In research for my next novel I selected 10 books to read, ‘This Present Darkness’ was book no 2 on this list.
Well, wow, what can I say? I certainly hope my next book ‘Hope in Blackshaw Moor’ turns out to be a page-turner like this book by Frank Peretti!
This is one of those books that, although it starts interesting, it starts slowly. Then it builds and builds into a tense crescendo that explodes towards the end. I loved the pace, the steady build had me on the end of my seat, and by the time I was two-thirds of the way through nothing was going to make me put the book down!
The characters are very real, and our main protagonists are thoroughly lovable, whereas the antagonists are easy to ‘boo’ at.
Although first published in 1986 (some 33 years ago) this book hasn’t aged. In my opinion it is quite a classic thriller.
Taken from Eden.co.uk website: Ashton is just a typical small town. But when a skeptical reporter and a prayerful pastor begin to compare notes, they suddenly find themselves fighting a hideous New Age plot to subjugate the townspeople, and eventually the entire human race. This Present Darkness rivals The Screwtape Letters with its keen insight into spiritual warfare and the necessity of prayer. It is fast-moving, riveting reading, ranking with the best thrillers on the bookshelf. Readers have picked up more than 2.5 million copies since its publication in 1986, and, with its companion volume Piercing the Darkness, it has sparked great interest in spiritual warfare over the years.
I was captivated by the angels and demons that fight over the town and the people. I really enjoyed the way the people (with a couple of rare exceptions) never saw the spiritual warfare going on all around them. I was completely emotional at the end when the town’s believers rally together for prayer. What an image! This is well written and very biblically correct. I can’t recommend it enough, this is simply a fantastic read.
