The Dark Man is a near-future thriller about a master of disguise working to eradicate Christianity in America. Charles Graves is haunted by his dead brother, his lost mother, and a phantom arising cryptically from a child's puzzle. But sometimes he who persecutes the church is destined to serve her.
The Dark Man
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Novel Teen
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
In this near-future psychological thriller, undercover agent Charles Graves is working to bring down the last remnants of Christians in Texas. Charles is capable of the ultimate disguises, like the kind that Tom Cruise uses in the Mission Impossible movies. Charles' assignment: bring down Reverend James Cleveland, the one remaining influential Christian leader in the US.
Just before Charles can arrest Cleveland, he hears God's voice through the Reverend's message. Charles surrenders his heart to God right there and goes awol. Now Charles is working against his former colleagues, including his own father. Charles' dark past continues to haunt him in the form of a wooden puzzle from his childhood. This "dark man" argues with Charles, urging him to look out for Charles and Charles alone. As Charles tries to serve his new God, he must continually stand up to the dark man of his past.
I thought this book was excellent! It started out with a fascinating slow-pace that, for some reason, reminded me of when I read 1984. I think it was the way Schooley created his future world. It was as if anyone in the government could be watching you, waiting to arrest you for the smallest infraction.
When Charles converts to Christianity, the story turns into a chase. Charles' ex-comrades are seeking to bring him down, but Charles needs to rescue some people and avert a major disaster without being caught. I liked how everyone had a voice in their head, I thought it was an interesting way to look at how people struggle with decision making and temptation. This is a deep, thought-provoking novel and well worth a read.
Just before Charles can arrest Cleveland, he hears God's voice through the Reverend's message. Charles surrenders his heart to God right there and goes awol. Now Charles is working against his former colleagues, including his own father. Charles' dark past continues to haunt him in the form of a wooden puzzle from his childhood. This "dark man" argues with Charles, urging him to look out for Charles and Charles alone. As Charles tries to serve his new God, he must continually stand up to the dark man of his past.
I thought this book was excellent! It started out with a fascinating slow-pace that, for some reason, reminded me of when I read 1984. I think it was the way Schooley created his future world. It was as if anyone in the government could be watching you, waiting to arrest you for the smallest infraction.
When Charles converts to Christianity, the story turns into a chase. Charles' ex-comrades are seeking to bring him down, but Charles needs to rescue some people and avert a major disaster without being caught. I liked how everyone had a voice in their head, I thought it was an interesting way to look at how people struggle with decision making and temptation. This is a deep, thought-provoking novel and well worth a read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For some time, I've been enjoying the increase in variety in Christian fiction outside of standard women's-fiction themes. However, I'm still finding it hard to get my hands on work that really diversifies away from some well-established obligatory points. This one's a win.
This is not a book of behaving well in spite of sad things, such that everything turns out well in the end. It's not a book of lessons in repentance from typical minor mistakes. It's a book of broken, lonely people behaving in messy ways, such that everything turns out gritty in the end.
In that sense, it's the classic idea of a tragedy. However, it's a tragedy where God wins and eternity triumphs, even though the world rolls on. This novel gives deeper hope than the obligatory imaginary happy ending.
It's also a literary challenger. It'll probably take criticism till Kingdom come for its inversion and melding of internal and external events. Also for "rough voice," something I particularly enjoyed about it. The author has a way of firing off his lines point-blank, blunt-worded, without worrying about making it pretty. It's either to love or to complain about. I loved the rawness and the reality. It cuts to the core. The instinctive emotional clarity is a refreshing change from the studied lines that compose the majority of products.
This isn't for-dummies self-explanatory fiction. It majors on gut-wrenching innovation in showing the human experience. At the same time, it carries a solid underpinning of relatable storytelling with unpredictable plot shifts that combine to build consistent action.
Great book, tons of ways to enjoy it. Has become an all-time favourite and one of a very few I'll take time to re-read.
This is not a book of behaving well in spite of sad things, such that everything turns out well in the end. It's not a book of lessons in repentance from typical minor mistakes. It's a book of broken, lonely people behaving in messy ways, such that everything turns out gritty in the end.
In that sense, it's the classic idea of a tragedy. However, it's a tragedy where God wins and eternity triumphs, even though the world rolls on. This novel gives deeper hope than the obligatory imaginary happy ending.
It's also a literary challenger. It'll probably take criticism till Kingdom come for its inversion and melding of internal and external events. Also for "rough voice," something I particularly enjoyed about it. The author has a way of firing off his lines point-blank, blunt-worded, without worrying about making it pretty. It's either to love or to complain about. I loved the rawness and the reality. It cuts to the core. The instinctive emotional clarity is a refreshing change from the studied lines that compose the majority of products.
This isn't for-dummies self-explanatory fiction. It majors on gut-wrenching innovation in showing the human experience. At the same time, it carries a solid underpinning of relatable storytelling with unpredictable plot shifts that combine to build consistent action.
