"Dive into a captivating story where faith and intrigue collide"

• ASIN: ‎ B0D4MWKPM1
• Publication date: ‎ June 17, 2024
• Language: ‎ English
• Print length: ‎ 284 pages
• Page numbers source ISBN: ‎ B0D6LTVTGV
• Genre: Historical Christian Fiction Thrillers

The BookViral Review:

Ray Keating steps up the suspense in this historical Alliance of St. Michael novel which connects Russia, Europe and America in a desperate and deadly struggle for ultimate power. As evil forces of influence snake tendrils of apostasy throughout the church, the Alliance pushes back with all its might; each individual therein reflecting on their journey towards faith and light. 

With subversive and deceptive words, Nazi supporters seek to link the crooked cross, the swastika, with the cross of Christianity, to give credence to not only their evil agenda but also to win hearts in their unscriptural and detestable view of the Jews.

With a powerful message and the terror of evil lurking treacherously beneath its pages, Subversion contains all the elements of a great read, with more than a touch of realism which truly captures the essence of world politics and religion during the lead-up to WW2, complimented by a well constructed human aspect, which has us investing deeply even in lightly played characters such Sasha Koslov and Marie Rocco.

Keating crafts each character perfectly, placing them expertly on a chess board of cooperation or conflict, but still with the possibility that individual hearts can be won over to the cause. Keating is a master of inner thoughts and motivations, exploring deeply entrenched beliefs about self. He inspects the fears of Sasha as she experiences a succession of dreams linking back to past actions, representing her difficulty in accepting forgiveness. He retains just a touch of arrogance in the converted Davies, cleverly writes an air of authority into Helen Pomeroy, and brings the Brinkmann’s fears, hopes and vulnerabilities alive as they face the uprooting of their family and business and the need to protect priceless Holy treasures from the greedy hand of the Nazi’s.

Readers will move from the comfort of a well-written novel to edge-of-your-seat terror as calmer reflective moments are overtaken by gripping suspense and nail-biting action. Keating’s obvious flair for the intricacies of the structure serves him well in this offering, as he bestows his audience with just the right amount of each in a rollercoaster of action emotion and location. 

Interestingly, whilst Keating embeds a strong biblical and Christian theme throughout his writing, this is not presented in an overwhelming or preachy fashion. His included sermons are well placed and promote appropriate and serious reflection about faith, love, retribution and salvation, along with the suggestion that more than human forces are at play when God’s will is involved. 

An extremely immersive and engaging read. Subversion is quite simply a 5-star delight.