Review of Killing Abel

Oyedele Tomijane · Post by **Oyedele Tomijane** » 31 Mar 2022, 10:59

[Following is a volunteer review of "Killing Abel" by Michael Tieman.]

3 out of 4 stars

Share This Review

Killing Abel by Michael Tieman is a novel based on a few thousand words from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. The author combines his thoughts with biblical excerpts from the Book of Genesis. This book is not a theological piece. To a large extent, it is friction.

The story begins at the dawn of creation. It is the author's interpretation of Genesis chapters two and three. It describes how Lucifer tempts Eve to eat from the forbidden tree of knowledge and how Eve subsequently persuades Adam to do the same. He does this to gain followers of his own and acquire man's ability to reproduce. The author then goes on to describe Adam and Eve's likely thoughts and complex mix of emotions at that precise moment.

Then comes the punishment of Lucifer, the exile of Adam and Eve, and the subsequent curse laid upon them. The author portrayed these curses, as a blessing that would help guide man out of the abyss. The second chapter discusses the reasons for the first marriage, the beginning of the acquisition of knowledge, and how Adam, to assuage his guilt, offers a burnt offering to God. Offerings will later play an important role in the relationship between God and man.

The author has a beautiful writing style and an amazing way of intertwining Bible verses and records to create a flowing and logical story from them. I liked the names and titles; for example, "Satan, the Prince of Darkness." The author was thoughtful and included references to the biblical text on which he based the fictional accounts, which made reading the book more fun.

I did not appreciate how the author portrayed the Holy Trinity as not all-knowing with statements like "Wisdom will come to us in time and hopefully to many men as well," which made them appear like clueless mortals. God had distressing emotions like "lamenting," "hoping," "sorrowful," and "mourning." It was also unsettling to read about the Holy Spirit having a limited view of the future and needing to learn from mistakes, experience challenges, and endure pain.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. While it had flaws, it was professionally edited and is a masterpiece in its own right because the author put his imagination to good use. This depiction of God as a loving father is also consistent with my beliefs, and I've come to see the Bible as more than just history. I've begun to ponder the possible circumstances and how real the emotions portrayed are, and as a result, I've gained a deeper layer of understanding of the Holy Book. I also appreciate his endnotes, which explain what writing this book meant to him.

This book is appropriate for people of all ethnicities and races. This book would appeal to Christians because it is written with Bible passages as its foundation and supplemented by the author's imagination. However, while this is so, I would add a word of caution that reading this book requires a very open mind. In particular, the parts discussing God's thoughts, actions, and meetings with the Holy Trinity.

******
Killing Abel
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords

Laww · Post by **Laww** » 03 Apr 2022, 02:57

Nice review. I read the book and I agree with everything you said in your review. Congratulations.

Elijah0007 · Post by **Elijah0007** » 03 Apr 2022, 10:04

This should be interesting. I recently read a book that pointed out that the snake was indeed a woman named Lilith. It's quite interesting to have such a controversy in the first book of the Bible. Thanks for the review

AbdiHafidh · Post by **AbdiHafidh** » 03 Apr 2022, 13:44

This is such a great review. You clearly pointed out the most important aspects of the book. Nice review.

Rita Nuncia · Post by **Rita Nuncia** » 03 Apr 2022, 15:06

Reading this book was an interesting experience. It opened my mind to lots of possibilities of what might have happened in the beginning. Your review is well detailed. Nice work!

Goody2004 · Post by **Goody2004** » 03 Apr 2022, 15:54

It's going to be an eye-opener to some things I never thought I'd know from the Bible. Thanks for the nice review.

Boohoo31 · Post by **Boohoo31** » 04 Apr 2022, 02:24

Your review is on point. You did well by highlighting the important parts. Great review!

Sharon Christanto · Post by **Sharon Christanto** » 05 Apr 2022, 09:36

I've been reading various reviews about this book, but yours is my favorite. Thanks for mentioning the Holy-Trinity portrayal, I'm also not quite satisfied with the author's interpretation of it.

Mabosi paul brian · Post by **Mabosi paul brian** » 05 Apr 2022, 10:22

it is such a great review that has revield out most important aspects of the book. It has even picked my attension towards it. Thanks for the review

Gifty_biblophile · Post by **Gifty_biblophile** » 05 Apr 2022, 18:22

The author did a good job combining Bible stories with fiction. Nice review.

chinonye-nonye · Post by **chinonye-nonye** » 06 Apr 2022, 06:02

Killing Abel is a great book. Am glad you read it

Chesko · Post by **Chesko** » 06 Apr 2022, 09:08

I really enjoyed reading this book, majorly because of how creative the author was with his narrations. Thanks for the detailed review.

Amy Luman · Post by **Amy Luman** » 06 Apr 2022, 09:22

I think that this book will be very interesting. I’m always interested in other people’s interpretations of things not specifically discussed by the Scriptures.