The Possession (Adventure Chronicles No 7) by Jeffrey Allen Davis

The Possession

A shadow is stalking the students of a Christian high school in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles, MO. Two beings in one, the killer seeks out the hypocrites who live the days in the sun and ignore their God at night. The goal is the death of ten. Shawna Weston has graduated at the top of her class from a college in Texas and has settled in as the History teacher at this same school. The shadow knows of her. It knows of her gifts. It knows that it has more to fear from her than the FBI agents who are investigating the murders . . . or Shawna’s ninja friend who has been brought in to help. Though the killer may not be able to send her to the same eternity of torment to which the students are being tossed, at least the Woman of Prayer can be eliminated and put out of the way of the Dark Master’s future plans. Shawna is not a teenager anymore. And it is now time that she steps up to be the hero that God wants her to be.

The Guru's Review: 

I received an advanced reader's copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. This is book 7 of this Adventure Chronicles series and I would for it to not be the last. After reading this instalment, I am hoping that this is not the last one. If I remember rightly, Davis is aiming for a 9 novel series so I find it comforting that there are two novels yet to be developed. This would make sense as there are at least two plot arcs that are left unfinished in this new instalment that involve a continuing story arc that involves Jamie and Shawna. 

This new novel is a short read. It took me a few hours to read. Due to this shorter length than most of the series, there is not as much suspense and mystery or action, no surprise there, but there is enough to keep your interest to keep you reading. None of the other Adventure ninjas are involved in this plot, only Jamie. And despite him being one of the two main characters, his part is not as involved as Shawna's. But this novel is focused on Shawna, so this makes sense. Davis stated a few books ago that this would be the case in relation to Shawna. Despite this shorter length story, it fits in well with the rest of the series and continues some of the demonic story lines from the events of the plot arcs from Gateway to Thera (Book 3 of the Adventure Chronicles). 

Again, Davis has continued the themes of spiritual warfare and walking in the Spirit. He shows specific examples of Shawna doing this in everyday activities that are simple acts but have a deeper meaning. They show how doing this allows the Christian to be God's hands and feet and a willing vessel of His Spirit to use for whatever He has planned and in this case, spiritual warfare. It also illustrates how the Christian's obedience and submission to the Spirit show God's Sovereignty and how the battle belongs to Him. The spiritual warfare is Biblically based and a no holes barred account about how it is executed in the demonic attack on Shawna. Again, Davis portrays the importance of this in the life of the Christian. It is not preachy, overdone or super-spiritualized. Just stated as it is outlined in the Bible and how we are to engage these principles. I appreciated Davis showing that it is not by faith or in our strength that we are to use these principles but by His Spirit. It comes down to the verse in Zechariah 4:6, 

So he answered me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by strength or by might, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of Hosts. 

I always find it refreshing that showing the truth of spiritual warfare and dealing with this as depicted in the Bible and embedded in a storyline that it adds credibility to the suspense, action and mystery of the scenes that are affected by this. In this way, not only does fiction entertain but spiritually uplift the Christian reader, instruct and encourage them in this important Christian/Biblical issue and practice and for the non-believer, it gives them a view of the lies of demonic bondage and how freedom can be found in the saving Grace of God. This is especially relevant if and when they are beginning to question the evilness of this world or when God is calling them to Him. God places authors is prime positions here to be used by Him in their writing and I can say that Davis is one of many I have reviewed who has accepted this mandate from God to be used in this way and for His Glory.

I would like to see Davis show Jamie, Yoshi and other Christian members of The Adventure team exercise more of these spiritual warfare principles and not just have Shawna being the only consistent one. In a spiritual reality sense and as encouraged by the Word of God (Bible), the example of Shawna in these novels is how all Christians are to be, living and walking in the Spirit and in obedience and submission to the Spirit of God.

