The Light in the Darkness: Children of the light by Timothy W. Tron

The Light in the Darkness: Children of the Light

The keepers of the Word continue their battle against the darkness in this sequel to Bruecke to Heaven. Jakob, Arktos, and the rest of the Huguenot force find their victory against General Lucier and his Papal army short lived. Lost in a blizzard, they seek shelter only to find their battle had just begun. Meanwhile, the survivors of the Vaudois massacre, both good and evil, seek to recover and rebuild, but not as you may expect. Each find their road to recovery wrought with life-changing choices. Those who have left their homeland to seek out others to enlist in their cause find a lost civilisation and become embroiled in trying to survive in a world much like their ancestors before them; yet, unlike those forefathers, they have God to see them through. Lastly, we find spirits colliding in a struggle of the light and darkness when a hermit and his wolf make a startling discovery, one that will change the fate of all who call themselves the people of the Vaudois, or the Children of the Light.

The Guru's Review:

This sequel has been highly anticipated and I am so glad it is has finally! It was such a joy to read Bruecke to Heaven again in preparation for this. I would suggest anyone do this as this second novel follows so well from the previous. After its cliffhanger ending, you are instantly immersed in the continuing events of the Tron family and other characters.

If any reader considers that Julia, Rebecca, Peter, Marik, Berg, Arktos, Jacob, Anna, Jean Paul, Albert, have been through enough, well, Tron does not let them off lightly in this novel. In fact, everything is upped and intensified. The darkness of the demonic forces is wrapped around them tighter than in the previous novel and they are further challenged in their faith and relationship with God. But God is faithful and they are strengthened by God's intervention in direct and indirect ways. Their bruecke (bridge) to heaven remains intact and is even strengthened further.

Tron sets up five plots arcs running concurrently. There is Arktos, Peter, Marik, Berg, Galack, Jakob and Anna on one quest, while Jean Paul and Albert on another. Julia, her daughters and the rest of the Vaudois community are still surviving in the upper levels of the mountains deciding to train and send out evangelists with the Word. We have Dabria and Lucier on their spiritual quest and later in the novel, Lucier is mandated to continue on his own then we have a new character, a hermit and his she-wolf, Lukos, tending to the physical and spiritual needs of a character from the first novel that readers will have to guess his identity until this is revealed later in the novel. This plagued me until I worked it out and was pleasantly surprised!. All these plot arcs deepen the mystery and suspense, action and adventure and totally absorb you. In each of the arcs, you wonder what is going to happen next. You become more endeared to these characters and share their emotions with them as if you are there.

Speaking of Lukos, the she-wolf, Tron has her as a side plot and if read just on its own, he proves himself as a competent author of animal fiction. This was one of the many highlights of this novel. I loved Lukos and the relationship she had with her master, the hermit, and as the novel progressed, with the one that the hermit was healing back to health. Lukos plays an important role throughout this novel and she becomes just another of the many characters that you become endeared to. Tron has developed this animal and her recognition of the spiritual and human realm very well without coming across as if Lukos is more than an animal. 

This novel is so much more infused with spiritual aspects and the Spirit of God than the previous. When I read of the spiritual warfare that Tron portrays here, it is surreal in the sense that we do not experience it in real life to this extent but it does show that it is attainable and available to us now as it has always been. Tron simply shows that it is due to having a pure heart towards God, in submission and trust in Him alone. But more importantly, through the Tron family characters, namely Arktos, Jakob, Jean Paul, Tron shows such a simple and proven way to do this and that is to live out our faith, exercise it if you will. It is just as the Word says, 

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 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; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 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 (NKJV)]

Another aspect that Tron shows in this spiritual warfare is that these same characters do not rely on their own strength but on God and God alone, and He responds not just by His power, but by His Spirit in many signs and wonders and the infilling and flow of His Presence and Power when they are in prayer, seeking His guidance and direction or when involved in attacks from the many forms of the demonic. Another aspect that supports this is when Arktos admits that he has placed all his hope in an artefact (glowing stone) infused with spiritual power and is surprised when God does not use it when Arktos commands the stone to express its power upon his command.

He continued to pray something would change or at least give them a sign, for he had put all his hopes on this stone providing them the power to slay as many of the Viscount's guard as posssible, yet nothing happened.

It was then, as the last thought had passed, like a cloud overhead, when he realised his error. 

"Puting his hopes in the stone.....and not God."

He had once again been putting his faith in something other than God the Father. He asked for forgiveness, knowing too well the scriptures that warned of such foolishness, the multitudes who awaited Moses descent from the mount were proof of that. 

And once he had accepted God's forgiveness, God acted on Arktos's plan and delivered them from their adversary.

Tron delivers this with enough action and adventure, suspense and thrills while being extremely entertaining and does not detract from the lessons of spiritual warfare he wants to deliver in this narrative. I pray that readers will not compartmentalize these, leaving them in the confines of this novel and character traits but realise that this is how we need to be living.

