The Bookshelf Reviews

A review of The House, by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti.

Conviction
by Skylar Burris

If you’re looking for something literary and are frustrated with the over-easy reading books of the twentieth century - you know the ones – three hundred page hardcover volumes that cost over $20 even though the font size is close to 14, most of the paragraphs are only a sentence or two long, and they last about a day or so, then Convictions, by Skylar Burris, could be just the thing to give your “little gray cells”, (Hercule Poirot – Agatha Christie), the workout they so truly deserve this summer.

For those of you who actually liked The Left Behind series…perhaps not. In any case, Convictions is a well-written tale told in the classic style of writing, hearkening back to the good old days of the Bronte Sisters, Johnathon Swift, and James Joyce.

A sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, it is much more than a writer playing off of the groundwork of another. I myself have never read Pride & Prejudice, (I think a fraternity was having a dunking booth fund raiser that day and I skipped class), but the novel stands well by itself – reading its prior is not necessary for enjoying this clever tale.

Burris has certainly done her homework on the historical and literary elements of the period, and she falls into the footsteps of the time-period’s style of writing well, without mimiking or parroting Austen’s style. The reader is presented with great balls and ceremonies, flouncing ladies looking to snag a man and a tidy inheritance, scheming suitors looking for a bride to be, and amongst them, hearts yearning for true love in only the way Romantic characters, (that’s capital ‘R’ for the literary time period; not as in Harlequin), truly can.

One thing Burris did an excellent job on is the crafting of the disinherited Jacob Markwood, the new vicar in town. She’s done a neat trick here: playing with elements of faith and Christianity without them being visible, obvious plot ‘props’, which is something many Christian novels often fall prey to. However, be sure to note: though the story explores elements of faith and morality, it does so from the perspective of the common human being as they go about their lives, and does not present a didactic “moral of the story” at the end.

As a reader, you will empathize with poor Jacob as he struggles with his growing attraction to the already engaged Georgiana Darcy, (whatever is a man of God to do about such things?), you’ll groan at the antics of Kitty Bennett and Niles Davidson, and sigh in contentment as everything works out all right in the end. Sometimes, that can be a very typecast ending, but in this novel it is the most logical and satisfying conclusion. Good thing Burris didn’t pull a fast one like many of the Romantic Period writers and have Miss Darcy catch a fever and die of pnemonia in the last chapter!

The pace of the novel takes its time, and though for the more attenion-challenged this might be frustrating, it is the only way to tell this tale and be true to the period from which it is inspired. This is a novel about the human experience, emotions, hopes, dreams, and lives that cross and intermingle in the most unexpected ways. To speed up the narrative would do the novel a great disservice.

In the end, the only thing that a reader should be cautioned about is the same thing I began with: this is not one of this ‘read during the commercials’ type of book. If you choose to pick up a copy of Convictions, make sure you block out the time necessary to enjoy it to its fullest.

Sklyar Burris is a free-lance editor, and used copies of Convictions may be purchased online at Amazon.com, however the novel will be re-released by the end of the summer in a new edition. For more information, visit the author’s website:
http://www.editorskylar.com/

4 out of 5 stars

Angelos, by Robina Williams

Looking for an imaginative tale blending elements of classical Greek history and mythology with contemporary matters of faith and spirituality? Perhaps you’re seeking an alternative to the Harry Potter craze for your older teenagers, or something just a bit more cerebral than The Chronicles of Narnia for yourself. If so, perhaps Angelos, by United Kingdom author Robina Williams, could possibly fill a spot on this summer’s reading list.

Angelos follows the dimension-hopping, reality bending adventures of Quant the cat, a furry feline with a penchant for sarcastic non-sequeters and a metaphysical out-look on existence that would bend the minds of even the most non-linear folks. From the shores of Crete to the hallowed halls of a friary full of monks in the countryside, Angelos is a pleasing little romp through the annals of both classical Greek mythology and the history of the Franciscan Order.

Williams takes these classics of Greek literature and puts her own spin on them, creating amusing caricatures that are cheeky, whimsical fun to read: the Minotaur, a self-conscious, humble fellow who’d rather be a vegetarian than eat poor Athenians, (of whom he abhors the taste), and Deiphobe, Sibyl of Cumae, an oracle who gets her clairvoyance from inhaling Ethyalene gasses and chewing on laurel leaves rather than mystical powers, are only two examples of characters re-cast in different, tongue-in-cheek portrayals.

Angelos is written in a conversational, easy to read style, and if it weren’t for a few minor “adult-oriented” topics of conversation pursued by some of the characters, this novel would be a good fit for adolescents, especially in the user-friendly way it acquaints readers with classical Greek lore. However, because of those relatively minor and one-time instances mentioned in passing and not endorsed in any way, Angelos should be relegated to elder teenage readers and above.

A positive point about the novel is the quantum cat himself, Quant. With all the ‘cat-related’ mythical archetypes already in use in books and movies, (one really BIG cat in particular that we all know and love), his character could have easily come off as one-dimensional and typecast, but Quant by far is the most intriguing character in the story. In fact, the novel would have been served better by focusing more on Quant himself, and a little less on the inner dynamics of the friary, which at times seemed distracting and superfluous.

There are two things for readers to note about Angelos. Firstly, it is the sequel to another book, Jerome & the Seraph. Angelos is not a direct narrative continuation of that novel, but it is recommended that Jerome & the Seraph be read first to help familiarize with the world of the friary and Quant’s main “side-kick” – for lack of a better term – the ghost of the dearly departed Brother Jerome.

Secondly, the narrative delves into the nature of metaphysics, reality, and the flow of time, so it can get tricky to follow at times. Readers may get distracted by some of the diverging plotlines and Quant’s oftentimes metaphysical obtuseness.

Angelos is a laid-back read, and the narrative flow does seem to dawdle in places. There is no clear antagonist or protagonist, and the story is less about conflict between two sides, and more about a journey in the pursuit of understanding. It might be considered a little slow for action lovers; however introspective readers will find it amusing, as well as thought provoking about the nature of myths and the truths in history that may have given rise to them in the first place.

Very reminiscent of Stephen Lawhead’s Christian works, (Pendragon, Byzantium), and like many works following a new trend in the Christian fiction market, Angelos is not an evangelizing story bolstered by certain required Biblical truths along the way, ending with the required, proscribed conversion at the end. It must be read with this in mind: it is not promoting or endorsing anything, merely telling a story and asking the eternal question all writers encounter at some point in their own narrative journeys: what if?

Angelos is published by Paladin Timeless Books, an imprint of Twilight Times Books. Jerome & Seraph, Angelos, and other books published by Twilight can be purchased at Barnes & Noble Online, Borders Online, and Amazon.com, as well as from the publisher’s website, which is: www.twilighttimesbooks.com. Visit the author’s website at www.robinawilliams.com.

3 stars out of 5

Remember, you can read past reviews and even comment on them in my new blog. Just go to : www.kevinlucia.net/kevinskorner or go directly to the blog at:
www.thebookshelfreviews.blogspot.com

Review of The Hidden, by Kathryn Mackel

Review of Shadows of Woodend, Book One of the Legends of Arvalast Series.
www.arvalast.com

Book Review of Saint, by Ted Dekker - coming out in September by Westbow.