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The Shiloh Trilogy #3
The Gates of Sheol
How can anyone survive this place?
The gate of Andersonville Prison slams shut behind Sergeant Stanley Mitchell. Gaunt, half-clothed men surround him. Thieves rob him. The dead are carried away by the cartload. Hope of ever returning to Tennessee and his beloved Anna is suddenly very dim and far, far away. I’ll never return to you and you’ll never know what became of me.
Captured while on “safe” duty behind the lines, Sergeant Stanley Mitchell is forced to endure long months of starvation, violence, and misery at Andersonville—that crucible of humanity that brought out the best and worst in men, Yankee and Rebel alike.
Gangs of ruthless Raiders attack and rob the weak and helpless. Food is scarce and the water is foul. Nearly 13,000 Union soldiers—more than a quarter of the men held there—will die. Thousands more will die after they are finally paroled. And every survivor will bear the marks of that place on his body, mind, and soul until the day he dies.
But Stanley must not only survive, he must discover how to live amid the squalor. He must see some good amid all the evil, and he must engage in a daily struggle to keep the image of God alive within him, when almost everything without wants to kill it.
Will Stanley live to walk out through the gate that shut him in? If he does, the road back to Shiloh and his beautiful Anna will be long and difficult. And if he ever gets there, will Anna still love what remains of her Stanley?
The Gates of Sheol is the final novel of the Shiloh Trilogy. The first, Until Shiloh Comes, has been awarded several honors, including Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Historical Fiction and the Independent Publisher Bronze Medal for Best Adult Fiction E-Book. The second, Prairie Dog Town, was the winner of the 2017 Selah Award for Historical/Biblical Fiction and the 2017 Director’s Choice Award for Fiction at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
The gate of Andersonville Prison slams shut behind Sergeant Stanley Mitchell. Gaunt, half-clothed men surround him. Thieves rob him. The dead are carried away by the cartload. Hope of ever returning to Tennessee and his beloved Anna is suddenly very dim and far, far away. I’ll never return to you and you’ll never know what became of me.
Captured while on “safe” duty behind the lines, Sergeant Stanley Mitchell is forced to endure long months of starvation, violence, and misery at Andersonville—that crucible of humanity that brought out the best and worst in men, Yankee and Rebel alike.
Gangs of ruthless Raiders attack and rob the weak and helpless. Food is scarce and the water is foul. Nearly 13,000 Union soldiers—more than a quarter of the men held there—will die. Thousands more will die after they are finally paroled. And every survivor will bear the marks of that place on his body, mind, and soul until the day he dies.
But Stanley must not only survive, he must discover how to live amid the squalor. He must see some good amid all the evil, and he must engage in a daily struggle to keep the image of God alive within him, when almost everything without wants to kill it.
Will Stanley live to walk out through the gate that shut him in? If he does, the road back to Shiloh and his beautiful Anna will be long and difficult. And if he ever gets there, will Anna still love what remains of her Stanley?
The Gates of Sheol is the final novel of the Shiloh Trilogy. The first, Until Shiloh Comes, has been awarded several honors, including Winner of the National Indie Excellence Award for Historical Fiction and the Independent Publisher Bronze Medal for Best Adult Fiction E-Book. The second, Prairie Dog Town, was the winner of the 2017 Selah Award for Historical/Biblical Fiction and the 2017 Director’s Choice Award for Fiction at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
339 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2017
About the author
Karl A. Bacon
5 books45 followersFrom youth Karl A. Bacon has been a serious student of the Civil War. Countless hours of detailed research supply the foundation for each novel, including copious reading, internet research and personal visits to battlefields and historic sites. For Prairie Dog Town, he toured Vicksburg National Military Park, did research at the Old Courthouse Museum, stayed in the Duff Green Mansion, and visited Natchez and the ruins of Windsor House. The research provides depth and realism to the stories so that the novels might be as historically accurate and believable as possible. Karl lives with his wife, Jackie, in Connecticut.
His first novel, An Eye for Glory (2011) was a Publisher's Weekly Top Pick and a Christy Award Finalist. Until Shiloh Comes (2015) is the first book of a Civil War trilogy. Until Shiloh Comes won the 2016 National Indie Excellence Award for Historical Fiction and the Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Medal for Best Adult Fiction E-book.
