A superb Good Reads review.

Evan Day posted his review of Never Ceese. Doesn't get much better. ;)

One comment he makes is that because of some light swearing, alcohol and tobbaco use my work won't show up in Christian bookstores. I'd like to say that this statement is inaccurate. My books have been approved for distribution to the Christian market and can show up in Christian bookstores. The reason they won't be found in larger Christian bookstores is because these bookstores are affiliated with CBA and only carry books produced by CBA affiliated publishers. That's not speculation. That's a sad fact.

Now for the review. ;)

A somewhat off the radar book. A kind of Christian fiction vampire/werewolf novel aimed at the YA crowd.

A vampire and a werewolf meet up and try to contact a few scientists that may have a cure for their condition. The problem is that the vampire is somewhat apathetic about ever being human again, the werewolf has been in wolf form for over 70 years and doesn't quite get modern civilization, the scientists are being manipulated by an evil stem cell researcher looking to use the vampire curse to achieve immortality...and most of the characters seem ready to strangle each other. The result is more humorous than horrifying. Richard, the vampire and Ceese the werewolf clash constantly, and the result is mostly funny. They share a connection which is heavily hinted at but only revealed in the very end. The resolution seemingly wraps things up but the author adds a few loose ends to set up for the sequel.

Oddly enough although Sue Dent has said she doesn't consider herself a "Christian author" and indeed, some light swearing and the use of alcohol and tobacco by some of the characters (ironically, perhaps more than the vampires and werewolves) ensure this won't be in many Christian book stores. But Christian faith plays a very explicit role in this book The vampires and werewolves are genuinely cursed, and the curse unquestionably evil in nature. For the characters to speak or even think of anything holy causes them great pain (one character tries to recite John 3:16 at one point, and it nearly kills him). The great fear of the protagonists, ultimately, is that they will face damnation in their current state.

I'm not here to theologically break down the book, but I will say it was a nice read with a very neat redemptive conclusion. And in a market full of vampires and werewolves who either embrace their baser natures, treat their curse like a superpower, or endlessly brood in hopelessness, it seems downright refreshing to see a tale where the curse is genuine evil but redemption is accomplished triumphantly.

(more at goodreads)