It is in depictions like this, that I pray encourages or even convicts a Christian reader to be more like Shawna. I applaud Davis for showing it like this and not watering down the Gospel or showing God as being less than He is. Davis does not undermine God as Omnipotent, Omniscience and Omnipresent and of course, Sovereign. It is just as important that he also shows the demonic for what it is, its forces unable to overcome God or the power invested in Christians by His Spirit or showing Christians as weak and powerless over demonic forces that so many non-Christian authors, non-believers of the public and of course, Hollywood portrays. 

Highly recommended.

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Spiritual Level 5/5

Story 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

_______________________________________________________

Spiritually, based on my review and on the following reference booklet,

A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland, and that The Possession contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Spirit-Filled Fiction outlined in this booklet, (click on the title below to see what this is based on), I award Jeffrey Allen Davis with the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-Filled Fiction Award

 

Congratulations, Jeffrey!

To buy or preview this novel, click on the BUY/PREVIEW icon on the image below:

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Award: Richard Mark Huffman

I am pleased to share this with visitors to this blog and those who follow my reviews.

I share my reviews with author and fellow reviewer, David Bergsland, of Reality Calling. 

Reality Calling has as its vision to, 

.....provide resources for the Christian author, vetted books for readers, anointed materials to share with the Kingdom and the world, and a book review site with reviews from trusted reviewers.

Technical support and mentoring for Christian self-publishers is found in our companion site: The Skilled Workman. There you will also find Writing In InDesign Producing Books, the book on the best method to self-publish on a professional level.

Our twin focus is first to encourage authors to participate in the final harvest as we prepare for the Coming of our King. It’s a glorious time to be alive and the Lord is looking for authors to help Him save all possible before the Wrath which is to come falls on the Earth.

Second, we also need and serve readers, and commenters, both to help us stay on track, and to share these resources with their friends and acquaintances. As authors and creators, we must stay attached to the Head, Jesus, as well as the readers we serve. For having a call from God necessarily means we serve those we are given. Our readers are our flock with whom we are called minister. Jesus told us we will be held to account for everything we say [or write]. We take that seriously.

As a major part of this vision, I believe that the Kingdom needs more authors willing to lay it all on the line and share books containing the reality of the Christian life. We need books which go beyond mentions of church and vague faith statements. We really need books which share the reality of the power available to believers to bring love, joy, and healing to a world desperately needing hope. The darkness we see in the world today is but the birth pangs of the coming Kingdom on Earth. That’s our glorious hope. God, the Father of us all, is coming to live with us forever in an earth designed for us to share. Alleluia!

Evolving from this, David felt that authors needed to be encouraged and awarded for their efforts in writing according to what he outlined in the above paragraph. In conjunction with him, we have instigated the, 

Reality Calling Christian Speculative 
Fiction Review Awards

There are five awards: (click on their title for more information)

• Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction
• Christian Redemptive Romances Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Romance Fiction
• Christian Religious Fiction

These awards are based on A Spiritual System for Rating Books written by David Bergsland (Click on the title for a free copy).

The purpose of this post is to award an author whose story I have reviewed recently that meets many of the previously mentioned criteria in his novel, but more specifically, the criteria developed by David for Christian Religious Fiction:

These are books which have characters who openly talk about God, the Messiah, and a Holy Spirit. The Messiah has died to pay the deserved penalty of sin in an individual. Believing in the Messiah provides forgiveness for sin. The Holy Spirit or God has little or no direct interaction with the daily lives of the characters—although faith is in operation and God controls the outcome of events which are prayed for by the characters.

 The church, or group of believers, is the authority on faith and doctrine. The Gospel is accurately portrayed. Believers are fit into the Church or group. Salvation is found through preaching and/or liturgy. Spiritual wisdom is dispensed by the clergy or wise men and women in the group of believers. The Scriptures are very helpful, if available, but are not seen as the ultimate authority. The Messiah is seen in and revealed by the individuals in the group and the group itself.

