Customer Reviews

An Abyss of Light (Powers of Light)

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I liked the way you started. It kept my eyes focused on the book. I was in such a rush to get to part 2. I was happily amazed at the concepts you put in your work. I loved the whole Trilogy. I couldn't put it down! Thanks for some great insight to new thinking.

An abyss of light is very good book. Any Science Fiction reader with an interest in Religous philosphies should read this book. A Great opposition between God(Epgael) and The Mashiah(Milcom). Rachel and her people must decide who is real while Jerimiel is trying to save Gament Civilization from a horrible Extiction. Very well written. I didn't get bored for a moment.

I read the whole trilogy, mostly so I could see where the author was taking it...

This book was ok. It had some compelling characters and some worthwhile themes. However, I think my major problem was thin plotline. The events just kinda happened sometimes. Kathleen O'Neal introduced themes but never developed it through action. The events seemed isolated and thrown in for shock value. As well, as much as she raised issues, such as the role of religion in politics and culture, the nature of God and Satan, religion as a tool for power, etc., she never really developed them too well. Perhaps I think she basically didn't think them through, she just wanted to throw out something shocking as cheap entertainment. Why not exploit anti-religious sentiment in Western society? I'm not against questioning religion (I loved series such as His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman, Hyperion by Dan Simmons and Dune by Frank Herbert) but do it well if you do it at all!

If you read it, read it with the idea that it's simplified, and focuses more on toying with the ideas rather than really discussing them in depth. Let's just say I kept trying to figure out what her personal stance on her themes were, and got to the end of the third book and felt like burning it because it was too simple. I need to remember to read Paradise Lost, because I can expect skill from Milton in this subject. But she accomplishes making it an entertaining read. I suggest watching TV instead.

The concept behind this novel is interesting. The Gamant people are the Chosen ones and the only sect of humanity to successfully resist subjugation under a galactic alien regime. God has given the Gamant leaders communication devices to call anytime. Not surprisingly, the faith of the Chosen Ones is constantly being tested, and on a world of their own, a new messiah rises, numerous horrors are done in his name and the Galactic Magistrates have been looking for an excuse to end this upstart civilization once and for all.

Unfortunately, the author fails to deliver a compelling story and her character's motivations seem deeply flawed or terribly contrived. We have a brilliant strategic commander who never demonstrates any brilliant strategy. We just have to accept that he's a brilliant strategist because that is how he is described. We have an evil galactic regime filled with aliens we know nothing about except that they don't like the Gamant people and wage a cultural war by converting children, sterilizing populations and ruining planets. We have several religious leaders of a religion with a direct line to God who keep losing the phone. And, these religious people don't seem to know very much about their religion! The Gamant culture is fractured from the start, so we never understand the culture enough to foster a connection with anything except its independence. The humans who have succumbed to the Galactic Magistrate are never fully fleshed out either. We have a God and a Devil whose true natures are ambiguous. The shortcomings are enough to make you scream!

The best characters are two supporting characters that provide comic relief. Ari and Josef bumble their way through the story with style, showing that author Kathleen M. O'Neal might someday write something worth reading.

Although some interesting religious and cultural questions are raised about the nature of good versus evil, of a personal versus distant God, and of cultural warfare, they are just kernels for thought and not fully explored in the story.

I can't help but wonder how much better this novel could have been. As is, I don't recommend the novel, nor do I plan on completing the trilogy.