The Spider in the Laurel (Rafael Ward) - Softcover

In the Citizen's Republic of America, religion is outlawed. Professor Rafael Ward is an everyman capable of the kinds of decisions most everymen cannot stomach, and he has been tasked by Relic Enforcement Command with destroying the very artifacts he cherishes. It will take the uncompromising faith of an outlaw as an ally, and the acceptance of his guilt for his mother’s death, to help Ward break free of the government’s yoke. If he’s lucky, he might also prevent an apocalyptic future for which his secular world is completely unprepared.

The Spider in the Laurel questions the methods of both governmental authority and those attempting to subvert the status quo. It presents two unique visions: a new, never-before-heard fairy tale; and an alternate take on the concept of creation from Genesis and other narratives based on ancient and Dark Age mythologies. It straddles the line between simple adventure and the type of novel that can force a reader to question their beliefs. 

"A superbly-crafted alternative history thriller-quest...Pogach has crafted a story which unites history, mythology, religion, and intrigue in a way similar to The DaVinci Code, but I found this a far superior story. It had me captivated from page one." 

—Edea Baldwin, Reviewer

"There are a lot of faith-centric dystopian novels out there, so it is interesting to see what a atheistic-centric dystopia might look like. Couple these thought-provoking moments with some well-crafted action, in-depth world building, and interesting characters, and the end result is an excellent debut novel from an exciting new author."

—Ryan Lawler, Reviewer