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The Circle Trilogy (Black/Red/White) Green Chosen Infidel Renegade Chaos Lunatic Elyon Showdown Saint Sinner Heaven's Wager When Heaven Weeps Thunder of Heaven Martyr's Song Blink Blink of an Eye Thr3e Obsessed Skin Adam BoneMan's Daughters Kiss Burn Blessed Child/Man Called Blessed House House (the movie) Slumber of Christianity Torches of Joy (John Dekker) The Promise The Drummer Boy Cliff Notes for Ted Dekker Books I have enjoyed Ted Dekker's work for some time. His books cover a wide array of topics and multiple genres. From fantasy to suspense, there are books that appeal to a variety of audiences. Dekker's books are parables/allegories which are well written and tend to take the reader on a wild ride with lots of plot twists and turns. My favorites are Black, Red, White, Saint, Thr3e, Blink, and Adam. UPDATE: I am currently reviewing books for The Christian Manifesto and am no longer updating the book review portion of this site. I enjoy working with them and it has given me a great opportunity to read a wider variety of books as well as chat with some of my favorite authors. TCM reviews a wide variety of material, not just fiction books. It's a great site and I'm enjoying working with them. Since a lot of work went into this portion of the site, it will stay up in its current state. Thanks for stopping and hope to see you at TCM. Website Black/Red/White (The Circle Trilogy)--Though you can buy each book separately, the link is for the three in one version. These were published as three separate books, but are a continuation of the same story. Do not start Black without having access to Red and White. The endings of Black and Red are cliff hangers. These are my favorite Ted Dekker books--in my top ten list of all times. They are awesome. The complex duel reality aspect I haven’t quite figured out yet. What is a dream and what is reality? Or maybe both are reality? My simple mind has yet to totally grasps it. It was fun reading these books. I couldn’t figure out which reality I wanted to read more about. Both were intriguing. The Circle Trilogy is an allegory. Once you figure out the story being told, you’ll be amazed. They are writing master pieces. Interestingly enough, several of Dekker’s subsequent books tie in somewhere into the Circle Trilogy. There’s so much I want to say about these, but I do not want to spoil the plot. Read the books! Update (June 2007): I recently reread The Circle Trilogy and was once again blown away by the different themes and ideas presented in these books. I believe Dekker has a great insight and understanding of the church and the culture as it stands. He brings up some very important points about how to relate to those outside the church and how do we bring them to us. I finished rereading in April, but I'm still asking myself, how does the church become relevant to the general public? Where do we change to bring others to us? How much is compromise and how much is simply reaching out to others? Certainly something to contemplate. One other idea that stuck out when I reread these, was seeing Jesus as someone alive and energetic. Someone full of life, someone we want to be around, not the serious, boring miracle worker so often given to us in the church. Jesus is fun, exciting, loving, kind, generous, and certainly anything but dull. However, I think often times these qualities are overlooked as we seek to find the suffering servant. Update (November 2007): The Graphic Novel version of The Circle Trilogy came out first of November. I bought them for my 9 year old and was very pleased with them. If you've read the information under Asperger's Syndrome on our website, you'll know that Duncan doesn't understand analogies very well. He takes things very literally. With these graphic novels, he was really making the connections of various Biblical themes, stories, and ideas. The graphics were wonderful and for the most part fit what I had imagined. I'm thrilled these were made. The four young adult series books are next, followed by Showdown. Green—It has been ten years since the events of White. A lot has changed. The Circle no longer fights the Horde, but flees from them. They have faithfully followed Elyon’s command to love regardless of personal cost. However, numerous deaths and hearts weary from flight have led The Circle to begin to fracture. Divisions from within concerning doctrine, has caused many to waver in their faith in Elyon. How long can they continue to endure the constant pressure from inside and outside The Circle? When they believe things are at their worst, it’s only just the beginning. An evil like they have never imagined is working its way from the past into the future. With seduction and deception, it takes even the heart of Thomas’ rebellious son, Samuel. Can Thomas save his son? Will Elyon rescue The Circle? I always wondered why Black had a green cover. Never made sense to me until I learned there would be another book added to The Circle series. So while I was a bit skeptical of adding to an already wonderful, complete story, I took some comfort in knowing this was planned before the success of the original three. However, I doubted that the magic of The Circle books could be recaptured again. There are parts of Green that are reminiscent of the original three books. It takes you to the depths of Elyon’s waters and allows you to once again bask in the knowledge of the God we serve. It opens you heart to raw truths and lifts your spirit in anticipation of a time yet to come. Green at moments was powerful and gripping, intense and passionate. At other moments, it was boring. Not a word I use to often to describe a Dekker book. However, there were parts that I literally had to push through to get to the next section that moved the story along. Green got bogged down in the filling in of details. It brings several series together, but there were parts that lagged. Scenes with Billy and Janae didn’t see to progress well and felt circular at times. Not a lot of real plot. It was good to have Billy back though. I’ve loved his character since it was first introduced. I didn’t always like what he did, but he was a blast to follow. He brought life to a story. Impulsive like Thomas, but in a totally destructive manner. This time around, he seemed a bit flat. **SPOILER** Janae didn’t work for me. While I understand she was necessary to the plot, I couldn’t get into her character. It lacked any real depth and the part about her father was silly. In Green, she pretty much bogged down most scenes she was in and outside the opening chapters a rather useless character. **SPOILER** It was nice to finally have some answers to questions that have been floating around for years. Three series were mostly tied up in Green—The Circle Books, Paradise Novels, and The Book of Histories series. There are still some open ends and threads that could be developed, but for the most part, these stories seem to be ended. I do disagree with Dekker’s notes at the beginning of Green. Personally I would never want to read Green before Black, Red, and White. I love suspense way to much to want to start reading a series knowing how it ended. The same would be true for Showdown, Sinner, Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, and Chaos. For me, all these books would be spoiled if I read Green first. Part of the beauty of Dekker’s writing is in the twists and turns. If one already knows the answer, then his writing is greatly diminished. So while he says you can start anywhere, if you enjoy suspense, mystery, impulsive plot twist, and waiting for answers, don’t start with Green. Half the fun will be lost. Green is apocalyptic, which somewhat surprised me. Don’t know why, since the series had up to that point mirrored Biblical events. I thought Dekker did a great job of portraying end times without diving into theology. It’s interesting the approach he took and he handled the apocalyptic events well. **SPOILER** So it looks like the series is ended—maybe. Dekker wrapped up with some awesome scenes. We get to revisit characters that by now feel like family and dive once again into Elyon’s water. We’re reminded of God’s love for us, of our call to love the lost, of passion, the past, the present, and the future. We get to once again glimpse God as the child, the father, the warrior. Dekker has created a series that is truly remarkable. While Green was the weakest of the four, it still had scenes that could lift you to the mountain—to our Creator. I will always love the scenes with Thomas in the
water. We swim with our God
every time we let go of our self and worship Him.
