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Happy Sunday, Friends.

I will get to the adventures of this weekend at a later time because today, as promised, I am reviewing The Book of Paul by Richard Long. As I previously mentioned, this book is not like any other book I have read. Picture a happy world filled with happy people who get along in everlasting bliss. This book is the complete opposite.
 

Summary:

"Everything you've ever believed about yourself...about the description of reality you've clung to so stubbornly all your life...all of it...every bit of it...is an illusion."

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure "beyond all imagining"-- an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will...and attaining eternal life.

When Rose, a sex and pain addicted East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with Martin, a battle-hardened loner, they discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book's occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Rose and Martin fight to escape Paul's clutches and Martin's destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul's sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn't be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe--the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

 Review:

The Book of Paul has to be, hands down, the most messed up crazy book that I have ever read. This is definitely a book for an acquired taste and then some. Regardless of this fact, the author Richard Long knows how to write. The tangled web of each character was hard to grasp at moments, but right when the book started to get a bit too crazy, he brings you right back into the story that is closer to reality and it was hard to put the book down. There were moments in this book that were so elegant and beautiful that it struck me as odd as the book itself did. For instance, there was a moment when the narrator of the story was looking into the lives of Rose and Martin. Also looking into the lives of these two main characters was Paul, the ringmaster of it all. The moment when the narrator saw Paul looking at him (the narrator) through the book at all of them was a moment that is unforgettable. Also, getting right down to the bare bones of it was a love story between Martin and Rose and their fight to survive in a world that many others don’t know exist. How do you attain eternal life when life seems doomed from the beginning? Enter Paul and his lessons of immortality. The character of Paul is biblical, a forced to be reckoned with, and almost seems immortal. Can one man predict the lives of others and make them play out the final prophecy? These are just a few of the questions that I found myself asking and struggling with. This book was out of my element, but there is something about the words that Long wrote into this story that made me wanting more and enduring the pain that these characters were going through. As Rose and Martin try to gain their own lives back by finding The Book, you will find yourselves in a final battle that is not only epic, but powerful, gruesome, and raw. Sickles, poison, Uzi’s and torture will leave you holding your breath as you root for The Guardian and his beautiful Keymaster who holds the key to his heart.

Well friends, if you want to read a book that will make you hold your breath, makes your (unknown) guilty pleasures come to life, if you think life is just an illusion that you can control and is unlike any other, this one is for you. It is an addiction that you don’t need to stop.

Are you wanting more yet? The Book of Paul can be purchased here. Don't forget to check out the books official site here!
From the Author:
"The Book of Paul crosses a number of genres. Sometimes when I'm asked what kind of book it is, I'll say it's a dark, paranormal thriller with occult horror themes, mystery, suspense, erotica and black humor. Other times, I just say, "It'll really curl your toes."
 

About the Author

Richard Long writes to exorcize the demons of his past and manifest the dreams of his future. His debut novel, The Book of Paul, is a dark, thrilling, and psychologically rich supernatural horror/thriller that blends mythology, science and mystery into a page-turning addiction. Richard is also writing a YA novel, The Dream Palace, primarily so that his children can read his books. He lives in Manhattan with his wife, two amazing children and their wicked black cat, Merlin.
 
Don't forget to check out this book, as well as many other at Tribute Books blog tours!