When I look at the various forms of the demonic that the various members of the Tron family were confronted with, it all boils down to this same factor mentioned above, being submitted to God, trusting in Him and obedient to His Word, practising a lifestyle of prayer, being doers of the Word by living out their faith and applying the principles that God has structured the Bible in how to live. And yet there are specific principles used for each to defeat this evil and its perpetrators throughout this novel and its predecessor such as

• quoting specific Bible (verses) appropriate to the situation at hand, 

• putting on the Armour of God (Ephesians 6: 10-20), 

• singing songs based on the Psalms and others while under the Anointing of the Spirit (as Jakob did), 

• playing musical instruments (again as Jakob did with the Lyra while under the anointing of the Spirit).

• walking in the Spirit. Physically as well as spiritually. Many examples of this through Jakob, Arktos, Jean Paul, Lucier. However, the most noted are Jakob and Arktos. They both had overcome their human frailty, their fears and looked past their physical senses. They acted solely in total obedience to God's prompting and guidance. 

Tron is very competent at describing and showing what this demonic looks like as the reader experiences all the evilness that accompanies it. His description is not short, shallow or implied. It is in your face, and explicit. It is shown through Shamus, and Pope Lucius III, the former being possessed by the spirit of a fallen angel, Semyaza, while the latter is oppressed by the demonic and fueled by his own greed and pride. 

Shining through all this as well as its predecessor is the Sovereignty of God. Tron is encouraging us to consider this in every aspect of our lives as we live out His Word. God is Sovereign and any outcome is His if we are living according to His precepts and direction and are in His will. He has everything under control despite our wavering faith, sense of hopelessness, or our finite vision (not physical only) that is incapable of seeing the whole picture of our circumstances and its future. Just as in our lives, God will not leave nor forsake us and when He gives us a quest, mission or task, He will not allow the enemy to thwart our attempts. Tron has portrayed this truth almost as if all these Biblical principles are fabricated as part of a purely fantasy novel. 

After reading both novels this is the impressions I have experienced:  

• I have been entertained immensely, 

• My faith and relationship with God has been strengthened and uplifted, 

• Tron has not deviated from established Biblical doctrine, and his content will not, lead a non-believer astray or promote false doctrine, 

• He writing and content honours God and portrays God as He is from the many character traits outlined in the Bible (Deliverer, Provider, Redeemer, Sovereign, Healer, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Omniscience, Warrior, Conqueror, 

• His writing does not encourage worship of the created (eg angels, man, animals) but of the Creator (God) instead. 

• it promotes the power and practice of prayer  as a lifestyle and to an unadulterated relationship with God

Christians know the power of the Word and of the Spirit in transforming the spirit of unregenerate man. Tron shows this very powerfully in the conversion of Lucier. It is one of the most descriptive conversions I have read for a while. Then seeing him have a heart after God reminds me very much of the Psalmist, David, including Lucier's Godly remorse at his adultery and how he dealt with this spiritually. His remorse is tender, sincere, heartfelt and it is tangible as you read it. It is not directed at himself but at God and it reminded me so much like David the Psalmist felt when he wrote to God in Psalm 51:4, 

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight

It struck me as how it should be and needs to be whenever a Christian falls into sin, no matter what type.

Julia's reaction to Lucier's confession is just as tender, sincere and heartfelt. Both of their reactions to this sin is devoid of any of the usual human emotions we experience today that can become stumbling blocks to being restored to God. But then again, this situation described by Tron shows the work of the Spirit in the hearts and minds of these two and their submission and obedience to Him.

I have not singled out this situation as the only time such reactions towards human shortcomings and sin are in these novels. It is an example that shows how we can have such a humble, tender, submitted and pure relationship with God when we fall to sin or allow our humanness to take over. It is described by Tron as not idealistic or unrealistic. It resonated with me and was very relatable. And so it should be to all who read this novel.

I must make some mention here of the radio interviews that I would encourage any reader to listen to. It enriches the enjoyment of both these novels when you understand the background to them as Tron describes his genealogy and spiritual heritage. It adds power and credibility to these novels and their poetic licence does not detract or minimise this heritage.

Both can be found here: 

Interview with WKXV 900 AM

Spiritual Heritage -- The Parker J Cole Show

Once this novel took off after the first chapter, I was totally absorbed and on the edge of my seat, figuratively speaking, and I was exhausted many times throughout. Despite the frustration of having to stop reading to either return from lunch or to and from work, this was a blessing as it gave me time to reflect on the spiritual side of the many topics that uplifted me, encouraged me to know Jesus better and to have a tender heart towards Him. I must confess, the relationship Tron described between the Vaudois characters towards each other and them towards God, convicted me and I found myself having some conversations with God regarding this.

There is definitely the power and presence of God in this novel. I said similar in my review of Bruecke to Heaven: 

I knew when I read the description of this book that I would be blessed and that this book is unique and special. This book has not let me down. I finished this speechless due to being in awe of everything related to it. Truly, this book is inspired by God and many times, I could feel His presence with me. I have had that with only a few books. I will never forget this book. It really does have a profound effect on how you see God and how you have experienced Him. It has made me want more of Him and a desire to increase my faith and always be in His will.

I can apply the same here in this novel. 

When I finished this novel, I posted this on Facebook and Goodreads,

Words cannot express how brilliant, how powerful, how epic, how divinely inspired this novel is! It is definitely the most spirit-filled novel I have ever read.
I said that the first novel, Bruecke to Heaven, was special and unique, but now this novel takes it to the next level and this series is so unique, so special, it has impacted me like no other novel! Spiritually uplifting like no other Christian novel has!

