Fallen Ambitions by Guy Stanton III

They desire me - They hate me - They molded me - They tortured me - They used me

I can’t give up because I’m different now. I will never give up exposing the truth of who they are!

Shoot me – Poison Me – Chase Me – Restrain me – Terrorize Me

I don’t care anymore. I’ve been redeemed and I’m standing where my God has placed me. I know the evil you’ve done. You know who you are. I’m not running. Come and get me!

A highly trained Russian assassin..........

An ex-pop superstar singer who just won't be silenced...........

A New World Order, who plans to destroy what God has redeemed........

All come together in a story of redemption that features faith, action, and a romance that bullets can't kill.

Christian Speculative Fiction at its Best!

The Guru's Review: 

This will be the fifth novel by Guy Stanton III that I am reviewing and I find it very hard to start this review. Simply because, like the four before, I am in awe of Guy's ability to create such action-packed, supernatural, spiritual warfare based, Spirit filled, bible based story.

As usual, Stanton grabs you from the beginning and does not let go, you hit the ground running with all of his novels. The plot unfolds quickly and is very engaging. I bonded with Desiree and Lonigan quickly and was very upset when he was assassinated. Despite describing this assassin as one ruthless, inhuman, demon possessed, killing machine, I still felt fond of him straight away. 

I actually cried from the narrative between Desiree and God when she has been assassinated by Victor and she was in the afterlife. Not from the fact that she was murdered but from how Stanton depicted the nature of God. Very tender, loving, caring and sovereign. It resonated in my spirit of how I see God and have experienced Him. I had to pause from reading and re-read this section and I found myself doing with all the other occurrences of God talking directly to either Desiree or Victor.

It is this type of supernatural, spirit filled fiction that makes Christian fiction more than worthwhile, and it meets the criteria that I like to see an author include; it entertains, edifies my spirit, encourages my faith and educates, in this case, in spiritual warfare, being obedient to God, not compromising your faith in the face of adversary especially while under demonic attack, and not acting in your own strength but by God's Spirit alone. 

As usual, Stanton includes romance but it strictly biblically based and on God's design and standards. I admire this and love reading about it in his novels as it is the way God intended in the bible, and it is what Stanton himself has lived by his own admission and myself as well. This is so very encouraging to see included so it can be seen what human sex and sexuality should be and not what our fallen secular world dictates and which has warped God's truth and intention in this area. I usually do not like romance in a Christian novel when it is of the romance genre but when it is a sub-plot or not the main plot line then I do enjoy it and the way Stanton treats it, it is always well done and a joy to read.

By this next statement, I am not saying that other authors or their novels do not glorify God by their construction and execution, but I can definitely see that Stanton does this with ease with all the bible based elements he unashamedly includes and only by the direction of the Spirit of God as he admits. This is yet another criterion I desire to see in Christian fiction, that it glorify God and while I do see this in many other Christian fiction novels, with Stanton it is just very obvious.

I would have liked to have seen Stanton develop the plot better and this could have been achieved as it is only 152 pages in length so about half a full-length novel, but looking at this novel as a whole, it does not detract from a great novel that it is.

As usual with a Stanton novel, any conversion is portrayed with the character(s) coming to the end of themselves and seeing their need for Jesus as Savior. I like this as it may be just the encouragement that a reader needs to see their need for Jesus as well. The conversion of Victor from being a demon possessed inhuman killing machine, and the shame and remorse that he feels from the heinous crimes that he committed leading to his denial that God would have anything to do with him, is very realistic and this attitude is one that people experience to this day. I pray that a reader in this situation will be able to relate to this and it be a watering of the seed of their salvation.

When I got halfway through this novel, Goodreads asked for an update on my reading status, and this is what I wrote,

It has been about 18 months since I last read a Guy Stanton III novel. It has been great to be back in the world he creates. And God was there in more ways than one!! I am blown away by this novel. I will not let time become a barrier again. I have so many of Guy's novels to catch up with. Looking forward to being transported into the Stanton world of fiction where God renews my spirit!

This account sums up my feeling about this novel. I am not going to lag behind reading a Stanton novel again. 

Now onto the next Stanton novel! 

Highly recommended.