Reviver: A Novel

Written by Seth Patrick

Narrated by Ari Fliakos

CSI meets The Sixth Sense in this compelling horror/thriller that has already been optioned by the producers of The Dark Knight Returns!

JONAH MILLER, REVIVER. Able to wake the recently dead for testimony that is accepted in courts worldwide, the use of revivers has long been a routine part of police investigation. But now those who consider it blasphemy are in resurgence - well-funded and gaining ground, they threaten the work of Jonah and his colleagues in the Forensic Revival Service.

Jonah is still recovering from the injuries received after unearthing the existence of a creature bent on terrible destruction, a creature defeated at the cost of many lives. Then the discovery of a bizarrely mutilated corpse makes Jonah suspect that the victory was not as complete as it seemed, and that not all the evil was destroyed.

For in the darkness, shadows are waiting. And they are hungry . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Audio
• Release date: Jun 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781427235220

Seth Patrick

Seth Patrick was born in Northern Ireland. An Oxford mathematics graduate, he spent thirteen years working as a games programmer on the award-winning Total War series before becoming a full-time author. He lives in England with his wife and two children.

Reviews for Reviver

[montzaleew · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Reviver (Reviver Trilogy, #1)by Seth PatrickLove this book! It has paranormal aspects, touch of horror, love the plot and characters, and the total weirdness and creep factor! I got this on sale from Chirp and now I will be watching for the other books in the series to be on sale!This has people that are able to temporarily bring recently dead people back from the dead. Mostly for finding out crime details but also families get insurance so they can say their last good byes. But a couple of times the revivers noticed a dark presence was voiced by the dead. Something they were scared of. Something dark was trying to come through.But some companies decide to use revivers for a different reason. A reason so unheard of. This is where it gets spooky! Great story from beginning to end!Great narration!

[strider66_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pros: interesting characters, carefully realized reviver process and reactions to itPros/con: lots of flashbacks and info dumpsCons: little narrative tensionTwelve years ago Daniel Harker broke the story on revivers, people who could revive the dead and let them physically speak. Now the process is considered routine for forensic work and many people have insurance offering them the chance to say a final good-bye. Jonah Miller has been a reviver since the accident that took his Mom’s life when he was 14. With higher abilities than many of his colleagues, he works for a forensic office and is given tough cases. At the end of a routine revival, something - unexpected - happens. For a few moments the subject is possessed by a malevolent force. Told the incident was a hallucination, more and more things happen to convince Jonah that maybe overwork wasn’t the cause.This is a slow-moving but interesting story. The author gives you a good grounding of how revival works and how the revelation that there’s something after this life affected the world, from the protesting afterlifers to insurance brokers arranging for final meetings.I personally found the numerous info dumps and flashbacks interesting, because they offered firm grounding in the world and the protagonists. For the sake of variety, it might have been nice to learn some of this information more organically, via conversations, etc. The characters were very interesting. Jonah’s the protagonist, whose sense of morality is strong even as his mind is taken over by remnants of his recent revivals. Then there’s Noah, a revival technician who keeps Jonah company and Annabel Harper, a journalist like her father, who’s investigating a crime and gets Jonah’s help.Because the story is so slow moving, there’s little narrative tension. A few scenes were creepy but I never really felt Jonah was in danger of insanity, though I did fear for his life towards the end of the book, but not on a level that I’d expected to.It’s an interesting story with good world-building, smart characters, some interesting speculative elements and a lot of mystery.

[sar96-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"If you crossed the Sixth Sense with CSI..." or maybe Medium, "you would have Reviver." Jonah Miller, who works for Forensic Revival Service (FRS), during a revival encounters a terrifying presence. Why did they leave Daniel Harker to die? What is Unity? I found Reviver, an engaging page-turner (with a detailed back story); thrilled by the mystery.

[jenn.s · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Intelligently developed story with well fleshed out and layered characters who become quite likable. Well done relationships between characters adds to the believability as the story pulls you in. The pace for the novel starts out nearly perfect then slows a bit about half way through, but not to the point of wanting to put the book aside. Well written scenes with just the right amount of description to paint the picture without drowning the reader in unnecessary words. Great first attempt at a novel. I'm looking forward to the next!


Free copy provided through Goodreads FirstReads. Thank you for your generosity. My reviews are honest and never influenced by anyone.

[maryann12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Putting the paranormal in the police department, first-time author Seth Patrick blends genre lines with this edgy crime thriller. The first novel in the Reviver trilogy, Reviver is sure to appeal to fans of Dean Koontz and Justin Cronin.While there are elements of the premise that are familiar, Patrick makes them his own with a very distinct style. His descriptions were right on, allowing me to feel the physical aspects of the characters along with the emotional parts of the story. I felt like my body temperature actually dropped when I read one scene. I know it sounds a little cheesy, but I honestly felt colder while I read it.Anyone who gave this less than 5 stars was having a bad hair/brain day. I'm PICKY, and the writing, characters, plot, pace, everything, was spot on. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Parts were gory, of course, but it was a thriller and suspense story and not unexpected. Goes with the territory. Now I'll have to read everything else by him that I can find. Always a Great Day when you can find another favorite author.Yes it's not for the faint of heart or those with weak and queasy stomachs, but for everybody else who loves horror, mystery, suspense, and totally excellent writing: here's Reviver. Don't miss out.