The Key of Solomon

by Glen Robinson

Some say the book was written by the wisest man who ever lived. Some say it is a collection of all the mystical knowledge of the ancient world, including the power to summon and control demons. And some say that it’s a myth.

Linguist Dr. Madelyn Simms is asked by the Smithie & Sloane Archeological Foundation to find out if the mythical Key of Solomon actually exists when she travels to Egypt to translate a manuscript recovered from the original Library of Alexandria. Those who believe want the Key badly, enough to put her life in danger.

At the same time, investigative reporter Ezra Huddleston, the special man in her life, is going places and doing things he shouldn’t. Such as investigating why college girls are disappearing in Austin and snooping around a mansion that has a lot to do with witchcraft. Could there be a tie between Egypt and Texas? And why do the hunting trophies on the wall keep looking at him? Did one of them just move?

The Key of Solomon is more than a book about translating 2,000-year-old manuscripts in the middle of a religious war. It’s more than a book about witchcraft. It’s about the power of God and how we underestimate God’s power and His willingness to work miracles in our lives.

Genres: Fantasy, Supernatural

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2017

About the author

I'm at that point in my life where I've been there, done it all, and got nothing more to prove. For me, the joy of writing is not in making money, or getting recognition, but in just being able to share a good story.

I'm a husband of a loving wife for close to 50 years, have two grown children, and two grandsons. I love kayaking, reading, writing, computer games, home repairs, and dogs. I retired from university teaching and then came back part-time as an adjunct because I love my students.

I've written 28 books, 200 articles and stories, and still consider myself a student of the craft with much to learn. I write mostly Christian suspense, but dabble in other areas occasionally. More than anything, I have learned that the joy is in the journey.

Reviews

[Sean Elliot Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glen Robinson’s “The Key of Solomon” is a robust and endearing novel spanning centuries, mostly played out in the present, with great characters and a story that builds to a strong, memorable climax. I found the vast locales and shifts in time to be interesting, as well as the use of languages which added weight to the novel. The story centres around a much-sought after scroll, the Key of Solomon, said to be a compilation of dark occult powers from the known world gathered by the great Jewish king. The reading of the scroll is said to grant powers over dark forces that can be used for nefarious purposes.

The action-adventure, romantic thriller has Ezra Huddleston, an investigative reporter, and Maddie Simms, a linguist professor, both of whom have a mutual love interest in each other—after just two weeks being together. Yes, the characters, like you or I might, wrestle with their strong feelings and whether it’s too soon to get serious/married. But as I came to know the characters, I was able to see them not prone to sudden big decisions which gave their impetus to want to get married, despite all the hindrances, believable. As I went through the book, I also liked Maddie’s sweet Romanian mother and father, as well as her younger sister, Connie, who was well-fleshed out. Another character that stuck out to me was Ellie Mae.


MY PERSONAL RATINGS (w/Key Below):
Story Originality: 4/5
Story Inventiveness: 3.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Descriptive Power: 5/5
True to Scripture: 5/5
Fictive Dream Strength: 4/5
Proofreading: 4/5
Cinematic Flare: 4/5
Overall Satisfaction: 5/5

[MY KEY:]
Story Originality: How creative was the concept from page one onwards?
Story Inventiveness: How surprised was I by the flow of the plot? Any twists?
Characters: How real and how drawn was I to the story’s characters?
Descriptive Power: How well did the author control description, dialogue, etc?
True to Scripture: Were all elements true to Scripture’s worldview?
Fictive Dream Strength: How much was I immersed into the novel—wanting to read page after page?
Proofreading: How well was the book proofread (typos, etc)?
Cinematic Flare: How strong were key scenes (that I could easily see as a motion picture)?
Overall Satisfaction: What was my overall feeling/enjoyment level after reading novel? Did I want it to end?

The novel works. The writer handles the story masterfully with great descriptions and dialogue that flows. It is a compelling page-turner.

The only weakness that might be improved upon in future editions is to show what the evil unleashed could mean for those who are unfortunate to experience it. This would elevate the threat and draw interest to the plights of the characters. Although I knew the danger existed, the threat level didn’t grab me. This is just my opinion.

One other thing which I consider minor but which could be improved upon: there were a few coincidences that seemed too convenient. The scene where the younger brother in Alexandria, then a young man, stumbles upon his older brother and The Persian on the night streets while heading home. Then, a college girl vanishes who happens to be Connie’s roommate. This is just my opinion only. Perhaps, though, I overlooked something within the story that explains these items.

Please note: This book, although part of a series, works absolutely fine as a standalone book. You do NOT need to read the previous book to understand and enjoy “The Key of Solomon.”

I enjoyed this novel. I read it over one day’s period. I recommend this novel!

[M.H. Elrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Reaction:
In the style of Indiana Jones, this action and adventure story with a touch of fantasy is a fun and fast paced read. Set in modern times with flashes of history, The Key of Solomon is a well-researched and well-developed story.

Main Characters:

Ezra Huddleston: one of the main narrators of the story; his investigative reporting skills and surprising strength made this book an amazing adventure.

Maddie Simescu: the other main narrator of the story; her feminine and cautious nature made her relatable to me as a woman.

