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Hidden Gem Awards: 1st Place

#1
The Chains of Prophecy
Jason P. Crawford


When Samuel Buckland discovers he's descended of a powerful bloodline, he must first battle with his lack of faith before he faces evil in the form of a vicious yet smooth-talking politician. 

This book takes no time in getting started, which is probably because Samuel is a character who likes to take action. Some of the side characters also act strangely at first, but it soon starts to fall into place as Samuel discovers that he must save a powerful yet helpless being.

I'm going to keep my wording vague to avoid spoiling the plot, but if you're a fan of contemporary fiction involving angels, powers, and villains, then you'll love Chains of Prophecy.

I’m a huge fan of angels and legacies, especially when the author adds in a few new spins like Crawford has. After learning that God and beliefs would play a part in the story, I was also thankful that this book handled beliefs in a way that isn't designed to be preachy. It's a story involving angels, demons, and faith - I think fans of Supernatural will love this book!

Like most heroes, Sam begins his journey rather reluctantly. He grows as a character throughout the book, both in his power and faith. I found him easy to relate to and root for.

The dual perspective was another thing I enjoyed about this hidden gem. I always like understanding two conflicting points of view. Later on, when a few twists were worked into the mixed, I enjoyed guessing how things would turn out. The last showdown was a fantastic way to end book 1.

The writing was strong and I could tell a lot of research went into making this. There were a few unconventional quirks in the writing that I thought didn’t work (including brackets), but not enough to make me put the book down!

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