The Assault

If you love anything dealing with the supernatural from a Christian perspective, then you need to check out the Harbinger Series. Each cycle of the series takes the talents of well-known Christian authors and gives them the opportunity to expand on an ongoing series with very different characters point of view. Think of it, like a television series but in this case each author is adding their own spin to the continuing saga that is plaguing a unique set of characters from vastly different backgrounds. This cycle of the Harbinger series is the second one and incorporates the stories of The Revealing by Bill Myers, Infestation by Frank Peretti, Infiltration by Angela Hunt and The Fog by Alton Gansky.

In the series, Bill Myers writes as Brenda, a street-hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Frank Peretti writes as the Professor, the atheist ex-priest who is ruled by logic. Angela Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns and Alton Gansky writes as Tank, the naive, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power. So instead of the four talented authors writing one novella together, this comes together like a television series. There is an overarching storyline into which they each plug their own novellas, with each story written from our characters point of view.

In The Revealing, the team is gathered together under the direction of Bill Myers and they find themselves searching for the Spear of Destiny, which is coveted by those who seek it because it is said that those that weld the instrument that was used to plunge into the body of Jesus Christ on the cross still retains some supernatural properties and now the hunt it on for those who want to keep it hidden and those who want it found. In The Infestation by Frank Peretti, the team is thrust back into their pasts to deal with situations that were never resolved and this time an unseen fungus is attempting to infect the world without anyone knowing what is happening. When one of the team is affected will they be able to figure out a way to stop it before it kills them?

In Infiltration, the team discover a secret plot by those that they have been following are now all connected to their various discoveries and now they are being hunted one by one by something that no one can see but involves going back into their pasts before they were united as if they never met. They will have to convince each other that they do have a connection in some future event if they hope to succeed in not only keeping the team together but keeping them alive. Finally in The Fog, Alton Gansky takes our team to the top of a high rise building as a fog rushes in with the ability not only to kill on ground level but it begins to rise and with it the body counts continue to climb as well.

I received The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky compliments of Baker Publishing Group and Net Galley. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.  I have absolutely LOVED this entire series and even though these individual books were written before, they are collected in groups of four known as the Cycle of the Harbinger series. Readers even get a sneak peek at the coming Cycle Three at the conclusion of this collection. These must be read in order not as individual stand alones otherwise as a reader, you would be completely lost by not understanding each characters motivation in working together to solve what is happening not only to them as individuals but also to the world in an effort to save them all. In this one, The Fog was my absolute favorite. There is just something creepy about a fog that can rise until it claims every last person it touches. 5 out of 5 stars again in my opinion and can't wait to read the next one.

For more information about The Assault, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky or where you can pre-order a copy of this book due out in August of 2017 , please click on the links below:

The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky

You can find Bill Myers on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Frank Peretti on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

You can find Angela Hunt on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest books.

You can find Alton Gansky on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest books.

Invitation

Harbinger: (noun). A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another; a forerunner of something.

A crazy school in Southern California with a well that reaches to the spiritual world; a house that haunts instead of being haunted; birds and other animals dying with their eyes missing; a young deserted girl who can appear and disappear at will. These are the harbingers in cycle one of the Harbingers Series of novels by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky. Think of it like a Christian version of the Twilight Zone and each author takes their turn at one of four characters from their perspective and spins their own unique spin on this unusual pairing of people in episode after episode.

Bill Myers tells the story from Brenda's perspective, a street hustling tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Frank Peretti writes as the professor, the atheist ex-priest ruled by logic, Angela Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's brilliant but geeky assistant who sees inexplicable patterns and Alton Gansky writes as Tank, the naive, big-hearted jock with a surprising connection to a healing power. The Call from Bill Myers sets the stage, followed by Frank Peretti's The Haunted, Angela Hunt's The Sentinels and Alton Gansky's The Girl. These are all coupled in one book known as the Invitation even though you could pick these up one at a time, I was completely glued to each of them.

