Novel Review and Redemptive Fiction Award: Afflicted by Fayla Ott.

 I reviewed this on 11/06/19 in another blog, now defunct.

Afflicted

EVIL VISITS SALEM

When two young girls start acting bizarre and violent, they are diagnosed as bewitched by the village doctor. The "afflicted children" begin accusing villagers of witchcraft, a crime punishable by death. Lucifer's plan to wreak havoc on the community is set in motion, and his demons revel in the turmoil they are inflicting upon innocent people, including the saintly and beloved Rebecca Nurse. 

Lydia Knapp watches her loved ones suffer and die. Will Rebecca's prayers be enough to strengthen the angel army, and help Lydia discover hope? Will Lydia have to sacrifice everything to stand up for the truth? 

Afflicted is a fast-paced, riveting read, which exposes the dangers of Pharisee religion, and how it promotes fear. This new insight into one of our nation's most tragic events reveals the significance of God's grace, and the necessity of prayer to fight spiritual warfare. 

If you like Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness, then you'll enjoy this page-turning fictional account of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. 

Prepare to stay up all night with this gripping tale of suspenseful tension, and unforgettable characters. 

Perspective by Peter

I accepted the author's request to review this novel due to the spiritual warfare, supernatural involvement of angels and demons that is in the same caliber as Peretti's, This Present Darkness series. The other reason was that I had heard of the Salem Witch Trials. Not knowing much about them, I was intrigued by Ott's take on it from the novel's description.

This is a very engrossing novel. I would not say it is fast paced, but there are enough events at a consistent pace to keep you reading. This added to the feel of being transported to this 16th Century where life was definitely slower than it is today. Ott is very good at applying her research of this controversial event of 1692 and reproducing the other characteristics of this time. Her characterization is well developed and adds to this feeling of being transported to this era. Another aspect of reproducing this period is how they regard themselves and speak to each other. There is a degree of stoicism, decorum, and propriety that seems to be part of this period. One of the most noticeable characteristics of this period is the addressing of a married couple. As Ott explains,

Goody: An abbreviated version of Goodwife, a title used to address a married woman, or a woman who has been married. The modern term is “Mrs.”

Goodman: A title used to address a man. The modern term is “Mr.”

It took me a while to get used to this, and I had to chuckle as I could not imagine using these terms in today's society. It reminded me of Pride And Prejudice where Elizabeth Bennett's parents called each other Mrs Bennet and Mr Bennet. I cannot imagine addressing my wife like this! (At least, not with my surname!).

Ott has depicted a dichotomy of faith in this novel. On one hand, you have the Nurse sisters who have a faith in God that is relational and based on the Bible and the Jesus of the Bible. These sisters, and especially espoused by Rebecca Nurse, live out their faith by God's Word (Bible). They are very much the Doers of the Word and not just the Hearer's of the Word as outlined in the Bible, 

 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.  But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.  (James 1:22-25 New King James Version

(bold italics mine)

This was evident in the respect Rebecca and her sisters had earned by the community from the highest of this community to its outcast (Goody Good). Her faith in action led to many of the community to come against the outrageous and farcical charges of witchcraft against them. It also led to two of the accused accepting God's gift of salvation, one before she was hanged and the other's conversion leading to a descendant of hers becoming a world-famous evangelist. The way Ott has depicted this, what came to mind was akin to Billy Graham, to the point where I was tempted to investigate his genealogy! 

Rebecca's faith in action showed such a powerful witness to the truth of God's Word and who God is. It became a living witness to these two characters and others. Ott has succeeded here in showing how Christians are to live when they live out God's Word just as James outlines in his book where the aforementioned verse comes from. It shows us how to live despite the dire circumstances we are in and that despite this, we can rise above these and not succumb to them. Living victoriously just as Jesus' death on the Cross achieved for us.  Instead of letting her incarceration demoralize her, she used this time to minister to the other prisoners, encouraging them, counseling them and even singing a psalm, 

Shine thy light in the darkness, Oh God Let not the enemy harm me. Reveal thy plan in the trial, Oh Lord Thy glory the world to see

Actually, this scene has similarities to the time when Paul and Silas were in prison as described in  Acts 16: 25. There are many other examples in this novel that show Rebecca living out her faith in varying situations; verbal and physical abuse from the prison guards, verbal abuse from other community members, even the bitter and foul-mouthed Goody Good (before her conversion). But she did not retaliate or give in to her emotions. Instead, she acted very similar to how Jesus acted while here on Earth. 

Ott contrasts this with legalistic or Pharisee religion from Reverend Parris and other ministers. It is this that supports the farcical and outrageous nature of the trials. Here these ministers practice "good" works (which I found debatable!) to find favour with God and preach doom and gloom, fire and brimstone that shows none of God's grace and mercy. These ministers seem more concerned with following Church doctrine rather than Biblical doctrine. I found it interesting that Parris, Salem's Reverend, ignored those accused of witchcraft and gave them no pastoral care which is the main function of his vocation. It is even harder to accept that he was so ignorant of demonology that he could not identify this behavior as such when his daughter and niece manifested demonic behavior in his presence!

Rebecca's living out her faith from the Bible showed how the love of Christ eliminates fear while the legalistic attitude and practice promotes fear and spiritual bondage and strengthen ignorance. It amazed me that in that time period, there was so much fear and legalistic attitudes rather than a knowledge of how spiritual warfare works and how to combat it. It was Rebecca who first identified the cause of these witchcraft accusations and what to do about them. You would expect that this should have come from Reverend Parris or even the other Reverends from the surrounding districts, but their ignorance had blinded them to the truth and how to discern it. Later in the novel, there is only one, Reverend Hale, who also identifies this as being from demonic origin and that the court approach in dealing with these witchcraft accusations was so inappropriate and a travesty of justice with far-reaching effects on the community and their generations to follow.

