Joe Matlock

This is a short 125-page story about Terry Spooner, a British ex-mercenary who gave his life over to the Lord, only to be pulled back into the game as a bodyguard to a spoiled Hollywood princess with mobsters on her tail. The actress, Tiffany, is living a sinful life and trying to flaunt it in the face of the would-be preacher, while slowly Terry's Trinitarian Christianity tries to shine through into her dark life. Who will win?

This book was very hard to review. I loved certain factors, and disliked others. I divided it into categories to come up with an accurate review and rating.

The Story: I would give the story-line five stars. It was dramatic, action-packed, and captivating. I loved the way it sucked you in so that you could hardly put the book down, and would have read the entire book in one sitting if I hadn't noticed it was 2 A.M.

The Characters: I would give the characters four stars. They were well-fleshed out and relatable. I liked Terry very much. However, there were certain aspects of him that were incongruous and not as likeable, such as the fact that he outright lied to the paparazzi, while he's supposed to be setting a good Christian example. His lie was accepted and never addressed negatively in the story.

The Editing: I would give the editing two stars. Granted, this is a galley proof and some of the errors might have later been corrected, but it claims in the front that the book was edited. Nearly every page had at least one error, some as many as five errors, and it made the book very hard to read and distracted from an otherwise great tale.

Altogether, I'd give the book three and a half or four stars. I would still recommend it as a good clean read for Christians.

Content warning: although from a Christian perspective, the book contains some gently put yet vivid sexual references, LGBTQ content, and violence.… (más)

The Servant is a faith-based story about a man, Terry who had been in the military and a mercenary, and after qualms of conscience for past assignments, decides to dedicate his life to God. While at seminary, he is contacted by his former employer to be part of a team as bodyguard to a famous celebrity that has received credible threats. At first Tiffany is hostile because of his faith, but after he saves her life a few times, she is curious about his beliefs. While shooting a film on location in Uganda, she is kidnapped to be sold into slavery and it is Terry's duty to find and rescue her.

I enjoyed this short, inspiring, and action filled story. This story is being made into a film this summer. An interesting bit about the book: some of the illustrations were created by a former slave that had been sold into slavery in Africa and redeemed by a British couple who had got him to the U.K. and set him free. A previous book by the the author, The Other Side Of Courage, that we had the privilege of interviewing and doing a give away for is also in production in collaboration with Gary Sinise and Mark Wahlberg.

I received this copy in exchange for an honest review from the author. Thank you!… (más)