The Ishbane Conspiracy

'The Ishbane Conspiracy' is a great combination; it is a highly entertaining novel that contains many important ideas and food for thought. I would recommend it for any adult or teenager.

The authors did a great job of combining a Christian worldview and spiritual truths with a great story. This is a sequel to 'Lord Foulgrin's Letters', which I would also recommend. I think this is fine as a stand alone book though. I don't think it is necessary to have first read its predecessor.

Along the way, the authors touch on many very relevant issues to young people - teen pregnancy, abortion, drugs, alcohol, the occult, etc. This is done in a way that is very loving to those struggling with these issues.

This is a great book. I highly recommend it.

This is a great book for teens and parents alike.

Reminds me some of the Srewtape Letters from C.S. Lewis.

Reminds us all how the devil is ever working his conspiracy.

A relatively interesting book about a group of teenagers and the spiritual battle that is wages over theirs souls. Lots of good points are made in this book in how easy it is to fall prey to evil without even realizing it.

On the flip side, I felt the book was a bit too preachy, even for Christian fiction. I love a good religious discussion but I have never liked being talked AT. And I feel that is what this book does. While parts can be an eye opener for certain life aspects it came across as nagging especially when it comes to Rob's character. Still, it is a thought provoking book.

The chapters are short and each one includes a letter correspondence from a a demon. at first the letters were amusing and even insightful but about halfway through I just started to half-skim over them and just read the actual chapters. They became way to repetitious.

The ending was unexpected and not sure I liked it. The Characters varied. Rob came across as a Bible-thumper, which is something even as a Christian I do not like. Ian is more a side character until the end so when his story becomes vital I just could not relate. Jillian, Daniel and Brittany were okay but none of the characters really jumped out at me.

The messages the book conveyed were good and the style was interesting. Even though I do not see demons writing letters to each other, the plotting they were at felt very real. It really makes you think what is going on around us that we don't see.

**I received this book in exchange for a fair, honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are strictly my own.**

It is very similar in writing style to the better known book by C S Lewis (THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS). I didn't read the prequel to this book, but it stands alone. I'm impressed by the thoughts & images and the storyline. Of course, I *do* enjoy the Harry Potter series (which, in passing, is mentioned negatively in this book) but I understand the message presented by the authors.

Because of some scary descriptions and images, I'd recommend this for the 13+ crowd. It *is* worth reading.

Whilst not being a teenager, and maybe not the target audience, I enjoyed reading this book. I liked the premise of taking four teenagers, with quite different personalities, and taking a peek into the pressures exerted onto them, both physically, and spiritually. I always look out for Novels by Mr Alcorn, and I look forward, God willing, to read more in the future.

Randy Alcorn maintains his position (at least in *my* opinion) as America's #1 author of Christian fiction. Alcorn can write! You won't have to sacrifice technique or craft for content when you settle in with one of his books.
Ishbane Conspiracy is fun even for those of us who've long since left high school. It's evident someone closer to that age group (his daughters) helped write this book, because the dialogue and terminology is so current and authentic. And the way the story focuses on 4 characters and their relationships with each other draws the reader in and holds their attention, too.
How did he come up with those demon names? The part where one demon remarks that someone "now has the ghost", as in Holy Ghost, cracked me up. Even though it is crystal clear that Alcorn has used this as his soapbox, it's interesting to see how he does it using this technique. While I doubt that demons have such dialogues with each other (but how would I really know?), I got a kick out of seeing Satan's plan for destruction told from the viewpoint of his minions.
You can polish this book off in a weekend. I am so proud of Randy's Alcorn's skill as a writer. It's unfortunate that more so-called Christian writers are not as talented as he. Go, Randy!

It thought this book was very good! I am 14 and I think it is really great for teens to read! It dealt with almost every issue that teens could go through! I love Randy Alcorn's books, and his is definetly my favorite! I would recommend it to Christians, non-Christians, and even adults!

Teens will find this one hard to put down. Many issues are woven into a well-crafted storyline, but it doesn't come across as "preachy": sexual temptation, spiritual battles, peer pressure, alcoholism, the occult - real topics for teens. They not only see the human aspect, but also the added dimension of spiritual forces at work for and against them. This is a great book for parents to preview, then pass on to their kids!

Great companion book for Lord Foulgrin! Truly makes you see how you can give in so easily to the wrong ways of life

This is the book that sparked my passion for reading! Randy Alcorn does an amazing job at depicting the life of a group of teens searching for something to believe in. I admit at first the cover had me scared to crack it open as if something would jump out and attack me but once I did finally open it, I was immediately sucked in! This is for sure my favorite book simply because it had me shaking chapter after chapter, praying that the demons who wrote letters to each other throughout the book would not win the spiritual battle between God and the Devil. This book left me in tears, making me wish to do better as a follower of Christ. A must read for young and mature Christians!