Heaven Breaks In: A spiritual warfare novel told by angels

by Nicholas Cappas

"A modern spin on C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters" Literary Classics Gold Medal Winner A high school graduate ready to shine for God at college. Emotionally-torn parents who hope their son transitions well. A campus so beautiful, no one detects an underlying spiritual battle. It's Fall. And Davis Chandler, a well-liked former lacrosse player, can't wait to make his mark on campus. Yet a war rages in heaven and on earth. And ever-so subtly on University campus. Davis - severed from the comforts of home and his church community - begins to drift from God. Can the angels assigned to Davis get there in time? And will Davis be spiritually in-tuned enough to fight back and let God restore what's already been lost? "Maybe the most dangerous place today for Christian faith is the college campus. Insightfully, Nicholas Cappas develops his story right there in the middle of it all. In the spirit of Lewis's The Screwtape Letters we find Davis Lewis Chandler, a college freshman. We do well to realize that we are not fighting flesh and blood (Eph 6:12). Thanks, Nicholas, for a very effective reminder." Marlin Detweiler, President and Founder of Award-Winning Veritas Press, Classical Christian Education "Definitely recommend this for any senior high kid about to head to college." Daniel O'Quinn (Big D), Atlanta KLIFE Director "An awesome piece of literature that depicts what it is like to engage in spiritual warfare in college. I could really relate to the main character Davis in his struggles, and I could learn from his examples!" Sam Zoldack, Samford University student "A dynamic, fast paced story with spiritual encouragement in its fabric. Great read. Cappas blew it out of the water." Chris Middleton, Biola University student, former student body president of Wesley Academy "Cappas hit a home run! Reads like a modern Screwtape Letters." Brent Slade, FCA Baseball Director "Inspired by the literary genius of CS Lewis, Cappas skillfully takes The Screwtape Letters and turns it on its head. Captivating to the heart & mind, Heaven Breaks In masterfully affirms God's wisdom and presence victorious over life's challenges." Jana Harmon, Teaching Fellow, CS Lewis Institute of Atlanta "In today's over secularized world the spiritual dynamics of the Christian life have been all but lost. Like The Screwtape Letters did 75 years ago, Heaven Breaks In opens the heart and the mind to the true spiritual battle that we all face." Jason Dees, PhD, Senior Pastor of Christ Covenant, SBC "Intriguing story, fascinating characters. This book's bound for Hollywood." Chris Milhous, Former CEO of Ogilvy Atlanta, Founder of MB Global House "Cappas weaves the truth of Scripture beautifully into the life and story of his protagonist Davis. A powerful aid to help us see our world through a biblical lense." Caroline White, RUF Campus Ministry "Cappas awakens our imagination to the reality of spiritual warfare. Heaven Breaks In reminds us that our battle is not against flesh and blood, and he who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world." Robby Higginbottom, College Minister, Park Cities Presbyterian Church, PCA "Heaven Breaks In pulls the curtain back on the reality of life as a college freshman. As the story unfolds you will be drawn in, find the book hard to put down, and discover spiritual insights that might just change the way you view and live life." Jason Ellerbee, Young Couples Pastor, Briarwood Presbyterian Church, PCA

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2016

About the author

Nicholas Cappas is the author of Amazon best seller Heaven Breaks In, a novel Literary Classics described as "a modern spin on C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters" and honored with a Gold Medal.

Nicholas has been featured on media outlets across the country, including KNEO 91.7 Author's Corner with Clark Matthews, Moody Radio 89.3 with Ken and Deb in the Morning, WBCL 90.3 Mid-Morning with Lynn Ford, and KSIV 1320 Encounter with Marty Guise. He has been a guest blogger on Crosswalk.com and a keynote speaker for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) events.

Nicholas has an Undergraduate Degree in Business from Purdue University, Master's Degrees in English from Wake Forest University and the University of Birmingham (England), and a Master of Divinity from Baylor University. He has written for Ogilvy and Mather, J. Walter Thompson, and some of the top advertising agencies in the world; his work has reached across the globe. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia and is active in the C.S. Lewis Institute of Atlanta. Nicholas is passionate about creating art that will glorify God and draw others to Him.

