Customer Reviews

Piercing the Darkness

5 star:		(83)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

In PIERCING THE DARKNESS, Frank Peretti creates a successful follow-up to his popular first novel THIS PRESENT DARKNESS. PIERCING THE DARKNESS is a spiritual thriller telling the story of the sleepy town of Bacon's Corner, and the sinister things going on just below the surface.

This novel was suspenseful, well-written, and inspiring but not saccharine. Peretti has a gift for writing about Christian topics without getting too preachy or formulaic, and this book had a good balance of imagination and Bible-based truth. This book holds its own alongside such popular authors as John Grisham and Michael Crichton, but also delivers a valuable perspective on Christian life: the interaction between the physical and spiritual realms. This book is entertaining, but beyond that, it is thought-provoking.

I would highly recommend this book, as Frank Peretti is probably the most talented christian author of fiction I've read. However, if you haven't read THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, I would recommend starting there first.

I had thought this book was another armeggedon thing, but when I actually read it, I was hooked! This book totally changed the way I looked at the power of a praying saint. I think God really used Frank to send a message: We, as believers, have full access to His power through prayer- if we ask right. He will not leave us, and if Jesus is IN us, the Father's angels will never leave us. I also enjoyed the use of the different nationalities given to the angels, as well as the attitudes (my favorites were Cree and Chimon). It really made the book. Of course you know Who is going to win the war: but sometimes the battles require more prayer and work than we usually want to give. Praise God for His Love and His Son! The bottom line of this review is: THIS IS A GREAT BOOK!

What a rivetting, thought-provoking reminder that we war not against flesh and blood but against the spirits and the Prince of the air (Eph. 6:12). Once again, in keeping with the spirit of "This Present Darkness," Peretti has skillfully pictured what takes place around us every day, unseen and seemingly un-noticed. I found myself looking forward to the daily moments that I would be able to sit down and read "Piercing the Darkness" uninterrupted. With each delightful turn of the page, the words captured my undivided attention, while challenging my spirituality. I found myself wanting to pray for the persecuted Christians, wanting to reach out to them in Christian support; but then I had to remind myself that it was just a book! Never before this book have I seen such a beautiful, rapturous description of receiving Christ as one's Savior. Peretti has given his readers a rare, yet human, glimpse at what it just might be like when Jesus redeems another soul to Himself. What a challenge this book has given me to pray with more fervor, to boldly come before His throne, to rejoice in His love and the protection of His children. I hope and pray that Peretti continues to write such challenging material.

Piercing The Darkness by Frank Peretti is a story about fences, mole hills, a spiritual battle, and the ultimate triumph of the Kingdom of God. It's a story of good and evil! The spiritual realm is very real and for this reason I admonish anyone who reads these words to develop their prayer life and relationship with the Lord.

There's a Biblical account of Daniel where he asked the Lord to turn away His anger and let His face shine on Jerusalem. Daniel began his prayer by repenting for departing from the Lord's precepts and judgements and for disobedience and rebellion.

Then Daniel confessed the greatness of God when he said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him and with those who keep His commandments." And when he said, "O Lord, righteousness belongs to you." And, "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness though we have rebelled against Him."

While Daniel was praying for himself and the people of Israel, an angel came to him and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand." Then the angel told Daniel that the Lord heard his prayers from the start-from the very first prayer when he humbled himself. The angel continued, "But the prince of the Kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days."

The existence of heavenly beings and demonic beings is not a fairy tale or bad dream. Although "Piercing the Darkness" is a fictional novel, there are spiritual battles going on all around us and for all we know, Peretti's account of the battles could be exactly how it happens. His accounts of these battles are believable.

By the way, fences and mole hills are symbolic of a deeper meaning. Read the book to find out what that's all about.

My favorite character is Sally Beth Roe. You will be surprised about the things this intelligent woman has done and does at every turn. Not only is she my favorite character, but she's a heroine in her own rights. If this was a true story, all the angels in heaven would be rejoicing over her. Read the book to find out why.

This book is not for everyone, but I give it five stars. Reading for many hours at one sitting, I couldn't put it down. It had me captivated.

While I enjoyed Frank Peretti's first thriller, "This Present Darkness," I didn't think it was an earth-shattering novel. It was the kind of story that you could put down for several times without experiencing major angst over wanting to know what happens next. Not so with "Piercing the Darkness." Frank seemed to get his mojo going in this one. The plot is gripping and involving. The characters are real, especially Sally Roe. The story carries the conviction of great moral truth. The transitional redemption of the main character is beautiful to witness. Although some of Frank Peretti's theological interpretations are open to debate, he still came up with an interesting idea in the whole "spiritual warfare" angle. To be honest, though, the sections of the story dealing with the battle between the angels and demons were the weakest. Where the story truly shines is in the human side of the plot. Many new characters are introduced, and a few reintroduced from "This Present Darkness." Also, the villains are particularly good in "Piercing the Darkness." I mean, what better name could a bad guy have than "Khull"? Truly interesting characters and a rip-roaring plot to go along with it. Definitely recommended.

