Customer Reviews

The War in Heaven (Eternal Warriors)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

For someone who favors the very dry (and very English) style of fantasy writers like Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, Theodore Beale's " The War In Heaven" proved to be a surprisingly enjoyable departure.

Like Gaiman and Pratchett, Beale fills his book with angelic beings facing a crisis. But these are not the comedic "Good Omens" angels who accidentally misplace the Antichrist at the start of a tongue-in-cheek battle of good and evil.

No, Beale's angels aren't bungling slouches. They're warriors, Biblically-based figures embellished with the author's imagination. They have to be. The book opens with a war brewing - a war in which the forces of evil plan to storm the gates of heaven.

Of course, every war needs an Ultimate Weapon, and for the Legions of Satan that weapon is a disenfranchised 16-year-old geek named Christopher with an inferiority complex and a serious gaming habit. Christopher also has two younger, twin sisters - Holli and Jami. And although the trio is watched over by guardian angels, the protection isn't enough to keep Christopher from being lured away by a smooth-talking fallen angel named Kaym, who assumes the human form of a Rayban wearing biker type with dragon tattoos.

Kaym plays to Christopher's pride and desire to fit in to get him on the team. It's a task made all the easier with a trip to meet Lucifer himself, who seals the deal through a mixture of charm, false promises and beauty. Physical appearance is a big part of the book, and Beale does a masterful job of placing a subtle emphasis on the duality of beauty. In the case of the good angels, it shines from within, emanating outward and enhancing already good looks or compensating for average ones. For Satan and the bad angels, beauty is a mask that can only temporarily hide the ugliness and evil that eventually comes through in dramatic fashion.

The battle scenes are another of the books strong points. Beale's gaming background proves to be a real asset as he describes the war strategies that lead to dramatically detailed victories and defeats for both sides. It helps that some of the creatures who take part in the action - from the winged lions to the dragon-like Leviathan - are so well-described. The cast of characters on both sides were also rich and diverse, from the Galadriel-like Lady of the Tower to a very moving and uniquely portrayal of Jesus.

But the book isn't without its faults. It's a wonder, for instance, how Beale expects the reader to believe that the legions of darkness could it their own shoes - let alone consider themselves warriors - if they have to rely on a 16-year-old mortal's Warhammer experience to help them mount a successful offense.

The book's weakest point is its dialogue, which was - in spots - painful to read. The book wastes a lot of time in chit-chat between characters that is neither particularly interesting nor even relevant to the story. The weakest dialogue, however, is reserved for Holli and Jami. With overuse of the word "like," the author came across as trying too hard to make the girls sound natural, with the opposite result. Instead, it comes across as annoying, a problem exacerbated by the disappointing insertion of petty and unbelievable sniping at times when the girls are fighting for their survival. Perhaps this was Beale's attempt to inject some comic relief into these situations; if it was, he fell short in the attempt. Rather than being funny, the exchanges came across as completely inappopriate. Also, by forcing Jamie and Holli into such a stereotypical ditzy-girl roles, Beale fails to make them as believable as they could have been, which is frustrating since unbelievable characters and dialogue sap strength from a good plot faster than anything else.

The book wasn't at all subtle with its Christian message, which some may perceive as preachy. But savvy readers won't hold that against Beale since the story still contains enough good metaphors to compensate for the obvious moralizing. Besides, it's clear from the beginning of "The War in Heaven" that this fantasy is a vehicle for a Christian message and not the other way around, and while it predictably ends with everyone learning a lesson about themselves and the power of God, it also acknowledges that spiritual growth is an ongoing, challenging process.

There aren't enough books out there - especially for teens - that portray angelic beings or Christians as strong, bold, daring role-models. "The War In Heaven" bravely attempts to fill that niche. That within itself is a noble task for any author to tackle in today's society.

All in all, the book was an impressive first showing. And while it wasn't entirely my cup of tea, I've decided to read the others in the series, if nothing else to see how Beale's writing evolves as the series progresses.

I came as a skeptic of sorts to Theodore Beale's "The War in Heaven." So much of modern "Christian" fiction is neither well done nor Christian. The fact that Beale is represented by the agents who serve a couple of the authors who write some of the books that have given me this negative impression did not speak well to me about the possibility of this book being any different (neither did the cheesy cover artwork-which will soon be thankfully remedied in the forthcoming trade paperback version). How wrong I was...

There are indeed things I do not like about "The War in Heaven." Yet rarely has my heart cried out in joy over a book as it has with this one.

First, the bones I have to pick...

The biggest one is the representation of Kaym. Kaym is the fallen angel that mentors Christopher in the ways of darkness (or light--depending on who is to be believed). Kaym spews all kinds of Nietzschean drivel about power and freedom being beyond good and evil. This is not the part that I dislike. Having subscribed to such folly in my youth, I can see this being a decent angle for a fallen angel to take in the postmodern age. What bugs me about Kaym is his garb. Describing him as wearing Ray-bans is gonna date him, and possibly the book, really fast.

