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Review by Frank Creed, author of FLASHPOINT and founder of the Lost Genre Guild An authoritarian government has enslaved Earth's population. A handful of powerful law-giving profiteers have abolished all taxes! Sounds good, until one learns that in exchange, one merely gets food and shelter. In engineering a perfect society, the tyrants won't allow any power higher than themselves. No one's allowed to judge Earth's mortal judges, thus, religion may not be openly practised. The Awakened, or believers in the Awakener (God), must meet secretively. Against this backdrop of extreme Social Humanism, rumors of a slave rebellion ripple through the narrator's home town of Belfast, Ireland. This is the day for which everyone's longed. As the celebration begins, a bioengineered plague is unleashed by the tyrants. Intended to merely kill millions, it spreads out of control and nearly wipes out the global population. Survivors don't know why they've survived. They seek empty streets for signs of human life, and for biological answers. The tragic tale's told by Mariah, as she journals humanity's terrible fate, recording history in the event that there are future generations left to read her words. Bridges patiently intertwines the lives of two main characters, and one must read-on to discover why Mariah and Faith are on a spiritual sojourn collision-course. Many Christians believe there will be a tech-breakdown as the end-of-days approaches, and Biblical prophecy unfolds in space and time. Faith Awakened is set in such a world. Even before the plague, the tyrants replace cars with bicycles, and the rebellion is prepared to launch it's own agricultural economy. Post-plague, unmanned infrastructures collapse, and rusting technology sits without sources of power. The main idea Grace Bridges explores--in different ways--is man playing God. Just how badly would we wreck things if global society is governed as though humans were the highest power, the highest law-giver? Can technology apprehend the Divine? How do we wrap our fallen finite minds around the concept of Heaven? Biblical speculative fiction (sc-fi, fantasy,
and spiritual thrillers), is the perfect genre with which to explore big
ideas. Spec-fic allows for the most creative settings and characters with
which to paint realistic social problems that have theological consequences.
Bridges is a literary artist, who paints her dystopian future setting with
a vibrant narrative-style brush. Faith Awakened is a Biblical Sci-Fi classic,
and I look forward to viewing more of Grace Bridge's futuristic works in
my mind's eye.
Review by Karina Fabian, sci-fi and fantasy author, Anthology Editor of INFINITE SPACE, INFINITE GOD There's a saying in literature: There are no new plot lines, just new ways of approaching the same plot lines. Grace Bridges has shown that she is a master at novel approaches with her book Faith Awakened. Faith Awakened tells the story of two women: Mariah, one of the last survivors of a dystrophic world in which a virulent plague has destroyed 99.9 percent of mankind, and Faith, a woman who has dealt all her life with depression, bizarre memory loss and a struggle to serve the Lord even when she doesn't "feel" His presence. Familiar plotlines? Sure--until Grace mixes the two so that Faith is Mariah, living out a new life in a virtual reality program while her body is in stasis to wait out the death of the killer virus. That clever mix caught my interest and kept me reading. Even a month after having read the Faith Awakened, I still find myself pondering the story. Were the memory losses because of the badly connected sensors or faults in the program? Was her depression a natural extension of Mariah's circumstances or difficulties interfacing with the machine? What about her tie to the Lord: did the computer, her misconnected probe or some aspect of her personality prevent her from feeling God's presence in her alternate life? I loved how she persevered despite not having an overwhelming emotional faith experience. It reminded me of the words of a child's father to Jesus: "I believe. Help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24) I found the Biblical messages a little
heavy at times, but that's a personal pet peeve. Besides, it's part of
the genre. What I find significant is that Grace wove these so well into
her story that I could easily chalk them up to the characters' thoughts
rather than an author-induced sermon and go on with my reading--and I wanted
to go on. Grace has written a wonderful, unique story and I recommend it
to any Christian reader who's looking for something out of the ordinary.
Faith Awakened is the tale of two women, both Irish, living in two very different worlds. Both begin their lives in Belfast or nearby Bangor. They both love the beach and the sea, and they are both Believers. Beyond that, their lives take far different turns, as do the circumstances in which they live. The narrative, all told in first person but from two different perspectives, spends a few chapters with Mariah, and then switches to Faith. Any person who has read a few novels knows that there must be a point where the two them intersect in some way, but the question is how and when. The answer comes as a surprise. The story seems to start in the middle or near the end, as Mariah is obviously in a frantic race with time in a bleak future world. Hurriedly she is rounding up a group of people, putting them into cubicles and hooking them up to something that is painful for a moment. We know their lives are at stake. But why? Are they going into stasis or committing suicide, planning to meet “in Paradise on the other side?” This is the brief introduction. In Chapter 1, the reader is introduced to Faith as a child. It appears that her life is idyllic, yet something is constantly nagging at her. The nagging feeling is one of the things that kept me looking for some problem to show up eventually in her life. When the story switches back to Mariah, it goes to a time a while before the introduction, when she is a slave to the One World system that is running everything and every one. Basically, in order to get food, the people of the world had to agree to the terms of the powerful leaders, which virtually meant enslavement. One day, a mysterious stranger invites Mariah to a secret meeting of the followers of the Awakener, and her life changes completely. However, there are many twists and turns in both of their lives, more than I can even hint at in this review. I may be somewhat slow, but it took me a long time to suspect the connection between these two women who had such very different lives. This was a very different type of novel, more like a romance novel on one hand, but very definitely science fiction with lots of technical/futuristic portions. It would appear that Ms. Bridges has done her homework. I love her descriptions of places, especially along the shore near Bangor and Belfast. Really, she does a masterful job of describing people and ideas as well as scenes. I was saddened when a couple of the characters died in other unexpected turn of events. Once I started reading, I honestly could not stop, reading far into the wee hours of the morning. For the most part, it was an easy read, although I became a little bogged down on the technical elements. This is a fresh narrative full of nuances, twists, and surprises. The projected audience is probably adult, but adolescents would be just as engrossed in it as I was. I believe most proponents of Speculative Christian fiction (romance, too) will enjoy Grace Bridges’ first novel.