Each time Thomas dove in, I could recall times when God just
covered me with his presence.
Times when He was so close I could feel Him, hear Him, and be
reminded of who it was I love.
That is the power of The Circle books.
They bring God out.
They remind the church of who we serve and why we persevere.
Beyond the mysteries, of the worms, the books, the superpowers,
stands God and His enduring love and endless pursuit of even one lost
son. Chosen—Things aren’t going so well for Thomas and the Forest Guard. Their dwindling numbers have caused Thomas to lower the recruiting age from 18 to 16. Four young recruits, selected as leaders, are sent on one last training mission, but along the way, they find an even greater mission—find the books of history and save the world. Verdict is still out on this one. It was good, but less than what I was expecting. From reading the pre-release information, I expected a book that was pretty much a normal novel, just shorter. I’ll always leave open the possibility I missed some things along the way, but this didn’t read like a typical Dekker novel. Normally his books have a certain feel and a unique style. If I didn’t know this was written by Dekker, I would have assumed it was by some else. Instead of having a movie like feel, with scenes you can almost see and lots of twists and turns, it seemed to be very simplistic and redundant. While there were Christian truths presented, this didn’t have the same parable style like most of his other books. I have read very few young adult books, so it’s possible this is an outstanding young adult book and is simply different because it is a young adult book. However, it just didn’t grab me like most of his other works. Since it is another portion of the books of history, it’s very much worth reading with lots of little fun tid-bits and links for those who have followed the Circle Trilogy and Project Showdown. Infidel—The adventure continues for the four new Forest Guard recruits. This time, the danger is greater and the decisions made could mean life or death for many of the Forest people. For Johnis, the struggle between his heart and his mind is even greater. What would cause him to abandon all rational thinking and go where he feels lead? Will Silvie follow him? What will they find and will they leave alive? Infidel is classic Dekker. It’s fast paced with deep meaning and symbolism. All I felt was missing in Chosen is abundant in Infidel. The story grabbed me and I rode right along with Johnis in his journey. At one point, I felt so bad for Johnis I didn’t even want to continue reading because I knew what would happen. The movie style is back and the twists abundant. The story continues and more of the Books of History mystery unfolds. The ending is spectacular and leaves me with a very long wait until May. Excellent book. Well written, thought out, and developed. I absolutely loved it! Renegade—Hmm…let me see if I can even do a somewhat descent summary. When Billos, touched the cover of one the books of history with blood, a black hole opened and he entered a different reality. Once in that reality, he comes face to face with the Dell and Marsuvees Black. Black offers Billos the deal of a life time, find and bring the books that crossed to Black and Black will give him incredible power. Drawn by loyalty, Darsal makes a deal with Alucard and binds her life to the books and enters the new reality to rescue Billos. What they discover together will change their lives forever. Oh my. Where do I start? I know I’m not the brightest bunny in the forest, and I haven’t spent hours going through different possible scenarios of what could be going on in the histories, but this book started out very confusing. For about 1/3 of the book I can honestly say I had no idea what was going on or where the story would lead. The changing locations were difficult to grasp and the intents of the characters hard to decipher. It was easy to know their goal, but difficult to see how they were going to accomplish it. Renegade was also somewhat slow getting started. With each of the YA books, I’ve found that they seemed to start by going around in circles with a lot of arguing among the recruits and them frustrating Thomas. However, once all the initial scuffles are over, the stories are riveting and pretty much mind blowing. If you want answers in Renegade to the whole book of histories saga, keep reading. There aren’t many answers here, just more questions. Typical to Ted’s style, he incorporate some great tie ins with other books and some awesome spiritual truths. This book to me is one of his best since White. It’s lush with imagery and symbolism. One of the scenes towards the end is reminiscent of a scene in Black. I remember my breath being taken away when I read it in Black, it's just as awsome in Renegade. Truth is the most powerful weapon we possess as Christians and Ted wields that weapon quite effectively. Renegade is once again, another powerful reflection of the reality of us and the reality of God. Belief in God versus believing God. Do we really believe Him, do we really trust Him? Power from the world is an illusion. The only true source is from God alone. And of course, one of my favorites, the love, the choosing and the pursuit of God for each person. So many rich themes. I can not encourage people enough to try this series of books. It’s awesome beyond imagination. Chaos—Faced with certain death in Alucarde's lair, the only escape is to open a book and touch it with blood. So one by one, they each touch a book and with the exception of one are transported to outside Las Vegas, Nevada. Oddly, though, when they cross over, there is a definitive time change. They left within moments of each other, but arrived years apart. Once in the histories, they’re faced with many challenges, one of which is locating each other. However, Alucarde crossed over as well and he’s diligently trying to unite the books as well. Will the chosen ones be able to unite the books before the Dark One can? Chaos starts out a bit chaotic. It’s quite funny to watch Johnis and Silvie attempt to adjust to ‘modern’ society. It reminded me quite a bit of the humorous side Ted showed in Obsessed and was very effective in setting up the story before the serious part hit. It also kept the first part of the book from being slow and full of redundant arguing. In my opinion, the best start of all the YA books. In Chaos, many questions are answered, but there are still more lingering. While we finally learn the answers to questions like, what happens when the seven books are united? What are the worms? Who is the Dark One? At the end, we know more, but we still don’t know all. The heart of Chaos is in the revelation of the Dark One, which I'll leave for you to discover. As usual, Ted hits us with a dose of pure truth. The chaos inside of each person. God’s choosing of us and his overwhelming love for us. The heart of the Great Romance. Powerful truth that hopefully sets into the heart of every reader. While not as strong as Renegade, it’s still another great book! Lunatic—A lot has changed in the five years since Johnis, Silvie, and Darsal left the forest. Thomas and the Circle are missing. The horde has taken over Middle Forest. There’s no more ritual bathing, instead it’s been replaced by drowning. The three are faced with the questions of where to go and what to do. Deciding it’s better to split up, Johnis and Silvie leave Darsal in search of a lake and Thomas. Instead, they find Shaeda and a power beyond their imagination. Meanwhile, Darsal, tries to flee but finds herself captured and thrown into prison with three other ‘albinos'. What they teach her could very well save The Circle. I have really enjoyed this young adult series. I had some doubts about it originally, but I’ve come to enjoy the plot and the characters. Johnis again takes a lead in this portion of The Lost Books series. However, instead of his quick thinking and strategy leading them, he’s been consumed and lead by the mysterious Shaeda. A lot can be derived from this relationship and it’s a very interesting one to read about. The interaction between these two characters, make for a nice mystery. How far will Johnis follow her? What are her intentions? Can he control her or does she fully control him? All these little nagging questions kept things moving and quite interesting. Darsal’s part was a bit surprising this time. It’ll be interesting to see how far the relationship between her and Marak develop. Since it appears this takes place after White, I’m not sure I’m going to enjoy following a similar path with this relationship. I am hoping for a new angle in Elyon. It would be somewhat disappointing to see a repeat of White. Of all Dekker’s co-written, this one was by far my favorite. The writing flowed much better and the styles meshed well. It didn’t seem like two separate authors shoved together. With few exceptions it seemed close to Dekker’s style. It wasn’t predictable, but it didn’t have that wild ride feel so many of his books have. I did have a hard time getting into the story.