This is one highly impressive novel. But then if it reflects the power of God, His wordm and the character of God, then we can expect nothing less!

Truly, an unforgettable novel and one that has impacted me like no other, together with its predecessor, Bruecke to Heaven. 

Highly recommended.

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Spiritual Level 5/5

Story 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

_______________________________________________________

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

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

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-Filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Timothy!

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

Bruecke To Heaven: Children of the Light by Timothy Tron

I originally published this review on 09/05/14. I have read it again in preparation for the sequel, The Light in the Darkness, now released. On behalf of Reality Calling, I have bestowed upon Timothy a Spirit-filled Fiction Award as this novel now meets the criteria for Spirit-filled fiction as part of The Reality Calling Christian Fiction Awards. These were instigated since this review was published. The Award can be viewed at the end of this review. 

I appreciated this novel better the second time around.  

Again, it has challenged me to remain submitted to God in all things and to trust Him in the same. Reading this, I long to have more of the simple faith that Arktos, Jacob, and Jean Paul have just the way God intended. One of the lessons I have learned reading this novel and what maybe Tron wants readers to embrace is that this faith is attainable as we live out the Word of God in our lives and as we have a righteous relationship with God upon salvation, we have a bridge (bruecke) to Heaven. As John says in John 1:1, Jesus is the Word and therefore the Word is alive. 

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. (God's Word translation)

Not only is there power in the Blood of Christ, but there is power in the Word. Jakob showed this powerfully as he sang the Word of God with his gift from God and the power of the Spirit was very evident in signs and wonders in protecting Jakob and those in his company during physical and spiritual attack/warfare. I will not forget this novel. It holds a very special place in my heart and in my spiritual maturity.

I am looking forward to reading the sequel and being further spiritually uplifted, entertained, and challenged.

Below is my original review:

Bruecke to Heaven: Children of the Light

When two of Jesus' seventy disciples are sent into the wilderness, they find themselves in a remote Alpine valley delivering the Word of God to an ancient people. A miraculous event occurs and they realize they are not only to give them the Word but the abilities and gifts that go with it; one of which becomes memorization. Centuries later, when the people of the valley are asked to leave their homelands because of their known gift, their memorization of the entire Bible, a journey and adventure like none other begins. They quickly learn they had been imbued with more than just one ability, and soon, their bridge to Heaven becomes a race for their lives.

The Guru's Review:

I knew when I read the description of this book that I would be blessed and that this book is unique and special. This book has not let me down. I finished this speechless due to being in awe of everything related to it. Truly, this book is inspired by God and many times, I could feel His presence with me. I have had that with only a few books. I will never forget this book. It really does have a profound effect on how you see God and how you have experienced Him. It has made me want more of Him and a desire to increase my faith and always be in His will.

This is the first book I have read from Timothy Tron and it won't be the last if of course, he chooses to write more after the coming sequel, which is in the works at the moment. His writing style, command of the English language and imagination transport you to the 1100s AD, set in both the alpine area of France and also in Lyon. You are more than a spectator in this novel, you are there with all the characters as if you are part of the plot. I found it difficult coming back to reality every time I stopped reading. His characters are all very relational and three dimensional, well developed and believable whether they are protagonists or antagonists.

Tron has created some very admirable and loveable characters in the protagonists,  Arktos, elder of the Vaudois people, Jakob his grandson, Peter Waldo (real name Augustus Pizan but uses the name of Peter Waldo who existed years before him), Marik and Steffan who seek out the Apostle Speakers (the Vaudoisians who have been imbued with the gift of memorization of the entire Scriptures), Gabriel (Waldo's right-hand man and whom you are forever thinking is he really the angel Gabriel or not?), Jean Paul, Jakob's older brother, Julia, Jakob and Jean Paul's mother. There is an emotional investment in these characters as you read. Everything they go through you feel it with them, joy, grief, horror, sadness, stubborn faith, righteous indignation, victorious elation.

The same goes for the antagonists, the main two being General Lucier and Pope Lucias III. These two embody the evilness and corruptness of the Roman Catholic Church, both are power hungry, corrupt, manipulative and deceitful and deluded into thinking that they are doing the will of God by persecuting and eradicating anyone who defies the teachings of the Catholic Church. Both have no issue with murder, torture or persecution to achieve their aims: recant your faith and convert to Catholicism or die. You feel their hatred towards the Vaudosians, you recoil in horror at their persecution of those who defy them, and the methods of killing they employ, you can feel the evil oppression they exude, yet you feel pity for them for them when you see this evilness taking them over and blinding them from the Truth that is so ever before them.

Here is what Lucias considers of himself:

......for I am the embodiment of heaven on earth, and if it is my will, it shall be done!

He sees and hates the Vaudoisians and their gift as a threat to his papacy: 

Yet, there it was: the fact that they had preserved the Word of God of their own accord-a Word not compiled by mankind, but that was given to them reportedly from the sources themselves. What would it do to the power of the papacy should it become known? or worse yet, what if the unknown Word produced an entirely different view of the hereafter or the road to perdition?.....

