2018 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award – Gold Winner2018 Midwest Book Awards – Gold Winner2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards – Gold Winner & Finalist12th Annual National Indie Excellence Awards – Gold Winner & Finalist2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award – Honorable MentionYearning for that indefinable thing, that ever-elusive something one might call home? The 53rd Card may point … that indefinable thing, that ever-elusive something one might call home? The 53rd Card may point your way to it.
Agoraphobic Emma Addison is afraid of any place too far from home, afraid of outside. But when one Christmas Eve she inadvertently summons the devil, she opens a door that will not close.
Emma dismisses her unbidden guest, though not before relinquishing a cherished stone carving of Kuan Yin—an unwitting concession that bestows on her an unusual power. This power isn’t much—not by diabolic standards—just a taste of something more. But it’s plenty enough to spark a craving for the devil’s tantalizing promise of more.
And now Emma has some disquieting choices to make. Because if the devil is real, doesn’t that mean God is too? But if God is real, then why is the world such a mess and so desperately wanting the attention of the very power in her hands?
Meanwhile, a door hangs open, an unmendable portal through which the devil will step again and again, through which a host of divine beings will follow, all with an agenda of their own. And impelled to the remotest regions of faith and doubt, Emma discovers a place beyond both—a place the reader just might recognize as home.
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I am always on the lookout for unusual books and this one fit the bill perfectly. I didn’t know what to expect as I turned the pages, the story unfolding in unpredictable ways and going off on tangents. My only criticism would be that it’s a tad too long…and there were passages that could have been shortened. But this is a first book and it takes a deep dive into spirituality and the religious aspects that impact all of us. I dare not say more, only that Lucifer is a character, and what a character he is!!! I highly recommend it.
Wow.
I don’t know how else to start. Wow. This book was an incredible ride, full of unexpected delights and horrifying moments and a smattering of jaw-dropping, head-scratching moments where I had no idea which end was up – and I mean that in the best possible way.
It’s the tale of a frightened, timid, horribly agoraphobic young woman who inadvertently summons the Devil. Sounds intriguing right there, but there’s so much more to this story, and much of it defies description (without spoilers). The writing is gorgeous – lush and evocative yet also papercut-sharp in its concise analysis of the human mind/soul/heart. The characters are brilliantly devised, full of quirks and foibles and heartbreaking decisions (and non-decisions) that shape their individual lives but also the world around them. There is philosophy and religion and spirituality and humanism galore, and it’s all interspersed with a narrative that is engaging and believably unbelievable and that kept me engaged throughout.
And suddenly she noticed that life as it is, is far more interesting than life as she’d have it, for the extraordinary hides within the ordinary. “You can get there from anywhere,” the devil once told her about hell. As it turns out, you can get home from the same place – even if that place happens to be hell.
There was a bit of a bump in the ride for me near the end when things came to a head, and that was the only hiccup keeping this from a 5-star review. The card game lost me a bit for a while, and the ending felt a little tidy and rushed afterwards, like the author realized she was over 450 pages in and had to finish up already. It’s a shame, because I would have loved to see the depth and breadth of the early chapters continued throughout, even if it meant another 300 pages – the story was that engaging and well-crafted. Still, the book as a whole was thought-provoking and evocative and I would absolutely love to see more about these characters either in a direct sequel or an ancillary interconnected title…
Thanks to the Independent Book Publishers Association for my review copy – I thoroughly enjoyed it and look forward to more from the author!
OK, I haven’t actually finished this, and I’m unlikely to. I slogged over half way through and just don’t think I can continue. The concept was intriguing, but it just blathers on and on about religion, the psychology of religion, morals, moralization, and rationalization. It’s remarkably repetitive in its themes and philosophizing. I’ve completely lost interest in any of the characters in the book (there are really only two so far) and have gone into such a downward spiral that reading this actually makes me angry due to what I perceive as a complete waste of time. I hate to leave a book unfinished especially when I’ve invested so much time, but its very poorly executed.
One of this books biggest flaws is that it tells everything and shows nothing (therefore it’s totally polluted by wordiness). The other thing really bothering me is how unlikable the main character is. She’s had a hard life (generally a good basis for a book), however she lacks basic common sense and intelligence. I was behind her at first, but she’s just too thick to stay behind. Perhaps she’ll make a turn around, but this is a 500+ page book and at over 50% I expect to see at least a glimmer of redeeming quality … alas I find none 🙁
After writing this review, I’m lowering my rating from 2 to 1 star. Seriously, premise alone isn’t enough to warrant anything better.
Wonderfully different book with a great central character.
Some have said the book is too long and too full of unnecessary details. Those are the things that, for me, made the book interesting and contributed to the magical, surreal qualities. It was at times hard to follow, especially in e-book format (where it’s challenging to easily review what you’ve already read), but I liked the philosophical approach to religion.
A weird kind of existential/philosophical thread through the whole story.
I found it strangely entertaining.
Don’t expect fluff-the book has much philosophical content which wasn’t for me but might be for another,
I cant say enough great things about this book! I didn’t want to put it down..I love, love…LOVE it!