The Messengers and the Forgotten Choice

by Obadiah J. Dalrymple

Most people believe in the spiritual world with about the same amount of conviction that they believe in the Easter bunny, and even less do they consider how angels and demons interact with human freewill. But for twenty year old Micah Jones, sinister supernatural events begin to confront him, opening his eyes to the world behind our world, altering his perception of reality, and changing his life forever.

454 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2014

Reviews

[Frank Theising · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Messengers is a tale of a young man in rural Missouri who gets caught up in a spiritual battle between angels and demons over the fate of the town and its people. As a work of fiction, the story is both imaginative and engaging…I couldn’t put it down. The book begins a little abruptly but develops into a well-written story with a great plot and an important message. The incorporation of little anecdotes like a mother’s giddiness over her son holding hands with a girl or the good natured banter between two friends makes the characters seem very real. While there are a ton of stories written about angels or demons, most quickly devolve into pure fantasy. While this story is obviously fictional, the author makes a concerted effort to support his characterization of angels, demons, and spiritual warfare with footnotes to various passages from the Holy Bible. While there is certainly a great deal of artistic license taken in his portrayal, the imagery he uses is very powerful and helps to bring the truth of scripture to life in the mind of the reader. In many ways, this book reminds me of C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters in the imagery used to depict temptation and spiritual warfare. Consequently, many of these images will continue to stick with me in the future when confronted with temptation or difficult choices. (Full disclosure: the author is a friend of mine).

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read written by someone I know, so fun and proud of my friend. I liked this book, the plot was very creative and a great way to bring up theological discussions without feeling overbearing. As a first novel, it falls into some of the same troubles I've seen many other first novels stumble into, mostly with set up and dialogue. But once Quentin enters the picture, the book picks up and we see Obie's true talent for story telling. Can't wait to read another of his tales.

[Brad Beatty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very rewarding read. I found it challenging at times, but it paid off in a big way with a great story and an even better message. I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking a good and meaningful read.