Review of Truth and Evil

[Annelore Trujillo]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Truth and Evil" by G. Edward Martin.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Truth and Evil: A Historical Fiction Novelette Set During WW2 by G. Edward Martin is a short book about a German soldier in World War II. He is doing his duty as a good German citizen and is a part of the violent German quest to overtake the Soviet Union. This is his duty to his country, so it must be the right thing to do. Is this the truth? The book follows his struggle as he fights internal and external battles to discover the truth about his role in the war.

The story is told from the third-person perspective. The way it is told reminds me of the format of a fairy tale or legend. It has phrases such as "our young soldier" that break the fourth wall and put the reader on the narrator's level. It is written as a past tale to provide the reader with a lesson. This is a unique way of telling this story. I initially struggled with this because it doesn’t allow the reader to be a part of the story. It gives a bird’s eye view of it. However, the method did grow on me, and it serves the author’s purpose of teaching the lesson.

The lesson that is taught is the best part of the book. I can’t give away the message without spoiling the book, but I do think it’s a great one to learn. The author also does a great job bringing the story around full circle. The loose ends are tied up, and I felt satisfied as I completed the book.

My least favorite part of this book is the depictions of God. It takes a very concrete approach to God and makes God a more punitive figure than I relate to. This makes the book more suited for Christian readers who also view God in that light. While I don’t enjoy this depiction as much, a strongly Christian audience might enjoy it more.

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. The book is well-written, well-edited, and has a great lesson. There are some minor errors in the book but nothing big enough to distract me from the story. The depiction of God is really the only part I don't like, and this is secondary to my own religious preferences. It would not be fair to take a star off only for this. If read by the right audience, it really is the perfect book deserving of this perfect rating. I do have to warn readers that it has some details of both violence and sexual assault, and readers should proceed with caution.

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Truth and Evil
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