The Anomaly: A Modern Tale of the Jinn

The Anomaly: A Novel of the Empty Quarter by Robert W Lebling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robert Lebling is bet known for his book on the Jinn  called "Legends of the Firespirits, which by the way is an excellent book on the Jinn that is well researched. This author has written numerous other books that were well written and well researched among them "Natural Remedies of Arabia"
This book called " The Anomaly" is his first written work of fiction. Now most often when authors of research based books write fiction it does not come out too well. This book is a nice showing. A fair amount of research went into the book and the man knows hisn stuff because he has lived and worked in  Arabia. through out this work the reader is given several windows of observation into Arab culture and history. Even I learned a thing or two which is usually not the case with most fiction book.

Not only does he include some information onn the Saudi Arabian culture and history but he has clearly studied his UFOlogy quite well. Interspersed thorugh out the story are references to actual UFO abductions. Of course now the latest thing is that the UFO's come from another species living on Earth, possible below the surface.

The author also delves into multiple dimensions theory maintaining the Jinn live in a different dimension side by side with us but we cannot see them. They assume various guises to fool us. The latest ruse is that of UFO aliens. I sort of do not like mixing the genres but hey who am.

The story starts off with a team exploring an oil field in Hima Arabia, bordering on Yemen and Oman. It is in Rub Al Kali or the empty quarter. At first people go missing and then some Aramco worker end up dead under mysterious circumstances . Security expert Dan Keller decides to investigate. The team has come across an anomaly over an oil field, it is an inverted pyramid. Seems the US, SAUDI Arabia and Iran are in on it too. Washington send AManda Goddard an expert on Middle Eastern mythology to investigate. Together these tow along with a Jinn and Frank Devereaux, scientist , go to investigate. They find a tunnel and go thorrugh some adventures before arriving to this impressive Jinn city. Along the way Iranian troops try to stop them , they are attacked by Jinn scorpions, snakes and bats, and Jinn suicide bomber. THere are renegade Jinn who do not want mankind and Jinn to meet up and they are aided by Quarmation, Shiite fanatics who once stole teh stone from Kaabah. Needless t5o say in the end they do meet up but the ultimate ending is surprise.

It is about time the Jinn have their day in the fantasy literature realm and it seems that this is happening. Most authors are not as knowledgeable as Robert Lebling and he is an expert on the middle east. The story line is great or at least the premise is and as such it has great potential especially for a well written sequel. The story seems to be trying to decide if it is a Tom Clancy novel which is all about heavy Jinn involvement or if it is a fantasy story. Over all IK liked it and felt it was too quick a read.

Now he could have made the book longer. By this I mean develope the story and flesh it out. develop the plot a bit more and develop the characters. Most beginning fiction writer need to work on dialogue an there were certain part of the story where I was not sure who was talking or whose scenario it was.The author could give us a little help.

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Religion of the Indo-Europeans

Deep Ancestors: Practicing the Religion of the Proto-Indo-Europeans by Ceisiwr Serith
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

FOr those of you that hold an interest in the spirituality of the Proto-Indo-Europeans then this book will be the one for you to read. THe author is very knowledgeable about the different Pagan religion if Europe, such as the Norse. Celtic and even going further into the realms of the Hindus. All of these rate necessary for a work of this order because they are Indo_Europeans. From somewhere near Central Europe or along the Southern part of Russian, or near Armenia the proto-Indo-Europeans spread out practically all over the world. Going as far West as Europe and far East as India. If you examine these religions you will find out that they have much in common. after all they come from the same source.

Many people are under the impression that old EUrope was a peaceful goddess worshipping place and that the Ino EUropeans who stormed into Europe were warlike horseback riders who worshipped male gods. Such talk is nonsense. Old Europe knew it's share of violence and wars. Not all Indo European culture was spread with the use of violence and war. In fact a lot of it spread through trade and people admiring their ways. There were also peaceful migrations where in the Indo -Europeans learned from their neighbors and their neighbors learned from them.

Documents pertaining to the Indo Europeans and their rituals are scant and far and few between . This of course leads to an accurate as can be reconstructions, most likely pulled from Norse, Hindu and Celtic sources. THe book delves into the hisotry of the people, common laws and customs along with reconsructed rituals at the end. If going Indo-European is your thing or you need a good strong book on Pagan religions then this book is yours to read.

