Red Ink by Kathi Macias
Reviewed by Lori Twichell, Radiant Lit
Genre: religious fiction
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Publication Dates: October 4, 2010

Zhen-Li was raised in China and taught to do nothing except follow every mandate set out by the Chinese government. Unfortunately, none of this prepared her for meeting and falling in love with a Christian man. This made Zhen-Li’s life complete in the spiritual sense, but lacking in the worldly sense. Her parents ostracized her even though she never flaunted her faith and when she became pregnant with their second child, her parents pay to have her kidnapped and she is forced to undergo an abortion.

This is when Zhen-Li decides that she must not keep quiet about her faith any longer and she begins to preach it whenever and wherever she has a chance. Of course this does not sit well with the Chinese government and Zhen-Li soon finds herself taken away from her family and imprisoned with the government trying to break her of her faith.

The third book in Macias’ Extreme Devotion series, Red Ink once again, hits hard, hits fast and for many people I’m sure, hits home. The idea of forced abortions, being beaten and imprisoned for your faith and even being turned in by your parents is all so foreign to us that it’s nearly impossible to conceive. Yet Macias does us a favor by making it very real and pointing out that this has not only happened in our world, it is happening now.

With a fast moving plot, characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and a deep rich spiritual foundation, Macias brings the story of Zhen-Li to vivid and sometimes frighteningly realistic life in front of us. I loved the interplay between Zhen-Li and the people she met in prison running next to her husband’s desperate attempts to make a life for their child and reach out to the wife he misses. These characters are often on their knees and it made me fall to my knees multiple times in the knowledge that right now there are people in China going through this exact thing.

Macias’ Extreme Devotion series is powerful, compelling and begs to be shared. The depth of story, plot and characters cannot be underscored highly enough. The books ring with the Truth found only in scripture and share the lives of modern day martyrs and people who are currently suffering for their faith.

If you’ve read even one book by Macias, you’ll understand that this series is a winner. If you have not read any of her books, give this series a try.

*Rated R: It’s hardcore Biblical truths not watered down at all. There’s torture, violence and, as the title says, extreme devotion.

** Review copy provided by Kathi Macias.