For those who have finished Scar Night

[Parson]

I started this thread because it is hard to know exactly what constitutes a spoiler for
the book. If you follow this thread you may learn things you don't want to know, or not.


I believe that Scar Night is a book which draws deeply from the Christian worldview. Deepgate is so obviously purgatory it stinks (pun intended). There it is suspended above the "abyss" (a biblical synonym for Hell). It is inhabited by the "black angel" Carnava lwho terrorizes the place and whose name is used to describe the last fling of sin before the days of Lenten self denial start. The "abyss" is believed to be "bottomless" like the biblical abyss where Satan and his angels are hurled at the end of time. At the bottom of the abyss lives the dark Lord of the "underworld." The key search in the book is for "blood that gives eternal life" -- can anyone say Eucharist? --- When Deepgate is destroyed the people who are "saved" can live a life that is a real life and not consumed by the need of dying a good death. They must not be "husk" if they are to die right. This sounds much like a "works produce righteous" religion to me. A real life which is made possible by the "church poisoner." You have a church which is inhabited at the top by people who really do not believe what they are teaching the masses. And at the very end you have an eternal angel walking/flying over the world. Who may just be looking for a following which will find its original "followers" in a dark angel to whom he finds himself attracted and an assassin who likely loves him.
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What does this all mean? I'm not sure. Is Alan Campbell trying to produce a kind of religion for those with a God sized whole in their life? Is he saying to us that no matter how you find yourself chained that emotionally charged actions like the poisoner's or Rachel's ill advised leap into the Abyss can save you in very unexpected ways. Rachel's very name reminds us of the biblical woman who at one time sold her husband's services for mandrake roots, which in folk medicine is a kind of aphrodisiac. Is this a foreshadowing of what will happen in future books?

I am sure that he setting up a world, into which a great number of books can be written. I am not much of a Fantasy Fan, so although I only give this book 3 stars out of 5 it might be a better rating than first thought.

[Dave]

Sorry, I did get Scar Night for Christmas, but I just haven't had time to even read a single page. Life has been so hectic, I haven't even got into the book I began in November. I will read your comments later with interest. I will read Scar Night sometime, it just isn't going to be in January.

Dave