The Invasion of Heaven

Part One of the Newirth Mythology

By: Michael B. Koep

Narrated by: Gabrielle de Cuir, John Rubinstein, Stefan Rudnicki

Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins

Publisher's Summary

Psychologist Loche Newirth becomes hunted when he sees a painting that opens a window onto the afterlife. An ancient order of men seeking to control the art pursue him across the world, through centuries, into madness, and beyond. The first part of Michael B. Koep's the Newirth Mythology The Invasion of Heaven is mystery, adventure, myth, betrayal, murder, and madness.

Loche Newirth wonders if it was his fall: The 50-foot drop from the rocky cliff to the icy water below. Is this why he has been hallucinating? Or is it because one of his clients is dead, or his mentor has gone mad, or that his wife is leaving him? He can't bring himself to believe what he has been seeing. Insane things like a massive, searching eye. He sees it in the water below the cliff. He sees it in mirrors, on walls: A massive, crystal blue iris and fathomless pupil there in the center of his life, looking at him.

To find the answer, Loche pens the recent events of his life into a book and leaves the work behind for his mentor Doctor Marcus Rearden to interpret. As Rearden reads he plunges into the harrowing depths of Loche's reality: His loss of a client, the discovery of an unknown past, an ancient conflict over possession of the human condition, the awesome reality of the gods walking among us, and the crimes of humanity invading the hope that lies beyond the grave.

And along the way, Loche tells of unforgettable characters: The torn and manic housewife that teeters on the edge of sanity, and a depressed, swashbuckling swordsman that believes he is over 600 years old, the stoned and prolific painter and his perilous work he must keep secret, and the beautiful business woman that abandons her life's work for a love she never expected.

©2016 Michael B. Koep (P)2019 Blackstone Publishing

Good story - well written

Good story with a unique angle, and enough turns to avoid predictability. Richly crafted landscapes and interesting cast of characters. Not a huge fan of the multi-performer narration, though not so bad as to ruin the story - just a touch distracting. Looking forward to listening to the next one!

words fail

that’s it... words fail. though, in the hands of the Author, far from it - they soar from the pages, evoking images of such clarity beauty and yes, terror... I’d binge watch this entire thing in one sitting if it was ever adapted for screen - the Universe conspires : )

Jesus

Sad that Jesus has to be a swear word.
That ruins everything. Wish it wasn’t so.

Could stop listening. Excellent writing!

I still struggle a bit when changing readers, since the reader performs all the characters though they are supposedly used to focus a particular main character. Stefan is great! Otherwise, a fantastic story & audiobook!!

Don't let the one bad narrator deter you!

To be honest, I don't even remember how I came across this series...maybe it was in my recommendations, or maybe it was on sale? Well, I just finished the series, and I can say it was a very well spent 43+ hours. I would advise prospective listeners to avoid making assumptions based on the titles or descriptions - there's more to the story than Good vs Bad or Heaven or psychology... There's epic storytelling and world building and (if you want) some philosophy. But mostly its a fun ride with characters that engage and occasionally surprise you.

I would also urge you not to give up on the series after you encounter the bizarre, halting, screamy narration by John Rubinstein. He does narrate parts of the first two books, and he doesn't get any better as he goes...but the other narrators do a great job and I feel justified in assuring you that it's worth it, overall.

Mixed feelings about this one.

The "starting with the ending" mechanic, along with the reading the character's story from within the story was a bit confusing. There are also several zig-zagging twists that I didn't especially like towards the end. Over all, the story was ok... but not great. And while the narrators did a wonderful job (Stefan's voice is AMAZING)... there are some very noticeable cuts in the recording where different recording sessions didn't match up well. I'm not sure it's worth investing the time and money in the other 3 novels.

Incredibly well written

Prepare for some vulgarity, it’s a bit nauseating at times but the plot is worth it. I was very impressed with the charcuterie development and the narrators are the same as in Enders Game. So all and all A+ book.

Astoundingly fascinating

Confusing, but beautiful. it never ceased to be captivating, and even when the veil is pulled away, there are always more secrets.

ok at best

it was a struggle to keep going in several places . not going to do the next book.

Highly recommend

What an excellent book. A little slow to start but absolutely takes off and doesn’t stop. Great twists throughout.