"An Excellent follow-up to Book One"

By Todd A. Fonseca Author of
The Time Cavern

"This is one book that's impossible to
put down."

By Micki Peluso - Reviewer and
Author of And The Whippoorwill Sang

Selected Reviews of Rebirth, the 2nd book of The Judas Syndrome series as found on Michael Poeltl's Facebook Fan page, Amazon.com and Goodreads.com

‎An evolution of story and storytelling

I recently read The Judas Syndrome and decided to see where the author took me on the next installment of his post-apocalyptic journey. I was not disappointed, and saw a growth and evolution not only stylistically, but also in the themes of the story. As in his previous work, the story is most definitely character driven and uses the post-apocalyptic setting
as the vehicle by which we get to know both the corporeal and non-corporeal participants in this story.

Rebirth is told from Sara’s point of view – she survives an apocalypse, and has experiences no 19 year old woman should be expected to endure. It spans from the end of The Judas Syndrome and moves on 9 years into the future, exploring many spiritual and emotional topics amid the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic modern culture. Sara has to learn how to fend for herself and her newborn son, and has to re-evaluate everything she knows about herself, the
world she lives in and the world she cannot see. The paranormal themes are far more apparent in this installment
than in the author’s previous book.

Although this book doesn’t shy away from a bit of profanity and adult themes, is not as raw as its predecessor. Like Sara, it is a gentler telling of the story – although no less gritty and courageous. This is a good story for those who
prefer their post-apocalyptica to be woven through with other genres, such as the paranormal and spirituality. As with his other work, I find Rebirth to be an enjoyable read which flows nicely and is easy to read. - Andrea Kraus

For more reviews of The Judas Syndrome, or to write one of your own please visit Amazon.com
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A Sequel That's Better Than The Original

What truly fascinated me while reading 'Rebirth' by Michael Poeltl, was how the growth and development of both the main character Sara and her son Leif mirrored the growth and development of Mr. Poeltl as an author. His first book, The Judas Syndrome, was well written albeit sometimes a little difficult to digest content wise. This second
installment of what is to be a trilogy of novels, takes the reader on a more succinct and inclusive emotional journey.

Written through the eyes of Sara, the book does a fantastic job of tying up some loose ends from the first novel while exploring the progression and in some cases regression of familiar characters. The gritty and sometimes too blunt tones of the first book, have been tempered this time around. While still painting a very desperate,desolate and
graphic picture of this post apocalyptic world, Mr. Poeltl has crafted the narrative in such a way that you feel a stronger connection to the main character and her journey then of Joel in his first book. The read is more of a story 'sharing' instead of a story 'telling', which in turn made me as a reader feel more invested in the outcome.

What surprised me the most was that his characterization and literal portrayal of Sara and her plight as a new mom
in this uncertain dystopic future, never came across as written from a male's perspective - which should appeal to female readers of the novel. The imagery that Mr. Poeltl presents in this novel is stunning, and further highlights his development as a writer. Scenes and scenery are described in the kind of detail an artist uses to paint a picture. The story itself is well laid out, and coherent. There were however a few times I found myself wishing that he'd explored certain events in a little more detail given he didn't have the same time constraints that a movie version of the novel would.

But that, and the somewhat out of place love interest storyline are the only minor issues I had with a novel that did everything to succeed and exceed it's predecessor in the novel trilogy. 'Rebirth' is a fantastic read, and even better
follow up to 'The Judas Syndrome'. It follows in the tradition of great sequels, and leaves me excited to read the conclusion to this story. An excellent follow up book by Mr. Poeltl, and I'm sure one of many great works of literature
of his to come. - Michael Pongracz


For more reviews of The Judas Syndrome, or to write one of your own please visit Amazon.com

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A Phoenix arises.

REBIRTH is Michel Poeltl's second book in THE JUDAS SYNDROME trilogy.  The author has been careful to give enough back-story to make it understandable by itself, but is best read after the first in the series.  That way, one gets a vivid picture of the transformation undergone by the characters—from carefree teens on a pre-college camping trip to survivalist adults in a post nuclear-holocaust world, with extremes ranging from, Sara, now a fiercely protective mother, to Earl, degenerating into a Hitlerian rage.  The growth of Leif, the son of Sara and Joel, is another major theme.  Leif is destined for greatness, but how and in what direction is not yet clear.

The supernatural themes lightly touched on in the first book have become prominent and are well woven into the story.

This is not a sunny and cheerful tale.  The basic premise of a world devastated by atomic weapons triggered by terrorists, is all too possible.  Like most apocalyptic literature, the story is in many places dreary and depressing.  However, a clear thread of hope runs through REBIRTH, and the ending, like that in Star Wars, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, would suggest there is more to come even if you didn't know it was a trilogy. - Zvi Zaks

For more reviews of The Judas Syndrome, or to write one of your own please visit Amazon.com