Published: Feb. 13, 2010
Words: 86,378 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452403304

Short description

Louis Redmond is the pinnacle of Mankind: a high genius, a world-class athlete, and a natural leader of men. He has the respect of all who know him. He's protected by an immortal warrior whose vigilance never slackens. Yet he would trade it all to be as ordinary as you or I, without a backward glance. For Louis's powers bring him great danger, including from the One he trusts most in this world.

Extended description

Louis Redmond is the second child of working-class parents in Onteora County, in the depressed heartland of New York. From his teens, he proves to be a prodigy: brilliant, powerful, great-souled, and driven to achieve as no other man can.

Louis grows to manhood strong in body, mind and conscience. Though tragedy dogs his steps, and mischances deprive him of family and friends, he becomes a pillar of Onteora society. In overcoming the challenges he faces, he transforms the world -- and the people -- around him without even noticing.

Onteora pastor Father Heinrich Schliemann, the only source of counsel Louis never loses, watches his maturation with fascination and fear. Louis is not only a wunderkind of the intellect. He is also a trailblazer of the spirit and a natural leader of men. Armies would follow him into the mouth of Hell. (Read more) Louis Redmond is the second child of working-class parents in Onteora County, in the depressed heartland of New York. From his teens, he proves to be a prodigy: brilliant, powerful, great-souled, and driven to achieve as no other man can.

Louis grows to manhood strong in body, mind and conscience. Though tragedy dogs his steps, and mischances deprive him of family and friends, he becomes a pillar of Onteora society. In overcoming the challenges he faces, he transforms the world -- and the people -- around him without even noticing.

Onteora pastor Father Heinrich Schliemann, the only source of counsel Louis never loses, watches his maturation with fascination and fear. Louis is not only a wunderkind of the intellect. He is also a trailblazer of the spirit and a natural leader of men. Armies would follow him into the mouth of Hell.

With such power comes great danger. Part of it arises from the natural responses of ordinary men to excellence among their kind: the urge to batten and feed upon it, or the urge to crush it into the earth, until nothing remains to be envied. Louis's generosity, coupled to the selflessness he enforces upon himself to protect others from his immense powers, makes him more than usually vulnerable to both of these.

But Louis is watched over by one who knows all the ways of Man: Malcolm Loughlin, the fleshly incarnation of Justice and grandmaster of all things martial. As Loughlin, he's trained the great warriors of the world for two millennia, for a purpose all his own.

Loughlin seeks a replacement for himself for a mission which would cost him his life, both temporal and eternal: the pursuit, defeat, and annihilation of Tiran, the Essence of Envy, who has forced his way into our world from the Realm of Essences, where all abstractions find their embodiments. He seizes on Louis as the best conceivable candidate. After secretly monitoring Louis for several years, Loughlin approaches him and offers to train him, without disclosing what the training is intended to prepare him to do.

As time passes, Loughlin recognizes Louis as a being of surpassing excellence, and becomes ashamed of his intentions for the young champion. Ultimately, once he decides he can trust Louis with the great power he possesses, Loughlin renounces his plan to seduce Louis into being his stand-in, and remains as his mentor and protector.

But Louis's adventures are not over. His times and his trade guarantee him a steady stream of trials of his prowess, damaged souls to nurse, and moral crises to navigate. Loughlin can't help him with much of it. And Loughlin can't help him with his ultimate opponent -- spinal cancer -- at all.

Chosen One is Book One of the Realm of Essences trilogy, a supernatural fantasy combined with a contemporary tale of intrigue among the vicious and powerful. Book Two, On Broken Wings, is already available. The conclusion, Shadow Of A Sword, will be published late in 2011.
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Tags

spiritual, fantasy, supernatural, christian, phenomenology, supermen, platonic idealism, alternate creation myth

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Videos

Chosen One -- Synopsis
A few words about my novel "Chosen One," the first volume in my "Realm of Essences" series.

Reviews

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Review by: Melinda Le Baron on April 21, 2012 :
I thank my lucky stars for indie authors because every now and then you find a gem that simply knocks you off your feet. Mr. Porretto is simply amazing. With courage in hand, he not only tackles your basics of writing but also life's big questions. What makes a man? What is morality? What is right? How do we deal with violence? What is respect? How do we fit God and tradition into our lives? This novel is simply stunning, at times extremely emotional and at others touchingly poignant.

Our protagonist, Louis Redmond loses his family early in his life. He is a Catholic in a small town in up-state New York where he works for OA, a defense contractor who makes war planes. Louis not only believes in God, but helps feed the homeless 5 nights a week. He holds himself to higher standards of behavior than any one around him because he believes it is the right thing to do. Almost like Lancelot in th 21rst century. We follow Louis through different challenges and situations in his life whether through beloved co-workers, his Father Confessor, his friends and Malcolm MacLaughlin who is as old as time.

Porretto's characterization is rich and lush. These characters are so well drawn that you feel what they feel, you cry when they cry. You want them all to be happy. The plotting is tight and the pacing steady as we head for book 2: On Broken Wings. There was a bit of a surprise at the ending that will have to be resolved in book 2, but that's the next book I'm reading so I'll find out very soon. I would recommend this book to people who like a good,deep,story and I expect the next one will be just as good if not better.
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Tim Turner on March 25, 2011 :
DON'T WATCH THE VIDEOS! (tremendous spoilers)

Mr. Porretto writes well and tells a good story. His style in "Chosen One" may seem a bit blunt to some readers. I believe the straightforward storytelling fits with the major themes of the book.

I don't want to give anything away, so I won't discuss those themes. But I was delighted - uplifted - to see them expressed in a modern novel. As CW Johnson quotes in a review below, I literally stopped, smiled and nodded when I got to the part where Kevin Conway says,"Louis Redmond is who I want to be when I grow up."

(Heck, I'd be overreaching to aspire to be Kevin Conway.)

I wish I'd read more of Mr. Porretto's books when they were free because I'm going to be reading a LOT of them!
(reviewed within a week of purchase)

Review by: Tom Goetz on Dec. 29, 2010 :
Interesting idea. Prose is good. Overall it reads to much like a history book.
(review of free book)

Review by: Sharon Mc Govern on Oct. 17, 2010 :
As a reader I was introducted to two main characters. Malcolm and Louis. I must say Mr Porrtello is an excellent story teller. Louis is the man every woman, every priest, every employer wishes for; and the big brother I longed for as an abused child. Malcolm reminds me of "The Imortals". No time will be wasted in becoming emersed in this novel and emersed I became. It is often hard for me to find a book that piques my interest and I loved this one. R Sharon Mc Govern rsmquilts@aol.com
(review of free book)

Review by: CW Johnson on Sep. 03, 2010 :
As a Smashwords writer myself, I can only tell you that Francis Perretto's prose is something to be studied. As far as The Chosen One is concerned, to quote Kevin Conway, a friend whose friendship I forged while reading this book, "Louis Redmond is who I want to be when I grow up."
Five stars!
(review of free book)

Review by: LAURA SCHULTZ on June 28, 2010 : (no rating)
OMG THOUGHT TO JUST KILL TIME READING ONLINE I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THIS BOOK, IT DRAWS YOU IN UNTIL YOU CANT STOP READING , HAVE ALREADY STARTED ON BROKEN WINGS I AM HOOKED
BRAVO BRAVO
(review of free book)

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