Book reviews are a great way for self-publishing authors to gain exposure. After all, how can someone buy your book if he or she doesn’t know it exists? Paired with other elements of your book promotion strategy, requesting reviews is a great way to get people talking about what you’ve written.
When we read good reviews, we definitely like to share them. It gives the author a few (permanent) moments of fame and allows us to let the community know about a great book. Here’s this week’s book review:
Final Outcome
by James B. McPike
ISBN: 9781432754495
Synopsis*:
READERS’ FAVORITE SILVER MEDAL WINNER – Christian/Fantasy.
Get ready for a prolific novel that takes you all the way from the war ravaged streets of the Middle East to the limits of outer space. For Lieutenant Lewis Snyder he thinks he’s served his time in the war zone and retirement is the next thing. But nothing could prepare him for what is about to happen. Being the honorable soldier he is, he accepts a harrowing call from a decorated general to once again serve his country. Except this time, the mission is far greater than he could’ve ever imagined. Joining forces with NASA they form the most cutting-edge team of the century. One of the team’s members is an enigmatic preacher who seems convinced beyond anything of the nightmarish villain they’re facing. They embark on a pivotal mission to another planet in the solar system so that they can recover a long-lost biblical treasure. But once they arrive there they soon realize they are not alone. One by one they get picked off by something that seems all-too supernatural. The closer they get to unraveling startling clues about the villain’s true identity the more dangerous things become. The ancients left many clues and warnings that begin to be pieced together toward a shocking revelation. But can Snyder be the one to solve it all in time and save everyone before it’s too late? This apocalyptic thriller pits good against evil in determining the FINAL OUTCOME…
* courtesy of Amazon.com
Featured Review
Lewis Snyder, an American soldier on duty in Iraq, stumbles across an ancient Sumerian relic inside an old mosque but forgets about it in the turmoil and bloodshed surrounding him. A few years later, he is out the war zone and ‘retired’ from active duty. His experiences have left him scarred and disillusioned. The last thing he wants is any involvement with the military. However, Snyder is the best man for the job NASA has in mind for him because he is the best at his job. In the intervening years, NASA has picked up a radio signal from a distant planet, code name Oblivion. This information holds dire implications for humankind, and to date no one besides a small group of top military personnel knows anything about it. At a meeting with a team of experts, Snyder learns that the relic originates from this planet and the strange symbols carved into it are meaningful. One member of the team is a knowledgeable preacher who knows his Bible backwards and is not afraid to speak up.
Their mission is to travel to this mysterious planet via an advanced technology, using wormholes, and investigate the place. Satellite pictures reveal a ruined ancient city with temples and pyramids that appear to predate the earliest known buildings on Earth. Once there, the team find themselves being picked off, one by one, by some kind of monstrous entities. Are they gods, demons, or fallen angels? Snyder comes full circle and faces his past when he realizes that he confronted this ancient enemy long ago in his youth. Can Snyder prevent these once glorious creatures from recolonizing Earth? Who will win the ultimate battle between good and evil?
This is a blockbuster read for sci-fi and fantasy fiction fans. The author has created a fascinating blend of fantasy, technology, history, and archaeology to take this novel out of the ordinary and give readers something thought provoking. The character of Lewis Snyder, an excellent main protagonist, holds everything together as he works out the enemy’s next step. The plot has enthralling twists and turns, and taps into age-old beliefs that still have the power to move us. My one disappointment was the characters of the two female team members. They were shallow and more like glamor girls than real scientists. That said, the author paints a brilliant picture of a ‘sulfurous’ ‘otherworld’ to which the fallen angels retreated after the Great Flood. Their gradual disintegration into decay is compelling. With mounting tension, non-stop action, and a powerful sideswipe of an ending (I never saw it coming!) this book will keep readers riveted. The novel was deservedly nominated for the 17th EVVY Awards.
– reviewed by Fiona Ingram on Reader Views
Other Reviews
McPike’s latest novel THE LOST PROPHET won the PACIFIC BOOK AWARD for Christian Mystery/Thrillers. It was called “One of the best books of the year” by SammytheBookworm (a judge for the Indie Reader Discovery Award.) It was named an Official Selection by New Apple Book Awards for Suspense/thrillers and was a Tuscany Novel Prize Top-10 Finalist. His 700-page debut novel FINAL OUTCOME won the SILVER MEDAL from READERS’ FAVORITE in the Christian/Fantasy genre. It was also nominated with 5% (50 of a 1,000) books by the publisher for the 17th EVVY Awards. He won the Ponderosa Lion’s Club Spelling Bee Championship in 1997. A year later he was an Honorable Mention for the William Saroyan San Joaquin Valley writing contest.
I am not typically a Fiction reader. Once I picked this book up, I simply could not stop reading it. It is suspensful to the very end. I cannot remember the last time I enjoyed a book or MOVIE this much. I did not want this read to end. Incredibly done. Thank you James!!! I am a new Science Fiction/Horror/Suspense fan. What a Ride!!!!
– reviewed on Amazon by Hdygdyc
McPike is very descriptive and he brings you on his adventures with Ramsey! I appreciate McPike’s complexity of facts. After Reading his books and researching his statements; it’s very refreshing to read such exciting and factual material! I get to go on the adventure because Mcpike takes you there with his quick, exciting and easy read! I can’t wait to see the Series on the Big screen!?
– reviewed on Amazon by Todd Anderson
Interview With the Author
Follow the link to read Writing Belle‘s fantastic interview with James B. McPike! Full credit to her for asking some really great questions about his process and inspiration, and for supporting the work of indie and self-publishing authors everywhere.
Thanks for reading! Keep up with the latest in the world of indie and self-published books by watching this space!
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