Novel Review: Aversion by Nate Allen

 I reviewed this novel on 07/08/19 in another blog, now defunct. 

Aversion

For as long as Eric Davis can remember, the name of that distinct carpenter from the bible (“that J name”) has caused him to have severe panic attacks. Living on a religion-free road with his wife, Brooke, and his two children, Fiona and Mitchell, avoidance has done the trick. But things change, as they tend to do. On the day his wife comes home from church (wait, church?) to deliver her life-changing news, Eric is given a peek behind the curtain for his aversion. Dark stairs leading down into a far darker place, long shadows reaching up the walls, reaching for him.

In a last effort to save his marriage and his sanity, he seeks answers to his aversion. The more he discovers about the why, the more he wishes he could close the curtain for good. But he’s already gone too far. To stop now would leave him worse off than before. What waits at the end of his journey is darkness unimaginable and a past that was better buried in the deepest parts of his mind.

Perspective by Peter: 

I was asked by the author to review this novel before its publication date. I found the premise of this novella to be one unique concept. A man who finds he cannot say the name of Jesus! Yet, those who do not believe in Jesus as we see and hear every day, take His name in vain many times!

I wondered what would cause a person to have this aversion. My first thought was that this would have to be of demonic oppression or possession. Was Allen going down this path? In one sense I would not be surprised as it would make for a great plot and fit into the emerging genre of Christian horror (yes, it does exist and has been created in novels successfully based on the Bible, and it is one of my favourite genres! Go here  and here for a perspective on this). But after progressing through the novel, it is not in this vein, as in demon possession, but I feel it borders on such. Allen confirmed this. 

I feel this novel will touch a nerve in many Christians. It did with me and it did with the author, that is why he wrote this! It was the author's past personal experience with a crisis of faith in the face of adverse circumstances that formed the basis of this novel. For me, it was not so much this, but the depiction of spiritual abuse from a church member and the church not doing anything about it. But maybe that is because the Church Pastor and Leadership did not know about it.  But Allen does not mention this in this novella, this is implied by the absence of a Pastor or Leadership Team being included in this novella. My experience is not like Eric's in the novel. I had a stable and loving family and upbringing, but where I can relate to spiritual abuse is what I experienced about 10 years ago from the church I was attending at the time. However, what I experienced was dissimilar to what Allen has depicted concerning Eric, but I can relate to some of the stress and emotions that he experienced. It did evoke in me some of the stress, the anxiety and despair that Eric experienced. Like Eric, I did stand up to this abuse and the abuser. It is the only way to resolve this and heal from such an ordeal. 

Allen has depicted the emotions and mindset of one who is spiritually abused in a way that I believe will resonate not only in those who have experienced this but to those who have not as well. It will give them a good view of what one goes through in this situation. But there is more to Eric's situation than just spiritual abuse, Allen has depicted him in an abandonment scenario. In this case, he suffered rejection, abandonment as a child (at 4 years of age) as punishment for not measuring up to his mother's criteria for pleasing Jesus due to her warped, distorted theology. This is more than the icing on the cake for spiritual abuse, this takes it to the next level. This places the person in the "I am insignificant, I am worthless, unloveable" category, especially for a child of this age. It also keeps the person at the age they experienced the abuse. In Eric's case, as an adult, deep down he remains as a 4-year-old, hungry and thirsty for validation of his existence, his worth as a person, learning about himself and who he is. Instead, he was thrown away, discarded and rejected as if he was nothing of worth and denied at that stage of his life, the love of parents that every child needs and longs for. Allen has Eric describe his behaviour (abuse) to his own 4-year-old,

"...When daddy was little, he got a bad cut......a cut on the inside.....like when you get your feelings hurt......you know what happens when you don't treat a cut properly." 

"It doesn't get better." "Daddy got his feeling hurt when he was four years old too.... but nobody made him feel better."

It is because Allen has constructed this novel based on his personal crisis of faith and the healing he has received that forms a solid base of this novella. Eric's emotions, fear and reactions to his childhood and spiritual abuse is very convincing. So is the attitudes and behaviour of his biological parents who are the main perpetrators of both of his abuses. I found myself reliving some of my spiritual abuse but I also became angry at the perpetrators for the reasons they acted as they did. But it was not just that but the fact that for them, they did not suffer as much of the ill effects of this mentality. As usual, it is the victims of abuse that suffer the most compared to their perpetrators. For Eric's parents, the reasons for their abuse or what influenced them to behave in such a way has overtaken them and ended up defining them, especially his mother. 

