Book Review: Elijah... Among the Shades of Time

I am a literature student. I know it is tough to write. Especially if the story is a known one. Known one for about 4000 years. From one of the most famous books. Take one of the most famous battles of epic proportions and try and breathe words into the scenes. How do you do that? How do you attempt something so ginormous and yet come out a winner.  You don't write it. It comes to you. One page at a time. Once scene to another. You live it. It is a rare experience and Susy could make it happen. I am talking about the latest book from Susy Matthew - Elijah: Among the Shades of Time.

Taking a story right out of the historical chronicles in The Bible, Queen Jezebel and Elijah fight it out in their quest to prove the supremacy of the God they believe in and how they turn the favour of the people, Susy does an amazing job handling various complicated characters. This is a rare topic as you would have now imagined and is for the serious reader who likes the heavy stuff and actually enjoys his history and literature. But Susy makes it easy for you. Adds a bit of love, romance and explores the hard facts as they are and could have been. This makes the story easy on your mind when you venture in to it. Though the obvious love story lures you to believe that this is just another book, it actually helps you soak in the seriousness of the times and how futile several of the adventures were. After all those were the times of the mighty kings and the subjects. How Elijah, one of the most powerful prophets in the Old Testament, turns from a reluctant follower to a formidable hero and leader and helps bring in the Lord - Yahweh's will is the crux of the story.

The book is a fast read and paces the story well so that you are in sync with the timelines and are kept engaged to understand what is happening around you. The kind of dread that Queen Jezebel's actions bring up in you is superb. With her command on the intricate details about the levels of the demonic world and the futility of being in the illusion of command is handled quite well. For those of you who like to understand the power of bodily aura, projections and enjoy a thrill in seeking the pleasures beyond the visual, obvious, this book is a delight as it serves you quite a handful. The war in the physical world is just a reflection and a minor representation of the war in heavens but that doesn't make it any less interesting. While I am tempted to reveal the main plot, I don't want to take away your joy in reading and let the story unfold. Despite all the historical significance, a dash of the world of witchcraft, demonic control of the dark world, secretive mystic sisterhood of Baal, a theme of love and a raging war, Elijah promises a racy tale of the fight between good and evil, a story of intricate supernatural manifestation that is served in a small book you can't resist.

A welcome approach to bring out the usually ignored and untouched stories from the ancient books. Susy Matthew does ample justice in representing the landscapes of ancient Israel, culture, relationships, values, family ties and much more. Pick it up today from flipkart by clicking here.

Rating: 3/5

Pic is from here.