Yet, it takes those with a conscience and an active faith in God and His Word to thwart man and the demonic onslaught in these Trials. Rebecca, Lydia Knapp, and Reverend Hale are the only ones who stood up to the governing authorities of the Trials and became a voice of reason and truth. Rebecca had such a profound effect of young Lydia in her witness to her about God's Word and who God is that gave her the courage to speak up and tell the truth. This resulted in the end of the Trials and a revolution in the court system of the time. But as depicted in the novel, this change was not an improvement as such. 

Ott has integrated the supernatural into this novel very well. I guess when the Peretti being the originator of this angel/demon story arc, showed us this in his This Present Darkness series, it would follow that this successful depiction is reproduced by many Christian authors since. And yes, the issue of prayer as the source of the angel's power has been controversial by Christian apologists but I liked how one of these described it, rather than prayer directly empowering the angels, this apologist believes it is the prayer that God receives and acts on that then moves Him to instruct the angels what to do. And it is also what He has planned as well. In so many of these novels where we have angels and demons, so many times, the angels are to protect and watch until God instructs them to fight or become more active.

This has been displayed in this novel. Ott, like many other Christian authors, has depicted the frustration of the angels as wanting to fight and become more actively involved in the plight of the human race being at the mercy of the demonic army but are unable to do so until God gives them His order to act.

There is a spiritual lesson here for us. So many times we feel the natural inclination or urge to act before we have assessed the situation as to what should happen or even take this situation to the Throne Room of God and ask for His guidance and what His Will is for this situation. When we follow our inclination or act impulsively, even if it feels right to do so, we always make it worse and play into the enemy's hands. Just as the angels have to be obedient and follow orders and accept that God knows what He is doing and will deliver at the right time, it is the same for us. It is His time and His Sovereignty, His Omniscience that knows the hows, the whys, the whens and the wheres of the situation at hand. And while we wait for God to command us, we learn patience and trust in Him and not in ourselves.

In this novel, as in others, it is tempting to view the hierarchy of the demons as comedy relief. There is always minor demons acting impulsively and disrupting the plan of attack from the demon in charge or their actions leading to their human charge learning to trust in God or even pray for the first time or pray more to Him as examples of the effects of their incompetence. And the demon in charge seems to be one that is abusive, out of control and violent towards them for the misdemeanours of the lesser demons. Yes, I could say that this is a characteristic of the fallen nature and effect of being changed from their angelic state when they rebelled against God, but despite this coming across as comedy relief, I feel the reader needs to be discerning here.

Peretti has shown us a possible way how Satan and his demons act in the supernatural arena that we don't see. But nevertheless, it shows us the effects these demons can have on our lives when we are ignorant and blinded by our sin or lack of faith in God or just plain denial of anything supernatural. Despite how these demons are depicted in novels such as this one, they still have a battle plan with the objective to enslave the human race to our sin, keep up separated from God and ultimately to be eternally housed in Hell upon our death. They want us to do their bidding by deceiving us into believing it is for our good or deceiving us into accepting them as gods and/or we are gods as well. Anything to thwart the purposes of God and mock Him in the process and keep mankind from Him. 

In this novel, we have the motive of the demons to destroy then take charge of the court system starting with it in Salem. Having the population accused of witchcraft and then the courts acting in such a farcical and fraudulent manner is their aim here. The court officials and the Reverends of the surrounding districts (apart from Reverend Hale and Mather) are ignorant of the spiritual causes of these accusations of witchcraft and rule for hanging with no evidence to support this at all. Their ruling is based on hearsay only, what we call "he said, she said" in today's world or "your word against mine". And to make matters worse, if you stated anything in support of the accused, you were then at risk of being accused of witchcraft as well, imprisoned and facing hanging.

Even the angels were ignorant of the motive behind these bewitchings and demonic attacks. However, Raphael, captain of the angelic army discovers their true motive,

“Raphael, what is the meaning of all of this? What is Lucifer doing?” Uriel asked. Semiel leaned in to hear their captain’s response. “I just learned his plan and came to tell you and the others.” The other angels present at the meetinghouse joined the conversation. Raphael continued, “This is much bigger than I anticipated. This goes beyond persecuting the faithful warriors of Salem Village.” “So Lucifer isn’t here to hang saints?” “He’s here to hang them, but oh so much more, I’m afraid. What he has planned will affect this land for years and years to come. The seed planted here from this turmoil will continue to grow, long after these trials are over.” Semiel frowned. “How is that possible?” “Think about it. Why does Lucifer hate this new land?” Understanding dawned in Uriel’s eyes. “He’s after the court system.” Raphael crossed his arms. “Exactly.” “Will he win?” asked Semiel. “Only time will tell. If he does, just remember, he still loses. Now, we’d better get back to our posts.” The angels saluted their captain with their swords, and floated up and over the trees, each making their way to their assignments. Raphael sure hoped the faithful were praying.