Great book, tons of ways to enjoy it. Has become an all-time favourite and one of a very few I'll take time to re-read.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By John Otte
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed this book, mostly because of Schooley's crackling wit. While the subject matter is familiar (there are plenty of stories about future persecutions out there), Schooley's voice really sings throughout the book. The world he has created is gritty and dirty, sort of what you would expect of a bleak dystopia. And you really do feel for Charles and James as they grapple with the reality they're in.
That said, there were a few things that I didn't like. Schooley presents Charles as being somewhat crazy. When we're in Charles's point of view, we often see him arguing with himself or the dark man about what his next course of action should be. That's a great thing, but the problem is, Schooley utilizes the same method for Julia (Charles's lady friend) and Cotton (Charles's dad). The lessened the impact of when he did it for Charles.
My other complaint was the way that two of the subplots seemed sort of tacked on. The mystery surrounding Charles's brother, Stephen, didn't seem to fit in all that well and when it was finally resolved, I was left a little disappointed. The other plot, which I can't really go into here because it would involve some big spoilers, really felt tacked on. There didn't seem to be any references to it through most of the book. Then, suddenly, toward the end, extra characters pop out of nowhere and the story suddenly revolves around them and what they're trying to do. If they had been mentioned earlier in the book, it may not have been so jarring.
But this is still a great debut novel and I'm certainly looking forward to Schooley's future endeavors.
That said, there were a few things that I didn't like. Schooley presents Charles as being somewhat crazy. When we're in Charles's point of view, we often see him arguing with himself or the dark man about what his next course of action should be. That's a great thing, but the problem is, Schooley utilizes the same method for Julia (Charles's lady friend) and Cotton (Charles's dad). The lessened the impact of when he did it for Charles.
My other complaint was the way that two of the subplots seemed sort of tacked on. The mystery surrounding Charles's brother, Stephen, didn't seem to fit in all that well and when it was finally resolved, I was left a little disappointed. The other plot, which I can't really go into here because it would involve some big spoilers, really felt tacked on. There didn't seem to be any references to it through most of the book. Then, suddenly, toward the end, extra characters pop out of nowhere and the story suddenly revolves around them and what they're trying to do. If they had been mentioned earlier in the book, it may not have been so jarring.
But this is still a great debut novel and I'm certainly looking forward to Schooley's future endeavors.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Putting Puzzle Pieces Where They Belong
Back when I was "Kindle-IZED" for the 2nd time ever, it was to read "Ether Ore," a collection of short stories by Marcher Lord Press authors. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Wolfe Moffat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Couldnt put it down....
Just a normal reader here... not a book reviewer or the like. Honestly I don't typically read much fiction these days but I have to say after a long hiatus from reading for... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Darth Gigi
3.0 out of 5 stars
Near Future Tech Thriller
I'm going to cut Marc some slack here because it's his first novel and even though I'm not an author I'm sure it's a daunting task. Read more
Published on May 17, 2011 by Steve Taylor
4.0 out of 5 stars
Contemporary action with classic literary themes
Even though I've read through this novel twice now, and digested it as well as I could, I still find it difficult to know what to make of The Dark Man as a whole. Read more
Published on January 14, 2011 by Bainespal
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fast paced action packed book
Mission Impossible meets post-modern America where Christianity is against the law. Welcome to the book The Dark Man. Read more
Published on November 26, 2010 by Morgan
4.0 out of 5 stars
A futuristic Saul in a dystopian thriller
Charles Graves is a futuristic Saul persecuting the Church in this dystopian thriller. But unlike the Biblical account of Saul, Schooley gives us a more 3-dimensional look at... Read more
Published on November 1, 2010 by KellyJo Houtz Griffin
5.0 out of 5 stars
haunting, beautifully written psychological thriller
His name is Charles Graves. He can wear any face; imitate any voice; fit in anywhere. His work for the Agency is legendary, especially among the hidden clusters of Christians he... Read more
Published on September 28, 2010 by Rachel Starr Thomson
4.0 out of 5 stars
A unique psycho thriller for Christian lit!
I am pleased to bring you a review of Marc Schooley's psychological thriller, The Dark Man. Published by soon-to-be powerhouse Marcher Lord Press, Schooley takes aim at a dystopia... Read more
Published on July 18, 2010 by Keven Newsome
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Dark Man - Quirky, daring, surreal
Set in the not-too-distant future, this book is a quirky, surreal adventure story that is an emotional roller coaster up to the book's climactic end. Read more
Published on July 16, 2010 by W. H. Hayes
1.0 out of 5 stars
I tried twice to read this book
OK, I tried twice to get through this book but I couldn't do it. It was more or less unbelievable and the characters, especially the main charterer, behaved in unrealistic and at... Read more
Published on December 18, 2009 by Douglas J. Paulsen
