Any reader of popular fiction knows that underestimating the unlikely heroine is never a good idea, and this is poignantly restated in Epiphany’s Gift, a timely thriller by Mallory M. O’Connor.
Epiphany Mayall stands in the center of this story, while a storm of corporate corruption, spiritual energy, betrayal, climate change and grief swirl around her. Returning to Ohio to see her nonagenarian mother, Epiphany must face the difficult past she left behind so long ago, but this time with the wisdom of age.
Epiphany has known she was special since birth – always able to read the energies and moods of those around her, hinted at by the glowing colors and sparkles she could see as everyone’s personal aura. She embraced this power as she moved through her life, even while being ostracized throughout her childhood. Her home has changed, however, and instead of a personal battleground, it has become the target for an international oil company that has no qualms with fracking in her hometown, contaminating the local drinking water and increasing the severity of earthquakes in the region.
This unexpected protagonist is dragged into the twisted, conspiracy-laced plot by the ghost of an old mentor, an art history professor, who was murdered for what he had discovered about Ace Energy, the sinister company primed to dominate the energy landscape of Epiphany’s hometown. It soon becomes clear that the evil of Ace Energy goes far deeper than the fuel they’re seeking underground. Utilizing all of her psychic abilities, and cleansing her own demons from the past, Epiphany must pull out this cancerous company root and stem, to protect not only the Earth, but also the people she cares for most.
Epiphany’s Gift is an interesting cross between a Dan Brown thriller and an environmental call to arms. Buttressed by strong supporting characters, the flow of the plot and the pace are consistent and strong, while the story is unique and takes plenty of surprising turns. Given the subject matter at hand, the book reads as a dire warning, reminding readers that there is great damage being done in regions all over the United States and the rest of the world. The personal hoarding of wealth by the few is being perpetrated at the expense of the many, and at the expense of the future, and Mallory M. O’Connor’s furious stance on that state of affairs comes across very clearly.
As one might expect, the novel will be most appreciated by those on the book’s ideological divide, but as pure thriller, there are tangled plot lines and riddles, intriguing red herrings and action-packed sequences that will satisfy any reader. For those who are in agreement with the book’s message, the book is highly effective in its fictionalized take on serious issues in this fascinating crossover between paranormal and eco-friendly fiction.
On the technical side, the writing and language used is overly simplistic for the importance of its message, as are the descriptions. There is limited use of imagery or literary devices, which makes this an easy and rather effortless read, but loses some dramatic flair and emotional depth in the process. This is a novel that one can judge in some respects by its cover, which, while evocative, is poorly constructed.
All in all, O’Connor does an impressive job of creating a compelling tale that will hit home for many communities facing a similar situation, yet the book still works as an enjoyable, page-turning escape for any fan of a good thriller.
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