Reviewed by Stephen: 10 out of 10.

“Four novels. Two worlds. One story.”

Black
An incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, and a terrorist threat unlike anything the human race has ever known. A virulent evil has been unleashed upon the people of Earth. The only man who can stop it is Thomas Hunter, an unlikely hero whose life is stretched between two worlds. Every time he falls asleep in one reality, he awakes in the other. Soon Thomas no longer knows which reality is real. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that his choices in each world impact the other–and that the fates of both rest in his hands.

Red
In one world, Thomas Hunter is a battle-scarred general commanding an army of primitive warriors. In the other, he’s racing to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating global chaos through an unstoppable virus. Thomas must find a way to change history–or face the destruction of two worlds.

White
Thomas Hunter has only days to survive two separate realms of danger, deceit, and destruction. The fates of both worlds now rest on his unique ability to shift realities through his dreams. Thomas and The Circle must quickly decide who they can trust–both with their own lives and the fate of millions. And neither the terror of Black nor the treachery of Red can prepare Thomas for the forces aligned against The Circle in White.

Green
When least expected, a twenty-four year old named Thomas Hunter fell asleep in our world and woke up in that future Black Forest. A gateway was opened for Teeleh to ravage the land. Devastated by the ruin, Thomas Hunter and his Circle swore to fight the dark scourge until their dying breath. But now The Circle has lost hope. Samuel, Thomas Hunter’s cherished son, has turned his back on his father. He gathers the dark forces to wage a final war. Thomas is crushed and desperately seeks a way back to our reality to find the one elusive hope that could save them all.

“This is the series I was born to write. Dive Deep” — Ted Dekker

It has been over a year since I first dove into the adventure that was previously entitled The Circle Trilogy. Now, many months and a new title — The Circle Series — later, and I have begun the adventure again. Not only that, but I now wholeheartedly agree with the above quote from Dekker himself, that this was indeed the story he was born to write. Not since The Shack have I been so completely immersed, challenged and changed by a work of fiction.

The Circle Series now makes up 4 of the whopping fourteen books in the epic collection known as The Books of History Chronicles (Black, Red, White – Showdown, Saint, Sinner – Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, Elyon – Skin, House). The magnificent scope of this interlocking, interweaving story is so daring and so ambitious that it quite literally has my mind spinning, even weeks after finishing Book Zero of The Circle Series: The Beginning and the End. Also known as Green.

I’ve read a lot of Dekker books, and this series is classic Ted at his best. The story is so moving, the characters so real, the plot so richly deep that after getting to the end of the series you don’t want it to end. And, it doesn’t . . . yet. I’m going to have to tread very carefully here in order to talk about this without dropping any story spoilers, but yes, in my opinion I don’t think this is the end. Right now the story is left as a completely seamless circle (as the name of the series implies in a clever and pun-like way), but there is so much room for Dekker to now branch away from that circle and form a kind of infinite figure-eight. The rumours over in The Circleare that he will in fact do this with his just-finished book, Immanuel’s Veins (also known as IV), due to hit the stores in March 2010.

Many fans have been left with a slightly sour taste in their mouths with the way Ted ended Green and brought the whole series “full circle”, but like I said, I highly doubt he will leave it where it is, but in true Ted Dekker fashion, I think he will bring a completely new thread out of it: the most unlikely one people will think of.

In an interview over at TitleTrakk.com, Ted is asked the question: “…why [do] you think people are connecting so strongly to this particular series?”

To which Ted responds with quite astounding insight, “It certainly isn’t because of me, I can tell you that. It’s because I’m tapping into an irresistible story, which is the story of our own redemptive history.”

Indeed, that same redemptive history that we, as Christians, grow so accustomed to that we forget just how mind-blowing it really is until we see it reworded and refashioned in new, metaphorical terms. If you only ever read four Dekker books in your life, make them Black, Red, White and Green of The Circle Series.

Dive deep.

Reviewed by Symon: 9 out of 10.

The Martyr’s Song series consists of three stories (novels) which are loosely related to the to the martyrdom of a priest and girl and those who witnessed them in a small Bosnian town during the Second World War. The martyrdoms are retold in the novella The Martyr’s Song, which is the prequel to the 3 said stories.

(Please click on the titles below to read the separate reviews.)

Book 1: Heaven’s Wager

Kent Anthony is a brilliant software engineer who is cashing in on a brilliant career. He’s finally living the idyllic life, far from thoughts of theft and murder and other kinds of horrible criminal behavior. He’s left his past far behind . . . or so he thinks.

Book 2: When Heaven Weeps

In a small Balkan village near the end of World War II, a band of soldiers play a cruel game of ultimate stakes with a priest and his flock. Jan Jovic reluctantly participates. But he’s prepared neither for the incredible demonstration of love, nor the terrible events that follow. Now, many years later, that game will spring to life in Jan’s own heart. He will fall madly in love with the wrong woman, her name is Helen. Now it’s Jan’s turn to play the game. But there is a price.