When I read this, I wondered what specifically they wanted to do with the court system. It becomes very clear at the end of the novel when Raphael and Uriel are having their debrief after the trials have ended and the court practices are reviewed, 

Raphael and Uriel watched the girl walk home. “Now you see the purpose,” Raphael said. “I don’t understand.” “The girl has changed. She’s no longer afraid and focused on herself. She is confident, and caring. A strong and true warrior, like Rebecca.” “So all those people died to transform this one girl?” “Is that ever how it works, Uriel?” He thought for a moment. “No. Other lives will be effected.” “They already have.” “Yes, but Satan’s plan worked. The courts will change. They are already restructuring the system and removing many of the former proceedings. They will use fewer spiritual methods, including the use of ministers and Scripture. How can that be good?” “It’s not. It is a manifestation of man answering his own will, and Satan using it for his. However, we must remember, Uriel. Satan does not win in the end. The Most High is still working in hearts. There is always hope, and we see it in her.” He motioned to Lydia. “I’m guessing you know more than I do, Raphael?” “Not much. I only know a descendant of hers will lead many to Christ.” “So all of this pain brings triumph after all.” “Like I said, The Almighty always offers hope. Come. There’s a celebration in Heaven for the newly welcomed saints. We don’t want to miss it.” The angels spread their wings and flew to the sky, disappearing over the clouds.

Don't we see this now? Man answering his own will and Satan using it for his? You can see this in today's ideologies that if you say anything that is seen as supporting an issue that is being challenged or what someone has said that is contrary to popular belief or what they want as popular belief, you are accused the same as those you are supporting. Hate speech, censorship, call it what you will, but these are just ploys to promote the will of man and satan. God and everything associated with Him is being removed. Prayer has been removed from American schools, you no longer need to swear on the Bible in court that you will tell the truth, you can be penalized for reading the Bible is some American schools and public places. The list goes on and will do so until we live in a society where anything to do with the Bible, or the God of the Bible, is a crime and those who believe and live as such will be persecuted and forfeit their lives for doing so. The word tells us so that we will be persecuted for Jesus namesake and what He achieved on the Cross. There are many Christian novels that depict what this could be like. Sobering but reflective of our future as we move towards a Christless and totally secular (satanic) society before the return of Christ.

This novel is a deviation from Ott's usual genre and writing as I have discovered from other reviewers who have read her previous novels, I have not, this is the first of her bibliography. These reviewers are wanting her to write in this genre and I would encourage her to continue to do so. Ott seems to have found a niche genre here and does it so well. 

I certainly would look forward to more in this genre and style of writing. Ott has an important and essential message to her readers in this genre and God is no doubt using her talent wisely and appropriately for His purposes.

This is one compelling and spiritually uplifting novel with an important message of how to live out your faith under God's direction as found in His Word and to avoid fear and spiritual bondage from a lifestyle of legalistic or Pharisee religion. It also illustrates that as Christians we need to know the strategy of our opponent/enemy and again this is Biblical where we are also given the weapons to fight this. 

Highly recommended. 

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 4/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.6

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Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that Afflicted contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Redemptive Fiction outlined in this booklet, together with David Bergsland we bestow Fayla Ott with

The Reality Calling Redemptive Fiction Award

Congratulations, Fayla!

To buy or preview this novel, click on the image below. 

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Afflicted and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Review and Spirit-filled Fiction Award: The SOTH Initiative (Book 1) by Dean Brior

 I reviewed this novel on 20/03/20 in a previous blog, now defunct. 

The SOTH Initiative.

What if a group of people existed who were blood relatives of the people Jesus healed?

What if these people possessed special powers as a result of a DNA change the occurred as a result of the healing?

What if those people survived the many attempts to wipe them out through the centuries, possessing many of the historical artefacts that would prove that God and the Christian faith was real and relevant?

What if this group were poised to release all of these archaeological and written proofs of God and Jesus, exposing the world to all that they had saved and protected down through the centuries?

Come with us as we travel the world with Lindey Batchelor, and witness the results when the world hears the message of God evidenced in artefacts like the Ark of the Covenant, the Cross Nails, the lost book of Josephus, the journals of Pilate and Constantine. Experience the brave men and women who attempt to offer these archaeological and historical truths to the world, opposed by those who work to wipe out the SOTH and their message. Experience the history, mystery, intrigue and spiritual battles as ordinary people overcome extraordinary odds to bring the truth to the world.

The SOTH series is an action-packed combination of fiction, history, truth, and mystery, following the lives of the people affected by Jesus’ healing touch. This group call the SOTH (Sect Of The Healed) plans to release every major historical artefact and written relic which are relevant to the proof of Jesus’s claims while he was on earth. The Cleansing Group has plans to wipe the SOTH out before they can release the archaeological finds to the world. Came with Lindey Batchelor as he is pulled into the hunt travelling to historical places across the world to meet the SOTH, finding his own healing along the way.

Perspective by Peter:

I was contacted by the author to review this novel before its release. What persuaded me to accept? The description! This is such a unique concept and very speculative. What if there were supernatural gifts that were a side effect of being healed by Jesus? My imagination was instantly provoked and went into hyperdrive at the possibilities. I started to think of a new form of superhero!

However, reading this novel brought me down to earth! No superheroes but I was not disappointed! Brior has the best take on this speculative question. I was rapt. And if this was true, I would quite easily see this as how it would be or very close to it.

This concept of a DNA change from being healed by Jesus and given special talents and abilities directly related to what the affliction, disease or disability the biblical character was healed from is very clever. When the reader is introduced to another SOTH member and their special talent is revealed, Brior appropriately details the Biblical character from whom they are descended and the condition they were healed from. This adds some very interesting layers to the characterisation of its characters. I would love to see an Appendix or similar at the beginning or end of the novel that lists these characters, who their Biblical character they are descended from and what they were healed from and the Biblical reference to this account and what the special abilities and talents are. This would encourage Christians to revisit this Biblical account if they were not familiar with it and for any reader who does not know Christ or has not a relationship with Him would benefit from this list and the Biblical account. It could either sow a seed of faith in this reader or water an existing planted one.

