Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker

The year is 1772. Toma Nicelescu and his partner Alek Cardei have been assigned by Catherine the Great of Russia to guard the estate of the Cantemirs during the Russio-Turkish War, namely their daughters, Lucine and Natasha. Toma and Alek both know that they cannot allow themselves to become emotionally involved with the sisters, even if the allure is tempting because of their close quarters. Alek is the first to fall, hungry for Natasha. However, Natasha introduces them all to something beyond their control and imagination. In a castle on a mountain not to far away, the devil has come down to tempt humans with the ultimate choice between living free or living dead. Though Toma and Lucine first resist the temptation Alek and Natasha first fell to, they find that there is little they can do to resist it forever.


Immanuel’s Veins can be considered a culmination or an example of everything Ted Dekker has done in his writing career. It is a cornerstone and a sample of everything he has ever done, yet nothing more and nothing new. Combining elements from the endless Circle saga, When Heaven Weeps, and his serial killer novels, and packaged in his trademark epic style, Immanuel’s Veins is deep on the outside yet very empty on the inside. However, nothing Ted Dekker writes can be completely discounted.

Toma, Alek, Lucine, and Natasha are not exemplary characters, but neither are they empty characters. The villain is a mix of all the villains Ted has ever created, making for a predictable result. Of course, there is some offhand allusion to some version of the great Thomas. It’s a miracle this book escaped without a millionth manifestation of Billy\Billos\Will that is really controlling the whole situation with a Blood Book, even though there is a Blood Book mentioned briefly. Basically, this cast of characters is nothing new for Ted Dekker.

The first half of the plot is empty and confusing, lacking substance and locational awareness. Things don’t really get going until the creatures in the dark castle, another manifestation of the Shataiki, start biting people. However, whatever smoke and mirrors and optical illusions Ted Dekker creates are only a cover-up for a very typical plot. By the time the book was half over, Ted created a situation similar to the end of When Heaven Weeps, with the same outcome. Though Ted had a chance to pull things out of a nosedive, he did not, though there are few interesting elements at the end. As mentioned before, Immanuel’s Veins is an example of Ted Dekker, namely the new Ted Dekker, the one that markets himself as an epic and new author but still does the same old stuff.

I used to say that Ted was better at his standalone novels, but now I’m not so sure. Perhaps he can redeem himself in his upcoming co-authored series that seems to be just as mystical as ever.

2.5 stars

Immanuel's Veins Book Trailer

Forbidden by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee

Coming Summer 2011...

Description:

Four hundred eighty years have passed since civilization's brush with extinction. Perfect order reigns. Humanity's greatest threats have all been silenced. There is no disease, no malice, no hate, no war. There is only peace.
Until the day when one man discovers the truth: Every single soul walking the earth is actually dead. The human heart has been stripped of all that makes it human. Now only he is alive and only he has the knowledge that can once again awaken humanity.
But the way is treacherous and the cost is staggering. For, indeed, in that day life itself is...Forbidden.

Preview:
To tell you the truth, I am greatly intrigued by this idea. It sounds better than Immanuel's Veins and could even measure up to Thr3e. It's one of the better ideas I've heard from Ted. Tosca Lee will add an interesting flavor to it.
What concerns is that it is the first book in the Blood Books Trilogy. The series could digress as it progresses. One never knows. All we can do is wait and wonder what Ted will come up with this time.

Want more previews and further discussion of this book?
Visit http://s4.zetaboards.com/Original_Book_News/topic/8383338/1/

The Bride Collector by Ted Dekker

FBI Special Agent Brad Gaines is working with criminal psychologist Nikki Holden on one of the most stunning cases of their careers. A serial killer has murdered four beautiful women by draining all their blood out and leaving them at the scene with a bridal veil. They are calling him the Bride Collector. Since they believe that the killer has psychosis or schizophrenia, they turn to a mental health center to try to find information on the diseases and to see if anyone there knows their killer. While visiting, they cross paths with a group of intelligent schizophrenics who claim they can help them solve the case. One woman in particular, named Paradise, steals Brad's heart at first sight. Now he's working side by side with her to try to catch the culprit. But little do they know that the Bride Collector is targeting one of them next. And it could happen any day now...