Ellie Mae: a successful businesswoman, her no nonsense and assertive personality shone rather than choked the story.

Connie Simescu: the younger sister of Maddie, her quirky personality and personal struggles brought me into the plot.

Pastor Straight/Selah White: two sides of a coin whose beliefs are hard to listen to, but necessary to facilitate the plot of the story.

J.J. Vanderpool: the enforcer for the wishes of Ian Target, his military prowess made the book more heart-pounding

Note about the Characters: There were other characters in the story, including ones from history. However, to include all of them would take more space than this review needs. I also felt like the character development in this novel was not as compelling as other books I have read, which is why I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5. I still enjoyed the characters though, and probably just found it hard to relate to their changes.

Plot:
The Key of Solomon's plot can be described in a few words: fun and fast paced. Contrary to the foreboding picture on the cover, the book held less scary and more thrill. I enjoyed reading the swashbuckling adventure and how the characters faced their trials. I flipped through each page eagerly as the movie like plot fled through my mind.

Setting:
The author of this book researched this book so well. He includes multiple languages, exotic settings like Alexandria so that his historical background comes alive. His descriptions of Alexandria, the manor and the island are compelling because I could picture them in my mind. His settings are perfect because they set the scene rather than overwhelming the senses.

[Steve Pillinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Christian speculative fiction thriller—a well-written, exciting story with a strong but unobtrusive foundation of Christian faith. The plot is tight and action-packed, but there's space for reflection.

The characters are likeable and believable, and some are quite distinctive. There is a certain amount of character development in the story, most noticeably with Constance, the heroine's sister, whose thinking changes quite significantly towards the end of the book.

This story is 'speculative' in the Dan Brown sense, not that of other planets or alternate realities. The central speculative element is of course the Key of Solomon, which is an intriguing mystery that lures the reader on all the way through. The author explains in an afterword that this book does in fact exist, though the way it is used in his plot is of course fictional—supporting one of his central themes, that of witchcraft in today's world. He does a very good job of displaying the 'acceptable' face of modern witchcraft, and the attractiveness of the magical powers it can bestow on its devotees.

The hollowness of this, however, is clearly revealed towards the end of the story, and this is another area in which the author excels: i.e., that of revealing the hidden personal, political and religious agendas underlying the smooth exteriors of prominent and apparently innocent personalities. His handling of Selah White, the arch-witch, and Pastor Straight, the anti-witchcraft campaigner, is particularly masterful.

Another area that I found fascinating was his historical description, scattered through the book, of the founding of the Coptic Christian Church in Egypt by St. Mark. He ties this in with the Key of Solomon and the burning of the Great Library of Alexandria by Julius Caesar; and I liked the dramatic linking of this with modern times when Coptic Christians—using the same Godly powers as their distant ancestors—save heroine Maddie in the gripping finale.

Following on from that, as a linguist I also appreciated the many snatches of foreign languages that Mr Robinson threw in from time to time. For me, this gave additional authority to those passages.

There are just a few negatives to set against these many positives. One is that this is the second book in a series; and though I understand that the first book was written by a different author, I still feel it would have been better for the overall continuity of the series if Mr Robinson had managed to work in here and there some brief descriptions of what happened in the first book, for the sake of new readers like myself. In Chapter 1 there's a cryptic reference to "surviving the ordeals of Alaska two weeks before"—leaving the involved reader tantalised and slightly dissatisfied!

Again, in one or two places there were sudden switches of viewpoint within a single scene. This isn't disastrous, and many well-known authors do it; but I still found it jarring, especially when the viewpoint switched back again a few sentences later.

There were also one or two small inaccuracies: For example the author talks about an "SAS agent" at one point, referring presumably to the British Special Air Service. The SAS, however, is a special forces unit, not a security service; it has military ranks, not "agents". And when translating the Key of Solomon, Maddie unaccountably falls into 17th century English: "Conjure ye to come unto us…" I can only think the author is quoting here from some old translation of the document. But as a modern linguist Maddie would translate it into current, colloquial English, not try to create a King James version of the document!

But these are small quibbles. Overall this was a great read that I can strongly recommend to anyone who enjoys speculative fiction; and especially to those who delight in seeing their Christian faith presented in new, insightful contexts. My overall rating would be 4½.

[Claire Fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book which kept me reading well into the night. The story switches between Egypt in bygone days, modern Egypt and the USA in such a manner that it still flows. Although Mr Robinson is obviously a committed Christian the way in which his belief and message is put across fits seamlessly into the narrative. The characters are, in the main, believable and the heroes of the piece sympathetic. I cannot tell you about the villains as it would give the plot away so you will have to read it and judge for yourself😀. I would recommend the book to anyone who enjoys adventure/ mystery.

[Haven · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best reads I've read this year. Great characters, great plot. I loved all the details about ancient Egypt that the author gave me. This was one of those books that was hard to put down once I started reading it.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this book. Read it in one day

[Clipinchick]

I received this book for free from the author/publisher in response for an honest review of the book. I have not had the opportunity to read this book at this time. I will add my
review of this book once I have read the book. Thank k you for allowing me the optometrist review your work. I look forward to reading this book.