A Brush With the Beast by Richard Sones

I enjoyed this novel. It is in the genre of the Left Behind series, giving readers a possible way the Antichrist rises to power.

The novel got off to a rough start for me. Sones quickly introduces readers to a number of characters and locations. That means the narrative jumps around to several locations and, I think, time periods. Headings at each new section identifying locations and dates would have helped the initial flow of the plot a great deal.

Also part of the rough beginning for me was the way Nick, owner of a very successful technology company, got into the dark side. He was seeking help for back pain and his secretary aimed him in the direction that ultimately led him to be part of a potentially world controlling group. The initial introduction to Nick and his early actions made me think of him as a weak character. That he later became so powerful did not seem to fit his character, aggressive yet quite flat.

After the initial rough start, I felt the novel progressed well. The various characters across the globe do come together within the plot. I like how Sones included Islam and the move to make it the required world religion. I also like how God's protection for Christians being persecuted was evidenced. There is also a very clear presentation of the gospel.

Reading parts of this novel was like reading today's newspaper headlines. The U.S. president calls for a strike on North Korea. Terrorists infiltrate the U.S. to cause destruction with RPGs. Pastors who will not perform weddings for what used to be socially unacceptable partners are imprisoned. Satanic worship ceremonies take place in public settings.

This novel is a good effort in the Christian end times genre. Readers are left in the midst of international action so I will be looking for a sequel.

You can find out more about the book and read the first chapter here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Richard Sones grew up traveling the world. He continued to do so as a chaplain in the U. S. Army, serving 28 years. He is still in ministry, serving as the chaplain of a major hospital in El Paso, Texas. He lives just outside the city in the northern fringes of the Chihuahuan Desert. He is married with four children and four grandchildren.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Book Publicity Services. My comments are an independent and honest review.