Reviews From December 2012 to Jan 2013
Something evil is brewing in the small town of Kelwick. Something malevolent stirs in the shadows.When Justin and Rebecca Greene fall pregnant; strange things begin to happen around the apartment. Subtle at first, the ghostly occurrences soon escalate to the point where Justin is forced to question his wife's mental state of mind, and the future of their marriage.
Unknown to the couple, a powerful demon, an Incubus, is sent to separate them and lay claim to their unborn child. If it is successful, the consequences could seal the fate for millions of people around the world.
The Incubus is a novel about Spiritual Warfare and things that go bump in the night.
Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The author writes well, his plot flows well, the spiritual warfare aspects are good.
My only concern is that the two main characters, Rebecca and Justin are not well developed enough and I did not connect with them much. However, the character of Simon is cast well, developed better than the main characters and I like and connected with him, before and after I discovered who he really is.
The author seems to reveal more why Justin does not follow God than he does in portraying Rebecca's faith in God. Not once, while under spiritual attack or influence by the demon in her house or from Dominic, does she pray, seek help from her pastor or other Christians. Even when she considers talking to her pastor, she decides not to as she feels he will think she is loosing her mind. As a Christian, I don't believe she would have allowed this thought to dictate her behaviour. I believe that it is wise to check these feelings out and these strange occurrences to prove if they are of demonic origin or existing in one's mind only and to accomplish this, would seek assistance from within Christian circles, either their church/pastor or other Christians they know. It was also a worry that despite Rebecca not doing this, the author did not include whether Rebecca attended a church or had any affiliation with a church or other Christians other than the pastor that was mentioned. Adding this to the story would have added more depth and adherence to the reality of spiritual warfare that exists in the real world as outlined in Ephesians 6:12.
Despite this, this novel does portray spiritual warfare, demons and their evil purposes well. It just falls short on the Christian response to this warfare. Yes, God does send His angels in whatever form in our physical world in the midst of our spiritual fight against them but in this story, the fight is solely between an angel and the demon with no spiritual input from the Rebecca, the only Christian mentioned in the novel and who, between her and her husband are the object of their fight.
I am not deliberately being critical of this author's work. This is a good story. I believe this author is on the right track. Hopefully, his future works concerning spiritual warfare will portray it like it really is. He has made one very good start with this and The Succubus, the sequel. I would like to think that I could write like this author; it is easy being a reader and reviewer, much more difficult being the author and creator of the written word!!
I will still follow this author. He has great potential. God is not finished with him as an author yet!!
Strongly Recommended
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Jared Greene will either lead millions to Jesus Christ, or to their slaughter. That much is certain. The deciding factor, the element that will determine humanity's future, is free will.
In an attempt to influence his destiny, a powerful demon--a Succubus--is summoned to seduce Jared and manipulate his choices. He succumbs to the clutches of the demon, and while under her spell, Jared soon becomes enticed by the idea of having ultimate power.
As time runs out, Jared is forced to choose between good or evil, a decision that will seal the fates for millions of people around the world.
Review:
This was much better than its predecessor, The Incubus. The author has definitely improved in all areas. However, in one sense, I would have liked more character development of the main character's girlfriend but looking back, it may seem strange to say this, but the girlfriend really was a minor character and maybe did not need much character development as the plot was mainly concerned with the attempt of The Succubus to manipulate and destroy everything in Jared's life to achieve her demonic aims. But if the author wanted to develop the plot further, the girlfriend and her relationship with Jared would be beneficial here and more of the effects of The Succubus on this relationship.
The author has also increased the spiritual activity of the Christian characters, namely Jared's parents compared to this not evident in The Incubus. This definitely adds more credibility to the plot and the reality of spiritual warfare.
One of the highlights for me was the spiritual battle towards the end of the novel and the meeting of Jared and Jesus. Very tenderly done and very respectful of the character of Jesus and His attributes. That will stick with me when I remember this novel. The ending was also very moving and a great testimony to God turning anything around for His glory despite our failings and shortcomings.
Strongly Recommended
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