The Seraph Seal by L. Sweet & L. Wagner

The product description from Amazon reads…

“An epic tale of good and evil based on the four horsemen of the Apocalypse found in the book of Revelation.

Using the four horsemen of the Apocalypse to symbolize the four Gospels, four transcendentals, and four forces of the universe (air, water, earth, and fire), Sweet and Wagner weave a fast-paced, end-times tale of good vs. evil and the promise of a new dawn for humanity.

Set in 2048, when planet Earth is suffering from the damaging effects of years of misuse and abuse, cultural history professor Paul Binder receives a mysterious letter that leads him to examine a lost 2nd-century Diatessaron manuscript. Ancient prophecies, cryptic letters, and strange events set him on a course to uncover the missing clues that could lead humanity into a new age. Each character embodies elements of the four horsemen in a race to save the world from total destruction. Layered with forgotten symbolism from the ancient Jewish and Christian traditions, the book is a story in which the main character's journal serves as a guide to the reader in interpreting clues and understanding the conclusion.”

-------

I’ve always thought the idea of the Four Horsemen was an interesting concept, and I was looking forward to reading The Seraph Seal. I uploaded it to my kindle, and I was ready to go! Sadly, the reason this book took so very long to review (I believe my review was “due” sometime back in July) was because this book dragged on for what felt like centuries.

Truthfully, the first few chapters were quite engaging, and I was looking forward to a story filled with excitement and intrigue. Sadly, I was disappointed. With every popular, "breakthrough" work (literary or otherwise), there are imitators. You can see this very clearly with things like Twilight and the insane number of vampire-themed paranormal romances that followed. In my opinion, The Seraph Seal is trying to become the Da Vinci Code.

As someone who abhorred the Da Vinci Code and couldn’t even make it halfway through the book, The Seraph Seal did not have a hold on my attention for long. There’s something to be said when a book takes you almost five months to read. For me, Seraph Seal followed too many characters, and I found the writing a bit trite. That being said, if you enjoyed the Da Vinci Code or liked Dan Brown’s writing style and concepts, you may enjoy this book... but probably not as much. After all, there are many other reviewers that have been sent this book and loved it.

I give The Seraph Seal by Sweet & Wagner…

[1 star]

I appreciate the work and thought that went into this book; the author is very well versed in his Bible-knowledge, and I commend him for his gusto in trying to teach (or possibly convert) readers in his extensive details. It just wasn’t for me.

I received this book as a free advanced copy from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com bloggers' program. In return I have been asked to provide an honest, spoiler-free review. All opinions expressed are my own.