After reading this novel recently, I was encouraged and uplifted by his inclusion of elements of the Religious Fiction criteria in his story, therefore, I gladly award a Religious Fiction Award to: 

Richard Mark Huffman

for his novel,

Leviathan 

(Antediluvian Legacy, Book 1)

View my review here 

More than a thousand years have passed since man’s exile from Eden’s garden. The earth is cursed, humans scrape meager livings from the soil, and legendary beasts roam the wilderness. When a fearsome leviathan threatens his homelands, Noah must find a way to defeat the monster. Desperate to discover its weakness, he journeys to seek the aid of the half-angel giants called the Nephilim. Meanwhile, the angelic Watchers known as the Grigori have seized the great city of Enoch, and their powerful leader has become obsessed with Noah's bride-to-be. Friendships and faith are tested, and Noah is thrust into the middle of an impossible revolution against the fallen Grigori. His Nephilim comrades must choose whether to fight on the side of humanity or the angels, and their decision may mean the difference between the earth's salvation … or its annihilation.

Congratulations, Richard!

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Award: Brad Francis

I am pleased to share this with visitors to this blog and those who follow my reviews.

I share my reviews with author and fellow reviewer, David Bergsland, of Reality Calling. 

Reality Calling has as its vision to, 

.....provide resources for the Christian author, vetted books for readers, anointed materials to share with the Kingdom and the world, and a book review site with reviews from trusted reviewers.

Technical support and mentoring for Christian self-publishers is found in our companion site: The Skilled Workman. There you will also find Writing In InDesign Producing Books, the book on the best method to self-publish on a professional level.

Our twin focus is first to encourage authors to participate in the final harvest as we prepare for the Coming of our King. It’s a glorious time to be alive and the Lord is looking for authors to help Him save all possible before the Wrath which is to come falls on the Earth.

Second, we also need and serve readers, and commenters, both to help us stay on track, and to share these resources with their friends and acquaintances. As authors and creators, we must stay attached to the Head, Jesus, as well as the readers we serve. For having a call from God necessarily means we serve those we are given. Our readers are our flock with whom we are called minister. Jesus told us we will be held to account for everything we say [or write]. We take that seriously.

As a major part of this vision, I believe that the Kingdom needs more authors willing to lay it all on the line and share books containing the reality of the Christian life. We need books which go beyond mentions of church and vague faith statements. We really need books which share the reality of the power available to believers to bring love, joy, and healing to a world desperately needing hope. The darkness we see in the world today is but the birth pangs of the coming Kingdom on Earth. That’s our glorious hope. God, the Father of us all, is coming to live with us forever in an earth designed for us to share. Alleluia!

Evolving from this, David felt that authors needed to be encouraged and awarded for their efforts in writing according to what he outlined in the above paragraph. In conjunction with him, we have instigated the, 

Reality Calling Christian Speculative 
Fiction Review Awards

There are five awards: (click on their title for more information)

• Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction
• Christian Redemptive Romances Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Romance Fiction
• Christian Religious Fiction

These awards are based on A Spiritual System for Rating Books written by David Bergsland (Click on the title for a free copy).

The purpose of this post is to award an author whose story I have reviewed recently that meets many of the previously mentioned criteria in his short story, but more specifically, the criteria developed by David for Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction:

This includes everything mentioned in redemptive fiction, with the addition of what John the Baptist told us: That one was coming who would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit instead of [or in addition to] the baptism of water for forgiveness. This baptism is what took place at Pentecost and was prophesied by the Lord to be a time when the disciples were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is what we see in Acts 19, where Paul sees a lack in the believers because they had not received the Holy Spirit, but had only been baptized in the baptism of John. So, he baptizes them in the baptism of Jesus. The result is seen in verse six: “And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying.” NASB

These believers are clearly born-again and have a deep hunger for scripture, but their relationship with the Lord is intimate. He speaks to them regularly by the Holy Spirit. They commonly, off-handedly, manifest the gifts of the spirit Paul lists in I Corinthians 12: 4-11—plus church for them is much closer to what Paul talked about in I Corinthians 14: 20-33.

