The Savior

I loved this book when it first came out, and it stayed with me for a long time. I recently obtained a copy of it again, and it affected me just as strongly. While some of the details are obviously outdated, the figure of Christopher, with his gift that turns into a curse, seems even more poignant today than it was back when the book was written. It might not satisfy readers looking for heaps of blood and gore, but for those who like interesting characters, a great story and a flair for visual details, this is a real find!

The story begins in Philadelphia, moves back in time to Inverness, Scotland, includes a stopover in London and then returns to Pennsylvania. Along the way we meet two men whose lives intersect midway in the book. They are young Chris McKenzie from Scotland, schooled in the myths of his native land, who develops paranormal powers, and American Eric Wynters, a grief-stricken widower who is searching for his kidnapped son. When their lives interconnect, the pace accelerates and extraordinary events, deftly foreshadowed in the early chapters, spiral out of control. The narrative of "The Savior" never bogs down, as sometimes happens with horror genre authors who inflate their prose in a desire to achieve epic size and proportion. This is a "big story" but we never get lost in the details. The characters are sharply drawn, the sense of place always vivid. Authors Marvin and Mark Werlin avoid the extraneous and share a keen artist's eye for light and shadow. They have created a moving tapestry, an entertaining page-turner with an unforgettable surprise ending.

I enjoyed this psychological horror/thriller very much. It's a definite page-turner and very entertaining - but it also has powerful messages about media and celebrity in our society. I thought it was well-written and would recommend it for fans of this genre.

As an avid and voracious reader, I am always looking for my next great read. I first read this book when it was released and the story has stayed with me. I remember being drawn to the simple cover of The Savior, an intriguing green eye shedding a single blood red tear. I picked up the book and stated reading and have been fan of the Werlins ever since. Terror occurs when our rational foundation crumbles and the unthinkable becomes reality. The Savior is a compelling and subtle psychological thriller that slowing builds the elements of horror by layer of layer of seemingly ordinary people caught in the grips of the extraordinary events that surround them. Recognizably real people, like those who we encounter everyday, engage our emotions as we travel with them into more and more terrifying places. Is there a terrible price to be paid for extraordinary gifts, and, at what point does the ends justify the means? The prose is written by artists of both visual and literary expertise, who understand the art of writing as well as the human heart. Caring about what happens to these characters makes page turning an immediate response. Pages turn to chapters and minutes turn to hours happily spent in this well-crafted story that is just as relevant today as when it was first written. This is definitely the kind of book to curl up with on a dark and stormy night with a down comforter and a cup of cocoa. Just make sure that you do not have to get up early the next day. Chances are that you will have a late night and a very satisfying experience. Like that old movie that you love to watch again and again, The Savior will captivate your imagination and leave you wanting more. Happily they have written other books, but none like this one.

This book was a HUGE bestseller in its time, and for good reasons. It stirred the readers' imagination long before psychic healing and the misuse of psychic powers became common territory for novels and TV-shows alike. The story has a lot of atmosphere, with a well-crafted plot and a compelling main character. The writing moves along swiftly and satisfyingly. This is still a terrific read for a summer vacation or a rainy winter day.