My second bone to pick is the way in which Jami and Holli talk. Beale has hit the nail of how American teens communicate on the head. His dialogue is spot-on. Yet restraint is a good thing. Perhaps a little less of the "ohmigod's" and the "like's" would have been a good thing too.

Bearing these two minor flaws in mind, I still have to give this book my highest recommendation.

Beale proves himself to be a master of imagery. I was surprised to find some truly great moments of what can only be described as mythopoeic storytelling in this book. Ahura Azdha is full of wonders. Beale's remolding of the words from the Bible's second book of Kings about Sennacherib's threats against Hezekiah and Jerusalem in the fictional siege of Chasah is sheer brilliance.

There is a whole lot of meat to this book. Biblical allusion, references to Milton's Paradise Lost, Apocryphal tales-"The War in Heaven" is a real treat. This is redemptive fiction at its most imaginative best.

I urge you to get this book.

Theodore Beale has written a great science fiction story that most Christians would be delighted to find. The story involves the interaction between humankind, both past and present, with demonic spirits and angels. If you enjoyed the Frank Peretti Christian fiction books, then you will enjoy Eternal Warriors, The War In Heaven. I am already anticipating Book 2 in the series which Mr. Beale says will come out next year.

First of all, this book is a fantasy book. I don't mean that as a criticism. It's one of the few fiction books I've read lately that actually drew me in to the story. This book reads almost as two books: a simple yet compelling fantasy story for those who are not Christian, and a deep, rich allegory for those who are. If you aren't Christian, don't worry. Unless you can't stand to read about other people praying, you'll still enjoy this story. The characters are vivid, although I must agree with another reviewer that there are a few too many 'likes' uttered in the book. This book doesn't suffer from the biggest problem most Christian fiction does (in my opinion): the refusal to portray evil as evil. Mr. Beale doesn't hesitate to introduce villains with quotes from industrial/goth bands. He doesn't hesitate to show normal folks as venal or mean-spirited. His protagonists aren't perfect, which makes them seem more real to me. The story is well-paced, and kept me turning pages at a rapid clip. Overall, I would recommend this book. Having said that, there are a few minor nitpicks I have. Mr. Beale's style is very distinctive, but it took me a few chapters to get used to it. Also, parts of the book felt a bit rushed. These are very minor things, and may not even be an issue for anyone else. I will say that if you are put off by the style, give it a few chapters. You might just find yourself enthralled like I did. I will recommend this book to my family and friends, and to you out there as well.

I love books that describe the supernatural as real and how we interact with it in our normal life. Like Frank Peretti's books, this book is a very interesting drama of angels guarding us and demons enticing us to make bad decisions. Theodore gives us a view of how important our role is to the rulers of the Universe. It makes my life much more meaningful when I know that I am so important and that I have an important role to play in the next life. The best part was when God showed his power to his attackers. I did not understand much of the symbolic language in the beginning. However, I learned the secret of the power of the key given to Christopher before he got into trouble. There are probably a lot of interesting clues with lessons behind them that will take time to discover. That is, unless you ask the author. Beale has a great mind and his books will help many people see the real world.

A must read. No one does it quite like Mr. Beale. I was blown away by the descriptions of heaven, the characters, the fightings, the plot. Have given away as Christmas gifts.

Wonderful!!!

I am not a religious person by most means. I saw the cover of this novel and was intrigued. I decided to buy it after reading the back cover. I was hooked from page one. It is a total action-advernture novel that just happens to have a religious theme. The nice thing about it was that it wasn't preachy. You were given the perspective that Theodore Beale was offering and he was able to craft everything together into one of the most entertaing books I have ever read. The only thing that disappoints me is that the follow-up novel won't be available until sometime in late 2002. I highly recommend this to the faithful and the non alike. Pick it up, you won't be sorry.

Well crafted, entertaining and thought provoking. This book is full of vivid imagery, intriguing symbolism, spiritual insights, and finally, an entertaining plot that keeps you hooked from Chapter One until the end. I was rather impressed with the novel overall. It has depth to it, which is something often missing from Christian novels today.

Definitely recommended!

Alot of times I see books labled Christian Science Fiction just because there are Angels in it. I feel in this case the label fit. When reading this book you are moving realm to realm with time on earth not changing. For me I do always get a little lost, I perfer my battles being fought right here on earth. That being said I did struggle through this book a little because of it but not because the story was bad.I read a review about the teenagers dialog sounding strange but I thought it was spot on. Three siblings fighting with their own Gaurdian Angels and not all on the same side! As I finished this book I was very excited to start the second book in this Trilogy!

So, I haven't yet finished the book, but even so, I can still write this review. As a Christian reading this book, I would have to say that only another Christian who is solid in their doctrine of angels and demons should read this book. The reason being is because that person is likely to know what is true and what is false about the angels and demons presented in Mr. Beale's novel. Someone who is not a christian may take what is said in there to be true and that would be devastating. The other thing is, although in reality people who are not Christians do tend to cuss and take the Lord's name in vain, I do not believe that it should every be included in a book, especially one that is supposed to be christian. By writing cuss words in a book you essential force others to read them, and I for one don't want to read them.