Are you looking for a gripping Catholic novel that you just can’t put down?

The difficulty with so-called “Christian” fiction is that it must avoid explicit sermonizing, and yet subtly communicate human sin and redemption. If the book preaches an obvious lesson, the story fails.

The ever-popular author and blogger Father Dwight Longenecker recently reviewed my #1 Amazon Bestselling novel Sword and Serpent: A Retelling of Saint George and the Dragon with a similar [initial] concern that my novel could have been yet another pious sermon pretending to the next Lord of the Rings.

Instead, Father Longenecker was delightfully surprised in the novel as a “re-mythology” of Saint George. He writes:

“Using the fact that the story of St. George is rooted in history, but surrounded by mythical elements, Dr. Marshall avoids the temptation to de-mythologize and, through the use of imagination and fantasy, decides to re-mythologize. He does so skillfully, never quite revealing whether the dragon is a literal reptile, a paranormal manifestation of evil, or a beast from the realm of the daemonic. It doesn’t matter. A dragon is a dragon is a dragon, and Georgios is led by providence to enter the cave, encounter the serpent, and slay him once and for all. That the beautiful Sabra stands by in a white bridal gown says all that needs to be said about Dr. Freud’s interpretation of the myth.

“Dr. Marshall also manages to capture the intriguing religious atmosphere of the Roman Empire in the fourth century. The story opens with the lament that the ancient gods have died. The haruspex can no longer discern the future in the entrails of the victims. The sybils are silent, and the pagan prophets are blind. Christianity is on the rise, and George’s slaughter of the ancient dragon is a powerful victory over the old gods and their demonic domination of the world. The book evokes the tender and wise world of the early Christians—avoiding persecution with gentleness and taking hold of the future with confidence.” (read his entire review here)

So if you want to crack open a new historical novel full of sinners and saints (and Roman emperors and catacombs) before the feast of All Saints, please pick up a copy of: Sword and Serpent (available this week for $0.99 on Kindle and 13.99 in Print).

• SPANISH VERSION: The Spanish edition of Sword and Serpent will be available in 2016 through Palabra Publishing in Madrid, Spain.
• FREE STUDY GUIDE: The free study guide to Sword and Serpent can be downloaded here: Sword and Serpent Study Guide.
• Did you already read Sword and Serpent? Thank you! I’d love to read your thoughts. Please leave your review of Sword and Serpent by clicking here.