Arena
By Karen Hancock
I usually don't like reading science fiction, simply because all the impossible gadgets and aliens and whatnot tend to throw me off. It's like fantasy with computers, in a sense. But I picked this book up at a Christian store and read the first couple of pages, and I immediately liked how the author characterized the protagonist, Callie. The first few scenes when Callie's friend Meg leads her into a supposedly harmless psychological experiment really make the reader wonder, how will this turn into science fiction? After the first chapter, I was hooked.
At first, I found it hard to believe that the book had been written as a Christian novel. There were aliens, strange devices, monsters, and such things, and no sign of anything related to the cross. But then, when Callie passes through the Gate and into the Inner Realm of the world, that's when I thought, 'So this is where the Jesus theme comes in!'
Elhanu, the great, omnipotent, all-powerful king who created and controls the world they have been sent into, is a benevolent man who wishes for all the humans to make it safely back to earth without succumbing to the temptations of the Watchers and their Fire Curtains (which are basically demonifying steroids that have a suspicious amount of resemblance to Ashera Poles). Immediately, this reminds me of Jesus, and the continuing battle between the forces of Heaven and Hell. Actually, I really appreciated all the subtle hints to various elements of the Bible: for example, the helmets and belts the humans wear are obviously a reference to the armor of God described in the New Testament.
Also, the human struggles Callie goes through, and her ultimate victory, are very encouraging, especially for Christians struggling between self-doubt and faith in Jesus Christ. She gripes with her fear of heights and constantly berates herself for her lack of assertiveness. She almost succumbs to temptations many times, and often observes that she can't do anything on her own. It is through this faulty character that Elhanu works. Her, as well as her companions, each with their own pasts and mistakes, learn to come together, sharing the 'link' that Elhanu offers them as they draw strength from Him and from each other.
And in true Christian sense, the human antagonists of the story, Garth, Rowena, and Morgan, are both maligned and pitied for their failure to see the great powers Elhanu offers. They rely on their own human strenghs and lose themselves within the intoxicating effects of the Fire Curtains, losing their friends as well as their humanity. Though their actions are loathed, the author portrays them as lost souls, whose own stubbornness became their downfall. How many people of this world go down the path of stubbornness and shaky self-reliance today? Here Karen Hancock expresses just a little bit of the regret God feels for these souls everyday.
The ending didn't satisfy me as a reader, though. Pierce loses all of his memories, and although Elhanu promises that they will eventually be restored, the actual moment of recollection is left to the reader's imagination as Hancock finishes off her story. I wanted to see Callie and Pierce meet again. It would have been a very sweet and happy ending.
This book renewed my determination to trust in God no matter what the circumstances, and I hope my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ will give this book a try. And not just Christians--even if you aren't a believer, this story is perfectly accessible.
