RANTS AND RAMBLES

• • DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. Foe this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
  • If I am to be super critical (and you know I must be), I would say the characters in this book are nothing to write home about. The low word count does not help, and there is little to no attempt to develop any of the characters who come pre-loaded with traits, skills, and worldviews which do not change. The brave folks are brave, the explosive expert knows how to use explosives, and the greedy antagonist is greedy. Nothing groundbreaking here, but the characters are serviceable enough to support the plot which is the real focus of the book.
  • Frank’s powers of description are uncanny. By his words, the desert area surrounding the Dragon’s Throat is etched into my memory while the actions and interactions of the characters as they first discover this natural anomaly drives home the creepy and unnatural vibe it has. By contrast, the underground cave and Door are described in such a way as to make them mysterious and tantalizing yet dangerous to anyone who drops their guard. The fact Frank is able to drive these feelings into my mind in so few pages and without explicitly telling me what to feel is a testament to his skill.
  • Frank is a Christian writer, and I would be remiss if I did not address how this effects the story. Yes, the main characters are Christian. Yes, the main thrust of the story is its Biblical themes and the battle against evil. Yes, the characters bring up their faith and God, but they do so in ways which are mostly natural based on the traits and beliefs established for said characters. In this way, the book avoids feeling overly preachy. Are there some stilted scenes concerning Christianity? Yes, but if you are not overtly opposed to Christianity, I don’t think the quantity or quality of the references will ruin your enjoyment of this novel.
  • Spoiler: The idea of this novel is very unique, and it is a credit to Frank that he came up with it. Everyone loves treasure, and it is a trope of treasure hunting stories that traps or curses guard the goods, but what if the whole trove was a curse, demons meant for the end of the world, rather than riches? Frank has a unique ability to make this fictional world feel real and frightening, tying in some biblical and historical references to lend it credence. He is gifted in his ability to make fantastical stories feel real, important, and dangerous.