Trigger Warnings: Kidnapping, held by government agents, brainwashing, murder, violence, war crimes, mass killing, assault, rape

Please note: I read this in June 2011 from a copy provided by the author through a giveaway program in exchange for an honest review. After I reviewed it, I contacted the author with some editing issues I noted and he had me give him editing feedback that resulted in an updated version of the book, so this is counted as one I edited, although only after I had reviewed it. The below review is from the original version that I read, prior to my editing it.

My Synopsis: Weston Kincaid’s debut novel blurs genre lines – trying to describe it is going to be a challenge! It starts off as science fiction, adds some fantasy elements and then makes a sharp turn into horror.

Jedd has spent 12 years searching for his goddaughter Madelin, who was taken by agents of PASTOR (Phantom Assassin Shifting Technology & Organized Reconnaissance) when she was just a child, because she had the ability to shift – that is, open rifts into one of the other infinite planes of reality. Daniel, who lives in a different plane, lives tormented by his past and running from members of Black Force, a mercenary company with whom he used to work. Roger, in the same plane, is a gambler who is down on his luck when Daniel finds him beaten half to death in an alley. Juno, from yet another plane, is a member of the Traditor family, who are extremely long-lived, strong and agile, but have trouble dealing with the sun and some … unusual dietary needs. These are the main protagonists in the book. Chasing after Madelin is “Father” Leodenin, a very strong shifter with PASTOR, and a company of soldiers led by Marlin. Once on Juno’s plane, Leodenin teams up with Juno’s brother, Lord Alain.

The book focuses on keeping Madelin safe, getting her away from PASTOR and coming up with a plan to try to save the rest of the unwilling “volunteers” taken by PASTOR. Along the way there are many battles, from bullets to hand-to-hand, and twists and turns galore to keep the reader on her or his toes.

My Thoughts: I found the story exciting and engaging – I enjoyed it from start to finish. For a debut novel, this one is remarkably well-done, carefully plotted and the characters well-developed. There were some issues with abrupt transitions and changes in POV, but once you fell into the rhythm it was fairly easy to keep up with them. Fans of cross-genre thrillers, suspense, science fiction, fantasy and horror should all find something to love in this book.

Addendum to Review: Rereading this, I'm heartily embarrassed by how many typos I missed. My apologies! If you bought this but haven't yet read it, please hold off until the author can update the file and then download the update! ( )

For the past twelve years, fugitive Jedd Altran has sought to infiltrate the PASTOR agency to rescue his goddaughter, Madelin. She is one of many children kidnapped by the organization for their power to step between alternate realities. As a random memory helps him unlock the ability to astral project, Jedd discovers her location and finds a way to set Madelin free. PASTOR agents, however, are not far behind.

Within the first few pages of this novel, it was readily evident that Kincade is an adept storyteller. I was almost instantly drawn into the conflict, torn between moral outrage at Madelin's treatment and smug satisfaction at her ability to evade recapture. The story was the perfect blend of varied pacing, dishing out both adrenaline highs and emotional, thoughtful revelations. With that said, the final third of the novel sort of felt like a descent into madness, though fans of cross-genre writing may appreciate the sudden shift from science fiction into horror. Personally, I thought that the book lost some of its momentum as the ever-present pursuers receded into the background for several chapters in favor of a new antagonist.

Also lost in the last section of the novel was a clear sense of character. There were offhand comments made by Madelin that were difficult to swallow, given her supposed memory loss. How is it she was confused by coffee but remembered the sight of a Doberman? Juno's lapses into modern-day speech forms only compounded the disbelief engendered by the group's sudden readiness for battle and their never-ending supply of bullets. Daniel's and Roger's personalities also began to blur, which is a shame as I had thoroughly enjoyed their character development up until that point.

The writing itself is sort of a mixed bag. While there are some perfectly lovely passages, showcasing the author's talent, there are an equal number of sentences that were strung together in the oddest of ways. Grammatical errors abounded, a mixture of homophone confusion and sloppiness, e.g. "should" for "shoulder," "synched" for "cinched", or, my personal pet peeve, "agent's" (possessive) for "agents" (plural). One could easily deduce the intent of the phraseology, but it was still galling sifting through the mistakes when I really wanted to focus on the exciting story at hand. In other words, lack of proper proofreading was a serious distraction from a book that otherwise held a great deal of promise.

Invisible Dawn is a fairly riveting story, with a good sense of rhythm and a creative combination of three different genres: fantasy, science fiction, and horror. With that said, the text could stand a considerable amount of clean-up, with an eye geared towards character consistency.

Hide and Read
(Review copy provided by the author) ( )

Article first published as Book Review: Invisible Dawn: Book One of Altered Realities by Westin Kincade on Blogcritics.

