Late in 2022, I received an email from Shawn David Brink with an offer. He wanted to know if I would read and review his book in exchange for a free eBook. Now, I’ve never been a big fan of horror, but the premise of his story, Pets for Legion, intrigued me. So, I said yes.
It took me a dreadfully long time to read it because I got really busy at the beginning of 2023, but I finished it in March. There was no request for me to post this review on my blog, but it was a fun and wild ride, so I thought I’d share it with you.
The Review
Pets for Legion is a fast-paced, Christian thriller that had me hooked. The first few chapters are a little bit slower, but once it takes off, it turns into a wild rollercoaster that will make you feel like you’re watching a movie in your head. Overall, I definitely enjoyed Pets for Legion.
*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*
What I Loved
The premise. It took me a little bit to really get into the story, but I remember thinking about it a lot. I wanted to know what would happen, and the story is thought out really well. There were very few plot holes or questions that I was left with and that definitely made me happy.
The depiction of actual spiritual warfare. I was a little nervous about this when I started the book because sometimes these things don’t feel genuine. And while I still have my criticisms about the way religion is portrayed as a whole, the spiritual warfare was, by far, my favorite part of this book. It made me a little emotional in the last third of the book because it is such a beautiful depiction of the real battles that take place in our hearts…and the battles that take place for our hearts.
The way darkness is shown without ever crossing a line. I went back and forth about this point a lot. One part of me really wanted the author to push the envelope a little further with the darkness, but after some more thought, I think it actually works really well. I, as a reader, never felt violated, even with all of the occult/satanic practices and objects mentioned in relation to the antagonist. I think this was handled very tastefully, and I really do applaud the author for handling this so well because it can be a tricky thing to manage without falling short or going too far.
What I Didn’t Love
The lack of characterization. Until about 2/3 of the way through, I really struggled to connect with the characters. I didn’t want them to die, but I wasn’t really emotionally invested yet. I don’t really know how the author did it, but about 2/3 of the way through I found myself really invested, but I still wish there was more time spent on the characterization of the main characters. We get a fair amount of backstory for the antagonist, but I wanted more for Sasha and Xavier. Sasha also confused me a bit. [SPOILER WARNING] Was she a Christian at the beginning? Is that why she saved the boy? Her religious arc felt too shallow for me and I wish more time had been spent on slowly having her realize the importance of Christ’s love and forgiveness, as opposed to just making it seem like He was the only way to survive Legion. [END OF SPOILERS]
The ending. The final chapters wrapped everything up, but it felt really rushed to me. I love the concept of the ending, but I wish it was more fully-developed and explored.
The writing style. This is really nitpicky, but I really didn’t connect with the writing style of this book. There’s nothing wrong with it, but it just didn’t work as well for me. The overreliance on figurative language was sometimes a little repetitive and overdone, but this is fully just a reading preference.
Content Warnings
Gun violence, blood, car accident, animal death, death, injury/injury detail, bullying (mentioned), torture (mentioned), several brief descriptions of the occult (Ouija board, pentagrams, satanic books are mentioned, etc).
Favorite Quotes
“He smiled because he realized he had never been in control. Everything was in God’s hands as it had always been and as it always would be.”
“God was perfect. In that perfection, there had to be a reason for the silence. Perhaps He didn’t need to say anything else.”
“For a fraction of a second, he considered letting go to save himself, but their eyes locked and he knew he would die trying to save this man.”
My Rating
About the Book
When local school paraprofessional Sasha James rescues a child from a mysterious assailant, she unknowingly marks herself as the next target. To survive this supernatural foe, she will need to search deeper than the physical, pray for power beyond the natural, and fight like there’s no tomorrow.
About the Author
Shawn D. Brink writes primarily speculative fiction and is building a following with five published novels to his name. He also has numerous shorter works in various publications and anthologies. Shawn is represented by Liverman Literary Agency and resides in eastern Nebraska, U.S.A.
Learn more about Shawn on his website or follow him on Facebook and Twitter,
Let’s Talk!
Have you read Pets for Legion? What did you think? If you hadn’t heard of it, have I convinced you to give it a shot? Do you read a lot of Christian fiction? Let’s talk all things horror and Christian fiction in the comments!
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