Then there was the other, more-distressing side note: the fact that the books these people quoted were exactly as they had received them, unfiltered and encompassing all of the writing and teachings that followed the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. This Word they possessed gave a power that bound them to one ruler, but a ruler who was not of this earth. That in of itself sent a shiver of terror down the papal spine, causing him to shudder at the thought.

Tron's research into this era, the Vaudois people, the aforementioned corruptness of the Catholic Church and their politics add depth and credibility to the story. It is hard to believe that this is a novel and not the account of actual events as they happened, including the supernatural intervention of God in various ways as described that is just not commonplace in today's world.

I can see Tron's passion throughout as it is loosely based on his family genealogy from his paternal side. When I read this on his author page on Amazon, I was further intrigued and contacted him about this. He sent me an account of his discovery and it is very captivating.

Here it is, in part:

In 1995, my late Aunt June Tron gave us a one-of-a-kind housewarming gift; a genealogy binder including information about the town in Germany from whence we came along with our pedigree, all the way back to the founding father's of the little town, Walldorf Germany.

In 1998, we decided to take a trip to Germany.........We pulled up in front of the Heimat Museum........That was the next phase of my research as I began drinking from the proverbial fire hydrant of knowledge. I found that Tron's had existed as part of the Waldensians from the beginning and I then began to learn what it meant to be Waldensian. The people from the valleys had migrated to Germany in 1699 and built Walldorf from scratch. Two of the original families were my direct ancestors. The rest of the link and how they go back in time genealogically can be explained at a later time; suffice it to say, its a long, long tale.

The story and the tale of which you are reading are closely intertwined, but what made me begin writing the book was the conflict of how they received their iconic name versus how they actually became who they were; meaning, Peter Waldo did not cause Waldensians to exist, rather, he became famous because of who the Waldnesian people already were; thus, the impetus for starting to tell our side of the story. The more I thought about it, the more I questioned, "Why would these people struggle for over 600 years, fight in over 30 wars and face extinction of their kind all because of what they believed." Then I realized I had to tell the story from the perspective of "BEING" Waldensian. There had been many books written about Waldensians and their struggles, but none had been written from the point of view of what it was to be Waldensian and how that fact formulated who you were and how you faced adversity.

What Timothy means about "BEING" Waldensian is very aptly described and forms one of the main backbones of this novel. Peter Waldo, actually existed and the term Waldensian is based on his name.

I wondered about the name of the novel, what did Bruecke mean (bridge) and why have a German word in an English title? It was this strange looking title that drew me to this book in the first place. Timothy explains again:

In time, the meaning of some of what I have put down becomes clear; and so it was with the title, "Bruecke to Heaven". Initially, my timeline was going to extend through their migration to Germany, thus I decided to include that influence in the title. But later, when it became apparent that my 600 year timeline would only progress only about a year and a half in the first book, I questioned if I really should keep that working title. I felt compelled to keep the title foreign in language, but didn't know why. Recently, I was driving to work and was listening to a song on the radio when it hit me why the title fits. People who are not Christians, come into Christianity not knowing anything about it and with time, learn how and what it is to become a Christian. Then, like the obscure title, they realize the meaning and eventually accept Christ into their life, and as such, the title becomes clear.

I also questioned Timothy about the surname of Arktos, the main character, which was LeTron. Was this the original surname of his ancestry? Timothy had this covered too:

Like the title, I didn't realize why I felt compelled to use a form of my family name for the characters in the book either, but something said to me that it was important to do so. Last year, while attending a Waldensian Festival in Valdese NC., I learned from a young man who was from the Alpine valleys where the Waldnesians came, was there doing research and he explained to me what my name actually meant in the ancient language of the valleys; Tron meant "One with Strength" and that they often gave their warriors this title. Needless to say, I was once again blown away. Even though my book was already in print by then, I felt good about keeping the form of the name intact and that indeed it was an important part of the actual history.

Interestingly, Tron has portrayed the LeTron family (Julia, Mary, Arktos, Jakob, Jean Paul, Rebecca and Angela) as a very strong family by nature and by faith without knowing what his name meant. 

Faith is a strong feature in this novel. How I now long to have the faith of Arktos and Jakob! The author portrays the Vaudoisians living the Word so vividly and naturally, it is literally their first nature. And in this novel, these two and the Vaudoisians know no different as their ancestors have lived this way since two of the seventy disciples (Olympas and Herodian) delivered the Word of God to them. At this delivery, God imbues them with the ability to remember and quote the entire Word/Bible. So for generations over the centuries, until the time of the Crusades where this story is set, this closely knit community, almost cut off from the secular world, live and act out the Word; for them, it is a tangible experience, the Word being literally alive. Tron even mentions this in his Introduction: Author's Notes:

It had been memorized word for word and passed down from one generation to the next, preserving not only the mere lines of Scripture but the ultimate spiritual power it possessed in its infancy. Regarding this "Word," the Bible reads in John 1:1-5,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created. Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

 Yet in truth, there were some who did not recognize the Word and the light, and this is their story.

