Seventh Dimension - The Howling

A Young Adult Christian Fantasy (Seventh Dimension Series Book 6)

Christian - Fantasy/Sci-Fi
322 Pages
Reviewed on 06/11/2019
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Author Biography

Lorilyn Roberts is an award-winning Christian author who writes for the young and the young at heart.

When not writing books, Lorilyn provides closed captioning for television.

Lorilyn is a single mother by choice. She adopted her two daughters from Nepal and Vietnam. Read her Amazon best-selling memoir, Children of Dreams, endorsed by New York Times best-selling author Jerry Jenkins, and be inspired.

Lorilyn has been a speaker at various events and functions, including women's groups, adoption support groups, and writer workshops. She is the former president of the Gainesville Chapter of Word Weavers International.

Lorilyn is also the founder of the John 3:16 Marketing Network, a network of Christian authors.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

The Howling: A Young Adult Christian Fantasy is the sixth book in the Seventh Dimension series by Lorilyn Roberts, a story told in atmospheric prose that follows the spiritual journey of a compelling character — Daniel Sperling. The Kingdom of God draws near and the spiritual landscape changes, with untold challenges and a prevalent culture of deception and evil. It is shortly before the arrival of the Messiah when Daniel receives a great mission. But he is shaken by a powerful revelation concerning the fate of his father. Follow him as he navigates great challenges, faces the horrors of the Day of the Lord and remains steadfast in his love for Shale and Shira.

When the story begins, readers are treated to a wonderful racing experience, with Daniel competing against the ruthless Tariq in a chariot race that ends in a way no one expected. The religious symbolism of the race is beautifully captured and the reader immediately understands that time doesn’t exist in the spiritual realm — it is an illusion. I enjoyed the powerful use of religious symbolism and allusion, and the relationship between Daniel Sperling and Shale Snyder, a love so strong it continues to inspire the hero of the story and acts as an anchor for him. The author uses visions and supernatural experiences to lift the minds of readers and transport them from their immediate surroundings, just as the case of the protagonist.

The writing is gorgeous and crisp and filled with wonderful descriptions, from action-packed scenes to emotionally rich encounters, to awe-inspiring moments of spiritual ecstasy. The Howling is a book that will inspire readers and make them look beyond their physical experience of pain to find delight in the hope of a spiritual world that could be theirs. Highly imaginative and skillfully written, the message can’t be mistaken and the reader feels compelled to be one of the Followers of the Way.

Divine Zape

The Howling is the sixth and final book in the Seventh Dimension series by Lorilyn Roberts, an engrossing, delightful young adult fantasy that is filled with action, reflecting spiritual realities that are as transporting as they are inspiring. The narrative begins with a chariot race, a spellbinding competition between Daniel Sperling and Tariq, packed with intense emotion as readers watch the two daring competitors, but the race finishes quickly and in the stars. Daniel enters the Seventh Dimension, being one of the Jewish evangelists called by Yeshua and shortly before the return of the Messiah. The kingdom of God is near and there are challenges with a deception taking center stage in the life of the people. Daniel has to persevere and discern the light from falsehood. Can he complete the journey he’s begun without failing?

Daniel’s love for Shale and Shira is one of the themes developed in this story. The events unfold in the first person narrative, including Daniel’s and Shale’s viewpoints, and this allows readers to follow the story from the perspective of each character. The prose is exceptionally good and packed with spiritual symbolism. The chariot race is both an evocation of an era in Jewish history and the symbol of life. The book is filled with insightful and uplifting passages, defying time and space to present a message that inspires readers to look beyond time to see God’s presence in the “now.” Lorilyn Roberts states that “Time is an illusion until God’s appointed times,” thus inviting readers to consider end times from a fresh perspective. Apart from the beautiful prose in The Howling, the story is fast-paced and filled with twists that make for an enjoyable ride. I felt as though the story was taking place in my mind.

K.C. Finn

The Howling is a work of Christian fantasy fiction written for young adults, penned by author Lorilyn Roberts. Forming the sixth book in the epic adventure series Seventh Dimension, this atmospheric novel continues the tale of Daniel, Shale, and Shira as Daniel enters the world as it was shortly before the Messiah arrives. Daniel has a powerful calling from God to fulfill, but the danger level is ever increasing and the fate of his father hangs in the balance after some shocking revelations. Only faith and love will see him have the strength to overcome the horrors he must endure, and unpick the deceptions that the so-called new world order offers.

Christian readers are certain to understand the many biblical references given in the text, which will no doubt enhance their enjoyment all the more of this exciting and dynamic fantasy series. Author Lorilyn Roberts has produced a deep and profound journey quite unlike anything I’ve ever read before, with a cast of truly compelling characters and a message of undying faith, scrutiny of the false, and a deep belief in God’s love in the heart of every hero. I particularly liked Daniel and Shale as a central pair, learning from their past experiences and growing up before your eyes with the challenges which they face. The past comes to light in some extraordinary descriptive scenes too, and fans of the Seventh Dimension series are sure to find that The Howling is another excellent continuation of a powerful and poignant collection.

Ray Simmons

Some of the greatest stories you will ever read can be found in the Bible. From beginning to end, that’s mostly what the Bible is, a collection of great stories. But there are always a few people who read those stories and think they can tell them better and can adapt them to a tone more suited to a modern reader. Usually, they can’t but sometimes they can. When they get it right, it is a thing of true beauty. That’s what you have in The Howling, Book 6 in the Seventh Dimension series. Lorilyn Roberts has taken parts from all over the Bible and woven them into something new, beautiful, and true to the spirit of the original. I like that it is written for a Young Adult audience. So many of the spiritual books seem to be targeted at older people. I don’t think that’s fair. Young people need spiritual works targeted specifically for them sometimes.

The Howling is the last book in the series and though I did not read any of the other books in this series, I have read other books based on this material, so I enjoyed The Howling as a stand-alone story. Having said that, I am probably going to go back and read the series from the beginning and in order. This is what Lorilyn Roberts suggests in the introduction. She assures us that though we get the main story, there is some back story and building blocks that might make a difference. I believe her, though I went ahead and finished this book. The characters were too engaging and the plot too intriguing for me to stop once I picked it up. I love this type of story and I loved this book. I think everyone will but especially those with a Christian background.

Mamta Madhavan

Seventh Dimension - The Howling: A Young Adult Christian Fantasy by Lorilyn Roberts is the final book in the Seventh Dimension series. Daniel Sperling existed in the Seventh Dimension where everyone lived in a spiritual reality. The choices they made in that dimension determined their eternal destiny. He had left his fiancee Shale in the first century and as he wins a chariot race as an underdog, the earth comes into view. He sees killers roaming on earth disguised as beasts, plagues, wars, and famine. Daniel is standing there, dressed in white, with the 144,000 Jewish evangelists watching the Temple Sacrifices and he realizes how the two thousand years of wandering did not make the Jews consider that Yeshua was the son of Davida. He meets Jonathan, his new brother, and Jonathan tells him about America.

This story is a fine blend of insights about God, time travel, and love that speaks about how the word of the Lord remains always and how Prince Adonikam (who is also known by many names - Satan, Lucifer, the Devil, Antichrist, etc.) will be burnt in the Lake of Fire.
As the story progresses readers will wonder whether Daniel will marry his fiancee Shale and the underlying spiritual tones will change their perception about God and his power. The story transcends time, space, and all boundaries and will make readers look beyond what is actually visible to see and feel the power and presence of God. The characters are strong and memorable as they take readers through their spiritual enclave to belief in God and faith.