Partly because I had forgotten some of the previous four books,
and partly because there seemed to be some unnecessary details.
For example, if I don’t know what Roush are by now, I should
probably back up and read the previous books.
On the other hand, there were some things I really wanted
explained more. For example,
Eram. He was sorta
explained, but not to where I understood his role in the story.
Exactly how the Middle Forest fell was a little cloudy to me as
well. Hopefully these things
will be fleshed out in Elyon. Lunatic has a very big cliff hanger ending, so make sure you have Elyon on hand before starting. Elyon—The quest continues for control of the Shataiki. Will it be the dark priest Sucrow or Leedhan possessed Johnis? Elyon picks up where Lunatic ended. Darsal is still a slave to Marak with Eylon’s command to love the horde. Johnis continues to struggle for control of the Leedhan that now directs his thoughts and actions. The ongoing power struggle between Sucrow and Marak intensifies with both yearning to eliminate the albinos. Is this the end for The Circle? After reading almost thirty Ted Dekker books, I’ve come to appreciate his writing and have certain expectations. He’s written books that I’ve loved, some that were duds, and others that are average (for him). However, he also has some books that are plain incredible and Elyon qualifies as incredible. My absolute favorite Dekker book is White. I don’t think there will ever come a point when I can’t read it and not feel like it’s the first time. It’s simply breathtaking. Elyon reminded me a lot of White. It had the same intensity, the same love, the same beautiful portrayal of God. As Elyon progresses, the story falls into
utter darkness. Dekker is
pretty much a master at setting up dark scenes and contrasting them with
God’s light. What was
slightly different about Elyon is the depth of the darkness.
It wasn’t just Teelah and the Horde disease’s deception, there
was the addition of the Leedhan.
Shaeda was an excellent addition to this series.
Half shatikka, half horde, she was an interesting blend of evil.
She was absolutely beautiful, but there was nothing good in her.
She wasn’t just bent on evil, she was set on domination and
revenge. She used her power
only to advance her cause.
She equated to a demon and as such, she had limits to her control.
This was the part that I loved.
She could tempt, she could entice, but she could not control
Elyon’s children. **SPOILER for WHITE** The ending of Elyon is rather interesting. I’m not sure if it’ll be wrapped up in Green or if we’re left to consider this the end or if there are plans to further the series. There’s still quite a few questions left and I can definitely see where there is room for more books. However, while I know I’ll read them if they are written, I was happy with where things left off. It was a strong book and a great conclusion to the series.
Showdown--This
one’s good. It’s very, very good. An absolutely fun book to read, but that
doesn’t mean it’s light and cheery. It’s one of the darker books I’ve read.
Showdown takes the reader into Paradise, Colorado and lets them watch the
destructive nature of one’s unchecked, secret sins. The underlying messages are
many and very well presented. The plot ties into the Circle Trilogy and sets up
the background for House, Saint, and sounds like other books to come. It’s an
exciting book, which after a short time I decided to quit trying to figure out.
It was fun just to read and not worry about what was going to happen next.
Definitely a high, thrill, suspense drama almost anyone can enjoy. Be aware, it is not
your typical Christian fiction. It’s much better. Saint--Saint continues project Showdown and also ties back to the Circle Trilogy. It is a stand alone book, but if you want to have a chance at figuring out THE major plot twist, knowledge of Showdown is necessary. After House turned out to be a bit of a dud, I was looking forward to this one. I was not disappointed. The book is fast moving and full of action from the beginning. It’s a mystery and thriller combined. The underlying theme, once you see it, is really spectacular, and I want spoil that for you. The main character, Carl is incredibly well written. A poorly written Carl would have completely blown the book. I liked Carl immediately. I felt sorry for him and wanted to help him discover who he really was. Like Carl, Englishman, was a very well written villain. He was totally evil and made my skin crawl whenever a scene included him. I’ve heard several people complain that the ending was weak, and maybe it was a bit, but the rest of the story makes up for the ending. Saint was the first book in a long time that I wanted to read again immediately after finishing it. Update (June 2007): I knew when I read Saint the first time, I missed a lot of the spiritual aspects. The plot was so good and so rich, it was easy to forget that Dekker was teaching a spiritual truth. Rereading it this time, I found many nice new ideas to think about. I would love to share them with you, but it would really spoil the book to do so. Let me just say that captured in Saint is the answer to many questions about belief and the stripping away of a person's faith. Many of Dekker's books talk about love and God's love, but this one hits on believing ourselves to be lovable. The teaching in this book is not blaringly obvious, but it is there and it's well worth searching for. If you didn't find it the first time, consider looking for it again.
