A Continent Adrift

Rating:
Summary: A rolicking, tongue-in-cheek fable
Review: A Continent Adrift is a novel that features, of all unlikely protagonists, the Devil. After centuries of lying, cheating, and tricking humankind, and fathering numerous progeny... the Devil has come to question things as they are. Confronted by all too many humans who are becoming noticeably more evil than he is, the Devil finds himself at a moral crossroads beyond morality - yet when a meteroid storm threatens to destroy the Earth, the Devil seizes an opportunity save mankind. After all, if there were no Earth, then the Devil would be out of work! A rolicking, tongue-in-cheek fable of good, evil, and how easy the line between the two can blur, while ordinary human beings caught up in the mess strive to get by as best they can.

Rating:
Summary: A stimulating read for the Spiritually curious
Review: Donald Donaldson, scientist has a mission to Antarctica. Donald has had many missions in his thousands of reincarnations on Earth with his soul mate Mya but always he is true to his own identity, Myron the Devil. Not the horned, cloven- footed monster we have experienced in legend but a living breathing human being with a modern day agenda. Save the Earth and humankind from a threatening meteoroid storm that could destroy Earth once and for all. Why would the Devil want to save mankind? Very simple- to save his job, his very purpose for being.

Author Vladimir Chernozemsky uses the first person, giving the reader an almost eerie feeling that they are having a conversation with the Devil himself. The story unfolds as Donald plans his upcoming expedition with his son Peter. Current events make up the backbone of this intriguing novel with a peppering of historical events. We learn of many of Donald's past incarnations as we listen attentively to his story. The reader is mesmerized, almost hypnotized by the dialogue. The search for Atlantis could prove to be his undoing, we are drawn into the melodrama.

Donald begins to struggle with his own convictions. A fallen angel, sent to represent the darkness his burden begins to grow heavy. Throughout eternity man has needed the Devil to represent evil, the darker side of humanity. Has this been his purpose all along and does he indeed love humanity to such an extent that he too has sacrificed himself for us? We receive a greater understanding of the meaning of Light and Darkness from this extremely well written novel. It is a book that leaves the reader wondering and questioning is good--very good. A stimulating read for the spiritually curious!

Rating:
Summary: What would Satan give to save the world?
Review: Reviewed by: by Tyrone Banks of Betsie's Literary Page

What would Satan give to save the world?

Centuries ago an Archangel was caste out of heaven and destined to reside in the flames of hell for all of eternity. Stripped of his wings and taking up residence upon the planet's surface, Satan evolves and reincarnates himself as necessary to survive. For a period of time, he resided in Atlantis, the continent that now exists in a quasi-dimensional state drifting beneath the ocean. He leaves Atlantis and finds himself on the planet Earth. He lives through many historical moments from the tempting of Christ to a position working closely with Adolph Hitler to the search for Osama bin Laden. He fathers many children and is mostly unaware of what they have or will become.

The Earth is now threatened with annihilation caused by a shower of meteoroids that are heading towards the planet. Satan must lead a team into Atlantis, shift its position and therefore cause the position of the Earth to shift as well to avoid destruction. During this journey he questions what he has become and he begins to long for the wings that he lost so many centuries earlier. He professes his love for Christ and what he stood for and begins to accept the fact that he is becoming more "human". He considers himself to be the one assigned to do God's "dirty work" and realizes that he is a necessary entity.

This book is not only impressive in appearance, it also impressive as a medium to be used to ask the hard questions about the roots of good and evil. It is written in first person and the reader is privy to private emotions and random thoughts that convey the story quite well. Like the author we wonder what Satan's true motivations are. There are so many words written about God and Christ but little written about the origin of Satan and the purpose that he serves.

Could it be that Satan is simply a way to balance and regulate good and evil? Why was he caste out of heaven and does he long to return? Unfortunately, no one (that I know of) has the true and correct answer but the author spins a rather interesting tale laced with current events and bound by some historical facts and data. You will enjoy this read and your curiosity will lead you to the last page of this tale eager to find out the conclusion.

Rating:
Summary: classic and refreshing, a gripping story!
Review: Time: The present. As everyone knows, the human race is on the verge of self-destruction. Our main character, Myron, is also the Devil. He is at least 50,000 years old and has been living on Earth since the Martians propogated it in the days of early evolution. Since that time he has been marauding in the guise of various men, fathering children (mostly sons) and manipulating world politics and human emotions to his own liking.

Now Earth is in the path of an obliterating meteoroid, and the Devil knows of a way to rescue it. The legendary lost continent of Atlantis must be discovered and brought to its original position in order to re-align the Earth's tilt and orbit. The Devil realizes that if the Earth is destroyed, he will unemployed, so he takes on the role of the nuclear sub mission commander. Much to his chagrin, Myron begins to let human feelings of compassion and affection get the better of him. The reader follows his very human-like moral struggle as he examines his past actions and his relationship to God.

A Continent Adrift is billed as a satirical novel, and the prolific Vladimir Chernozemsky leaves almost no major political figure of our time unmentioned. The story features fictitious accounts of Saddam Hussein, George W. Bush, Osama Bin Laden, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Secretary Colin Powell, Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and many more. Chernozemsky tells us exactly what he thinks of the current world leaders, with an emphasis on US-Arab relations. Part religious fantasy, part science fiction, and part political satire, A Continent Adrift is an engaging read although difficult to follow at times. It is not always clear who is speaking the dialogue, and the constant flashback scenes can be confusing. Even so, the novel's themes are classic and refreshing, resulting in a gripping story!

Review by Gretchen Olson of www.BookReview.com