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Kindle Edition eBooks Details
  • 04/2012
  • 978-0-615-62388-7 B007YMDC02
  • 290 pages
  • $3.99
Vic Warren
Author
Stairway of the Gods
Vic Warren, author
Stairway of the Gods takes readers on a magical journey to the Philippines and the heartland of its people in the Cordillera Mountains. Warren’s tale of skullduggery unfolds on the slopes of the Banaue rice terraces when Paul and Joan Webster are trapped in the village after an earthquake. Paul is hospitalized and Joan is left alone to protect one of the most important discoveries of the Twentieth Century—a treasure of gold and precious artifacts hidden in a cave during World War II—that some would kill for. Buried treasure, high adventure and romance. These are the key ingredients that make Vic Warren’s novel, Stairway of the Gods, a page turner. Explorers and treasure hunters have speculated on whether the story of World War II Japanese officer, General Tomoyuki Yamashita’s buried treasure in the Philippines, is myth or truth. Warren takes this premise and turns it into riveting fiction. His main characters are peppered with Bogie and Bacall-ish style, while his other characters are a reflection of the local culture. “Many of the characters in the book are like the Filipino people I have been close to all my life—warm and hospitable—with a deep sense of camaraderie for their neighbors,” said Warren. “I have many friends in the Filipino community who I have seen help their neighbors when they are in need.”
Reviews
Bookpleasures.com

Vic Warren's Stairway of the Gods Reviewed By Gordon Osmond of Bookpleasures.com

 

Author:Vic Warren

Publisher:Turning Heads
ISBN:978-0-615-47706-0

After a very few pages, a reader of Vic Warren's new novel, Stairway of the Gods, experiences both calm and anticipation. Both feelings arise from the author's obvious proficiency as a writer and his choice of principal characters worth caring about.

Proving that big oaks do indeed often spring from little acorns, Joan and Paul Webster manage to evolve from a casual "pick-up" on a Sausalito houseboat to a 25-year relationship of near heroic proportions. The higher and lower branches of the family tree are appropriately dispatched with a minimum of fuss so that the author can focus his full attention on the central dramatis personae.

Paul is the stereotypical writer who pays the bills in unromantic endeavors while all the time nursing the passion to write the Great American Novel (although it turns out that his eventual novel is anything but American). Joan is a talented art historian who finds more dream-related employment in museums. As befits their status as the protagonists of a romantic novel, both are gorgeous although the author gallantly focuses more attention on Joan's good looks.

Warren paints his story on a large international canvas while at the same time exhibiting an attention to detail that is almost microscopic. Fully equipped with a mastery of metaphor, simile, and alliteration--sometimes combining two of the three as in "the windows wept with the first rain of autumn"--Warren elevates the most prosaic experience into prose of an extremely high order, making the reading experience exhilarating almost regardless of what is happening, which is usually a lot, especially after his romantic novel morphs into a high adventure story.

Warren has a clear sense of irony. After a skilled doctor derides the superstitions of the local community, he invokes the equally spooky Christian deity to assist in the patient's recovery.

The novel is complex but never unclear, detailed but never boring. The author's complete saturation in the venues he writes about, be it California or the Philippines, gives the reader a vivid and comprehensive understanding of where the action is. Just as Paul finds it necessary to become a kind of modern day Ernie Pyle to write his book, Warren writes with the authority of first hand experience.

The side dishes are often as, if not more, delectable than the main course. Joan's sojourn to Los Angeles for a TV interview exposes economically the worst aspects of both academia and show business. Her meeting with an academic adversary teases the reader into one prediction, and then adroitly pulls the rug out.

Although it may seem ungrateful, it must be noted that once the story turns into a cross between King Solomon's Mines and Raiders of the Lost Arc, with the discovery of a cave full of bats, bones, and booty, the author adheres fairly faithfully to the adventure saga template. The bad guys fall like flies, and, of course, the worst is the last to be found. At times, characters seem either to over react or under react to circumstance.

If one wants to follow a captivating couple pursue their careers in exotic climes brilliantly described, Stairway of the Gods is just the right way to do it. The book would also probably make a terrific film. A fourth King Solomon's Mines? Why not?”

 

 

Readers' Favorite

Five Stars!

Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite

 “Stairway of the Gods” by Vic Warren is the beautiful love story of Joan and Paul Webster set in the Philippines. Joan Webster discovers some precious artifacts after an earthquake in the Philippines. Her husband, Paul, is in hospital after being hurt in the earthquake and she realizes that she has to keep her discovery a secret or die. The novel has the right mix of adventure, travel, and romance to make it an exhilarating read and it looks like a perfect novel that can be made into a movie. With a well-researched theme, the story will expose you to the Philippine culture and lifestyle.

A romantic adventure set in an exotic location, this book is a fast-paced read and will keep readers glued to the story. The romance of Joan and Paul is also exotic, like the location, and their characters are well portrayed by the author. The imagery is so beautiful that readers can actually visualize the beauty of the place. The story has been masterfully worked around the mysterious treasure buried by the Japanese officer, General Tomoyuki Yamashita, which Joan finds during the earthquake, and the betrayal, murder, and intrigue have been woven together well.

The characters are likable and relatable to readers and they will find the story of lost treasure, suspense, murder, and romance highly entertaining. The author's love of travel is evident from the descriptions in the story. The intrigue, treasure, romance, and exotic location works well in favor of the book. A very original theme and an engaging and entertaining novel.”

Formats
Kindle Edition eBooks Details
  • 04/2012
  • 978-0-615-62388-7 B007YMDC02
  • 290 pages
  • $3.99
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