The spiritual warfare aspects of this novel are very unique and different from any I have read in other biblical supernatural thrillers. In all the instances portrayed in the novel we see the power of the Word manifested through either chanting or singing Scripture: Arktos and his elders chanting Scripture as the papal army invade their village of Rora and the papal army is destroyed and at the end of the novel, Arktos chants Scripture when the papal army is about to capture them, defeating them. Jakob discovers that when he sings Scripture, the same happens; when he plays the lira the power of God either defeats their enemy or confuses them, in one instances him playing this lira disguises their compound as empty as the papal army invades and search it even when Arktos, Jacob, Peter, Gabriel and their staff are still present in the compound, another where the group he was in passes by in a mist, unheard of by the papal army, as they moved close by them on their journey homeward bound. I know these occurrences are due to the other gifts imbued by God when He delivered the Word via the disciples, but it does make me consider how it would be if Christians were able to do the same in the reality of our world in this 21st century?

All in all, this is one very memorable novel that has had a profound effect on me. It is has encouraged and strengthened my faith and relationship with Christ, witness to my family and community, inspired and challenged me to stand up for the Gospel and have a ready defence for the same just as 1 Peter 3:15 says:

....but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.

It is one book that needs to be read again (and most likely again!).

Highly recommended.

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5

Spiritual Level 5/5

Story 5/5

Enemy Spiritual Level 5/5

Overall Rating: 5/5

_______________________________________________

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

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

Reality Calling Christian Spirit-Filled Fiction Award

Congratulations, Timothy!

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

The Kingdom by Guy Stanton III

The sands blow hollowly across the plains of time. Unseen by man an army was on the move, an army of darkness…….

Slowly over the course of centuries the truth has been eroded away within the courts of men, until few yet stand for the ways of El Elyon, the Creator of the beginning and He who foreknew that one day the end would come…….

Ayenathurim, a world poised on the edge of change. Chaos beckons as people fractured apart by ancient rivalries strive to hold on. The sounds of war echo on the wind, but who yet is able to stand in the gap for those who are blind to the signs of the times…………………the end, if so it must be, heralds the rise of heroes, even as monsters roar, and kings rise and fall. As Evil triumphs over the nations, even so it was foretold to come to pass and yet the end of darkness’s reign has already begun…….

The Guru's Review:

I am going to start this review with my comments for my Goodreads status when I finished this book: 

As usual, I am left on a high after finishing a Guy Stanton III novel. Epic fantasy, spiritual truths, highly entertained and my spirit edified. What more can I expect from a novel like this! Stanton always delivers! 

Yes, it took me a while to return to reality. All Stanton's novels are very positive, uplifting and action packed. His characters are memorable, admirable and relational. But it is the spiritual aspects where he as author shines and his books as well, this one included. He unashamedly presents the Gospel of the Bible, the supernatural, the attributes of God, the ministry of angels, many biblical doctrines, all interwoven into the plot and form the structure of the novel. He presents evil as it is, demonic and from the nature of sin, and his demons and fallen angels are as they are biblically and in reality, nothing withheld. When I look back on this novel, and the others that I have read, he seems to include certain elements in each one. A visit to his website showed me what they are: 

• Exciting action blended into both dystopian contemporary environments and the realms of antiquity's past.

• Romance that reflects the reality of life in all its glory, but in none of its over the top mainstream explicitness.

• Stories that feature characters who don't have it all together and who have to learn to mature in order to become the people that God has intended for them to be.

• Facts of history and future events weaved into a fast paced plot line with the use of vivid imagination that evokes the imagery of the setting at hand as if you were there actually living it.

• Fiction that is Christ honoring and glorifies God as the Creator of all and the Master of the hearts of mankind.

I never noticed this on his website before and I found myself saying Yes to each one of these as I remember the novels I have read. And saying Yes, to these criteria in The Kingdom was not hard, all very obvious. 

There is so much to like in this novel. I said that in my review of Fallen Ambitions as well, but this seems to be a characteristic of all Stanton's novels, from those I have read and from reading the reviews of those I have not yet. 

As usual, I am taken by the romance created by Stanton. It is honest, biblically based, it promotes healthy relationships and more importantly, it is based on what I was brought up to believe (and lived when I met my now wife) that the relationship needs to be based on God first and then He looks after your relationship. This is clearly shown in Benaiah being sold out for God, placing Him first and this then is the spark that ignites the desire of Susori for God as well for those reasons only and not primarily to be with Benaiah. This is the bible verse of Matthew 6:33 being lived out as we are instructed to do, 

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. NKJ version

I loved the character of Benaiah. A relational man that has the heart of the Biblical David who is after God's own heart and a perfect example of what being a Godly man should be. This seems to be displayed in all of Stanton's main male protagonists and I pray that this will be an encouragement and inspiration to male readers who seek to see what a Christian, Godly man should be and what God can develop in them if only they will let Him. 

