Leviticus by Kallen Samuels—an early reader review:
My aunt says: never consider yourself lucky, rather think of yourself as blessed. Well, I guess I was blessed to have had the chance to pick up this book. It totes moral opinions without getting saccharine. Like the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the message underlies the story without overwhelming it. It is so refreshing to read something that doesn’t glorify fringe ideas while still maintaining an openness to change. Violence is frowned upon, but the characters are no push-overs.
The story features bright young people who are—well, young. They make mistakes because of overenthusiasm, jealousy, fear, and the universal feeling of being “different”—they are oblivious to the “real” world they live in until champions of both good and evil try to involve them in their individual agendas. The story unfolds as these young people develop under the guidance (or pressure) from the adults who surround them.
The story reads on several levels which is excellent for evolving readers. I was held to the very last sentence and was shocked and disappointed when it ended. ( )

I was intrigued by the description of this book as an alternate timeline. I enjoy alternate histories and science fiction in general. Leviticus begins by introducing several young people, the main characters of the novel. Selica is in the oppressive society of the Breachers; she is commanded to infiltrate a university to recruit the star student to their cause. This student at the Denmouth Court of Learning is Leviticus Radix, a whiz at “writ weaving ,” or in our world, coding.

An adversarial student, Kade, is jealous of Leviticus' talent. Kayla is assigned by the Servators to recruit Lev to their cause. These are Book 1's main characters. Lev's best friend is Nico, heir to a shipping empire who may figure more importantly in the subsequent books of the Dictates of the Servators series. Given the main characters, this book may be targeted to Young Adult readers.

The Breachers are opposed by the Servators, a secret group keeping the Breachers from sowing complete chaos in the world. The Servators also have soldiers, but their philosophy is to do good where they can and to avoid killing whenever possible. The conflict takes place in a certain year “after Genesis,” there have been “quantum revelations,” so many scoff at belief in the Maker's Way, which predicts there will be a cataclysmic flood in the future.

Clearly, this series is built on the backbone of the Book of Leviticus in the Torah and the Bible. That Book follows Exodus, a telling of the Israelites' escape from the oppressive Pharoahs. It is essentially a book of regulations and rituals, also explaining that Moses assigned his brother Aaron's sons as the first priests. Regulations about purity are interpreted as means to teach ethical thinking.

Thus, the Pharoahs are like the Breachers; the Servators are similar to the Israelites. The novel is the first of the Dictates of the Servators, as the Book of Leviticus dictates the Israelite's rituals and rules. The “priests” will soon be assigned. Interesting.

I received an ecopy of this book from Voracious Readers. This is an honest review. ( )

I found this story to be intriguing enough to finish book one in just a couple of days. The alternate timeline portion didn't come through for me too well, so some of the world building was a bit vague to me in the beginning. But as you progress through the story the pieces of information are enough to tell you a lot about world your are inhabiting. The differing factions are solidly placed in this world and I feel that there is still so much more story that is waiting to be told in this universe. I think the most enjoyable part for me is the character building. It was terrific and you could immediately tell their different voices and understand their motivations and likely actions. I am looking forward to the additional books.

Lastly I will note that I received this copy from the Author as an Early Reviewer.