Member Reviews

Wow, what a great story that was.
I am in shock so far.
I can't wait for the next part.
"Realm of the fallen. Volume 1 A beginning" is a scary story.
Here you will meet monks, priests, nuns, the sheriff and the residents of the orphanage.
You will be moving into the Carmelite Sanctuary.
You will have the opportunity to meet a ghost.
The whole story really drew me in.
I read it in one day.
I recommend reading this book at night.
There will be better results.
A very good plot, interesting, fast-paced action and amazing characters make this novel a must-read.
If you like a combination of horror and thriller, I recommend "Realm of the fallen. Volume 1 A Beginning".

I haven't read such a scary and interesting story in a long time.
I also found exorcisms here.
Interesting experience.

I am curious about the fate of three orphans who went on a very dangerous mission.
Father John is also an interesting figure.
This book is about religion.
There is a lot of talk about God and the Mother of God.

I am satisfied with this book.

The cover is terrifying.
You can be afraid.
Looking at her gives me chills down my spine.
Literally fear in the eyes.
And this is just the beginning...

Big applause for author Joseph Conrad Sparrow.

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Realm of the Fallen is a pure, good old-fashioned ghost story. It has a creepy, slow build that puts me in the mind-set of Peter Straub's "Ghost Story," and I enjoyed seeing the mystery unfold. What I found most interesting was that what will be a ten-book series is set in Stanton, Texas and has true story roots in the Carmelite Monastery from the 1800's, of which partially remains today and the descriptions of the scenery were in great detail that put me right into West Texas with the desert and tumbleweed vibe. The characters and their backstories were developed and interesting and I found myself searching the web to find the history while I was reading this book and found both myth and truth, which made this really fun for me.

A good read, I will read the others as this book set the foundation and looking forward to continuing the creepy journey that started here.

Thank you to NetGalley, Salem Publishing Solutions, and Joseph Conrad Sparrow for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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As a first book in a series, I see this book showing potential for a good story. However, as a book itself, I was disappointed. To me, I saw no real plot; I felt/thought it was too wordy - to the point of leading to unnecessary details; and in general, the story seemed to be all over the place. Even with all that said and given the ending, I would be interested in reading the next book.

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Realm of the Fallen - Volume 1A Beginning
This Ten Book Series, Realm of the Fallen, chronicles the lives of the people and strangely tragic events surrounding an abandoned Carmelite Monastery, and the desert community of Stanton, Texas. The Catholic Church takes over the monastery to create a convent, orphanage, and school, but the new residents do not know that when the Carmelite Brotherhood of monks disbanded, they also left a dark secret behind them. When strange things begin to happen, Monsignor Breely sends a request for assistance, and it eventually comes to him in the form of a recently ordained priest, Father John Sholtz. As this young priest commences his new assignment at the convent, he experiences a most terrifying encounter with a ghostly monk, one with powers beyond the boundaries of his imagination. This first encounter is only the beginning of terrors, and as he faces his fears, learning that things are not always as they seem, he wonders if his mind and faith are strong enough to endure all that now lies ahead of him.

I was unable to finish this book. The writing is florid to the point of being unreadable. The shift in the storyline from the monks at the monastery to the sheriff riding through the darkness and back to the monastery is very jarring. There are many, many punctuation errors and words misused throughout the portion of the book I was able to read. I chose this book based on the synopsis noted above; however, I would not recommend it.

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Realm of the Fallen - Volume 1 A Beginning by Joseph Conrad Sparrow.
This Ten Book Series, Realm of the Fallen, chronicles the lives of the people and strangely tragic events surrounding an abandoned Carmelite Monastery, and the desert community of Stanton, Texas. The Catholic Church takes over the monastery to create a convent, orphanage, and school, but the new residents do not know that when the Carmelite Brotherhood of monks disbanded, they also left a dark secret behind them. When strange things begin to happen, Monsignor Breely sends a request for assistance, and it eventually comes to him in the form of a recently ordained priest, Father John Sholtz. As this young priest commences his new assignment at the convent, he experiences a most terrifying encounter with a ghostly monk, one with powers beyond the boundaries of his imagination. This first encounter is only the beginning of terrors, and as he faces his fears, learning that things are not always as they seem, he wonders if his mind and faith are strong enough to endure all that now lies ahead of him.
A good read. I loved the cover. That's what drew me to this book. I did like the story. 4*.

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