Review - The Sounding

The Sounding

By Carrie Salo

Book Description:

In the Book of Revelation, a man named John has a prophetic dream.  He dreams of the final prophecies that will come to pass – and the seven archangels that guard them.  Each angel waits to sound their trumpet at God’s appointed time, preparing humanity to fight and win the final battle.

2,000 years later, Father Chris Mognahan is a member of the Hetairia Melchizedek, a secret society within the Catholic Church that studies Biblical omens. The society asks Chris to investigate an unusually grotesque crime – a murder on a college campus where the killer's hand literally burned off the victim's face.

While the killing seems isolated at first, the society ties the murder to the final Biblical prophecy and a terrifying omen that the order of the prophecies is about to be disrupted. The final battle is coming too soon – long before humanity is prepared to win it.

Suddenly, Chris finds himself fighting against time and hell to keep the prophecies in order and stop an early Armageddon. He is joined by a band of unlikely allies, and together they find themselves in Rome above the Vatican Necropolis – the city of the dead – where the future is revealed to them in ancient texts.

They are not alone, however; an evil as old as time itself hunts them. As they travel across continents on their mission, the demonic force follows relentlessly, waiting in every shadowed corner, and every dark place.

As Armageddon descends, Father Chris finds that his only hope lies in a young woman within the group who has a secret gift – and their belief that God Himself may have sent her to keep the final angelic trumpet from sounding out the early end of the Earth.

Available at Amazon print, Kindle and Barnes and Noble

View the book trailer: http://youtu.be/K4Pp8F3A298  

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My review:

This is an amazingly well done debut book.  Almost everyone believes the world will end one day, and depending on your personal belief system you might believe it will happen in a way that is related to the Book of Revelation.  Or you might believe in the 12.21.12 of the Mayan calendar.   While this book is using the story of Revelation you can still enjoy it as a story in itself even without believing in it.  If though that is the belief system you follow it will most likely really make you think.  If its not its just a good story.


The author takes the time to really develop the characters and their beliefs in ways you can understand and follow without it becoming too dull and overthought.  You really get to follow on their journey to save the world.  And you can see how what are normally ordinary people can come together to accomplish extraordinary things. 


The book is a bit of a thrill ride all the way though as they are continuously hunted by "the other" and do have a few fight for their lives moments.  But I have to admit the way the author brought about the ending was a definite surprise.  It worked well in the story and in bringing about the conclusion but was unexpected.  


I recommend this book to anyone who is enjoys end of the world stories, believes in the Book of Revelation or is just looking for something interesting to read.  I am looking forward to what comes next from this writer.