Bound by Barry Napier

Bound

A shaken faith. A terrorizing evil. And one dark secret. 

As John Brighton is cleaning his church one night, a distressed and frightened man shows up looking for help. John reluctantly decides to lend a hand and as a result, comes face to face with a dark side of spirituality he hardly knew existed. 

A young man named Donovan has been possessed by what John assumes can only be a demon. When John learns Donovan and Sean, John's son, are connected, he begins to understand just how close to home this possession hits. And he can’t ask Seth for answers because his son has been in a coma for nearly a year. 

Through a dark maze of spiritual warfare and shaken faith, John discovers the accident that placed his son into a coma and led to Donovan's possession is linked to a dark secret he must unravel to not only rid Donovan of the demon, but to save his son's life.

The Guru's Review: 

I chose this novel at the author's request to review one or more from his published works. I am glad I chose this one, it has proved to be a wise choice. The reason for choosing was I love the genre of spiritual warfare, especially when it is based on biblical principles and its worldview. The other reason was that I wanted to see if this account of demon possession would be dealt with based on those two previous criteria. Napier succeeds very well here. 

Napier does this with flair and even on other aspects of pace, action, characterisation, plot. This is one easy to read novel, well constructed and flows well, the pace has no peaks followed by troughs, just one action scene after the other, that takes the reader on a journey to discover how Donovan became demon possessed, how John's comatose son is involved and why the attempts of Pastor Paul and Cal, Christian "exorcist", are not succeeding spiritually in delivering Donovan from his demonic bondage. However, the action from the second half of the novel has the thrills and action intensified as the plot gears up for its dramatic conclusion. 

Napier spends the first half of this novel setting the scene for how John becomes involved in this demonic possession (from the first chapter), how this possession is expressed in and through Donovan, the attempts from Pastor Paul and Cal to deliver Donovan, how John and his wife attempt to piece together the puzzle as to how their son Sean is involved, including why he is comatose. It is also here that we see the true nature of the demonic spirits, their hatred of the human race, especially of Christians, represented by Paul and Cal, their supernatural powers and abilities, foul stench in the area where Donovan is, the cold, frigid, oppressive temperature of the house, a vase floating in mid-air then shattering, magazine pages being fanned out slowly.

Other manifestations include the convulsing of Donovan's body and body parts being slapped against the furniture, arching of his back, having urinary incontinence (loss of bladder control), his teeth chattering, while the demonic spirits, who call themselves the Six vocalise deep-throated growls that become streams of obscenities, with each of the voices alternating with every word. When Cal attempts to get close to Donovan, the spirits controlling him physically attack him by slapping him across the face so violently that blood is drawn and he almost falls back onto the floor but manages to maintain his stance. 

These, of course, add tension, suspense and evoke fear in the reader. Normal reaction. This is heightened when all the attempts of Paul and Cal are unsuccessful in using the Word of God, prayer and to deliver and banish the demons from Donovan. Every failed attempt provokes in the reader the question of why this is unsuccessful when the Word is clear that using the Name of Jesus and many other verses together with prayer and fasting are more than enough to exorcise demons from humans. Napier has a reason for this that becomes evident in the second half that springboards the plot to its dramatic and satisfying conclusion. I must confess that I was beginning to lose faith in Napier's ability up to this point that he was basing this novel on Biblical principles and began to wonder if he was adding poetic licence to these. To me, that would have been one big "No No" and would have considered abandoning reading the rest of the novel.

However, just when I was about to do this, I had reached the second half and a twist in plot occurred that had me hooked again. This time, Napier provides the backstory to how Sean and Donovan are involved in the demonic that leads to Donovan's possession. From this point on, the tension and suspense escalate as we learn in intimate details what Sean experiences being comatose, which he summaries as being in a darkness where it was not life, but it was not death either. Sean compartmentalises the dark as his Grandfather's barn, that has two doors, both opened slightly. One he avoids, while the other door has the opposite effect, it is inviting. However, he felt that to understand why he was in the darkness, he had to open the first door and venture through it. And once he did, it was a point of no return. 

And it is through this door and in the next chapters, Napier describes the events that led to both Sean and Donovan being confronted with the demonic that led to their possession. It is one creepy tale and my heart was pounding as I read this entire account. The alarming thing that Napier succeeds in doing is describing how easy it is to "invite" these demons into your body/life even if you had not intentionally sought them out. In the case of Donovan, Sean and the other person possessed, Jack, all they had to do was visit a known place of demon worship and that had unexplained, supernatural phenomena and venture in, unarmed, unprepared, ignorant of the existence of the demonic or how an innocent "mocking" of its demonic symbol (pentagram) was enough to have these demons interpret their behaviour as an open invitation for possession. 

Once Napier is finished with this backstory, Napier lays the foundation for the final confrontation between John, Paul, Cal and the Six. More twists and turns as the latter up their resistance to the Word of God, Paul is spiritually attacked by them causing him to become unconscious. Cal, nearly ready to give up, is given a Word from the Spirit to remain calm, deliverance is nigh and to be patient. 

