Ascendancy

 Ascendancy, AJ Brooks, 2026

This young adult novel is about an average teenager named Charlie. In Part 1, he was riding his bike through a dark forest. Coming across a mysterious stranger, at the absolute last moment, Charlie found that he could harness the power of a lightning storm to defeat his foe. The next day, Charlie receives an invitation from a paranormal school called the Halotempora Institute.

Here, in Part 2, Charlie and Melinda, a friend who discovers abilities of her own, look for a way to return to Halotempora. They were kicked out in Part 1; it is the sort of place one doesn't enter without an invitation. They are separated, and travel different paths to get stronger. Charlie is inducted into the Ascendancy. As he gets stronger, will he eventually lose himself? There is a dark plan afoot, created by Charlie's enemy, a person named Haddox. Will Charlie get to the bottom of it in time?

This novel is surprisingly good. It's got action, adventure, a bit of romance and plenty of sorcery. It is very much worth reading, for teens and adults.

Complete Ethiopian Bible in English - 88 Books

Complete Ethiopian Bible in English - 88 Books, Eddie Helton Brooks, 2025, ISBN 979-8-2808-53232

 Have you ever wondered if the Bible was part of a much larger group of religious and spiritual texts? The short answer is Yes.

For many centuries, the Ethiopian Orthodox Church has preserved hundreds of ancient prayers, prophetic visions and symbolic narratives. Included are Bible books, like Genesis, Exodus, Judges, the 4 Gospels and the Letters of Paul. Among the 88 Books in this book are the Books of Meqabyan, Judith, Baruch, Jonah, Malachi, Amos, Hosea, Nahum, Obadiah, Zephaniah and Habakkuk.

Due to space limitations in a hardcover book, the other several hundred Books are only a QR code away. The space limitations have also caused the printing to be very small (having a magnifier is a very good idea). This is still an excellent book for serious religious scholars, and for average people who simply want to deepen their faith.

Ethiopian Bible in English Complete - 508 Books

 

Ethiopian Bible in English Complete - 508 Books, Eddie Helton Brooks, 2025 

For many centuries, the Ethiopian Orthodox church has preserved many of the most sacred texts of Christianity. These are writings that didn't make it into the Bible or other canons. 

Many of the Bible texts are here, including Genesis, Joshua, Job, Proverbs, Isaiah, Acts, the 4 Gospels, Romans and Corinthians. Among the Apocryphal texts (books that weren't included in the Bible) are the Books of Tobit, Judith, Esdras, Jubilees, 3 Books of Meqabyan and 5 Books of Enoch. 

Because of space limitations in a hardcover book, most of the texts are not here. However, they are just a QR code away. So are a 120-hour audiobook and 250 hours of video lessons.

This is recommended on several different levels. For historical or academic research, this is very much worth reading. It is also recommended for anyone who wants to deepen their faith with writings not in the Bible.

Ethiopian Bible in English Complete: Amplified Edition

 Ethiopian Bible in English Complete: Amplified Edition, Eddie Helton Brooks, 2024, ISBN 979-8-33791-891-4

This contains 150 religious books. It starts with many of the Books of the Christian Bible, including Genesis, Exodus, Job, Proverbs, Acts, the 4 Gospels and the Book of Revelation.

It is followed by several deuterocanonical Books, like Judith, Additions to Esther, Prayer of Manasseh and 1-4 Maccabees. It also contains Extra-Canonical and Apocryphal Books, like The Vision of Isaiah, Psalm 151, The Psalms of Solomon, The Testament of Abraham and The Sibylline Oracles.

The comes some examples of Christian Apocrypha. These include The Epistle of Barnabas, The Gospel of Mary, The Martyrdom of Polycarp, The Acts of Paul and Thecla, The Gospel of Judas, The Gospel of Truth and The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs.

My only criticism of this book is that some sort of explanation of what an Ethiopian Bible is (even just a couple of paragraphs on the back cover) would have helped a lot. For those who are already familiar with an Ethiopian Bible, this book is very much worth picking up and reading at any point for a few minutes a day.