It would not surprise me if the quest for the root cause of Eric's inability to say the name of Jesus is based on Allen's own experience with poetic licence added. In the Author's Note, he describes his own journey of faith since his father died. Eric's quest for answers and a relationship with God sparks a determination to keep going. Allen has the same attitude as he describes in his Author's Note. I can relate to that as well from my experience.

I was very disturbed by the spiritual abuse that Allen has thoroughly depicted with more than enough detail. Even though spiritual abuse does not take the same form as he has depicted, it shows the destructive effects on the victims and the perpetrators. This abuse serves to cause both parties to deviate from who they are and what they could be in Christ. Reading the accounts of Eric's mother and the spiritual abuse she metered out to Eric and to all her other "victims" I was struck with the thought that she could well have some form of mental illness that led to her manipulation and misinterpretation of the Bible and its tenets on salvation and being in a righteousness relationship with God. This type of scenario also is ripe for satan or his minions to then reinforce this and use this to reinforce this behaviour and if goes unchecked, leads to eternal damnation in Hell. 

It is for these reasons that the Church needs to not hide or sweep this insidious cancer under the carpet or justify it. Spiritual abuse sets apart the mission of the Church and is in direct opposition to everything the Church is built on, the Bible and especially the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He came to set us free from the bondage of sin and death. Spiritual abuse does the opposite, it binds us to sin and destroys any spiritual freedom and right relationship with Christ. No wonder, satan uses every opportunity to his advantage.

The Epilogue has Eric 5 years on from exposing his parents for the abuse he suffered and in a new position of a trained counsellor in child therapy. There is an implication that he is in a right relationship with God but his healing is a work in progress, but he is at peace with himself and with God.  I can see some Christians having an issue with this as their belief is that this healing should not take time but be instant upon accepting Jesus at conversion. But that is them putting God in a box and dictating how He should act. God is not manipulated like this by His created. God knows us and what we need, so depending on the severity of the effects on the abuse on the individual, it may take a longer time for them to work through this but the Spirit of God is always patient and encouraging. I guess this is where the free will comes into play, He wants us to decide to accept Him so He knows the time and events that we need to make that decision and prepares it for us. This even applies to issues like spiritual abuse. Even Allen in his Author's Note attests to this. My experience is the same. 

I pray that this novel will minister to those who have suffered child abandonment and spiritual abuse. The Spirit of God can, will and does use all things, including fiction, to minister to those in need. I have experienced this myself. And Allen does as well, as evidenced by the content in his Author's Note.

This is an enjoyable read but a hard one to read for the most part. Just as Allen portrays in Eric's life, the healing he desperately needed, he has experienced this himself and maybe still experiencing it. So am I. But the reader needs to reflect on Allen's words from his Author's note, 

I was hurt but that doesn't mean He isn't a beautiful Saviour, that doesn't mean He still isn't a perfect and sovereign God-just like Eric discovers by the end, time reveals the purpose of our pain. And I believe my purpose is to write stories that don't follow popular trends, stories that have no real concern with what currently sells, and instead write exactly what God has put in my heart. 

Aversion offers no easy solutions because nothing about this life is easy, including a relationship with Jesus. But that doesn't mean He isn't worth it every single day. He is WORTHY. ALWAYS. 

I am glad to have read this new offering from Allen. It might have just further aided in the healing of my "cut". 

Strongly Recommended.

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They also help promote the author’s message (and God’s message) to the reader, whether Christian or not, who may need encouragement and support in their lives while being entertained by the story.

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30 Days Hath Revenge by C. Kevin Thompson

30 Days Hath Revenge

Book 1 of the Blake Meyer Thriller Series!

A Clandestine Mission. A Cryptic Message. A Chaste Promise.

Blake Meyers dreamed of a peaceful end to a dutiful career with the FBI. Married now, his life was taking him in a new direction--a desk job. He would be an analyst. Ride it out until retirement. Be safe so he could enjoy family life.

But when a notable member of the IRA is murdered in his London flat, Blake's secretive past propels him into the middle of an international scheme so twisted and sadistic, it will take everything Blake possesses--all of it--to save the United States from a diabolical terrorist attack.

The Guru's Review: 

Reading this novel gave me yet another confirmation that just because this is a debut novel it does not have to be a dud or you feel the author needs to put in more hard yards before they publish next. 

I was immediately taken in by this novel. Not just with the plot and charactersation but with the writing. Thompson writes very well. It is immediately evident. This is one very strong asset to him as an author. His command of the English language and how he constructs it for this novel forms one very solid foundation upon which the plot, pace and charactersiation rest. It did not surprise me to discover that Thompson has won Awards for his writing, the first edition of this novel was a Silver Medalist in the Readers' Favorite 2013 Book of the Year Awards in the Christian Fiction category. 

