Intelligent Design: Revelations

By: J.M. Erickson
Illustrated By: Velvet Wings Designs
Publisher: AIA Publishing
Publication Date: July 2014
ISBN: 978-0-9873231-7-0
Reviewed By: Kristi Benedict
Review Date: September 2014

The existence of life on other planets has consistently been a question that no one has a definite answer to, but that has not stopped many people from dedicating their lives to researching the unknown. In Intelligent Design: Revelations, we meet one such person, a doctoral student by the name of Andrea Perez. Andrea has dedicated years to the study of light and how it can hide things from our line of sight. Her recent study has indicated that light has somehow been hiding the existence of an unknown planet behind the sun. This means, of course, that this ‘new’ planet has been obscured from Earth’s view for millions of years. However, when anyone gets close to an answer about this obscured planet their research suddenly is lost and the scientist ends up missing.

As Andrea’s research closes in on this planet, her life is suddenly turned upside down. She is apprehended by the FBI and told that her life is in danger. Apparently there are some people in the U.S. Government who do not want the research Andrea is doing to go public. If getting rid of Andrea is the only way to get that accomplished, that is what would be done. Now, Andrea has a choice to make and that choice could take her on a journey she could never have imagined.

Meanwhile, in the midst of losing one of her closest colleagues, Roberta Joanne Riesman is feeling misplaced. Her colleague, Hiaki Nakamura, was a brilliant scientist and together they were conducting amazing research. Now he was gone, along with all of his research and there appears to be no hope of recovering it (or him!). As Riesman tries to make it through the funeral luncheon she notices some odd people lurking around who just seem out of place but she cannot understand why. Later, she is apprehended by agents of the U.S. Government who tell her she will need to spy on a friend by the name of Anthony Perez (who just happens to be Andrea's father). Riesman is told that Anthony might be a lead to an enemy of the country. Confused on what is the truth and what is not, Riesman is given no choice on the matter. She will soon come face to face with the actual truth and have to make a choice on what she wants to do with the rest of her life.

This book did not hold back one bit in creating a fast-paced science fiction storyline that I enjoyed imagining as I read, as thinking about the unknown is always interesting. Adding the element of mystery and conspiracy via the plot of the U.S. Government trying to cover up the research of an unknown planet added an extra element of suspense and excitement that made for a good read. However, there were a few times that I had trouble keeping up with where the story was as this book was told from many perspectives and from many different times. The chapters would switch from not only different characters but also jumped back and forth from past to present and even to the future, which, at times, made it difficult to follow. Overall, however, this is a very enjoyable read.

Quill says: A great read for the true science-fiction lover.

For more information on Intelligent Design: Revelations, please visit the author's website at: www.jmericksonindiewriter.com