Godsent4stars

 

 

By Richard Burton
Arcade Publishing, $24.95, 461 pages

Godsent tells the story of the coming of God’s second son, the prophesied Son of Man. Born to a virgin, secreted away at birth amid lies and intrigue and raised in secrecy, Ethan Brown soon realizes that he is special. Then, at the threshold of young adulthood, he does something quite unexpected: he erases all knowledge of himself, even to himself, until it is time to begin his mission. When he resurfaces, he must outwit the machinations of a powerful grandfather and the conspiracies of religious cabals at the highest levels in order to fulfill his mission.

“‘Name’s Gabriel.’
She took his hand and shook, feeling that strange tingling sensation again, almost like a low-level electric shock. But the fear was gone.
‘I’m Kate.’
He nodded as though perfectly aware of that already. ‘God is with you, Kate.'”

This story is paced well, includes plenty of plot twists, and balances intrigue and action against its clear loyalty to conservative Christian tradition. Burton handles multiple plot lines with ease, and the writing is generally smooth. (Note: the date on the introduction should be 2014, not 2016, or the timeline doesn’t work.) But it is the character of Ethan, a fascinating mix of human and divine, that gives the story its real power. Ethan’s choices are often unexpected and sometimes heartbreaking, never more so than in the story’s final pages. Lovers of Dan Brown and similar religious fiction will find this an engaging and satisfying read.

Reviewed by Daniel Hobbs

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