When Monsters Roamed the Earth: War of Dictates combines creatures of myth and fantasy in an epic battle for power

 

 

War of Dictates 

John Baltisberger

Ebook, 107 ppg.

ISBN-10: 1734893710

ISBN-13: 978-1734893717

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Many writers enjoy setting historical and modern-day settings as the backdrop for stories of fantasy and myth. John Baltisberger is one of those writers. In the horror fantasy book that is written in a series of poems, War of Dictates by John Baltisberger has creatures and beings from mythology, as well as creatures of fantasy, fighting for dominion over the earth. Both sides use up and destroy humans, often setting them up as pawns in their battles.

 

While this may be a story written as poetry, one must keep in mind that the timeline is not consistent. It starts at the very beginning of mankind, then jumps to the present day, then goes back to Biblical times. Nevertheless, this timeline hop did not cause confusion, and each of these passages was interesting to read, especially with the Nephilim and the Watchers. There is speculation that giants once roamed the earth, and here they are presented as deities. An accurate portrayal, actually.

 

Human women are not treated fairly in these poems. At the beginning, women are seen as sex objects, often raped to death. Then they are seen as reproductive objects, valued only for being able to have babies. Then they are used for trade: 

 

“Human men had learned from the twisted Grigori and traded women;

valued their progeny and title and legacy above human life.

And so, the first Nephilim lords learned

to make peace, offer a woman.

To make war, take a woman.

To reduce men to idiots, show them a woman.

To sap men’s life, unmake a woman.” 

 

Human women may not fare well in the stories, but one of myth has better stature: Lilith. I was surprised to see this mythical being in this book, but with the other creatures and beings of myth and fantasy, it felt right. This is especially true given that some of the stories are set in Biblical times (Noah and the flood, Adam and Eve). 

 

The battle between the gods, the Watchers, and the angels continues in the stories. It was all extremely fascinating to read, even though I know it’s all fictional. But it is written so well. The style of the writing for the poems makes it appear as though it’s from an old book. There is no “thee” or “thou” but the word choice makes it seem as if the stories come from ancient text. 

 

I especially liked the last part of the book, where these beings took on the human forms of certain people in history (as well as in the year 2020) and Lilith returns for one last battle. It was entertaining to read. 

 

War of Dictates is a recommended read for fans of mythology, fantasy, and Biblical studies (and with that last part, one must keep an open mind when reading such content. Remember, it’s just fiction!). It’s a book of epic battles and the quest for power. Brilliantly written and plotted so well, these poems are sure to entertain and fascinate readers. They are tales that linger in the mind long after the very last poem is read.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I purchased a copy of this ebook for research purposes. This review is entirely voluntary.

Shameful Christianity: Jesus is an Infidel is a collection of poetry exposing the destruction of a once benevolent religion

 

Jesus is an Infidel

Benjamin B. White

Alien Buddha Press, 2025

ISBN: 9798313005775

Print, 63 ppg.

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When someone reads a book that is about a religious figure and/or deity, it’s important to have an open mind. This is especially true if the book in question is a collection of poetry.

 

I am not a religious person. I have no religion and I don’t hold myself to any dogma or beliefs. I used to be a Christian (among other things), so I know a bit about the Bible, church sermons, Sunday school teachings, and basically living as a Christian. I am no longer a Christian, but that doesn’t mean I entertain hatred towards the Christian faith. All the same, even as I am exposed to blasphemy and hate towards a religion, that does not mean I’ll jump on that bandwagon. I take what I see, read and experience with a critical eye.

 

That said, this collection of poetry does contain some blasphemous material (if you’re a Christian), but I perceived it as non-religious writing. Just another person’s opinions and ideas. None of the stuff in this book is meant to be a call to attack Christianity; it’s only literature.

 

I actually found some of the poems to be thought-provoking, as well as entertaining. I was laughing in some parts of the book and rolling my eyes in others.

 

“Fall into Place” is a poem that touches on the fact (NOT a “theory”) that the King James Bible was changed and revised according to the whims of a group of men in government. The Bible we know of and read today (KJV) is the result of all of those changes and wrong translations. It is not the original Word of God.

 

The last 8 lines of the poem “Carpenter” made me laugh!

 

In the poem “Pity,” these lines stood out, in talking about Jesus:

 

“As his is a religion

Of self-pity

Built on obeying

And staying

Out of the orchard

And within the parameters

Of behavior

Without thought

Where knowledge

Has always been

Forbidden.” (Page 43)

 

This is one thing that always bugged me about being a Christian. Being told that I had to obey and not ask questions. Heck, when I read the Bible, I filled up pages of a notebook with questions! And any time I tried to learn about other religions, I was scolded by Bible-bangers and warned that I would start growing horns on my head. When I studied the Druids for research for my novel, my dad kept warning me that they were evil, Devil worshipers and that I shouldn’t believe what I was reading about them.

 

I believe we should be allowed to ask questions. We should be allowed to think for ourselves. We cannot blindly follow leaders! We should not be forced into compliance without being able to have a voice or to seek understanding. But that is what my experiences with Christianity was like and I refused to play along. (And that’s actually not the reason why I decided that I no longer wanted to be a Christian.)

 

Now back to comments on the poems in this book. I have just one more!

 

“The Exorcist” was a hilarious poem! But, really, would Jesus actually choose to drink Cherry Coke? I always thought he would be more of a Mountain Dew guy.

