Duality

by J.M. Pierce

Can the damned be saved? br/br/Kurt Lavine is at the end of his rope. Having buried his wife and eldest daughter, his grip on reality begins to fade. The loss of his loved ones, as well as his job, sends him into a downward spiral filled with alcohol and self pity. Inevitably, his mother has reported him to DHS, resulting in the loss of his two remaining children. Desperate and capable of anything, Kurt has nothing to lose...or so he thinks. br/br/The day comes when, in a fit of anger, Kurt kills a man. In his attempt to flee, his tumultuous life comes to an abrupt end. For some, death is a blessing, but for Kurt, death is a name, or more specifically, his new name: Gavril--Satan's newest demon servant. Though his life was filled with pain, his death is tormented with the memories of the destruction his days above Hell purchased. Having successfully harvested the soul he's desired, Satan sees him as an easy mark; however, he's not counting on the fact that Gavril retains his faith. Even among the damned, Gavril knows that there is only one name that matters in both Heaven and Hell, but is his enduring faith, combined with the love of his children, enough to save him?

144 pages, Nook

First published October 28, 2010

About the author

J.M. Pierce is a simple midwestern man with a creative side who has found writing as his primary outlet. He lives happily with his wife and two children in rural Kansas and finds happiness in a good cup of coffee, a Kansas sunrise, a good book, the sound of his daughter singing, his son's laughter, and his wife's eyes. Everything else is gravy.

Reviews

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Storyline: Duality written by J.M. Pierce addresses the eternal struggle of man’s faith in a higher power; a modern day story of Job, if you will.

Kurt is a very bitter man and he’s lost. He has tried to be a good man by praying and going to church as often as possible. But after burying his wife and then his eldest daughter and losing his job all in a very short span of time, he first questions and then loses his faith.

Eventually this all comes to a head when he ends up killing a man. As he’s trying to escape, Kurt is hit by a car and killed. But… his troubles are not over just yet. Kurt now has a new job as the devil’s newest demon, Gavril, and he must accept his fate as a servant of Satan. His first task is to harvest his own son’s soul and bring him back to hell with the rest of the damned.

Can Kurt overcome his dark anger in time to prevent his son from making the ultimate mistake? Will Kurt regain his faith in God? Only God Himself knows…

Grammar/Spelling: I only noted one problem with Duality: a double period at the end of a sentence on page 82 (in my PDF version). Other than that, it was perfect.

Character Development: Duality features a simple man, Kurt, who doesn’t realize all of the good things he has in life. He thinks of himself as a good Christian, goes to church frequently and prays often. The reader is able to follow Kurt from the beginnings of his trials and tribulations to the very edge of madness when he must make the ultimate decision regarding his faith in God.

Writing Style: The story was written as a series of flashbacks throughout his current situation as a demon in order to highlight Kurt’s struggles with his inner demons. This definitely kept the plot moving along at nice pace. Mr. Pierce’s descriptions of hell and of the devil are very realistic and quite frightening.

Continuity: No issues with continuity.

Overall Rating: 4-

This was an interesting story of one man’s journey from faith to hell and back. I could very nearly feel Kurt’s pain and resentment at the world around him for all of the terrible things that befell him. This would be an excellent story for someone who has lost a loved one and can’t seem to find the light again. I believe that his might help show that there is always a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel and to make life as great as you can possibly make it.

[Maria Hooley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duality, at a basic level, is a moral tale. Yes, it does have a Christian emphasis, but to simply slot it as Christian fiction would be inaccurate. It's character-driven story touched with elements of horror and the supernatural. In as much as it's a loosely adapted version of Job, it is every bit an examination of how choice unravels a human spirit, and it is that exact crossroads that makes this story both riveting and horrific.

I'll admit, I hated the protagonist at first. Pierce abruptly slams the reader into a situation that is very uncomfortable, rather like being in the head of a psychopath, in some respects, and it's not until I read most of the story I understood that the main character was not evil for the sake of evil. While he has done many inexcusable things, he has also had events thrust upon him which have taken their toll. Nonetheless, I really felt that I could never find the goodness within this character, but Pierce managed to turn that around as well, demonstrating a novel with realistic individuals.

If you are looking for a well-written story full of wonderful description and thought, I'd definitely recommend this read.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

i received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads

Duality is a story about morality with great character progression. I found the main character hard to like throughout the book though and that took some enjoyment out of it for me personally. The book starts with a murder and then the reader is quickly placed in hell. Due to the book being 144 pages it's a bit of a quick read.

I would recommend this book if you can handle religous undertones and want to read a quick story.

[Alice Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually detest Christian fiction, because it tends to paint an unreal picture of the sweetness of Christian life and innate goodness of the churched. This book definitely has an underlying Christian faith, but is more about the struggle with or failure to live it when faced the adversity of life. It is also about the devastating effect we have on our loved one when we fail to be there for them.

This book is a thriller and a good read. There is great developement of character.

[Misty McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring read

I loved this book. It's been awhile since I've read a book that truly made me think our touched me on such a deep level. I've been faced with some major health issues and often questioned my faith. This often left me feeling guilty. After reading this book I've reflected on my beliefs and realize it's ok to question your faith, for each time I do I somehow am brought closer to my savior. Thanks for writing such an inspiring and thought provoking book.

[Dorothy Ottinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story about finding yourself and what is important...and as my gran used to say "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and moving on"