Behind the Spiritual Lines: Curse of the Gifted Child

by R.J. Ellis

Ellis takes readers into a supernatural realm, similar to limbo, where good and evil fight for control. Cliff, a 16-year-old boy, has been chosen by warrior angels to carry out a mission—save his possessed sister and conquer evil. Demons possess him in the process, and Cliff, an angel in human form, soon lands in an asylum, desperately searching for a grip on reality. This book is a story about good and evil and, through Cliff’s journey, delves into what happens behind spiritual lines—what happens in everyday life that isn’t visible to the human eye. Vivid descriptions of heaven, the Garden of Eden and angels provide insight into what “the other side” actually looks like. These battles not only well illustrate what happens in a heavenly battle, but they also symbolize the binary decision-making process between right and wrong, often represented by a demon on one shoulder and angel on the other. --Kirkus Review

264 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2012

About the author

R. J. Ellis was born in Mesquite, Texas. He has been included in the Stephen F. Austin's Pen and Pigment for Poetry and Fiction projects. He has published a collection of poetry for the undergraduate magazine HUMID. Furthermore, Richard was the Nonfiction Editor for HUMID in his final year at SFA. Richard has completed the BFA program at SFA. He currently lives in Houston Texas.

Reviews

[Dave Giffins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hmmm how should I start. Well, I must be honest, I really didn't have high hopes for the book at first, seeing that it was a self-published work but boy was I in for a treat. I have no ideal where to place the genre for this book, its a mixture of so many, from Horror, Urban Fantasy, jumbled with Christian lore. But I must say I loved the main protagonist and the pacing was great! Quick fast and in your face! It reminds me of a Tarantino movie how its ordered. Its starts in the middle then moves back in the past, then starts back where it picked off. If your not a close reader you might miss something. I recommend the ebook which is only 99 cent at amazon, if you don't want to fork out the 13 its listed as. A great quick read, you wont want to put it down.

[Willie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Kirkus review I found on the internet, pretty much sums it up.

SPOILER ALERT SPOILER ALERT


Angels, demons and the supernatural collide in Ellis’ first book.

Ellis takes readers into a supernatural realm, similar to limbo, where good and evil fight for control. Cliff, a 16-year-old boy, has been chosen by warrior angels to carry out a mission—save his possessed sister and conquer evil. Demons possess him in the process, and Cliff, an angel in human form, soon lands in an asylum, desperately searching for a grip on reality. This book is a story about good and evil and, through Cliff’s journey, delves into what happens behind spiritual lines—what happens in everyday life that isn’t visible to the human eye. Vivid descriptions of heaven, the Garden of Eden and angels provide insight into what “the other side” actually looks like. These battles not only well illustrate what happens in a heavenly battle, but they also symbolize the binary decision-making process between right and wrong, often represented by a demon on one shoulder and angel on the other. Cliff is not by himself in his struggle. In an effort to spread the message of Christ, angels come to Earth, live as humans and try to conquer evil. Cliff is one of the many who must navigate good and evil in human form, despite being an angel. The clashes between angels and demons, and Cliff’s journey in an asylum, speed the pace. The possessed teenager has the requisite charms and flaws to appear three dimensional, and the author describes the celestial imagery in memorable detail. The ongoing inner struggle between the possessed teenager and the real angel within ratchets up suspense. While the book needs a good copy editor, the fast-paced read is worth the grammatical oversights.

A fine story of angels versus demons and their unseen spiritual battle.

[Rick Delton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Behind the Spiritual Lines is a horror fantasy that follows a teenage boy who has the gift of having out of body experiences. It has a very interesting plot, in so much that I read the book in about a good three days. The book isn't long at about 260 pages and it moves fast. Must warn you this is the FIRST book in a series, I say this because once I finished I was like what the hell?! But it gets you ready for the second volume which I sadly can't find any info on. All in all, the book is a great read, a fast read with some interesting themes thrown around.

[Emmanuel Anim]

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