Review by "Jesus Puppy", author and blogger A child seeking acceptance, a slave seeking to be free, the lost finding hope in a dying world. Past, present, and future, pulling together both reality and dream-scape to leave the reader wondering where it will turn next. A fascinating story of future trials that could well happen any day, blinded with the daily routine of a normal child, growing, seeking faith and acceptance. The dual story lines were used perfectly to draw the reader into the bigger picture, making them wonder which was past or present, leading them on to an even more exciting plot between reality and fiction. Grace Bridges brings her characters to life with much feeling and emotion, showing only a glimpse of the normal details of their lives, as seen through the narrator's view. As we often see only part of the real picture taking place around us, the story seems laid out to take advantage of this realism. Lending it a summarized Sci-Fi flair at the same time, yet not over-burdening the reader with too much scientific technical formula, made it an interesting backdrop which any reader could follow along. Opening the story with the secondary character's life, leads the reader to wonder if the main character was that very person at a later date in time. Showing more in the day-to-day details of Mariah's life , the world's struggles of that time; a government taking total control of the world, even the hiding of Christian faith, building the plot with fear and suspicion, leading to a near martyr-like determination when the government plots backfire, with very little information of her past, seems to add to this. Over all, the story held to a good view of Christian principles mixed with a world view, those reaching out to God in faith of a better life to come, as well as those seeking only to stay alive keeping their own belief intact. Hope for tomorrow holding them together, even while daily struggles cause strife and eventual separation. A tight concise story, descriptively written, with enough true-to-life realism to the plot to draw the reader in, wanting more. Very well done. ( My only problem with the story itself was the length... as I said before, it was too short by far.. )
Review by Delia Latham, author of GOLDENEYES Faith Awakened is unlike any other book I have ever read. Mariah is an Irish slave, living in a time referred to as the “Trouble.” Greed and wickedness in high places has done away with freedom, both religious and natural. Only a few people cling to biblical principles and to God – whom they refer to as the Awakener, and Whom they serve in secret. They call themselves the Awakened. Governmental attempts to control the slaves ultimately destroy much more. Mariah and a handful of other slaves must find a way to survive after this devastation. Faith enjoys all the privileges of freedom. From an early age, she suffers occasional bouts of temporary memory loss, frightening episodes which she learns to deal with and go on. Always, she seeks a special relationship with God. Not finding it, she fills her life with friends and other interests. Faith bounces from place to place, from interest to interest, eventually finding a few close friends and a satisfying experience with her Creator. Two women who exist in different worlds. They lead completely adverse lives and, for the most part, have widely diverse interests. Yet they are deeply connected in a way that will shock not only the reader, but the two girls as well. Faith Awakened is an intricately woven, well-written tale. Almost without realizing it, the reader is helplessly entangled in the undercurrents of the story, compelled to discover the link between Faith and Mariah. Once it is discovered, there remains the anticipation of the girls themselves discovering their connection, and wondering how and when it will happen. The next page? The next chapter? So the pages continue to turn, and the reader continues to be drawn in. An excellent, touching, and spiritually enlightening read. Your own faith will be awakened as you share the experiences of Bridges’ well-defined characters, and you will remember their story for years to come.