Book 3: Thunder Of Heaven

Deep in the Amazon jungle a young American woman and the son of plantation owners fall madly in love. For Tanya and Shannon, life is a paradise most only dream about. But today paradise ends. The jungle has hatched more than idyllic love. It has also spawned insidious evil. An evil shrouded in a plot so diabolically brilliant that America will be brought to its knees at the hands of a few terrorists. Nothing stands in the way of terrible destruction. Except for the love of one woman.

Book 4: The Martyr’s Song

“Make me beautiful.” That’s what Marci wants from the old woman—not “inner beauty,” but real, physical attractiveness to save her from being a teenage outcast. The woman offers a gift in the form of a story—a strange tale from 1940s Bosnia about a group of soldiers who terrorize a town of women and children, brutalize their priest, and murder a child. Somehow, in the midst of the horror, a window opens to another reality—a world of impossible beauty, infectious music, irresistible laughter, and a vision that somehow changes…everything.As the title suggests, this is a story about martyrdom… people who die for their faith in Christ. But like no other martyrdom story I’ve read, Dekker allows the reader to see what heaven sees, the refuge of the righteous in the time of calamity.

If you intend to read this series, and I really hope you do… don’t read them in order of publication as pars of the story will lose some of its impact. Instead, I recommend reading them in chronological order, which is:

• Book 4: The Martyr’s Song
• Book 2: When Heaven Weeps
• Book 1: Heaven’s Wager
• Book 3: Thunder Of Heaven

Surprisingly The Martyr’s Song novella is retold practically verbatim in When Heaven Weeps. In my review of it I recommended readers of the series to skip The Martyr’s Song because of this, but now that I’ve thought it over, I would suggest reading it, and skim reading the repeated portion in When Heaven Weeps.

Ted Dekker has ingeniously told the same story in two distinctly different ways, and the stand-alone version (Martyr’s Song) very nearly earned it’s place in the Hall Of Fame because it is so good as a short story/novella.

A unique characteristic of this series, and one which I have yet to come across in any other series I have read is that, although every story is connected and all are classed as suspense/thrillers, they are all very different from each other – completely different stories, different sub-genres and different themes. Because of this, I was not at all sick of the series by the end of the last book… Ted is extremely clever.

The Martyr’s Song:
Sub genre: War fiction
Era: World War 2
Spiritual theme: The spiritual realm, persecution and martyrdom

When Heaven Weeps:
Sub-genre:Romance
Era: 1960s with flashbacks to World War 2
Spiritual theme: The unconditional Love of God and the adulterous nature of the human heart

Heaven’s Wager:
Sub-genre: Crime fiction
Era: Present day
Spiritual themes: Understanding suffering and pain

Thunder Of Heaven
Sub-genre: Action/adventure
Era: Near Future
Spiritual theme: Understanding God’s purpose for our lives and our obedience to it

In conclusion, the series deserves no less than a 9 out of 10, because of it’s underlying spiritual depth, variety and originality – making it immensely enjoyable and memorable.

Reviewed by Les: 7 out of 10.

Recently I was blessed with a birthday gift from my tank loving mate Burton. As I eagerly unwrapped the plain brown package, three very obviously military oriented books bristling with medals, soldiers and missiles stared at me daring me to read them.

The Books:

• Mission Compromised (2002)
• The Jericho Sanction (2003)
• The Assassins (2005)

The Author:

Oliver North and his good mate Joe Musser. Oliver North is himself an ex-marine with many decorations won in battle. The stories are fictional but are drawn from his 22 years experience in the USMC.

Not professing to be the sharpest tool in the shed, I didn’t realise that these three books were a trilogy. In fact, the only thing which designates them as such is their ranking emblazoned on the books spines like stars upon a generals’ shoulders. From one star on the first to three on the third, everything about these books oozes military subterfuge. Hence it was by shear coincidence that I picked up and started with the first in the series.

As I removed the dust jacket and hefted the weight of the large armour-plated hardback I was eager to enter a world of war and explosive mayhem. Instead I was greeted by 4 pages of Military abbreviations. Now it is at this point you as the reader have two choices:

Read all 4 pages and attempt to commit them to memory.

Ignore them completely attempting to guess their meanings within the context of the story.

Having chosen the second option I was disappointed that the abbreviations covered the pages like shrapnel and their relentless attack on every page caused my eventual capitulation.

The books are more drama than action and much like the movies of the same genres, personal taste will dictate your choice.

With a very likable protagonist in US Marine Peter Newman and an equally unlikable antagonist in the ex KGB agent Dimitri Komulakov it doesn’t take a military genius to detect the US patriotism that permeates every page. This will not be greeted with a loud ‘OOH-RAH!’ from all readers.

Overtly Christian at times, the story leaves the reader with no doubt as to the beliefs held by the author. Very biblically sound, even going as far as acknowledging which Bible version is quoted, a somewhat in-depth explanation of the basic tenets of Christianity within the story seemed to me a little overboard. Good on Ollie for getting the Word out there though.

