One mark of truly great writing, aside from the standard "test of time," is a story that carries the ability to assume more than a single form.  In other words, it reads with a depth that transcends the plot.  The reader is acutely aware of more than just the action the author has written across the page.  There is a story beneath the story.  For a novel such as THE SOULBANE ILLUSION, this characteristic is imperative.

Norman Jetmundsen has taken the "behind-the-scenes" spiritual activity of C.S. Lewis' THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS - where two of Satan's devils correspond in letters of how to destroy a soul - and fashioned an impressive tale of kind from the human's perspective.

The human here is Atlanta attorney Cade Bryson.  He is the typical overachiever who spends too many hours at the office and too few hours at home with his wife, Rachael, and his daughter, Sarah.  When Rachael decides to take Sarah back to her native England, the separation appears to meet both their needs.  However, when strange things begin happening to Cade memories of a series of reports, the Soulbane Reports, discovered in his time at Oxford, resurface.

Soulbane is the name assumed by a devil who has taken human form in order to wreak havoc in human lives.  His reports detail the plans of his superior, Foulheart, which are to be carried out by the ranks of demonic forces infiltrating human lives and beguiling them with self-centeredness away from the "the Enemy", i.e. God.

The proverbial monkey wrench into these plans is Cade.  There must be a retrieval of the reports in his possession before he carries through with his initial intent to see them published.  This is the same action C.S. Lewis took when he came upon the correspondences between devils Screwtape and Wormwood.  Those two suffered greatly for their carelessness.

As one who personally believes C.S. Lewis got it right when he wrote THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, I was intrigued to see how a new set of eyes into the unseen world of activity parlays that concept into 21st century life.  I am pleased to say Norman Jetmundsen succeeded.  He refrained from copying Lewis' insight by establishing Soulbane and Foulheart on center stage - as Lewis did with Screwtape and Wormwood - opting instead for the human, Cade Bryson, as the focus of the plot. Doing so shows the opposite side from what Lewis wrote.

Multiple applications exist for the "Illusion" of the book's title.  First off, as stated by the demonic gathering of the prologue, the demons are disguised as everyday people.  The illusion of a coworker, friend, or new acquaintance being an agent of hell intent on Cade's downfall makes every character suspect.  Secondly, on a grander scheme, the illusion of wealth and power, as witnessed through Zac Pickering, CEO of his own construction company, and husband of a powerful Washington senator's daughter, is shown as deceptive in its appeal in granting life ultimate meaning.

There were only two facets of THE SOULBANE ILLUSION I believe required a bit of help.  Some of the theology might raise questions.  There is nothing of controversial nature, only matters of question - as one would discover in the various debates between church denominations.  Also the romance with his wife Rachael, unfortunately, was weak.  I had no doubt the two loved one another -- even in their own moments of doubt -- but the dialogue between the two seemed too predictable and trite.

But then, that goes to the strength of the tale - its ability to be enjoyed on the level of just a good story one can read and be entertained by, where good triumphs over evil; or as something much deeper, as the unseen spiritual world happening unbeknownst to people everyday, to enlighten the human heart.

 I was inspired by the hopeless situations Cade found himself engulfed by and his fortitude in not giving up, his renewed faith to trust God for an answer - as no other avenue of hope was availed his way.

The introduction of the devils, while on a stealth level, are spoken of in such a matter-of-fact spirit, when the Soulbane Reports are discussed, one would conclude that devils are part of the mainstream.  They are as substantive as Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein in the physical world we experience everyday, not as spiritual beings persevering to create disbelief.

THE SOULBANE ILLUSION is a book I am glad I read.  It is something I can recommend to anyone interested in the supernatural/thriller with a foundational faith to inspire people beyond their circumstances.  If one likes the works of C.S. Lewis, you will like it; if one likes the works of John Grisham, you will like this.  What I read was, indeed, a good blend of the two.