The Mask of the Devil Shall Fall

Unmasking the Masquerade: Three Illusionists Investigate Deception, Fear, and the Supernatural by Rod Robison
My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Three illusionists, mentalists or stage magician set forward to write to write a book that debunks psychic phenomena and occult magic. They say it is all false and they build powerful arguments that will have you walking away convinced. Now here is the thing all three of them are devout Christians and have been involved in Christian outreach. Now might not be the time for me to appear to be preaching Christianity since I am a Jew who has dabbled in paganism and a Christian missionary was killed doing something stupid.

No less the book makes sense. The first writer discusses the phenomena of faeries, spiritism etc. the first writer even offered thousands of dollars to anyone who could do a legi psychic act in laboratory situations. Thus far no one has come forward. He explain how the the mediums who supposedly spoke to the dead. Their helpers or gimmicks would make wrapping noises and certain tricks would make the table much move. Cold readings were done by reading a persons body and making vague questions comments that lead the psychic to the right answer. Sometimes they got it wrong and tried to cover it up. The cottingly faeries was another hoax,later admitted to later by the girls that they were fakes. Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle bought into it. The Lincoln family bought into spiritism.

The second author discusses the biblical definition of magic and what exactly Satans powers really are. He is not as strong as he is made out to be. Most people, devout Christians included have their beliefs about the occult that are derived from movies. Satan cannot cause sickness, hurl curses or even raise the dead. Humans do not have this power either. Only God does. Satan is actually gods servant. His job is to tempt men to sin, to test them. Most tricks that the magicians did in biblical times were just thst trickery and deception. Pharaoh magicians could not keep up with Moses because Moses had real power while they had trickery.

The last part is more ideological and in this part the author lays claim that Jesus is the Messiah and he was no mere magician. It states that the miracles he pulled off could not be mere tricks because to walk on water or multiplication of fish and loaves could not be faked and any magic trick needs to be set up in advance.

Regardless if you are Christian or not if you are the type drawn to spiritual movements then this is a book you want to read. There are plenty of fakes out there, psychics, mediums,faith healers, Hindu saints. They will make things materialize out of thin air, this is stage magic. They may heal someone but belief is strong and it could be psychosomatic.


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Vampire Apocalypse

Prince Lestat by Anne Rice
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The vampire world is changing. Technology is faster and more accurate than telepathy. Pictures are conveyed through iPhones rather than mental images. Two scientist , Seth and Fareed, are making strides in the way of medical technology. In fact there is a way for vampires to procreate and have children. Lestat has one named Victor.

Amidst all this change there is a voice that is telling the elder vampires to kill the younger fledgling vampires. Some of the elders give in to the voice while others are fighting it. Usually the vampires use their fire starting abililities. So the hunt goes on for Lestat and the elders to meet in New York. While in New York they try to figure who the voice is and what it wants.

Vampires were first born when the spirit Amel entered into the body of Queen Akasha . There after the vampire species spread from her. Once she was killed the core passed into Makare. It is from Makare that Amel wishes to escape. Once she dies Amel finds a new host. The Talamasca watches all the paranorlam stuff without interfering. We learn they were founded by a spirit and two vampires.

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The Original Vampire

Dracula by Bram Stoker
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a classic this one, a mark of truly great fiction. In reality it is a fictional account of a leader long after he has been dead. I have read this story numerous times and each time I. Learn about some other detail that previous I had known hither of. The story is written from many point of view. Journal entries and letters describing what is going on make up the mainstay of the story.

Starting off , Jonathan Harker , a solicitor is off to Transylvania where in he is to sell the property of Carfax in England to the count. Upon arriving at the Castle Dracula he soon realizes that things just are not right. The count has strange habit, hides appearance changes very often and then there are those three strange ladies. Jonathan has no clue as to what is going on. He makes good on his plans to escape but it will take him weeks to finally end up in Budapest ,Hungary.

Meanwhile in England strange things are beginning to happen. A strange ship docks in England. No ones is piloting the boat and none of the crew have been left alive. A strange dog bounds off the ship. No one finds the dog but other strange things begin to happen. A wolf escapes from his cage and Mina’s friend Lucy begins to act strangely . Weird puncture mark form on her neck, she sleep walks at night and within a short time she becomes a vampire. She was engaged to Arthur Holmwood , the guy who runs the hospital. At this hospital is a very strange and deranged man named Renfield. Mr. Renfield has a fascination with collecting animals like spiders, birds and flies. He calls Dracula his lord and master.

As Lucy get more and more ill, Dr. Seward summons an old mentor named Abraham Von Helsing. He know about this stuff. When Lucy is fully turned to a vampire it is Van Helsing that knows how to kill her and stop her from drinking the blood of small children . But Dracula soon pursues Mina Murray who during the course of the story gets married to her fiancée Jonathan Harker. SHe is about to be turned into a vampire so the teams goal is to kill Dracula. They destroy his boxes of Earth and pursue him all the way Transylvania.

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The Fallen Angel Who Joined the Mossad

The Spy Who Fell to Earth by Ahron Bregman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Marwan Ahsraf was one of the spies who literally changed the course of history as far as the Middle East goes. Marwan Ashraf was born to a middle class family in Cairo. He was given a beaureaughcratic job in the government and he ended up falling in love with Nasser’s daughter. This was not something that Nasser was too happy with . So he put Marwan under someone who would keep an eye him and report to Nasser on Marian’s doing. Eventually they move to London England where in MarwN gets caught up in gambling and driven to debt. After burning a connection of another royal Egyptian family , Marwan approaches the Mossad.

At first the Israelis were rather suspicious of him, I mean come on the son in law of Egypt’s President. But he gave over such good information . Later on he would become Sadat’s right hand man. He may have helped Israeli win the 73 war. Some still say he was a double agent.

Aharon Bregman solves the mystery and writes about it. This may have endangered Marwan. The writing goes back and forth for a few years between Marwan and Ahaharon. Eventually the word gets out and Marwan somehow falls off a fifth story apartment into a garden. To this day no one knows if it was suicide or murder.

The book is short and sparse on details . I would have expected more for my money. Glad I read read it for free off Amazon prime.

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