The pace in this setting is frenetic. It never lets up. It is this that keeps you coming back for more. In some novels of this genre and calibre, it can end up with the characters being in a plot driven storyline and the main character being taken for a ride with the fast paceness of the plot. Here, the reader can feel that everything is happening to the main character or characters and they have no or not much control over what is happening to them. In this novel, Thompson has avoided this pitfall. It is very much a character driven plot. This lends itself very well to Blake being able to use his extensive experience and knowledge of his field to find out answers to the terrorist threat to his present and that of the world's population.

Just as Thompson has an excellent, competent command of the English language, the same degree of expertise can be said for the construction of this novel, the characters but especially the plot. There are no thin areas of plotlines, characterisation or pace. There is depth to all these aspects. Blake is one self-made man who knows who he is and what makes himself tick. He is extremely relational and even before the events and characters of his past start to influence him, Thompson has developed him enough to have the reader endeared to him and on his side. This bides well when the events of his past threaten him and the rest of the world. You are already on his side and rooting for him. Doing it this way establishes his credibility as a character and gives the reader the confidence to continue to read without any doubt of Thompson's development of Blake. 

Another aspect of Thompon's characterisation is the layered construction of the plot and how this affects Blake. The terrorist plot that exists in Blake's past that is now affecting his present also adds layers to the professional and personal life of Blake and his family. It sets the stage for him to show how versatile and resourceful an agent he is, in simultaneously fulfilling the responsibilities his profession as an Agent and protecting his family. 

I can see why Thompson is successful with this novel. He as researched it well and applied it effectively. Clues to this success can be found from his Amazon bio: 

He is a huge fan of the TV series "24," "The Blacklist," "Blue Bloods," "Designated Survivor," and "Criminal Minds." He loves anything to do with Star Trek, is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic, and reads lots of books.

Apart from Blake, I have a soft spot for Harrison Kelly. I really enjoyed this character. It is an asset for an author's ability to successfully depict the nationality of the character. While reading the sections involving Kelly and Blake, I felt very much at home with his mannerisms and language as Thompson has depicted Kelly as pretty much how us Australians speak and behave. 

I also enjoyed Agent Julee Scarfano. She seems a more than capable operative and is very good as being a go-between for Blake and Connell when Blake needs to bypass the restrictive rules and regulations of the FBI in order to go rogue. I hope that Thompson includes Julee in the remaining 5 novels in this series. The almost love-hate relationship between Connell and Blake adds another layer of suspense that I enjoyed. This seems to be a characteristic of novels in this military, special ops genre. I never get sick of the main character thwarting and bypassing rules and regulations to get things done in dire circumstances of a mission when rules and regulations would restrict its outcomes. Connell seems to waver between sticking to the confines of the FBI operation procedures and giving Blake what he needs within this. He fails miserably and nearly loses Blakes respect for him or at least has it damaged. 

This novel is described by Thompson and others as a Christian thriller due to its exclusion of sex, profanity and other gore. I would challenge this. These exclusions make this a clean read and that does not make it Christian. Some secular authors write clean reads with these exclusions and their novels are far from being Christian. 

What makes this a Christian thriller is the inclusion of spirituality based on Biblical themes and doctrines and who God is. There is only a little of this in this novel. I felt that if it was omitted, it would not have any great impact on the overall plot or even on Blake to whom it was directed. Consequently, this omission would have made it a clean read and indistinguishable from a secular novel. However, with this inclusion, Thompson gets Blake thinking about the meaning of life (cliche not intended!), the question of evil and its effects on the human race and where he all fits into this. There was potential there for Thompson to develop this further and as a result, develop the character of Harrison who is the sole Christian character and who provides the spiritual/ biblical input to Blake. I hope that this is included more and developed further in the sequel, Triple Time, and the remaining books 3-6 that are to come over the next few years. 

Maybe I expected more of these Biblical themes and spirituality due to the fact that Thompson is an ordained minister. I have found from reading other novels from Ministers/Pastors they have no problem including Biblical themes of redemption, salvation, evil, death, spiritual warfare, sexuality and other themes concerning the ills of this world (suffering, addictions, domestic violence, to name a few) in greater detail than what Thompson has, without it being preachy or "fire and brimstone" type narrative. 

The above is the only shortcoming I see in this novel. I have thoroughly enjoyed it and the writing ability of this author. I am glad to have approached him to write a review and be part of his launch party for this series. 

