Assessment:
Plot: Moving at a fast pace, readers of this book will be reminded of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code. Initially, the plot feels confusing, as there many characters introduced, and it takes some effort to keep track of them all. The plot contains something for everyone: conspiracy, suspense, mystery, action, and unpredictable plot twists. The plot keeps the reader thinking and guessing.
Prose/Style: The novel is well-researched, and Alexander knows his scripture. While he does not bank on the reader having the same level of knowledge, his depth of understanding does slow the reader down as his references take some time to digest. His prose help create the thrill ride behind the main character who is on the run.
Originality: Reminiscent of Dan Brown’s work, this first installment of the series has a lot to offer. The author has crafted a piece that will cause readers to think and wonder who to trust.
Character Development/Execution: Many characters are introduced at once, and the reader has to sort them out to keep up with the action. At times it is hard to tell who is speaking. There is, however, a shift midplot, as characters and personalities become more distinctive.
Date Submitted: May 10, 2021
Who could resist a novel overflowing with secret organizations, corrupt government officials, and religious conspiracies? In his action-packed thriller, The Secret of Heaven, Felix Alexander explores the repercussions of a lost bible and how lives are impacted because of the choices of one murdered man.
With his dying breath, Lazzaro de Medici whispered, “Expose the secret of heaven” to his one trusted friend: Aiden Leonardo. So with an encrypted letter and an obligation to his older mentor, Aiden evaded the FBI, Chicago PD, and a secret organization to uncover the truth behind his friend’s murder. As time begins to run out, Aiden discovers that more than just his life is at stake. The lost bible could uproot the views of every religious group in the world.
Although the plot was well-developed, the book needed to be edited. In the first chapter alone there were missing words, added words, and wrong words, which made it very difficult to read and understand. I cringed every time the word “wheelchair” came up because it was two words (wheel chair) in the book. The abundance of grammatical errors wasn’t the only thing that forced me to reread pages. There were times that I was so confused I had to take a break from reading to clear my mind. I had no idea who was talking (or thinking) because in the middle of the page the viewpoint would be changed to a new character. It sometimes made it very difficult to follow their train of thought.
With these flaws being brought to light, I believe that the book has a lot of potential. It was fast-paced and non-stop action. At every turn, the characters were uncovering new clues or delving deeper into conspiracy. Right when I thought I knew what was going to happen, a character would do the unexpected or flip sides. I enjoyed the controlled chaos that the author described during action scenes and the constant battle between good and evil. It kept the reader guessing on whom to trust, which always makes a story more exciting and unpredictable.
There were many things that I enjoyed about this book including the creative storyline and character development. Even though there were a lot of characters to remember, I felt that the author did a wonderful job developing their personalities and backgrounds. My favorite character was a computer whiz that added comic relief during more intense scenes.
With all of this being said, I would rate this novel a 3 out of 4 stars. It was captivating and intriguing. It kept me on my toes trying to anticipate what was going to happen next; even though, I sometimes got lost because of the viewpoint changes. In a way, it reminded me of The Da Vinci Code novel because of all the religious references and mysteriously encrypted letter. Anyone who loves mysteries and enjoys the action of a good thriller would enjoy reading this novel.
