This Present Darkness, by Frank E. Peretti

Summary:

The small town of Ashton has changed. All of the residents who have lived there for long enough can see it. There's something different about their hometown, but no one can quite put a finger on what it is. That is, until Hank Busche, the newly elected pastor of the Ashton Community Church starts having to cast demons out of people regularly. At the same time, the newly hired editor of the Ashton Clarion newspaper, Marshall Hogan, and his lead reporter, Bernice Krueger have stumbled upon a story that may be larger than either of them have ever investigated. From embezzlement at the local college to secret societies, Hogan and Krueger unearth mounds of information regarding the sudden changes within Ashton.

None of this may seem particularly important, but when Hank and Hogan are both thrown in jail for what would equate to nothing in a court of law, they begin to get to know each other, and their stories over the last several months line up in more ways than they could imagine. The two formulate a plan to take the town back and do it with the help of God.

Here's What I Loved:

1. The writing was beautifully descriptive in the perfect places. I never got bored of reading a descriptive section because it was a necessary description. Every time.
2. The emphasis put on spiritual warfare, and the impact that prayer has on it. As a reader, the book challenged me in my prayer life to become more active in intercession for not only my friends and family but for my whole community, that God would be continually sending them help in times of need.
3. The characters were very real people to me. I could relate to all of the characters whether through relation or personal experience.

Here's What I Didn't Love:

1. Some of the language used in the book is a bit rash by today's status quo. This did not bother me, because I recognize that it was written in 1986, which was a different time period with different cultural norms. The only reason I don't love it is because I know it could turn some people away from reading an otherwise exhilarating and challenging work.

Overall Review:

This book kept me up at night reading. There were some slow points, but the majority of the book was invigorating and hard to put down. I read this on my Kindle, and I ended up reading 30% of the book in just the last session of reading.

I recommend this book to any Christian who enjoys the fantasy style. This book takes a very real premise and turns it into an epic fantasy that entertains and challenges the whole way through.

About the Author:

Frank Peretti was an Assemblies of God pastor, eventually giving up his position in his father's church for jobs that he could make a living at. He wrote his first books, including This Present Darkness, while working for a snow ski factory. He eventually became a full-time author but hasn't published any new works since 2017. I would link to his website, but he doesn't have one, and his Wikipedia page seems to be unreliable.

Purchase Link:

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