Strongly Recommended. 4/5 Stars.

World Building 5/5

Characters 5/5 

Spiritual Level 3/5 

Story 5/5 

Enemy Spiritual Level 0/5

Overall Rating: 4.5/5

To buy or read a preview of 30 Days of Revenge, click on the BUY/PREVIEW icons below:

Assault on Saint Agnes by Joseph Courtemanche

Assault on Saint Agnes

When terrorists assault Saint Agnes Chruch in St. Paul, Minnesota, they expect to find a congregation of lambs: they get Bobby Krutz, instead. An unrepentant Cold Warrior, Kurtz destroys the terror cell with violent finality. 

Against his will, Kurtz is pulled back into the life he left behind decades before. He reluctantly picks up the burden of hunting the terrorists in our midst. He risks his life, and his marriage, in a single-minded pursuit of victory over evil.

Working with a shadowy government agency, Kurtz uses all of his skills and experience to fold a plan that would plunge the Twin Cities back into the Stone Age. The final battle rages across the plains during a Christmas Eve blizzard in a story that will leave the reader pleading for more of Kurtz and his team of experts. 

Release date: April 18th, 2016 from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but an autographed copy is available now at a reduced price from the author's website: Commotion In The Pews

The Guru's Review: 

I was asked by the author to review this novel before its release date and was provided a free electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. 

I really enjoyed this story. For a debut author, Courtemanche writes well and has a solidly constructed novel. I should not be surprised as the author lists his writing background and "training" in his bio, 

Assault on Saint Agnes is the recipient of the Genesis Award for best-unpublished work in 2015. That was awarded by the American Christian Fiction Writers. Assault on Saint Agnes has also finished second in the Athanatos Ministries Christian Novel Contest, and was a finalist in Operation First Novel. All three contests are highly regarded in the industry. 

Quite an impressive writing resume! This novel is not overly as fast paced as novels of similar genre, but the pace is fast enough to keep you coming back for more. This author definitely knows his subject matter and the novel is built upon the experience the author's career, as described by himself,

.......former Police Officer and Middle East/North Africa analyst....a distinguished veteran of the Naval Security Group of the United States Navy, and an Arabic Linguist with training at the University of Minnesota and the Defense Language Institute (Honors Graduate) .......holds several military awards, including two flag letters of commendation for his work in providing real-time intelligence support to commanders in the field. His experience provides the background that’s crucial to his writing in the thriller genre. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and holds degrees from two other colleges as well. 

Seeing this novel revolves around Bobby Kurtz, it pays that Courtemanche has depicted him very relatable and one who the reader becomes endeared to. Somehow, I feel that Bobby is based somewhat on the author seeing that this main protagonist is depicted in an environment based on the author's past career. I can see nothing wrong with this and it definitely adds depth, and character to this "character"!

Courtemanche also portrays well the interpersonal relationships between Bobby's fellow agents and the hierarchy of this organization including their procedures and protocols. Again his past experience shines here and adds to the realistic feel of this novel including any action, suspense and intrigue. It sure does draw you in! This author really shines in creating the special ops plot and genre and he translates this past experience and expertise brilliantly. 

Courtemanche's research also extends to the terrorist plot line including the Muslim ideology and mindset for revenge, death, and destruction as part of following the Koran and its directives towards the American infidels. This is depicted well and shows the hatred towards the American people. I have read enough of these types of novels to know that how Courtemanche has depicted this is close to reality.

I am not a great fan of the romance genre either secular or Christian based, but when romance is included as part of the plot or a subplot, I do enjoy it, especially when it is written by a male author and a Christian one at that. I loved the romance created by Courtemanche between Bobby and his wife Grace, it shines of what Christian married love should be and needs to be. I look forward to more romance from this author as I feel he does this well and shows great potential for developing this further in future novels.

This is one very clean read, no sex or sexual innuendo, swearing, but there is violence and I feel in a novel like this you cannot get away with leaving this out, this is the reality of this type of plot as it does reflect real life. There are themes of redemption, sacrifice and relying on God but I would have preferred these to have been more obvious and developed as to their Christian/biblical source and the main character showing more of his faith in the events of this novel. There is great opportunity for the Christian worldview to be expressed in more detail here and it would have enhanced this novel better and taken it away from it being viewed as a clean read. As it is, it does not stand out as obvious Christian fiction until you get to the end of the novel. 

