Gabe is the fourth book in The Balance series - a collection of paranormal thrillers dealing with the unseen world of balancing powers. Too often life is viewed in terms of good and evil, black or white, and the balance point tipping in either direction is ignored. Why should the afterlife be any different? We are given a choice when we die to move on to the Source, stay on earth and slowly evolve into more of what we were (good people become angels and bad people become demons), or a chosen few can work to keep the Balance between them. The title character Gabe is such a warrior who works to maintain that balance. Zeus has moved on to the Source and left his friends behind to cope and heal as best they can. Gabe still carries the darkness that Ammit left inside him during her battle with the Balance. The darkness has brought the anger of his passing and the loss of his wife Cassy bubbling to the surface where it boils, threatening to consume him. Harmony requests that Gabe purge himself of his darkness before she loses him as a soldier. Gabe asks his old friend and parolee Lucifer to aid him in his personal quest, while Grey helps the Lone Riders and Dante search for their missing leader Bulldog. The novel is written in two styles. Each chapter begins in a soliloquy from the title character Gabe, where he tells pieces of his backstory intertwined with philosophical musings on his family, friends, life and dealing with loss, with the following bulk of the chapter told in a third person narrative.
Nick Shamhart was born in Sandusky, Ohio on the winter solstice in the years before Americans started electing actors as President. He still lives in that mostly vowel state under protest from half of the voices in his head. The other half could care less where they reside, because they are too busy yammering on endlessly about everything from Sit-Com theme songs to theology and metaphysics.
Articles and short stories written by Nick have appeared in such magazines as: National Geographic and National Geographic Adventure, Rolling Stone, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Circle, Men’s Journal, Esquire, Sci Fi, Men’s Health, Blender, Vibe, Outdoor, and more.
Nick Shamhart is not a genre writer. His novels are character based. The result is whatever the story becomes, from romantic comedy to drama or thriller. He is the author of the theologically and psychologically driven series based on the afterlife called the Balance Books. The romantic comedy, “The Knight’s Wife” is based on the concept of how often women are actually the ones who perform the hero’s work and then some. “The Fog Within” is Nick’s bestselling and highly acclaimed dramatic look into the mind of a severely autistic woman. He lives in Cleveland with his wife and two daughters.
The 4th book of the Balance series does not disappoint! It is a wonderful continuation of the storyline of an existence after death, where people take on new forms depending on their life before and their personality after. This one focuses on a wonderful, colorful, exciting character named Gabe. Ireland being one of my favorite places in the world, and the images in the book were spot on, taking me back to Dublin and such. I found the mention of the forest at the foot of Mt. Fuji fascinating. I can only imagine how lonely and haunting this place must be thanks to the description in this book. As with all the Balance books, the mix of humor, intentional stereotyping and action are well 'balanced' with more serious presentation of philosophies of the world. A very good book worth reading!