Sinner—It has been scary to watch political correctness turn into tolerance.
There have been some advantages to watching what we say and how we say
it, but by in large, I miss the days when we could be honest.
For many years I’ve felt our freedom of expression shrinking.
While it will always be acceptable for some to speak out, little by
little it’s not alright for others.
In the past where hate has destroyed, we’re now facing a time when tolerance
will destroy. Want a glimpse of our
country where tolerance rules? Read
Sinner. The third book in the Paradise series is by far Ted
Dekker’s most outspoken book.
Obviously he sees the writing on the wall clear as day and would like for people
to stand up against it. The time is
coming when saying Jesus is the only way to salvation will be considered a hate
crime. Sinner explores the path of
tolerance and the very real ramifications it holds for Christians If you’ve read Showdown and Saint, you’re very familiar
with project Showdown and the effects it had on three young children—Billy,
Darcy, and Johnny. All three were
given special abilities through the books of history to change the world.
Saint is Johnny’s story.
Sinner is Billy and Darcy’s. Imagine
what could be accomplished with Billy’s ability to read people’s thoughts,
Darcy’s persuasive speech, and Johnny’s truth.
They could literally change the world and that’s exactly what they do.
The question is, is America better or worse?
More peaceful or just suppressed?
Tolerance is obviously an issue very close to Dekker’s
heart. He’s written a couple of
blogs and a children’s book (The Drummer Boy) on the issue.
While I’ve always considered him outspoken on his website, I’ve never
considered any of his books particularly bold or political (Blink is a possible
exception). If anything, he’s leaned
towards wooing people with subtlety and gentleness and at times, I have wanted
him to push further. The gloves have
come off in Sinner. It is the
culmination of a journey that's taken the reader to some pretty dark places.
I can imagine Dekker will get some very unkind emails and correspondences about
this particular book. Some will
probably accuse him of inciting fear.
Others of promoting division.
However, the wise Christian will listen and let this fictional story sink in and
understand the very real implications. There are many angles Ted could have taken with Sinner, but
he takes the path that will directly affect all true followers of Christ.
Rather than focusing on the practices of Christians, Dekker skips to the
heart of Christianity and look at what would happen if we lost our freedom to
teach Jesus as the only means to salvation. Virtually
eliminating all forms of evangelism and ripping out the heart of Christ’
teaching. **SPOILER** While tolerance is the focus of Sinner, probably more than any other of his other books, Ted directly and clearly states the gospel of Christ. It’s stated, restated, and quoted directly from John chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God….The Word became flesh and dwelt among us…In Him was light and the light was the light of man. You want goose bumps, read Chapter 39 of Sinner. **SPOILER** Ted didn’t let us off the hook with just understanding Jesus’ message, he pushes us further to accept our own sinfulness. The darkness we’re born into and that which we create and live in. The darkness we don’t really want to leave and that which we want to flee. **SPOILER** Dekker added another layer to this story that is one of its most powerful elements. Sometimes the darkness is hiding in the light. Jesus had his betrayer and so do Johnny, Billy, and Darcy. **SPOILER** Not a lot of loose ends seemed to be tied up. I felt like our time in Paradise might have ended, but I'm not sure that's all of Billy, Darcy, and Johnny. We might get to read about them again. I’ve re-read most of Dekker’s books and usually find I missed quite a bit the first time around. Considering I read ¾ of Sinner taking Hydrocodn every 4 hours, I feel pretty sure I missed some nice tidbits. While I won’t say Sinner is my favorite Ted Dekker novel, I do believe it’s his most powerful. Much like in the later chapters of John, Jesus stopped the parables and spoke plainly, Dekker does the same. This is not a book that requires a lot of looking beneath the surface. It’s laid out there for the reader and you’d pretty much have to be deaf and blind not to get the point. Heaven’s Wager--This was Dekker’s first published book and as such, was a little rough around the edges. The underlying theme is one of my favorites, but it’s pretty pushy on the Christianity aspect. It certainly wouldn’t be the first Dekker book I recommend for a non-Christian. It’s a great story focused on God’s pursuing love. Not more than a month before I read Heaven’s Wager, I came to an incredible, earth shattering conclusion. Are you ready for this….it’s pretty big--God pursues every one, not just me. I know, it’s pretty common knowledge, but one night, it just hit me like a brick. Heaven’s Wager brings that pursuit to the fore front in a great story centered around a grieving, vengeful man and his quest to have it all. It’s part one of the Martyr’s Song series, but stands completely on its own. When Heaven Weeps--When Heaven Weeps is part two of the Martyr’s song series, and honestly wasn’t one of my favorite books. I have heard many people on Ted Dekker’s forums hail it as one of his best books and totally and completely touching. However, I found it sorta boring. The lead character became very annoying to me and towards the end, I was thinking enough already. It’s blatantly Christian and it pushes the limits of believability. It’s worth reading because it ties up some loose ends from Heaven’s Wager, but the message was so hit you over the head, I really wanted to tune it out. If you choose to skip it and go on to Thunder of Heaven, you really won’t miss much. Thunder of Heaven--This was the final original book in the Martyr’s Song Series and this is where the Dekker style is really seen. The book is very well written and reads like a movie. It’s fast paced and keeps you off balanced. The interaction between the two main characters is truly amazing and even romantic at times. Even though it’s part of the Marty’s Song Series, to me it pretty much stands alone and very loosely ties into the other two books. The message it presents is clear, but the presentation is not overt. This is really were Dekker seems to make the transition from writing the way people want him to, to writing the style he's comfortable with. The terrorist aspect is believable and leaves you thinking about what could happen if… The Martyr’s Song--I would probably have liked this book better if I had not just finished the previous three books in the Martyr’s Song series. In order to reduce the risk of finding out what a book is about, I never read the blurbs about them. So, you can imagine my surprise when I paid 14.99 for a 140 page book and find out about 100 pages is what I just finished reading. The story itself is really incredible. The idea of heaven opening for a glimpse and the struggle between staying alive or entering heaven is really something to mentally consider. However, I think it's better to read this one first. It’s truly little more