Here, what I am talking about is evident and very obvious in this scene that is very Christian/biblical orientated and presents the Gospel beautifully, and Courtemanche's love of his God shines through here. It shows the power of the Cross in changing a heart of hate and evil indoctrination towards God and the power of His might and Spirit to bring him into a right relationship with God, taking him from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light. Very powerful and I don't see this as preachy or as bible bashing the reader. It fits in very well with the plot. 

This scene ends this novel really well and I can see the potential for Courtemanche to include more of these redemptive and spirit filled elements throughout the plot of his future novels. I feel that Christian fiction needs to stand out as such without bible bashing, preaching and turning readers away from the Gospel but rather pointing them towards this Gospel and its author. I can see that Courtemanche has great potential to do this in future novels.

I am very much looking forward to future novels from this very promising and talented author. 

Strongly Recommended

World building 4/5

Characters 4/5

Story 4/5

Spiritual level 3/5

Spiritual Enemy Level N/A

Average Rating: 4/5

The Posse - Volume 1 - Visions by C.Q/ Scafidi, Cindy Koepp, Giovanni Gelati

The Posse - Volume 1 - Visions

The Posse. Stealth, Swift and Sure was their motto. Frontier justice was their mission. Secrecy was their modus operandi. They were Three West Point graduates with a single mission, to eliminate corruption and injustice wherever it was found, with the clandestine assistance of their handler back at West Point, General Milton Cavanaugh. Cavanaugh was decorated, respected, and in charge of the most secretive law enforcement body of the time, exacting justice and dispensing punishment without court oversight, using technologies still unknown to the common man, across the entire frontier.

Release date: March 10, 2016

The Guru's Review: 

I was asked by author, Giovanni Gelati, to review this short story pre-release for an honest review. 

I have read only one steampunk novel previously and this would be my second western novel. Putting these two genres together works well, despite the fact that the former is technology ahead of the time of this western set in the late 1850s, during the American Civil War. Being only 27 pages in length, it succeeds in setting the stage for the first mission in the series, introducing the team of three operatives who make up The Posse, a little about their steampunk aircraft, the Union Flyer, and allowing the reader to experience a little of their first mission.

Having technology that is ahead if its time included in this short, reminds me of how effective and fun this same type of scenario was in the Kel Richards series, Ben Bartholomew Mystery Series, set in the time of Jesus where there was modern technology such as phones, electricity, computers, taxis and fast food delivery. There are hints of this in this short and hopefully, this will be expanded upon in future volumes/shorts of this series. I loved it in the former series and I love it in this new one.

The authors of this new series have created a team called The Posse who motto is, "Stealth, Swift, and Sure. Eradicating corruption and injustice wherever it is found". And in this first volume, the seeds are set to show that they live up to this motto.

I like some of the infrastructure that the authors have created that underpins this team and how they operate. It is backed by a General at West Point (United States Military Academy) who uses methods that are clandestine, to say the least. This group is a secretive law enforcement team who aim is to exact justice and dispense punishment without court oversight, using technologies (including an advanced communication device and vehicles of the steampunk kind) that are ahead of the current technological age. There is even a secret support group called the Silent Stewards, who, 

....are everywhere. They tend to appear when we need them the most. We don't necessarily know how or why, just that they exist as part of General Cavanaugh's Special Forces group. Many of them are just regular people who volunteer for the cause of justice. They hid in plain sight, and their anonymity is essential to their survival. No one is who they appear to be. 

One aspect that stood out to me was the attention to detail of this era, the 1850s, the civil war, New Orleans, the way they spoke and the culture, the civil war sympathies evident, even this latter aspect was part of their mission. I look forward to more of this in subsequent "volumes".

The Posse team seem to be a very tight-knit and unified team. It appears they know each others strengths and weaknesses and compliment each other as evidenced by their game plan in dealing with the perpetrators of the crimes they are sent to address. This seems to be one of the strengths of this new series. I presume they are Christian but this is not obvious or evident in the narrative but that may be my presumption. I hope that the authors will be including and expanding Christian themes in future volumes and plot lines as this one barely hints of anything, but I do get the impression that this is a Christian story and is therefore in the genre of Christian fiction. It is being promoted on Gelati's blog as paranormal series and that Volume 2 has a strong paranormal/steampunk vibe!

My only criticism is that the ending was just very sudden, in the midst of some action with the perpetrators of their mission. The plot just ended, leaving you hanging. I kept clicking on the next page button on my kindle but it said Book Completed.

For only 27 pages, there is only so much that be included without risking the characters and plot lines becoming weak and disjointed, but the authors have achieved a lot here, with what I have described. I am looking forward to this new series. It does show a lot of promise. 

Strongly Recommended. 4/5