Their entire life is based on their intimacy with the Lord, and following Him through direct guidance from Him

They are commonly persecuted or shunned by the religious and even many of the redemptive. Non-believers quickly come to love them, in many cases.

After reading this short story recently, I was encouraged and uplifted by his inclusion of elements of the Spirit-Filled Fiction criteria in his story, therefore, I gladly award a Spirit-Filled Fiction Award to: 

Brad Francis

for his short story,

The Book of the Harvest

View my review here 

THE BESTSELLING SHORT STORY THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS USED TO CHANGE HEARTS AND LIVES!

The Book of the Harvest is an "incredible book" about a man somewhere in the midst of eternity who begins to wonder what happened to those whose lives he had a chance to touch while on earth. His questions lead him to the discovery of a remarkable, heartbreaking book that opens his eyes to a truth that he would give anything to have known during his mortal life. If only it weren't too late...

Readers have called this short story "a wake-up call," inspired by the Holy Spirit." Many have said that the book has opened their eyes and left them determined to listen for the whispers of the Holy Spirit, and to obey whatever He tells them. Don't read this story if you don't want to be changed!

Congratulations, Brad!

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Award: Joseph Courtemanche

I am pleased to share this with visitors reading this and those who follow this blog. 

I share my reviews with author and fellow reviewer, David Bergsland, of Reality Calling. 

Reality Calling has as its vision to, 

.....provide resources for the Christian author, vetted books for readers, anointed materials to share with the Kingdom and the world, and a book review site with reviews from trusted reviewers.

Technical support and mentoring for Christian self-publishers is found in our companion site: The Skilled Workman. There you will also find Writing In InDesign Producing Books, the book on the best method to self-publish on a professional level.

Our twin focus is first to encourage authors to participate in the final harvest as we prepare for the Coming of our King. It’s a glorious time to be alive and the Lord is looking for authors to help Him save all possible before the Wrath which is to come falls on the Earth.

Second, we also need and serve readers, and commenters, both to help us stay on track, and to share these resources with their friends and acquaintances. As authors and creators, we must stay attached to the Head, Jesus, as well as the readers we serve. For having a call from God necessarily means we serve those we are given. Our readers are our flock with whom we are called minister. Jesus told us we will be held to account for everything we say [or write]. We take that seriously.

As a major part of this vision, I believe that the Kingdom needs more authors willing to lay it all on the line and share books containing the reality of the Christian life. We need books which go beyond mentions of church and vague faith statements. We really need books which share the reality of the power available to believers to bring love, joy, and healing to a world desperately needing hope. The darkness we see in the world today is but the birth pangs of the coming Kingdom on Earth. That’s our glorious hope. God, the Father of us all, is coming to live with us forever in an earth designed for us to share. Alleluia!

Evolving from this, David felt that authors needed to be encouraged and awarded for their efforts in writing according to what he outlined in the above paragraph. In conjunction with him, we have instigated the, 

Reality Calling Christian Speculative 
Fiction Review Awards

There are five awards: (click on their title for more information)

• Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction
• Christian Redemptive Romances Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Romance Fiction
• Christian Religious Fiction

These awards are based on A Spiritual System for Rating Books written by David Bergsland (Click on the title for a free copy).

The purpose of this post is to award an author whose book I have reviewed recently that meets the previously mentioned criteria in his novel, but more specifically, the criteria developed by David for Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction:

The basic redeeming portion of these books are characters who have been born of God, born from above, or reborn [as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3]. This is done realistically, the way it actually happens in our lives. The key criteria is that lives are transformed when they encounter and believe in a Savior. This transformation is explained by Paul in Romans 12: 1-2 and in Ephesians 4:17 & following. John discusses it in I John 3, explaining the righteousness expected of all believers. 