I found it very uplifting the relationship between Kuri and Benaiah. Amazing to see the transformation that Benaiah undertakes through the involvement of Kuri and who he is. Very much like what happens when one gives their heart to Jesus and becomes a new spiritual creation as outlined in 2 Corinthians 5: 17, 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

One thing I must mention is the world building Stanton has created. This world of Ayenathurim is made up of many nations, divided into two religious belief systems, those nations of the Kingdomer nations unified in the belief of the one God, El Elyon, while those of the Nicationer Nations as wide-ranging, from worshiping the gods of stone and wood to the darks arts of the fallen Malachim (Angels). The hatred of the Nicationer Nations towards the Kingdomer Nations forms the basis of the spiritual warfare that manifests itself in bitter, physical wars, and it is this that Benaiah goes willingly into empowered with the spirit of El Elyon and his new found faith. He definitely becomes the spiritual leader and warrior of the Kingdomer nations leading to the ultimate victory against the demonic, spiritual forces of the Nicationer nations. It is here against this backdrop, that Stanton brings all the other aspects, those mentioned above, and more not mentioned here, together to make for one epic fantasy and spirit filled fiction. It is one very believable world and the spiritual warfare aspects can encourage the reader to adopt in their own lives. It is in this world of Ayenathurim that Stanton has created one wonderful tale of eschatological fiction encompassing God's involvement with man and His plan for salvation, redemption and His return.

This is one very memorable stand-alone novel by the master of spirit-filled fiction in the Christian fantasy genre. 

Highly recommended. 5/5

Fallen Ambitions by Guy Stanton III

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christian Speculative Fiction at its Best!

The Guru's Review: 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now onto the next Stanton novel! 

Highly recommended.

In The Image of Man (Unseen Dominion, Book 1) by Robert Roush

In The Image of Man (Unseen Dominion Book 1)

When Officer Chris Davis, of Arrow Springs, Missouri, rescues a young woman from a mysterious attacker, he steps into the center of a spiritual showdown. Following his heart, and a trace of circumstantial evidence, he embarks on a collision course with a government research facility and an unseen foe.

One year before Dolly the Sheep, three humans were cloned in a small town in Missouri.

Twenty-five years later, THEY'RE READY!

The Guru's Review:

If there is one thing that I dislike immensely is reading Book 1 of a series then having to wait for Book 2 when this first book has entertained me immensely, uplifted me spiritually and reinforced spiritual truths from the Bible. All the three things that I expect to see and like to see from Christian fiction. This author delivers this with ease and expertise. Quite a feat and talent for his debut novel.

This novel is predominantly about spiritual warfare between angels, fallen angels and humans. If anyone has read Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and Piercing The Darkness, they will understand what this novel is about and how it is structured. This novel is up there with Peretti and all the other authors who have successfully gone down this path like Peretti.

I must say though that what I found refreshing about this novel is that Roush has added a different motive to the fallen angels quest for takeover. In other novels of this genre, it has simply been to usher in their agenda of control, deception and rule, but in this novel, Roush has escalated their agenda. The fallen angels do not just want to control by deception and spiritual bondage by leading Christian and non-Christian astray but by cloning the human race, effectively making them almost similar to the Nephilim of Genesis 6: 4. In reality, Satan has made it his aim to counterfeit everything of God's creation in order to mock and defile God and His creation and this latest venture in this novel makes the reading more compelling, intriguing, and concerning.

I was impressed with Roush's premise that God would not give these clones a soul and for obvious reasons, that they are not created by Him, and I love the plot twist that Roush gives to Mael, evil fallen angel, to further mock and counterfeit God and his creation. This theme of whether a clone has a soul has some interesting ethics for mankind in reality and has already made it in another story by Terri Main, Parmenter's Wager: A Short Story, where she explores this from a Biblical/Christian worldview, but with some differences to the origin of clones in this novel.

The spiritual warfare aspects of this novel are well done. Roush is very much an advocate (as all Christians should be) of paying close attention to the spiritual warfare that exists around us that we cannot see, but experience its effects. This novel, like Peretti's, and all the others in this genre, is based on the biblical
verse that instructs,

Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12).

He, therefore, shows the power of prayer as evidenced by the prayer and bible study practice of the main character, Chris Davis, various church members individually and corporately, and Pastor Thomas, showing him being sensitive to the leading of the Spirit and being spiritually discerning and the power of fasting. I found this to be a great strength to this story and it is an important discipline of a Christian's behaviour and one to not take lightly. I applaud Roush for including this so strongly in this novel.

I loved the portrayal of Chris, main character, as a strong personality but also as one whose is totally reliant on God for direction and guidance in both his personal life and occupation. Nothing separating the two and this just adds to this character being portrayed as realistic and relatable and one Christian male role model, who is tempted sexually, has his doubts about faith, frustrated in his battle against the politics and deception of his own police force and the government research facility, but seeks repentance and forgiveness for these shortcomings. I love this in a Christian novel, the characters are real, and relatable and show Christians for who they are, real people with a fallen nature but who are works in progress from an ever patient and loving God.

Roush portrays the other main characters with similar failings but who find hope and restoration in God. Sarah battles through sexual abuse by the killers of her parents, betrayal and mistrust of men and human relationships, loses her faith in God and humanity, but finds trust, hope, reconciliation with God through the example of Chris Davis who represents the protective, nurturing, and saviour like quality of Christ, and what Christian men should be like, while they both recognise their strong feelings of attraction for each other; Daryl learns that the only way to forgive himself is to accept the forgiveness of God as he realises his need for God as Saviour, Marilyn also finds that she cannot forgive Daryl until she learns to trust God and accept that she needs to let go of her bitterness and anger.

