(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I would, ideally, give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars. I found Ziv an intriguing character and it was nice to read a book that was a Christian fantasy. I did, however, find myself getting a bit lost in parts.

The most interesting thing in this book, I felt, was the relationship between the team, in particular Jaythan, Francis and Ziv. I didn’t really like Jaythan’s character through the book, I have to say – Francis was a much more intriguing person, though I was a bit confused about some of the aspects of his character.

I found the testing parts of this book to be particularly interesting, though some of them came across as a bit confusing. I also questioned why one of the characters in particular was a part of the organisation, considering he actually came across as a really awful person – and no one seemed to see anything wrong with the way he treated people.

The Tenants were a particularly intriguing part of the testing, too, though I was a bit lost about how the organisation set everything up, especially with the first task. Still, it was the time on the boat that caused me to like Francis more as a character… and it was good that he opened up more to Ziv.

I was less than thrilled with the romantic interests mess. I felt that the love triangle/square was close to taking over the story… and I found the sense of brotherhood much more interesting. Plus, Ziv and Miss Evans really didn’t have chemisty. In my opinion, it seemed very forced between them.

I quite liked Maxwell as a character and I would have liked to see more of him. I also liked seeing Ziv and Francis fighting together. It was interesting to see how the three members of the team each picked out a different weapon… one that seemed to fit well with their true personalities.

I’d be interested in reading the next book/s in this series. It would be interesting to see where the author takes the characters and the plots next.

About The Book

HE SECT: THE WINDGATE (Book 1 of the School of Ministry Series)
AUTHOR: BRAXTON A. COSBY
Genre: Fiction/Young Adult/New Adult/Inspirational
Publisher: Tate Publishing/Cosby Media Production
Date of Publication: April 21st, 2015
ISBN: 978-1681182032
Number of pages:290
Word Count: 99k
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
When Ziv is recruited by the secret society known as The Sect, he finds himself cast into a perilous journey of identity, love, and hope. As a Conduit, Ziv possess the ability to see creatures of the night: demons. The Sect trains him along with two other trainees to be warriors of light and confront the challenges of the treacherous Quad, in order to control their fear and hone their abilities. As an untimely love triangle emerges, Ziv must control his emotions and chase down the evil Akabod before he can destroy The Windgate and banish the entire planet into enslavement by the underworld.

About The Author

Multi-Award Winning and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author Braxton A. Cosby creates vivid, original stories that focus on relationships and world building that brings characters to life. Braxton received a lot of his inspiration from watching the accomplishments and exploits of his famous uncle, comedic legend Bill Cosby. Braxton is the CEO of Cosby Media Productions, a full-service entertainment studio that focuses on producing content in the areas of television, film, music, radio and print media. Braxton is also an actor and radio show host. As a writer, Braxton’s novels explore the psychology of human connection, concerning themes of trust, faith and selflessness. He resides in Lawrenceville with his wife and three daughters.
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Excerpt

Five years ago, one night changed everything. I was out horse playing with a bunch of friends, in the streets, acting crazy. We came to an old abandoned building and decided to play a game of hide and seek. But I played hide and seek a little too well, easily ducking away from the others, making my way to the lower levels undetected. As they scouted around looking for me, I lost myself, trapped in a maze of empty rooms. Trying to find my way back, I came across another group of other teens, making such a ruckus that I couldn’t help but spy on them from a distance. But their horse playing was nothing like what we were doing. Boys. A pack of them and a lone girl, engaged in disturbing behavior.

The boys were harassing her, hands everywhere. She cried out in screams that rattled my eardrums. My hands found their way over my ears, trying their best to block out the screeches. The more hands she batted away, twice as many appeared. They pressed in, grasping and groping. One of the boys pressed harder, adding slaps and kicks, until finally ripping a few layers of clothing from her body.

That’s when the others joined in. Her screams echoed through the rooms, breaking through my hands, making it hard for me to look away. I hid in the shadows, too afraid to help, too scared to make them stop. She tried to fight back, but there were too many.

Finally I emerged from the darkness and bucked up the nerve to yell out, “Stop!” But they ignored me. Eventually, things got really heated, the girl screaming at the top of her lungs, and the boys pushing her down. That’s when something broke free inside me. It started with a quiver, then a strong tremble, until my legs shook so hard I fell backward. My head slammed the floor. I winced and closed my eyes. What I saw terrified me. It was dark but I could see everything clearly. Horrible images shrouded me in a sheath of fear. Circling each one of the boys were hideous, great and fearful beasts. They had eyes that burned like embers, claws the length of fingers, and skin like that of dragons with patches of blazing red hair all over that seemed to stand on end. Grey smoke puffed from their mouths as they spoke. Some whispered obscenities, while others screamed deplorable things, encouraging the boys to continue. I opened my eyes and gasped. My heart fluttered and I looked around the room. The beasts were gone. Only the boys and the girl remained. Taking a deep breath, I shuddered at the thought of closing them again, but I had to.

I had to know the truth.

I did. It was true. I closed my eyes again and there they were. Within the dark recesses of my eyelids, I was able to see creatures from the other side. But what were they? Ghosts?

I mustered the strength to run out of the building, screaming for help. People stared at me like I was crazy. Finally, an adult took my accusations seriously and the police arrived, but it was too late. The damage was done. The girl’s family tried to press charges, but she was high on drugs and was not able to identify the suspects. I lacked the heart to come forward and testify against them, left town for good. From then on, I knew I was different. I had a path. But how it would all play out one day was beyond me.

Until now.