Book Reviews and More: Lioness Lost - Susan Brinkmann

Lioness Lost

Chronicles of Ariella Book 1

Susan Brinkmann

Feminine Genius

ISBN 9781635825619

ISBN 9781635825572

eISBN 9781635825589

ASIN B0DT21N2W1

Lioness Lost - Susan Brinkmann - Chronicles of Ariella Book 1

I wanted to read this book from the time I first saw the cover. I had read one non-fiction work by the author and numerous articles. It took a while for it to show up in Canada and even longer to be available digitally. With my dual form of dyslexia the eBooks make reading so much easier, my son has eye tracking issues and our deacon has low vision. eBooks help with all of these and other issues. Back to the volume at hand; the description of this book states:

“The first novel in this thrilling Christian suspense series.

When investigative reporter, Ariella "Ari" Dalton, wakes on the morning of November 29, 2021, she has no idea that the course of her life is about to change forever.

Assigned to cover a grisly murder case in her local town, Ari works to uncover the truth, but quickly finds herself deep within the macabre and violent world of a Satanic gang that holds a dark secret. Collaborating with an elite FBI squad led by the very handsome—and very Catholic—Supervisory Special Agent Jesse Sandoval, her investigations will lead her to question her own spiritual and religious beliefs.

As the stakes get higher and Ari finds herself inexplicably drawn to Jesse, her beloved grandmother decides to reveal the history of Ariella's lineage in an effort to help guide her granddaughter. Beautifully interwoven within the story of Ari is that of Ella Ward, another Ariella living during the Gilded Age of the late nineteenth century. As one Ariella fights to discover the truth about the murder case, another Ariella will help lead her down the path to find the truth of who she was meant to be.

The first in the new fiction series written by New Age and the occult expert, Susan Brinkmann, will not only open the reader's eyes to the true nature of the spiritual movements of our day, but will also open their hearts to the glory of Christianity, the critical role of women in the Church, and the Truth that sets us free.”

About the author we are informed:

“Susan Brinkmann, OCDS, is a Secular Carmelite, award-winning journalist, and author of seventeen books on the New Age and the occult, Catholic apologetics and Carmelite spirituality. She currently serves as the Director of New Age Research for Women of Grace® which houses the largest library of research on the New Age and the occult in the world. In addition to educating the public on the dangers of the New Age and counterfeit Christianity, Susan’s work will also open hearts to the glory of Christianity, the critical role of women in the Church, and the Truth that sets us free.”

The authors note states:

“As engaging as this story may be, it’s important for the reader to understand that it is not entirely fictional. Only the characters, locations, and plot are imagined. Everything else is true and based on fact. The New Age and occult activity described in these novels is based upon the documented testimony of Catholic exorcists and experts in the various disciplines associated with the study of New Age alternatives. The diverse tactics of the devil, manifestations of demonic entities, and the Satanic rituals used by the gang members is also based on real events. Although it might make for a thrilling read, this information is the result of two decades of serious research, first while serving as a reporter at the Catholic Standard and Times newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and then in my work under the leadership of Johnnette Williams of Women of Grace, the great early pioneer in the field of New Age research.

In addition, the history of the Church that is presented in the various novellas of Ariella’s ancestors is also based upon real history as documented by historians such as Warren Carroll, Jay P. Dolan, and Eusebius, to name a few. The different eras in Church history that are represented in this series were carefully chosen to correlate to current issues in the Church today—the priest abuse scandal, the seemingly out-of-touch responses to social issues, bishops who cave to politics rather than defend the teachings of Christ, the ongoing problem of poor catechesis, and the impact of persecution upon the Suffering Church.

Also to be regarded as factual are the descriptions of the various types of prayer Ari experiences in the chapel. The anointings, infused states, and use of Scripture are all part of the Catholic mystical tradition as taught by the Carmelite doctors of the Church, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross.

Ari’s discovery of these truths very much mirrors my own experience when reverting to Catholicism many years ago. Like her, I looked to the New Age and its Universal Mind for the kind of spiritual highs I could never seem to find in the Mass. And like her, I thought I knew what the Church taught, even though I never read a single encyclical or page of the Catechism. The only Scripture I knew was what I cherry-picked to fit my own narrative. By the time I found the courage to put aside my biases and self-imposed bigotry and really study Church teaching, I was already badly beaten and broken by a world that I thought had all the answers.

When this series ends, Ari will have discovered exactly what I did when I finally summoned up the courage to face what I had so long refused to accept: there is such a thing as objective truth, and we dismiss it at our peril.”

I trusted the book based on the author and publisher, even though this was one of the first books from Feminine Genius, which is an imprint of Viident, which is the parent publishing house of Matthew Kelly over a number of imprints. This story really hit home on many fronts for me. First the history with the occult and new age; second Troubling issues with my mother; and third the power of a praying grandparent. Brinkmann states that in some ways the journey in this novel and series mirrors her own. It also mirrored my own. I did not know much about the story before beginning. I had not read any reviews or even the whole description. When I picked this up I was unaware it was the first in a series, or that the series was planned for 6 volumes. Book 2 was out in Canada by the time I got around to reading it, and book 3 is out in print, though not yet digitally in the US, as of the writing of this review. I discovered the plan for the 6 books arc on Brinkmann’s site while researching for this review. I already have book 2 and it has jumped to the top of me ‘to be read’ pile. And I eagerly away the rest to be available in my region.

Early on in the story are the words:

““There needn’t be any reason other than that we’re Catholic. Christianity is the most hated denomination in the world. . .and Catholics bear the brunt of it.”

Although she dared not say so aloud, she was hardly surprised. The Church stood against modernity. It condemned everything—birth control, abortion, euthanasia, same-sex relations, gender identity. Its strict and backward dogma accomplished nothing but to make everyone feel bad about themselves for being human. In her opinion, there was no future in this church, at least none that would serve in the interest of progress.”

This story has a story within the story. We have Ariella Dalton modern day investigative reporter, who is investigating the hate crime murder at a Catholic church. We have the story of Ariella ‘Ellie’ Ward, found by Ariella’s grandmother and shared over several sections. And we have Ari beginning to question many things. Thinks about her own life, assumptions she had made, and even some of the new age practices she uses. We also have a budding relationship between her an and FBI agent.

The story is very moving. It is inspiring, and it is encouraging. It has some great lessons, but not in a preachy way. It has amazing characters both in the modern story and in the past timeline.

It is a book I could easily recommend for young adult and adult readers, but for teen I would be selective because of some pretty heavy themes. Some of those themes include parental neglect, the new age, and satanic cults. Brinkman handles those subjects masterfully.

I have averaged about a book a day for the last several years. This is one of the best debut fiction novels I have ever read. And one of the best Catholic novels I have read this year. It is an excellent beginning to what looks like it will be an amazing series.

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2026 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Susan Brinkmann:

Day by Day in the Little Way: 365 Reflections on the Teachings of St. Therese of Lisieux

Live the Little Way: A Practical Guide to Living the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood

The Kinsey Corruption

We Need to Talk: God Speaks to a Modern: God Speaks to a Modern Girl

The Kinsey Corruption

A Catholic Guide to Mindfulness

With God Alone: Contemplative Prayer for Everyday People

…

Like A Catholic Series:

Fight Like a Catholic: Spiritual Warfare in the Catholic Tradition