 |
Russell is working on an advanced college degree when he learns his parents, missionaries in China, have been killed in a car accident. After an extended time working through red tape to get their bodies returned and buried, Russell learns his uncle, a pastor in the small town of Wildwood, has passed. His uncle has always been a big influence on Russell, so he travels to Wildwood to help settle his uncle's estate. He is surprised to find that the town council has stated that his uncle did not leave a will, and they have already leased the church, the only one in town, to an environmental group. It isn't long before he learns that several people on the town council are working closely with Theos, the head of the environmental group. Theos spent time in prison for killing his brother and is performing satanic rites as he looks for a passage to hell. He believes the previous pastor knew the location and had the key. Russel finds a few former church members he can trust and learns about the swords that were given to the twelve tribes of Israel to battle demons in hell. His uncle and a select few were defending a gateway. Now, Russell is meant to take up his uncle's sword, fight demons in hell, and restore the church.
Gamsby's book is one in a long line combining the Bible with fantasy and adventure. Works such as this are sometimes classified as religious fiction, while at other times as fantasy or even urban fantasy. A recent example that has had its own streaming series is the comic series, Preacher, written by Garth Ennis. Both feature a preacher who must battle supernatural foes with weapons and biblical knowledge. However, the Preacher series is satirical and leans heavily into fantasy without concern about scriptural accuracy. Gamsby's book is much more rooted in scripture and seeks to serve not only as entertainment but also as a warning to readers that they need salvation. In this sense, it is more in line with works of fiction such as C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia or Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness. In Peretti's book, a small town is being assaulted by liberal, new-age beliefs to lead the inhabitants away from God through the influence of Satan. A group of local believers figures out what is happening and decides to stand up to the demon's control over powerful members in the community, much like in Gamsby's book. The main difference is that in Peretti's work, the demons are physically fought with weapons wielded by angels, whereas in Gamsby's book, Christians fight them themselves.
Gamby's novel is short, fast-paced, and can be comfortably read in a couple of days. Some people will finish it in one sitting. The writing is easy to read, and the small grammatical errors will not bother most readers. At only one hundred pages, some ideas and characters are understandably not as developed. For example, Theos is a bit of a cliched villain whose personality consists of being a murderer and leading the "liberal" environmentalism group whose acronym, backwards, spells coven. Still, readers who enjoy action and fantasy elements in their spiritual fiction, particularly reluctant readers who balk at long works, may find Gamsby's novel the perfect fit.