Review by Cathi-Lyn Dyck, freelance writer and editor A book of two interwoven halves, Faith Awakened combines the fictional journal and the first-person experience of a woman who loses the will to live, yet finds herself embroiled in a battle to save the human race from certain death. The tale is haunted by judgement-and-redemption themes of Biblical proportions, catapulted into a devastated future world racked by the human lust for power. From the first pages, undercurrents of desperation drive the story as heroine Mariah plunges her few surviving friends and her beloved Peter into a cryogenic stasis. Two alternate realities unfold and gather momentum, reaching for each other with irresistible rhythm. In terms of audience, the idea of faith in God is approached with the assumption that the readership will already have their own understanding of it, not as if to explain it or to convert non-Christians. The book includes second blessings of the Holy Spirit, visions and prophecies, female preachers and a miraculous cure. There is some mention of adult intimate relationships, including a question from a non-believer about the virtual world's functionality. These are treated with discretion and brevity, and purity of pre-marital relationships is expressed in Mariah and Peter. Initially, Bridges eloquently captures the stream of consciousness which undergirds the unfolding story. As Mariah's journey continues, some aspects of the writing style may leave the reader wishing for more immediacy and more detail. If the book lacks anything, it's a deeper dive into the world it presents. However, the plot soon begins to clarify the reasons behind the author's structural choices. The unorthodoxy of Bridges's narrative quickly becomes addictive. The conclusion to Mariah's struggle through emptiness of world and soul compensates for any perceived lack of depth in the earlier parts of the book. Throughout, the underlying themes of abiding regret and reawakened hope demand thought and introspection, drawing the reader into a contemplative interaction with the author. Bridges gives generously of herself, sharing her heart and her life experience with her readers. On par with Bill Myers's Eli and Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, but with a better premise than both, the setting strips away common conceptions of what it is to live. Bridges examines the deeper realities of the heart and soul through a bleak, richly textured storyworld that offers a fresh approach to the question, "What is reality?" The compelling jacket design of Faith Awakened is an accurate signpost of the vivid, unusual journey within. If you're a fan of strong leading characters, tense plotting with a few good twists, and long, deep chords of redemptive renewal, Faith Awakened is an invigorating step off the beaten path.
Review by Tammy Varner Hornbeck, Author of FAITH, HOPE...AND THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE and Editor of the Temple Tribune I was instantly attracted to this book by its cover. I was a bit wary to review it since it was in the science fiction/fantasy genre. I had always prided myself on my broad knowledge of different types of literature, however, it has been many years (since my senior year in high school) since I have read any science fiction. My newfound friendship with the author gave me the courage to tackle it. I am so glad I did! Faith Awakened, awakened my imagination. I feel as if I have a distinct advantage over other readers, having corresponded with Grace beforehand. This blessing allowed me to see the author in every page. I caught many glimpses of the author in the characters and scenes. The vivid details on the country side and towns created a desire to travel to Ireland and Germany. Now, for the book… Faith Awakened is a marvelous story of a group of people, in a version of the last days, where some are "awakened" (saved) and some are not. The world becomes enslaved by technology and the government. The Awakened must flee and go into hiding. A plague breaks out and only seven survive. However, the plague mutates and begins to attack the supposed immune, they escape by going into life support-virtual reality cabins and relive lives better than the ones they have lived in the times of "Trouble" (where the Awakened are persecuted) and the plague. They wake up 90 years later (without having aged) and find that life has indeed survived and the world is once again multiplied. The key points to this wonderfully creative twist on Christianity are: that some things, ordained by "the Awakener" still happen in the virtual world, the same people come into our lives and our callings are fulfilled regardless of the fact that we believe our calling is one thing, when God (the Awakener) wants it to be another. There is an inherent void in our lives that can only be filled by God. Ultimately, God's plan for our lives will happen regardless of our choices (free will); the blessings we receive or don't receive will be determined by our submission of His plan for our lives. As I said, I had not read any science fiction since high school, Faith Awakened rekindled my interest in science fiction and I look forward to reading more books by Grace Bridges, as well as others in this genre. Did I like this book? Yes, immensely! Would I recommend it? Definitely! Well done, Grace! I have no doubt that God is pleased with this work.
Review by Donna Sundblad, author of WINDWALKER and PUMPING YOUR MUSE Faith Awakened is a successful coming of age work of biblical speculative fiction that subtly leads the reader to ask what is important in life while using a backdrop of cataclysmic disaster. It is both intense and inspirational. This novel by first time author and Grace Bridges will appeal to an audience of fiction readers who enjoy speculative fiction with a science fiction flavor. Bridges' protagonist, Mariah, is a believable young woman with spiritual struggles which are highlighted as friends move in and out of her life. At times she is mad at God for not speaking to her and not showing his power. To compound her frustrations, she experiences memory lapses but through her growing faith learns to be content. Music is the tool God uses to hold her to him when she fights with bouts of depression. While looking for purpose, she longs to be called and loses herself in the busyness of ministry. The quiet stream of spirituality that runs throughout Faith Awakened does not preach at the writer, but leads them to question their own beliefs as characters act and react to life and death. As the protagonist attends a prayer and prophecy session it alters her life. Her relationship with the Awakener helps her through the Trouble when people once free become slaves of the workforce. The slave-freeman theme is a type of one's spiritual condition. Through this well-plotted book, Bridges character grows and looks to the hope of freedom not of this world as the Awakener uses her knowledge and skills to bring together a plan to save what is left of the human race. If you're looking for speculative fiction with a biblical philosophy, I recommend this book to you. Follow Mariah on her journey of life lessons learned, tragedies overcome, and lifelong friendships forged. The relationships at the center of Faith Awakened play a key part in character development and offer plot twists I won't divulge here. It's written with a touch of adventure, suspense, romance and a spiritual theme set in a futuristic setting. |
