Blank Man - An Angel for the End Times - The Judas Syndrome

To better understand the Dystopian / Post-Apocalyptic series, understand one of the more under-developed characters in The Judas Syndrome . The Angel, Leif's Blank Man:

Named Blank Man by a six year old child, this omnipotent presence that first revealed itself to the child’s father in the form of an animal avatar, and then to the boy once his father had forsaken his destiny, and his life, takes no form save that which those who can see him give him.

Blank Man, as the name suggests, appears as a halo outlining the silhouette of a man to the fatherless boy. His voice is gentle and calm. His wisdom ancient and his message clear. Destiny, which rules over all living things, rules over man most mercilessly. Destiny will be fulfilled regardless the tool it uses to guide its purpose, while being mindful of the repercussions. It is seemingly merciless to mankind because of the double-edged sword of knowledge and ambition we so prize.

The Blank Man has been preordained with the task of guiding a group of Apocalypse survivors to realizing their destiny, one individual in particular. But in order for this individual to realize his destiny, many players must also follow a path, unbeknownst to them. The inherent difficulty in choreographing a greater destiny in beings blessed with free-will becomes obvious.

Though an enlightened being, Blank Man, manipulating events on an ever-expanding cast of characters in an effort to bring about the destiny he has been fated to arrange, struggles with the rebellious nature inherent in humanity.

No one can escape their destiny. He knows this. He has seen this play out time and again throughout history. Joel, Blank Man’s first contact, and the one chosen for this end, went mad with the idea that a people’s life is prearranged, and that nothing they do, no matter how much free-will is assigned them, nothing they can do will change that path.

Realizing Joel’s rebellious nature and obvious downward spiral, Blank Man took it upon himself to be certain the destiny he was influencing was not lost. He played the characters in Joel’s circle perfectly in order to eliminate Joel from the larger destiny, placing the onus on the baby, now growing in his girlfriend’s belly.

Joel enacted his end in a final, defiant deed, regardless his attempts to flee his destiny. But his end did not fulfill the grater destiny promised, and so, Blank Man passed this destiny on to Joel’s son.

As Sara, Joel’s girlfriend, took it upon herself to go north with her newborn, Blank Man would now refer to the events he had already set in motion to compensate for Joel’s failed attempt. This was a new path toward the same destiny, as it would play out through Leif, Joel’s son. This path had been planned long before the Apocalypse had been realized, and many more put in place should Leif fail in his attempt.

Leif felt the Angel’s presence from a time when he was very young, and at age six, Blank Man revealed himself to Leif. “I will take a face when you give me one,” He said to the young boy, but Leif never gave his Blank Man a face.

To approach the child at an early age gave Blank Man an advantage over the approach he used with Joel, at eighteen. This offered him the opportunity to mould a mind willing to under-take the role Destiny would ask of him.

Leif and his Blank Man became great friends, and Leif an exceptional student. The destiny once forsaken, would again be questioned, but would it ever be realized?

Find the books of The Judas Syndrome on Amazon Google+

The new 'it' genre is Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic, lighting a nuc under Vampires and Zombies

Replacing the Vampire craze that has inundated the YA and fiction world the past few years is Dystopia. The idea that real life catastrophes could happen to everyday people (like the end of life as we know it) is a far more frightening 'reality', with so many more avenues for self discovery than Vampires and monsters, and teens are starting to pick up on that vibe. Look at what's hot right now, The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Passage, The Judas Syndrome Trilogy, new books like Jeyn Roberts recently penned Dark Inside, which was just picked up by McMillan press in the UK. It's obvious where the world psyche lies right now. Dystopian themes are exploding onto the scene and most are driven by an apocalyptic event. Sure, this genre has ruled over the science fiction world in the past, but has matured and grown into a seperate genre with a dedicated following. Look into these top picks while you still have the chance. Because if the universal mind is bent on Dystopia, you might want to learn a thing or two before the end comes. For more on this subject visit www.the-judas-syndrome.com Google+

Dystopian work for Canadian author - Jeyn Roberts - picked up by McMillan

Very excited for this author. Jeyn Roberts, author of Dark Inside has been picked up by McMillan and being marketed as The Road (by Cormack McaCarthy) meets 28 Days Later. The Road is one of my favourtie books in the Post-Apocalyptic genre, and 28 Days Later was a well received movie series on the end times. Put them together and you have a very interesting premise for a book.

Looking forward to reading and reviewing this book. Jeyn has a presence on facebook and goodreads and will likely see a massive influx of fans on both social networks. The book can be found on Amazon.com as a Kindle and hardcover now.

New review of The Judas Syndrome, on Amazon, by Jaidis Shaw

There must be a balance between books and their endings. Some must end happily and others are destined to go the darker route, such as The Judas Syndrome by Michael Poeltl. We are introduced to your average teenagers that are carefree and optimistic about their futures. In an attempt to put off summer jobs and escape the gloom brought on by threats of the apocalypse, the group of teens gather for a camping weekend. Upon returning home, the teens are forced to discover that the threats came true and the world has fallen victim to nuclear attack. It is clear to see who the main teenagers are as they are forced to grow up and plan for their survival. Joel is deemed the leader of the group although he never saw himself as the leading type. Other main characters are Connor, Sara, Eric and Jake. Most of the other teens in the group stay as secondary characters. I am certain that the secondary group will have their time to shine in the second book to this series. There is a lot of drug use throughout the book and at first I figured it was just kids being kids. I expected drug use to be the furthest thing from the kids minds while they are trying to survive so I was surprised that not only was it an important part, but the leading cause of Joel's insanity spree. The reader should expect that beginning with the title, this book will have to end on a sad note in order for a more positive message to shine through. Friendships and inner turmoils are put to the test...the Judas test. I am curious to see where the survivors lead in the second installment. There was mild adult language, heavy drug use, and somewhat bloody descriptions, so this book is better suited for an adult audience. - Jaidis Shaw

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