I've read Piercing the Darkness a couple times, and it never ceases to freak me out. I can't help but check over my shoulder after reading this book. The book deals with the supernatural forces of God and his angels against Satan and his demons. Though they're invisible to the human eye, they see us and direct us for one side or the other. This is the sequel book, following This Present Darkness, which I didn't like nearly as much. The book follows Sally Beth Roe, a burn-out with a dark past, who finds herself caught up in some strange events that only progress to the stranger. Forceing her to flee her home in Bacon's Corner. The book is just creepy! While Sally flees we watch as demons chase her with one goal, to ultimatly kill her. I could write about this book all day, the plot is thick and deep and the characters believeable. But what really made this book stand out is the fact that once you start reading it, you began to wonder, "What if there really are demons? What if they're here in this room right now?" It just creeps you out! A first class creepy book with religious themes, who wouldn't love it?

I think that this book is very touching and inspiring. It is rare and unique in its theme, but portrays a universal theme of perseverance and hope. I adore the reality that Peretti shows about angels and demons, and how he reveals the truth that spiritual warfare affects our lives. I would suggest this book to anyone who is interested in the spiritual realm, and one who is hungry to learn more about God and the way that He works in our lives. Peretti is an excellent author who descriptively reveals a depth to Christianity that many believers in Christ have forgotten to see. It was refreshing for me to read a book with the insight and anointing that this book carries. There is a huge part of my heart that is captured by God's mysterious ways and the spiritual realm, and this book truly touched that part of me. It can be pretty hard to try to find a book that reveals spirituality like this one does, and I find it very intense and real. Many would stereotype it as science fiction, but there is a truth to the spiritual message that this book uses through the battles between demons and angels. We as Christians need to realize that prayer is extremely important, and we need to see that we are warriors for Christ. This book is a a mere glimpse of the wonders that exist beyond what our hearts can even imagine. Our God is an awesome God, and He has formed the most intriguing and beautiful things. I really feel that this book showed me that throughout the darkness that surrounds, His light truly shines and the darkness, and the darkness will never be able to overcome this light. I am forever touched by Peretti's anointed writing and insight, and it has revived a reality that my soul has once percieved and made it even more vivid. This is a wonderful book, and if you allow your heart to be open to the adventure and journey it reveals, I believe it will truly touch you.

In PIERCING THE DARKNESS, Frank E. Peretti takes themes from his novel, THIS PRESENT DARKNESS, and expands them to new levels. Anyone who liked the frist book will also like this second book. I liked both of them. However, I feel it necessary to point out a couple of things that are so simple everyone should understand, but don't seem to.

STRENGTHS: This book is full of intrigue, suspense, and conflict. It has all of the good ingredients of an interesting novel. It might offend some who already have a bias toward fundamentalist Christianity, but that bias probably was there looking for an outlet anyway.

WEAKNESSES: This book is a work of fiction. Like any good novel, it creates a believable imaginary world based on Scriptural principles, but the world is still imaginary. It is fun to talk about, much like the movie, THE MATRIX, but one should not base doctrinal beliefs on one author's creation.

MY ADVICE: My advice for this novel, just as for the first one, is: Read it for fun (I liked it a lot). Discuss the ideas in it (I did), but if you really want something to sink your teeth in, stick to biographies of great Christians. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction and a whole lot more fascinating.

Frank Peretti is the most talented Christian author working today. Though I enjoyed The Visitation and The Oath, I still maintain that his earlier books, This present Darkness and Piercing the Darkness are two of the most startling books I've ever read. These books are not just for entertainment, they instruct on the all-too-real spiritual world around us that is interwoven with the reality we know so well. I read these books shortly after I became a Christian and they changed the way I looked at the world. I have read countless Christian books since then and would be hard pressed to find any book, fiction or non, that has been more valuable to me than these works by Peretti.

If you are even curious as to what the spiritual world around us is like, or if you simply want to be entertained by a fresh voice, read these two books. They are classified as fiction, but end up revealing truths that are anything but make-believe.

This book had such a powerful impact on my life! I am still constantly thinking about the issues discussed in " Piercing The Darkness." I became so aware of the spiritual battle that goes on that we as humans are completely unaware of. This novel has encouraged me to pray with much more faith and it has inspired me to get rid of the evil in the world. It opened the eyes of my heart and I thank God for the gift that He blessed Frank Peretti with. Not many authors, in my opinion, are capable of capturing a reader's attention to the spiritual realm. However Frank Peretti did. This book was also a gentle reminder of how much God loves us and how determined He is to bring us into his loving arms. That is very important for Christians and non-Christians to remember. It also helped me recognize the fact that God works in so many ways that we cannot see and that we can never lose hope. He will never let us down. I love this book and I will continue to talk to others about it.