That’s not a criticism. John Ringo, the author of the Posleen books and the Council Wars series, has a positive gift for creating realistic characters I don’t like. Part of the problem, I feel, is that the real people like the characters tend to move along until they bump into something bigger than they are – at which point they have to adapt. Most of the time, the uber-jocks crumple faster than the French Government in 1940.

Barbara is a housewife, who, just incidentally, is a very strong Christian. One day, she decides to leave her husband and children and take a short break on her own, accidentally stumbling into a world of the supernatural. I won’t spoil it more; suffice it to say that she is recruited into an X-files like organisation that attempts to counter demonic manifestations on the Earth. As someone with such a strong and uncritical faith, Barbara is very powerful indeed on that level – and indeed on the worldly level as well.

The book itself is divided into three short novellas, following the tradition of Ghost. Ringo does an excellent job of tracing the change in her personality from harassed housewife to arrogant warrior of God. Barbara comes across as stern and judgemental. She stands against perverted cults (at least, that’s what I think they were), gun control and abortion. I saw no difference between the pro and anti-abortion groups; both of them sought to impose their will on the other.

Ringo’s brilliant sense of humour shines through particularly well in Part 2, when the action moves to a sci-fi con. Someone is bringing a demon to the party – and I couldn’t stop myself laughing when we finally found out why. Dear God – I sympathise with him. In Part 3, Ringo reveals that he has considerable abilities that need developed when he explores the dangers of the normal life. Barbara faces every mother’s nightmare – and even though it’s not what she fears, its still dangerous. At the end, however, she has changed…and I look forward to seeing if her change will come back to haunt her.

On the whole, an excellent series of short stories, with the second unquestionably the best of the three. Four out of five.

Chris