The evil in East Salem is no longer content to hide in the shadows. The stakes—and the darkness—are rising.

Dani Harris thought there wasn’t much left that could surprise her after serving as a forensic psychiatrist in East Salem. And Tommy Gunderson has faced few challenges in his life that he couldn’t overcome by either physical strength or his celebrity status.

But as they race to uncover what’s really happening behind the high walls of St. Adrian’s Academy, it becomes clear that supernatural forces have been at work here for generations. And now their focus is on making sure Dani and Tommy don’t interfere.

When the unseen becomes seen, faith is the only weapon strong enough to fight in a battle involving not just murder and betrayal—but angels and demons.

—

I’ve delayed posting this review because I’ve really struggled with what to write. I’m just going to be honest as nicely as possible.

I struggled to read this book. The plot concept fascinates me, but I’m not a fan of the writing. I felt like the author was spoon feeding me the details (going so far as to explain that 999 is the mark of the beast, 666, upside down). The characters could talk about nearly anything, because everyone conveniently remembered things they’d learned about Native American history from junior high history class. Even when the characters had information and evidence in front of them, for no good reason someone would say, “I can’t explain why, but I think it’s this.” It felt as if the author wasn’t sure how to explain where she was going, so the character’s just decided that they couldn’t figure out why to change direction, but they agree to do it anyway.

The Biblical accuracy of angles and demons seems a little off, as is how the characters interact with them. They try to shoot demons, but the demons can dodge bullets. They can’t, however, dodge someone swinging a chainsaw. And then there are the angles with Swiss Army knives that have flaming sword options.

I wish these were isolated incidents, but these are they types of descriptions and plot twists that fill this novel. With the over explaining, immature character interactions, and pages of unnecessary descriptions, it read more like a first time novel written by a high schooler, not the work of a best selling novelist.

I’m not trying to be mean, I’m just being honest. There are obviously many people who enjoyed this book – perhaps you’re one of them. If you like an easy (laid out) read, you may enjoy this. If you’re looking for a complex, well-written plot, however, I’d skip it.

*I received a free copy of this book through Thomas Nelson’s Book Sneeze program in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.