This spiritual reality is just a normal part of the world view forming the background of the book. The basis of spiritual authority is found in God’s scriptures. God speaks to His people primarily through the scriptures. There is commonly a strong focus on baptism, usually by immersion. The believers in the book are led into a personal relationship with the Lord Messiah by scripture, circumstance, and experience. Wisdom and guidance are found in the Scriptures and in groups of believers who share experiences and knowledge under the guidance of elders or overseers.

After reading this author's debut novel recently, I was encouraged and uplifted by his inclusion of elements of the Redemptive Fiction criteria in his novel, therefore, I gladly award a Redemptive Fiction Award to: 

Joseph Courtemanche

for his novel,

Assault on Saint Agnes

View my review here 

When terrorists assault Saint Agnes Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, they expect to find a congregation of lambs: they get Bobby Kurtz instead. An unrepentant Cold Warrior, Kurtz destroys the terror cell with violent finality. Against his will, Kurtz is pulled back into the life he left behind decades before. He reluctantly picks up the burden of hunting the terrorists in our midst. He risks his life, and his marriage, in a single-minded pursuit of victory over evil. Working with a shadowy government agency, Kurtz uses all of his skills and experience to foil a plan that would plunge the Twin Cities back into the Stone Age. The final battle rages across the plains during a Christmas Eve blizzard in a story that will leave the reader pleading for more of Kurtz and his team of experts

Congratulations, Joseph!

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Award: Janet Ursel

I am pleased to share this with everyone reading this and those who follow this blog. 

I share my reviews with author and fellow reviewer, David Bergsland, of Reality Calling. 

Reality Calling has as its vision to, 

.....provide resources for the Christian author, vetted books for readers, anointed materials to share with the Kingdom and the world, and a book review site with reviews from trusted reviewers.

Technical support and mentoring for Christian self-publishers is found in our companion site: The Skilled Workman. There you will also find Writing In InDesign Producing Books, the book on the best method to self-publish on a professional level.

Our twin focus is first to encourage authors to participate in the final harvest as we prepare for the Coming of our King. It’s a glorious time to be alive and the Lord is looking for authors to help Him save all possible before the Wrath which is to come falls on the Earth.

Second, we also need and serve readers, and commenters, both to help us stay on track, and to share these resources with their friends and acquaintances. As authors and creators, we must stay attached to the Head, Jesus, as well as the readers we serve. For having a call from God necessarily means we serve those we are given. Our readers are our flock with whom we are called minister. Jesus told us we will be held to account for everything we say [or write]. We take that seriously.

As a major part of this vision, I believe that the Kingdom needs more authors willing to lay it all on the line and share books containing the reality of the Christian life. We need books which go beyond mentions of church and vague faith statements. We really need books which share the reality of the power available to believers to bring love, joy, and healing to a world desperately needing hope. The darkness we see in the world today is but the birth pangs of the coming Kingdom on Earth. That’s our glorious hope. God, the Father of us all, is coming to live with us forever in an earth designed for us to share. Alleluia!

Evolving from this, David felt that authors needed to be encouraged and awarded for their efforts in writing according to what he outlined in the above paragraph. In conjunction with him, we have instigated the, 

Reality Calling Christian Speculative 
Fiction Review Awards

There are five awards: (click on their title for more information)

• Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction
• Christian Redemptive Romances Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Romance Fiction
• Christian Religious Fiction

The purpose of this post is to award an author whose book I have reviewed recently that meets the previously mentioned criteria in her novel, but more specifically, the criteria developed by David for Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction:

The basic redeeming portion of these books are characters who have been born of God, born from above, or reborn [as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3]. This is done realistically, the way it actually happens in our lives. The key criteria is that lives are transformed when they encounter and believe in a Savior. This transformation is explained by Paul in Romans 12: 1-2 and in Ephesians 4:17 & following. John discusses it in I John 3, explaining the righteousness expected of all believers. 

