"The Prophet" by Adam Ferguson
"The Hero of Hawk’s Field" by Robert Rhodes
"The Watchman" by Stoney M. Setzer
In “The Prophet” by Adam Ferguson, we are inside Jake Singer’s head, a materialistic, ambitious lawyer in modern times. With such a focused point of view, the story stays concentrated on the plot. The action flows well, keeping us informed of the events of the story while maintaining the forward motion of the core theme. At times, the author forgets to give us a setting, resulting in the character (for example) closing his eyes in a moving car or lying down in a bed that wasn’t there a moment ago. But his skilled descriptions of the setting, once he gets around to it, draw vivid images.
The story is classic in its theme: man rejects God, God sends messenger of supernatural caliber, man is tortured by decision as to whether to surrender to God. I found myself rooting for Jake, associating easily with the main character. A few old hat tricks are used, like God’s message being displayed on the computer screen in CAPITAL LETTERS, the radio only playing God’s message, and Jake seeing the message in a mural on a brick wall. When a person is contemplating God, they can think of nothing else; music on the radio reminds you, and people mention it out of the blue. I think this is what Mr. Ferguson was going for, but he just gave it a rocket boost of enthusiasm. All is forgiven when the story draws to its climax. Anyone who has ever had to face their beliefs and faith will see themselves in Jake’s struggle. It is the timeless battle of man’s evil nucleus and God’s forgiveness.
The Prophet is a message to all that will hear. Mr. Ferguson puts a new spin on God’s interest in us and how He goes about getting our surrender. It makes Him an aggressive deity, Who plays a little dirty and does not let up until we submit.
“The Hero of Hawk’s Field” by Robert Rhodes is an S&S fantasy narrative with rich descriptions and vivid characterizations that convey readers into the story, making it easy to empathize with the protagonist and his plight. Mr. Rhodes invents charming names for places and people. Segments of original poetry, Tolkienesque, are weaved into the prose and used to further the plot.
Our hero, referred to as "he" for most of the story, awakens in the Broken Forest to discover he has been a victim of vandalism and theft. He cries to his gods for help and wanders in despair until he finds the strength to pursue the robbers. He pursues them, and a cloak and dagger-type scenario ensues.
I liked Mr. Rhodes’ use of archaic speech, though some may find it over the top. The battle scene dragged a little with some conversation while men lay bleeding. Finally, in the last scene, there is a turn that will please any fantasy fan, which includes the introduction of a new character to save the day and a startlingly beautiful last line.
Set in modern times with a gritty, newspaperman-noir atmosphere, "The Watchman” by Stoney M. Setzer starts out with a lot of backstory and history. Mr. Setzer insists on standing in front of his characters and explaining his story, instead of letting them tell it.
A farmer is plagued by small, insignificant creatures, but instead of calling the Orkin man, he calls the newspaper; I found the reasoning perplexing here. More narrative and explanation follow with no real direction. Mr. Setzer has a smooth style, but this story dragged its heels before getting to the point. But, while the chronicle of Glenn Sanders and his fate meanders off the beaten path more than once, the finish proves you can’t judge a story’s end by its beginning.