Eric Wilson brings us... a Christian vampire series?
a review by Randy Streu

Eric Wilson may not exactly be a household name just yet. He's currently most known for his novelization of "Fireproof," the Christian movie about a firefighter in a struggling marriage. Now two books into his latest series, "Jerusalem's Undead," all that is about to change. With this new series, Wilson looks to become not only the latest, but possibly the most controversial, in an emerging field of Christian thriller novelists.

With "Field of Blood," and the latest, "Haunt of Jackals," Wilson's "Undead" series is quickly catapulting him into the "hot new author" spot once held by Ted Dekker, while Dekker himself moves into the more comfortable territory held currently by Frank Peretti -- that of veteran thriller novelist. And Wilson certainly deserves the title.

Both gritty in its realism and unabashedly spiritual, the "Jerusalem's Undead" series strikes a very fine, very difficult balance between what an audience expects in horror entertainment and a respect for the traditions, mores and message of his Christian worldview.

The stories of the series -- as told through stolen memories glanced by an anonymous diarist -- follow Gina, a woman born immortal, as she discovers and accepts the purpose of her own life in her struggle against a clan of vampires. Those who will read this series will find this explanation as simple as the reality is complex. In truth, Wilson has woven history, biblical and rabbinical scholarship, and a good, old-fashioned horror sensibility into a blood-red tapestry of intrigue and spiritual warfare.

I honestly can't get too much into the story without giving stuff away -- it's really much better if you just read the books. But I do have some issues. First, because the vampires are in truth corpses reanimated by "collectors" (demons), Wilson has them acting according to a particular set of goals. In all, not a bad idea, and I appreciate his willingness to use the evil and destructive nature of demons in this way. The bad, however, comes in his continued reference to a 'manual,' and an alliterative standard operating procedure. This sort of cheesy, retail-management approach to the antagonists' scheming diminishes the threat, I feel. It renders otherwise rich characters down into that dangerous realm known as caricature. This is honestly my main complaint with the series, and it would hardly be worth mentioning, except for the massive amounts of damage it does to the story itself. The biggest sin you can commit when writing a thriller is pulling the reader back out of it, and this is exactly the effect created by Wilson's use of workplace jargon in reference to the demon hoard's designs.

My other issue with this series is not so much my own issue as it is a market issue. Because of who Wilson is, and who is publishers are, the "Jerusalem's Undead" series is a Christian market release. Which isn't a bad thing. As I mentioned above, it is a blatantly Christian work, after all. But as I also mentioned, it is a very raw work for this market. Wilson is not afraid to discuss in detail the sinful nature that gives his antagonists their power. In truth, this is a strength of this series, and not a weakness -- but it may give some readers pause. May, in fact, offend some. That said, I do not recommend this work for kids under thirteen. And, I'd further suggest that parents read the novels first, before allowing children under sixteen to read it. The books deal with spiritual warfare and some very adult situations in a very adult way, and some parents may find the books too mature for younger readers.

All of that said, give this intriguing series a look -- especially if you're a fan of horror. Wilson's done something here that not many in his position would have the courage to do, and I am one reviewer who applauds him for it.

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