The Host Rises

Starred review from April 15, 2018
This book is recommended by BlueInk Review, a fee-based review service devoted exclusively to self-published books. Booklist is happy to partner with BlueInk to bring you the best self-published titles for adults and youth. Stars reflect the decisions of BlueInk reviewers and editors.The first in Brent's Promised Land saga is set in a near-future dystopia where ignorance and apathy have flourished, turning America into a fearful, narrow-minded theocracy. Much of the population has become Virtuals, spending most of their time in artificial realms while their bodies wither away in virtual-living compounds. The world is irrevocably changed when the Seraphim, members of an entity known as the Host, issue humanity an ultimatum: end all conflict and turn all military assets over to the United Nations in 48 hours or be destroyed. As governments fall in line and peace is established, some don't trust the seemingly benevolent Host, including special agent John Harriman and journalist Grace Williams. Soon, they uncover the Host's true origins and must race to stop its masterful plan before it's too late. Although copyediting issues remain in need of attention, the narrative is fast paced and full of driving energy, with a wealth of plot twists. Reminiscent of Arthur C. Clarke's seminal novel Childhood's End (1953), the story is relentlessly thought-provoking, visionary, and better than the majority of science-fiction releases currently on the shelves. Yes, it's that good.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)