Seven Point Eight: The First Chronicle by Marie Harbon

Seven Point Eight: The First Chronicle by Marie Harbon

Publisher: CreateSpace
Release: June 2011
Genre: Sci-Fi/Urban Fantasy/Paranormal

Pages: 463

Source: Author

Goodreads Summary: 

Seven Point Eight: The most powerful number in the universe. The number that connects everything. A physicist begins a quest to measure the soul but soon finds himself drawn into the world of the enigmatic Max Richardson, where research is sold to the military at the highest bid. However, he soon discovers another purpose when an extremely talented young psychic enters his life. He devises a project and builds a team to stretch the frontiers of exploration, only to make a reality-shattering discovery… The First Chronicle is the beginning of a 5 part epic which follows the spiritual and emotional journey of five people; their quest to understand the universe and our place within it. Along the way, they address the fundamental questions we all seek answers to: why are we here? What is the purpose of the universe? Is there a God? Quantum physics meets spirituality in a tale which begins in the 1940s, unfolds during the 1960s; an era of social and spiritual transformation and reaches its conclusion in the modern age. It interweaves the human dramas of love, betrayal, bitterness and above all, courage in a world where everyone must face their own dark shadow.

My Review:
Seven Point Eight has to be one of the most fascinating reads I've come by in quite a while. I do not say this lightly. The range of this book was quite impressive because not only did it tackle science, but it mixed science fiction with both fantasy and paranormal elements which was quite a surprise for me. Why? because it worked. It's always risky to mix several genre's and sub-genres together but for this book, the execution was flawless. Seven Point Eight is quite the captivating story from start to finish.


What's great about Seven Point Eight is that even if it is a Sci-Fi book at it's core, the scientific terminology never overwhelms the reader or the story, for that matter. The plot and character development in this book are never sacrificed for the sake of including science in the story. I felt like the writing was balanced and that the author did her best to have a well rounded book, considering the mixed themes within this book such as science and spirituality.

The character development in this book was rather fantastic and gripping because at the heart of this story, are the lives of the main characters and their search for truth in this universe; be it through scientific or spiritual means. Loved Paul, Sam and Ava. Max was also a favorite, not because of his likeability but because of how mysterious and intriguing he was despite his debaucherous and womanizing behavior. Tahra was also a delight to read, she had such a singular and diverse background and was a very smart, yet determined female lead.

The plot in this book was something rather unique. The book starts out with the premise of measuring the soul in scientific terms. And as the story evolves, you soon find yourself in a world with people with psychic abilities. Extreme science experiments. Travels to space and other dimensions of the universe through unique means. And to add to that, the author takes us through the eras of the 40's, the 60's, 80's & the 90's. Always being subtle about historical facts but always making each era very vivid and real to the reader.

The cliffhanger was quite amazing and as an added bonus there is romance included within the story.

My opinion: Read this book. It is quite captivating and intelligently written. Definitely could appeal to fans of Star Trek, Star Wars, Dan Brown books, fans of the Jodie Foster film "Contact" and anyone who loves X-Men.

Side Note - There is quite a lot of adult content in this book (many references to sex and drugs) but the cast of characters in this book is so diverse and vast, that there are story-lines and characters that will appeal to every age range from young adult to adult.

Rating: 4.5/5