Share This Review
Set up against the backdrop of two world wars, the story grabs the reader right from the start till the mind blowing climax. The tale is reminiscent of Goethe's Faust, with a modern twist. As you may recall, Faust was a scholar who sold his soul in return for the ultimate knowledge. This book deals with similar issues showing how wrong decisions can change the path that an individual's life takes.
World War I is raging on in full swing. Foxy, a Captain in the British military, and Louise, a feisty and courageous nurse, find unexpected love in the midst of all the havocs. Foxy is supposed to be in reserve till the enquiry into the conduct of a higher officer during a messy battle is over. Nonetheless he and his friend Arthur are sent with some other soldiers into a dangerous mission and find themselves in a life threating situation. A supernatural force makes an appearance and makes Foxy an offer he can't refuse: It will get them out of the messy escapade alive, if Foxy promises to do its bidding. Caught up between a rock and a hard place, Foxy has to agree and finds himself later in a deeper rut literally and figuratively. Little does he realize at the time the far reaching implications of his decision. No long after that episode, the paranormal being orders Foxy to betray his friends or to face the consequences.
Time goes on and the war is finally over. Foxy and Louise are now married and their lives revolve around family and work. Foxy tries to locate a fallen comrade, but life keeps getting in the way. The paranormal being keeps popping up at unexpected times and orders Foxy to do its bidding or the life of his wife and son will be forfeit. As another war is on the winds, the paranormal being doesn't let up and his demands keep escalating. Foxy finds out the identity of the entity and seeks a way to escape its clutches. Not an easy task by all means. A failure to do so will result in an eternal damnation, if it isn't already too late for him.
This is a novel awash in war scenes, suspense, and drama and there isn't a dull moment. The author managed to resurrect the bloody atmosphere of the time period and the mindset of the people living in those troubled times. As ominous events start to unfold, the reader finds himself immersed more and more in the story and caring about the outcome to boot. The themes found in the book encourage the reader to think about the good vs. evil conflict, choices and their consequence and how he would act in place of the protagonist.
I had a few issues with the books alas. The writing in this book flows pretty nicely, but some parts of it felt too flat and a bit dry at times. Also there were some places where the book seemed to drag a bit for me, but overall I was engrossed in the story. Towards the end of the story, some events stretched out reliability a bit too much and I found them hard to swallow. The descriptions of the poor soldiers' plight were very touching and realistic. A pity the author just alluded and didn't expand some more on the other poor victims of the Nazi regime.
But let's not get into trifles. The book has a great story line and intriguing characters that the reader can really become attached to. Moreover, the characters were well-developed and well-rounded and the author introduced a wonderful set of colorful characters such as the Jewish woman Klara, the honorable German officer Helmut and many more.
Overall I quite enjoyed the book and found it a great read. With intriguing situations coming left and right, the book managed to nettle my interest. Therefore I rate the book 3 out of 4 stars and recommend it to lovers of the genre and to those who like to spice their reading with Christian themes.
***
Buy "The Devil's Bridge" on Amazon
