Michael Pang

Declan hasn't had the easiest life. His mother tried to drown him when he was a child and she was committed. Sent to live with his aunt and uncle, Declan has to forget about college and instead gets a job in the asylum where his mother is being held. He hopes to get closer to her but her violent outbursts and attempts to kill him don't exactly help their relationship. Declan soon discovers though that there are strange dark forces at work in the asylum and maybe his mother isn't as mad as he thought.
The story dives right in as we meet Declan at his job. It moves along at a good pace and keeps you guessing. The characters were all well developed and I found it hard to put down. Definitely recommended.… (lisätietoja)

***This book was reviewed for Reader's Favourite***

In the Eyes of Madness by Michael Pang tells the story of Declan, and of Tristan and Zoe. These three young people, raised hundreds of miles away, share a very unusual connection. When Zoe and Tristan are called to Florida to identify their parents they stumble onto Declan and realise how alike they are.

Declan works at a behavioural facility, the same one his mother has been confined to since he was seven, after she accused him of being a demon and tried to drown him in the community pool. As he struggles to understand how this could happen, he begins to show more and more signs of unusual behaviour of his own. Since he worries about ending up like him ma, this concerns him a great deal.

It's not long before Declan comes in contact with Zoe and Tristan, and a strange man named Victor that more light is shed on his own past. For, you see, demons are real, and so are a great many other nasties from myth and legend.

I rather enjoyed the meat of this story. When I first started reading, I found it to be a little dry. After I got further into it, that roughness smoothed out a bit and it became a roller coaster of a read that swept me away. There are Christian themes to the story, above and beyond what might be found in the typical paranormal thrillers I enjoy, which are more along the lines of Supernatural. You don't get bludgeoned with it though, and the author does a good job of portraying both sides of belief. I feel for Declan, trapped as he is with people trying to push their beliefs onto him. I think that's part of what made him one of my favourite characters.

I feel the author also did a good job portraying the fear and frustration of dealing with family members who have some sort of behavioural issue. That can be very scary, when a loved one’s behaviour becomes erratic, and possibly violent. It can be hard to reconcile what you remember of how a person used to be with the totally different person they've become.

It needs a bit more polish to it, but the story is well worth reading. If you are a fan of Supernatural, or movies like The Exorcist, be sure to check out Michael Pang’s In the Eyes of Madness! I’m definitely going to be on the lookout for the next one, and I'm looking forward to seeing Pang grow as a writer.… (lisätietoja)

Right from the start, this book pulled me! I loved the pace and voice of the book, and it had me reading like mad every time I picked it up. It also was a book that stayed with me. While I was at work yesterday I was thinking about the book and what was going to happen next. So that, was amazing!

I think what really shone the most about this book is the way it is fantasy, but is also in a lot of ways relateable. Declan is a character that I felt like I could relate to a little bit, but I also felt like I really knew him! I knew what he was going through and how it must have felt, but I also felt like I was right along side him as he searched for answers to the crazy events that happened as a result of his mothers less than stellar choices.

What I did not love about the book was some of the editing and word choices. I felt like there was a lot of redundancy to some of the events in the book, and it distracted me a few times. I understand that editing it always an up hill battle for indie authors, but I feel like a lot more could have still been done. Going along with that, the book cover made me almost not want to read the book. It does not showcase the story in a way that will make someone want to pick it up and read.

Overall I think it was a good book with a lot of potential. I can see a lot of readers enjoying the book, and reading the whole series with as much excitement as popular YA series. With a little more editing and some help on things like a new cover, I think this book will truly shine! A great book though, and worth the read for sure!
… (lisätietoja)

Declan has never understood why his mother wants to kill him. For years he visits her in an asylum, and then begins to work with others like her just to be near her in a controlled environment. But then things begin to happen to him. He's seeing things, imagining things, crazy things. Perhaps the apple didn't fall so far from the tree after all. Zoe and Tristan on the other hand, know very well what is up with Declan, because they've lived it all their lives. They've trained for it and now that they are all alone in the world, they will begin to put their powers to use. Filled with demons, exorcisms and hints at scripture, this book is a fine beginning to a series. Not sure how far it will go, but pretty good start.… (lisätietoja)