This Present Darkness: A Novel

Frank Peretti

Feb 2012 · Sold by Simon and Schuster

About this ebook

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

After the film in her camera is mysteriously destroyed at a small-town festival, reporter Bernice Kreuger knows she’s found something worth covering up. She brings the investigation to her boss, Marshall Hogan. Along with the local pastor of a struggling church, Hank Busch, they find something much bigger than they expected—a demonic plot to enslave their town and, eventually, the world.

The tiny college town of Ashton becomes the unlikely battleground in a cosmic clash between good and evil. Unseen by the human protagonists, armies of angels and demons wage war against one another in the spiritual realm for the souls of the people of Ashton. Up against supernatural forces, the future of the town seems bleak – but the power of prayer might be able to influence the outcome of the fight.

This fast-paced thriller birthed an entirely new genre, setting the standard for spiritual suspense. It has since sold over 2 million copies worldwide, sparking a renewed interest in the concept of spiritual warfare.

Ratings and reviews

An epic tale of the spiritual realm, how prayer provides strength to the angelic hosts of heaven for fighting evil and promoting Christ's righteousness to a town called Aston. It shows how God uses Angels and the prayers of Saints for doing His will on earth as it is in heaven. Highly recommend!

Really surprised after reading all the great reviews how much I didn't like this book. It was cool though to find a book about spiritual warfare. Felt I could have written a better story myself to be honest. At times I wanted to quit reading but I hate quitting anything. For a horror/thriller book it didn't live up to the genre, at least not for a man like me. Don't think I would recommend it to anyone except teens. This might be a better movie than book. The story just wasnt worth the 500 plus pages IMO.

This is a classic, which I'm currently passing on to my own young generation. Of course they don't understand typesetting or paste-up (or even typewriters!). But the eternal truths of God's redemptive love and salvation, for the very worst of us, are just as relevant and important now as ever. Of course this is an allegory and it would be a foolish person who seeks instruction or theology here, but I think Peretti reflects the heart of God in a way few do, and I am praying this is as inspirational to my lot as it was to me when it was first published.

About the author

With more than 14 million books in print, Frank E. Peretti is perhaps the most recognized name in Christian fiction. He lives in northern Idaho with his wife, Barbara.