than the opening few chapters of When Heaven Weeps (several of those chapters are in Heaven’s Wager). If you read When Heaven Weeps, you’ve pretty much read The Martyr’s Song. Blink--Blink does not appear to still be sold on Amazon on CBD. I have not confirmed, but I believe it is no longer in print and has been replaced with Blink of an Eye. This was the first book I read by Ted Dekker and started by Dekker addiction. I read it after finishing several books that were low on suspense and a little high on romance. So, the fast paced, unpredictable nature of this book was welcomed. There were several aspects I enjoyed. First, the main character, Seth Borders reminds me of my son, Duncan. Seth’s highly intelligent with a photographic memory. Duncan’s not that smart yet, but a mother’s pride can let me see him becoming like that. I loved Seth instantly and was able to pull for him all the way. Secondly, I appreciated the tactful way Dekker handled the issue of women and Islam. While he accurately points out some of the darker sides of Islam, it is not in a Christian versus Islam manner. It’s direct and vivid, but not attacking. Lastly, the idea of seeing multiple potential futures and knowing where each leads is completely fascinating. I’ve heard people say the first question they want to ask God when they get to heaven is why this happened, or how God created the earth, or what was God’s reason for this or that event. My first questions will be, what were the choices I should have made and what would have been the outcome of those choices? Blink is a good thinking book and good for opening discussions. A movie based on the book is coming in 2008. Blink of an Eye—There is going to be a little bit of a spoiler here, so be warned. If you’re trying to decide which to read, Blink or Blink of an Eye, depends on what you want--harsh and in your face (Blink) or laid back and more loving (Blink of an Eye). If you’ve read Blink and want to know if Blink of an Eye is worth reading, probably. The purpose of this book was to make Blink a little less offensive to Muslims and more of a love story in preparation for the movie that will be coming out soon. It is more of a love story, and it is much more loving towards Muslims. Dekker compartmentalized some of the radical Islam to an extremist group rather than leaving the reader to assume it’s the norm. He also toned down the ‘attack’ against the Islamic faith. These changes are very good and I think makes this version more appealing to a broad group of people. However, a change in a major scene, if not read correctly, makes the ending falls apart and can lead to the opinion this book is theologically unsound. When I initially, read the scene in the Mojave Dessert where Seth reenacts Elijah and the prophet of Baal, I missed a very important phrase. By missing this phrase, it lead me to the belief Dekker was way to vague on which God answered prayer. Anyway, I misread that portion and have therefore changed my original opinion of this book. So, if you liked the hard hitting attack against Islam that was in Blink, you're not going to like Blink of an Eye. If you finished Blink feeling sorry for Muslims then you're probably going to like Blink of an Eye much better. Which is better? I really don't know. I think both have their strengths and weaknesses. I feel like Blink of an Eye could be read by anyone and they'd be open to the message because of the approach. However, some Christians will see it as a sell out and watered down. Thr3e--Wow! What can I say about this one? It’s incredible. The book completely blew me away. This is probably the premier book I would suggest for non Christians. There are no supernatural elements. Everything is explained within the realm of what we see and know. Like so many of Dekker’s books, it read like a movie. From the first word to the end, the book is moving, faster and faster. The twists and turns are jaw dropping. At the heart of the story is the struggle between good and evil. Throw in an adult forced to revisit a troubled childhood, a serial bomber, multiple explosions, near escapes, and the story has pretty much everything you could ever want in a suspense thriller. The end is a complete surprise. I thought I had it figured out and found out I was wrong. The book was made into a movie January of 2007. Read the book before watching the movie. The movie was good, but low budget. So, watch it with a forgiving heart towards the special effects. Kiss—After awakening from a six week coma, Shauna McAllister discovered she’s lost six months of memories. She can remember she has a rocky relationship with her dad, a powerful senator and presidential frontrunner. She can remember how and when her mother died, the disdain she holds for her step mother, but not the man they say is her boyfriend. Worst of all, she can’t remember what happened that caused her to be in a coma. Oddly enough, though, she can take other people’s memory, and what she’s discovering lets her know one important fact—trust no one. Kiss was better than I anticipated. With a title of Kiss, the cover art, and the tag line (where heart pounding meets heart warming), the whole book reeked of romance. I’m not a romance reader. If the name Ted Dekker had not been on the cover, I would have passed it by without another thought. But, it was co-authored by Ted Dekker, so of course I had to read it. I do wonder how much of the book was actually written by Dekker though. The style was fairly different. There were moments when the book really came to life and I felt like I had hit a Dekker portion. Those tended to be action scenes. For the most part, the book lacked that spark and energy that Dekker’s solo works have. It was overly detailed, with an abundance of dialogue, that bogged the story down and keep the book feeling circular. Additionally, the plot was given away by the end of chapter one. It was painfully obvious to me who the bad guys were and exactly what their scheme was. I love suspense and surprises. There were no surprises and very few suspenseful moments. The story didn’t progress well because everything was given away within the opening chapters. So I pretty much read 300 pages just to figure out if I was right. **SPOILER** Kiss does have some good points and they’re well worth
thinking about. However, I don’t
think the story really fit the ideas.
I would have preferred something grittier.
I lacked the sympathy I needed for Shauna to really make a connection
with the major themes. **SPOILER** I’m all for tying up loose ends, but the conclusion was a little too wrapped up, to the point of falling into the sappy and unrealistic category. By the time I closed the book, I was ready to be finished.
Burn--Recue
her best friend, Katie, and possibly die, or flee with one million
dollars? That was the question facing Janeal Mikkado as she stood in the
midst of a consuming fire. Half wanted to help, but the half jealous of
Katie and greedy for money resisted. When the fire investigation ended,
the total body count was over 130 and Janeal's boyfriend, Robert Lukin,
was the only known survivor of the Mikkado massacre. Fifteen years
later, with the arrest of the man responsible for the fire, Robert would
learn he was not the only one to survive. In fact, there are two more.
