“Sam the Chosen” by Wally Jones

Sam the Chosen

Wally Jones
Koehler Books (2021)
ISBN: 9781646634545
Reviewed by Amy Lignor for Reader Views (12/2021)

When I saw the cover of “Sam the Chosen,” I was immediately excited. Not only is this one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen, but I am also a devout fan of the wolf—which is the stunning creature “introducing” this book to the world. His all-knowing eyes stare out, as the image of the Native American above him calls out to the reader. Is the cover important? Yes. Not only is it a separate category to judge when granting awards for the “best of” books every year, it’s also the visual artistry that draws you in and makes you take this particular novel off the shelf. Now add to that a story of strength, wisdom, and creative genius between the covers, and you end up with true perfection.

When the adventure begins, we sit in the High Council Chambers as Grondi, one of the wisest of all members, announces his idea of how to stop the blight that is coming down upon the Earth. “The Time of Prophecy” is upon them, Grondi states, and in their ancient background, that means that “The Signal of the Giver” could come any day. Extinction is a very real possibility, and even though Grondi’s idea on how to solve this is not a pleasant one, in the end it could save Humanity, itself.

Then…the carnage begins. Families are being attacked across the globe and for no apparent purpose. The military is gathered from all countries; martial law is put into effect; schools, shopping plazas, everything is shut until authorities figure out what the heck is doing all this. And then, as quickly as the attacks begin…they stop. It’s as if the invisible assailants simply crawled back into caves no one can seem to locate.

Samantha is a school teacher. She loves her second-grade class and, even though things have changed greatly since the worldwide attacks, Sam is working hard to calm her students and try to make life go back to normal. She is also getting geared up to head into the Smoky Mountains with her husband Charlie, and their children, Lexi and Kevin.

Lexi is not Sam’s biological daughter, hence the sharpness of her tone when she addresses her. Kevin is the quiet one; excited about heading into the mountains, he can’t wait to get on the road. As the family enters one of the most beautiful locations in the United States, they start their journey by picking their first well-mapped-out trail, hiking into the woods, and setting up camp. Unfortunately, what they will experience in these woods will not be remotely beautiful. A bear attack will be witnessed, wolves will join the fight, and Samantha will find herself waking up in something called a ‘holding cave’ surrounded by people she has never met. A new world opens up to Sam as she learns about the mysteries behind the attacks on the world, a prophecy declared by an ancient race, and the fact that she, Sam, is now the “Chosen.”

This fantastical world is one that takes the breath from your lungs. I have never experienced such a wild ride before, leading me to be even more shocked when I found out this writer is not only a debut author but he’s also dyslexic, and the challenge for him to read and write is something he had to overcome in order to gift this book to the world. Do not miss this one, readers! This is a thrill ride of mammoth proportions and is worth reading over and over again!