Ted Dekker has written his fair share of serial killer novels. Adam, Skin, Boneman's Daughters, Th3e, House, to name a few. The last book he needed to write was another serial killer novel-unless he had an innovative idea to share, like Thr3e. But since he did not do this, there was little reason to write such a book.

The character department was the best and worst thing about this book. The best thing is the mental cases-always an interesting cast of characters to have. Paradise and her companions are certainly entertaining and add a fresh element to the plot. The worst thing is Quinton Gauld, the Bride Collector himself. Ted Dekker has too much fun creating sick minds like Quinton and also spends way too much time focusing in on the sick ways of the Bride Collector. As "there was one thing he hated, nay, two things he loathed" littered the pages of Boneman's Daughters, Ted invented a new catch phrase for Quinton. Brad and Nikki are interesting enough characters, yet they lack personality.

The worst thing about the book, besides Quinton, is the plot itself. Ted has become too methodical at his serial killer plots, because they are all the same. There are many typical elements, such as a showdown and several convenient connections. There is one unexpected key character death that adds flavor, yet it is a diamond among the rocky crags.

The good thing about Ted Dekker is that unlike other authors of his popularity level, he knows how to be original and adds some original elements to all of his books, they just sometimes get outweighed by unoriginal elements. The release of Immanuel's Veins this fall will indicate whether he is still on the right track.

3 stars

BoneMan's Daughters by Ted Dekker

Ryan Evans has just recently returned from a Navy Intelligence tour in Iraq. He has brought with him an overhaul of emotional baggage that he is trying to deal with. But when he returns to his wife and teenage daughter, who he has not seen in months, he finds that they do not love him any more. They have found love from another man-the district attorney. Ryan loses his temper with the DA and is given a restraining order. But then his daughter, Bethany, is kidnapped, and the DA pins the blame on him. With Ryan's world falling apart, he begins to do drastic things in order to save the one person he loves.

Ricki Valentine is an FBI agent working on the baffling BoneMan case-the case of a serial killer who kidnaps teenage girls and breaks all their bones. The alleged culprit has been captured, but inconclusive evidence releases him. But with a new person to pin the blame on, the original culprit is forgotten. But things do not add up about Ryan Evans. There is something about him that makes Ricki want to believe his story. But time is running out and the killer is still killing.

The one saving grace of this typical-sounding serial killer book is the unusually high amount of imperfect characters and general imperfection. The case is straightforward and predictable, but the imperfection makes this book an interesting read. Also, realistic circumstances and surroundings add to this book's assets.

Ted Dekker has yet to grasp the idea of giving characters personalities, but he can pull off imperfect characters better than most authors. Most authors don't even try. Frankly, the characters are as real as they can be without personalities. Ryan is not a victim of circumstance. He makes and has made many wrong choices that led to unwanted outcomes. There aren't any perfect mentor characters. BoneMan is a bit overdone, but he is almost comical because of this. Ted Dekker can definitely get away with his lack of personalities with characters this imperfect.

All serial killers have to have a reason for their killing, and BoneMan's reason is interesting enough. Sometimes I think that authors enjoy too much creating over-the-top villains in order to sell sensational fiction. Anyone can make a BoneMan, but not everyone can make a Ryan Evans. There are two extremes to leads: so imperfect they're idiotically clumsy, and so perfect they're Jesus reincarnated. Ryan is the balance of these two extremes. Authors have a lot of trouble creating leads. They call a troubled past imperfection and make no effort to make their lead sin. Ryan Evans anchors this book to the Elite List. Without him, this book would be nothing.

The typical showdown at the end and the overemphasis of BoneMan keep this book from being its fullest. I would say Ted needs to quit these serial killer novels, but doing so could eliminate great leads like Ryan Evans.

4 stars

Blink by Ted Dekker

Seth is not your average college student. He has an IQ of 193, higher than Einstein's. His mind is extremely quick and logical. He can deduct and solve problems at a lighting speed. But one day, everything changes for him. In one moment, two things happen: he discovers that he has been given an uncanny gift to see multiple possible futures and he gets caught up with a Saudi Arabian princess on the run for her life. Suddenly finding himself on the run for his life as well, he joins her in a race across the country to find her true love. He knows he is smarter than those pursuing them because he is smart and he has a new gift. He can outwit them easily. Or can he?

