“Issachar’s Heirs” by Brian Chilton

Issachar's HeirsIssachar’s Heirs by Brian Schilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is about an underground organization, Nemesis, that has the end goal of ridding the United States of Christianity. While it may seem far-fetched, Chilton explores the possibility nonetheless, in a fictional thriller intended to warn audiences to current-day affairs that could lead to such a scenario. The book’s tale dates back to Judge Issachar in 1865, from the Civil War, and follows his family line to a modern setting. His first novel in the series, Chilton has experience with nonfiction works, but not in the political thriller arena. His average review on Amazon for this book is 5 stars.

All that said, this book, at initial glance, does not have the cover that I would consider for reading. Covers are an important consideration, and it carries one of the traditional apocalyptic crazy. His writing, however, fares much better than the counterparts, and proves the adage to not judge a book by its cover true. His writing does feel stiff at times, particularly with the characters interacting with each other, but otherwise, it is quite easy to become engrossed in the tale and enjoy the content. Some of the grammar has its sticking points as well, but Chilton has done an excellent job for his first full-length fictional novel, and that is no easy feat.

In all, Chilton’s book is one that I would not have initially considered reading. The prologue did not entertain me, either. However, given the content elsewhere in the book, it does seem like a book that would average four stars in the political thriller arena. That said, I recommend giving the title a read, even if it is rougher around the edges, simply as a result of being a first-time fiction novelist.

