I was given this book as a gift, and although I am not typically a fantasy or sci-fi reader, I found myself completely gripped by this story. Each character has their own story, their own challenges, and their own voice. I would follow each character no matter what the setting; although, as far as settings go I found the world building fascinating.
Tl; dr: lore, character, setting, plot all exceeded by expectations
Since I was about three years old, I wanted to write stories that both entertained and encouraged people. My first inspiration was The Little Engine That Could, with pretty pastoral illustrations and an energetic young train engine.
Later I read J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings stories. Such joy! I wanted there to be reality behind the magic. The joy of the hobbits sustained me through dark teenage times.
After Tolkien’s books, C.S. Lewis’s space trilogy came to me from a friend (thank you, Michael!). The message, especially in Perelandra, was clear: The spiritual realm of Christianity with angels and demons is real. And since I was very familiar with lies and dangers, I yearned for truth, a reality that could give me protection as well as joy in my quest.
In high school I began writing fantasy. But I was in my thirties when a writer looked at a chapter I’d written about a princess fleeing from a wicked plot to take over the kingdom. The experienced writer told me, “There’s always a layer of truth under a good fantasy.” So, I wondered, what is the layer of truth, of joyful reality behind my stories?
As I matured, I unpacked a whole Tardis of trouble and saw how Jesus has protected me from evil and replaced mental “stinking thinking” with a joyful soul. The underlying bedrock firmed under my books. At this point, I have two published. The bedrock under them is the struggle between good and evil.
In Book 1 of the Soul’s Warfare series, The Hot Marble, I pose a question: What do you do if the devil kidnaps your soul?
In Book 2, The Cave Chamber, I pose the question, How can you just be yourself and, with God’s help, rescue your universe? Note: Book 2 is rather dark. The reality behind the story is a tormented soul in deadly warfare.
Book 3 is named The Horned Edge, the deep dark organization that plans to conquer two planets—and on from there. The forces behind The Horned Edge intend to devour, not just territory, but the people’s souls. My question is, How can you be your broken self and overcome a huge evil with just what you’ve been hiding in your sock drawer?
When you read the books, you can just sit back and enjoy the adventure. There’s humor and romance, too. And, if your soul needs to escape some darkness, may the books point you to what and Who can help you and give you joy.
Book 2–The Cave Chamber The hound named SpiritGracie is stronger than she looks.
Three topics come together in Rosemary B. Althoff’s Soul’s Warfare series, They are all taught in the Bible by the Lord of Words, that is, Jesus. And, as far as my limited education and experience goes, the concepts are the theme of all my endeavors.
Here are the conflicts in the stories:
Assertive communication. In Book 1, The Hot Marble, of the Soul’s Warfare series, lack of assertion gets characters in trouble. The main character, young physicist Lewis’s best friend Fred betrays him because of jealousy and low self-esteem.
A unified, both/and America. In Book 3, The Horned Edge, and the in-progress Book 4 (From Silence to Singing), a sinister political and spiritual movement that fosters divisive thinking threatens to conquer two worlds—including Earth and Lanthra.
God active in the physical universe. In Book 2, Lewis learns the hard way that human endeavor alone cannot conquer the enemy.
How can people interact without fighting? Through respectful assertion. How can a nation in conflict heal? With confirming communication, which is dropping the all-or-nothing thinking and replacing it with (informed) both/and thinking. How can people who love God bring Him into the world’s conversation? By realizing that the omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient loving One who made all universes (if there are more than one!) is active in our physical reality—in the past, in the future, and right now.
My theme for the end of 2023 going into 2024 is Rest.
Rest means choosing to take care of myself while loving others. So, I have challenged myself to moderate eating, increase exercise by inches rather than miles, and schedule days off. I love my work of writing, and I choose to reward myself for getting writing done with things that help me rest. I may be active when I’m resting—for instance, riding my bike in the park and then going out for ice cream. I may sit and read. I may hang out with friends and family.
In Book 1, The Hot Marble, of the Soul’s Warfare series, lack of assertion gets characters in trouble. The main character, young physicist Lewis’s best friend Fred betrays him because of jealousy and low self-esteem.
In Book 3, The Horned Edge, and the in-progress Book 4 (From Silence to Singing), a sinister political and spiritual movement that fosters divisive thinking threatens to conquer two worlds—including Earth and Lanthra. 
In Book 2, Lewis learns the hard way that human endeavor alone cannot conquer the enemy.
Rosemary Althoff, Author 