The best thing about Blink is the nature of Seth's gift. Not only is it creative and original, but it has limitations. This gift shows off Seth's slight personality and is the only good thing about this book. It is the only reason this book is rated what it is. There is nothing else good about it except for a hint of personality from Seth.

The character department is suffering for realism. The princess is a typical female lead going against the laws of her country for true love. There is a typical villain who wants her for himself. Seth is the only good character, and even he is not a model one. There is one scene that shows off his small amount of imperfection and exhibits how he could have used the gift in a wrong way. But beyond this glimpse of originality, there is nothing else but an endless car chase across the country, ending with a typical showdown that leads to a perfect end. There is one other character who is perceived as perfect at first who makes a mistake, but in the end, this mistake is fixed, therefore making it not matter.

The end of Blink just left a bad taste in my mouth because Ted made the book all about the romance. Why does there have to be a romantic subplot? People think this is a staple of fiction, but it is not. When you take out the romantic subplot, there is not much left. I finished the book feeling empty because the book itself is deprived for substance. Without Seth's gift, this book is a monumental waste of time.

I hope Ted Dekker never writes a book like this again.

3 stars

Burn by Ted Dekker and Erin Healey

Janeel Mikkado is a gypsy living in the camp of her father. She is no longer a teenager, but a young woman. She has been approached by a man named Sanso Saalazar about finding a hidden large sum of money her father allegedly has stashed in the camp. He says he borrowed the money from the government, something that is not done among the gypsies. Sanso has commissioned Janeel to find the money in return for an award. But when Janeel finally finds the money, she takes too long to decide what to do with it, and in turn, Sanso burns down the entire camp. Janeel escapes and fifteen years later, has made her way in the world, thinking she was the only one who escaped from the fire. But there are two others who escaped. None of them know about the others. But they are about to find each other because of one man chained to a hospital bed-Sanso Saalazar. Something happened in the fire that only two of them know about, but what happened could change everything.

"Good characters and an original end could make this book soar." That's what I said when I wrote the preview for this book a number of months ago. Little did I know that those two factors would actually be fulfilled. What a way to start off 2010. Ted Dekker has returned to the glorious original days of old by writing a book reminiscent of Thr3e. The biggest problem with this novel is I don't know who to give the credit to. Either Erin has dragged Ted out of the Circle and into something worthwhile or Ted has taken her back to those days in order to boost sales of Erin's solo novel Never Let You Go. It doesn't really matter; this is a superb novel.

The characters are imperfect and complete with personalities. Unlike the stereotypical characters of Kiss, the few characters in this novel are realistic, once again demonstrating that fewer characters equal better characters. Burn is about choices, and all the characters make wrong ones and right ones. There is nothing missing in the character department. Even Sanso doesn't even seem like a villain, but a person like the rest of them.

Burn

is strictly a parable of life-altering choices. There are no victims or innocent people. The entire book is based on the choices of one person and backed up by a strong foundational idea that hits the reader in the gut at the end. And as it was with Thr3e, this idea is backed up by Scripture that is displayed at the end of the book. This book sheds light on the future of both authors where Kiss only dimmed the light. Burn is ten times better than Kiss and displays the kind of writing we should have seen there. These two authors have been taking a vacation for the past year or so and have just now returned to reality. The result is powerful. This just proves that one should not prejudge any novel.

We will see who was the genius behind this plot with the release of Never Let You Go.

5 stars

Elyon by Ted Dekker

When we last left the Chosen Ones, Johnis was possessed by a Leedhan named Shaeda and was leading Silvie through the desert in order to destroy the Horde and steal Succrow's amulet. Also, Darsal was imprisoned by a Horde general who she feels she is falling in love with. She is doing all she can to love the Horde as Elyon told her to, but now it is coming at the cost of her life. When reunited with Johnis and Silvie, she tries to convince them to bathe in one of Elyon's lakes, but they are skeptical and blinded by Shaeda to complete the mission at hand. But the Horde are becoming stronger by the day and are killing off the Circle. Darsal is the only one who stands in the way of more destruction, but she is in prison and has been told to love her enemies. So in the end, who is right and who is wrong? Elyon, Teeleh, or Shaeda?

