Thursday, 24 May 2018

A Battle for the Faith Two Short Stories - Theresa Linden and John Paul Wohlscheid

A Battle for the Faith:
Two Short Stories
Theresa Linden
John Paul Wohlscheid
ISBN 9781311212504
ASIN B019QTQIH4


I make no bones about being a huge fan of Theresa Linden's writings. I have read these two short stories a few times now. I read them first right after reading her novel Roland West, Loner. And this volume served as my introduction to the writings of John Paul Wohlscheid, and I do plan on reading more of his works soon. You cannot beat the price on the eBook edition of this set of two short stories. The stories are:

A Matter of Silence By Theresa Linden 
A Matter of Action by John Paul Wohlscheid

In the introduction Andrew L. Smith states: 
"While I readily admit that many things in life bring me great pleasure and delight - God and family being at the top of that list - I find extreme pleasure in fantasy literature, such as Lord of the Rings and The Narnia Chronicles, as well as in seeing my former students do well in life and in academic pursuits. These latter two elements are combined in the work of my former student John Paul Wohlscheid, along with his friend Theresa Linden, in their stories "A Matter of Silence" and "A Matter of Action", which combine to form their exciting tale A Battle for the Faith. 
One of the things that makes a story outstanding is that it depicts longstanding and eternal struggles in new and exciting ways. This is what Linden and Wohlscheid have done."
And I completely agree. The first story is about the sin of omission. The leaders of the people were not strong in standing against an approaching evil, and by the time they would stand it led to war. Lodir the leader of one of the tribes states: 
"May you be blessed with leaders who refuse to remain silent in the face of evil. Fight well, my friend. The Fathers gaze down upon you with joy."
And so the torch is passed. But only after the silence of good men had caused much harm. The second story continues shortly after the first. There is a slight difference in feel as the authorship changes. In the second story Bortamen implores:
""I am asking for this holy war because we are not just fighting a battle against a mortal enemy of this world. It is far more than that. We are fighting a spiritual battle against unseen forces that are just as important and just as deadly as any mortal enemy. Unless we rise to this challenge now, we will have no hope of defeating defeating the evil that faces us at a later date. Our Fathers, who passed the Faith on to us, died and suffered great torment to protect and spread that Faith. How can we, who have the fullness of that Faith, fail to do the same? My people and the Dawn People have already shed our blood to protect that Faith. All I ask is for your help, your aid and your prayers. Together, united in Faith, there is no one who can defeat us, but separated into many different factions, we will be slaughtered like sheep."
He is trying to rouse the council from the city of virtue to action. The two stories are really one. And to be honest I would love to see more set in this place and time. They fit very well together; and are a very enjoyable read. In some ways it read like a cross between a tale of William Wallace and some of the battles in C.S. Lewis's Narnia. A couple of great short stories available for an excellent price so why not check them out.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2018 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Theresa Linden:
Tortured Soul
...

Chasing Liberty Series:
01 Chasing Liberty
02 Testing Liberty
03 Fight For Liberty
Bound to find Freedom - Short Story

...

West brothers Series:
Roland West Loner
Life-Changing Love
Battle for His Soul

Standing Strong
Roland West Outcast
Fire Starters
...
...

Armour of God Series:
Belt of Truth
Breastplate of Righteousness
Boot of Peace
Shield of Faith
Helmet of Salvation
Sword of the Spirit

Armor of God Series Second Edition:

Other Books:
A Symbol of Hope - Short Story
A Battle for the Faith (with John Paul Wohlscheid)

...

Books contributed to:
Image and Likeness: Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body
Secrets: Visible & Invisible 7 Amazing Stories - Catholic Teen Books
Gifts Visible & Invisible 8 Christmas Stories for Teens
Treasures: Visible & Invisible 8 Stories for Teens
...


Books by John Paul Wohlscheid:
Letters Home
Fire in the Night
A Battle for the Faith
Church Triumphant

Benny Cahill Series:
Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth
Trouble is My Client

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