i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the scifi elements. I look forward to the rest of the series.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. The search for the human soul. That is very intense. This is the first part of a five part series and it is kind of hard hitting for a first book. The research and science they are doing with psychics and mediums is overwhelming at times. I feeling this book is about be awakened to information and knowledge long lost to people of the world. I think that is why I like to learn something new each day. This book has me wondering about a lot of things. There are a lot of emotions in these pages.

A physicist, Paul Eldridge goes to work for Max Richardson. Before going to work for Max, Paul worked at a university teaching physics. Max has hired for Paul to research what he the human soul is. Max hires people with special talents such as telepaths, mediums, psychics and remote viewers. Paul will be working with these people. Paul ends up with one remote viewer, Tahra to first explore the solar system as he has always thought it was a much safer option than going in a rocket ship. He was also curious about the planets. Max has Paul build a special machine for Tahra and a team of people for the answers Max wants to get for his bosses.

It is a book that combines science and fantasy. The story engaged me so that I thought about what would happen next. It also made me wonder about what is being learned about the planets in our solar system. The story has romance, science, fantasy, mythology and a hidden mystery. It’s is the first book of a series. The ending is a cliffhanger!

This should be rated: For Mature Readers Only. It contains several sexually explicit passages that it could easily have done without - or at least handled more sensitively.

Neither should the reader expect to feel satisfied at the conclusion of this rather lengthy work. It is a prequel that leaves the reader unsatisfied as, I suppose is the whole intent.

Having offered these criticisms it has some redeeming qualities. The story line is intriguing. The main character is, Tahra, a young Indian-English girl coming of age and discovering she has unique abilities but doesn't know what to do about them. Her father is overbearing and seeks, at all costs, to have his daughter married and living the life of a traditional Islamic wife, fully subservient to her husband. But she is brilliant and very ambitious and will do what has to be done to escape her father's plan.

Her apparent savior, a playboy and wealthy businessman and scientist, Max discovers and manages to bribe the father with money and promises to see that Tahra is educated but in a way that will safeguard her morals.

From this point her nontraditional education which focuses on her special ability to project her consciousness beyond her body and even the planet. One of Max's assistants, Paul, has designed a program perfectly suited to expand and enhance her talents. Tahro and the much older scientist and technician, Paul develop a powerful working and loving relationship.

Paul and Max have different goals. While Max is a businessman first an foremost, Paul's goal is to understand the meaning of life and consciousness. Tahra's abilities advance well beyond her innate talent of projecting her consciousness and with the genius of Paul's vision she begins to cross even dimensional barriers to the point where she suddenly begins to maintain a physical presence and even interact with alien beings.

With the help of Paul's machines she also has the power to take other variously talented peers with her. Her uniqueness is such that she learns that she is a special 'being' who has undergone numerous reincarnations in the past, but to what end she not told even by the end of the book.

Many unanswered questions remain by the books conclusion leaving the reader intrigued and mystified.

Intelligent, unique and intensely detailed, Marie Harbon’s SEVEN POINT EIGHT: THE FIRST CHRONICLE is quite a reading experience. Filled with deeply detailed characters, strange experiences and will leave readers asking themselves, “could this be?”

Peppered with personalities that live in excess, from drugs to sex to what they study, this is a reading journey not to be taken lightly, so rest up and prepare to be bombarded from all directions with some pretty intriguing ideas, from science to life.

I found that this may have been too much mental work for me today in its chaotic presentation and I just couldn’t fall in love with all aspects, even though this IS well-written, just not my cup of tea!

I received a complimentary copy from Books Go Social! This is my honest and voluntary review.

The storyline takes place between the 1940's and 1990's. When I started reading the prelude, I felt as if I might need a physics tutor, but after I got into the story, I became more comfortable. The timeline flips back and forth between time eras, which cause a little of an headache, but after finishing the book you will understand the reason of why the author did so. There are several historical events during each chapter that help with keeping up with the frame of time the story is taking place. The book reminds me of sci-fi shows such as Fringe or Star Trek, which is out of my norm, but I still found the book entertaining and enjoyable. It will have you questioning the possible and the impossible. It revolves around journeys through the universe, different dimensions, and the backgrounds of the people under going these adventures.

This is one of these books where it would be great for tv, but if you are reading it and relying on your imagination you need a little more information. There were too many characters and I got lost on who was who between the transitions. The whole 10 % that I read was all tell and no show to the point I got so frustrated that I had to make myself stop before I said something I was going to regret. Also, I was starting to feel uncomfortable with the sex scene in the book like why was needed? What purpose does it show?
2 out of 5 stars