Though Chaos and Lunatic showed promise through original plot points and good characters, one cannot actually expect Ted Dekker to end the Lost Books series in an original way. Not even the greatest of authors usually ends a series originally. And with circumstances like this, Ted backed himself into a corner and decided to choose the easy way out. But this easy way is also forgettable.

Johnis, Silvie, and Darsal developed several good character traits in the previous two books such as imperfection and slight personalities, and since they hold these over, it keeps the book from being completely mediocre. Shaeda also remains to be a mysterious and interesting character. However, other characters like Succrow and Marak are taken out of molds created by authors long ago. Ted Dekker has never been spectacular in the character department, so that is something he needs to work on in the future.

Everything typical you can think of happens except for the outcome of Shaeda. Dekker handled the outcome of Shaeda quite well. There is no showdown or exorcism scenes. Shaeda simply leaves and is never heard from again. Also, one does not know whether she was really in the wrong or not.

All in all, Elyon was a not a bad read, just a mediocre one because I knew what was coming. The Lost Books series was probably too long as it was. The only ones that should have been written were Chaos and Lunatic.

So concludes the Lost Books series, but we can expect to see more out of the Circle in the future, unfortunately. It has become a staple of Dekker's career, so he will never be able to write another novel without at least the slightest connection to it. However, he should put the idea to rest since he has thoroughly worn it out and tied it up in knots. He should move on and try something original again instead of getting caught up in his current rock star status among Christian fiction.

But will he do this? Probably not.

2.5 stars

Lunatic by Ted Dekker

When Johnis, Silvie, and Darsal return to Middle after their strange adventure in our world, they find that the followers of Elyon have diminished and the Horde has grown in their absence. Nothing is as it was, since five years have passed. The trio splits up, Johnis and Silvie going into the desert, and Darsal going to the Horde. Each of them encounter their own trying circumstances. Johnis is seduced by a strange woman who seems to be able to get inside his head and control him. She wants him to destroy Shataiki for her, so Johnis deems it a worthy endeavour. Silvie is skeptical the entire time and follows only to keep Johnis out of trouble. Darsal is captured by the Horde and is taken prisoner. There she hear Elyon tell her of His mission for he-to love the Horde.

Lunatic

is the best Lost Book yet because Dekker has abandoned the search for the seven special Books of History. Their finding a book under every rock was getting really old. It takes the series on a whole new track because it makes the great Johnis an imperfect character. Is this done?

Apparently it is. The positions of the characters change in this installment in the series. Where Johnis and Silvie were the leaders who knew what to do, they are now the followers who don't know what to do. Darsal has also turned into a different character because of her circumstances.

Dekker has also used his own licence to create a new type of creature in Other Earth-one that no one but a select few has heard of. It seems that Ted has no long-term planning for the extensive Circle series; he just writes whatever comes to his mind. This gives him freedom to do whatever he wants to his limitless world. This can be good at times, and it can be unprofessional at times.

The book is directly continued in Elyon, the final Lost Book, so it's hard to tell what Dekker might do. There are several things that could very easily be fixed in the last book.

The only problem with Lunatic is the lack of personalities among the characters. They all act stereotypically according to their circumstances.

All in all, the Lost Books is one of the rare series that has actually improved with each book. I didn't think any of these would make the Elite List, but this one has. That goes to show you that you should never prejudge.

4 stars

Adam by Ted Dekker

FBI agent Daniel Clark is obsessed with apprehending a serial killer they are calling Eve, because he always writes "Eve" on the bodies he kills. So far Eve has killed sixteen women. Daniel teams up with medical partner Lori Ames to catch the criminal before he kills any more. But Daniel's obsession comes at a price; his wife has already divorced him because of the case, and now he is about to face Eve himself-and die in the process. When Daniel revives in the hospital, he becomes even more determined to catch Eve at all costs.

A magazine article subplot helps develop Eve's past and helps the reader understand where he's coming from. It also develops his character, a strange but good addition to the book.

The characters are up to usual Ted Dekker par, only they have personalities. It's clear that Daniel is not a perfect male lead, and this is a step in the right direction for a seemingly mediocre serial killer plot.

