AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
"Shadow of Light" by Rodney Christian Power is a very good spiritual fiction book. I have to disclose that the book was sent me for the purpose of providing a review, that Mr. Power is Canadian (so am I) and that his middle name is Christian (so am I). If this taints my review in your opinion, it shouldn't. He has written a very good book, and I wish he had signed it for me.
IT'S LIFE, CAPTAIN, BUT NOT AS WE KNOW IT...
Ever wonder what the end of the world will be like right before the end? This book may or may not let you know, because it will depend on where YOU are when that comes about. It will also depend on whether or not you believe that the world ends when YOU end. If you happened to be an 82-year-old woman and you dropped dead at the altar of a church, that would be the end of your physical life on Earth, wouldn't it? I believe that would be the beginning of your life in Heaven, however what if a Junior Angel from up above had a different idea? What if he chose to "occupy" your body in an attempt to alter (not altar) the events yet to happen on Earth? Now we have the beginning of a spiritual fiction book, whether or not you believe.
Sarius is the Junior Angel, Kathleen Kelly is the 82-year-old lady whose physical body he occupies, and Brooks Hennessey, his wife Rachel, their dog Reggie and the parrot Arcturus are a few of the characters that he/she encounters after the takeover. If you have even a passing interest in golf, or love to hear and read about the arrogant upper class getting it "put to them", then you will be hooked once Mrs. Kelly challenges Charles Baird, a multi-millionaire at the prestigious Southcott Golf and Country Club, to a match play game over 18 holes for $1,000,000 a hole. Reading about this game is worth reading the book, regardless of your knowledge or interest in golf.
Stories within Stories...
There are stories within the book that have to deal with the end of the world, man's (and woman's) reaction to it, and some fairly technical jargon about stars, space quantum things and spatial interaction, etc. However you do not need any techno-geek knowledge to still enjoy the book (and find out the outcome of the golf game!). To be honest, in my case I ignored most of what I didn't understand. It was enough to know that a star was headed toward the planet named Earth, and even if it didn't hit directly, the fallout would be that there would be no Earth, at least not the one (piece) we have become familiar with.
The Ending, but Not Necessarily The End...
I do consider myself a good book reviewer, so I won't give away the entire ending. Earth doesn't end, and even if it did, there would be remnants of it in the atmosphere. Yes, even you and I would continue in some form, because according to the knowledge we have gathered TO DATE, matter can neither be created nor destroyed, only changed from one form to another. My thoughts? They are created daily..
The Book Title - THAT'S what I want to write about...
"Shadow of Light". I really like that title, and I didn't even give it a thought when I first held the book in my hands. A shadow is usually something ominous, unless you are in the desert at high noon. Shadows are dark and dangerous places, where musty, smelly things live, and a place you want to avoid if you are a character in a slash and kill movie. How, then, can a shadow also be a place of light?
The last time I wrote that "things happen for a reason" I was accused of being a do-good westerner who had never experienced hardship or seen little children murdered and starved to death by other so-called humans. It is true - I have never experienced that. Things either happen for a reason, or they don't happen for a reason - you can't have it one way without the opposite being true. I have no explanation for the choices people make, and harming another creature has no place in any culture.
The title "Shadow of Light" for me is another way of saying that things happen for a reason. In the book, terrible things are about to (and in some cases, do) happen, yet at the end of the book there is light and renewal. A shadow that was to descend on our Earth suddenly becomes light because of the choices that some of the characters in the book make. Was that the author's intent? I'm not sure so you'll have to ask him, however I don't think I'm far off.
"Shadow of Light" is one of the better books I have read, and it is very well laid out, excellently edited and very entertaining. You will fall in love with Mrs. Kelly and applaud her efforts on the golf course (why can't I leave the golf game alone?). If nothing else, if you ever feel that a shadow is descending on you, remember that it takes light to make a shadow, and light will eventually appear again.
Laughter and love,
Rick Fess
"Shadow of Light" Rodney Christian Power
Narrow Road Press www.sheafhouse.com
And if you would like to know more about me and my upcoming book "Is There More?", please visit http://www.spiritualfictionbooks.com/ to access my weekly blog. I regularly review books on spirituality and self-improvement, particularly spiritual fiction books. You can also contact me through the website if you have any questions or comments. Thank you for your interest.
Laughter and love,
Rick Fess
