Ascent from Darkness | Steven E. Wilson | A MOVING ADVENTURE TALE THAT ENCAPSULATES PRESENT-DAY...

Ascent from Darkness | Steven E. Wilson | It's finally here, and worth the wait!

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Ascent from Darkness

	Ascent from Darkness Steven E. Wilson H-G Books, 2007 - 656 pages average customer review:based on 13 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A MOVING ADVENTURE TALE THAT ENCAPSULATES PRESENT-DAY IRAQ AND SYRIA

In 2003 and 2004, the years when Wilson's novel "Ascent From Darkness" takes place, I was doing construction work in Basra, Baghdad and Al Hilla, Iraq. I was fortunate to be able to talk to many Iraqi workers representing the many ethnic and religious groups - uneducated, simple, hard working people - from fourteen to well over sixty years of age. Each and every one of these men had tales of horror to tell. Some had their wives raped by Saddam's henchmen, their mothers and fathers tortured and killed, or children taken away and forever lost.

Wilson brings these horrific tales vividly home. Reading his wonderful novel, I feel as if once again I am looking into those incredibly sad and tortured eyes under the hot desert sun. But Wilson's writing also gives us a glimpse of the hope that motivates these people--people who, despite what the pundits say, are so grateful to us for what we had done to give them a life worth living. Wilson weaves his gripping tale through three parallel stories. One stands by itself, the protagonist CIA agent Stone Waverly with an incredible, sometimes checkered, background; Special Forces soldiers, Tommy Waters and Billy Bates, initially young and innocent, but who grow up before our eyes; and a young Kurd fighter, Jalal, immersed in stirring events in the northern city of Kirkuk before and after the American invasion.

This novel is extremely timely as the news media ruminates on the events occurring in Syria and Iraq and the pros and cons of our involvement in the war. As I am writing this review, in Kabul Afghanistan, I hear from the darkened city, the Muezzin's' evening call to prayer mixing with my neighbor's TV blasting CNN. In so many ways, this is symbolic of the entire struggle so vividly related in "Ascent from Darkness."

As the story unfolds it becomes impossible to put the novel down. Wilson builds the plot, one suspense-filled scene upon another, one tight spot after another - all interwoven with descriptions of a part of the world that few have seen except through shallow, one-minute sound bites.

If you want to read a vividly entertaining novel - and at the same time understand what is really going on behind the headlines in Iraq and Syria, catch a glimpse into a world that is a combination of an Arabian fairy tale and fierce firefight, and experience deep human emotions through the eyes of those who are living the headlines, then this great book belongs on your bookshelf, to be read again and again, and shared with family and friends.

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It's finally here, and worth the wait!

The second international thriller by the author of Winter in Kandahar has finally arrived and I managed to get an advanced review copy prior to the official publication date. I was surprised to see Amazon already has it available...sneaky devils! Enthralling from the first chapter, it's hard to believe, but Wilson's new novel is even better than the first. Written in a similar genre, with CIA agent Stone Waverly from Winter in Kandahar becoming the protagonist (with many outstanding supporting characters). Fascinating from the first chapter, it is true to modern history, to the point it can be difficult to discern where fact ends and fiction begins.

Joan Phelps, reviewer for Clarion reviews said it better than I ever could. "If Merchant Ivory were to produce a movie about self-actualization and finding true love, while living through the horrors and confusion of a civil war . . . If Oliver Stone were to have free rein in capturing the nuances of espionage, duplicity, and combat among enemies as well as friends . . . And, if Steven E. Wilson's latest novel, Ascent from Darkness, were to win the attention of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . . . the thought-provoking book would garner the attention of Hollywood and Washington, DC, alike. In his second published work of fiction, Wilson continues to entice adventure-thriller fans to step into the exciting world of CIA agent Stone Waverly. Waverly was a main character in Wilson's first novel, Winter in Kandahar. Stone is now seduced by the CIA director's confidence that Waverly is the only agent he can count on to unravel a scheme that resulted in the breach of a Ukrainian nuclear plant and theft of weapon-grade plutonium. As Ascent from Darkness encourages readers to dive into the culture of countries long at war, Stone's job description evolves, grows, and mutates while the story moves through Damascus and war-torn Kirkuk, Najaf and Baghdad. Fans of Wilson's creative endeavors know, however, that one subplot will not suffice. In Ascent from Darkness, the characters experience the joy of finding new love, the pain of losing loved ones, and the feelings of ambiguity that surface when humans question the worth of wars. It is these three scenarios that lure Wilson's fans to contemplate what choices they would make when confronted with choosing among country, religion, and family."

You will love it!

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A compelling adventure too good to miss!

Wilson has created another winner. Well written and fast moving, this novel transports the reader into the mind and culture of a faraway people. Moving quickly from one part of the story to the next, this adventure keeps the reader engrossed until the end. Tragedy, romance, mystery, treachery and heart-warming relationships are interwoven into a plot too good to miss.

reviews: 1, 2, page 3

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