Illuminated by Matt Brownleewe, Reviewed
October 26, 2007
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Matt Bronleewe is a recognized producer, songwriter and author. The former member of the band Jars of Clay, has earned numerous awards producing and co-writing albums that have sold a combined total of over 20 million copies. His songs have recently been recorded by Disney pop sensations Aly & AJ, American Idol finalist Kimberley Locke, and more. Bronleewe has worked with Grammy Award-winning artists such as Michael W. Smith, International pop singer Natalie Imbruglia and Heroes star Hayden Panettiere.
Born in Dallas, Texas, Bronleewe was raised on a farm in Kansas, where he lived until he left for college in 1992. At Greenville College in Illinois, Bronleewe formed the band Jars of Clay with his dorm roommate and two neighbors, and the group soon found success. Though Bronleewe opted to leave Jars of Clay early on to pursue an academic career, he soon found himself in Nashville, co-writing, producing, and playing music professionally.
To add to his list of accomplishments, Bronleewe has expanded his love of story telling beyond music into authorship. He is currently penning a 5 book series for Thomas Nelson Fiction. Illuminated, in stores now, begins the adventurous series about rare manuscripts and the mysteries within.
Bronleewe currently resides in Brentwood, Tenn., with his wife and three children. He continues to write and produce music, and he also volunteers through his church to help disadvantaged youth in the community. Bronleewe enjoys reading, taste-testing good food and watching sports, as well as indulging his interests in art, architecture, design and science.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
IT’S BEEN 500 YEARS IN THE MAKING…PREPARE TO BE ILLUMINATED…
August Adams has failed his family before. He’s sacrificed relationships in pursuit of adventure, fame, and money. Now the very lives of those he loves depend on his ability to decipher a centuries-old puzzle encrypted in the colorful hand-painted illuminations that adorn three rare Gutenberg Bibles.
It’s a secret that could yield unimaginable wealth, undermine two major religions, and change the course of Western civilization. Two ruthless, ancient organizations are willing to do anything to get their hands on it. And August has the span of one transatlantic flight to figure it out.
If he fails, those he holds most dear will die. If he succeeds, he’ll destroy a national treasure.
The clock ticks, the suspense mounts, and the body count rises as August pits his knowledge and his love for his family against the clock, secret societies, and even Johannes Gutenberg himself.
“…this rare breed of suspense thriller combines mysterious hidden clues, secret societies, buried treasure, double agents, and the Knights Templar…if you turned National Treasure into international treasure, traded DaVinci codes for Gutenberg Bibles, married it to Indiana Jones, and added the pacing of 24 you’d be in the neighborhood of Illuminated…on a scale of one to 10, this one goes to 11.”
-Aspiring Retail Magazine
Sally Says: Well, you know me. I really hate having to give less than glowing reviews, but that’s what I need to do here.
This book was advertised as a Christian-style DaVinci Code without all the heresy. Frankly I enjoyed the suspense half of The DaVinci Code until said heresy started halfway through the book. So I was intrigued by Illuminated. But it just didn’t deliver.
I think the plot overall was good, but the book felt underdeveloped. Underdeveloped in character and in drama and suspense. Scenes and action were too short instead of being drawn out for their full impact. And sometimes the dialogue was too bantering between a hostage and villain. I found that not quite believable.
If you’re the type of person who reads only action-driven books, then Illuminated may be for you. It’s full of action, full of movement. But I guess my tastes run more to character-driven stories that still have a strong plot in them. So I was disappointed. I hate saying that because I know how hard it is to write a book, much less publish it, but there it is. My take, for what it’s worth.
Comments
3 Responses to “Illuminated by Matt Brownleewe, Reviewed”
Thanks for the honest review.
Disappointing to hear–but I agree with you. I hate it when characterization is sacrificed for action. This is also disappointing because it would be so wonderful to have a book that could draw in those DaVinci Code readers.
I’ll be honest…I held back from revealing too much about the characters because they have MANY MORE ADVENTURES AHEAD. I couldn’t give you all the details at once! And this is just the beginning… The follow-up to ILLUMINATED comes out August 12th, 2008. Prepare yourself for the next thrillride…HOUSE OF WOLVES!
Peace.
Matt Bronleewe