but a bit of a rebel. She got to the rainforest under dubious circumstances and seems to be out for her own selfish reasons. I really couldn’t make my mind up whether I liked her or not. Duggan is definitely a selfish man. Yes, he helps find remedies for the big companies but, his overriding quest is taking all of his time and energy and is not one he is necessarily being paid to do. There is a connection between the two but you need to read the story to find out what it is.
On the alleged good side of things, with Faye, we also have Donovan, the actor. I think he is a decent enough person but although Faye thinks he is there for her, exposure is his game. Sir William is a man who comes into the story later. A quirky eccentric, he knows more than he is letting on.
On the alleged bad side with Duggan, there are quite a few interesting characters. Zephyr is his right hand man. A fearless mercenary, he likes to get the job done with the least fuss. Ruthless, but with a heart. Does that make sense? Oso is a mute native of the area. He is fascinating. He has to write everything down for Duggan. He is way smarter than he lets on and to me, seems to have certain gifts.
Mixed into this we have a drug addict priest and a stereotypical corrupt police chief in the town. All interesting people with interesting histories that I think are still to be explained.
The plot is an interesting one. I can’t tell you exactly what it is because there is no defined route from A to B with this one. Each main character has their own agendas in the story. You know from fairly early on what they are and what each person wants to achieve. The main drive to the story I suppose is Duggan’s blinkered attempts to find a legendary Shaman. Why he wants to find him and what he wants to get from him are never really explained, but you get the gist and can make your own mind up as to what it is all about.
So what is the writing like? The easiest way for me to answer that question is to say where do I find book two in the series? A one-word answer would be superb.
A lengthier answer would be something along the lines of, he can sign my book as The if he wants. He has earned the right to not sign it at all if he wants with writing like this.
This is a thriller of the highest order. It has a mix of so many different genres that it is hard to call it an out and out thriller. There were little flecks of horror mixed in. There were little flecks of the supernatural in it along with ancient legends and myths of the type you would only find in countries in southern America. There were touches of Indiana Jones. There were touches of The A Team. There were moments when I wanted to cheer and shout with joy. There were moments where I wanted to shout and cheer with anger. I laughed a lot. I almost cried a few times. A lot of the time I read with my jaw dropping open. Sometimes I couldn’t breathe.
You get the picture? This guy, The Behrg, can write. When you have a story like this, the characters are paramount for me. If you cannot connect with the characters, then there is no point. The story won’t flow. And that goes for both the characters that you are supposed to like, and the characters you are supposed to hate. They all have to be good. In The Creation they are perfect. Each individual totally fulfils their role to the max.
The most intelligent thing about this story though is the doubt you are left with. You think you know what is going on. You think you know who are the good guys and who are the bad. I can’t help but feel that after finishing this book, and spending some time thinking about it afterwards, I am not completely sure who is who and who will come out on top and who deserves to. And I think that is exactly what The Behrg intended, because it sets it up perfectly for the continuation of this story. It hasn’t finished with unanswered questions that you are not bothered about. It has finished with the sort of cliff-hanger that soap writers would be proud of.
To summarise: If you like thrillers with a bit of everything thrown in then this is definitely one for you. It has pieces of every type of genre, all rolled up into a nice neat ball that will intrigue you and excite you and to be quite frank about it, it will have you begging for more.
Highly recommended.
General rating:
★★★★★ just brilliant.
Thriller rating:
★★★★★ plenty of everything.
If you would like to help support Confessions of a Reviewer, then please consider using the links below to buy The Creation or any other books from The Behrg. This not only supports me but also lets me know how many people actually like to buy books after reading my reviews.
Thanks.
Book Synopsis:
To Create, One Must First Destroy...
Deep in the jungles of the Venezuelan Rainforest, a dying phytopharmacologist has begun a search that could change the fate of humanity forever. Joining depraved scientists and ruthless mercenaries, he seeks to overcome humanity’s one common enemy: Mortality.
Meanwhile, plans have been laid by an eco-revolutionary group, led by rebel Faye Grennith, to put an end to the illegal deforestation taking place in the Amazon. But her true motives may compromise much more than their sociopolitical agenda.
Because a frightening power is stirring in the Amazon, an event beginning that only occurred once in the history of the Earth – during its process of Creation. And it will take more than tenacity and ingenuity to survive the coming seven days.
The Behrg is the author of dark literary works ranging from screenplays to 'to-do' lists. His debut novel, Housebroken, was a First-Round Kindle Scout Selection, and semi-finalist in the 2015 Kindle Book Awards. His latest novel, The Creation, is the first in a dark supernatural trilogy about a ‘god-like’ being starting the seven days of the Creation over again. Books two and three are due out in 2016. The Behrg’s ‘to-do’ list should be completed by 2017... (though his wife is hoping for a little sooner).
A former child actor turned wanna-be rockstar, The Behrg lives in Southern California with his four children, pet Shih-Tzu, and the many voices in his head.
And for more about The Behrg, visit his site or find him on social media:
