The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis (Excellent)
*Audiobook Available
A bus load of passengers from Hell arrives in Heaven. Why is Heaven so different from what we experience here on Earth, or in Hell? Why does it seem so difficult and painful to get to Heaven?
These are the questions C. S. Lewis explores in this novel through the experiences of different characters on the trip. The short book is entertaining but also spiritually meaty. My adult Sunday School class once read through and discussed this book for all the life lessons it provides.
The Harbingers Series by Angela Hunt, Frank E. Peretti, Bill Myers, Alton Gansky (Average)
*Audiobook Available
This series is an interesting idea. Four authors write individual stories, each from the perspective of one character. So, Angela Hunt writes from the perspective of a woman named Brenda and tells the first story. Then Frank Peretti writes from the perspective of the professor in the second story. Etc. It's unique and all flows together very well.
And the stories themselves are interesting. Here's my problem with the series, though. The characters are given supernatural abilities in the first book, and only of them is a Christian. And the first time we see that Christian character, he's drunk. The stories themselves hint at God but seem more paranormal in nature, as if suggesting God uses paranormal/horror events to communicate confusing messages to people. Is that how we believe God speaks to us?
Finally, the characters are not likable people, and they don't have much depth. The Christian character is much more likable in his story, and maybe the characters will grow in the next books of the series, but I can say I'm not much interested in reading beyond book one.
To summarize, it's an interesting concept with interesting stories but focuses too much on the paranormal rather than Christian for me, and the characters are not people I want to spend any more time with.
A note on the audiobook: The narration is decent except for the third story. The new reader jarringly changes the characters' accents from the first two stories. Brenda, the sassy black woman, is read like she's a "valley girl," and the southern man has no accent more often than he does.
Quantum Cat Series by Robina Williams (Good)
Brother Jerome is dead. So now what should he do?
Robina Williams’ Quantum Cat series, of which Jerome and the Seraph
is first, revolves around a group of friars and their pet cat, Leo,
living in the English countryside. When one of the friars dies, however,
he finds himself in an afterworld that he never expected and must now
rely on his old feline companion to help him navigate his way around the
afterlife.
Meanwhile,
the rest of the brothers become rather concerned about the head of
their local friary, Father Fidelis. Some surmise that the priest is
terminally ill. Others believe he’s having an affair with the new woman
who’s moved into town.
Blending mystery, humor, and a wee bit of heresy, Robina delivers a very pleasant read in Jerome and the Seraph. The plot may seem a bit slow to some, but remember, life in the friary isn’t supposed to be fast.
More
conservative readers should note that the characters do take the Lord’s
name in vain and use mild curse words to a limited extent. There is
also a Christianized reference to the mythological gods. Finally, as
Brother Jerome discovers, the afterlife described in this book may not
be the Heaven that you would expect.
Overall, I give Jerome and the Seraph a recommendation of Good and will look forward to reading the rest of Robina Williams’ Quantum Cat series, Angelos and Gaea.
Revival: The True Fairy Tale by Lydia and Kiya Thornton (Excellent)
Not your typical Fantasy novel.
Nina receives a magic bottle from a mysterious old bag lady and is whisked away to another land where she:
- meets talking animals,
- visits a church that isn’t a church,
- speaks to a tornado,
- goes to a Satanic circus,
- tours Heaven and Hell,
- has incredible visions,
- and learns the truth behind what UFOs really are.
As you can see, there is a lot going on in Revival,
and it is an interesting story, but for all the plot elements, it
doesn’t read like a novel. Most of the book is dialogue or scene
description with virtually no action sequences. That’s not bad. It’s
just not something that most people are going to want to sit down and
read for long periods of time. I found that if I treated the book more
like a devotional, it was a lot better.
The authors provide a lot of Scripture and really have some very good insights and explanations into the spiritual realm. Much
of it is solid Biblically, but of course, there’s a good bit of
imagination and fiction-writing as well. Also, the authors include some
theology and their own views that certainly not all Christians will
agree with.
Aesthetically,
I really like the illustrations included in the book. Unfortunately,
the script suffers from a lack of quality editing. Most readers are sure
to spot quite a few grammatical mistakes.
Overall, though, I’m giving Revival
a recommendation of Excellent. It’s not a book for everyone, but if
you’re looking for a spiritual journey story, Revival is one of the most
imaginative to come out for years.
The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis (Excellent)
*Audiobook Available
Don't think of this book as a novel. It's a fictional series of letters between a senior demon and a demon-in-training. The senior demon gives advice on how the underling should tempt his human prey and distract him from the truth and priorities of life.
Of course the real question Lewis wants you to ask is, How is Satan distracting and tempting you?
Seven Archangels by Jane Lebak (Excellent)
*Audiobook Available
The
classical struggle of good against evil becomes even more dangerous as
angels are forced to fight for their lives in Jane Lebak’s Seven Archangels: Annihilation.
Jane
combines humor, action, and a unique take on the angelic host as she
helps us to imagine what it would be like if Satan and his demons
discovered a way to unmake an angel.
The
angel characters in this book are not the perfect, stoic saints we
normally envision. They are much more human, though undoubtedly more
powerful than any human was created to be. They often disagree with one
another, get jealous and angry with each other, and even question God
from time to time. As in normal human life, God is often on the
sidelines in this book, regularly offering guidance and comfort, but
usually leaving it up to His followers to handle the hands-on stuff. The
great thing about God in this book is that whereas the angels are often
afraid and unsure, God never is. He is in complete control the entire
time.
Even
so, there is a definite sense of urgency in the book. Although the
reader trusts that God is ultimately in control, we never know how far
God is willing to let a situation escalate. There is a very poignant
scene in which God commands one of His angels to let another angel die
and we see how challenging that is to the character’s faith.
The
main angel characters, such as Gabriel, Remiel, Raphael, and Michael
are very easy to identify with and they are, in many instances, familiar
names from Scripture and Christian legend. So the reader definitely
finds themselves caring about what happens to these characters. There is
even a cameo appearance by the Apostle Peter and a rather large
supporting role given to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
One
thing I hate about a book is an unsatisfying ending and Jane certainly
doesn’t disappoint with this one. The last battle will keep you guessing
as you dread what will happen to two of the main characters and the
resolution and epilogue are well worth the wait.
With
that said, I do have a couple of detractors to mention. First, the
angels in this book are all organized into different groups with
different abilities given to them and they are able to bond and
communicate with one another in special ways. Whereas this is all very
interesting and indeed forms a large part of the subplot, it also seems
to get a little too complex, especially in the beginning, as Jane’s
humorous foreword addresses. Still, as long as you don’t get too hung up
on trying to figure everything out and instead just let the story carry
you along, you should be fine.
The
other questionable material involves the way in which two angels or two
demons are able to bond with one another. The relationship seems to
resemble a human romance more than a platonic friendship. There is one
scene, for instance, where the imagery of how one demon is attacking
another almost sounds like a rape. Later, these same two demons, both
described in the masculine, are very obviously flirting with one another
as one sits on the others’ lap. I don’t think this should keep you from
reading the book, but it is something you will most probably notice. In
the author’s defense, angels do not necessarily have to relate to one
another in the same way that humans do and these scenes may even have
been purposefully inserted here to show how the demons are even unable
to love one another properly.