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The Maze of Life

The Maze by Will Hobbs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life can be rather difficult at times, especially if you are young Rick Walker. Raised by his grandmother after his mother and father basically abandoned him, his life has been a daunting maze ever since she died. Bumped around from group home to group home, Rick came to the conclusion that life in the foster care system sucked. One dead end after another, Rick was frustrated so he decided to hurl stones at a stop sign. For that he got arrested and sentenced to 6 months t the Blue Canyon Juvenile Detention Facility.

At Blue Canyon the most productive thing a person can do is lifts waits and go the library and read. The kids there are messed up and so are the prison personnel. Corrupt prison guard and maintenance workers steal air condition units and other things and when Rick Walker opens his mouth word gets out that his name is on a pack of cigarettes. Fearing for his life he decides to flee the facility and make a break for California. In his attempt at escaping he cuts his cheek scaling the fence.

All along he hitch hikes the highways. And he bumps into Nuke Carlisle at a gas station and just then an apb goes out. Rick makes a break for it and hides in someone else’s truck. A truck filled with meat goods that sort of trips him out. The truck stop at a camp sight located in the grand canyon. The grand canyon is aptly named the maze. It is this camp sight that will turn Rick’s life around and give him that break that he needs.

The condor is an endangered about to become extinct. Lon , the guy who he hitched with is a biologist overseeing the birds release into the wild. This is a story of salvation but like all stories of salvation there are trials and tribulations to be conquered. In the end no true salvation comes without self transformation.

Lon has a background just like Rick. Together they struggle to save condors and learn to fly in hang gliders. Together they also face the wrath of  Luke Carlisle and Gunderson. These villainous duo stockpiles weapon and are hunting for Indian artifacts. They want Lon and Rick gone quite literally. The story comes to a head in a violent confrontation, complete with flashfloods.

In the end Rick must face the music before the judge but this is a kids book and a good one at that. I will tell you it ends with a happing conclusion.


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Jinn Wars

The Fire Wish by Amber Lough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Fire wish is the most potent of wishes a Jinn can wield. It involves stealing the power of another Jinn and using it to make your or their wish. This new fare from Amber Lough is a nice packed story filled with innocent romance and a good deal of action.  A little blood is spilt but so what what. The young adults are getting a taste of the Jinn and I should say it is about time. Vampires and werewolves have had their fifteen minutes in the spotlight and so have the fairies so it is high time they move over and make way for the Jinn. I am not saying that this book will blow open the doors and make the Jinn famous but the story line would make for a great movie and a movie would blow things open for the Jinn.

The story line is rather familiar, two girls who look alike but grew up in different areas but come together and switch places. The story will change both of their lives. Zayele is a human girl who grew up in the Northern Iraqi town of Zab is selected by Hashim, vizier of the Caliph, to marry Kamal a prince in Baghdad. Najwa is a Jinn girl who grew up in the caverns below the earth. She has an ability to travel through thee Earth and go past some anti Jinn wards and enter the palace of Baghdad. She is a member of the Eye of Ibls, a sort of Jinn spy agency. When she enters the palace she sees Kamal and falls in love. As Zayele travels down the Tigris river she catches a hold Najwa and makes a wish for them to trade places. This causes their lives to change. Najwa becomes more human and Zayele more Jinn.

Good to note that the Jinn and mankind were at one time friends but events have soured the relation and now they are at war. Under Hashim's guidance Kamal is devising a weapon to wipe out the Jinn. Faisal on the other hand who is commander of the Jinn is about to find out what this secret weapon is . THat was Najwa's job. But Hashim is not such a good guy. In the end there is a conflict between human forces and Jinn forces and the lives of these gtwo girls will be changed for ever. Through the story they will learn about their connected past and their future paths aND LOVES WILL CHANGE..

Amber Lough spent time in the Middle East, especially in Baharain and later went into the militiary serving in Iraq.THe internal operation of the Jiinn base  is alot like a modern military base except that they use magical Jinn weapons instead of modern military weapons. For example Najwa has a tattoo on her hand that if she squeezed it will send an image to tthe eye of Iblis. Sound like James Bond but hey that is cool.

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severed Souls

Severed Souls by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Author Terry Goodkind has a distinct ability to take what should be a short story and stretch it out to be an epic. The war with the undead has begun in earnest. Hannis Arc has revived Emperor Saluchan and along with  his army of the dead and half people of the Shuntuck tribe are about to march on the peoples palace in Dhara. They lay waste to every town they come across that refuses to surrender. But it stops there and we return to Richard and Kahlan. ALong with the first file and two books later Jit's poison is still running through them and they are about to die. Dhara is too far away so they decide too  head on over to Saavedra where Irena a sorcereress informs them of a containment field. On the way over we have the usual company of Zed, Richard, Kahlan and Nicci. car a is out of action because her husband died. SO the venture continues to Saavedra. Before there journey begins a young girl, named Samantha unleashes her magic ability to bury a bunch of Shuntuck under an avalanche. BUt some of them have been programmed with occult powers. But the author never really continmues with that line. 