As I was in thinking how clever this DNA change was, it raised in me my own speculative fiction question: What if this DNA change was a restoration to how we were when God created us, before sin changed our perfectly created state to one that is flawed and imperfect? So to my mind, this was no longer just a clever concept by this author. Maybe there is an element of truth to this? Is God telling us something in this novel? Don't you just love speculative fiction? :)

I loved how the descendants of these healed biblical characters have a love, devotion and obedience to God and Jesus. They are sold out to Him. This was such an encouraging and uplifting reading experience. My spirit was soaring in seeing how these SOTH members live and behave. They are very much Spirit-filled and Spirit-led. They are depicted as living out their faith as we are encouraged to do in James 1:22: 

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

Many of them have dreams where the Spirit reveals many things to them, warns them of the danger approaching from the Cleansing Group and the CIA and even revelation about the spiritual status of those characters brought to them by God. One touching and memorable instance is when one of the leading characters of the Cleansing Group is confronted with the truth about her hatred, bitterness, anger and quest for revenge of the alleged killing of her family by The SOTH. This is one hardened individual blinded and controlled by these emotions and the Muslim indoctrination that it is powerful to see these strongholds broken down and this character's heart becomes softened to the Gospel of Christ and accepting of His Truth and salvation. And what a transformation that takes place in this individual! There is one other as well.

Throughout this novel, Brior has interspersed the differences between various faiths and that of Christianity.

As he states,

I compare and contrast religions over relationship all through the book as people of Muslim, Catholic, Hindu and other religious faiths come in contact with people living out a real relationship with God. I also show how the world views religion, and why the cleansing group is so committed to wiping out the relatives of the people Jesus healed. There are mysteries, miracles, chase scenes, murder, healing, and biblical truth woven through an intricate plot that takes the reader back in time to experience Jesus and His message of forgiveness, hope, grace, and relationship.

This contrast is not preachy but provides necessary and essential back history to the plot and what motivates the Cleansing Group and other faiths together with the CIA in their quest to eradicate the SOTH. He has also portrayed through one individual, the destructive attitude and behaviour of a hardened heart towards anything spiritual but total reliance on the attaining of power, knowledge, and the supremacy of being human. Brior shows here how destructive this is. I can see this being further developed in this character in Book 2.

If an author makes statements such as what he quoted above, it is a huge bonus for the reader when they see that they have succeeded in achieving this. Not just the author's words but their words becoming part of the reality of the novel.

While reading this novel, I was reminded of the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. There are parallels in this novel to this parable. The SOTH could be seen as the characters in the parable who used their given talents to reap more (in this case for God's glory, the promotion of His Gospel and proof of existence) and receive their reward,

²⁰ “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’²¹ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’²² He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’²³ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

while the character mentioned in the previous paragraph is likened to the character who hid or did not use his talent. In this parable, he incurred the wrath of his master for ill use of the talent, and received his appropriate reward,

²⁶ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.²⁷ So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

Even the end of the parable can be applied to this novel,

²⁹ ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.³⁰ And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The SOTH used their talents for the glory of God. They are the good and faithful servants, while the character mentioned above (and the Cleansing Group) with their hardened hearts and being deceived are cast into outer darkness. Upon their death, this is likened to Hell.

My only concern about this novel some editing flaws. With different plot arcs running side by side, there needs to be either a larger gap between the ending of one and the start of the other or a line or symbol that denotes this. Also, there are some dream sequences that follow on from the narrative stating that such and such began to dream but with this sequence continues on in the next paragraph without a break it becomes hard to realise that this new event is the dream sequence. Providing a line space between the paragraph and the dream sequence would fix this and having this dream sequence in italics as well would specifically define it as such. I also thought the same for the accounts where Brior recounts the Biblical story of that character and his/her healing of their affliction. Also, in the first half of the novel, there is no heading stating that the next plot arc is in a certain part of the world, so you have to remember where the character or event was in the last time it was mentioned. However, in the second half of the novel, the author has listed these headings.

Grammatically, it needs an edit. There are minor spelling mistakes, such as "if" where it should be "it" or "is" and similar. To me, it looks like these were not corrected as they were typed. I have the same issue with myself when writing these reviews and use the Grammarly software (grammarly.com) that corrects me when I misspell or type incorrectly.

All these are not huge to derail you from the plot where you have to skip back pages to re-orientate yourself to this plot arc and realising what these small grammatical or spelling issues should be. All teething problems of a debut author. I am positive that Brior will address these issues in subsequent novels.

While on this topic of the dynamics of novel construction and composure, Brior does write well. It makes for an easy read of his plot and characters. The pace is not fast and furious but enough to keep you coming back for more and remaining engaged, curious to see what happens next and where Brior is going with these plot arcs.

He finishes this novel on a cliffhanger and this will have readers eager to read Book 2. I am glad to hear that this second novel will most likely be released later this year.

For a debut novel, Brior has constructed an engaging, thrilling, entertaining and uplifting novel that depicts "...biblical truth woven through an intricate plot that takes the reader back in time to experience Jesus and His message of forgiveness, hope, grace, and relationship."

He is one promising author whose passion for story and Christian fiction will see more of him in the future.

Highly Recommended.

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 3/5

Overall Rating: 4.6/5

——————————————————————————–

Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that The SOTH Initiative 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 bestow to Dean Brior the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Dean!

