Sunday, June 24, 2012

Truly Unexpected Jaunt into Historical Prose

Stant Litore’s “Zombie Bible: What their Eyes have Witnessed” is an exercise in the unexpected. I have a causal interest in zombie and a minimal interest in the bible; Litore’s story should have only been mildly interesting. My preconceptions were completely wrong. “What their Eyes have Witnessed” is a lovely piece of historical prose that surprises at every turn. The real genius of the piece was not his wealth of historical detail, but in his characterization.

While Litore creates an interesting main character in Polycarp, Regina is the true star. Regina shows the trails of the historical women. She is beautiful in her strength and power, but also in her vulnerability. Litore shows an understanding of the fears of women in the dark. By far the best scene is one of Regina’s fear during a long night. While Regina outshines the rest, his other characters are well thought out and believable.

Many readers may flock to “What their Eyes have Witnessed” for the clear historical world building, the dedication to Christian principles, or Zombie attacks; but Regina is the reason to read this novel. I would recommend to readers interested in zombies, bibles, or neither.

I give this piece of 5 out of 5.

Glad to Be Surprised,
J.R. West the Raccoon