But this serial killer plot has the Ted Dekker philosophical spin on it. The end of the book perks the reader's interest and hopefully makes him think more about the spiritual realm. I'm glad Ted Dekker always attempts to make his suspense have a purpose instead of fall in line with all the other meaningless suspense on the market.

However, Adam is not without its flaws. One would be hard-pressed to find a five star serial killer plot, anyway. The exorcism scene at the end is a bit much for me, even though it was better than most exorcism scenes I've read. Also, there is a convenient connection at the end that is highly improbable and unrealistic. These two things really ruined an otherwise great read.

There are many realistic aspects that can only come from good research. Dekker covered his bases on FBI cases, medical studies, and real-life demon possession. The sources on demon possessions help bring the plot a little more down to earth than other supernatural titles do. One can usually expect quality fiction from Dekker.

The serial killer genre might not be closed after all if authors continue to produce meaningful suspense. Books like Adam are a refreshment to the suspense market.

4 stars

Obsessed by Ted Dekker

Stephen Friedman has an obsession-he is obsessed with finding the Stones of David, smooth stones that were allegedly used by David to defeat Goliath. As a Jew, he feels the need to retrieve them before they fall into the wrong hands. When they surface in a dead widow's apartment nearby, he tries many different methods to enter the apartment before a Nazi group can find them.

In the past, his mother tries to survive a spin off Holocaust camp while carrying him inside of her. The Nazi in charge has his own methods of how to eliminate the apprehended females residing there. She only hopes that her baby will survive his antics.

The parallel stories between the past and the present (or the nearer past, since they take place in 1943 and 1975) make the story longer and more interesting. The idea of a rebel Nazi camp is ingenious and highly probable.

Stephen's attempts to enter the apartment are downright comical, a rare feat for Ted Dekker. Burning holes through walls and dressing up as a woman are only two of his attempts. Dekker uses a satirical writing style to demonstrate what people will do for what they are obsessed with. This is very interesting because he has never tried anything like this before.

These failed attempts reflect upon Stephen's good personality development. This is also a rare feat for Ted Dekker, since he doesn't usually develop characters with personalities. This makes the book not even seems like Dekker at times, even though Stephen is the only good character.

Unfortunately, the last one hundred pages were like a completely different book to me. In the end, it turned into an average suspense book with an unrealistic location of a missing person, a last minute romance, a showdown, a hostage scene, a last minute conversion, and two characters who come back from the dead. All of these pieces of Literary Trash ruin an otherwise Elite book.

It's very disappointing to read a book like this. Dekker gets your hopes up with so many good things at the beginning, and in the end, he turns it into cheap suspense.

3 stars

When Heaven Weeps by Ted Dekker

Jan Jovic was forced by Karadzic, his former comrade in battle, to mistreat a handful of villagers one day following the end of World War II. Now he has traveled to America with Ivena, an old woman whose daughter he killed. They both now know the Lord and have written the story down in a book form and have made a business out of it. Jan Jovic continues to gain popularity in the media world and achieves success. He proposes marriage to his book agent and she accepts. Life is good.

Then Helen enters his life. He found her as a tramp living on the streets, running away from her abusive boyfriend. He took her in and slowly love began to blossom. But this love destroyed his suitable engagement and makes him a target for her old boyfriend. Helen feels unworthy of his love and goes back to her boyfriend. But Jan will not give up on her.

When Heaven Weeps

is a parable of sorts. Jan represents Jesus and Helen represents the world. This aspect of the book is fine; it's the lack of good characters and the unrealistic end that ruin the book.

The characters are either perfect or evil; there is no in between. I have said before that I don't like such contrasts, and I still do not. Dekker should have at least made his characters imperfect.

There are multiple showdowns between Jan and Glenn, Helen's boyfriend. They all end realistically except for the last one. The final showdown is very sensational, filled with bursts of light, distant music, and typical dialogue. It ends very unrealistically when several characters escape death in order to make the reader happy. The final showdown also betrays the parable and makes it another typical suspense plot.

As with Heaven's Wager, I liked the idea behind the plot, but did not like the end. I only wish Dekker would have lived up to his full potential in the end.

2 stars

The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker

The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker

When I read Heaven's Wager, I understood that I had broken a cardinal Dekker rule by not reading The Martyr's Song first. I understand the reader cannot understand anything in Heaven's Wager without reading The Martyr's Song, the book that started it all.