If you would like to investigate this novel further, click on the image below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading The SOTH Initiative and submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Review and Spirit-filled Fiction Award: Daniel and the Serpent’s Abyss by Nathan Lumbatis.

 I reviewed this novel on 19/7/20 on a previous blog I had, now defunct.

Daniel and the Serpent's Abyss.

Six months after returning from their adventures in Daniel and the Triune Quest, Daniel, Ben, and Seren eagerly await their mission to save Raylin and acquire the last Weapon of Power: the Abyssal Staff. Daniel can’t believe his luck when Gabriela shows up and declares she will guide them to the British Isles, where Raylin has been haunting ancient ruins in her frenetic search for more spiritual power. When the group is transported to Ireland, however, everything goes wrong. Raylin, driven mad by the possessing power of the Voidblade, is as powerful as several demons put together and impervious to their attacks. Seren, desperate to save her sister, impulsively starts an explosive battle to bind her—a decision that turns the entire quest on its head and drives Daniel to a point of desperation he never anticipated. Through it all, the Three are noticeably absent and quiet, not answering prayers or sending aid. What’s worse, Gabriela seems distant and preoccupied. So much for Daniel’s hopes for improving their relationship.

The quest seems hopeless, and it’s only just begun. How can the companions hope to evade the Enemy’s minions haunting their every step, subdue a super-powered Raylin in her madness, get her to the bottom of the Abyss where the staff resides, and survive a face-to-face encounter with the Serpent awaiting them there? Daniel has no idea, but he hopes his faith in the Three will not prove vain. Surely, after all their intervention during the last two quests, they wouldn’t abandon the companions without help. Right?

Perspective by Peter:

I was asked by the author to review this new instalment in this series for his blog tour. This was a no brainer as I loved the previous two. Daniel and the Triune Quest (DTQ) was so much more involved than Daniel and the Sun Sword that it set up this third volume to be more action-packed and suspenseful than these two.

I stated in my review of DTQ that his writing has matured. Well, it is even more so in this novel. Lumbatis has come into his own. Not only has his writing matured but he has matured his characters as well. Their spiritual growth is evident and forms a solid foundation for this novel and their quest. Lumbatis portrays that the previous quests have made them grow up quickly as a consequence than if they had just the usual teenage years with their families and the culture of their time.

I must say that two factors detracted from my enjoyment of this novel were that I did not have time to re-read DTQ before this one, and my reading times during this week were very scattered and short compared to the routine and schedule I set myself to review novels. That is solely my issue and not anything that the author had done. There were certain events that I could not remember well enough that were tied back to DTQ (bearing in mind that this novel was published in 2017). I guess this is what every reader goes through when a new novel in a series is released, we need to read the previous one (or in some cases, all the previous) before diving into this new one. I ended up reading 60% of this novel in one sitting yesterday to meet the blog tour date that Nathan and I agreed on!

However, that was a great single sitting that at this 40% mark, everything was being upped and the novel took off on all levels. I was totally absorbed and in the world of this novel. It was so good to be back with these characters and being an older gent than most of the readers of this series, I have missed them. Lumbatis is very successful at appealing to teens and young adults but also of the youth that is still in us older ones (I am now in my 6th decade!). Maybe this is all to do with the power of story. Lumbatis shines in this as well.

Lumbatis has infused throughout this series strong spiritual themes. In DTQ, he explored dying to self, being self-sacrificing all based on who Jesus is and the reasons He encourages us to be like this. In this novel, he explores forgiveness, faith, and the empowering role of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. This is showed well. In this plot, Daniel, Ben, Seren and Gabriela experience the absence of contact from the Three (God, Jesus and Spirit) and wonder why. The Three are silent. Gabriela is very affected by this, more than the others. Here is their temptation to fall back on relying on their own resources and strength in this quest. However, they band together, continue to pray, and accept that they need to rely on the promises of God and His Truth they have been given so far from Jesus in DTQ. On top of this, everything in this quest goes wrong. It becomes a test of their faith. Amidst all of this is the unforgiveness, resentment and bitterness from some of the unresolved issues from events in DTQ that are now impacting them and form the reasons for this current quest. Despite this, they do begin to bicker amongst themselves and play the blame game. Gabriela seems to be the voice of reason here and brings them back to the quest at hand, despite the despair she feels from the sense of abandonment from the Three.

I found the reactions from the four of them to be very relational and realistic, as all believers have oftentimes felt these emotions when God seems quiet especially in the storms of life. This is a real encouragement by Lumbatis to all of us, but especially to the teen and young adult of today who seem to give in to the forces that challenge them in their lives.

Just as God states in the Bible that He would never leave nor forsake us, Lumbatis has portrayed this well in this novel. These four were never to be on a quest like this to do it on their own. God understands the quest he has given them and is behind them all the way. Just when the four of them feel that their despair is beginning to overtake them, God makes His presence known through the company of the Firstborns, which give them the confidence to continue and confirmation that they have not been abandoned. Then when a potential confrontation with members of the Enemy's army looks like they could be defeated and captured, the Spirit arrives to take charge, defeat this enemy, instil more confidence, guidance and instruction to them. Answered prayer!

