Review of Righteous Gathering
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Daniel Wohlbruck
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Review of Righteous Gathering
[Following is a volunteer review of "Righteous Gathering" by Book 1 of the Righteous Survival EMP Saga.]
A Review of
“Righteous Gathering”
by Timothy Van Sickel
Reviewed by Daniel Wohlbruck
Timothy A. Van Sickel's “Righteous Gathering” Book One of the Righteous Survival EMP Saga has it all. Every character and event that EMP (electromagnetic pulse) end-of-civilization novels typically describe can be found here. Prepared central character, check. Unaware neighbor, check. Local town in uproar and confusion, check. Murder and mayhem on the roads, check. Unrestrained criminals bent on taking control, check. So, what makes this book special? The book's champion, Mark Mays, and his family are evangelical Christians who struggle with the issues of who and how best to help others while protecting themselves from hunger and attack.
Mark and his immediate family live in the mountains of western Pennsylvania when an EMP, the result of a nuclear bombardment of the United States perpetrated by an unknown adversary, occurs on a 9/11 anniversary. When he sees an airplane fall from the sky, Mark intuitively knows that the reason must be an EMP and he begins to plan what he must do. The Mays family live on a small farm outside of the fictional Central City. Mark owns a home repair company and works from the farmstead while Rebecca, his wife, is employed in town. Mark's first order of business is to drive his old truck which continues to run because it predates electronics, to rescue Rebecca. Within an hour of the attack, this first short trip sets the stage for what is to come. Roads are made impassable by cars that no longer function while unreasonable local authorities and a panicked citizenry continue to plague Mark throughout the first four days that follow the EMP and are described by this novel. The chaos makes fertile ground for the rise of a criminal enterprise, as well. Describing how the country topples into lawlessness and despair and the way in which the extended Mays family rely on their Christian faith to deal with it make up the remainder of Book One of this saga.
There is neither theology nor sermonizing in “Righteous Gathering.” Rather, it is Van Sickel's portrayal of Mark Mays as a humble believer who uses his Christian values to navigate this new world that are considered. We hear Mark's thoughts and prayers along the way. Agree or disagree, I found the conversation between Mays and his God worth the read.
I found occasional profanity while I was reading but there are no erotic scenes in the novel. I didn't find proofreading or spelling errors to detract from the flow of the words. Overall, I rate “Righteous Gathering” as 5 out of 5 stars. This book is for the reader who wants to explore the limits of faith under extreme circumstances.
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Righteous Gathering
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Review of
“Righteous Gathering”
by Timothy Van Sickel
Reviewed by Daniel Wohlbruck
Timothy A. Van Sickel's “Righteous Gathering” Book One of the Righteous Survival EMP Saga has it all. Every character and event that EMP (electromagnetic pulse) end-of-civilization novels typically describe can be found here. Prepared central character, check. Unaware neighbor, check. Local town in uproar and confusion, check. Murder and mayhem on the roads, check. Unrestrained criminals bent on taking control, check. So, what makes this book special? The book's champion, Mark Mays, and his family are evangelical Christians who struggle with the issues of who and how best to help others while protecting themselves from hunger and attack.
Mark and his immediate family live in the mountains of western Pennsylvania when an EMP, the result of a nuclear bombardment of the United States perpetrated by an unknown adversary, occurs on a 9/11 anniversary. When he sees an airplane fall from the sky, Mark intuitively knows that the reason must be an EMP and he begins to plan what he must do. The Mays family live on a small farm outside of the fictional Central City. Mark owns a home repair company and works from the farmstead while Rebecca, his wife, is employed in town. Mark's first order of business is to drive his old truck which continues to run because it predates electronics, to rescue Rebecca. Within an hour of the attack, this first short trip sets the stage for what is to come. Roads are made impassable by cars that no longer function while unreasonable local authorities and a panicked citizenry continue to plague Mark throughout the first four days that follow the EMP and are described by this novel. The chaos makes fertile ground for the rise of a criminal enterprise, as well. Describing how the country topples into lawlessness and despair and the way in which the extended Mays family rely on their Christian faith to deal with it make up the remainder of Book One of this saga.
There is neither theology nor sermonizing in “Righteous Gathering.” Rather, it is Van Sickel's portrayal of Mark Mays as a humble believer who uses his Christian values to navigate this new world that are considered. We hear Mark's thoughts and prayers along the way. Agree or disagree, I found the conversation between Mays and his God worth the read.
I found occasional profanity while I was reading but there are no erotic scenes in the novel. I didn't find proofreading or spelling errors to detract from the flow of the words. Overall, I rate “Righteous Gathering” as 5 out of 5 stars. This book is for the reader who wants to explore the limits of faith under extreme circumstances.
******
Righteous Gathering
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: McDowell by William H. Coles
