It's about time! That's right. This is an amazing story about "time" and about learning to see time in a new and heretofore unrealized manner - as a series of reflective or "mirror" events. But it's also about discovering that the primordial root of these events - indeed, the root of all of existence - is but a single defining narrative that righteously repeats over and over again. It is a narrative that deftly hides within the cacophony of current events. Hauntingly, we have been programmed to irresistibly embrace this torrid tale above all else and to laud its presentation whenever it arises, without even the tiniest notion of why. From somewhere buried deep inside, we innately recreate a divine destiny that stubbornly seeks a fate that can never be changed. It's our sole purpose - our reason for being. We exist merely to perform this pitiable play. But why? That's what we're here to find out. You see, this is also the story of that play as seen through the eyes of one man who learned to see from another point of view - from another set of eyes... What if? What if we made a single reversal of roles in the biblical narrative of the Fall in Eden? What if "Good" was actually "Evil"? Would truth be revealed and questions be answered, or would Destiny's doppelgänger once again arise and ensure that the attainment of sacred knowledge causes mankind to fall? This is the story of a being named A-dam, both "in the beginning" and then, much later, at the end. Shackled inside a "body," divided into 3 parts and eventually thrown to Earth, he's forced to figure out a world that is nothing more than a horrible hall of mirrors. Blamed for an ancient crime of which he has no memory, a terrifying sequence of events is set in motion to help him remember. His "heavenly hosts" prefer to teach their captive soul through the torturous experience of actually living the message. A-dam must use all of his wits in his struggle to comprehend the tempestuous sea of symbolism in which he has been immersed. Will the wisdom won be enough to secure his coveted freedom or is it all nothing more than a twisted tease? From beginning to end, mirror events have been skillfully woven throughout this book. Even its very layout betrays these reflective elements, with the first half being set in the past and taking the form of a rhythmic narrative poem while the last half is set in the present and written in standard prose. Everything is adeptly designed to completely immerse the reader in a mystical menagerie of mirrors. Step through the looking glass and enjoy a sublimely intelligent and genre-bending ride. Whether you like science fiction, history, mystery, metaphysical, philosophy, semiotics, religion, science, poetry, or mythopoeia, there's a little something for all. You see, this is a story about us - all mankind - and the quixotic quest for the ultimate secret - the sacred knowledge of why we are here. For this book, my friends, is the Apple from the Garden of Eden - the forbidden fruit from long ago that once again doth haunt and beckon. Do you dare take a bite? Do you dare attempt to awaken and lift the Veil of Evil that shrouds our world?
About the Author: Darren Reder was born in the sleepy town of Atchison, Kansas, in 1965. Being raised on a farm, he knows the meaning of hard work - a necessary component for the aspiring writer. By day, Mr. Reder is a bespectacled, mild-mannered sci-fi geek that has worked in the Information Technology field for over 30 years. During his off hours, he is busy being creative in whatever form the "project-of-the-moment" may take - whether it involves photography, gardening, woodworking, metalworking, repurposing old things, or, of course, writing. He enjoys being outdoors and helping on his parent's farm. His first loves, however, are history and the aforementioned science fiction realm - the past and the future. Mr. Reder infuses all of his creative endeavors with an insight and passion few can match. As a dogged investigator with an unparalleled ability to see what others can't, he boldly ventured down the proverbial rabbit hole and embarked on an amazing journey of discovery in 2008. This culminated in a series of three rather large books he penned over the span of just 6 years - the last, The Masters of the Mirror - Ark of the Apocalypse, being over 800 pages in length - all while working a full-time job. He has been busy writing his fourth book, Veil of Evil, for the past 2 years and it will mark his virgin entry into the field of fiction.