So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore by Wayne Jacobsen and Dave Coleman

Synopsis: A pastor facing a spiritual crisis receives counsel from a man who may be St. John. Review: So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore has a lot of great insights into the crippling effect that the legalism of religious obligation can have on anyone’s faith. I was with the book for the first two-thirds, nodding my head in agreement as John enlightens Pastor Jake about seeking life and salvation from God, not from rituals like Sunday morning worship or weekly Bible study.…

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Present Tense by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Synopsis: Book two in this trilogy has our unjustly accused hero crossing back to WWII-era England, hoping to escape from the law so he can enlist on the front lines and narrating the story of his time as a battle commander Nextdoor to his cohort of rescuers. Review: I was not quite as enthralled with Present Tense as I’d hope to be, but I still enjoyed it. I get frustrated when fantasy stories rely too heavily on the notion of prophecy, because then the story…

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Past Imperative by Dave Duncan (The Great Game)

Synopsis: An upper class young man on trial for murder in WWI England finds his destiny entwined with a girl on the road with a traveling troupe of actors in an alternate vaguely medieval world ruled by capricious and contentious gods. Review: I really enjoy Dave Duncan’s writing–he’s imaginative and not afraid of getting a little literary, and always comes up with great characters. Past Imperative (Round One of the Great Game) was a welcome departure from the usual epic fantasy in that half of…

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