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War in Heaven

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About this listen

A battle over the most sacred object in Christendom...

In the tiny English village of Fardles, a practitioner of black magic has located the Holy Graal in the sacristy of the local Anglican church. Intent on possessing it so as to amplify his own nefarious powers, he tries to trick its guardian into donating it. When that fails, he resorts to theft.

Thus begins a tug-of-war between powers infernal and celestial, between a magician who would use the Sacred as an instrument of his own will, and an Archdeacon who seeks to protect and preserve what is sacramental and holy.

Along the way, Williams reveals the tug-of-war within us all — the interplay of desire and Desire, the polarity of possession and sacrifice...and the significant gray areas in between.

War in Heaven is the first novel Williams published, and also the most comic. It is everything you’ve come to expect from a Williams novel — suspense, supernatural danger, and a mysticism so real, good, and terrible that nothing can stand against it.

©1930 Bruce Hunter (P)2021 John Mabry Classics War Magic Users
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I have read this novel many times, but this audio version brought out so much more, aided by the excellent introduction. A multi-levelled story exploring faith in both life and destruction. Williams’ own knowledge of a publishing house and an esoteric Christian understanding endow the storyline with a breadth and depth that feels real and appropriate. While there is what could be seen as stereotyping of characters, it might be more appropriate to see them as archetypes. Williams’ love of crime novels does not desert the ‘whodunnit’ thread, or at least the proving of it, but this is set within the best and worst of human traits, from arrogance to plain ordinariness, and toot forgetting both the naïveté of the child paralleled by the sense of wonder. For those who are or can attune themselves to the poetic prose of Williams this is a book to embrace joy, fear, destiny, truth and all the challenges of faith and love. As with Williams’ prayer, the varied nature of being made in God’s image is explored – “Dear God, help me in my unbelief.” As a final coda there is something of Williams’ Venerable Davenport to compare and contrast with Margery Allingham’s Canon Avril.

Looking through and not only at the glass, as Herbert said

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an excellent theological fantasy romp like an extended Father Brown story. Compulsive, quaint, frightening, sinister and really enjoyable.

PG Wodehouse rewrites Rosemary's baby.

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Very well written and expertly narrated. Unfortunately, for me it was pedestrian in the extreme and bore little or no relation to the title. If you are looking for something that is based on the rebellion in heaven as described in the book of revelations, this is not it. Perhaps it is just too deep and metaphorical for me and a more astute mind would be able to make the connection. I only made it to chapter 5.

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