 

Jesus is an Infidel is a collection of poetry showing a different, less brainwashed view of what Jesus’ life was like, how he probably views the Christianity of today and what sort of twists his original idea of religion has gone through to this day. I do not feel that the Christianity that is preached by conservative followers of the faith is not the same that Jesus envisioned (because didn’t he tell us to love our neighbor?), and a lot of the poems in this book address that very thing and goes on to add a bit more of just how far Christians of today have strayed from the path of their religion.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as a gift from the author without any expectation of a review and this review is entirely voluntary.

 

Poems Decrying Religious Hypocrisy and Religion in General: The Sins of God is a challenging collection of poems containing hard truths

 

The Sins of God

Benjamin B. White

Alien Buddha Press, 2025

ISBN: 9798301885020

Ebook, 77 ppg.

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With a title like this book’s and a poem which states that “belief is full of empty theories” (pg. 11), you just know this is a challenging collection of poetry. It challenges the beliefs of the devout Christians alongside the faith of those who follow God, yet not with as much zeal as conservatives or even the Bible-bangers. These poems review just what religion has done for society as a whole, and how the belief in prayers being answered or entering a paradise upon death is pretty much a wasted effort when directed towards a “nonexistent” entity.

 

Some of the poems also talk about how religion is used to control people. For example, in the poem on pages 22-3 (the poems are numbered, not titled), it talks about how religion has rules to make sure those who even think about committing a Biblical sin

 

“Can be pushed back

 By morality’s predetermined standards

 Made up and applied

So the crooked and the wide

Won’t follow a more pure nature

Or decide to deviate

From the socially protected

 And move into the individualism

 Of an agnostic journey

Along highways of discovery

Free from the competition

Of religion and the conditions

That seek power to be bestowed

From above

Defined and disguised as love

 To rule and control

Other souls

To keep them

From travelling.”

 

This is one thing I have noticed about religion, as well. It does not encourage freedom of thought. You have to believe what it dictates and there are no other truths or possibilities. What religion preaches to its followers is the one and only rule. It does not allow followers to think for themselves or to decide for themselves if they believe something or not. As one poem on page 64 notes,

 

“If only

There had been

One more Commandment –

 “Thou shalt not burn

 Free-thinkers at the stake””

 

The poem on page 24 repeats this message, but in recognizing that clinging to Biblical literature has been at fault when it comes to the notion that followers of religion cannot think for themselves. Not only this, but the heavy reliance on religion and its teachings have created a wedge between a person's religious life and their spiritual life. Religion and spirituality are not the same thing. The soul has needs outside of religion, such as exposure to nature and meditation, but religion often oversteps these needs and makes them irrelevant. As the poem on page 24 says,

 

"While foundational literature

And selected passages

 Send messages

To the heart-hopes

And mind-dreams

Superimposed upon

 The soul that screams

For recognition

In the unkempt condition

Of consciousness

Covered, abandoned, and abused

By faith and worship

 That refuse

To work with any other possibilities"

 

And in that same poem, it acknowledges how many followers of the Biblical religions never question anything the Bible says. I have a sister who is a lesbian, and when she mentioned it on Facebook, one of our cousins commented that homosexuality is a sin in the Bible (even though my sister was not a Christian at the time). This is akin to how religious conservatives keep using the whole “God doesn't make mistakes!” argument in their war against the transgender community.

 

Sadly, people see the Bible containing

 

"facts

That are never attacked

 Because that would disrupt

What God hath said –

 “Let there be complacent comfort.”"

 

And I say it is sad because people refuse to believe that the Bible went through several edits, changes and revisions until we finally had what everyone knows as the King James Bible. There were many, many things removed from the original Bible from centuries ago, as well as many things the writers of the Bible (mostly men) changed because these changes reflected conflicts at the time (for example, a book in the Old Testament warns not to eat of the "cloven-footed" because people who did back them acquired a disease from such practices and died! But nowadays, we take better care of the food we eat, so it is safer to eat. Yet that passage remains in the Bible still.). That said, who knows what is actually the Word of God or just something lost in translation?

 

But most conservative Christians don’t want to delve into studying what is true or not, what is real or not, because it requires too much work, too much thinking, and too much considering the possibility that, GASP! The Bible is wrong! *dramatically clutches her pearls*

 

(Sidenote: I’m not really wearing pearls.)

 

Not only this, though, but learning the truth and realizing certain rules are lies would shake up the foundation of everything Christianity was built upon in the first place. They don’t want to lose the comfort of the lie. They want to keep hating homosexuals and transgender people, in spite of Jesus preaching to “love thy neighbor.” They want to keep things the way they have always been and always will be.

 

The poems in this book also touch on other matters relevant to religious discussion, such as religious hypocrisy, fear over the soul’s fate after death, and people doing questionable things “in the name of God.” One must read this collection of poems with an open mind, as they are ultimately the opinions of one person about Christianity, the Bible, and religion in general. It may offend some people who are devout followers of God and Jesus, so keep in mind that these poems are not attacks against the reader but attacks against a religion, Christianity, religious zealots, and Biblical stories.

 

The Sins of God is a collection of poetry touching on Biblical topics and the Christian religion. These poems are the kind to make readers think, review their own perspectives about their faith and Christianity, and wade through a divisive collection that forces truth out into the open where others normally would not even look upon or understand.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book as part of my digital subscription with the publisher.