Leviathan (The Antediluvian Legacy, Book 1)
More than a thousand years have passed since man’s exile from Eden’s garden. The earth is cursed, humans scrape meager livings from the soil, and legendary beasts roam the wilderness. When a fearsome leviathan threatens his homelands, Noah must find a way to defeat the monster. Desperate to discover its weakness, he journeys to seek the aid of the half-angel giants called the Nephilim. Meanwhile, the angelic Watchers known as the Grigori have seized the great city of Enoch, and their powerful leader has become obsessed with Noah’s bride-to-be. Friendships and faith are tested, and Noah is thrust into the middle of an impossible revolution against the fallen Grigori. His Nephilim comrades must choose whether to fight on the side of humanity or the angels, and their decision may mean the difference between the earth’s salvation … or its annihilation.
Peter’s Review:
I had this book on my To Be Read shelf but it was the previous edition titled Antediluvian. When I saw this current edition, I approached the author for a review copy as it had been revised.
After reading this, I am glad I had bought the first edition as that edition has some very positive reviews and I can say the same for this edition.
Huffman is one very talented author and is very passionate about this topic of the antediluvian world, specifically the Watchers (Grigori, fallen angels), Nephilim (Genesis 6:4) and the generation from earth’s beginning to the generation of Noah.
This is one busy and fast-paced novel that never lets up and has many twists and turns. The book seems to have 2 different environments, the fist half or nearly half is taken up with life in Eden where Noah, Methuselah, Lamech live, farming their land and their involvement in their community. Huffman describes this lifestyle well and includes the faith of Noah’s family rich in the genealogies from Adam to present including all his teachings and from their recorded history and this forms a strong foundation for their faith. Huffman also portrays well those of Noah’s neighbours who have strayed from God and consider Him to be a fairy tale. It is during this half of the novel, that we are introduced to the creature called Leviathan and the quest by the Edenites, namely Noah and his family with the help of the Nephilim from Enoch, to rid Eden of its threat and destruction of themselves, their livestock and waterway allows the author to further develop the characters, plot, and action that leads to the second half which involves the history (some of it esoteric) of the Nephilim and the Watchers/Grigori, and the political, social and spiritual deception (perpetrated by the Grigori) that exists in Enoch. It is the only novel so far that I have read involving the antediluvian world that depicts a comprehensive life of the Grigori and their Nephilim offspring and their involvement in the human race since leaving the heavenly habitat and seeking after human women.
Huffman writes well and has constructed a solid novel that is consistent in it pace and plot throughout. His research into the extrabiblical texts, most notably the Book of Enoch shows and translates into a rich antediluvian world that is a joy to read and get lost in. This together with his imagination, fills in the gaps between the Biblical and extrabiblical texts and creates on very enjoyable tale that not only entertains but gives some light and background to this controversial topic of who the Nephilim were and the question as to whether the Grigori were able to or even did have sexual relations with human women. It is obvious from this research and his plot, that Huffman resides in the camp where the majority of bible researchers reside and it is this view of the Gen 6:4 interpretation that resonates with myself from similar research and readings of similar novels where this is outlined. It seems to be the only one that makes any sense and explains events from Genesis to what is currently happening now, especially as we see what is expressed in the bible coming to fruition,
Matthew 4:37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
Luke 17:26 Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man.
We know from the biblical record that Noah and his family were strong in the faith and totally committed to God and Huffman portrays this very well and it is very encouraging to see this, but more importantly, I appreciated Huffman showing Noah’s faith in action by the many instances where he was portrayed as praying to God, asking for guidance and wisdom and in other places where circumstances were out of his control, that he surrendered his situation to God and let Him have His way. Another way he lived his faith in action was showing no fear in defending this faith and anything relating to God, His attributes or His precepts.
This is what I like to see in Christian fiction, where God is depicted as the God of the Bible and the characters living out their faith as it encourages in this manual and the Spirit of God empowering these characters. I loved the part during a final confrontation between the Grigori and Noah, the Lord Himself appeared with warrior Angels and dealt with them as only He can. I could see no other way that this could have happened as the only weapon against the defiant and deceptive Grigori would be that from God Himself as the human race just do not have the power within themselves to deal with them, even to this day, and God never intended us to do so in the first place, but only by His Spirit as it says in the Word.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and eagerly look forward to the next one.
Highly Recommended.
World building 5/5
Characters 5/5
Story 5/5
Spiritual level 5/5
Spiritual Enemy Level 5/5
Average Rating: 5/5
Peter Younghusband has been an avid reader from as early as he can remember. Since becoming a Christian in his early 20s, his passion for reading led to specifically Christian fiction and this has developed into reviewing them on his blog. He loves reading new author’s novels or authors who have not had many reviews or exposure and giving them much needed encouragement where appropriate.