In a supernatural thriller, that explores the depth of selfishness and
the extent of grace, Burn is a great improvement over the first
Dekker/Healy collaboration. Obsessed--Obsessed shows a different side of Ted Dekker. It’s a suspense novel with a great sense of humor, which I think is necessary given the serious side is pretty hard to handle. Based on the Biblical parable of the pearl of great price, Obsessed, highlights the extent of what people (good or bad) will go to in order to obtain an object. The abundance in Obsessed enhances the point being made and really makes for a very good story. The humorous antics of Stephen’s quest for his prize runs parallel to Roth’s destructive methods to achieve his goal. The story of the Nazi concentration camp is heart breaking and is only made easier by the fact it’s woven in and out of the humorous parts of Obsessed. It still reads like a movie, but it is different from Dekker's other books. Skin--Skin wasn’t my favorite Ted Dekker book, but it certainly earned a lot of my respect for the author. When I first heard Skin was going to be a general market book, my first thoughts were, “Say it’s not so.” My fear was he might water down the message for the sake of appealing to a wider market. That could not be further from reality. The truth of who we are and how we present who we are is crystal clear. The notion of another truth other than what we see is beautifully presented. Our perception of the world and others. I can’t even begin to list all the different truths of Christianity that were presented in this book. It was certainly not watered down. If anything it was heavy handed. Now that’s not to say it preaches at the reader, because it doesn’t. What it does do is tell an exciting, somewhat dark, action packed story with truth woven through out. At times I wished I had a highlighter to mark things that just screamed, “What a great way to present _______ idea.” My only complaint was the writing style. It felt awkward at times and didn’t have that same movie like quality some of his other books have. About 2/3 through it started flowing better, but never like Saint or Thunder of Heaven. Like Showdown, it’s pretty dark and at times depicts some graphic violence. It’s really not for the young or squeamish. I have read complaints about the ending being a bit of a let down. It’s not as tidy as I like, and unfortunately, something that can be figured out. It’s still enjoyable to read though. If Dekker can incorporate the writing style of Saint with the truths of Skin, he could really reach a very large market of varying demographics. Adam (Special Edition)—Every new moon for 16 months, serial killer Eve, has claimed another victim. His method appears to be a yet discovered strain of meningitis. He’s calculated, clever, and highly elusive. During this time, FBI behavioral psychologist and stanch atheist, Daniel Clark, has been aggressively pursuing Eve. However, aside from a psychological profile, he has no real leads. When Daniel sees the killer while trying to rescue Eve’s sixteenth victim, they should have the information they need to catch him. The only problem is, Daniel dies and once resuscitated, he can’t remember what Eve looks like. I was impressed. Very impressed. Themes that have been ignored for so long were brought to the surface in the way only Ted can. Evil doesn’t like the light and it hides, but it’s always there. Satan is real, the demons are real, and they are actively and aggressively pursuing God’s creation. As Christians, we have power over this evil, if we choose to use it. I am amazed at how beautifully these themes are brought to light. I’ve read many books on spiritual warfare. Some were good and others just typical Christian fiction. This is one of the best. I might put the Screwtape letters above it, but most likely on the same level. With Adam, Ted did what he does best. He takes the metaphors of Christianity and turns them into physical stories. He takes a theme that needs exploring and turns it into a thriller. While I don’t usually consider Ted’s characters especially deep, I do think Alex and Eve were two of his best. One reasons I liked Adam so much is because it took a slightly different approach to spiritual warfare. Most of the books I read on this subject have guardian angels intervening or a definitive supernatural force doing the fighting for us. What many fail to realize is with Jesus' power, we can fight those battles ourselves. Jesus gave us the power and authority to defeat Satan in our lives. We pray to Him and He does the rest. It might be through angels, that the defeat is accomplished, but we are not powerless and we do not have to have a guardian angel to step up to the plate for us. The demons believe in Jesus and they fear Him. They understand His power over them and they understand if we choose to use that power, we hold the same authority over them as well. Sadly, we usually do not choose to use this power and as a result are subject to their authority. *SPOILER** As with most of Ted’s books I feel sure there will be a number of people who find it too violent or too something. Personally, I wish more authors would follow his lead and create books that are realistic and push the Christian comfort zone. Evil is real, violence is real, and it would like to destroy Christians. What’s wrong with putting that little fact on display? The only way to defeat evil it to admit it exists and go after it. If a book is violent and makes you a little uncomfortable, that’s probably not a bad thing.
BoneMan's Daughters--Ryan Evans built a sterling military career in navel
intelligence. His mind worked
through complicated problems that others could not even attempt.
His career was his life and he cherished it.
All that changed when he was captured by insurgents in Iraq.
For the first time he came across a problem he couldn’t solve and his
life came into perspective. As he
watched the children die, the wife and child he’d provided for, yet abandoned,
quickly became his focus and priority.
Though he was able to escaped, his life was profoundly altered.
The emotions he held in check for years he could no longer control and
his longing for his family intensified.
Unfortunately, his years of neglect could not be removed with simple
words and as he discovered upon his return home, his family no longer wanted
him. Rejected, Ryan abandoned hope
of reconciliation until the day his daughter was abducted by the serial killer,
BoneMan. What lengths will a
rejected father go to in order to rescue his daughter?
What will he sacrifice and what will he become? BoneMan’s Daughters is a simple book on the surface, but as
we all know, looks can be deceiving.
What looks to be a straightforward serial killer novel is actually a more
complicated tale rich in paradox and irony.
What you take into this book will likely determine what you take out of
it and the longer you dwell on it, the more it wraps around you. I love the way Dekker constructed the opening chapters of
BoneMan’s Daughters. The changing
between scenes was highly effective and contrasted Ryan’s suffering with his
family’s indulgence. It caused an
immediate connection with Ryan and affected my attitude towards him throughout
the whole story. I also appreciate
Dekker bringing attention to the war in Iraq.
It’s not a political book, nor is there a condemnation or recommendation
for the war. Rather a nice close
glimpse of the reality of war. For
those who are losing their husbands, wives, and children, the war is personal.
Innocent children are dying as collateral damage and it’s heartbreaking.
It was a well written part of the story and one I’m glad Dekker chose to
use. For the first half of Boneman’s Daughters, I couldn’t
decide if it was brilliantly written or rather badly written (I finally decided
on the former). A lot of it depends
on Dekker’s intention as to how he wanted the reader to feel about the
characters. If we were suppose to
not care too much about Bethany, pull for Ryan, and be somewhat ambivalent
towards BoneMan, then the characters are right on.
If we were suppose to love Bethany and Ryan but be abhorred by BoneMan,
then its characters are not particularly well written.