To learn about future releases, sign up on his website at heavenbreaksin.com

Reviews

[Tressan Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

Excellent book on college life. Davis is a freshman and dorm life is not what he expected. He looses his zeal for Christ and the story details how an angel he!ps him back on track to serve the Lord. The battle between good and evil is real and this take on The Screwtape Letters tells this tale. Every Christian on their way to college should read thus. And their parents.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable book and a fun take off of the Screwtape Letters. The Screwtape Letters is basically correspondence between a demon and his superior, while this is correspondence between an angel and his superior. It makes some very good points that we would be wise to remember, such as the fact that God wants us each to be part of a local gathering of believers. We need that fellowship desperately. There's a bunch of other good points made too. I'm sure others will enjoy this book too.

[Preston Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As any reader may have expected, this book deeply touches upon spiritual warfare from the angel's point of view and is presented much like the demons were in "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis. Similar to that book, it is told using letters that are written between the archangel Michael and one of his pupils named Littleton. Also like the aforementioned book, it is brilliantly set in a college campus, where Littleton's student, or "patient" is tempted by the many dangerous but fun things that college has to offer.

As a reader, I really related to the student, Davis, because as a former college student at Baylor, I went through the same temptations that Davis experienced. Unlike me, Davis really held a firm grip on his faith throughout his trials. The author captures many emotions, even the facial reactions to some of the things his friends say in certain situations throughout, that I really connected with. The angels really pushed hard for this young fellow to hold fast to the Word and to righteousness, and through many emotional ups and downs, we see characters develop. Although some other characters deserved more page time, such as Mark, the roommate, or the opponent that Davis debated with. There were also many things that Michael told Littleton about college aged folks, one of which was the failure of the male to take a leadership role over the female, like taking a girl dancing, being the initiator, and showing a girl she is interested. That made me realize that I still struggle with leadership in that sense.

I am a writer myself and I find Nicholas's work to be effective and straightforward. I recommed this to any fresh high school grad gearing up to go off to college. Before he moved to Atlanta, him and I were both aspiring authors in Dallas who encouraged each other with our writing and to do it for the Lord. The angels in his book emanate his persistently positive personality. I extend a warm 'thank you' to him for crafting this uplifting book and hope that he writes more!

God Bless!
-Preston B

[Tisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bumped Heaven Breaks In up to the top of my reading queue because of its great reviews on Amazon and also because it was so frequently compared to The Screwtape Letters, easily one of my favorite books of all time.

Heaven Breaks In tells the story of Davis, a college freshman who is trying hard to dodge the pitfalls of campus life and struggling to find a community of believers who are sincere and faithful to Christ. It is comparable to The Screwtape Letters in that Davis has an unseen but powerfully felt force of both angels and demons who are waging war for his thoughts and actions. Davis encounters trials and stumbles even as he grows in his faith and his commitment to Christ. How Davis juggles the pull of adolescent society on campus with the blossoming of his faith makes for a quick and interesting read. This story differs from The Screwtape Letters in that the latter uses wit and parody to drive home the ways in which we are, often unwittingly, pulled away from our faith, whereas Heaven Breaks In uses a more direct approach to illustrate similar pitfalls.

All in all, I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in thoughtful Christian fiction.

[Susan Kendrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciate the heart behind this book, but it felt a little manipulative. A guardian angel is assigned to a college freshman named Davis and submits regular reports to the archangel Michael about his spiritual progress, to summarize. However it feels like the guardian angel has to engineer most moments of Davis's young college career in order to keep him on the right track. Every now and then Jesus sends a direct message to the guardian angel if it is something he feels strongly about. I don't know, but I'm not really sure that's how it works. The writing is heavy handed and amateurish. I did not love it.

[ALEX VERBURG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly this reads like a hallmark movie. Great if that’s your thing. It’s an OK book but very predictable. The reading is easy and seems geared toward the young adult 11-14 year age demographic. I should have lowered my expectations for a comparison to the Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. Yes it’s written in the same style but not nearly as deep. If you want a quick, easy, predictable read go for it.

[Cathy M. Farinelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritual Warfare

This is a great read for teens getting ready to head off for college. There is a war being waged for our young people that this book addresses. This book helps identify the slyness of the enemy and what to do about it! The outcome is the difference between life or death.

[Abigail Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting book. I liked the spiritual warfare side, it's always good to be reminded of what's going on despite us not being able to see it. Young adults (like myself) are at a crucial point in their lives so it was nice to see that highlighted. The only strange thing was the cigars. (If you read it you know what I mean lol) but overall good book.

[Sarah Sartin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, awesome insight on spiritual warfare/the battle raged behind the scenes. The end wrapped up too fast for me, I think more could have been explored with the new relationship and his roommate but it was still great. I’m 39 so you don’t have to be college age to enjoy and benefit from reading this book, but it definitely brought back memories!

