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M.D. HouseNEW ... A historical novel focuses on an enigmatic figure in the Book of Mormon.Drawing on two chapters of the Book of Mormon, House puts flesh on the outline of the man known only as “the servant of Helaman.” The servant at one point thwarted an assassination in the kingdom of the Nephites in the first century B.C. and killed the evil Kishkumen.The author opens the story on a thrilling note, with Kishkumen approaching a nemesis in the Nephite city of Zarahemla, intent on violence against the “mealy-mouthed, self-righteous Pahoran the Younger,” who “occupied the judgment seat and continued to press the cause of the greedy, wealthy Christians on the good people who represented the long-suffering, fair-minded backbone of Nephite success.” This brutal act caps years of increasing tensions since the Great War between the Nephites and the Lamanites, and it throws Zarahemla into chaos.The ensuing narrative examines the young scout and adventurer Kihoran, called Kai, who gets caught up in the march of armies and the broader events drawn from the Book of Mormon, becoming the servant of Helaman and moving inevitably toward his great destiny.House, an experienced historical novelist, overcomes the main obstacle to this tale—the fact that many readers are unfamiliar with the underlying writings being expanded here—very smoothly. The volume’s extensive amounts of exposition are worked organically into the narrative, to the point where those readers who are not members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will easily follow the tale and appreciate the drama. This process is helped enormously by the author’s decision to make Kai both fallible and immensely likable, an experienced but humble young hero. When Kai is told the spirit of God is clearly helping him, for instance, he privately doubts the clearly part.The result is a very enjoyable foray into fictionalizing the intriguing material in the Book of Mormon, something just begging for more such ventures on the part of House.A richly textured and involving spiritual tale about an unsung hero.“From the moment I started reading this Barabbas Series, I was drawn into early church history. The world and the people came alive to me in amazing ways. Beautifully written, these stories stayed on my mind and heart long after I closed the books. Highly recommended!”“I appreciate the meticulous attention to historical detail, insights concerning political machinations within the Roman Senate, the connections a handful of Christian missionaries and leaders made, and the discipling of the next generation of believers by the aging original saints. If you love historical fiction, particularly that involving New Testament times, you will be brought closer to the lives of our ancestors in the faith through this entertaining and speculative story of Barabbas.”Why I Think This Guy Makes Biblical Fiction Come Alive, by Chautona HavigBiblical fiction, first-person perspective. The books have everything against them, but M.D. House got me excited about reading The Barabbas Trilogy before we’d spoken for five minutes. House offers us a look at what could have been based on what we know of what was. Just reading the “Look Inside” on Amazon gives you a hint of where House’s Barabbas came from and where he’ll go on his redemptive journey.From what I’ve read, these books might make my top books of 2021 list!A few years ago, I finally read a Biblical Fiction book that I liked. My favorite part was that the series was about Biblical places and their effects on people’s lives rather than about specific people. I figured that I had finally found “my” kind of Biblical fiction. And I probably did! However, after chatting with M.D. House (a.k.a. Mike), I discovered that there are other sorts of Biblical fiction that intrigue me. Seriously, listening to Mike talk about his process in writing his most recent release, Pillars of Barabbas, all I could think of is, “WOW!” And “BUY IT NOW.” So I did.Mike spent hours and hours reading every word of Paul’s epistles, taking hundreds of lines of notes, and really immersing himself into just who Paul was in order to… get this. GIVE US A POV character in his book. From Paul. Chatting with Mike was great because as we talked, I could hear the passion he has for the church, for God’s people, and for the Lord. The man loves God’s Word, and it comes out in every word he speaks, practically.While I’m anxious to read these first two books, listening to him talk about what he’s doing with book three… EEEP! Guys. The Destruction of Jerusalem. It’s about to hit the page. Personally, I can’t wait.M.D. House’s Pillars of Barabbas tells the story of Barabbas, the prisoner and murderer who was chosen by the crowd to be pardoned and released instead of Jesus Christ. In House’s rendering, Barabbas goes on after his release to not only become a Christian, but to ascend to the position of Bishop, teaching and saving others. A powerful message that is intelligently crafted by House.Pillars of Barabbas provides a strong sense of time and place, so the reader feels as if they are part of the action unfolding on every page. Although set in Biblical times, the author manages to excellently set the scene and create bold characters without using overly stuffy or difficult language, providing an easy and captivating read. The characters are well crafted and realistic, as the story progresses, you will find yourself invested in the lives of Barabbas, Chanah, their children, Paul, and other Biblical figures. Full of Biblical knowledge and Christian teaching, readers who enjoy Christian fiction will not want to miss Pillars of Barabbas. If you love historical work, Christian fiction, or simply an intelligent read, then Pillars of Barabbas is right for you!"I am always intrigued to read books that try to fill in more context around the Biblical stories - it helps bring the historical time period alive, and it's fun to make conjectures about what might have happened to people in the Bible outside of what we know. I was happy to review I Was Called Barabbas. I found it to be an intriguing dive into the "what might have been" about a character that only briefly appears in the Gospels as the prisoner released the day of Christ's crucifixion."
