Book Review: 'Cadain’s Watch' by Daniella Bova

Cadain’s Watch by Daniella Bova was published in 2017. This book is the third and final book in the “Storms of Transformation” series by Ms. Bova. This book’s title refers to the angel Cadain sent to watch over this extended Wallace family struggling to survive, unbroken by the dystopian, totalitarian regime that has taken over the United States.

The first books in this series are “Tears of Paradox” and “The Notice”. In the book “The Notice”, Michelle and Jason receive a notice that they are to terminate their unborn child, something they will not do, much less so soon after the loss of their son. So they go underground. “Caidan’s Watch” picks up days after their daughter is born while the family is in hiding, the book follows them through the next tumultuous years.

I received the third book in the “Storms of Transformation” series without having read the prior two, and the first pages give you a good introduction to the characters and their relationships so that you can read this book without having read the others. And while this is the third book in a series, there are so many flashbacks to the characters’ backstories you get to know them.

This book is Christian fiction without being excessively preaching. Too much fiction – whether far left SJW or Christian – focuses on the message instead of the story. This book has an intriguing story to tell. And it isn’t bogged down with military and survival information as Jim Rawles’ work is, more a manual wrapped up in fiction.

The book is a quick read and readily accessible, a good piece of escapist fiction if you like this genre.

Nora, the main female baddie, is a trope stereotype. “Pshaw, no mercy, go on them harder!”, though paraphrased here, is actually said. Long Southern drawl, loves mint julep, and wishes the state’s vision of a progressive/communist society comes into reality sooner.

Female administrators working with the evil state are described as demons personified and often act in such a way, like raving and spitting when told no one will be coming to get abortion drugs or hissing and retreating at exposure to holy water. Many who participated in the rise of oppressive totalitarian states are often evil, since the state gives them power and permission to act on their worst impulses, but others do so for their own benefit or protection. “Gulag Archipelago” and “Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland” give a good explanation into the psychological process that turned average men into participants in systematic mass murder.

The book contains a fair bit of mundane profanity but the language by itself renders the book PG-13.

The violence is barely PG-13 in most parts, though beating someone to a bleeding, unconscious pulp with a dildo is definitely PG-13.

The section of “Cadain’s Watch” describing violent criminals given free rein to torment political criminals is straight out of “Gulag Archipelago” and what happened in Soviet Union “re-education” camps.

One of the benefits of a story with guardian angels is that you have divine intervention as an explanation for otherwise excessive good luck. It also provides a source of truly omniscient narrative point of view. I think too much time is spent in heaven from the literally holier than thou character.

Michelle and Jason had a baby with Down Syndrome. There’s a 20-something bagger with Down Syndrome mentioned in the book. A family member’s son was killed for having Down Syndrome. This condition is rare, (a 40 year old woman having a one in a hundred chance of having a child with the genetic defect) and yet it appears surprisingly often in the story.

This book is an escapist piece of Christian fiction for those who enjoy the genre. I give the book four stars out of five.

The Kindle versions of the entire “Storms of Transformation” series cost around $3 each, and they are free if you are in Kindle Unlimited. You can buy print editions for less than $20.

For those who want more uplifting Christian science fiction with strong Catholic characters, try “Discovery” by Karina Fabian or the “Infinite Space, Infinite God” anthologies. The “Forbidden Thoughts” anthology also includes several strong Catholic scifi/dystopian stories.