Lumbatis may find it scary and frightening to portray God in his novels as he states in Theophanies and Suffering in Christian Fantasy for Speculative Faith,

I’m always a little scared to portray God in my books. I mean, I do it anyway, but it’s frightening. I tend to feel a “prickle” on the back of my neck especially when I’m writing a fictional dialogue for God in any of his three persons

but the God he portrays is the God that I see in the Bible, the God that I have seen in many Christian's behaviour and treatment of others, the God who is Just, Merciful, Healer Loving, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent (even when we don't feel He is there). His interaction with Daniel, Ben, Seren, Gabriela is tender. He reminds me of the picture of Him as the Good Shepherd. He knows them intimately as their Creator and his counsel to them as His created is specific to who they are as individuals and meets all their needs where they are. All the scenes in the novel where the Spirit and Jesus appear are powerful and relational. I pray that these scenes will impact readers where His Spirit will plant, water or reap a seed of faith in any reader who is a Believer or not (yes, Believers need their faith watered and reaped of its fruit as well!). I became emotional at these scenes as they are relational. You feel for these four as they have their needs met and relieved. You react to the tenderness of the Spirit or of Jesus and maybe even feel that They could have been talking to me in these scenes!

I especially found it very moving when Jesus counselled Raylin to give up the Voidblade. I could almost feel her heart softening to the Truth and power of his words, laced with the tenderness of His nature. You could feel her repentance as she denounced the Voidblade, asked forgiveness for what she had done and for her to be free from the enslavement of this sin and betrayal of Him and the four who had accepted this quest to help save her from the Enemy.

It is because of these scenes that I am glad Lumbatis includes God in his novels, as he states in Theophanies and Suffering in Christian Fantasy mentioned above.

So, he is active and personal in my books—portrayed through no metaphor or abstract concept—showing up in all three persons of the Trinity.

As much as I love seeing God and in some cases the Trinity in allegory or metaphor in Christian fiction (The Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings come to mind), I love it even better when God is portrayed as He is just as Lumbartis has in Sons and Daughters series. If an author does this in his novel, then it follows that he must also portray God as He is in the Bible and display as many of His characteristics as possible and reinforce those tenets and doctrines His Word just as He states in John 1:1,

In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

I have not found Lumbatis to deviate from this in any of his novels. And this is where Truth and Biblical representation of God, His Word and His Truth can shine in a novel.

I guess one the major plot arcs in this novel and reasons for this new quest is to save Raylin from the Voidblade and the Serpent's grasp. Now, this can be an allegory of what happens when we become enslaved to sin. It takes us over and "possesses" us. Raylin becomes enslaved to the Voidblade and with each soul it devours, she is given more power, but this comes at another price, stronger enslavement, and less power to break free. In Raylin's case, this also reinforced why she accepted the Voidblade in the first place; anger, revenge and ignorance. She was warned but these emotions blinded her to consequences of her actions. Can we apply this to our fallen state and why, even as Christians we make wrong choices when we unfocus our attention from God and follow our sinful nature despite knowing what we should do.

Now as much as the four were willing to do anything in their power to free Raylin, they realised that only God could do this. And this was the manifest of this quest. They were to get Raylin to a point to decide to give the Voidblade up and repent of her sin. As Lumbatis in this article again says,

......the only way for Raylin to be truly saved is for Daniel and his friends to somehow get Raylin to the bottom of the Serpent’s Abyss, where they can use the Abyssal Staff to permanently free her from the power of the spirits possessing her. Even that won’t work, though, unless she willingly relinquishes the Voidblade and repents of her sin........Whether God has manifested himself in blazing glory (á la Paul), a sermon, or that still, small voice in our minds, he calls us to repentance and waits for our reply rather than bulldozing over us...

Now while reading the scene where the four are in the Serpent's Abyss, what Raylin had been through and how she suffered, it reminded me of all the things we suffer through to get us to the point where we are at the end of ourselves and are then ripe for salvation when we see this is the only way to move forward. Such was the case in with Raylin. Care-fronted with the four and their asking her for forgiveness, and the Truth as revealed by Jesus, she chose repentance and was free.

I quote Lumbatis again from the Speculative Faith article,

All of this is to say, when I portray God as omnipotent, omniscient, and terrifying-but-loving, he must also be portrayed as working salvation by patiently allowing his children to bumble their way through mistakes, pain, and ruin to (hopefully) find freedom through repentance. He is not a tyrant of hearts and wills.

This reinforces what I have said above in that when authors portray God in a novel, He needs to be presented as He is. Readers of this series should see that Lumbatis has portrayed Him Biblically and as they have experienced Him upon their conversion and onwards.

Lumbatis describes the scenes in the Serpent's Abyss as a "...harrowing and painful experience....". I would agree.  I wonder if an author finds it just as daunting to portray satan as they do God in a novel? Lumbatis' depiction is one not to be dismissed. It definitely adds enough darkness, suspense and elements of horror that it is to be expected from what we know of this. The Serpent is not portrayed as just as a dragon-like creature but as one who is also deceptive, evil, manipulative, condescending. I likened it to Smaug in the Jackson version of The Hobbit but with 7 heads as depicted in this novel, but Smaug is not representative of satan in that novel or movie.

Now one thing I have seen in other novels, even Christian ones, is that whatever representation of satan or his demons they can be more powerful or not under the authority of God. They can appear more powerful than God Himself. Not so in this novel. Lumbatis portrays the Serpent as still under the authority of God and this shows in the confrontation between the Serpent and Jesus in the Abyss. Too many times, the author focusses on how to portray God Biblically and forgets to depict satan the same way despite whatever form he is depicted.

Any reader after, reading this novel, will agree that the fourth and final novel in this series is going to be the most action-packed, suspenseful and I predict, the most satisfying. One significant event that happens in this novel must come to its natural conclusion in the next. This will complete one of the main plot arcs from Book 1 that has formed one of the pillars of this series and who and what we know about Daniel.