The cover of Heaven's Wager was wrong. I didn't miss anything by not reading The Martyr's Song first.

Marci is a teenage girl with the same struggles all teenage girls have-she wants to be beautiful. She wants her outward appearance to please those around her. But when she is picked out at random by an old flower shop owner to come and talk, she knows not what to think.

Eve is the owner of a flower shop, but she doesn't live for her profession. She lives to tell the story of the Martyr's Song to those she believes need to hear it. She invites Marci to her flower shop in order to tell her the story.

The story is about a group of soldiers who, at the end of World War II, come across a Bosnian village untouched by the tentacles of war. All the buildings are still standing, including the church. That church becomes an object of jealously for the leader of the group. That's why he sets out to make life miserable for the villagers.

The biggest problem with the book is its length. It's less than two-hundred pages, for crying out loud. The whole plot is a half effort. It doesn't even seem like Dekker tried to make the story interesting or long. He just slapped something together and called in an emotional story.

The characters are shallow because they didn't even have enough time to develop. Not that it would have mattered, because they were already just typical plot devices anyway.

I just don't understand why people think this book is so interesting. Dekker didn't even try his best. It doesn't even seem like Ted Dekker fiction at all. It seems like one of those short stories you would find in Chicken Soup for the Soul.

But the worst part of it all is that the reader can read the entire book and more by reading When Heaven Weeps. It is completely unnecessary to read The Martyr's Song because of this. This book is a complete waste of your time.

1\2 star

Chaos by Ted Dekker

Johnis and Silvie have been transported into an unknown world filled with things they have never seen before-horseless carriages, strangely dressed people, boxes with people in them. They are in a village called Las Vegas, a city they assume existed in the histories. But despite their unfamiliar location, they still continue their mission to find the seven Lost Books of History before Teeleh or Alucard can get their claws on them.

Deep in the mountains of Romania, Alucard lives in an abandoned monastery waiting for his charges to find the seven Lost Books of History. He intends to use the books to open a gateway between this world and the other world in order to let Shataiki through to inhabit the earth.

Chaos

is the best Lost Book so far because Dekker has transported his characters into an alien setting in order to continue the story. This alone makes it interesting and worth a read.

However, there are several things keeping it off the Elite List. First, the main two lead characters remain to be unrealistic and plastic. You would think that this deep into the series, Dekker would have at least made them slightly believable.

Second, there is a cheesy supernatural showdown at the end of the book complete with CRTs and Literary Trash. It seems like Dekker could have avoided a showdown in order to be more unpredictable to his readers.

The good parts of the book are several unpredictable characters that appeared in the first three books. In Chaos, however, they have been taken to a whole new level by becoming complex and confusing. This was a good change to these particular characters because in their old self, they were getting boring.

As a side note, the end makes the reader think that this is the last book in the series. This is cheesy because it's obvious Dekker has not yet completed the CIRCLE acrostic at this point in the series.

Unfortunately, since the mission is completed at the end, I have no idea what Dekker will do in Lunatic and Elyon, the last two books of the series. But we will review them as soon as possible.

3.5 stars

Skin by Ted Dekker

The subtitle of Skin is "don't trust your eyes." It couldn't be more accurate.

The town of Summerville is about to be ravaged by three tornadoes a nearby storm has spawned off. When the tornadoes blow over, the entire town is covered in sand. There are only five apparent survivors-a police officer and four citizens. They are all being stalked by a killer by the name of Sterling Red, a man who wants to settle a past score with each of them.

As Red keeps telling them to do more and more things, life gets more and more crazier for the five survivors. Nothing makes any sense as it seems that Red is in complete control over their lives.

Trying to summarize the plot of Skin in a few sentences is nearly impossible to do. For one thing, it would take too long, and for another, it would ruin the highly original end.

But first things first. First, the characters are Dekker's usual brand of imperfection. They all make mistakes and behave like normal humans would in this certain situation.

Sterling Red is another one of Dekker's strange, almost comical villains. He acts almost like Marsuvees Black in a sense.

Even though things seem to become highly absurd and far-fetched in the middle, just stay the course and don't give up on the plot. The end awaits you. Don't give up even when it seems like the same thing keeps happening over and over again without explanation.

