Book Review + GIVEAWAY : Incarnation by Laura Davis Hays

Title : Incarnation

Author : Laura Davis Hays

Publisher : Terra Nova Books

Release date : February 29th, 2016

Rating : 4.3/5

☯ Synopsis (from Goodreads) :

Kelsey Depuis, Santa Fe scientist, and Iriel, betrothed on Atlantis to a man she cannot love two young women bound by a single soul. In Kelsey s everyday world, three men shape her life: Myron Crouch, the boss of BioVenture Enterprises; Harrison Stillman, a brilliant colleague of hers there; and Stan Dresser, who twists her feelings with his kisses and lies. But gradually, growingly, Iriel is shaping her life too. Through dreams and visions, she draws Kelsey into the ancient realm where refusal to marry Gewil has driven her to daring flight with fantastic creatures across a strange and terrible land. As Kelsey joins other BioVenture researchers testing a new organism on a remote Caribbean island, turmoil and violence darken her fate and Iriel s presence grows stronger. Worlds shift and merge, danger grows. Past and present, vengeance and love swirl together as the seas rise up, the seas that once swallowed Atlantis. Tested in life-or-death struggle, Kelsey must face an ordeal she can survive only through great courage and deep karmic understanding.”

⚜ Review :

A smashing novel by Laura Davis Hays, intertwining science, culture and spirituality!

I must admit it, when I read the summary, I was intrigued but mostly perplexed as to how Hays would pull off such a story. It’s a very unusual mash-up of biology and mythology! Therefore, I approached Incarnation with care and curiosity, but boy, am I glad I did! Laura Davis Hays apparently doesn’t have any trouble blending our modern era with the lost world of Atlantis. She manipulates words like an expert chess player with his pawns, with precision and grace.

At the beginning, I struggled a little bit with the complexity of the novel, with the back and forth between the times, and all the characters I met. Incarnation is not a book you read lightly; it’s a book that requires thinking, and open-mindedness. The science aspect was easy enough for me, as I studied science for the biggest part of my life. But, as my reading progressed and my understanding of the events as well, I started to appreciate the pace and the suspense! Man, the suspense glued me to the book, having me anticipating Kelsey’s and Iriel’s long-awaited collision! The suspense-building was also formidably done.

The main characters, Kelsey and Iriel, were well-developed. They are strong and resilient women, realistic as you would find in every day life, and worthy of all of my praise. I particularly noticed Kelsey’s character development, as she started a bit…unfocused, and then became more mature and made better decisions. Their alternating points of view (and therefore, their era differences) drew me in the conflict at heart and engaged me in their extraordinary adventure.

Hays writes beautifully. She especially has a master’s hand for descriptions! Those were incredibly imaginative and rich, so much I had no trouble imagining the spaces she was describing. Atlantis was so well detailed; I was completely engrossed whenever I was reading Iriel’s parts, as if her world was an actual, real place, but at the same time so out of reach for us, mere mortals.

All in all, the author expertly delivered a complex and haunting story, set in a modern scientific world but shaken by a lost and ancient civilization. I highly recommend this book!

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