Through all this characterisation and situations, these are all connected to the spiritual warfare elements and provide for one very cohesive, smooth flowing plot. Sometimes these subplots can derail the main plot and make it very disjointed by not in this novel. Roush is one very good plotter here and this novel reads like it would as if the reader was observing all these events in real life.

Roush has portrayed the angels as you find them in the Bible, as messengers, warriors and guardians. Perhaps the most important part of their portrayal is their obedience to what God has instructed them to do in these three roles. They never act independently of God's instruction or of their own will or initiative. They may wonder why they cannot act in a certain way according to the what they can see should happen in the circumstance they are in, but they keep themselves in check knowing that God's intention and outcome for this circumstance may not be evident at the time. I loved the rapport that Roush has developed between them, they are a team, they respect each other, joke with each other, encourage each other and keep each other in check. Their obedience and submission to God and how they treat each other has important lessons for us as Christians in how we are to do the same and our relationship with God.

I really enjoyed this novel better than I thought I would. Roush has quite a talent for writing, for entertaining the reader, educating in spiritual warfare and the power of prayer, and honouring the Bible record of these matters and God himself. I believe that Christian fiction shows more of the heart toward God that an author has as evidenced in how he deals with his subject matter and from this novel, I can see that Roush is one very devoted, committed man with a heart after God's own, just like David of the Bible. 

I look forward immensely to the next instalments of this series.

Highly Recommended.

Devil's Pathway (DAWN: Warriors of Valor Book 1) by Vicki V. Lucas

Devil's Pathway (DAWN: Warriors of Valor Book 1)
 

"I force myself to live by one rule: Don’t look at the demons. The two times I broke this rule still haunt me. Tonight I made another mistake. As a huge demon leered at us, I couldn’t fight the urge. I looked. And he saw me. Maybe it’s not a big deal. Nothing happened as my aunt sped beyond it in the car. Besides, I only have one year of high school left. I’ll be fine. But I know exactly what could occur. I’ve seen it too many times. Two men lurked with the demon I saw tonight. Evil clung to them, as if they had given their souls in exchange for something else. I shudder when I consider what they could be. But do vampires really exist? With everything I've seen, I wouldn't be too surprised. Where are the good guys? If there’s darkness, shouldn’t there be light? How come the angels don’t battle the demons if that is the case? Or do they? Maybe there’s a war around me that I don’t see. I just want to be left alone, and after tonight, I don’t think that’s going to be a choice."

This young adult fantasy novel weaves angels, demons, and vampires into a thrilling adventure in which angels and humans wage war on demons and vampires. The action doesn’t stop as Nic, the main character, is forced into choosing which side of the fight he is on while both sides are desperately urging him to join their army. Devil’s Pathway is a Christian fantasy novel for teens who are ready to get serious about their faith. If you like Frank Peretti's "This Present Darkness" or novels by Ted Dekker, you'll like Devil's Pathway.

The Guru's Review: 

When I had read enough of this novel to be introduced to the characters and plot lines and themes, I instantly had a gimmick for this novel: This Present Darkness (Frank Peretti) meets The Last Werewolf Hunter (William Woodall) meets Twilight (Stephanie Meyer) meets the Bible! What do I mean by this? This novel has been influenced by This Present Darkness, where angels and demons fight over the affairs of the humans for good or evil; The Last Werewolf Hunter series involves a teenage boy who is prophesied to be either the destroyer of the werewolf existence or its saviour; the Twilight series where we are shown vampire folklore, hierarchy and way of life; the bible where sin is conquered and those who live in it are dealt with accordingly from a loving but just God. 

Devil's Pathway involves the same spiritual warfare theme as Peretti's, the fight over specific humans, in this case, the main character, Nic, to influence him to choose which side he will fight on, the demon/vampire side or God's. It also about a teenage boy who is prophesied to be a mighty warrior for good or evil and his own quest to find who he is and which side he should be on (similar to Woodall's novels). Then we have the vampires whose folklore and hierachy is similar to the Twilight series (but, I must stress, whose plot is not like the Twilight series in any shape or form).
 
Despite these similarities to these there books, I am by no means cheapening what Lucas has achieved here.  This novel stands on its own merits and despite having no influence from Woodall and Meyer's world building on Lucas, (my comparison, not Lucas'), she has created a wonderful world of prophecy, supernatural, mystery, intrigue, suspense, horror, spiritual warfare, faith, redemption and fantasy and sets them in a Christian/biblical worldview. It is very successful and not only does it highly entertain, but it educates the reader and its young adult audience (hmm, looks like there is still some young adult left in this middle aged reviewer!) in spiritual warfare, the existence of angels and demons and what their purpose is in relation to humans and God, sin and its eternal consequences, spiritual discernment, resisting temptation, repentance, forgiveness and living for God. 

I have not been able to put this one down and everything about it resonates with me. Everything is balanced and in perspective. Lucas has not glorified evil, demons, vampires or encouraged the worship of angels. She has been very careful to adhere to biblical doctrine and her poetic license does not cross this line or compromise this at all. Some authors might find this difficult to do, but Lucas does this very successfully. I am very much in awe of this novel and very impressed with Lucas as an author. 