I can also see that readers are going to love this new instalment. Just as I stated that DTQ was pivotal in progressing this novel further, Daniel and the Serpent's Abyss is even more pivotal in setting up the final instalment for an action-packed and very satisfying ending. I can also see that this series, is one that will be missed but looked back on with fond memories and even the spiritual lessons learnt over the course of this series.

Highly Recommended. 

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 4/5

Overall Rating: 4.8/5

——————————————————————————–

Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that Daniel and the Serpent's Abyss 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 bestow to Nathan Lumbatis the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Nathan!

If you would like to investigate this novel further, click on the image below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading Daniel and the Serpent's Abyss and/or the other novels in this series, then submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media platform you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Series Review: The Elijah Mandate by Lisa Worthey Smith and Spirit-filled Fiction Award.

The Elijah Mandate 

Selah Award finalist and Kops Fetherling International Book Award recipient, this political conspiracy suspense thriller, weaves the headlines of today with the Scriptures of old. A recent law school graduate, Eliana lands her dream job but finds it saturated with malicious corruption. Her boss, a powerful Supreme Court Justice, is part of a nefarious plan that will dismantle America as we know it. If she keeps quiet, she might survive, but far too much is at stake for that. With her life in peril, a prophecy about Eliana becomes reality. She lives out a parallel story to that of her namesake, Elijah, complete with rampant evil, epic power struggles, and the mandate to trust Almighty God no matter the cost.

   

The Elijah Mandate, Part 2

Bestselling and multiple award-winning author, Lisa Worthey Smith, continues the political suspense in part 2 of this Selah Award finalist series.

This heart-pounding thriller intertwines tomorrow's headlines with Scripture. America will rise or fall depending on the path they choose. Following the parallels in Israel from the time of Elijah and Elisha, God equips modern-day Christians to face down the evil that threatens America.

Perspective by Peter: 

Searching my To Be Read list for the next novel and I came across this series. I do not remember buying the first novel in 2020. But then, that is a characteristic of someone who buys too many novels! Novel hoarder I am, but what a library I have! I have enough novels to read well into my full retirement, which I pray can be in 2022. Semi-retired at present.

Well, my first impression of this novel is that it drags your attention and has you engaged until the end. I was committed to finish this novel. It is uplifting, strengthens your faith in God. I know more about Elijah from the Bible than what I had previously. There is power in the art of storytelling and this is evident in Smith's ability to apply what she has studied of God's Word and her understanding of it.

This series is based on the life of Elijah and the mandate that God had with him. Many lessons to be learned and even applied to our lives from this Biblical person (I hate saying character as this implies they are a fictional creation and the people of the Bible are just not; they were real people).

Smith runs the account of Elijah alongside the main character of Eliana, who is a female version of Elijah and even her name is so. The word building here is well done. Eliana has a relationship with God that is natural, not forced, she knows Him intimately, she is fully submitted to Him and lives under His direction and guidance. She lives out the Word of God and compromise is not part of this relationship. Just like Elijah.

This relationship is contagious. Those around her want what she has, even amoungst those who oppose her and are in conflict with God and are antagonistic towards Him. And those who don't know Him, or are in the evil regime of power against Him also come to know Him. 

This type of fiction that Lisa creates is what we need nowadays, not just an entertaining tale, but one that goes past that, one that edifies, educates and brings glory to God. It shows God for who He is. It shows Christians we are not to be afraid of the circumstances we are in and to confront evil in all its forms with the Word of God, living out His Word, prayer and supplication but above all by listening to and acting on the instruction and guidance of God and His Spirit as He directs our paths and actions.

It is of great benefit having all the bible verses listed at the back of the novels and what they mean. It was also edifying seeing some of these either mentioned in the novel or seeing it lived out in the characters situations in the novel.

I know Christian authors get criticised by having prayer outlined in their novels or when the narrative becomes "preachy". I am glad Smith has not listened to this criticism. The inclusion of the prayers by various characters is an essential part of this novel and shows how this is to be part of the Christian's daily life. The same goes for the narrative of the story of Elijah and what Eliana does with this. Yes, it went on for pages but I could see without its inclusion, it would take away some of the impact of what this novel is about. Yes, it does put the suspense and fast-paced flow of the novel on hold for a bit, but this should not be seen as a negative or a criticism. It needed to be included. Without both, it runs the risk of the novel's message and impact being watered down. 

I highly recommend this series. This is Spirit-filled fiction at its best. I look forward to more from this author. 

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5 Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that The Elijah Mandate series 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 bestow to Lisa Worthey Smith the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Lisa!

If you would like to investigate this series further, click on the images below:

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading The Elijah Mandate series and then submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media platform you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.

Novel Trilogy Review and Spirit-filled Fiction Award: The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth by Jarrod Edge

The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth: The Battle Between Light and Dark, Book 1

In approximately 100 A.D. in the ancient Greek city of Ephesus, the aged Apostle John shares a secret prophecy with his young caretaker about “an evil not born of this world,” intent on coming to Earth and destroying the forces of light. He also tells of a chosen one who would arise to “stand for all mankind.” In 1999 Florida, a pregnant woman survives a car crash just long enough to give birth. The child’s father, FBI agent Johnathan Sette, is still unconscious in the hospital when a mysterious stranger abducts the newborn baby.

This sparks a search that takes up a good portion of Edge’s novel, as forces of light and darkness align around the little girl, who’s the embodiment of the Apostle John’s prophecy. Agent Sette immediately suspects an international crime cartel, the Syndicate, of kidnapping his daughter, but there are even more malevolent and otherworldly forces at work under the control of a being called the Destroyer.

