Invitation by Myers, Peretti, Hunt and Gansky

This book contains four stories, each written by a different author. The authors are friends and wanted to do something different and this book is the result. They established a couple of rules. First, each author would write as if a character. Myers writes as a tattoo artist who sees images of the future. Peretti writes as a professor, an atheist ruled by logic. Hunt writes as Andi, the professor's geeky assistant who can see inexplicable patterns. Gansky writes as Tank, a big-hearted jock with healing power. The other rule was that these stories should read like a TV series with an overarching story line, with each individual story fitting in.

Myer's novella sets the stage. We learn about the major characters, are introduced to the strange training center in the desert, and experience some suspense. Peretti's novella takes us to a house in the Pacific Northwest that tells the truth and where we experience some eerie suspense. Hunt's novella finds the group on a Florida shore facing the mystery of birds and fish dying in vast numbers. Gansky's novella finds the group in Oregon, on the trail of a mysterious young girl who can walk through fences and over barns.

I enjoyed this collection of stories, following the ongoing adventures of the motley collection of characters. Each novella reveals a little more about the characters, their back grounds, etc. There is a prominent spiritual aspect to these stories, on both the good side and the dark side. There is a bit of spiritual warfare that goes on. Tank is the godly character while the professor is an avowed atheist. There are some good theological points made through the dialog between the characters.

Various authors sometimes means difference in writing quality but I was happy to find that the writing was quite consistent. It was a little disconcerting to change points of view with each novella. And I felt like it was all unfinished business when I got to the end. The stories are entertaining but there is no resolution at the end of this collection. I sensed that the evil forces, what ever they are, were getting stronger. One would need to read the next collections, two releasing later this year, to get the ultimate message. I trust the battle of good and evil will continue. (Doing a little research, this looks like the first in a previously published multi-volume series.)

You can read an excerpt here.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Bill Myers is an award winning film maker and best selling author. He is the co-creator of MeGee and Me. He lives in California. You can find out more at www.billmyers.com.

Frank E. Peretti is a best selling author with more than 10 million of his books in print. He lives in Idaho. You can find out more at www.frankperetti.com.

Angela Hunt is a bestselling author, having written more than 100 books. She lives in Florida. You can find out more at www.angelahuntbooks.com.

Alton Gansky has written more than 20 novels and has won several awards. He lives in California. You can find out more at www.altongansky.com.

Bethany House Publishers, 352 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.