Review of Truth and Evil

[Melissa Morton Miller]

[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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I was completely immersed while reading Truth and Evil: A Religious Historical Fiction Novelette Set During World War II by G. Edward Martin. Although it is a short book, it packs a powerful message inside its cover!

The main character is an unnamed farm boy, drafted into the German army when he was 18. Two years have passed and he has become immune to the inhumane acts of war under the excuse of following orders. In one such incident, he is sent to check inside a cellar in a Russian town. He finds a hidden girl and abuses her. When he leaves the cellar, he is killed by a bomb blast and finds himself before the Lord, being judged for his actions. He is forced to relive his final moments, experiencing good versus evil in each situation that occurs based on the specific choice that he makes each time.

Although the title says the book is a religious historical fiction novelette, it is not limited to just one religion. It does mention the Lord, God, the Holy Spirit, and the Devil, which tend to coincide with Protestant beliefs. Still, in the fight of good versus evil, I think the specific religion would not interfere with the reader’s enjoyment of the text.

There is some discussion of abuse dealt to prisoners or to inhabitants of the occupied lands that might be disturbing to some readers, however, I felt it was in line with the topic of the book and the author did a decent job of not going into extreme detail. Considering that the theme of the novelette is good vs evil, war crimes were the evil component. The only negative comment I have is that the sexual abuse could be traumatic for some readers. The editing of the novelette is excellent! I found no editing mistakes as I read.

I give the novelette 5 out of 5 stars. I thought the writing was excellent. The story of good triumphing over evil was uplifting! I have recommended this short story to several people I know and I hope to read more by this author!

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Truth and Evil
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