Review of New City Chronicles

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Emily_Jen
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Review of New City Chronicles

Post by Emily_Jen »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "New City Chronicles" by E.L. Hendrix.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Devan Elaniel (Archon) has recently lost his power to the ethereal realm. According to his daughter’s prophecy, he can regain his immortality and once again transcend the ethereal realm. He is given certain instructions on actions to take at specific times until the emergence of the last descendant of Erafel, his bitter enemy. Another prophecy that predicts his doom exists. Centuries later, a prosperous city called New City is built on the spoils of the Final War and is led by Archon. He has lived for more than a century since then by transferring his essence to clones. However, he is becoming weaker and must fulfill his daughter’s prophecy sooner than later.

He creates a computer system called LEOH that monitors the activities of everyone in New City. He also has an organization called Ministry that tracks and kills anyone that stands against him. Meanwhile, Erafel's descendant, Tabitha, has emerged, and Archon is ready to complete the final phase of the prophecy as soon as Tabitha finishes designing LEOH 2, an upgrade to LEOH. Meanwhile, Zachariah Waters, a retired Ministry employee, sees through the façade and intends to thwart Archon's plan. Will Archon fulfill the prophecy? Will the intelligent Tabitha figure out Archon’s evil plans? What is Waters' plan to stop Archon? E.L. Hendrix's New City Chronicles: Book 1 contains the answers to these questions and more.

I love everything about the story. Trust me, the summary above doesn’t do justice to the book regardless of how compelling it looks. To even think that I have come up with a summary for this novel without mentioning some critical characters tells a lot about Hendrix’s storytelling prowess. The readers are immediately pulled into the story from the start, and we get a glimpse of the conflict that makes for the story’s foundation. As the story continues, readers would try to piece each scene together and try to predict how everything ends but would be left shocked with what they find. I mean, I was in suspense for most parts of this book, hoping that my favorite characters succeed with their plans.

I have to say that this book has all the ingredients of a good series. The writer does an excellent job of defining the characters such that readers can easily get attached to them. I didn’t have to go back at any point to research any character because all of them were developed well the first time. The author went further by devoting several opening pages to defining the roles of each character and organization. My favorite character in this book is Mark Verigratu, although I also liked Tabitha. Most of the story is told, as seen through Mark’s eyes, in the first person, with some parts narrated in the third person. Mark is married to Zack’s granddaughter, Ariel. I found Mark to be confused, intelligent, and hilarious.

I cannot wait to read the next book of the series. There are a handful of unanswered questions, but I am pleased with this one. Needless to say, the plot is excellent. Also, I think the author does a great job of telling the story in a way that is easy to understand. I say this because several technical terms were mentioned, but I wasn’t confused at any point. Although I want to give this novel a perfect score, I cannot since I have to deduct a point for the errors I found. The errors are more than ten, even though they aren’t too terrible. I only found them because I was actively scrutinizing each sentence. That said, I rate the novel a solid 3 out of 4 stars. If you are passionate about fiction books with a touch of mystery, magic, romance, and technology, this book is for you, and I highly recommend it. However, readers that find profanity disturbing should read with care because Tabitha is a profane lord. Happy reading!

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New City Chronicles
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Ruchi Raina
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Post by Ruchi Raina »

This book seems interesting. A narrator with a good sense of humour is always appreciated, as their perspective of even the blandest things is hilarious at most times. Thank you for the great review.
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Amy Luman
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Post by Amy Luman »

Thanks for the review! I love getting in on the beginning of a series. I really want to read about what happens to Archon and Tabitha.
abongile diveti
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Post by abongile diveti »

This book seemingly interesting, the author tryna captures attention of the readers by book’s title
Last edited by abongile diveti on 01 Aug 2021, 20:03, edited 1 time in total.
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Uzo_Reviews
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Post by Uzo_Reviews »

From your review, I love that the author didn't loose his grip and mystery for a series. I'd add this to my read list. Thank you.
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NetMassimo
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Post by NetMassimo »

This mix of science fiction and fantasy elements seems interesting, as they're used to build a terrific fictional world inhabited by well-constructed characters. I'll look into this series. Thank you for your great review!
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Astral Magi
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Post by Astral Magi »

This review has me wanting to read the book. I love mysteries and science fiction novels. Thank you for a captivating review.
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