Universal Warrior

Universal Warrior by Avery K. Tingle

Summary: An epic war between all the Gods of Heaven and Hell is getting ready to begin. The war seems to be a conflict between the gods associated with Eastern and Western philosophies.

Likes: God, what a hook. The opening was very attention grabbing. There was enough action and violence to keep me interested. The descriptions is well-written and doesn't get caught up in the language. The story is fairly straightforward with a intricate plot that combines both Gods, Angels, Demons, and a host of other supernatural beings that come from both Eastern and Western religions. That in itself is one of the more interesting parts of the story-- the author weaving these two religions together without being contrived or pretentious. The story is still accessible for those who aren't extremely familiar with creatures associated with these different religions. Conversely, this is not a religious story where there are morals to be taught, nor does it seem to be headed in that direction. The story is about war between Heaven and Hell and from what it seems a feud between the supernatural creatures of Heaven itself. The author is well versed in the ways of martial arts and the action scenes are very cinematic and visual.

Dislikes: The characters are distinct by names and background, but they have such similar speech patterns and mannerisms that they don't seem to fully realized. Sometimes the characterization is put on hold so that the action can be continued and the story can be moved forward. The characters are interesting though, but I feel more invested in the story and the situation not necessarily the characters themselves. It's more action oriented opposed to character driven, but this is more of a personal preference and does not reflect the actual story itself. The website could use a table of contents, but it wasn't a hindrance to the story. Overall: There is always a cliff-hanger at the end of every chapter. The author knows how to keep his readers wanting more.I'd recommend this to readers who like supernatural stories based on figures and characters that are cornerstones in their respective religions without it getting preachy or feeling artificial. There have been stories done like this before, but none so intricately woven and well-written.