Book Reviews: The Gospel of Nicholas by Sam Even

Trigger Warning: The book discussed in the following review, The Gospel of Nicholas by Sam Even, depicts human trafficking and violence as well as containing human experimentation. This book also involves controversial views on religion, including—but not limited to—Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism. If you are triggered by any of these subjects or otherwise wish to avoid them, proceed with caution.

Happy Monday, everyone! I want to start off the week with another book review, this time in one of my home territories, science fiction. This book is definitely unlike the other science fiction novels I have read and reviewed on this blog recently, but that by no means indicates that it is any less extraordinary. Today I am reviewing The Gospel of Nicholas by Sam Even.

Do you ever dream of immortality, whether it’s through living an inhumanly long life or by leaving a lasting legacy when you die? It’s only natural if you have. We all want to impact the world in ways much greater than our existence. More importantly, we all want to be remembered not just by our children or grandchildren or even our great-grandchildren, but by the entire world. Sam Even addresses this existential crisis and more in his suspenseful and thought-provoking science fiction novel The Gospel of Nicholas.

Timothy Mark Adams is an ordinary man working in the tech industry, trying to build a normal, stable life for himself after returning from years overseas in China. Then he meets local celebrity Nicholas McGregor of McGregor Wines, and Timothy realizes that something is missing in his life. Little does Timothy know, his new friend is not your ordinary “wine guy.” He’s a viticulturist and neurologist with a family-made scientific discovery which could change the world for the better, but at what cost? And is Nicholas truly the mastermind, or is someone else pulling the strings from behind the curtain?

Sam Even has created a gripping world of mystery, suspense, science, and human relations in a future that’s not far removed from our own. This novel had me from the very first sentence, and, despite its length of 312 pages, I found it so engaging and well-written that I wouldn’t have put it aside for long if I hadn’t had other obligations to attend to (I’m looking at you, Bubba). It isn’t always fast-paced, but the mystery and suspense driving the plot ooze from every line and so my attention rarely wavered.

One thing I appreciated about this novel is the diverse cast of characters. We have women and men, both strong and passive; we have characters of varying ages and backgrounds; most importantly, as a book with a widespread conspiracy theory, we have characters from all over the world, including India, China, Vietnam, and Ireland. Even clearly put a lot of effort into representing the world as it truly is—as opposed to the male whitewashing we still tend to see in most genres—and, as far as what was key to the novel’s development, he does fairly well. Perhaps more representation from the LGBTQIA+ community would have helped but, overall, I must applaud Even for what he did achieve.

Of course, just because the cast is diverse doesn’t mean that I liked all the characters. In fact, I had a love/hate relationship with most of them, and I think that’s another area in which this novel stands out from the norm in its genre. I especially struggled with my opinion of the two main characters. Timothy and Nicholas both have their moments in which they won my affection and their moments in which they lost it just as quickly. They are rather egotistical and self-centered, and Timothy is naïve on top of that. However, they are also very intelligent and have their moments of emotional vulnerability. Nicholas in particular feels an emotional attachment to Timothy—one which he tries to brush off to stress—and must face challenges to his long-held belief system. I don’t know how I would interact with these kinds of people in real life, but I oddly found myself hoping nothing bad happened to either and that their friendship would thrive, despite their many irritating traits.

The complexity of the novel may turn some readers away, but I think that true science fiction fans will appreciate it. Nothing is black and white, no one way of thinking or acting entirely right or entirely wrong. Even explores many aspects which make up the human experience, including psychology, neurology, religion, philosophy, and, yes, relationships. Religious readers may have a problem with Nicholas’s approach to and manipulation of religion, but the socio-politico-cultural commentary and character development justify this critique.

The Gospel of Nicholas is not without its flaws. I noticed a handful of proofreading errors, particularly in the first fourth of the book. However, these errors become less frequent as the novel progresses and are not distracting even in the beginning, so I don’t think that they detract from the overall reading experience.

I’m also mixed on the variety of perspectives involved in the narration. As a book told in third person, the transitions from one perspective to the next aren’t too difficult to follow. Still, many perspectives are used and it can be confusing when the first few transitions into a new character’s POV occur. Regardless, the depth of the plot beyond Timothy’s and Nicholas’s knowledge of events necessitates many perspectives in order to give the reader an accurate understanding of the situation. The transitions mostly feel natural, and so I can forgive those that jarred me.

Overall, I think Sam Even’s The Gospel of Nicholas is not only an enjoyable read but a thought-provoking one as well. The writing is simple and easy to follow, although some sections involve scientific and philosophical jargon. Even makes these sections readable and compelling for the most part, and all of it is needed in order to unravel the plot and conspiracy for both Timothy and the reader. I highly recommend this novel for science fiction lovers but especially those looking for a more intellectual read like Ursula K. Le Guin’s work.

You can get The Gospel of Nicholas as an e-book and in paperback through Amazon. Also make sure to check out Sam Even’s website.

Do you know of a book I should read? Want your work reviewed on this blog? E-mail me at thewritersscrapbin@gmail.com or message me on Fiverr and we can arrange something.