[Karen Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed it, but it ended too soon.

I enjoy the spiritual warfare genre of books, which inspire me in my walk with God, such as inspiring me in my prayer life and scripture reading. I just wish this hadn't ended so quickly.

[Diane Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable.

Very up to date and relevant to current college students. Recommend to anyone who has read The Screwtape Letters and Lord Foulgrin's Letters...and to those no haven't, to back and read those.

[CarolJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel about spiritual warfare

Warfare is real and this novel entertains while getting you thinking about the invisible battle that is ongoing. As a Christian, I enjoyed the reminders this book provided.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Screwtape Letters in reverse, with angels communicating about humans.

Gives good insight into the spiritual warfare going on around us.

A quick read- I finished in two days.

Ending was predictable and somewhat cheesy.

[Michael G. Friend · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting

As I started to read the book I wasn't sure I would finish it. Of course I should have paid more attention to the title before I started. It is from an Angel's perspective. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it

[Jack Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read and well presented. Love to see a follow-up



Very realistic and challenging for Christians to examine their own walk. I don't think we realize the war we are in and the help that is available to us.

[Gary Isenhower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great journey into the spiritual realm

I was hooked as it began, just as I was with “This Present Darkness” years ago. It is always encouraging to get involved in someone’s struggle and victory. The journey is difficult but so worth every fight. Thank you for the joy received!

[Carlotta Love · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fresh and impactful

I really wish that I���d had this book before I went to college. I think that many things would have turned out differently. Recognizing and pursuing your God instilled purpose is the difference between abiding and thriving in God.

[Blossom Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spiritual Warfare is real. We do have an enemy of our soul who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I love that this author has given us a peek into that realm and a warning for all of us to put on the full armour of God.

[Deena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Encouraging

Fascinating story showing the different perspectives of a situation and how the enemy attacks; while reassuring God's presence and action on our behalf. Great read

[Sherry Gurholt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb

WOW! An amazing book. So much in this book strengthened my own spirit and my love for the Lord. WOW.

[Lynette Ostrander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great insight into spiritual warfare for our college kids.

The enemy really works against them when they try to stay true to their faith. Very eye opening. I would recommend this.

[Lynne Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

Good read for parents and loved ones of young people heading to adults. There really is a spiritual war going on, and we can pray!

[T Venegas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible!

Never been so touched by a book like this one. The pot is masterfully woven into an Intriguing story! You don't want to miss this powerful book. Seriously, you don't.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spiritual warfare

This is an interesting book with great insight into the spiritual, invisible realm. We wrestle not against flesh and blood.

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven Breaks In is the story of Davis Chandler, a freshman going away for his first year of college. Davis has always been firmly rooted in his faith. But now that he is in a new environment the secular world and many seemingly innocuous moments threaten to weaken his resolve to remain strong in his faith.

But the spiritual warfare going on in Davis' life is deeper than one might see on the surface. Fighting on the frontlines are a team of angels assigned to help Davis maintain, despite the many obstacles in his path. The Archangel Michael, and Littleton, the angel assigned to intercede on Davis' behalf, engage in a series of letters between each other as they strategize a series of plans to steer Davis in the right direction.

This thought provoking book provides a unique perspective of another dimension in which angels and demons duke it out in a battle to win human souls. Author Nicolas Cappas puts a modern spin on C.S. Lewis' The Screwtape Letters offering readers an introspective glimpse into the seductive ways in which secular influences can insidiously whittle away at the foundations of a person's faith.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this updated twist on the classic "Screwtape Letters." This story follows the communication between two angelic beings about a freshman in college, Davis. It is truly enlightening to see the struggles that Davis has in the new environment and Cappas's imaginings of what spiritual warfare and angelic intervention might look like. I will certainly recommend this book for high school seniors who are moving to college; it shows the importance of Christian community through Davis's struggles when not connected to the body of Christ.

[Nancy Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read for college bound students and their parents

I think for many college bound students they see it as new found freedom and no answering to their parents. This can lead them to make mistakes they may later regret. Reading this might help them to think about if the decisions they are about to make are the right ones and what the consequences might be. I love the thought that there are angels around us trying to help us make better choices.

[Daniel Goodrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you liked CS Lewis' Screw Tape Letters, you'll like this one too.

[Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind. Blown. This book opened my mind in impactful ways.

[J · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. I think this was an attempt to be a modern twist on The Screwtape Letters. It didn’t work for me.