Title: Glass House
Author: Max and Ariana Overton
Published in 1999-2003 by Mundania Press
Genre: Paranormal Action/Adventure
ISBN: 1-59426-010-9 (Hardcover @ $22.00)
ISBN: 1-59426-142-3 (Trade Paperback @$12.00)
Related Books: 1) A Glass Darkly, 3) Looking Glass
Dr. James Hay is a Scientist and professor at James Cook University in North Queensland Australia. His job is to hunt down ambiguous mysteries and draw forth proof that they are in fact real. Upon learning of a distinct find in the Kuranda Tableland of the Australian Rain Forest He calls in reporter Samantha Louis. Once upon a time he fancied himself as having deep feelings of attraction towards her. He tells himself that it's only a fantasy and he deals with only the flesh and blood. James has dedicated himself to discovering the secrets of the mysterious obelisk that he has found. The obelisk is an ancient stone with markings and hieroglyphics that are familiar and yet mostly not known to James or any of his counterparts. Believing the stone to be of alien origin he knows that it is only a matter of time before the military and government try to take over his expedition. He has his hands full trying to keep out unsavory characters like Peter Howard, the chancellor of his department, who would like nothing better than to discredit all of James' work. James knows that with Samantha's help the integrity of his find would not be compromised. He knew that she would report the truth and thereby quelch all rumors. James wanted to make sure that the Aboriginal people and their land would be protected throughout this great endeavor. When he finds Eddy, one of the students helping out, seemingly spying and relaying information he knows its time to pack up camp and move on.
Thrown into such proximity with Samantha James he is at turns harsh and angry. He knows that it is his frustrations arising to the surface. The safety of his people is his number one priority. Their undeniable proof to lay claim to their land is his second. Orphaned at a young age James himself is an enigma. Not remembering much of his past his nights are fraught with nightmarish dreams. Who is he really? His grandfather Mick, who adopted him when his parents were killed, holds some answers but not all. He enlightens James and tells him of a quest that he is to partake of. A quest that has been mapped out before James' birth. The obelisk, a stone of ancient and undetermined times, is the seeming key to all the mysteries James has longed to unravel in the world. It holds all the answers to the questions he and the rest of the world has been asking for centuries. His adopted daughter Ratana and her intended Nathan are supposed to go with him as says his grandfather. They too are a vital and integral part of this mysterious quest into unknown territories. He is further dismayed to find out that Sam is also an important factor mission. She too must accompany him as the answers are within her also as well as the fate of the people's plight. James and his companions prepare to make there way to The Glass House Mountains. The place where the black rock is said to have originated from and the place they are all predestined to find.
One of the worlds best freelance journalist Samantha Louis knows that she's about to embark on the story of a lifetime. Arriving in the Rain Forest wearing a business suit and high heels it appears she isn't cut out for the role before her. Immediately she is hit anew with a myriad of emotions that run through her at the sight of James. She however dismisses her feelings and prepares to tackle the job she has been assigned. Undaunted by James rough treatment of her and his efforts at keeping her and her cameraman Marc Morgan at bay she is determined to uncover all the secrets of the obelisk he possesses. A lot tougher than she looks Sam shows that she has what it takes to give what for what while also showing James that she is equally caring of what happens to his people.
Sam Uses her influence with the military and government to grant James certain reprieves. He needs her help in a big way in order to continue his search in peace. A child of the land herself and the product of an Indian heritage she has her stake in this great find also. Her questions need answers too. As a reporter it is her duty to get them. Tamping down her budding attraction to James she doesn't comprehend everything she witnesses. While not a disbeliever she needs proof of everything. It is what has made her such a success. Her ability to provide substantial evidence with a purity that sets are above the rest. But is the world ready for all the miracles she herself has come to be a part of? Samantha learns from Mick that her and James' destinies are intertwined. They are two pieces in an ever growing puzzle of events and characters. Armed with her beliefs and what she actually knows about the obelisk, which isn't much, Samantha is a bit hesitant to proceed into the unknown. With James and the others at her side she gains confidence in what is to be and what she is meant to do for the people and their land.
The ensuing Quest is both long and teemed with danger. Encounters with unsavory and brutish characters throw the team into turmoil and mayhem. James is forced to turn to an old friend of his, Spencer Takiri, for help. Spence an expert on paranormal activity shocks the group when he tells of his being on the same quest for answers. A royal member of his clan he too is a chosen one. What follows is a strengthening of bonds between the characters as they come together for a common good. The attraction between James and Samantha begins to deepen and take root as new puzzles and questions are formed. The journey to Glass House brings to light many inexplicable events and brings the cast into a world that has never before been encountered. Along with an apparition that appears to guide them on the right path they are all filled with an uncertainty as to what is needed of them. What is to be found at the end of their journey? What are the hidden secrets of a world that has long been ignored and abused by all? Will the villainous Guilford King take away all that the crew has uncovered for the sake of his own personal gain? Max and Ariana Overton have written a novel that provides a basis for answers to some of the unexplained situations that Plague us human beings as a whole. Answers that may open our eyes and shock a few of our souls in the process. Answers that seem at times frightening but dazzling in their vagrant essence and appeal. A Journey into an abyss that transcends all time and earthly bounds as we have come to know it. But, is it all real is the truest question of them all. The Overton’s have portrayed a realistic world that is slowly hurtling itself into oblivion. We are our own worst enemies. Can we make things right and bring peace and respect back to the ones who once upon a time bore and nurtured us?
I found myself blown away by the writing of Max and Ariana Overton. I also found myself a bit apprehensive. Could everything I have read be based on some type of truths? Or was it just hyped up legend and fantasy written to embroil the reader into a plot richly woven with mysticism. Either way I loved Glass House. It is the first book of it's kind that I myself have read and one of my best reads of the year so far. I found myself being hooked on a plot that mesmerized and terrified me at the same time. With plenty of action and tons of adventure it was at best a harrowing journey into the seeming existence of the world as we thought we knew it. I gained a knowledge of a people who are older then time itself could have predicted. A people dedicated to life and its ability to sustain itself. I attached myself and related to all of the characters. A cast so true to life and therefore all the more believable. I found myself searching along for the answers and wondering how and why all of this had come to pass. Was it always a part of me. A part of us all? Or was I just so attuned to my reading that I too had been caught up in a story meant to do just that. Ensnare the reader and pull him into a vortex the likes of which has never been tapped into. I recommend GLASS HOUSE to everyone who considers themselves a child of this earth. A beautiful and hauntingly written story that tantalizes and hints at things that has always been foremost in most of our minds. To believe or not to believe is the question that GLASS HOUSE longs to answer and in time does. intricately written with a certain flair and a voice that demands to be heard, Glass House commands the respect that it is due. I find myself awaiting the two more books in this trilogy. A GLASS DARKLY and LOOKING GLASS. GLASS HOUSE was opriginally published in 2003 by NovelBooks Inc. The book is available now in paperback and hardcover format from
Yours in good reading,
Joann Ruffen
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