About the Book:
The Seed
(New Growth Press, May 2016)
Young
Madeline and Roark are desperately running from the shadow that destroyed their
home and is threatening their lives.
One day, they encounter Tatus, an older man who
has sworn to avenge the death of his family at the hands of the shadow, and
they form an alliance with him. Tatus promises that he can keep them safe from
the shadow if they will help him build a fortress. So they build.
But as fortress-building consumes their lives,
Madeline and Roark are increasingly filled with anger and fear, and an unseen
evil threatens to ultimately destroy them. When they finally face the shadow,
he presents them with an unthinkable offer that will reveal shocking secrets of
the forgotten past, the unseen present, and the unimaginable future.
We’ve all had the feeling that something’s not
quite right with our lives. It’s bigger than any specific failure or
disappointment. It’s bigger than any person. No matter what you achieve or how
much you drink or sleep, you can’t shake it. It haunts you-night and day-and
propels you to do something. So you build. You build and build the maze that is
your exhausting life. Sound vaguely familiar?
The Seed: A
True Myth is a journey into the personal labyrinths we create to
protect ourselves and those we love from the pain of living in a broken world.
Guzman’s “true myth” takes the reader on an unforgettable journey that is, in
essence, the grand narrative of God’s redemptive work in the world. This
page-turning Christian fantasy tale is packed with mystery and drama, and
readers will feel the weight and power of redemption as they journey alongside
Guzman’s characters in their epic battle. The
Seed deftly communicates the heart of Trinitarian theology through
story—without using theological language or Christian terms—and reinforces
biblical themes such as God’s character and man’s true identity and calling.
About the Author:
Erik
Guzman is Vice President of Communications and Executive Producer at Key Life
Network. He’s the cohost of the nationally syndicated talk show Steve Brown,
Etc. and announcer for "Key Life." His writing has been featured in
Key Life's magazine and online at KeyLife.org, Liberate.org, Burnside Writers
Collective, and Sojourners (sojo.net). He is also a Lay Eucharistic Minister, a
drummer, and a 5th degree black belt in Aikido. Erik, his wife, and three children
live near Orlando, Florida.
Margie’s Comments:
The Seed is an interesting book on several levels, though I found it
somewhat difficult reading. I’m not sure why. I don’t normally mind reading
allegorical or mythical books. In fact I’m in the minority when it comes to
other writer/editor friends in that I like speculative/fantasy/allegorical
fiction.
But
this was hard for me to get into. Maybe because it started out rather dark. But
I kind of expected that, knowing the basic subject matter. Maybe because the
timeline jumped about rather than in a straight line. But even that I could
handle once I understood why the author chose to write it that way.
The
characters were okay, though I had trouble getting into them at first as well.
Again I think that might have been the timeline-jumping thing. Also the lack of
names and then name changes for each of the characters was a little tricky to
keep up with.
But
in the end, I did like the book. However, I think you’ve really got to enjoy
this genre if you’re going to read this book. And it does help to have a good
grasp of allegory and allegorical features and the theology behind the story. So
not a highly recommended book, but not a “don’t ever read this book,” either.
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