Review: Alpha and Omega: Awakening by Peter J.D. Woodruff

A collision of realities, times, gods, and demons makes Alpha and Omega: Awakening by Peter J.D. Woodruff an eye-opening and mind-bending work of dark fantasy.

When the fabric of reality rips apart, Earth becomes a divine battlefield, and an apocalyptic hellscape of otherworldly fiends with a hunger for human flesh. As the world plunges into darkness, new heroes will be forced to rise, unlikely as their chances of victory may be, but some of the survivors feel more connected to this unearthly crisis than others.

Xavier is hearing things, seeing visions, and being called by an indescribable beacon. After meeting one of the kings of hell, he learns that the fate of multiple worlds lies in his very confused hands. Embarking on a journey into the realms of dreaming and magic, to the very highest gates of heaven itself, Xavier must accept the mantle of a rare Seraphim warrior, an eternal knight, because the greatest challenge of his battle-scarred lifetimes has finally arrived. With access to untold celestial power, he could be the savior the world needs to push back the legions of hell, or a weapon of chaos that could doom humanity forever.

Thematically, the book explores end-of-the-world scenarios through the lens of multiple religious and historical traditions, although most of the jargon feels derived from Christianity. However, there isn’t an overt theistic message, nor a religious undercurrent to the story; it has the classic foundation of a humble hero discovering a monumental destiny, combined with a variety of psychological, metaphysical, mythological, and fantasy-derived dangers that must be overcome.

The flashbacks and telepathic passages can sometimes be jarring, especially combined with the subtle time-bending in the narrative, but the chapters are generally well-structured and the pace is addictive. Woodruff does an excellent job of balancing secondary storylines and character relationships with the overarching drama, particularly the shifting dynamics between Xavier, Mel, Nebi, Rob, Brian, and Julia. Xavier struggles to handle the weight suddenly dropped on his shoulders, and the authentic friendships and support around him make the entire cast endearing and believable.

From a technical view, there are some improvements that could be made to the writing, including numerous grammatical and spelling errors, many of which spell check won’t catch (e.g., “inhabitance” vs. “inhabitants,” “aboard” vs. “a board,” “thrown” vs. “throne”). The narration is often choppy, dictating events in a procedural way, which makes it harder for the storytelling to flow, and more difficult to imbue the prose with emotion. Even during intensely dramatic moments, such as the scene where the group is laid low by an ear-splitting noise that causes them to bleed from their eyes, the events are described with an almost journalistic impartiality. Additionally, while the dialogue is consistently sharp and moves the plot naturally, it can occasionally be difficult to follow the speakers in larger group scenes.

The scale and scope of this sprawling novel is undeniable, and bodes well for the rest of the series, but the lack of fine-tuned editing may deter some readers, particularly those accustomed to the detailed and meticulous writing found in epic fantasy. Despite those stumbles, this novel crackles with energy and creativity, paying homage to magic and mythology of the past, while carving its own impressive path along the way in an ambitious, genre-bending saga.