What happens next is where the true Biblical principles come into action and where the Spirit again shows His Sovereignty over everything, in this case, demonic possession and demonic strongholds. Napier shines in his account here. He shows that the reason for the previous failure of Paul and Cal and to a lesser degree John's involvement was the status of their faith and their heart towards God and how unprepared they were to go into combat. It is only through John getting right with God, being prayed up and resubmitting to the Lordship of Christ did the Spirit infill Himself into John for him to be His vessel and the Six having to obey and submit to the commands of the Word of God that flowed forth from John via the Spirit and were banished from Donovan and Sean. Even the Six released there was something different about John that was not there before when they would taunt and weaken his faith. They now began to feel threatened and insecure about their victory in possessing Donovan and Sean. John delivered the Rhema (specific Word of God or Bible verse) he had received from God to the Six and this was successful in banishing them to where they belong and freeing Donovan. So it is the power of the Word and the Spirit that conquered the demonic possession over Donovan. I was pleased that Napier used two of my favourite Bible verses to show the authority we have from God to overcome demonic power,

I have given you the authority to trample snakes and scorpions and to destroy the enemy’s power. Nothing will hurt you. (Luke 10: 19, God's Word Translation)

and 

For this reason God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow—of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth—and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11, Broadman Holman Translation)

I wondered about the spiritual attack on Pastor Paul and what happened there, but Napier explains yet another defence against the demonic that is not just specifically against the deliverance against demons but is for everyday life and that is the Armour of God, 

10 Finally, receive your power from the Lord and from his mighty strength. 11 Put on all the armor that God supplies. In this way you can take a stand against the devil’s strategies. 12 This is not a wrestling match against a human opponent. We are wrestling with rulers, authorities, the powers who govern this world of darkness, and spiritual forces that control evil in the heavenly world. 13 For this reason, take up all the armor that God supplies. Then you will be able to take a stand during these evil days. Once you have overcome all obstacles, you will be able to stand your ground.

14 So then, take your stand! Fasten truth around your waist like a belt. Put on God’s approval as your breastplate. 15 Put on your shoes so that you are ready to spread the Good News that gives peace. 16 In addition to all these, take the Christian faith as your shield. With it you can put out all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Also take salvation as your helmet and God’s word as the sword that the Spirit supplies.

18 Pray in the Spirit in every situation. Use every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert. Use every kind of effort and make every kind of request for all of God’s people. 19 Also pray that God will give me the right words to say. Then I will speak boldly when I reveal the mystery of the Good News. 20 Because I have already been doing this as Christ’s representative, I am in prison. So pray that I speak about this Good News as boldly as I have to. (Ephesians 6: 10-20)

Paul states that yes, he was attacked but what protected him was this spiritual armour of God, it protected him from the spiritual effects of this demonic attack. He suffered physical effects without these being permanent and spiritually unaffected. Such is the power of the Armour of God. 

There are only two concerns I have about this novel and it does not concern the theology of this tome. The first is the numbers that the Six were repeating over and over to John and company. Once John had finally worked out what they meant, I could not see what relevance they had to the story or why the Six were repeating them. But this did not detract from the plot or alter the outcome. The only point to this plot discrepancy was that it led John and Maggie to consult with Sean's girlfriend for more information but that could have been achieved in a much simpler means that through these numbers from the Six. 

The other concern I had was no mention is made of what happened to Jack, who was also demon possessed. He is not mentioned at all following their escape from the demonic stronghold and he was the first one showing physical signs of possession. 

I am glad that Napier showed another positive outcome of demon possession. It would not surprise me that in reality those affected by seeing loved ones, friends or otherwise who have gone through deliverance who are not Christians or do believe in the Bible become believers and accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour following this event, including those who have been possessed. I could be daring and say what more proof do these two groups need to believe the Gospel of Christ after this event? It was so good to see that Donovan's uncle, Bob, see the reality of the situation and where this demonic event comes from and accept the offering of salvation after discussing this whole event with Pastor Paul. 

All in all, a very cleverly constructed account of demon possession and the use of Biblical principles to deal with it. Kudos to this author for adhering to these principles on this important spiritual issue.Any poetic licence would just water down its importance and make a mockery of the Sovereignty of God over everything, including the demonic.

Very happy to have been introduced to this author's writing and it won't be the last! 

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

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

Guest blogger: Justin Coogle and his debut novel, Kingdom Come

Today, I have a guest blogger, Justin Coogle. He has just released his debut novel, Kingdom Come. I came across Justin in a Goodreads group where he was talking about this novel and his thoughts on the status of Christian Speculative fiction today. I liked what I read and of his novel so I offered to investigate this more by offering him a guest post here for this purpose.  I trust you will find what Justin has to say about his novel intriguing as the world building is impressive. It was this that has piqued my interest in this novel. Released today, this novel is now in my Kindle.

So sit back and let Justin take you on a tour of his novel and the worldbuilding and his thoughts on Christian speculative fiction.

But first, a little about Justin and his journey to being a published novelist: 

I was born in Texarkana, Texas, to an army man and his Korean wife. Most of my childhood was spent between two military bases, Fort Leavenworth and Fort Riley. I went to the University of Kansas for undergrad and am currently in my 3rd year at the University of Kansas Medical Center to eventually become a doctor in the Pediatric field. 

