Official Review: A Quest of Transcendence

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gen_g
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Official Review: A Quest of Transcendence

Post by gen_g »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "A Quest of Transcendence" by Jolene and Jason Tierney.]
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2 out of 4 stars
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Have you ever thought about reincarnation, alternate realities, and the supernatural? Coming from a background that prioritises science and mathematics, I must confess that I have never really paid much attention to these theories. However, Jolene Tierney and Jason Tierney’s book, A Quest of Transcendence, makes such theories more palatable for readers like me by incorporating it into a “spiritual adventure story”. What makes this story unique is the fact that it comes from Jolene Tierney’s experiences whilst undergoing many sessions of past-life regression therapy. This adventure story is a coming-of-age tale about a girl called Malémene and her dragon named Auberone. The reader follows both of them as they tackle various obstacles at different points in their shared lives, accompanying them as they mature into adulthood. With this book, the Tierneys also hope that readers will be able to gain critical spiritual insight and valuable life lessons.

A Quest of Transcendence is less than 200 pages long, making it a quick read. For the most part, I enjoyed reading about Malémene and Auberone as they went on various escapades and learning more about the world they live in. However, there are still a number of flaws present, which detracts from the flow and clarity of the book.

Firstly, it is obvious that both authors are not too familiar with book-writing and publishing, as the text is rather messy and unorganised. For example, the names “Malémene” and “Auberone” are mentioned for the first time in the preface with no prior introduction, causing much confusion. Moreover, these names were not referred to in the blurb, so I was left trying to figure out who these people were, until things were made clearer halfway through the first chapter. Simply put, I think that it is extremely important for writers to always keep in mind, during the writing process, the assumption that the readers are always unaware of what you (i.e., the writer) want to get across. This will result in clear and concise writing, which increases ease of reading and immersion.

Next, since the story comes from Jolene Tierney’s therapy sessions, it is told in a question-and-answer format. What happens is that Jason would ask a question, and Malémene’s consciousness (in Jolene’s body) would answer it. However, because of this very format, what results is a very narrow perspective of the story and of the world that Malémene comes from. Hence, I believe readers will find it difficult to become thoroughly engrossed in the book. Of course, I fully understand that because this is a tale that emerges from numerous therapy sessions, Jolene herself may not even know the specifics of Malémene’s world. However, if there are details that have been edited out, I would suggest that both authors include it in order for the tale to be more rounded; this would help the readers maintain interest in the narrative.

I have not commented on the story development because the text is not meant to taken as a piece of fiction. The Tierneys have no control over the plot; given that the authors believe in the theory of multiple dimensions, the story is essentially Malémene’s autobiography.

Finally, there are numerous grammar and punctuation errors present, such as missing commas and hyphens, resulting in a stilted reading flow. Nonetheless, a few rounds of editing will fix these errors easily. Additionally, I believe that the book will also greatly benefit from a conclusion to bring together the various spiritual insights peppered throughout the story for easier reference. Therefore, I rate Jolene Tierney and Jason Tierney’s A Quest of Transcendence 2 out of 4 stars. With more polishing, especially to clean up the writing, I believe that this will become an insightful read for those who want to know more about past-life regression and those who are seeking to improve their own lives through the various spiritual life lessons provided.

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A Quest of Transcendence
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Bertha Jackson
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Post by Bertha Jackson »

Life's mystery has always been interesting to me. However, I think I will pass on this one. Thank you for your review.
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Post by HannahsReads »

This sounds like an interesting read for anyone interested in spiritual theories. Hopefully the author will have it edited to make it more readable. Thanks for your review!
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Post by Drianie »

Reincarnation, alternate realities, and the supernatural are not topics I typically dwell on. I hope that with the necessary editing and improvements, this book will bring value to others interested in this genre. Your feedback on the novel was constructive, and I enjoyed reading your detailed review.
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Post by Joseph_ngaruiya »

Unfortunately, the book got such a low rating. Hopefully, the author will do a follow up to correct the issues you've raised.
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Post by gen_g »

Bertha Jackson wrote: 15 Oct 2020, 09:17 Life's mystery has always been interesting to me. However, I think I will pass on this one. Thank you for your review.
Thank you for stopping by, nonetheless!
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

HannahsReads wrote: 15 Oct 2020, 12:58 This sounds like an interesting read for anyone interested in spiritual theories. Hopefully the author will have it edited to make it more readable. Thanks for your review!
It is certainly an interesting book for those looking to explore more about spirituality; thanks for stopping by!
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gen_g
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Post by gen_g »

Drianie wrote: 15 Oct 2020, 13:41 Reincarnation, alternate realities, and the supernatural are not topics I typically dwell on. I hope that with the necessary editing and improvements, this book will bring value to others interested in this genre. Your feedback on the novel was constructive, and I enjoyed reading your detailed review.
I'm glad that you found the review helpful; I too hope that it would certainly be helpful for those interested in such themes after editing. Thanks for stopping by!
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Post by SweetSourSalty AndSpicy »

Wow! So this is an autobiography based on past-life regression therapy sessions of someone who believes in multiple dimensions. Is there a science behind it, or the framework is purely spiritual? Also, what is the connection between the author Jolene Tierney and the main character Malémene? Were they alternate versions of each other from the multiple dimensions? The concept is mind-boggling but your review is balanced and sensible in dissecting it. I hope the errors get fixed. Thanks so much!
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Post by gen_g »

Joseph_ngaruiya wrote: 15 Oct 2020, 13:52 Unfortunately, the book got such a low rating. Hopefully, the author will do a follow up to correct the issues you've raised.
I hope so too! Thank you for stopping by.
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Post by Ellylion »

Reincarnations is an interesting topic indeed, and such pity that the book had all the mentioned above flaws. I would love to read it when the author fixes them :) Thanks for a great review!
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Post by gen_g »

sssns wrote: 18 Oct 2020, 06:03 Wow! So this is an autobiography based on past-life regression therapy sessions of someone who believes in multiple dimensions. Is there a science behind it, or the framework is purely spiritual? Also, what is the connection between the author Jolene Tierney and the main character Malémene? Were they alternate versions of each other from the multiple dimensions? The concept is mind-boggling but your review is balanced and sensible in dissecting it. I hope the errors get fixed. Thanks so much!
The framework is purely spiritual, as there is no mention of what we would usually associate as "science" present in the book to prove the existence of past lives. I wish I could tell you the connection, but I'm pretty sure that's a spoiler! I do agree that it is quite confusing for those who have not read the book, and I do think that it would be good if the authors took some time (or word count) to give a broad overview/introduction of the topic right before jumping into the story. Thank you for taking the time to stop by and leave a comment! (:
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