4 out of 4 stars
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Freewill is a double-edged sword that may be wielded to save or destroy? Likewise, suppression, although synonymous with ill-treatment and enslavement, can also be used as a weapon for good. But what is good? Also, what is evil? Currently, we are experiencing numerous global crisis that can be correlated to us humans willfully engaging in foolish behaviours and activities. Would the world be a better place if humans were ruled with an iron fist by a wise and powerful authoritarian ruler? Peter Davidson, a thirteen-year-old country boy, found himself on an adventure that would force him to seriously consider these questions.
The Promise of The Orb (The Ascendancy Series Book 1) by Marshall Cobb is an excellent addition to the list of sci-fi/fantasy novels as well as a strong opening to a book series. Our protagonist, Peter, find a mysterious shining red orb in the river bed of the recently damned river near his family farm. He has lost his mother and the damming of the river signals that his family will also lose the farm. However, the orb promises to save his family farm and grant them many more blessings if Peter would help him out as well. The orb even claims that Peter helping him will lead to world peace. So, how exactly those this orb plan to accomplish world peace and most importantly, can his word be trusted?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The work seems to be professionally edited as there were no grammatical or other formatting errors of note. All the characters were portrayed very lifelike. For example, although Governor Jenkins was only a minor character, he was described as a man with ambition for political power and fame but his ‘big mouth’ often worked against him. The governor made the mistake of inquiring about the whereabouts of Peter’s mom during a public event, although he was briefed on her having passed away. The author’s use of imagery in this scene was enough for me to be convinced that this politician is an actual person. Moreover, I found the story well-paced and Cobb’s writing style was suspenseful. There were numerous scenes that I cannot refer to in order to avoid providing spoilers, that had my eyes glued to the story wondering what would happen next. Overall, the story was a fun read.
I cannot say that there was any that I disliked about this novel. However, I found it odd how easy Peter and his friends accepted the existence of the supernatural being that is the orb. I could accept it because it is in the norm in many supernatural/fantasy novels for characters to quickly get over the shock of encountering the supernatural for the first time, in order to progress with the storyline.
In conclusion, I rate The Promise of The Orb 4 out of 4 stars. I could not find any reasons not to honour this book with a perfect rating. I recommend it to persons who are looking for a fun supernatural/fantasy book and or would like to explore the theme freewill versus suppression.
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The Promise of The Orb
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