I received a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale and was under no obligation to post a review. No compensation was received for sharing this review and all opinions are my own.
Series: Trevor Black Series #2
Published by NavPress on January 9th 2018
Source: Tyndale
Genres: Christian, Fiction, Supernatural, Suspense, Thrillers
Pages: 464
Just when a mysterious death in Washington, DC, appears to have voodoo connections rooted in New Orleans, Trevor Black also receives an invitation to speak at the national ABA convention in the city.
He knows he’ll be in enemy territory, both as a disbarred attorney and as a follower of Jesus, but he determines to travel there and confront the supernatural element. Right after a grisly murder in his hotel room puts him on the suspect list, his daughter disappears, leaving a note that suggests a connection to the local cult religion. Now Trevor must not only crack the case but try to protect Heather from forces of darkness clutching at her soul as well. And just as he discovers that his ability to sniff out the supernatural has its limitations, Trevor learns that this web of evil extends far beyond isolated murders, enslaving scores of innocent children, with its head perhaps linked to the highest seats of power.
Note: Kristin reads and reviews both Christian and secular fiction on A Simply Enchanted Life. Out of respect for my readers, I am including a content review. This content review will help you decide whether this book is suitable for you.
Content Review:
Christian or Secular: Christian
Profanity: None
Sex: None
Violence: A gruesome murder scene is described—this includes the mention of blood and a beheading as well as a hand removed as part of a voodoo ritual. Spiritual warfare, mild fight scenes and attempted murder.
Trigger Warnings: This book talks about children and women being traded as sex slaves. Child pornography rings are mentioned as well as rape.
Disclosure: This book deals with difficult topics such as human trafficking, human sacrifice, dark voodoo and the depravity of the dark web. The author handles the topic respectfully and I feel that the book is appropriate for Christian readers. However, some people may be triggered by these situations no matter how tastefully they are handled.
I wasn’t quite sure what I would think about The Empowered. The synopsis really drew my attention but once I picked up the book—and saw that it was in first person—I knew that it would be a hit or a miss for me.
There’s nothing that I really disliked about this novel. I could nitpick that I disliked a couple of pop culture references but since there were only one or two, it didn’t bother me too much.
I really loved reading this book from Trevor’s perspective. I haven’t read a first-person novel in a while and his voice was a lot different from the usual first-person voice—that of young female protagonists. I really connect with the author’s manner of writing. It felt very personal and like I was there with Trevor as he battled supernatural forces.
The story progressed nicely and I appreciated that the ending left room for growth for Trevor and his daughter, Heather.
This book brings to light the exploitation of children, the dangers of the dark web and the occult’s role in it. It brings to light some heartbreaking statistics. The fact that 14% of child victims are first approached on the internet is mind-blowing to me.
I’ve stated this recently but it needs to be repeated. I’m glad to see Christian authors bringing these horrors to light. I often feel that some Christians (not all) choose to close their eyes to sexual abuse because of how badly it grieves our hearts. But, we need to stop closing our eyes. We need to educate our children about the dangers and learning what we can do as parents to protect them.
I enjoyed this author’s storytelling ability and would suggest his books to older readers who are not adversely triggered by topics so sensitive in nature.
Want to Learn more?
What You Need to Know About Child Sex Trafficking and How to Fight It
About Craig Parshall
As a New York Times Best Selling fiction writer, Craig Parshall has authored or co-authored twelve suspense novels. His novels have been translated into multiple languages and have drawn high praise from the likes of veteran Hollywood filmmakers and producers Ken Wales and Phil Cooke, Publishers Weekly, and on his military thrillers, stellar marks from Lt. Col. Robert “Buzz” Patterson, USAF (retired) who carried the “nuclear football” for the President of the United States. In addition to his work as a novelist and magazine columnist, Craig is a constitutional lawyer and Washington insider who serves as Special Counsel to the American Center for Law & Justice. Craig has testified multiple times on civil liberty issues before committees of both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives and before the Federal Communications Commission regarding the future of American media, and has represented clients before the U.S. Supreme Court. He speaks across the nation on issues of free speech and religious liberty, faith, culture & creativity, and law, and was the founding director of a groundbreaking effort to develop a First Amendment paradigm for Internet-based social media and communication platforms. Craig is married to nationally syndicated radio talk-show host Janet Parshall.
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