One thing that I found very intriguing about this novel is the inclusion of vampires. Angels and demons, yes, very used to them being essential to a spiritual warfare albeit Peretti-esque type novel  that this is, but vampires? I have only read one Christian novel involving a vampire and that was Blood for Blood by Ben Wolf concerning a vampire who never wanted to be such, and wanted to be free and accepted God's offer of salvation. That was treated well biblically. I also wanted to see how Lucas would treat vampires in this novel. I must say, she has developed this very well. She has successfully built their own world. They have a history (tied to a deserted and dilapidated mining town), they have a hierarchy, they have their own rules. Led by Henry and second in charge Liam, they are a force to be reckoned with. Here Lucas ties them in with the demons in that they allow them to exist but rule/lord it over them. Satan owns their souls. If they had their way, the vampires would be banished to Hell. If the vampires had their way, the demons would be subservient to them. Henceforth, the vampires want to be free of the demons rule and oppression and will seek whatever means to break this bondage. Hence, when Henry finds out about the prophecy regarding Nic, he sees how he could turn Nic into a vampire and with the fulfillment of this prophecy Nic could be the mighty warrior/weapon to assist them in overthrowing the demonic rule. As Henry states, 

We've evolved from human to immortal. We're on the same plane as them! And yet they think they're superior because they're demons.

On a spiritual level one aspect that I found interesting is the hint of salvation/redemption (and I hope is explored more in the next instalment) that one of the vampires seeks when he converses with Eli, the angel guarding Nic. Eli says to him, 

You think you lost your soul, but that's not the truth. The Devil is your Master. He holds your soul. It isn't lost.

I am looking forward to seeing what Lucas says about this theology when I interview here over the next few days. Seeing that there is no known (that I know of) proof that vampires exist, this could be interesting poetic license that she has included here and it really does make the plot interesting and exciting. It seems that this theology is very much alongside the same as that explored in the Blood for Blood novel mentioned previously. In other Christian fantasy, science fiction novels, authors have extended the salvation/redemption doctrine to the species (not human) of that world so in one sense this is not unique to this novel.

As far as the spiritual beings of demons and angels are concerned, these seem to be based on the biblical narrative. Her demons have a hierarchy, they cringe, and are hateful but fearful of anything to do with God, unrepentant. They are also hateful of humans but will use them for their own purposes, they especially hate Christians, and will do anything to derail their relationship with God and win them over to their side. Lucas' angels live up to their name (Hebrew, malach meaning 'Angel' or 'Messenger' Strong's 4397) and their function in the bible, messengers and warriors. They do not act on their own initiative, but only from specific orders from God. Their behaviour and attitude is out of total obedience, submission and love of God, or as they say in this novel, The King. 

Like Peretti, Lucas emphasizes that the strength of the angel's presence and power is in direct proportion to the prayer cover of the saints. The basis of this is that if the saints are praying for a specific cause, then God will respond with instructing His angels to answer this prayer, but that is only one way that He does this. He can and could smite the vampires/demons in this novel or in real life situations as He is Omnipotent but it seems to me, like Peretti and Lucas encourage, that He uses prayer (and His Word) to teach us to be obedient, trust, rely on, submit to Him and accept whatever answer He provides to the situation we are in or our fellow saints are in. 

Lucas is very masterful at portraying youthful characters. You know Nic, Megan, Matthew, and others are youth/teenagers by their dialogue and attitudes/behaviour. I really do appreciate this in an author, to be able to create, real like, characters that you develop a rapport with and whom you empathize. Such is the case with Nic, the main character. He comes across as complex due to the trauma he has experienced and the effects of his post traumatic stress disorder of seeing his mother murdered by his father and the demons that he saw encourage his father to commit this, and then witnessing the shooting of the school bully by his teacher. Coupled with this stress is the darkness the wells up inside him that is connected to him being able to see demons and his connection to the prophecy. I related to his emotions trying to come to terms with his loss of mother and recounting these events in flash back at strategic times placed by Lucas to show the effects of the darkness and his valiant attempts to control this in his own strength. What enhances the portrayal of Nic as this relational character is use of the first person narrative as it directly puts you alongside him so you experience what he does first hand. Makes it all the more credible.

Lucas writes well and has crafted this novel superbly. The pace in the first half is more than enough to keep you interested and wanting more and this escalates to be one really revved up machine by the second half and from here on in, it becomes one fast paced, intense and suspenseful ride with everything set in the first half coming to a head and it is here where this novel really shines and Lucas' skill is at her best. I was left panting at the end and on a cliff hanger as the ending leaves it very much open for an exciting second instalment where I reckon the reader is going to hit the ground running.

I was very impressed with the description of the fight scenes at the end between the demon hoard led by Blaise the demon, Liam the vampire second in charge, and the angels led by Malkiel, the angelic leader, together with Nic and Megan. The outcome of this is what sets the scene for a very memorable ending and setting for scene for the opening of the next instalment. 

I finished reading this novel, not just panting from this action packed second half but also from the total effect of this well crafted novel. Putting all the events together with all their interaction and connections, all I could say is WOW and WOW! 

This is up there with some of the best novels I have read. Vicki Lucas is one author that is in the top list of my favourite authors. I must find the time amoungst my review list and own books waiting to be read to read her other series, The Trap Series. 

Highly Recommended