This spiritual reality is just a normal part of the world view forming the background of the book. The basis of spiritual authority is found in God’s scriptures. God speaks to His people primarily through the scriptures. There is commonly a strong focus on baptism, usually by immersion. The believers in the book are led into a personal relationship with the Lord Messiah by scripture, circumstance, and experience. Wisdom and guidance are found in the Scriptures and in groups of believers who share experiences and knowledge under the guidance of elders or overseers.

After reading this author's novels debut novel recently, I was encouraged and uplifted by her inclusion of elements of the Redemptive Fiction criteria in her novel, therefore, I gladly award a Redemptive Fiction Award to: 

Janet Ursel

for her novel,

Disenchanted 

(The Coventree Chronicles) (Volume 1) 

View my review here

In this Christian fantasy, one young wizard with a hunger for wisdom and some dangerous secrets finds himself pitted against another ready to reach for power with the darkest forces possible. Wizards have never in the history of Coventree, renounced Wizardry. But Blayn Goodwin finds himself growing detached from the practice of Wizardry, even as he rises through the ranks to become the youngest member of the Supreme Council. He has lost interest in the usual gods in favor of a god without a name, not that he makes that fact public. Edgar Savile has his own traitorous secrets and kidnaps Blayn’s eldest son to prevent Blayn from probing into them. Meanwhile, the Supreme Wizard, suspicious of Edgar, sends Blayn to retrieve an ancient book from the Other World, hoping it will arm them against Edgar’s treachery. What Blayn finds is not what anyone expects, and threatens to tear Coventree’s fraying system apart at the seams.

Congratulation's Janet!

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Award: D. I. Telbat

I am pleased to share this with everyone reading this and those who follow this blog. 

I share my reviews with author and fellow reviewer, David Bergsland, of Reality Calling. 

Reality Calling has as its vision to, 

.....provide resources for the Christian author, vetted books for readers, anointed materials to share with the Kingdom and the world, and a book review site with reviews from trusted reviewers.

Technical support and mentoring for Christian self-publishers is found in our companion site: The Skilled Workman. There you will also find Writing In InDesign Producing Books, the book on the best method to self-publish on a professional level.

Our twin focus is first to encourage authors to participate in the final harvest as we prepare for the Coming of our King. It’s a glorious time to be alive and the Lord is looking for authors to help Him save all possible before the Wrath which is to come falls on the Earth.

Second, we also need and serve readers, and commenters, both to help us stay on track, and to share these resources with their friends and acquaintances. As authors and creators, we must stay attached to the Head, Jesus, as well as the readers we serve. For having a call from God necessarily means we serve those we are given. Our readers are our flock with whom we are called minister. Jesus told us we will be held to account for everything we say [or write]. We take that seriously.

As a major part of this vision, I believe that the Kingdom needs more authors willing to lay it all on the line and share books containing the reality of the Christian life. We need books which go beyond mentions of church and vague faith statements. We really need books which share the reality of the power available to believers to bring love, joy, and healing to a world desperately needing hope. The darkness we see in the world today is but the birth pangs of the coming Kingdom on Earth. That’s our glorious hope. God, the Father of us all, is coming to live with us forever in an earth designed for us to share. Alleluia!

Evolving from this, David felt that authors needed to be encouraged and awarded for their efforts in writing according to what he outlined in the above paragraph. In conjunction with him, we have instigated the, 

Reality Calling Christian Speculative Fiction Review Awards

There are five awards: (click on their title for more information)

• Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction
• Christian Redemptive Romances Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction
• Christian Spirit-Filled Romance Fiction
• Christian Religious Fiction

The purpose of this post is to award an author whose book(s) I have reviewed recently that meets the previously mentioned criteria in his novels, but more specifically, the criteria developed by David for Christian Redemptive Speculative Fiction:

The basic redeeming portion of these books are characters who have been born of God, born from above, or reborn [as Jesus explained to Nicodemus in John 3]. This is done realistically, the way it actually happens in our lives. The key criteria is that lives are transformed when they encounter and believe in a Savior. This transformation is explained by Paul in Romans 12: 1-2 and in Ephesians 4:17 & following. John discusses it in I John 3, explaining the righteousness expected of all believers. 