My testimony is evidence that God is a very personal God. My story wasn’t like a lot of my friends. I wasn’t raised in a Christian home, my parents had a very broken marriage, and I suffered from bullying and terrible self-image. It wasn’t until I met my best friend in middle school — who showed me Jesus through our many schoolyard conversations — did I come to begin God’s path for me. Since then I’ve fervently sought the Lord’s will in all aspects of my life. 

Interesting tidbits of myself:

I’m currently a 3rd-year Medical Student hoping to become a Pediatric Neurologist, Pediatric Emergency, General Pediatrician, or OB/GYN.

I almost went professional in E-sports, particularly League of Legends.

I love horror movies and haunted locations. I’ve taken a few trips to “haunted” locales just to see the sights.

I was a huge fan of anime and my book is influenced stylistically from that.

I currently teach the preschool Sunday school at my church. 

Now let's look at Kingdom Come. Released on December 13th, 2017 on Amazon in Kindle format and December 15, 2017 for printed format:

It has been 5 years since Pope Quintus replaced the late Pope and shook the world by forming the DH, Vatican City's new demon hunting division, changing spiritual warfare forever. The Swiss guard has been replaced by three elite warriors, the Trinitarians. Exuberant funds have been funnelled into their weapons division, Section 12. Their new intelligence unit, the Oracles, locate demons with unprecedented accuracy for first strike advantage. All these come together to support the heart and soul of the DH, the very demon hunting teams who hit the ground and take the fight to the enemy. 

But Jason Collins is struggling to find his place on his own team, Team Joshua, let alone be the life force of the DH. He doesn't have the impeccable talent and skill of Maria, the wisdom and faith of Michael, or the courage and cunning of their team leader Rodrick. In his desperate attempts to prove himself worthy of himself and his team, Jason now teeters on the edge of expulsion. But when Team Joshua encounter a pair of witches in a demonic graveyard, Jason discovers a plot set by the ancient demon lord Baal that would change the world order. 

Jason must wrestle with his failure, friends, and faith to save the Church and the world thereafter. 

I asked Justin what his motivation for writing Kingdom Come.

So I first need to preface WHY I wrote the book before I describe WHY I wrote the book. And no, you didn’t read that wrong. But you’ll understand what I mean. 

I was a fervent reader when I was younger and as I grew up became an avid gamer. Some of my favorite novels were the Dragons of Perth, Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter, Eragon, Lord of the Rings, etc. I also actively grew up on Star Wars, Warcraft, Starcraft, and many Nintendo games. Through my life, I’d accrued a massive foundation of epic stories to derive my ideas of what an “epic” story looked like. It wasn’t until I was 12 did I know Jesus, and not until college did I begin to actively seek his will as the core identity of my life.

But even as I grew in my faith I noticed a serious dissonance between me and some of my colleagues in my campus ministry or at church. They all were white, suburban, sports-loving Christians who grew up in stable families in stable neighborhoods. None of them shared my story and I soon realized it became exhausting trying to imitate them. I should instead embrace who God made ME to be. For the Lord sought me even when I was his enemy, he stitched me in the womb before creation.

It was halfway through college when I began to just be happy with who I was, and a large part of my character is my eccentric attitude and endless imagination. As I grew in my faith I wanted to see more representation of Christian role models in epic adventures. I love the movies. I love the Marvel films, Transformers, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars. If it is big and over-the-top I’m excited to see it. But I became more frustrated at the lack of true Christian characters.

Now we get to novels. I began to seek Christian Fiction but I soon ran into a similar problem I experienced in my ministry. Many stories I read felt plastic. Too often I felt Christian Fiction was dominated by romances or terribly predictable speculative fiction. I’d go so far as to say many of the stories were cheesy and far too corny to read. I felt these novels sacrificed real tension, that truly epic feeling, to showcase the gospel or some other theological theme. This is a good and righteous intention, but that didn’t stop many of the stories being unreadable for my personal tastes.

So I set out to write Kingdom Come. If I couldn’t find my perfect story then I’d have to make it. Kingdom Come is the marriage of my faith in Jesus Christ and my thirst for large, epic stories. It is a novel that is not afraid to paint these characters as human. Their faults and failures are not always lessons, their deaths aren’t always meaningful, and the good guy winning is not always guaranteed. Choosing Christ isn’t easy nor is it a festival. Romans 5:3-5 tells us that suffering builds endurance to eventually point us to God. 1 Peter 5:10 tells us after we suffer a little while we will be made strong. I didn’t want my story to be a fairy tale where God waves his hand at the end, nor did I want it to be a parable where the narrative was simply a tool for a lesson. I wanted a story that reflected the spiritual warfare we face every day: an ebb and flow of facing our depravity but leaning on God (especially when it is hardest) to drag us across the finish line.

Justin describes the Biblical & Christian themes contained in Kingdom Come:

I wrote the novel when I was getting heavy into theology. I was reading lots of C.S Lewis, John Piper, Tony Evans, etc. Although the Gospel is the foundation of our entire faith, I wanted to explore elements of the Christian walk that were more subtle yet eternally important. The key themes of Kingdom Come book 1 are Idolatry, Identity, Friendship, and Solidarity.

