Review of Suddenly Free, Vol. 1

[MsTri]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Suddenly Free, Vol. 1" by Yvette Carmon Davis.]

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4 out of 5 stars

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Characters marching around with "The End Is Near" signs is a popular trope used in cartoons, so it's become somewhat cliché. Yet people of many faiths truly believe that the end is nigh. And so it is in Yvette Carmon Davis' book, Suddenly Free, Volume I: Rise of Evil, that the end is approaching, and the players are taking their places.

In the gripping first volume of this series, Doctors Ives St. Jacques and George A. Thomas are investigating a series of strange deaths and comas when they realize that the deaths are all spiritually based. They are joined by Lieutenant Arlene DeMateo of the UEPD (United Earth Police Department) and her partner, Sargeant Gene Martin. The quartet reports their findings to POTUE (President of the United Earth) Paul Astruc, who just happens to be best friends with Dr. Thomas and is hoping to be the beast mentioned in Revelations. Also along for the ride are the devil, who is referred to in many ways, including The Deceiver, Satan, and The Enemy of Man (all capitalizations are the author's), and several of his demons, such as Jealousy, Distraction, and Lust. The cast includes many more players, both good and bad, making for a very intriguing story.

There were so many things that I loved about this book, but I most liked the scenes where Satan was visiting the Holy Trinity. He vacillated between being bold & sure of himself and whining about God's unfairness or having a tantrum so much that I often found myself giggling. His conversations with POTUE and other worshippers were also intriguing, and I nearly always thought of how true to life they probably are. I also found POTUE to be an interesting character, and he perfectly illustrated how evil doesn't always look that way; in fact, it often looks good, thereby drawing humans in.

Since this novel takes place in the far-off future, it also reads somewhat like a science fiction novel, and I enjoyed the technology therein. The Treatment, which was the medical establishment's way of prolonging human life, was very thought-provoking, and I wondered if any facets of such a medical breakthrough could ever really happen. In the Old Testament, people lived for hundreds of years; could that happen again?

Davis started many sections of Suddenly Free with Bible verses; even though the verses didn't always seem relevant, I did enjoy reading them and anticipating what was to follow. In addition, a number of the characters discussed the Bible, and it was awe-inspiring, especially reading the author's interpretations of the verses. I often found myself pausing to mull over my own relationship with God or how I viewed certain verses. I was also impressed that she was able to write such a novel without resorting to profanity, though Hell as a location was mentioned several times.

Even though the story itself was wonderful, the book was full of grammatical errors, including punctuation issues, problems with verb tenses, and the occasional extra or missing word. The tome was also formatted in such a way that I had quite a bit of difficulty; the biggest issue in this area was the author's failure to start a new paragraph when a different character spoke. Additionally, the author often started new sections, or even chapters, without indicating that the previous section had ended.

Due to the aforementioned typographical issues, I am rating Suddenly Free 4 out of 5 stars. Errors notwithstanding, I highly recommend this novel to believers of all faiths as well as nonbelievers who are open to reading spiritual fare. Fans of end-times stories and bibliophiles who like medical mysteries may also find this an intriguing read.

At the end, there would be one world government, an Anti-Christ figure would reign over all the earth, and the world as we know it, would end.

- Yvette Carmon Davis, Suddenly Free, Volume I: Rise of Evil.

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Suddenly Free, Vol. 1
View: on Bookshelves

[NetMassimo]

I'm not keen on starting a series with such a strong supernatural connotation due to past experience that wasn't exactly spectacular but if the author does proper proofreading and the sequels are good, I might change my mind. Regardless, thank you for your great review!