I found myself rooting for Ryan to rescue Bethany, but not for Bethany’s
sake as much as for his. I found
Bethany to be a rather spoiled brat that lacked any true grasp on reality.
I did start to like her a bit more towards the end, but even then, I was
pulling for her because of Ryan, not for herself. BoneMan was an interesting character.
He called himself Satan and the name fit him on every level.
However, he did not scare me.
I was intrigued, but not scared of him and that bothers me.
I should have felt some emotion other than curiosity and indifference.
He was truly Satan. He sought
out children to make them his own.
On the outside he was perfect, but on the inside he was evil.
He was alluring while at the same time repulsive.
I wanted to be repulsed by him.
I wanted to struggle with continuing to read for fear he was going to do
something horrendous, but unable to put it down until I knew everything was
okay. Unfortunately, I felt none of
those feelings. I didn’t feel sorry
for him or sympathize with him on any level.
Which usually serial killer characters have a way of presenting some side
of themselves that allows the reader to better understand why they do what they
do. In this case, the explanation
was lacking and while I could somewhat grasp his reasoning, it didn’t satisfy my
need to comprehend what he was doing.
Additionally, serial killers usually have a past that helps us better
understand their motives. The sparse
amount given was extremely unsatisfying and a part of the story I kept hoping
would be fleshed out. **SPOILER** I did find myself wrapped up and loving Ryan’s character.
He was a man truly torn. He’d
seen and experienced the horrors of war and survived.
He was rejected, but kept trying.
He was abused and broken, but was willing to do whatever it took to
rescue his daughter. His part in the
story was one of love and devotion.
Probably the most telling part of his character was early on when he was held
captive by insurgents. He understood
Kahlid’s suffering. While he was
certainly repulsed by his actions and could not justify them, he sympathized,
and given his situation, it demonstrated the tender side of hardened people. **SPOILER** I enjoyed a lot of the themes explored in BoneMan’s
Daughters. They were interesting to
think through and some very good points were made.
It wasn’t as overt as some of Dekker’s previous novels, but he was
crystal clear in presenting his ideas.
It was a nice change and more in the vein of Thr3e than Skin. **SPOILER** My main complaint was I didn’t feel the story as I should
have. This had the making to be a
story that could cause tears to flow and my blood pressure to rise.
It’s difficult for me to read books where children are harmed and not
cringe. It’s a soft spot with me.
I love children and I can not stand them to be harmed.
The problem with BoneMan’s Daughters, was it was a rather subdued book.
One the surface, it appeared as though it would be violent.
After all, we are talking about a serial killer who breaks his victim’s
bones. Unfortunately, there were not
a lot of details, so I knew when someone was injured, but I didn’t get to
experience it with them. Granted
violence can go too far the other direction, to gratuitous, but there is a
middle ground. An area where the
reader can truly understand, but without feeling the need to puke.
BoneMan’s Daughters didn’t go far enough.
It stopped well short. I
wanted to feel the horror that Ryan did when he watched the first child die.
I wanted to know how he felt.
I wanted to be outraged, but because it was anticlimactic it lacked true impact.
Don’t get me wrong, there is a respectable body count and none of the
deaths would be a method I’d choose, but it lacked the chilling aspect I thought
this book should really have. Over all, I enjoyed BoneMan’s Daughters.
I liked it even better a couple of hours after I finished it.
In some ways it’s a break from some of Dekker’s recent books.
It’s not as energetic and fast paced.
It’s not slow by any means, but it doesn’t have as many turns and they’re
taken a little more cautiously.
There are some nice plot twists and great suspense elements.
It’s a well written book with some deep spiritual themes.
It’s the type of book I most enjoy.
I know I’ll be contemplating it for several days, and that’s exactly what
I want in my fiction. **SPOILER** Blessed Child/A Man Called Blessed by Ted Dekker & Bill Bright--A Man Called Blessed is a sequel to Blessed Child. Probably because they were co-authored, they are somewhat different from Dekker’s other works. However, his distinctive story telling style is definitely apparent. Through a fast paced story, Blessed Child explores the concept of child like faith, the effects of doubt, and leads to questions about the ethics of profiting from faith healing. A Man Called Blessed looks at the long term effects the world can have on faith, the consequences of doubt on ones faith, and what would happen if the Ark of the Covenant was actually found. Both books are inspirational and challenges the reader to just believe. While everyone can enjoy them, I think they are perfect books for new or undiscipled Christians. I would love to lead a book discussion on them. They’re definitely conversation starters. House by Ted Dekker & Frank Peretti--I was extremely disappointed with House. I didn’t get it. It completely and totally went over my head. I’ve since read what the book was suppose to be about, and I wonder if I read the same one everyone else did. I do intend to read it again, since I now know what message the book was suppose to be trying to convey. Maybe I’ll like it better and come back and modify this review. From my understanding, it was suppose to be a horror type book, but I must have missed the horror aspect. It didn’t scare me nor did I find it particularly suspenseful. The premises sounded promising and it was written by two of my favorite authors. However, I hated the characters. I really didn’t care if they lived or died. They were obnoxious, annoying, whiny little brats, and maybe that was the point. Susan was the only character who had any redeeming qualities. She was actually a nice bright ray in this otherwise disappointing book, and again, maybe that was the point. It tied into Showdown, and thus the Circle Trilogy, but I missed that part too. Like I said, I wonder if I read the same book. House (the movie)--The movie finally came out. Since it received an R rating, it took a lot longer for it to be released than anticipated. Will and I went to see it and came away with somewhat differing opinions, but in many ways not too different. It exceeded my expectations (which were very low) and met his (which were also very low). I'll start with my thoughts. It didn't seem as low budget as Thr3e or a lot of Christian movies. There were only a couple of times when I cringed at the special effects or shook my head at the acting. I haven't read the book since it came out, but it seemed to stay pretty close to the plot with some definite changes to the ending. At least there were no stupid additions like a seminary student not knowing Romans 6:23. However, the movie still suffered because of the book it was based on. It just wasn't a good book. The plot was weak and the characters annoying. They were somewhat better in the movie, but I still didn't care about them. The ending was somewhat better, but it still seemed lacking and at times just a tad cheesy. It's almost like there really wasn't enough story to make a complete plot or enough to make an appropriate length movie so it just kinda went around in circles for the first one plus hour. More on that when I talk about my husband's opinion though. Probably the biggest problem with this movie is it was caught between two