I actually have all of these spelt out in deeper detail at the back of my novel in a special “Author’s Notes” section, and some of these involve spoilers, but I’ll loosely touch on these topics.

Idolatry is, in my opinion, the #1 issue the modern American Christian faces because it is so insidious. Long gone are the idols of golden cows. Instead, we idolize beauty, our phones, our talents, and even our pastors or role models! I noticed some of my colleagues were infinitely more passionate about what specific pastor spoke, or what one specific theologian said, or what the Pope said, over Jesus Christ himself. Liking and looking to these other sources is totally fine, but I wanted to remind people that even good things can become walls between you and God. Identity is a little more obvious, but I wanted to simply highlight the importance of having Jesus as a central part of your personality and how that affects you. The other themes are pretty common amongst most epic adventures (Friendship and Solidarity). I highlight friendship as a powerful gift and I highlight solidarity as a worthy characteristic.

Another key theme is demons themselves. Although my novel is an action novel at heart (where plenty of demons are meant for cool set pieces), I made it a prime goal to identify how real demons operate and what is their end goal. A lot of these ideas are derived from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters. Essentially it highlights that a demon’s ultimate goal is to distract you or have you turn from God. It doesn’t matter how they do that. Whether it's through pain, suffering or even pleasure and happiness. If God is no longer your anchor, the demon has won. These ideas are explored in the novel and are a crucial element of the spiritual warfare we face every day.

Sadly, I really cannot say too much without giving a lot of the story away. The novel truly is meant to be experienced more than lectured. I’d highly value anyone’s thoughts after they read it!

Another key element to the story and this is less a theme and more of a literary decision was to make the characters comfortable in their faith. Many stories will have faith in God, or God’s existence, or whatever other related themes as a central conflict in their plot. Mine has none of that. Being demon hunters, my characters are essentially required to already be solid in their faith. They speak about their faith casually, not because they’re trying to preach to each other, but because it is a large part of their life. I tried to make their faiths very natural parts of their identities and not so much as plot devices. Now, this doesn’t mean they don’t struggle with the next layer of questions like “Why is this happening?” “What is the purpose in this?” “Where do I go from here?”, but it all stems from a foundation of being competent believers.

Another literary decision I chose was to keep this based largely in reality. I know. “Uh, Justin doesn’t your story involve demons…?” Well yes. But being Christian I believe demons are very real. Are real demons quite as…present…as the ones in my novel? Probably not. At least not always, and not to the degree I’ve written. But I wanted to recreate a feeling a Christian feels but superimpose it into a supernatural action novel. When life gets hard, and it is impossible to see through the storm, a battalion of angels doesn’t just show up and wipe a clean slate. And often time, not always (I’m a major believer in miracles), God doesn’t step in on the first sign of trouble to make things right. There is often suffering, questioning, doubting, and struggling. But it's from this that Christ shines brightest, it's through this that the Holy Spirit forges a new Christian infinitely stronger than the shell they were before.

I have a list of scriptural references, themes, and other “behind the scenes” stuff in the back of my book with their own dedicated sections! You’ll get a glimpse into my thought process and motivations and the scriptural references many of the ideas in the book were born from. Of course, this isn’t an exhaustive list. God isn’t just a bunch of verses in the Bible, he is a living, active God. Thus, many of the influences come from how His Word has shaped me personally, but that is a little harder to articulate into writing haha.

Justin has also composed a collection of short stories connected to this novel! 

Just released on Amazon is a collection of short stories featured within the Kingdom Come universe. See below to preview or buy. 

DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories feature the pasts of some side characters, events that couldn’t be detailed in the novel, or just stories within the world I’ve crafted that I felt compelled to tell.

Some stories are meant to evoke strong spiritual responses, others are just funny and goofy.

They will be available for free on my website if you subscribe to my email there! Or you can purchase them in E-book format for $0.99 below or in paperback when released shortly. 

I asked Justin if there was any artwork, graphics or items that make up the Kingdom Come brand. He provided the following: 

DH Logo:

The DH Logo was designed by my friend Benjamin Woods, who is a designer up in Seattle, Washington. He did a lot of research into Vatican symbolism and history to create this logo.

The top part is meant to reflect the design of St. Peter’s Basilica from an eagle’s perspective

The bottom is the two letters DH, which is the name of the organization, short for the Demon Hunters. Simple but pragmatic.

Together they form what appears to resemble a key. Keys were central to Vatican architecture.

Within the top structure is an obvious cross which of course represents the death of Christ and is a central symbol to Christians.

Battle Artwork

This piece was done by Evyn Fong specifically for my novel. It depicts a scene within the book and features one of the main characters, Maria Cassinova.

The artwork, more than anything else, was meant to evoke the atmosphere of the novel. This is an intense novel with epic proportions and serious stakes. I feel she captured that sensation perfectly and I am thrilled at how this art piece turned out. 