His first novel, An Eye for Glory (2011) was a Publisher's Weekly Top Pick and a Christy Award Finalist. Until Shiloh Comes (2015) is the first book of a Civil War trilogy. Until Shiloh Comes won the 2016 National Indie Excellence Award for Historical Fiction and the Independent Publisher Awards Bronze Medal for Best Adult Fiction E-book.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 19, 2025
The Shiloh Trilogy comes to an end with a 4.5 shining, golden star story....
✏️ Review ✏️
*sighs happily and breaks out in a big smile* 😊 Wow! The Shiloh Trilogy must be one of the best, if not the best, American Civil War stories I've ever read! The Gates of Sheol concludes this trilogy with a plethora of powerfully presented themes and a satisfying delivery of rich, deep, dynamic, and multilayered characters. Loved, loved, loved the characters! It's rare indeed that I encounter characters (especially an MC) so deep, so realistic, and so poignant in my literary journey. I felt so emotionally in tune with the MC it's like I personally walked the entire journey in his shoes. Oh, and the character arcs? Wow! Just wow!! ☺️ So. Well. Done. To see how each piece of the character development comes together in this final book is so so, so satisfying! I'm telling you these characters are like 5/5. 💯
As a guy, I usually don't have romance on the top of my bookish likes. But, WOAH! 😮Let's make an exception for this book. 😄 The romance in The Gates of Sheol comes to such a authentic and realistic depth that goes far beyond the superficial and physical plane. I'm surprised at how Karl A. Bacon was able to refine and deepen the relationship commitment between the MMC and FMC throughout this entire trilogy. Their journey of maturity through hardships, trials, and separation illustrates so many characteristics of true, selfless, and enduring love — a testament to what a relationship looks like when founded on the unchanging love of God.
And, like, the themes! Yes! The themes are presented in such a poignant and powerful way. There's so many: illustrations of God's mercy, grace, and faithfulness; finding God in the midst of suffering and death; what it means to truly forgive; loving your enemies — so many good themes!... There's soooo much more I could say but I'll conclude it here.
Historical fiction readers, Christian fiction readers, Civil War enthusiasts, or those just looking for an uplifting story — you'll find the Shiloh Trilogy to be an extremely enjoyable and satisfying read. Signing off until the next review. Have a great day! 👋🏼
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The characters (especially the MC) — so deep, dynamic, and multilayered.
• The character arcs — so satisfyingly constructed and concluded.
• The plethora of powerful presented themes.
• The romance — so authentic and realistic.
• The writing style — does a great job at setting the atmosphere and tone of the story through realistic dialogue and consistent flow.
• The historical realism and value — I learned a lot about the American Civil War, especially in this last book. I had no idea that conditions were so terrible and awful at Andersonville Prison.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• A few portions of the plot — seemed to be drawn out a bit too much (the only thing that's keeping me from giving this book a solid 5 ⭐).
• The few instances of profanity, especially since this is Christian fiction after all.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!*
— To whom? To those who have read and enjoyed books 1 & 2 of the Shiloh Trilogy (Book #1: Until Shiloh Comes and Book #2: Prairie Dog Town).
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4.5/5 [rounded down to 4 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 4/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of "d*mn(ed)."
— ⚔️ Violence: 2/5
• Predominant thematic elements about suffering and death (these could be potentially unsettling for some readers).
• One mildly descriptive scene of brutality (injuries are observed to some detail [mentions blood]).
• Several other mildly graphic descriptions of brutality, execution, suffering, death.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• A few mentions of a male and female character kissing; also mentions a few very brief touches.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "God takes no pleasure in our afflictions. He knows we are dust and he knows our weaknesses. And yet he does rejoice, even to the point of singing over us, when we trust him to bring us through those afflictions." (p. 39)
✏️ Review ✏️
"One fight was done. Another fight would continue, the fight to survive — no, more than survive — the fight to live would continue, the fight for compassion, for mercy, for justice...."
