The Awakened (The Lazarus Chronicles, #1)

Reviewed by:

G. Connor Salter, Professional Writing alumnus from Taylor University, Upland, IN.

Title:

The Awakened (The Lazarus Chronicles, #1)

Author:

Richard Spillman

Publisher:

Mountain Brook Ink

Publication Date:

October 1, 2018

Format:

Paperback

Length:

378 pages

OVERVIEW

Bobby Kruger was dead for four hours. Then a prayer brought him back. Dr. Ricki Spenser has lived a quiet life until someone remotely hacks her computer and uses it to steal a file. The file appears to be a journal entry from Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead … and may still be alive. Soon, Bobby and Ricki are drawn into SOAR, an organization of people who’ve all “awakened” back to life by God. The Awakened have two tasks: fight demonic forces that can also raise the dead and watch to see when those finally bring Earth’s final conflict

Spillman takes the same concepts many Christian thrillers use (conflicts in the Middle East with supernatural overtones, Satanic conspiracies bringing about the End Times) and mixes in a dose of fantasy along with elements from techno-thrillers. Thus, The Awakened has the big stakes of a book like Left Behind, but Spillman doesn’t claim to present a plausible account of the End Times or spiritual warfare, which leaves him free to explore more speculative concepts. He uses the idea of someone rising from the dead in modern-day America to confront how few people (even Christians) truly believe the dead can be raised, and why many people are uncomfortable with this idea. Along the way, he also explores questions about loss and the price of immortality. All told, a very entertaining thriller that makes readers consider what it truly means to live a good life and die a good death.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5 stars)

4 stars

Intended Audience

Readers who like Christian supernatural thrillers or spiritual warfare novels, readers who like international espionage thrillers.

Christian Impact

Characters throughout discuss the problems of grief that come with losing loved ones, the potential problems of immortality, and how to forgive people who’ve caused terrible pain.