Dark to Mortal Eyes

I am not a fiction reader. I don't enjoy wasting my time reading something that is not true, nor do I like to read books that seem far-fetched. I found this book to be neither a waste of time, nor far-fetched. Dark to Mortal Eyes is a true story, depicting the struggles of life on earth, as well as in the spiritual realm. I have been in Josee Walker's shoes, and felt the sting of the serpent. I also, like many of my peers in their 20's, came from a broken home. I rejected all things "church" for 20 years. I loved the book. Everything happens for a reason. If you are reading this review, purchase this book. You will find the reason. Thank you Eric Wilson!

It's been a long time since I've read a Christian novel that I've wanted to rave about, and DARK TO MORTAL EYES has just shot to the top of my list. Not only is the pace kept to a breakneck speed, but we get character development too, which so many thriller writers tend to neglect. Robert Whitlow (Christy award winning author of THE TRIAL & LIFE SUPPORT) had this to say about the book: "In DARK TO MORTAL EYES, Eric Wilson coils suspense as tight as a snake prepared to strike." An apt quote, considering some of the events that transpire, but I'll add no spoilers here. Take this as a hint of what's to come when you pick up this outstanding debut novel (which is the first in a series devoted to the five senses). But reader beware - don't expect to know right off the bat what's spiritual and what's natural. The lines between those realms blur in this story, but that's what makes it interesting. What IS reality? You'll have to read on to find out, which is exactly what I did, savoring every page. I'll leave the plot summaries to others, but suffice it to say that ultimately good triumphs over evil, with one heck of a battle in between. Kudos, Eric, for making it gritty while keeping it clean. I also found it refreshing that the spiritual insights were unashamedly woven into the plot without compromising the suspense. Highly recommended to all thriller fans, but especially those of Alton Gansky, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker & James Pence. DARK TO MORTAL EYES is a keeper. Now get out there and buy this book! You won't regret it.

Eric Wilson is going to make his mark on the fiction market with works like this.I picked up this book after talking with the author on email. We share similar tastes in novels and both enjoy reading, although I am a light-weight compared to the volume he devours.In this novel, the author takes the reader through twists and around corners, revealing only enough in each chapter to make you want to continue into the next chapter. The twists and turns, along with the sensationally descriptive imagery, kept my attention well into the night on more than one occassion. I had to make myself to go bed over the last nights, wishing that I could stay up and finish this book faster.I am always good a guessing plot outcomes, and I did in fact guess 1-2 things in this novel, but the intensity and number of suprises provided an enjoyable revelation in the final chapters. Thoughtfully provoking and spiritually in-tune with the Word of God, this story takes the reader on a well-earned cruise through the imagination.I can't wait to read Eric Wilson's next novel. I am a new fan. Writers like this should continue using the talents that are God given, and I look forward to enjoying that talents in the future.

Awesome beginning for Mr. Wilson! This is his first published work, and leaves his readers breathless! He weaves a story of forgiveness, faith, action, along with some really good suspense. It has some really good twists in it. Join Josee Walker as her and her father team up to search for her mother, and so much more.I loved the characters. I also liked the idea of his titling the chapters. When it came to that, they not only got your attention, but sometimes had an icy bite to them. I say icy as in cool and awesome, you don't want to miss anything! Chapters such as "Deadline" or "No Rest For the Wicked" or something such as "Games of Chance" or something haunting like "Sorceress" and when I say that, I give nothing away. Awesome chapter titles for an excellent read. And what a title for a book! Whew! Looks deep? Just wait until you read it!You'll note that I said that this is a book of action, along with other words. Action has many meanings. As a Christian, the biggest action we can use is our faith, which Eric showed throughout this book. I can say already that we can put Eric up there with Ted Dekker and Randy Singer. One thing that I should add. Once you get into this book, and it is very easy to do so, you will probably think of this as a chess match. Pawn here, bishop there. Just kind of an afterthought. Awesome and unforgettable!

Christian fiction novels tend to have a cookie-cutter feel to them. Most stay away from certain areas, and you feel "safe" reading them. Then Eric Wilson comes along...Describing Eric's storytelling style is a little difficult. The closest I could come to it would be to say reading this book is a lot like reading a Dean Koontz novel. The story is exciting, the descriptions good, and the plot is very deep. There are sections of the book that I got lost in, as a lot of what happens is taking place in the spiritual realm as well. That being the case, you may have to reread parts of the book to get it all. Again, this is because so many Christian fiction novels are similar that you kind of expect a certain formula to one. Once I got my mindset away from that theory, the book worked. This is another reason I compare Eric to Dean Koontz. Both authors can work in the "Is it really happening or not?" realm (see Koontz's "The Face" for a recent example). This is definitely not your momma's Christ Fict. I've heard him compared to Frank Peretti, but I honestly didn't see that. Frank's storytelling is very visual, while Eric's novel had an underlying current of evil running through it that kept you reading and allowed your imagination to do the scary stuff.The only real trouble spot I saw was at the beginning. The first few chapters throw a dozen or so characters at you and it gets hard to keep them apart. Some have similar names or characteristics, and some are only mentioned briefly but then come in later with major parts. Take your time when you start the book or you'll get lost quickly. Also, as I said before, things happen on two realms here. That makes it kind of frustrating at times because you can't understand what's going on (it took me a while to figure out what a "rook" really was).All in all this was a very enjoyable novel, and it sets the standard for a new level of fiction in the Christian market. Just as Shane Johnson gave us the first Christian horror novel last year with "Chayatocha", Eric takes that baton and runs about eight miles further with it. Now let's just see if the rest of the CBA market can keep up! Highly recommended.