markets. It was too secular to be a Christian movie and too Christian to be a secular movie. It very much felt like some dialogue and scenes were there to convey the Christian message, but the bogus R rating is an obvious turn off to many Christians. The R rating was a joke. There was absolutely nothing in this movie that warranted an R. I have seen far worse PG-13 movies than this one. The Christianness of the movie came in spurts and with the exception of a few scenes was pretty much nonexistent. When the spurts were present they were pretty direct and spelled out. I do wish Susan had a bigger part. She really was the best part of the book and was relegated to a very minor role in the movie. Overall it wasn't bad. It wasn't great either. I thought it was better than Thr3e because the scenes flowed more smoothly and the effects were less cheesy. It's not going to be on my list of top 10 movies, but at least I didn't leave shaking my head feeling like I wasted 2 hours of my life. Now for Will's thoughts. He hasn't read House or any other Ted Dekker novel. He's not a fan, just a husband of a fan. He was aware I didn't like the book and I had told him my complaints about it, but he had no knowledge of the plot. He wasn't expecting much going in so since it met his expectation, that's not saying much. As he put it, he was expecting it to be bad and it was. His main complaint was the story development. He didn't feel like the story was paced very well or the back story revealed in a way in which the viewer could understand what was going on. He felt as though the majority of the movie spun it's wheels and didn't move anywhere. About the only thing that happened was the characters ran around the house screaming. I don't disagree with him either. It did take a long time getting started. It wasn't as bad for me because I knew where the story was going and the history of the characters. Because of that I wasn't left out in the cold wondering why Jack and Stephanie had such animosity towards each other. Will said until they started revealing the character's past and what as going on, he was bored. So bored he was wondering how upset I would be if he pulled out his Blackberry and started playing Texas Hold 'em. Another aspect he pointed out was the filming of the opening scenes were blurry and amateurish, which I also agree with. The main scene he noticed this on was the opening scene of the car driving down the road. Otherwise, the effects were not terrible, but they certainly weren't enough to be a reason to watch the movie. One scene we both thought was terrible was the little E. T. at the ending. That was just laughably awful. Overall he didn't like it. Compared to Thr3e he liked Thr3e better because he found the story more interesting. It's not the worst he's ever seen, but he'll never watch it again. The Promise--Reuben, a mute orphan, was given a very special promise by God through his adoptive mother (Naomi) before she died. A king was coming and the king would give Reuben a voice. He would know the king because he would need Naomi's shawl. Day after day, Reuben longingly looked for the king who would need the shawl. Would the king come, would he give Reuben his voice? Would God keep his promise? It took me a long time to buy The Promise. I know this sounds really dumb now, but I was reluctant to spend 13.00 on a children's book. I don't know where my head was, that's what most children's books costs. I think it was more my mind set that I was buying the book for me and not my kids. Which was true. However, I would strongly recommend it for all ages. It's a short book and doesn't take long to read, but wow does it ever have a powerful message. Just like with Ted's novels, The Promise has a beautiful message. God keeps his promises and he usually knocks us off our feet when he fulfills them. I love the delicate way Ted describes and writes Reuben. His love for people is very clear in his descriptions and his presentation. The message on his heart is obviously one he wants children to grasps. The story is wonderfully written and very much on the level that all children can enjoy. The illustrations are gorgeous and really add to the story. This is a 'Christmas' story, but can be enjoyed and appreciated at all times of the year. Great book! The Drummer Boy--In the future, Christmas becomes completely about gifts. Singing Christmas carols is no longer allowed. Jesus is forgotten and all that's left is gifts and celebrations. But what happens when young Daniel learns the truth of Christmas? Will he obey his parents and town officials and remain quite, or will he play his drum and let the world once again know the reason for Christmas? If you've read Ted's blog Guilty of Hate, you know the basic theme of the book. The time is coming when Christianity will not be accepted and we will not longer be able to practice our faith as we once have. When that time comes, what will we do and what will the world be like. Using a children's story, Ted has done a wonderful job of presenting this story to the children who might be the generation that faces this exact situation. It's gently written for children, but his point is very clear and should be listened to by adults. Just as with the promise, it centers around Christmas and is therefore considered a Christmas story. However, it is appropriate for any time of year. I highly recommend it. It's a great book with a very good point. The Slumber of Christianity--The Slumber of Christianity is not a fast paced, action packed thriller. It’s a non-fiction book dedicated to opening the eyes of Christians to heaven. Dekker makes some very excellent points in this book. He challenges us to look at this world in light of what is to come. To see this life as a foretaste, not the ultimate goal. Dekker encourages us to use our imaginations as a means of helping us anticipate heaven and to use our skills and talents to help others become excited about heaven as well. It’s written for Christians in hopes of helping us to start living this life like there is more to come. To help us get beyond the feeling of yearning for more by knowing there is more to come. It’s a very easy read and flows logically from one point to the next. It doesn’t feel like you’re reading an intellectually challenging, non-fiction book. A word about cliff notes: A lot of people find this site looking for cliff notes to Ted Dekker's books. I checked and there are no cliff notes, nor are there any plans for cliff notes to be published. If the purpose for the cliff notes is to avoid reading the whole book, I would strongly discourage looking for a shortcut. His books are incredible works of fiction and extremely quick and easy to read. Much is lost by just reading a quick summary. Torches of Joy by John Dekker—Sometimes reality is so much better than fiction. I’m not sure a fiction author could have imagined a better story line. Torches of Joy is an incredibly inspiring and uplifting book focused on the work of missionaries John and Helen Dekker among the Dani people. I’m always amazed at how God can take ordinary people and use them for extraordinary purposes. While a significant portion of the book is focused on the Dekker’s lives and work, it is somewhat overshadowed by the power of God and his work among the Dani people. Miracles are prevalent and God’s blessings on their work obvious. Most amazing, for me though, was the wisdom John and Helen showed in working with the Dani people. I can not imagine the overwhelming feelings they had at times to change the people rather than let God do the work for them. At the same time, the courage of the Dani people is highlighted and many of their sacrifices not forgotten.
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