Each novella offers a bit of the unusual supernatural as only these masters of Christian speculative fiction can weave. These team of rag-tag individuals have been pulled together for some reason yet unknown. Is it a calling on their lives from God or something more sinister and dark. I've been a huge literary fan of each of these authors in their own right and love the collaboration to put something together that I would LOVE to see on a television series. Nothing is ever solved but in each, the characters are tasked to perform each of their unique gifts along with a young boy named Daniel they meet in The Haunted. I don't want to give too much away, but if you love the creepy, suspenseful, dark and supernatural, you will WANT to pick this one up. Readers even get a sneak peek at The Revealing, the 5th installment in the series. I received Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky compliments of Bethany House Publishers and Net Galley. This collection is due out in April of 2017 and trust me, you WILL want them all. For me, this was an easy 5 out of 5 stars and held me on the edge of my seat by these talented and gifted authors. Now I am off to find the rest of the series!

For more information about Invitation, Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky, or where you can pre-order the first four installments of the Harbingers Series in one, please click on the links below:

Invitation by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt and Alton Gansky

You can find Bill Myers on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

You can find Frank Peretti on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

You can find Angela Hunt on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

You can find Alton Gansky on Facebook to stay up to date on all his latest novels.

To read more reviews on Invitation, please visit Bethany House Publishers website. 

Illusion

My all time favorite author just released his latest book, so what do I do the moment it arrives? I inhale it, slowly like my all time favorite meal. Why? you ask would you read it slowly, because it may be a long time before another novel this great comes out again, so I want to savor it and make it last as long as I possibly can. So who is this great author that has inspired me to write in this same type of genre since reading his first book, This Present Darkness? Well that would be Frank Peretti!!!

He's the Christian equivalent of Stephen King, master at words and being able to draw the reader in slowly and keeping them engaged until the final page is turned and you sigh. Not because you are finished but because it was that good and you want to read it again.

Illusion is the latest novel by Frank Peretti and it was just as great as anything he has ever written, after all this time, like fine wine, it's only gotten better.



Illusion is a story involving a couple of twisted but masterfully woven story lines, the foremost begins in the first chapter and Mandy Collins, the fifty-nine year old wife of Dane Collins and the second half of the magic act, Dane and Mandy, is in a horrible car accident. While the accident has left Dane battered and bruised, Mandy is burned to bad to recover and so he is making final preparations to say good bye to his partner and wife as she's about to be whisked away for organ donation. It is here that the story begins and starts to twist.

As Dane tries to understand how his life will go on without Mandy in it, she miraculously appears at a county fair only now she is nineteen. She believes the year is 1970 but in reality its 2010 and she has lost 40 years of her life. Disorientated and feeling lost and wearing only a hospital gown, she struggles with reality until she is picked up by concerned citizens at the fair who turn her over to the police. Not knowing what to tell them, she tries to explain what she knows but that only ends up making her more confused and the police believe she is a mental patient and thus put her in hospital to determine her mental condition. Trying to find a way out of the mental ward, she begins to see an image of a farm, with white picket fence and three aspen trees as though she can see through the walls. Upon walking toward that scene, she realizes that no one can see her and she slips quietly out of the hospital. It is then she realizes she has unusual powers and is drawn back into the world of magic where she feels she has lived a life before.

Dane is released from the hospital to make funeral arrangements from his wife along with the warning from Dr. Kessler that due to his post traumatic stress disorder after losing his wife, and being on strong pain medications and muscle relaxers, he should call her if he should find himself thinking he has seen his wife. However normal it might feel, she isn't real.

I received Illusion by Frank Peretti compliments of Simon and Schuster Publishers for my honest review and can't tell you just how great it is. A combination of suspense, magic and romance, Frank Peretti could have ended this novel any number of ways and I am so thrilled he chose the ending he did. This one rates a permanent home in my personal library and give it the highest rating of 5 out of 5 stars. I have to tell you once this arrived in my home, it was a struggle to be the first to read it in my family, now I must regretfully turn it over to my daughter who will fall in love with this story within the first chapter and will be held captive in the world of mystery and wonder of magic.

For more information on this book, the author and where you can purchase a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Illusion by Frank Peretti

You can also find Frank Peretti on Facebook by clicking here.