The 4 character artwork

This was actually meant to be the original cover. I eventually decided to replace it because it's just simply too busy and is unappealing at initial glance. However, I personally love this art piece as it reflects each of the four main characters in the novel. 

This piece represents Team Joshua, Jason’s (the main character) team. The story primarily follows them.

The artwork reflects each character’s primary weapon (Jason’s cross blades, Maria’s rifle, Rodrick’s swords, and Michael’s Bible). Their roles within the team are better explained in the novel, but I’ll give a brief description of how demon hunting units work in my universe.

Each team is given anywhere between 1-3 hunters and 1 chaplain. The hunters are usually equipped with personalized weapons from Section 12, the R&D department of the DH. The chaplain is responsible for constructing ward arrays, holy barriers derived from scripture, to surround an area so that the demon is locked within a concentrated space. This allows the demon hunters to effectively isolate and eliminate their targets. Chaplains are often vulnerable while maintaining this ward, so there is often someone designated to defend them. 

Justin has provided an excerpt to what is at stake in spiritual warfare:

This is an excerpt from chapter four. It is a conversation between the main character, Jason, and his demon-hunting team’s chaplain, Michael, following a demon hunt in Kansas that shook Jason to his core. The mission was originally meant to be a casual excursion to prove Jason could just follow orders but it turned into a haunting experience where Jason is reminded of what is at stake in this spiritual war.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Start of Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Michael took a deep breath and set his things in the front seat next to the driver, who looked especially uncomfortable with the serious conversation.

“Jason, you seemed to have forgotten that we are fighting a war, and perhaps this hunt will open your eyes to that.”

“I know th—”

Michael interrupted. “No, I don’t think you do. People die in wars, especially those that don’t deserve it. Not because they were good or bad, but because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unlike any other war, this one has been waged since creation. When the first stars fell.”

“But that’s why we’re here. Isn’t it? What’s the point of the DH if we can’t stop this? If not us then who?!”

“I don’t know what delusion of us you had, but I hope this has put things in perspective. You may have fantasized yourself the hero, or maybe even Rodrick or Maria. Well, guess what? None of us are; the hero already came. We aren’t saviors Jason, we’re hunters. Hunters that do what we can, take the war to the frontlines so less people become collateral. Make no mistake we’re way over our heads, not because we fancy ourselves powerful, but because we serve a great God that is infinitely more powerful than we can imagine. You feel the loss of those children? Good. As do I. But that was a minuscule snapshot of an extensive battlefield. What of the others?”

Jason was confused. “What others?”

“Children in this town. Nearby cities. This country. How many more are comfortable with their mothers, their fathers. How many experienced today as the best day of their lives? Even now, billions around the globe are coming to know Christ for the first time or are continuing to explore His riches, His joys, His freedoms.”

Jason hung his head. “I didn’t mean to diminish Jesus’—”

Michael cut him off.

“No, I know you didn’t. But you’re young and passionate and quickly lose sight of the grand scheme of the battlefield. Demons are like weeds, if there is soil then they will return. You can cut them down or shell metal into their skin but they’ll always crawl back. They feed off what is already there. Humans are different. Sin is woven into our flesh. Sinful people aren’t content with simply growing in the soil available, they seek to broaden their fields, increase their bounties, and flourish. Sin is insatiable and ruthless. It is a two-front war. Christ has swiftly dealt with one, and he has graciously given us an opportunity to partake in dealing with the other.”

“How have you done this for five years?”

Michael looked at him with tired eyes. “I wonder that myself. This life isn’t easy. Knowing the truth strips you of a simpler life. Once you recognize sin you invite shame. Once you accept Christ you know grace and forgiveness. When those two meet you know sanctification. And once you face your first demon you know responsibility. When you’re caught up in this war there is no going back.”

“Does it ever get easier?”

Michael smiled. “No, but you grow wiser and closer to who Christ wants you to be. It may be foreign to you now, you’re young, but in time you’ll see. When His words take root in your heart, you could be facing the world and you will prevail. Give it time.”

Jason sat still for a few seconds, digesting those words.

“You don’t suppose there is a fast track to maturing is there?”

Michael laughed. “My friend, if you find one, I’d like to know.”

The laugh was contagious. Soon Jason and Michael were wiping tears from their eyes, all their stress released in that shared moment.

“Thanks, Michael. For this.”

“No thanks are needed.”

Michael reached back into the front seat to grab his books. The driver dropped his shoulders, relieved that the intense conversation had died down. Both demon hunters laid back in their seats looking out at the dark as night had fallen some hours ago. Jason tried to erase any memory of that room, but the dry Kansas scenery did nothing to help distract him.

“Hey, Michael?” Jason asked.

Michael looked up from his book, “Hmm?”

“In the house, I fought Mr Jamison more than the demon itself. He was in a trance-like he was possessed. The creature would cling to the ceiling speaking to him in a voice I couldn’t hear. I’ve read about possessions but I’ve never seen one before. Fighting another person…it just felt wrong, even if they were hell-bent on killing me.”

Michael folded his book.