On the way to Saavedra they encounter monsters, cunning fool and a witch named Red. Ludwig Drier has control over the citadel and he has plans all his own. Evil rarely stays united. Along the way to the citadel they do meet with tragedy but you will have to read the book to find out.

Once at the Citadel they find themselves trapped by occult powers only to be rescued by a new batch of mord sith. More tragedy ensues and I wonder how the author will  continue this story after such an ending. If you like  the works of  this author then you will enjoy this installment. His writing style does get better with every book. But the author could learn to make use of some prewriting techniques and shorten the work a bit.

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The World of the Jinn

Revealing The Mystery Behind The World Of Jinn by Salim Ahmad
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

THe Jinn those naughty spirits of fire who do not like mankind live in an unseen world often times inaccessible to us due to our limited capacity. Rare is the individual that has glimpsed into that world. A glimpse is a gift from Allah based onn spiritual power or a gift from the Jin. If it is a gift from the Jinn beware as it comes with a price . hen the Jinn tell a human something it is usually truth mixed with lies because the Jinn want to see us go down to Hell on judgement day.

The author has written an easy to read and understand book on the nature of the Jinn, especially from a Muslim prespective. THe ease of reading and comprehehdnability is a major plus. THe book also reads a bit like a missionary pampphlet that wants to convert you to Islam or be a more righteous Mulsim. It would have been nice to the book included some nomn ISlamic perspectives in Jinn and related type spirits. Also a more in-depth history of this phenomena would have been a plus. Do not forget that these spirits were around before the advent of ISlam.

No less, Ibls king of the Jinn refused to bow down to Adam, the first man. For this he was barred from heaven but given permission to harass people until judgement day. The only people saved from Iblis's wrath are those trusted servants of Allah. You see the Jinn would wipe us out if it were not for the protection of Allah. THe Jinnwith their bodies of fire can move at the speed of light, shape shift , disappear and dimension hop, where as we with our bodies of clay can do none of those things.

In many ways the Jinn are like us. They have emotions, governments, thoughts and feelings. THey dwell next to us in the same time and space.  They also follow religions like Islam, Christianity and Judaism. They are more numerous then we are. Despite this even some Muslim commentators say that Muslims should not be friends with Muslim Jinn while others call it ok.

THere are several reason why Jiinn choose to mess with human being and there are several ways in which they do so. Sometimes a Jinn will fall in love with a human being. When this happens sometimes the Jinn will shape shift into that persons significant other and have a relationship. Other times they will possess the individual and whisper suggestion into them in order to do crazy things. THey can also possess someone and take control of their body. There are times when humans will  have offended Jinn. If you throw boiling water out of  the window or in a toilet without say a certain prayer you might kill some Jinn. THE family members will retaliate. If you try to move into a place where Jinn are living like an abandoned house, morgue or cemetery you may incur the wrath of the Jinn.

If someone is possessed by Jinn it takes a real holy person to drive them out. One could chant certain Koranic Surahs and hit the body of the host to drive it away. THe exorcist could also speak to  it gently asking it to leave.. Yet there are Jiinn who would help humans and sometimes their motives are pure but other times there is an ulterior motive.

Before the Prophet Muhammad Jinn could steal a hearing from heaven and give it over to a fortune teller or  sorcerer. THe words were usually mixed in with lies. Because the Jinn are out to destroy human. Sometimes people are given special abilities because of Jinn but as soon as the Jiinn leave those abilities go also. Over all it does not pay to mess with the world of the Jinn. 

THe book shows historical incidents from the Koranic period of how the Jinn have tried to sabotage humanity. Cain and Abel  was provoked by Ibls as was the eating from the tree by Eve another provocation from Iblis. THe Gods that the ancients worshipped were also Jinn who wanted to be worshipped like Gods. In fact idols that are worshipped today are really gods but Jionn inhabited. THe reader is warned not to mess with them.

So if someone start acting not themselves or really hysterical  itr could be metal illness or it could be the Jinn. UFO's and other phenomena are also attributed to the Jinn. After all they can shape shift and take what ever form they desire. Since we are infatuated with space why should they not use that as a ruse.

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