What would we give to be able to move from place to place, from time to time? Could we change the world or would we create an anomaly? Would it be like moving to parallel planes that coexist through a veil we have no way to see, or does time travel really break the barriers and take you forward or back in the same world we live in?

In Invisible Dawn: Book One of Altered Realities by Westin Kincade, the author spins an amazing story that is at once both unique and interesting. Kincade brings together a group of individuals whose lives have been damaged in different respects, by different things they have done or been involved in that seem to haunt them. When all is lost or seems to be, they connect in a way that forms a bond, unusually quick in any society. In some way, most of them are involved in or have some knowledge of a group called PASTOR. An acronym that stands for Phantom Assassin Shifting Technology & Organized Reconnaissance, this is a secret government department. Shifting is the ability to find the webs or the veil that covers the plane of other times and places. These are the secrets and abilities of a small group of people that are hunted by PASTOR.

Madelin Boatweit is our young hero; kidnapped at a young age after the assassination of her parents while she watched, she is at the mercy of this group of assassins, as she becomes an experiment in their nefarious schemes. Her father’s best friend and her godfather, Jedd was there to warn them of the possible attack but was unable to save them or Madelin. Giving up his own family, both for their safety and his own guilt at the death of his friends, he sets on a course to find Madelin and free her from this organized group. As Madelin grows up she understands her dilemma and desperately looks for a way out. It is during this period she begins to understand her ability to see the veil, or web between worlds. As she begins to awaken, Jedd too finds he has a unique ability. He is able to dream walk, and as his body rests, he begins to find the trail of the young woman he had given up his own life to find.

Father Leodenin is the emissary sent to find Madelin as she escapes the governments clutches. A shifter as well as an assassin, he is able to find her by the unique print of her shifting through the times and places. There is another man who is also looking for peace, one who can see things others cannot, but is himself haunted by decisions made in his past. As he sees Madelin shift, he is drawn to her and becomes caught up in her life as well. Protecting her becomes his mission. As the chase continues, more people are drawn to this charismatic young woman, each of them binding themselves to her and her escape. Can she stay out of harm’s way, or will PASTOR gain control of her abilities for themselves?

Kincade has written a fast paced and adventuress yarn, with such interesting characters, you can feel their presence. The detailing is exquisite, and the story such a new voice, I was excited to find where it headed. Madelin is so extensively naive, which makes so much sense due to her age at the kidnapping. Her ability to bond with those she deems safe though seems a little strange, and yet she needs that stability. As we follow this group from place to place and time to time, there is action and adventure in every setting. Jedd becomes a protector with a new talent, one that has been foreseen by those in the know.

As they reach their final place, the final showdown is set; will Madelin and her ragtag group of friends be able to fend off the assassins as well as a new group, those set in the world they have found themselves?

I enjoyed this book although I felt a bit of dismay at the end when we took an exciting and new form of story and tied it in with the fad stories that are popular now. This is an exceptional work, and I look forward to reading more, but I am disappointed to find that vampires have made their way into such a unique setting. Other then the quick bonding of the characters that had no knowledge of each other and no past together and the introduction of vampires I found this to be a great story.

If you like fantasy and time travel, you will enjoy the premise of this work. The Vampire fans will find a unique and different look at vampires, but one that pits them against both themselves and others. Kincade is an author to watch, it will be interesting to see how our heroes continue, and what the government group is really looking for.
This book was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material. ( )

Invisible Dawn by Weston Kincade is a thrilling and intricately written Sci-Fi novel. As soon as you open the book, you are thrown into the action! With every turn of the page you are brought further into a world of mysterious realms, amazing mental abilities, and an extreme government agency trying to contain it all. The main characters are riddled with personal demons, unable to escape the past but needing to forge through into the future. There is no time for regret. For stopping to look back will most likely get them killed. They have been brought together by fate and will battle whatever comes their way in order to stay together. In order to protect The Shifter.

Madelin is an extraordinary and uniquely gifted young woman. From a very young age she was sought after by an elite government agency known as PASTOR. They recognized her many talents and would stop at nothing to obtain her. With her family out-of-the-way, she is kidnapped by PASTOR and hidden away from the rest of the world. However, her godfather Jedd Altran has never given up hope of finding her. He has made saving Madelin his sole purpose, in his tragic and lonely life. With the help of two men, Daniel and Roger, Jedd is able to not only rescue is god-daughter but fulfill his role as her protector. Now with PASTOR tracking their every move and following closely behind, Madelin must search deep within herself to ignite, and harness the unbelievable powers that surge through her being.

This book is incredibly detailed, and at times it may feel like an overload of information. I do suggest reading this with limited distractions, because if your mind does happen to wander for a moment, you will feel as if you’ve missed an important piece of the story. There were some grammatical errors which, at times, took my attention away from the story, but did not take away from this being a very well written novel.

~Hazel O'Shea
Written for the Juniper Grove Blog ( )