“No, Jason, that was no possession. That was merely a desperate man who fell prey to his own insecurities. Some men can’t stand the thought of a life with suffering, so much so that they would sacrifice anything for the comfort or peace of mind they desire. I believe Mr Jamison thought in his mind he was protecting his daughter from the child eater. He figured himself a hero, maybe even powerful for taming the creature with the victims he kidnapped. Power has a funny way of revealing the worst in our sin.”

“Why didn’t the demon just hunt the children itself?”

“A good question. It has been curious that throughout history the most powerful agents against God do not act on their own. They work through humans. Even the devil’s first strike against God was deceiving Eve. Powerful demons similarly are cunning and nigh invisible. They know any damage they did pale in comparison to sin. So instead they cultivate it. They take roots in communities and treat people like cattle, their own personal sin farms. For sin is the very thing that separates man from his creator. I have a personal theory that demons are jealous of us, of our unique ability to harbor sin, to incubate it. All it takes is a nudge, a gentle push to let a man consume himself. And history has proven that one sinful man can ruin the world.”

“Demons jealous of us, huh? Kind of a disturbing thought. Do you think he at least could have been part of a cult? Or did he just get wrapped up in this one demon’s business?”

“Now that is quite an idea. I do not have a clear answer to give but I did notice something interesting down in the underground room.”

“And what’s that?”

“An altar.”

“I faintly recall something like that down there. Though I tried not to look because of all the…” Jason shuddered. “I’d rather not mention it.”

“Indeed. It was a gruesome scene. I’m sorry you had to witness that.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Jason said while nervously scratching the back of his neck. He’d rather forget the whole mess but his curiosity was piqued. “So…was there anything special about it?”

Michael shuffled through his notes. “It’s difficult to say. All along the edges were inscriptions to a name I hadn’t heard in many years. An old god of the Phoenicians with roots in Egypt and the Levant. By all accounts from the Bible, however, he is simply an ancient demon. Curious, to find Baal worship out here and in this current age.”

“Baal. I’ve read about him. Something about a pillar of fire, right?”

Michael nodded. “Correct. In 1 Kings it tells the story of the prophet Elijah, who confronted the Israelites who turned away from God for this Baal. He challenged Baal’s priests to a test. Both would pray to their gods before a bonfire, and whosever fire was lit had proven themselves a worthy divinity. Of course, the priests of Baal prayed all day to little fruition, but a pillar of flame promptly descended upon Elijah’s. Proving the strength of the one true God.”

“Yeah, I remember now. I can’t recall much else though.”

Michael flipped to the next page. “There are other trace mentions of this demon. In 1 Samuel and Jeremiah for instance, where there is a notable sacrifice of children.”

Jason grimaced. “I just don’t get it. Why? And why here? Of all the demons to turn to.”

“It is odd, I don’t pretend to understand. The Bible gives little screen time to demons in general. Baal is somewhat unique, however, in his repetitive incursions with God’s people. A truly prideful and ambitious demon. Every time the Lord would shut him down he’d always scrawl back up somewhere else, only to be cast down again.”

“Sounds like a real smart dude.”

Michael rubbed his chin. “Demons are funny like that. It doesn’t matter how beaten or battered they are, the most dangerous ones will always come back, with a knock and a smile.” Stuffing away his notebook, Michael retrieved the novel he’d been reading and ran his finger down a page. “This book had a fascinating quote that I think speaks quite keenly of a demon’s nature. If you don’t mind.”

“No, please.”

“A great king rules from within a great castle. But a great demon rules from within a great king. It’s succinct: A demon will do anything to tell you what your sinful nature craves to hear. That you don’t need God or anyone else. That you’re on top, a king. But as we saw with poor Mr Jamison tonight, you just swap chains to a new taskmaster.”

By a ray of passing moonlight, Jason caught the uncanny title of Michael’s book and felt his stomach churn. In large bold cursive was written Man’s Curse across the blue cover with the picture of a naked man being led on a leash by a small imp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End of Excerpt~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You can find Justin here: 

Website: Kingdom Come Series (will be up soon, I was going to release it closer to my book release)

Wordpress = (similarly coming when the website and paperback is released)

Facebook

He will also be submitting posts at To Make A Kingdom at tumblr.com

If you have liked what you have read here and want to preview more of this novel or buy Kingdom Come or DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories click on the BUY/PREVIEW icons on the book images above. 

Readers and reviews are an author's best asset, so I encourage any reader who likes reading in the genres of Christian inspirational, fantasy, spiritual warfare, to consider reading Kingdom Come and DH Database Vol. 1: A collection of Kingdom Come short stories submit a review on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest (or any other social media you subscribe to).

Gorgon: An Alaska Iconoclast Mystery, Book 3 by Mary Ann Poll

Gorgon: An Alaska Iconoclast Mystery, Book 3

An accountant is gruesomely murdered in Anchorage. The hag tree guarding Ravens Ravine is chopped to the ground. Two separate events hundreds of miles apart are the harbinger of a new battle for Ravens Cove--and a new enemy. Some people are destined to be warriors against what most of the world cannot see. Some battles are eternal. Welcome back to the Cove…..

The Guru's Review: 

I am so glad I did not have to wait for this novel to be released to read it. The only delay I had was due to other books I was requested to review first. 

