First Chapter Review: Ghost of the Gods by Kevin Bohacz

I received the first chapter of this techno-thriller from the author through Pump Up Your Book.

BLURB:  Was it the accumulated wounds to the environment that had finally triggered the nanotech plague or was it simply one more step in a shrewdly crafted plan to replace us with humans 2.0? As I write this at least one pair of these transhumans breathe the same air as us, and there are likely many more. They may look like us, they may even be almost human, but they are also cybernetic and will live for an extraordinary length of time. Trust me, their goals are not the same as ours. It was not a natural plague that almost drove humankind to extinction but an attack from within, turning our own biology against us. Scientists discovered all too late an artificial entity, a sentient machine foolishly created in the image of god, had been studying us and genetically altering us for longer than we can imagine. Perhaps it is because of this god-machine that we evolved into creatures who can think and speak and know our own mortality? This silicon god is so different from us that we may never truly understand it, but what we do know is that it is terrifyingly intelligent and it hates us. What we do know is that it tried to eradicate us from the face of our planet and then stopped for no discernible reason. What we do know is that its work is not done.

COVER: Fascinating. I'm not overly fond of the color scheme and title font, but this cover speaks so well to the genre and the content that it fits perfectly.

FIRST CHAPTER: In the settlement of Pueblo Canyon, Arizona, Dr. Kathy Morrison taps away at her notebook computer, jotting notes down in her journal. She misses Mark, her former lover and now best friend, who has gone on a search to discover other hybrids such as himself; and she fears how he will change because of his nanotech mind as much as she fears for his safety. The government knows settlements such as Pueblo Canyon exist and that they know the truth. That makes life in Pueblo Canyon very dangerous.

KEEP READING: I have to admit to being on the fence about this one. The concept fascinates me but the pace of this first chapter is slowed by a ton of backstory. Now, it's possible that's important for readers to understand this second book in the series. As I read through to the end, however, I couldn't help feeling that the opening of this book would have been more satisfying and hooked me more soundly if the action from the arrival of the unexpected visitors had come first, followed by the backstory. What the author does well is paint pictures of the locale for the reader and get deep into Kathy Morrison's head. That encourages the reader to continue. Readers of government conspiracy stories will want to check this one out. 


This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

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I am Kevin Bohacz the bestselling novelist of Immortality and a lucid dreamer… Welcome to my dreams. I am also a writer for national computer magazines, founder and president of two high technology corporations, a scientist and engineer for over 35 years, and the inventor of an advanced electric car system – the ESE Engine System (circa 1978). I was also a short order cook for I-Hop, flipped burgers at McDonalds, and delivered Chicken Delight. All of those careers and more are behind me now that I am a full time storyteller, a catcher of dreams. Thank you for reading my stories and making this all possible.

Visit me online at www.kbohacz.com or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/kevinbohacz.