Reviewed by Stephen: 9 out of 10.

The stakes are higher, the battles are longer, the scale is larger; and Infidel, the second story in The Lost Books, doesn’t waste a page getting there with most of the book being one big heart-pounding adventure.

The reader is given a chapter of recap (the final chapter in Chosen) before being thrust headfirst into another adventure. Johnis learns that his mother is alive and has been taken captive as a member of the Horde, and sets out on a daring rescue-mission to attempt to save her. What follows is one of the most intense plot lines I’ve read in a very long time. A welcome relief, indeed!

After finishing two books of The Lost Books series, I’m still hard pressed to find a flaw. The pacing was perfect, the suspense authentic, and the characters resoundingly genuine. Unlike some Dekker stories where the endings feel rushed in the final two chapters, Infidel leaves itself plenty of headroom at the end of the book for a satisfying ending which still sets you up for the sequel.

The connections between the redemptive nature of the gospel and Infidel are incredibly moving. We are introduced to a new character in Infidel who stands between Johnis and his mother, and she is apart of the Horde—a Scab. Under normal circumstances the Forest Guard are sworn to kill any Horde member instantaneously, but Johnis finds his heart moved toward her in compassion in the same way Jesus’ heart was moved in compassion for us.

Like I said, I’m struggling to fault Infidel. I do like to read other authors between Dekker as his style can get quite familiar if you read too much of it, but I can guarantee it would be the same for any author writing such a big story. Regardless, The Lost Books are fast on their way to my all-time favourite books list. Here’s to hoping the next four books are even better.

Reviewed by Stephen: 9 out of 10.

I must admit, I was a little apprehensive at first, seeing the “juvenile fiction” label on the spines of all The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, Elyon). The thickness of each book—about three-quarters the size of a regular paperback—also seemed as a letdown at first glance. But, as is almost always the case with Ted Dekker, after finishing the book, I had discarded my initial judgments and potential disappointments, enjoying every moment of the story.

The Lost Books span the 15-year gap when Thomas first enters Middle Forest and when Red, the second book of The Circle Series, starts. These years are glossed over in Red, and The Lost Books fill you in on the many adventures that happened over that period. The Circle Series can easily be read without The Lost Books, but I would recommend reading all The Lost Books sequentially after Black, the first book in The Circle Series, for the best experience of this mammoth story.

Chosen launches us into the engrossing tales of Johnis, Billos, Darsal and Silvie as they discover untold depths of love, hate and war in the Other Earth. Johnis, the most unlikely of heroes, is discovered by Thomas Hunter as the Chosen One, spoken of in the prophecies who will destroy the reign of the Dark One over the people of the Other Earth. And, together with Billos, Darsal, and Silvie, all of whom are also chosen, the four comrades go on many adventures together, the first being told of in Chosen.

What I thought would be a disappointingly short book length actually turned out to be the series’ greatest asset (assuming the next books in the series are as good as the first). The story, being much shorter than a full-length novel, was punchy, concise, and quick to the action.

A few light-bulb moments  also occurred in Chosen when it seamlessly linked The Paradise Series in with The Circle Series. Parallels were drawn between both worlds, and the overall grandeur of Dekker’s ambitious story came fully into perspective for the first time. My mind boggles at the background planning that must have gone into these books.

After finishing Chosen, I instantly wanted to pick up Infidel, book two in the series, as the pacing and tense nature of the series was so superbly set with this book. What I imagined to be a slightly disappointing letdown in The Circle Series turned out to be one of its best kept secrets. Maybe that’s why these books are entitled: The Lost Books. Either way, they’re keepers.

Click here to visit Ted Dekker’s site.

Reviewed by Burton: 9 out of 10.

The English-speaking world is divided into those who have read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and those who are going to read them. (The Sunday Times)

I almost don’t feel worthy enough to review a book which won the ‘Millennium Children’s Book Award’ but here goes nothing…

I first read the Hobbit when I was 13. At the time, being far from the bookworm I am now… I struggled through it, and really didn’t see what all the hoo-har about Tolkien was. Not surprisingly, I never got to the Rings Trilogy.So, 22 years later I have revisited The Hobbit and what an adventure I had.

The Hobbit (written in 1937 by J. R. R. Tolkien) is the story of a Hobbit (surprise, surprise) called Bilbo Baggins, who is enjoying an uneventful life until it is interrupted by a visit from the wizard Gandalf. Gandalf invites himself to tea and arrives with a company of dwarves. They embark on a journey to recover the lost treasure of Lonely Mountain, guarded by the dragon Smaug. Their adventures include trolls, elves, goblin hordes, monstrous wolves, giant eagles, changelings, giant spiders, massive battles and so on. As you can see by my very brief synopsis (I don’t want to spoil the story), it is the classic fantasy tale.

To say that The Hobbit is anything less than a masterpiece of children’s literature would be to lie, so I’m not going to use this space convincing you to read it. Just do (before the movie comes out in 2011). Instead I wish to ask the question… are good wizards, using good magic appropriate in Christian fiction?

J.R.R. Tolkien was a devout catholic who also had a huge interest in pagan mythology, and Middle earth is a marriage of the two… a world full of mythological creatures and magic with vague Christian undertones.

Personally, I struggle with Tolkien’s mixture… always have and probably always will. Although the Narnia Chronicles are similarly fantastical, the Christian message stands out clearly for all to see, unlike Middle earth where unless one is looking (very studiously I might add) the Christian themes are as hard to find as a Gollem in the Misty Mountains. But I digress.

My experience of the classic children’s book, read as a kidult that sees more in black and white than in grey-scale when it comes to sorcery, The Hobbit is a very near masterpiece… 9 out of 10 it is.