a review by Rebecca Muir
The Seventh Wave is the first book in Paul Garrety’s Helix Prophecy books. Set in Australia in the present day, it is a book about the occult and the paranormal. Spirits from another dimension (who used to be in control during ancient times, the source of stories about Atlantis, pyramids and other ancient cultures that seem too advanced for their time) want to come back to Earth and take over, riding on waves of astral energy. They have sent an advance guard to prepare the way. Cervantes, previously human but now a vessel for one of the spirits, has set up the Club, an exclusive network built on power and influence. Top people in societies around the world are invited to join and given access to power, helping them to become more successful and gratifying all their secret desires. Working for Cervantes behind the scenes are humans driven by desire for power or by fear as well as vampires who feed on your life force and Robes, sorcerers who are not of this world.
Arrayed against them are a group of magic users called the Helix. The Helix has been decimated by a virus planted by the Club which kills them if they use their powers. Only a few remain, powerless to stop Cervantes as he prepares for the final astral wave, carrying the other spirits.
Freda, one of the last of the Helix, arranges for Callum, a professional thief with issues relating to his wife’s death on the job to meet up with Sam, a journalist who also has issues from the past. She thrusts them both into situations where they must confront the demons of their pasts and discover their true destinies. Together they seek to thwart the Club from harnessing the final wave.
The Seventh Wave explores what it means to be on the right or wrong side. It is a “good versus bad” story, but it is not simplistic. Many of the characters are confronted with the choices they have made and given a chance to change. The book explores the idea that what really counts is whether you are going to put yourself first, or whether you are prepared to make sacrifices for the sake of others.
I would not recommend this book for younger readers, as there are some sex scenes and some issues discussed which are probably not appropriate for children or young teens, but older teens or adults who are interested in the paranormal will probably enjoy the book. I’m not really into stories of the occult myself, but it was still an interesting read.
