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Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 25 Nov 2020, 19:27
by Nonso Samuelson
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sword of the Spirit" by Mark A Norris.]
Book Cover
4 out of 4 stars
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Eagan Argyle is a lover of adventure and the owner of Hillmaster Inn. Together with Yul Grunman, Tidwell Skilts, Doctor Merriman Pedorin, Tom Lakland, and Professor Bonyard Onn, Eagan embarks on a quest that takes him across the darkness, from Noy to the other side. This is a quest that is known to have taken the lives of many men, thanks to the Master of evil, Sahron and the dark creatures that do his bidding.

The danger this quest poses is what makes it perfect for Eagan, however. He has cheated the darkness twice before and has also had encounters with otherlies. As he prepares for this final adventure, he is convinced that the team he has put together has what it takes to succeed. Meanwhile, Sahron, in all his sinister glory, is also assembling his principalities. He plans to advance from his dark abode and storm Drugolin. This impending attack threatens to usher in a world of utter chaos, a world where man will no longer have freedom of choice. This tale is chock-full of adventures and subplots that will keep you flipping the pages until you're done.

Sword of the Spirit by Mark Norris is a fantasy thriller novel many Christian readers would enjoy. The author's descriptive writing style made it easy for me to picture the surreal settings and the adventurers' divine encounters. It also made the dialogue easy to understand.

This novel is an allegory of the Christian faith and the spiritual warfare believers encounter every day. Its deep meaning wasn't one to gloss over or take lightly. It required meditative thinking to fully assimilate and appreciate the message the author was trying to convey. Perhaps, it wasn't surprising that this tale reminded me of another popular Christian work of fiction: Pilgrim's Progress.

Since I am familiar with the Bible, it was easy for me to spot instances where Norris referenced some Bible verses but with a twist. This was what I enjoyed most about this story. One such instance in the book was this:
As it is written in the prophet Hosek: 'My people perish for lack of knowledge.'
This quote was lifted from the Book of Hosea in the Bible, and "Hosek" here was a play on "Hosea," one of the minor prophets in scripture. This kind of a play on words was used to full effect in this book.

There was nothing I disliked about Sword of the Spirit. It was remarkably written in terms of its grammar and organization. The book was professionally edited; it was quite difficult to spot errors while reading. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars owing to the author's writing and the absence of grammar issues. I hated nothing about the book, so I can't give it a lesser rating. I would recommend this book to Christian readers, both young and old.

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Sword of the Spirit
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Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 13 Dec 2020, 03:22
by Awesomeliker
The story seems perfect for me as I love fantasy thrillers, but I probably wom't be reading this since I'm not really into books related to religion. Thank you for the amazing review!

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 13 Dec 2020, 10:23
by Fabulous mind
A fantasy thriller that is based on Christian. Wow, this makes it more intriguing. I can't wait to read it. Great review.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 13 Dec 2020, 14:29
by Sararob06
I'm not sure how to feel about a fantasy novel that has a religious overtone. From your review it is clear the author blended these two elements seamlessly which can be hard to do. Great review!

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 15 Dec 2020, 17:30
by K+SQUARE
The title of the book is what first captured my attention, and it did not disappoint after reading the review. Being a thriller makes it doubly captivating. Excellent review.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 24 Dec 2020, 09:57
by Shahina C A
I think it's not suit for my reading taste. By the way your review is great. Thank you

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 02 Jan 2021, 13:08
by derialist
This sounds really interesting. It's like a battle of good vs evil but with a Christian undertone. I hope to read it one day. Thanks for the great review!

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 13 Feb 2021, 20:26
by Mitch Reinhardt
I'm looking forward to reading this. I haven't read any fantasy thrillers yet, but this book seems like a good place to start. Thank for posting the wonderful review.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:31
by AntonelaMaria
Nothing new for a fantasy novel to have religious undertones. Some of the most popular ones are exactly that like Lord of the rings. I will check it out. Thrillers are not my thing but I am curious about the fantasy part.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:32
by Clare Jose
I am a lover of fantasy, but I'm not really sure about the religious aspect that's included in the book. I guess I'll have to give it a try to see if I like it.
Thank you for your review.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:34
by Leen282
Fantasy not being my genre, and not being a person of faith, I will likely not read this book. Lovers of the genre will for sure enjoy this book with all it's adventures and sub-plots.

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:52
by Satwik Mohanty
Fantasy thrillers are always delightful to read. And I always prefer a book which gives attention to detail. I would love to see how Eagan and his mates defeat Sahron. Thanks for the thorough review!

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:52
by Francis Aderogbin
At first, I thought the book was going to be nonfiction. However, the fiction brought out the beauty of the lessons the author is trying to teach. Life is beyond physical. It is more spiritual than we see. And a Christian who can control the physical from the spiritual realm will survive the evil assaults

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 09:58
by Lynda Howard
Unfortunately I am not into spiritual fantasy thriller novels, although from the review Sword of the Spirit by Mark A. Norris does come across as an exciting adventure

Re: Official Review: Sword of the Spirit by Mark A Norris

Posted: 03 Oct 2021, 10:04
by Aan Granados
This sounds like a great read for fantasy and thriller lovers. Thanks for your review.