This spiritual reality is just a normal part of the world view forming the background of the book. The basis of spiritual authority is found in God’s scriptures. God speaks to His people primarily through the scriptures. There is commonly a strong focus on baptism, usually by immersion. The believers in the book are led into a personal relationship with the Lord Messiah by scripture, circumstance, and experience. Wisdom and guidance are found in the Scriptures and in groups of believers who share experiences and knowledge under the guidance of elders or overseers.

After reading two of this author's novels recently, I was encouraged and uplifted by his inclusion of elements of the Redemptive Fiction criteria in his novels, therefore, I gladly award a Redemptive Fiction Award to: 

D. I. Telbat

for his novels,

Dark Edge (Prequel to the COIL Series)

View my review here

In Dark Edge, Prequel to the COIL Series, Christian suspense by D.I. Telbat, we find an international thriller providing background to Corban Dowler and the COIL Organization.

 CIA Agent Corban Dowler has refused a kill order, therefore he is sanctioned for assassination by the very agency he has worked with for years. As Corban runs for his life, he must cut all ties and even abandon his wife in order to keep her alive. His new relationship with Jesus Christ may cost him everything . . .

But Corban has a plan. He knows God's persecuted need his specialized skills, so he follows a lead to India, though poisonous clutches and a German hit squad are close behind. Disguised as a bearded Muslim weapons smuggler, Corban initiates a rescue in the midst of millions of Hindus participating in the Ganges River bathing festival. 

We also meet first-recruit ex-Mossad Agent Chloe Azmaveth and her husband as they brainstorm with Corban about a new organization to serve God's people worldwide. 

With Bonus Chapter One of Dark Liaison, Book One in the COIL Series, and cover art by Streetlight Graphics, Dark Edge will not disappoint as you follow the founder of COIL to the Edge of darkness. And we learn again, there is no redemption without sacrifice . . .

and

Dark Liaison (COIL Book 1)

View my review here

In DARK LIAISON, A Christian Suspense Novel, Book One in the COIL Series by D.I. Telbat, we jump into an intense scene where things are not as they seem for Memphis as he is unknowingly tested. And then we meet protagonist Corban Dowler. 

It is an age of prophetic strife when spiritual darkness collides with servants of the Cross. Christians worldwide are persecuted on a heightened level, and while no safety seems to exist, one man steps forward to lend a hand to the defenseless laborers. 

Corban Dowler is an old-school spy. Six years ago, he accepted Christ's gift of salvation and then resigned from the morally compromising C.I.A. As Corban desires to fulfill God's Great Commission, he builds an organization called the Commission of International Laborers, (COIL), where he devotes his skills and resources to assist persecuted or kidnapped Christian servants in the most dangerous environments worldwide. 

There are times in this age when Corban Dowler must hastily extract missionary families and Christian workers from danger zones before death steals them from their righteous work. For these operations, Corban has developed commando-style teams using non-lethal weapons to extract the threatened or persecuted servants of the Lord. 

These covert multiethnic teams are ex-military or ex-CIA, and all believers in Christ. 

Satan is every bit the adversary as he operates through his demonic workers of iniquity. They are set on claiming the lives of the righteous that stand for Truth. While COIL is working tirelessly to rescue Christians in need, Satan's followers are placing roadblocks, destroying, and kidnapping believers in Christ to thwart the efforts of COIL. The operatives find themselves prey to the very wickedness that they are committed to fight, and a battle between good and evil emerges. 

With new cover by Streetlight Graphics, Dark Liaison is an 83,000-word Christian action-suspense novel of espionage and spiritual warfare. This Book One in the COIL Series contrasts the lives of satanic antagonists bent on hatred with the COIL laborers who protect the Christian men and women servants standing for righteousness. And we learn that…there is no redemption without sacrifice.

Congratulations, D. I. Telbat!