Gorgon follows the same formula as the previous two novels but has 6 new characters and a different supernatural entity-a gorgon/succubus-and new demons. 

It is very noticeable from these changes that this novel is more complex, action-packed and suspenseful. Everything has a greater depth than previous. I found myself having to concentrate much more compared to the previous two novels. I am not saying that this is a bad thing either, just a natural effect caused by this complexity. Of course, this also means that the entertainment value is also increased and at a deeper level. Now, that is a good thing!

Poll is very successful at depicting the richness of Alaska and that of Ravens Cove. She depicts the many layers of what makes up a small town tick with its characters and their small-town mentality. This shows their cohesiveness and ability to band together when they need to including taking on other roles. An example of this is Doc Billings being the GP and Medical Examiner. They even have a town gossip but instead of being one who is scorned and hated for the trouble she causes, she has the townsfolk's respect! I find this rather comical!

Poll has used this backdrop to focus on the demise of a previous resident, Mandy Thomas. She left the Cove many years ago for Anchorage and has returned due to her involvement in a murder. She seeks the help of her best friend, Kat, who we know from the previous two instalments.

It is what is involved in this murder that brings the demonic elements back to the Cove. By default, this involves the lives of Kat, Bart, Ken, Grandma Brines, Pastor Paul Lucas, Josiah, Wendy, Doc Billings and others. It also brings new characters into this situation such as Detective Dayton, investigating the murder Mandy is implicated in. Grandma Brines believes he will return to Ravens Cove in the future. I am interested to see if he surfaces in the next instalment, Dullahan, which has just been released. He seems to have had a similar, but shocking, initiation into the supernatural and Ravens Cove as Ken did in the previous two novels. 

The supernatural elements in this instalment are similar but different. Poll introduces the same demonic characters and some new ones. Thus, this demonic plot line becomes much more complex with the introduction of the entity, gorgon, manifested as Lilith. It is well established in both biblical and extra-biblical texts and depicted in fiction, that there is a hierarchy of demons. Poll shows that a gorgon does not fit into this hierarchy, but exists separate to this demonic one. Both hate each other and compete against each other for dominion over the other and the human race. 

I am a little familiar with Lilith. She is described as the first wife of Adam in the abovementioned texts, but not included as Canon in the Bible. She is described well in these texts and has one colorful history. Her inclusion in this story line intrigued me to do a Google search to see what these texts had to say about her. I can see why her story has provided a rich and intriguing plot line in this novel where Poll has exercised some poetic licence. It all adds much suspense and tenseness to this story. The characters seek to find out who this new supernatural entity is and if it is causing such horrific deaths. They also need to discover if it is causing the demonic forces to regroup and attack Ravens Cove again in the demon's attempts to rid themselves of the gorgon. 

The battle strategy between the demons of Iconoclast's forces against those of Gorgon adds a deeper layer of tenseness and depth to the overall battle for the dominion of Ravens Cove. Such betrayal, double crossing and swapping allegiances between these two evil forces test the faith and resolve of Kat, Bart, Grandma Brines, Pastor Paul, Ken and Josiah. 

As I have stated in previous reviews of Poll's novels, she has depicted spiritual warfare biblically. It is integrated throughout the poetic licence of her story lines. She has not allowed this poetic licence to alter this biblical depiction. It is this that makes this series worth reading and not just for its entertainment value. This latter function is not the only role Christian fiction has. One of its many attributes is to educate the reader and Poll allows it to do this by adhering to biblical principles. 

One of the spiritual themes in this novel is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This is not depicted much in Christian fiction (that I have read or not for any specific reason that I can determine). The Bible regards this as the one and only sin unforgivable by God, 

Mark 3:28-30: "Truly I tell you, all sins and blasphemes will be forgiven for the sons of men. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, but is guilty of an eternal sin.

These are the following verses that also mention this sin: Matt 12:32; Luke 12:10. These say the same thing as the verse mentioned above.

The Amplified Bible defines to these verses being as "whoever intentionally comes short of the reverence due the Holy Spirit".

The website Got Questions refers it as,

"....defiant irreverence. The term can be applied to such sins as cursing God or wilfully degrading things relating to God. Blasphemy is also attributing some evil to God or denying Him some good that we should attribute to Him. This particular case of blasphemy, however, is called “the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit” in Matthew 12:31."

Poll's depiction of this is in line with the above. Kat witnesses the character involved calling the Holy Spirit obscenities and other horrible things. Like Pastor Paul, I felt the sadness and the stark reality of what this means to the character when he realised this sin had been committed. Admittedly, this character is demon possessed but the end result is the same. 

Taking these verses in context, Jesus was addressing the Pharisees accusing Him of being demon-possessed instead of being Spirit-filled, 

The Pharisees, having witnessed irrefutable proof that Jesus was working miracles in the power of the Holy Spirit, claimed instead that the Lord was possessed by a demon (Matthew 12:24). Notice in Mark 3:30 Jesus is very specific about what the Pharisees did to commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit: “He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit."

This segment is the most dramatic and saddest in this series so far. It is even sadder when the final outcome for this character is revealed. 