Let me finish with a few comments that I wholeheartedly agree with:

• A highly readable tale of courage, faith and international intrigue all set within the milieu of today’s Middle east politics.
• A lot of this reads like today’s headlines…

and as one comment suggests…

• You do in fact wonder how much of this story is true.

Reviewed by Jon: 10 out of 10.

The Paradise War

From the dreaming spires of Oxford, Lewis Gillies drives north to seek a mythical creature in a misty glen in Scotland. Expecting little more than a weekend diversion, Lewis finds himself in a mystical place where two worlds meet, in the time-between-times—and in the heart of a battle between good and evil.

The Silver Hand

The great king, Meldryn Mawr, is dead, and his kingdom lies in ruins. Treachery and brutality rule the land, and Albion is the scene of an epic struggle for the throne. Lewis Gillies returns as Llew, seeking the true meaning behind a mysterious prophecy—the making of a true king and the revealing of a long awaited champion: Silver Hand.

The Endless Knot

Fires rage in Albion: strange, hidden fires, dark-flamed, invisible to the eye. Llew Silver Hand is High King of Albion, but now the Brazen Man has defied his sovereignty and Llew must journey to the Foul Land to redeem his greatest treasure. The last battle begins, and the myths, passions, and heroism of an ancient people come to life as Llew faces his greatest test yet.

In the same way that The Circle Trilogy marks what I would unreservedly say is the magnum opus of Ted Dekker’s work, the Song of Albion captured me in a likewise manner, and although I have yet to read more of Stephen Lawhead’s work, this series carries with it a certain quality that seems to speak “exemplification of the authors’ work” (you can find my in-depth reviews of each individual novel through the links above).

Pacing in this series was near on perfection. I say near perfection because the train ride seemed to stagger and lag for just a little bit too long in the beginning of The Endless Knot. However, when the story picked itself back up off the floor, it soared to the final and satisfying conclusion with terrific speed. The ending is certainly no Chronicles of Narnia, but it is satisfying nonetheless and was not spoiled by a six-inch deep epilogue, extro/outro, afterword, conclusion or author’s note.

The writing of Lawhead is quite unlike the style of any other Christian author I have read in the sense that it feels more like [Lawhead] is a Christian and an author as two separate entities as opposed to someone who specifically lets morals and message directly influence their writing. This is where it comes down to the reader’s own preferences as to what they personally prefer to spend time reading, because both types have a place; but if you get a message from Lawhead’s writing, the chances are you brought your own implications to the table yourself, and the themes in the book only strengthened what you were already wanting to harvest from the story.

Stephen Lawhead paints with an uninhibited, true-to-life brush made all the more unique by his expansive vocabulary and attention to striking details. His descriptions border on ingenious and it seems he always makes every effort to visit the settings and locations he writes in and the quality of the research shines through because of that. If this is the type of writing you are looking for to bring to life a hearty adventure story, then this series won’t leave you disappointed.

Click here to visit Lawhead’s site.

Reviewed by Stephen: 10 out of 10.

“Three novels. Two worlds. One story.”

Black

An incredible story of evil and rescue, betrayal and love, and a terrorist threat unlike anything the human race has ever known. A virulent evil has been unleashed upon the people of Earth. The only man who can stop it is Thomas Hunter, an unlikely hero whose life is stretched between two worlds. Every time he falls asleep in one reality, he awakes in the other. Soon Thomas no longer knows which reality is real. Yet it quickly becomes apparent that his choices in each world impact the other–and that the fates of both rest in his hands.

Red

In one world, Thomas Hunter is a battle-scarred general commanding an army of primitive warriors. In the other, he’s racing to outwit sadistic terrorists intent on creating global chaos through an unstoppable virus. Thomas must find a way to change history–or face the destruction of two worlds.

White

Thomas Hunter has only days to survive two separate realms of danger, deceit, and destruction. The fates of both worlds now rest on his unique ability to shift realities through his dreams. Thomas and The Circle must quickly decide who they can trust–both with their own lives and the fate of millions. And neither the terror of Black nor the treachery of Red can prepare Thomas for the forces aligned against The Circle in White.

The first 10 out of 10 for Flannelgraph, but this series deserves no less.

The Circle Trilogy makes up 3 of the 10 books in the Books of the History Chronicles (Black, Red, White – Showdown, Saint, Sinner – Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos).

My favourite type of reading is when you get (good) sequels so you can follow characters and a story of epic proportions over more than one book. Trilogies can either make or break an author as the story must be intriguing enough to get the reader lured in to the extent that they simply must read the next book, and the final one as well.

Dekker’s page turning reputation was certainly not compromised in The Circle Trilogy, and I couldn’t more highly recommend the books, especially the second and third. When an author can take the redemption story of Jesus’ love and make it astoundingly real to today’s generation with an eye opening dose of personal insight, it is a wonderful thing.

Plot twist after plot twist, plenty of pounding action and real as life characters are some of the things that make The Circle Trilogy a must read!

Click here to visit Ted Dekker’s website.