In order to protect his other children, Sette insists that they be extensively trained in martial arts by the super-adept Seven Dragons family. Edge handles these disparate plot strands with considerable ease, and he shows a cinematic flair in standout scenes:

There are enough car crashes, fight sequences and tense standoffs to satisfy any thriller reader. The story is suffused with an uncompromising but never preachy Christian ethos, in a rare instance of religious fiction that can be readily enjoyed by a wider audience. Edge maintains a fast pace, but cuts the mood frequently with humor and pathos. Minor, annoying formatting problems, such as a copyright notice at the bottom of every page, only slightly distract from this accomplished first novel.A well-done first installment in a promising Christian-themed action series.

The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth: The Battle Between Light and Dark, Book 2

One FBI Agent, four children, trained in an ancient form of Martial Arts, Angels, Demons, Aliens, Monks, Priests, Hackers, Dragons, Mossad, Snipers, Terrorists, Navy SEALS, an Evil Corporation, the United Nations, the Vatican, Voyager, NASA, a President, a Prophecy, and an Apostle! The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth, The Battle Between Light and Dark, Book 2.

The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth: Enoch, Book 3

The third installment of the award-winning and visionary YA science fiction Christian series!

A young girl is the Chosen One to fulfill a prophecy in a battle between light and dark.

Earth has recently discovered that it is not alone. In a universe with portals to different dimensions, times, and worlds, a prophecy forebodes an interstellar war against evil and the forces of darkness, and that God will send a chosen one and ten to end the war.

The prophecy predicts a great war for the universe by an Unholy Trinity of three – The Destroyer of Worlds, Queen Deceptra, and the Saint of the Apocalypse. For more than a thousand years, races of beings across various star systems that had been conquered were being oppressed and controlled by evil forces. A young girl is the Chosen One to end the final battle of the universe and spread a message from God to all beings. In the fifteenth year of the prophecy and with an Earth recovering from war, Enoch, seventh of Adam, comes to strengthen God’s people with his teachings.

Enoch is the thought-provoking third book in The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth series, the next enduring YA science fiction favorite.

Perspective by Peter: 

This trilogy has been a work in progress for the author since 2013. The author set himself a goal of 10 novels in  10 years and he has achieved this. What a great effort! I have waited since then to read this trilogy and the associated short stories.

Edge states that he likes to tell a good story. He certainly does that! He

".....has been recognised for his ability to take Christian concepts and relay them to his readers in a fun, action-filled way. Through the series within the E7 Prophecy Universe, Jarrod takes readers on fantastic journeys, traveling throughout the United Stares, the world, and even into space to fight an interstellar war against evil and the forces of darkness." (quoted from About the Author, Enoch, Book 3 of The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth). 

This trilogy and the short stories are an epic science fiction and fantasy that exists in his mind/imagination. To quote him again from the above, About the Author in Book 3:

"....His inspiration derives from his Christian beliefs...."

These beliefs are infused into the story. They are obvious and not implied or hinted at. Edge is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ and does not hesitate to show that the Sette family, especially Elizabeth, live out the Bible in their quest to defeat evil and the forces of darkness and are obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit in doing so. They are totally committed and surrendered to the Spirit. Christians reading this should find this encouraging and an uplifting of their faith and relationship with Jesus. If the Sette family can do this with all the dire circumstances they find themselves in, then it should be an encouragement to the Christian reader that this living in Christ's victory is open and available to those who accepted Him as Saviour. Edge has depicted the Lord of Lords and the Kings of Kings as the same God of the Bible and the same One whom we have accepted as Lord and Saviour in our hearts and lives. There are many aspects of spiritual warfare in this epic tome: prayer, knowing who you are in Christ, standing on the promises of the Bible and applying them to their lives and fight against the forces of darkness. 

I had wondered you could marry martial arts with Christianity. This was explored well in another novel series, The Adventure Chronicles by Jeffrey A. Davis. I was skeptical, but after reading that series, I can see how it could be compatible. Edge shows how this could be too. In both these novel series, it has to be based on Christianity and the Bible first and not the other way around. The special gifts/abilities that the Sette family and more so, Elizabeth, were transferred to them as enablement from God to the Dragons who transferred them to the Sette family and those of the Temple of Light. Readers of this series will enjoy The Adventure Chronicles too. Edge's take on this marriage of the martial arts and Christianity/Biblical base is unique and forms a sold foundation that this trilogy and its associated stories are based. 

There is never a dull moment throughout the trilogy and short stories. You hit the road running from page one and you had better keep up or the pace of this epic (trilogy and short stories) will leave you behind. His world building is extensive with layers, he can definitely brag that he has created a universe, the E7 Prophecy Universe. It is one to revel in and look back in awe.

 Thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy. This is an author to follow! Allow yourself to be immersed in this epic adventure of overcoming evil and being an instrument of victory and God's glory! 

The three ratings below are based on my discernment:

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Story 5/5

The two classifications below are based on the booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland:

Spiritual Level 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

Spiritually, based on my review and on the aforementioned reference booklet, A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland (Radiqx Press) and that The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth trilogy 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 bestow to Jarrod Edge the

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Jarrod!

If you would like to investigate this series further, click on the link below:

The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth

Readers and reviews are an author’s best asset, so I encourage any reader, to consider reading The Prophecy of the Seventh Elizabeth Trilogy and then submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media platform you subscribe to).

Reviews help promote an author’s novel to potential readers and encourage the author to keep writing. Reviews also help get the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

Please note: As an Amazon Associate, I am required to disclose that book cover images or titles of novels in this post are paid links if they are linked to Amazon and result in a sale.