Poll introduces a different aspect of spiritual warfare in each volume. This is another aspect that adds to the appreciation of this series. In Ingress, it was the sin of pride being an obstacle to God's involvement. In Gorgon, it is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. This illustrates my point about Christian fiction being educational as well as entertaining.

It seems that Poll has set the stage for more instalments in this series with a new spiritual role appointed to one of the characters. I am looking forward to seeing this take shape in Dullahan. 

I can definitely see why some reviews consider this novel to be the best. I would tend to agree even though I have not read the newest release, Dullahan. That one may prove to be the best. Will have to wait and see!

Another thoroughly enjoyable visit to Raven's Cove. I am at least happy I have one more to read. I pray that there is more to come after Dullahan.

Highly Recommended. 5/5 Stars

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The Quest for Yoshi: Book Four of the Adventure Chronicles (Volume 4) by Jeffrey A. Davis

The Quest for Yoshi: Book Four of the Adventure Chronicles (Volume 4)

For two months, Shawna’s nightmares have kept her confused and exhausted. Visions of empty graves, cursed amulets, and old friends fill her thoughts at all times, leaving her friends and boyfriend perplexed. Jamie, still mourning the loss of his clan-sister, has struggled to come to terms with having left leadership of the Funakoshi clan in the hands of the violent Shakato family. So now Shawna’s strange visions are drawing her back to the world of Thera. The last time that they went there, a cursed wizard killed Yoshi. What will happen this time?

The Guru's Review: 

This comes to the last (of the published series so far) of the Adventure Chronicles. Davis has continued his new standard of writing and world building that debuted in the Gateway to Thera, and I would say the spiritual aspects are more evident and deeper as well. Again, he has used a Bible event to base his world building and again it takes place in the world of Thera and this plot line adds to and further develops the world building and fantasy elements that he created in Gateway to Thera.

The action is faster is this instalment. The pace never lets up and this is one roller coaster ride compared to the first two instalments. This plot line follows on very nicely from the previous one and it seems that we may not be leaving the world of Thera in a hurry. I loved the spiritual warfare aspects and these adhere to biblical standards very strictly. This is what I have come to appreciate in this new standard of Davis' writing. In this story, he has the demonic based on what you find in the story of Baal and its worship, the use of intercessory prayer and the use of the name of Jesus to defeat the demonic with the Christian characters boldly and confidently claiming these promises and principles having recognised that their power comes from the Spirit and that it is very real.

I have stated many times before in other reviews and in this review blog, that Christian fiction should not just entertain, but edify the reader, educate in biblical principles and honour God. Davis very much does this in this instalment on all points except one.

It is here that I am very disappointed. While I accept that Christians will sin due to our fallen human nature (our physical body is not regenerated upon salvation but prone to sin), I was disappointed that no repentance or godly remorse for the sinful act of one if its main characters was not described by the author and the consequence of this it comes across as if this is normal and of no consequence, but from a Biblical/Christian point of view, this is just not true. This lack of repentance comes across very much comparable with the attitude of secular humanism, and as Christians, we are not to adhere to those standards but only God's concerning what he says about our behaviour and sin and why He died on the Cross. I am not saying that Davis adheres to this secular humanistic attitude, but his omission of the biblical side of it has great potential to lead an unbeliever or new or undisciplined/undiscipled Christian astray or give an incorrect message about this type of behaviour and God's view of it. As stated in my blog page, Why Christian Fiction? concerning why I review Christian genres, I sometimes discuss issues like this with the author to see why they treated this aspect of their novel the way they did so I can better understand their motive and mindset. I did so with Davis and as a consequence, I am confident that he will attend to spiritual matters like this biblically in future novels as this will definitely make him a better author and represent honourably the God who has called him to write on His behalf.

I am very excited to see Davis research completely the biblical side of this novel and its predecessor. He is definitely adding more depth of spirituality and biblical principles in these last two novels. As I said in my review of the Gateway to Thera, Davis has taken this series to a new level and it is paying off. I appreciate his commitment to this and honouring God in the process. The first two showed a weaker marriage between being a Christian and martial arts while these previous two (books 3+4) show how this marriage is a strong one and one that is compatible and God honouring. The discipline required in both (martial arts and being a Christian) complement and strengthen each other. This shows in the attitude of the Adventure team members towards each other and in their relationship with Christ, specifically living out disciplines of supplicating prayer, spiritual warfare and healing prayer.

I am looking forward to seeing more novels in this series. I don't think Davis is finished with the Adventure team yet.

Highly Recommended

World Building 5/5

Characterisation 5/5

Story 5/5

Spiritual Level 4/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Average Rating 4.8/5

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

A Spiritual System for Rating Books by David Bergsland,

and that Quest for Yoshi contains elements of the criteria of what constitutes Christian Spirit-Filled Fiction outlined in this booklet, while taking into account the one flaw that I outlined above that the author is aware of and I believe will be avoided in the future, I award Jeffrey A. Davis with

The Reality Calling Spirit-Filled Speculative Fiction Award

Congratulations Jeffrey A. Davis!

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