Customer Reviews

Dark Storm

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When you view previous works of an author, and the results aren't always the best, the first reaction is to just take the advice, and spend your money on something you'd like. This was a case where I ignored a lot of critics and took my chances. Now, I won't go as far as to show interest in Sherlock Holmes, or G.K. Chesterton mysteries, but this caught my attention. What also caught my attention was the author's name. When I see a name like "Kel", only 1 thing comes to my brain for some strange reason. I used to watch "Kenan & Kel" on Nickelodeon, and was wondering if Kel attempted writing stuff like this. NO, Kel Richards is from Australia, and this was pretty good.

We join a somewhat reluctant Nick Hamilton, a journalist, as he takes an expedition to a remote place called Cavendish Island, along with a team of workers. There is a professor, the captain of The Covenant, the ship that takes them to Cavendish Island, and you go on a rocky adventure! A lot of characters, a doctor who claims to be an atheist, a hard core professor, and you are sure to run into a few surprises. Cavendish Island, by the way, has a history of mystical power. You find out through a journal of a Lieutanant Edmund McDermott, an officer of the 1800s of the New South Wales Corps, that it does have a mean history indeed! One that goes as far as Satanism. You find out that some of these people on the expedition are into a little white magic.

All in all, this paints a picture of God in the bad times. Kel Richards is a Christian author. One of his influences is C.S. Lewis. God's word tells us of countless times where many people, including Jesus, prayed not for their will, but for God's will. Putting on the whole armor of God is an essential, especially in the roughest and toughest times we face in our walk. But hey, get ready for some excitement, a walk or two on the beach, and have a blast! This passes for good stuff, and I hope Kel Richards has some more stuff like this planned for the future. He knows his stuff, and I thoroughly enjoyed the adventure! This is dangerous stuff.

You can read a synopsis of the plot in other reviews so I'll cut to the chase. I found the book intriguing but much like watching progressing seasons of Lost and thus disappointing overall. It seemed like the inclusions of supernatural and man made mystery were forced together or at least very unintentionally clumsy. Again, I felt like that was where Lost went. It went so far that I looked up the publishing date and found it was published around the time of the show's debut. And that was before the show started showing signs of the scientific testing aspect. I still have to wonder if one of the writers hadn't read it and been influenced.

I appreciated the casual Christian references but was disappointed in their substance.

I have to admit I skipped this book many times because the cover made me think this was some sort of historical fiction. It's a shame I missed it before now, because Richards does an incredible job with this story. Think about the first season of "Lost", when they were on an island with a monster in the woods and strange visions appeared to many of the survivors. Now imagine that as a Christian novel and you have "Dark Storm". A group of people head to a centuries-old island prison colony that has started showing strange signs of life. An ancient church on the island is repairing itself, strange noises are heard at night, etc. What the travelers don't know, however, is that there are people in their party out to harness the strange power of the island, no matter the cost.

Richards really gives us an excellent Christian thriller here. He is able to drift into Peretti territory with his story and yet not appear a rip-off in the least. Every bit of this is original, the story never really has a boring spot (especially after they reach the island), and the ending is great. There are a number of folks in this story, so you'll have to pay attention to keep up. At the same time, they start dropping rather quickly as the story progresses, so it gets easier to keep up with everything.

This is the first Kel Richards novel I've read, and I have to say it was outstanding. It's a shame his book didn't get better treatment because it could have easily been a winner if handled properly.

Kel Richards' Dark Storm is an entertaining tale of Australian journalist Nick Hamilton who accompanies an archeology expedition to Cavendish Island, a penal colony founded in 1821 and haunted by a dark and evil past. The story is an exciting adventure tale that involves ancient, secret societies, subplots involving mysterious motives within the party itself, old, mysterious tomes, ancient monsters, and an island where weird, violent events affect everyone. All in all, it is an enjoyable read and I recommend it if you have a taste for supernatural thrillers.

I do have two complaints. A very minor complaint is that there are a lot of characters in the book and a Dramatis Personae list at the beginning would have helped even though a large body count does diminish the number of characters quickly.

My other complaint is that Christian publisher RiverOak (a division of Cook Communications Ministries) felt a need to justify the publication of adventure fiction by putting a study guide in the back of the book. To this reader, it's inclusion almost seems to act as an apology and a misguided attempt to legitimize the publication of the novel as some sort of Bible Study. Quite frankly, there is no need to attempt to justify the publication of Christian-oriented genre material and there is no need to genuflect to the demands of those who lack imagination and masquerade a personal preference as a yardstick of what constitutes Christian literature. Dark Storm is a fun, entertaining, fascinating read for those who like supernatural thrillers that take place in a Christian worldview. There is no need to apologize for its publication.