Between Earth And Eden By E.L. Irwin

Between Earth and Eden

by E.L. Irwin

Series: The Guardian Series

Publisher: Independent

ISBN: 979-8694880572

I was thrilled when the author reached out to me on Instagram! When she told me about her book

Summary:

Long ago, when First Eden fell, when the Deceiver came, bringing untruth and corruption, a new realm was formed to blanket the earth. New Eden it was called. Like fabric lovingly stitched together, it was put in place, unseen, to keep the denizens of Earth safe. But war has broken out and fierce battles are being waged between good and evil for the souls of humanity. Guardians, appointed by the King Himself are all that stand between Earth and Eden, between their salvation and their destruction.

Though human and thoroughly unaware of the supernatural world around her, Jane Tanner finds herself hunted and caught up in a web of dark forces. Her twin brother Cash has already fallen prey to one of Hell’s own. Now, to keep her safe, Jane’s Guardian will move heaven and earth to ensure her protection.  But those dark powers are moving and dominions are rising and Jane’s Guardian will need to decide quickly just how far he’ll need to go to fulfill his duty and covenant oath.

…against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12, NKJV

My Review:

If you are a fan of Frank Peretti or Ted Dekker, then you are going to really enjoy E.L. Irwin!

I had ZERO clue what to expect with this story. E.L. is a new-to-me author and I had no idea what genre her book was in. So to find out it's a spiritual thriller, I was pretty intrigued... and a bit nervous. Ha!

The first few chapters were interesting and I wasn't sure if I would like her style for an entire book, but I was all in for trying. There was no dialogue. We only read the thoughts of the Guardian or the Hunter. It's rather spooky to be honest.

Then the human character of the story starts to interact with others and dialogue begins. I have to say, I was relieved. lol I mean, like I said, I was intrigued by the first four chapters of none of that. Once there was talking I felt ready to settle in.

But honestly, you can't really settle in with this story. It keeps you on edge pretty much the entire time. I do NOT like scary stories - horror stories if you will. This was NOT a horror story, but it does have that scary slant to it. I mean, we're talking about demons. Those who serve Satan. So, it's not full of frills. Not even close.

Jane has been in a type of bondage ever since her twin brother was in an accident. When she tries to move forward with her life, the Hunter is ready to pounce. Her Guardian will have none of it when it comes to the Hunter. The Guardian has to be very careful because he's walking a very fine line with his protection of Jane.

I'm not sure there's a more sinister character out there than Theron. I mean, as readers our warning bells are going off and all I wanted to do was pull Jane away from him kicking and screaming. He's lascivious from the start and he makes me wonder how many creeps like that did I manage to avoid, and then I remember how many I didn't. :(

Then there's Aurek. There are details that make me giggle like a school girl when he lands on the scene. Maybe it's his eyes... or his car. Maybe both? For some reason he made me think of Chris Hemsworth. He's who I'm hoping my Guardian is. Mine is probably some portly, little fella who just stuffed a Little Debbie into his mouth. tee hee hee Let's hope not!

I have to say, I haven't read a book like this in probably a decade, if not more. I LOVE books that remind us that there's a spiritual battle going on around us. That's the one thing about books like this. I become hyper aware of the spiritual realm. Not to the point of Jane who sees "things" and hears things. Whew, thank goodness. But this is why I compare her to Peretti because he altered my understanding of the spiritual world and Irwin has reignited it.

Now here are a couple of asides from reading the story. And keep in mind, I still gave this a 4 star review. One is just a wondering and the other is a heads up. Keep in mind that this book isn't marketed as Christian fiction, but there is clearly the faith element.

So, first, Jane isn't a believer so I'm wondering what's so "special" about her. Why is she so important? We don't find that out in this book so I'm hoping we will in book 2. Maybe it's simply because she's a human and the Hunter hates them all. If that's the case, then I'm good with that. She's full of goodness and light, but she's just a "good person". I'm hoping there's a salvation element in book 2 as well! Of course, since this isn't an explicitly Christian novel, that might not happen.

Then, there's the sensualism in the story. There's definitely a dark side that is trying to pull Jane in. To weaken her, to dull her light. It fits the story (although it made me squirm), so I didn't find it gratuitous. I mean, this is life. Again, stronger than what I typically read. I tend to not read books with anything much more than some smooching. lol There are only a couple scenes that far into this category. This is just a heads up for friends who shy away from intimacy scenes. Whew!

I'm really looking forward to the second book! See, even with those two pieces above, the parts above that are why I want to read book 2. Remember 4 star rating! Anyhow, I have a feeling there will be some epic spiritual battling going on!

About the Author:

A child of divorce and abuse, E.L. Irwin found escape in reading and writing, and through the school of hard-knocks, learned to be a fighter. She's a self-described rebel who wears her heart on her sleeve and tends to shoot from the hip on subjects that matter. She enjoys riding horses, wearing heels, shooting her XD.40, tattoos, and of course, a good book and hot coffee.