I couldn't have come up with a better end than the end Dekker wrote. It surprised me and delighted me at the same time. There wasn't a single plot hole at the end. Every unexplainable aspect was explained.

Not only was the end surprising, but it was also imperfect. There are several key character deaths, one of which I can't believe Dekker did.

As usual with a Ted Dekker book, Skin is loosely connected with Project Showdown and the Circle. I heard someone else say that it was connected, so I assumed that Sterling Red was just another Marsuvees Black creation. Thank God I was wrong.

All in all, Skin is an example of Dekker's inner originality that only comes out at certain times. I hope in the future that this originality will appear more.

5 stars

Heaven's Wager by Ted Dekker

Kent Anthony has the perfect life. He has the perfect job, the perfect wife, and the perfect son. Now he's getting a raise. He's going to use the money to take his family on a vacation. But one day before the trip, his wife falls ill to bacterial meningitis and dies. Kent and his son are devastated but begin to cope with it. But three months after his wife's death, Kent's son dies in a tragic car accident. Kent begins to go crazy with hatred toward God.

Then Kent comes up with the perfect crime. As an employee with a banking company, he alone knows about a back door he installed into their system. He uses that back door to steal twenty cents from each account he can get his hands on. By the time he's finished, he has $20,000,000.

Normally, I would say that that is one of the best book ideas I've ever heard. But there's always more to the story.

First of all, the characters are lacking in personality, even though Kent is an imperfect character. There are several other characters, including Kent's replacement romance and Kent's mother-in-law. His mother-in-law is sickeningly perfect, but I can't pass much judgement her way because Dekker swears there's a reason that is explained in When Heaven Weeps.

Anyway, the Kent's plan is well-thought out and executed in a very professional fashion. His plan is probably the highlight of the book.

The main things keeping this book from being Elite are the average characters, the replacement romance, and the scenes of light at the end. These scenes of light are referred to by Kent's mother-in-law as "glory". Kent has one of these such experiences during his conversion. It's very sensational and unrealistic.

Many people say that this book is very emotional. These people liked it because it made them cry. However, this book is not entirely bad because of its good idea. For that only, will I rate it what I rate it.

3 stars

Renegade by Ted Dekker

Billy has now entered a forbidden world. By touching his blood to the three Books of History, he has transported into a world he has never seen before. One with strange machines that move. One with people that aren't dressed like him. One with people that kill with black things called guns.

A world that is inhabited by Marsuvees Black, the very man who wants Billy on his side.

Darsal bribes a Roush to take her to a Black Forest so she can follow Billy, who she loves. Meanwhile, Johnis and Silvie attempt to sort out the mess on their own.

For what it's worth, Renegade is the best Lost Book yet. This is mostly because Dekker transitions his characters into a different setting other than the forest. I was getting sick of the forest.

But any book that's inhabited by Marsuvees Black is bound to be slightly comical. His offhand remarks that are so unlike most other villains are refreshing and make the read entertaining.

But each of the Lost Books are, in my opinion, much too short. I think this is only because Dekker wanted their first letters to spell out CIRCLE.

As usual, the characters lack personality and imperfection, but I've gotten used to this Literary Trash after three books.

I fail to understand where Dekker stands on Billy. Is he good or bad? Dekker seems to be able to fit him into any situation and put him on any side and have him however old or young he wants him to to be. It gets very confusing.

It gets even more confusing because when the four chosen ones come into our world to inhabit their perspective characters in Paradise, Colorado, they start to make different choices than the characters did in Showdown. Dekker says that when things repeat over and over again, things have a way of changing themselves.

Cop out.

But Renegade was probably the best Lost Book yet, nevertheless.

3 stars

Showdown by Ted Dekker

Everything changes in Paradise, Colorado, when Marsuvees Black walks into town and begins preforming miracles. If people will just drink his water, they will be healed. But when the people who drink of his cup begin to see strange visions, a boy named Johnny senses that all is not all right.

Thirty-seven teenagers are currently living in a monastery and are all a part of Project Showdown, a project they don't know about. But someone is trying to sabotage the project in ways they don't expect.

Billy and Darcy, two teenagers in the project have recently discovered secrets in the forbidden basement of the monastery. Secrets that could change the entire world as we know it. But someone wants to use them for their own purposes.

