Review by Jaime Lync -- The Chest of Visions

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Jaime Lync
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Review by Jaime Lync -- The Chest of Visions

Post by Jaime Lync »

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Chest of Visions" by Tim Ferguson.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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Meet Mattpaul of the planet Caperston. His planet is in an alternate universe from ours, but his communication device fortuitously picked up a Christian blog site. From this blog, he learns about Jesus and the Holy Bible. He posts a reply and tells of how in his home planet, there is a man called Chihaysu, who has started preaching that there is a God and he desires for people to love one another and live as equals. This is the premise for Tim Ferguson’s Christian sci-fi/fantasy novel, The Chest of Visions: Secrets of Caperston.

The story is told through a series of dated blog entries spanning almost a year. Mattpaul’s tale about being from a different planet is not heavily scrutinized. Rather, the blogger, Tim, is interested in learning more about Caperston and Chihaysu. Additionally, Alex, a teenage boy doubting his faith after the death of his Christian friend by a stray bullet, comes across the blog. Will Mattpaul and the stories of Chihaysu convince Alex not to walk away from the faith?
I enjoyed this novel. With less than one hundred pages and numerous black and white character sketches throughout the book, this was a relatively short read. It also seems to have been professionally edited, as there were no grammatical errors to complain about.

Ferguson did an excellent job on the main elements of the story. The story was well paced and there were a number of subplots that contributed to the development of the overall storyline. The characters on both Caperston and Earth were pretty well developed. I especially liked the use of bible scriptures and references throughout the book. Many of the stories that Chihaysu told were evidently adaptations of the parables of Jesus. There was also an emphasis on the power of prayer and the importance of trusting in God through the storms of life. The author’s desire to present the gospel message is also highlighted by his inclusion of an appendix entitled - ‘Not just a Story: a Lesson in Life’. This appendix includes three approaches on how to study the book and ten lessons for youth groups. I think that youth group leaders would definitely find this book helpful.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of demerits that I must point out. The sketches were labelled, but the words were too small to comfortably read them. Moreover, at the end of the book, we are given what is supposed to be a sneak peek of the second book in the series. However, the author practically tells us the entire second novel. The sequel seems very interesting but I am no longer motivated to read it, as I am already aware of all the major details in the story.

In conclusion, I rate The Chest of Visions 4 out of 4 stars. I thought of giving it only 3 stars but I reconsidered since the demerits do not greatly affect the quality of this story. I would also highly recommend it to Christians, specifically teenagers and those who can relate to doubting their faith due to the loss of a loved one.

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The Chest of Visions
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Wyland
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Post by Wyland »

I like the issues of faith as discussed from the perspective of a parallel universe. I also like that it strengthens faith for Christians. Nice review.
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Manang Muyang
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Post by Manang Muyang »

This is a novelty for me - a Christian sci-fi story! I'd like to see how it goes, especially with the impressive rating.

Wonderful review, brother!
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Jaime Lync
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Post by Jaime Lync »

Wyland wrote: 11 Jun 2019, 01:44 I like the issues of faith as discussed from the perspective of a parallel universe. I also like that it strengthens faith for Christians. Nice review.
Thanks for reading and commenting on this review. I also liked the parallel universe idea.
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allbooked+
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Post by allbooked+ »

This sounds like an intriguing premise - I like that Christianity is woven into a sci-fi story!
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