Review: Transcends the first book of After Eden Series-political, religious, societal, sexual, technological evolution of now continues
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 25, 2013
This is the second installment of the After Eden series written by Austin Dragon starting with the first book, Thy Kingdom Fall.I have to say that while I did like the first book, there was understandably so much more focus on establishing the environment (world), setting the intertwining- parallel plots, introducing characters and setting scenarios and history from past to present while establishing numerous religions and sects that I felt it got bogged down quite a bit at times.  Not so at all with this second one.He continues the political, societal, religious, sexual, technological evolutionary stratum of the first book seamlessly as he continues to progress us through time.I felt this second book in the series in actuality delved more into the profundity of the characters, particularly the characters who drove the storyline forward. I would have preferred it to have gone even more in depth (past and present) with some of my favorite characters to understand their psyche and motivations such as Rabbi Susan (from the first book), Shoshana, the "Iron Rose", leader of the Jewish Wolf Pack and a couple others.  I am a reader and writer who feels the paramount piece of any book or film is the depth and (onion) layers of your characters.  Your audience must fall in love with your characters to truly invest wholly in your work and the world you have placed them in and the challenges you've placed before them. I did fall in love with a couple of the characters and admired others. I feel Dragon is finding his feet in this series and is getting more settled as he introduced more action, more mystery and intrigue and more characters with more layers to peel away. I really enjoyed the challenges,  the enemies, the betrayals, the physical battles as well as the clever and at times amusing verbal sparring.  I loved, loved, loved all the tech involved as I am a true tech-head and could see myself in this futuristic world, however, at times it again gets bogged down a bit with excessive descriptions.  Our imaginations will fill in the gaps- he needs to allow the readers to do so.On a final note, I have also always been intrigued from a child with religious persecution in particular, the Jewish plight and the Holocaust (cause and effects and all the players involved...even written a movie film script straight from verbal evidence of a theologian political prisoner survivor of Hitler himself) so I think it's clever how Dragon extends that historical knowledge, puts an ultramodern twist on it while in the same light shows not just the victimization of the Jews but their dogged perseverance (and their divisiveness that has and continues to be their downfall) throughout.I feel as if the next, third installment, will be even better and I look forward to it.  I recommend this book but in order to understand and invest in this world he has created, you've got to start with the first one, Thy Kingdom Fall.  I gave the first one a 4 star as I rarely give 5 stars but this one I feel has gone that extra mile to get a 5 star.  I was caught up in it from start to finish and that is worth a 5 to me.