A supernatural thriller where the fate of the world waits on the eminent release of a powerful drug. And...beasts from the pits of hell. And...an ancient evil plot. And...demons....
This powerful drug would create maniacal super humans - over time. It has already infiltrated the pond of a wealthy ex-football player named Tommy. Tommy's home is also surrounded by supernatural, yet corporal, beasts. The same beasts have attacked a teenage boy named Reese who has escaped the elite St Adrian's Academy.
Reese makes his way to Tommy's place and begins to confide and align with Tommy and his girlfriend Dani. This couple is already more than aware of much of the evil being carried out at St Adrians, where young men are selected, chosen, and are then tucked away. How will their plans be carried out? What can Tommy & Dani do? Fight demons and save the world of course.
Deep breath....
OK, honestly, I have loved the supernatural writing of certain authors and avoided that of others. Some of it I can read and end with "Hmm...that was interesting. Not biblical, but interesting and entertaining", mostly because I enjoy page-turning mystery. I also enjoy thought provocation that causes me to dig deeper into the Word of God. However, for other titles, I read the summary and just can't "go there". It's a bit hard to explain, but it feels too much to me in the realm of spiritual fiction, too much focus on evil, too much much bizarreness and too much...well, I just don't stomach much in the way of gory.
In any case, I gave this author a shot as I needed a selection for my next book review from Booksneeze. I had seen her name come up in Kindle Deals previously and read that she was a legal analyst for Fox news. That gave me the impression that her fiction writing might be more stunted in style because when someone deals with facts and details so much, sharing the emotive connection needed in a gripping novel could be a bit of a jump. I believe this because I experience it in my own writing.
Overall, I did enjoy the story enough to want to go back and read the first two novels in the trilogy. However, probably a bigger part of the reason I want to read the other two is because there were so many points in this book where I felt like I was given a short overview of past events, but not enough to really connect with the relationships, the undercurrent of a plot line and the preparation for battle. At the same time, I wonder if I would really understand that much more. It seemed like there were plots that co-mingled but not well. None of them seem to really climax with much excitement because there didn't seem to be enough build up. It also felt like many of the components to the story just kind of happened without feeling or with connection to me as a reader. Some of this may be because I didn't read the previous two novels, and some of it is just be due to the writing itself. I really wanted to feel more with Tommy and Dani and Reese, and others, as the beasts loomed outdoors and were anticipated to attack at any time. I really wanted to feel a little more fear with Cassandra as she puts herself in a dangerous position. I think those feelings should have been evoked but couldn't find much of a reason to feel them.
Throughout the book I didn't really feel like there was much of a supernatural battle. The only reference to God that I recall, directly or indirectly, was towards the end. Sure, there were beasts from hell and angels, but the general idea of demons and angels fighting is not specific to Christianity. The only point when I felt there was any acknowledgement of God was in the ending. It was a bit hokey, but I did like the meaning of the concluding events. In other supernatural novels that I have enjoyed, such as by author Ted Dekker or Frank Peretti, there isn't necessarily a mention of God either, but the way various events play out has much deeper spiritual meaning, more of an internal spiritual struggle alongside supernatural events. This is why I enjoy the books as not theologically accurate but because, while entertaining, they prompt me to consider my own struggles, to recognize that the enemy is constantly seeking to devour and that I have a need to seek Him more and more so His truth and glory shine above it all in my own life.
The novel was an easy and fairly quick read. I may read the first two and see if my original impression of the third is jaded by not having read them. The writing was intriguing enough, and refrained from enough gore, to keep me interested and give another book a chance. So, I am giving this book 3 stars and willing to give further consideration.
This book was provided by Booksneeze for the purposes of review. All thoughts and considerations are entirely my own.
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