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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
This book was eery, well written, and a compelling story. Even though I don't always love fantastical elements in novels, the concept of the spiritual realm displayed in this novel was very interesting and though I'll never truly know what goes on there it gave me something to wonder about.
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Really cannot give a coherent 'review' right now I'm just rejoicing and really thinking! I LOVED IT. A big insight and though my parents teach and show us a lot of what the book showed- the book had an amazing tale and gripping way of showing how things are past what our mere eyes can see!
Yeshua sent His people out to cast out demons... This books was spot on and real for me.
Yeshua sent His people out to cast out demons... This books was spot on and real for me.
I read this book when I was a very young Christian and it did open my eyes to the fact that the spirit world is real. While I do not agree with much of the way the spirit world is taught in this book and would not recommend it, it was a page turner and fun read. If you take it as complete fantasy in a universe that probably doesn't exist, like Cloverfield or the Hunger Games or Star Wars, then you will probably enjoy it. Just don't consider it's theology to be solidly Biblical.
This Present Darkness is thought-provoking. Having had a few recent run-ins with evil, it was timely to read about Peretti’s interpretation of spiritual warfare. It is very much war with a boyish fascination over swords, battles, and the evil takeover of a college town. Perhaps more interesting than the conflict between demons and angels was the conflict between humans. A newspaper man, a global businessman, and a preacher man do battle on the ground and in their spirits to save the town. There are some important women figures, but they generally orbit around these core male characters expect for one central woman character who, despite a slew of other evil characters, ends up irredeemable. Wicked women are never left unpunished in real life or fiction, I suppose.
Parallel stories play out in sync as human action spurs spirit action. Peretti describes demons and angels doing battle as humans conflict. If you’ve never thought of it that way, it’s interesting. At times, it seemed like humans just were pawns in this larger battle. Angels discussed letting humans fall to serve the greater good, but by the end of the book, it was clear that neither good nor evil had a foothold with human intervention. It makes me wonder why humans have not yet negotiated a better deal for themselves with the powers that be. If they need us for good and ill, couldn’t we call a truce and get about the business of making the earth a better place for everyone? I suppose there’s a fantasy novel in that idea.
This Present Darkness is a book about spiritual warfare. There has to be an enemy, but Peretti conflates too many things into evil. Meditation, hypnosis, yoga, lotus pose, goddess worship, ascended masters, Eastern philosophy, education, the academy, prayer to anyone other than God/Jesus are all looped in with the evil. It was a rather careless catchall. I have decided to credit ignorance on the author’s part. Awareness of spirituality has increased since the mid-80s. I’m not going to tell you how the book ends, but I feel like you can guess. It’s not so much the end but how we get there that intrigued me. Peretti is a suspenseful writer. He’s writing a chess book so if you fall asleep and half read a few chapters you’re gonna have to go back. All the details matter and the unraveling leaves no stone unturned. That’s the kind of fiction I like to read even if the lines between good and evil are drawn more starkly in the novel than they are in real life.
Parallel stories play out in sync as human action spurs spirit action. Peretti describes demons and angels doing battle as humans conflict. If you’ve never thought of it that way, it’s interesting. At times, it seemed like humans just were pawns in this larger battle. Angels discussed letting humans fall to serve the greater good, but by the end of the book, it was clear that neither good nor evil had a foothold with human intervention. It makes me wonder why humans have not yet negotiated a better deal for themselves with the powers that be. If they need us for good and ill, couldn’t we call a truce and get about the business of making the earth a better place for everyone? I suppose there’s a fantasy novel in that idea.
This Present Darkness is a book about spiritual warfare. There has to be an enemy, but Peretti conflates too many things into evil. Meditation, hypnosis, yoga, lotus pose, goddess worship, ascended masters, Eastern philosophy, education, the academy, prayer to anyone other than God/Jesus are all looped in with the evil. It was a rather careless catchall. I have decided to credit ignorance on the author’s part. Awareness of spirituality has increased since the mid-80s. I’m not going to tell you how the book ends, but I feel like you can guess. It’s not so much the end but how we get there that intrigued me. Peretti is a suspenseful writer. He’s writing a chess book so if you fall asleep and half read a few chapters you’re gonna have to go back. All the details matter and the unraveling leaves no stone unturned. That’s the kind of fiction I like to read even if the lines between good and evil are drawn more starkly in the novel than they are in real life.
3/5 Readability
2/5 Characters
2/5 Plot
3/5 World Building
4/5 Themes
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2.8/5 Total
I read 4 pages and stopped reading it.
To me it's just too confusing.
To me it's just too confusing.
One of my favorite works of Christian fiction of all time. Although a novel, the spiritual warfare displayed in this book is very real. The Bible describes their being an unseen world, a spiritual world, in which there are forces of darkness all around us (see Ephesians 6). We know we don't wrestle against flesh and blood, but angels fight on our behalf. I think every Christian should read this, YES for entertainment purposes only, but know that much of this could very well be real.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I just couldn't connect with the characters. The book didn't draw me in like Peretti's book The Oath did. Maybe my expectations were too high because of that or who knows! I might have to read the actual book. Maybe it was the audio that didn't cut it for me.
Started slow but definitely picked up. I couldn't put it down! It makes you think about the existence of Angels and Demons and how they can (and do) affect our lives!