As usual, Ted Dekker finds a way to incorporate this series into the Circle. But in saying that, it's more like he incorporated the Circle into this series.

What I mean is, I don't think the Circle needed the Books of History, the objects in question. The Books of History only need to be in the Project Showdown series. I would have liked it much better if Project Showdown existed outside of the Circle. Dekker finds an original way to use the blank Books of History in Showdown, more original than any way he ever used them in the Circle.

Showdown

is an example of Ted Dekker's good, philosophical, allegorical writing style that I like better than his typical, run-of-the-mill writing style he acquired after becoming too popular. If only he would have stuck with this instead of going toward the typical.

However, there are several things keeping Showdown from being five stars. While it is very well-written, the characters lack personalities, though they are imperfect. Also, the end is slightly expected. But the end needed to be expected in order for this story to be an allegory.

I know there are two more books in this series, but I fail to see what needs to be continued. However, this series has much potential and I look forward to the rest of it.

4 stars

Saint by Ted Dekker

On the outside, Saint looks like it has nothing to do with Showdown, its predessecor. But don't worry. Once you dig deeper, deeper than its two covers, you will find the connection.

Carl wakes up beside a crying woman he believes is his wife. He knows he and his family have been kidnapped by black ops. But why? His question is answered when the black ops tell him to kill someone. Someone very specific; someone they want to rid the world of. If Carl does not fulfill his mission, his family will die.

As Carl falls deeper and deeper into the new world, he discovers that no one is who they say they are-not even himself. He also discovers that he has suddenly become one of the world's best snipers. He has excellent marksmanship is shooting. He never misses.

They call him Saint. He doesn't know why. I don't either.

Saint

once again demonstrates Dekker's deep-seated originality he has within him. When I first started reading it, I had no idea how it was going to connect with Showdown. But in the end, it did; in a very interesting way.

The downside to this book is the lack of realistic characters. One of the pluses was that they were imperfect.

Dekker truly surprises the reader with who some of the characters really are. This combined with a good writing style makes for an interesting read.

A setting like the one in Saint can easily be abused and made unrealistic because of the black ops touch. But Dekker actually made the setting very original and believable.

In this book, Dekker not only ties the Project Showdown series to the Circle, but it also ties House to the Circle in a slightly far-fetched way.

The main thing keeping this book from being five stars is the generally expected end. But coming with this end is loose ends. Dekker didn't tie everything up. He left our characters in a non-typical place. But this is something he could fix in the third book.

All in all, Project Showdown is probably better than the Circle overall.

4 stars

Sinner by Ted Dekker

*Warning* Contains spoilers for Showdown and Saint *Warning*

Billy and Darcy, two teenagers left from the fated Project Showdown, are now living out in the real world working steady jobs. He's a lawyer; she works in a factory. But their lives are changed when they meet again and discover that each has a strange power. He can read minds; she can control people's will. Together, they can be the most powerful people on earth.

Johnny, the Saint, is still living in Paradise, with his fiancee, Kelly. When he and the citizens of Paradise hear about a new amendment Congress passes stating that no one can condemn any race or religion, they band together to stand against it.

Marsuvees Black is back. He is a villain created from Billy's imagination, and now, without the Books of History, no one can stop him.

One of the best things about Ted Dekker is his flair for always coming up with good central themes. Sinner's theme is free speech and what would happen in a world without it.

Another good thing about Sinner is that it ties Showdown and Saint together very well. It answers several questions and allows the reader to see how the three books go together.

There are several surprises at the end. Dekker did things that I didn't know he had in him. Original things. Things that public doesn't like.

The one drawback that keeps this book from being five stars is the slightly cheesy showdown with Marsuvees Black at the end. I really wish Dekker would have avoided this, Otherwise, it would have been five stars.

Even though Marsuvees Black is sort of a dumb villain in the way that he's dressed as a black cowboy straight from a cheesy western, at least there is an explanation for why he looks like that: because Billy created him. Also, Black's dialogue is definitely abnormal for a villain.

It's a good thing Dekker those not to utilize the Books of History in this book instead of using them as a CRT. Otherwise, Project Showdown wouldn't be an Elite series.

4.5 stars