This is a review of Dark Star, the first book in The Rock Star Chronicles by Creston Mapes. The e-book copy was provided by MediaGuests.
About the Book
Dark Star: Confessions of a Rock Idol
Can Fame, Wealth, and Power Buy Happiness?
Everett Lester and his band, DeathStroke, ride the crest of a wave to superstardom. But the deeper they become immersed in fame, wealth, and power, the more likely they are to be swallowed alive by the drugs, alcohol, and discontentment that have become their only friends. Everett is headed down a perilous road of no apparent return when he’s charged with the murder of his personal psychic. The only hope he can cling to comes from Topeka , Kansas , and the letters written by a prayerful young lady who lives there. Consistent and persistent, the notes cut straight to Everett ’s empty heart, offering a fulfillment he’s never grasped before. But what if he’s found guilty of murder? Will he recognize the spiritual battle that’s raging for his soul?
About the Author
You can see the bio of the author, Creston Mapes, here.
My Review
DeathStroke is a band much like KISS and other hard rock bands of the ’70s and ’80s. They climbed to fame and fortune with kids screaming their names while parents felt the influence in their children’s lives. DeathStroke is the bad of the BAD: they did what they felt like doing and were untouchable. Then things changed for one member of the band when the consequences of his actions were before his eyes – in a hospital bed with tubes and machines attached to a young girl’s body while she struggled for life.
This book is filled with Christian quotes, beliefs, symbolism, and hope. If God can find the bad boy, Everett Lester, worth saving, what does He have in store for you…and me?
Creston Mapes wrote this book from the heart. The darkness of being famous and constantly in the limelight is tangible in his writings. The pressure felt by the band members was felt by me as the reader. The beacon that was Karen Bayliss shone out of her letters. The story was engaging and drew me in. I couldn’t seem to stop reading as the court trial unfolded as well as the back history. Mr. Mapes did a great job alternating between the past and the present to create an enticing timeline that left me breathless to the last page. There are many quotes from the Bible and the Christian beliefs are those of a Born-Again Christian. These may seem a bit heavy in the text to some, but I felt they are crucial to the story.
The conversion of Everett Lester to Christianity rocked the world and has left me anticipating what his influence will be in the next book, Full Tilt. You will see my review here soon.
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