“Cloak of the Light” is the first story in a science fiction trilogy called “Wars of the Realm,” written by Chuck Black. Chuck was formerly an F-16 fighter pilot, as well as a tactical combat communications engineer. He and his wife reside in North Dakota and have six children. The book is said to be readable for ages 12 and up, but I believe the contents would be more appropriate for high school and college students and up. I would say it would appeal to many older adults, too.

Being a genre to which I’m not usually drawn, I looked upon reading Cloak of the Light as an “assignment.” I was reading it to see its value for those who enjoy reading that sort of thing. As it turned out, I soon found myself sucked into the story. I looked forward to finding spaces of time to continue reading it. I appreciated the shortness of the chapters, since I hate to quit reading in the middle of a chapter, when I see I must end my reading session. As I progressed further into the book, though, I found it hard to quit reading at the ends of the chapters. The story seems to have an appeal for both male and female readers. The main character is a male, and there is plenty of action and weapons and references to cars. On the other hand, there is an important female character, an abundance of emotion, and a romantic thread.

The story opens with the memorial of 12-year-old Drew Carter’s father. Life does not look easy for Drew and his mother, but his dad’s military buddy, Jake, fulfills well his promise to look after his buddy’s widow and son. After a dreaded move to Kansas, Drew turns out to be a valuable member of the football team at Rivercrest High. He makes an unlikely friendship with the science nerd who does the stats for the team. From his first day at Rivercrest, he is attracted to a girl named Sydney. Yet for some reason she is unwilling to be more than a casual friend. Life never seems to go smoothly for Drew. An accident with serious consequences other than his injuries interferes with his football and his peace of mind.

Drew’s science nerd pal, Ben, graduates from high school a year ahead of Drew and goes on to Drayle University. Drew joins him at Drayle the following year. A couple months into the fall, to Drew’s delight he runs into his high school attraction, Sydney, at the student union at Drayle. It’s at Drayle that the story really takes off. The mysterious disappearance of a science professor prompts Drew’s friend Ben to ask his help in sneaking into the lab and looking into the professor’s experiment. After a strange discovery, an explosion in the lab damages Drew’s eyesight.

After Drew gradually recovers his sight, he discovers he can see things others can’t see, and his other senses are heightened. He can see dark figures bent on evil and white figures protecting good, and they were sometimes at war with each other. For some reason related to the scientific experiment at Drayle, the evil figures seem to be on his trail. The suspense grows, and it comes to a climax of great danger from both human and spiritual beings toward the end of the story. The situation is finally resolved, but there are big questions left unanswered, leaving the reader with a desire to move on to the second story of the trilogy.

I could feel the author’s knowledge of Scriptural teachings and his heart for the Gospel in his writing. The main character, Drew, is a young man of moral character, but very much a skeptic in regard to belief in God. Sydney is a young woman sold out to her Christian faith and unwilling to compromise. The story reminds the reader of the influence of evil forces when Drew sees dark figures whisper in the ears of humans. It also brings out the possibility of humans being possessed by evil entities when Drew sees a dark shadow in some humans that creates a sort of double image. In the most extreme danger at the climax of the story, the author reminds readers of the powerful protection of prayer when Drew witnesses a “blue aura” emanating from the faith-filled character, Sydney.

The Bible does teach that angels and demons battle (according to Revelation 12:7-9; Ephesians 6:12; Daniel 10:11-13; 10:20-21). We don’t know exactly what the battles look like, and it may not be possible for these unseen foes to sustain injuries. In the back of the book is a note from the author, as well as a “Reader’s Guide” that supplies the Scriptural references for messages inferred in each chapter. In his note at the end, author Chuck Black explains that he used his imagination to raise awareness of the spiritual warriors that many of us probably rarely think about. The book is 306 pages, including the “Reader’s Guide,” but the pages go by quickly.