*sighs happily and breaks out in a big smile* 😊 Wow! The Shiloh Trilogy must be one of the best, if not the best, American Civil War stories I've ever read! The Gates of Sheol concludes this trilogy with a plethora of powerfully presented themes and a satisfying delivery of rich, deep, dynamic, and multilayered characters. Loved, loved, loved the characters! It's rare indeed that I encounter characters (especially an MC) so deep, so realistic, and so poignant in my literary journey. I felt so emotionally in tune with the MC it's like I personally walked the entire journey in his shoes. Oh, and the character arcs? Wow! Just wow!! ☺️ So. Well. Done. To see how each piece of the character development comes together in this final book is so so, so satisfying! I'm telling you these characters are like 5/5. 💯
As a guy, I usually don't have romance on the top of my bookish likes. But, WOAH! 😮
"She had made him laugh out loud. She had brought tears to his eyes. She had made him love her more deeply that he ever imagined he could love anyone...."
And, like, the themes! Yes! The themes are presented in such a poignant and powerful way. There's so many: illustrations of God's mercy, grace, and faithfulness; finding God in the midst of suffering and death; what it means to truly forgive; loving your enemies — so many good themes!... There's soooo much more I could say but I'll conclude it here.
Historical fiction readers, Christian fiction readers, Civil War enthusiasts, or those just looking for an uplifting story — you'll find the Shiloh Trilogy to be an extremely enjoyable and satisfying read. Signing off until the next review. Have a great day! 👋🏼
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📊 A Quick Overview 📊
👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The characters (especially the MC) — so deep, dynamic, and multilayered.
• The character arcs — so satisfyingly constructed and concluded.
• The plethora of powerful presented themes.
• The romance — so authentic and realistic.
• The writing style — does a great job at setting the atmosphere and tone of the story through realistic dialogue and consistent flow.
• The historical realism and value — I learned a lot about the American Civil War, especially in this last book. I had no idea that conditions were so terrible and awful at Andersonville Prison.
👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• A few portions of the plot — seemed to be drawn out a bit too much (the only thing that's keeping me from giving this book a solid 5 ⭐).
• The few instances of profanity, especially since this is Christian fiction after all.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
❓ To Read or Not To Read? ❓
— Would I recommend this book? Absolutely!*
— To whom? To those who have read and enjoyed books 1 & 2 of the Shiloh Trilogy (Book #1: Until Shiloh Comes and Book #2: Prairie Dog Town).
*(Note: I leave it up to each individual to decide the maturity and discernment level required to read the books I recommend, based on my content warnings below [in my Book Breakdown]. My content warnings [if any] should always be considered alongside my recommendations when deciding who these books are best suited for.)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 4.5/5 [rounded down to 4 on Goodreads])
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 4/5
— 📝 Writing: 4/5
— 👥 Characters: 5/5
~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)
— 🤬 Language: 1/5
• Three uses of "d*mn(ed)."
— ⚔️ Violence: 2/5
• Predominant thematic elements about suffering and death (these could be potentially unsettling for some readers).
• One mildly descriptive scene of brutality (injuries are observed to some detail [mentions blood]).
• Several other mildly graphic descriptions of brutality, execution, suffering, death.
— ⚠️ Sexual: 1/5
• A few mentions of a male and female character kissing; also mentions a few very brief touches.
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
📣 Random Comments 📣
• (None)
📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚📚
💬 Favorite Quotes 💬
• "God takes no pleasure in our afflictions. He knows we are dust and he knows our weaknesses. And yet he does rejoice, even to the point of singing over us, when we trust him to bring us through those afflictions." (p. 39)
February 23, 2018
Not the best literature, but the greatest message the world has even heard.
Now abide faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. So wrote the Apostle Paul, and it is this that is the fountain that streams forth the message of this book. What that love, the love of God in Christ, can do for the human heart - that is the true message of this wonderful novel.
Now abide faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. So wrote the Apostle Paul, and it is this that is the fountain that streams forth the message of this book. What that love, the love of God in Christ, can do for the human heart - that is the true message of this wonderful novel.
July 23, 2023
I couldn't put it down!
The 3 books in this set are some of the best books I have ever read! I literally could not put them down! I felt like I was right there in the Civil War with the characters. I hated to have them end.
The 3 books in this set are some of the best books I have ever read! I literally could not put them down! I felt like I was right there in the Civil War with the characters. I hated to have them end.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews