Red
by Ted Dekker
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Thomas Hunter is a man of two worlds. When he falls asleep in the modern day, he is transported to a fantastic realm where the powers of good and evil are represented in physical ways. Thomas has lived fifteen years in the fantasy world after the events of Black. Much of this fantastic world’s population are Scabs, so named for the dry, flaking nature of their diseased skin. The disease pains them and makes them slow and sluggish, yet because of their numbers, they are an ever-increasing threat for the forest dwellers, a remnant who serve Elyon. Thomas leads the Forest Guard, a highly skilled group of warriors who protect the forests from attacks by the Scab Horde. In present-day earth, the book picks up mere seconds after the events of its predecessor. Once again, Thomas is pitted against the forces of a nefarious conspiracy intent on enslaving the world through the use of a super-virus. As time runs out, will Thomas be able to protect the forest dwellers from annihilation while also saving the modern world from destruction?
Series: The Circle (2 of 4)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Content Notice: Scenes of violence and some disturbing imagery
Faith Based: Yes
ISBN: 978-08499-1791-2
Overall
Characters
Story/Plot
Writing
Setting
Consistency
THE BOTTOM LINE
Not quite as good as its predecessor but still worth putting on your reading list.
THOUGHTS…
Red continues Ted Dekker’s epic tale of good versus terrifying evil. The story of the fantasy world is much faster-paced and more exciting this time around, and it dominates the volume. By contrast, the storyline taking place in the modern day is uninspired and more of the same. Far from carrying the story as it did in the first book, the action here is derivative, feeling like an over-long extension of the first book more than anything else. Once again, the fantasy world is incredibly well thought-out, and the translation of spiritual concepts into the physical is excellent. If you think about it too hard, as I am prone to do, there are a few points which do not quite add up, but they do not detract significantly from the overall world. As to characters, the treatment of them is uneven. Many of the newcomers are developed with care through their actions and words while others rely on exposition for the reader to understand their attitudes, biases, and skills. Even Thomas, the main character, falls prey to this sometimes, with the book telling the reader how much he has changed, but he rarely speaks or acts differently than in the first book. Finally, I once again have gripes, as tedious as ever, with Mr. Dekker’s lack of knowledge about the military. For example, while it is unlikely a scientist could catch a ride on a military fighter jet, it is even less likely for said ride to be taken in an F-16. With only one seat, the passenger and the pilot are going to become very well acquainted before the trip is over. These inaccuracies are not story breaking, but they are a pet peeve of mine. In the end, the fantasy world dominates this story, making for a good read, not quite as good as the first book in the series but still well worth the time.
RANTS AND RAMBLES
- DISCLAIMER: When I review books, weaknesses and inconsistencies tend to dominate my discussion; therefore, I will emphasize that any particular rant (and, yes, they can be long-winded) does not have special bearing on my unified opinion of the book. For this, please refer to my overall star rating. Additionally, this review is my personal opinion, intended to help like-minded readers navigate the plethora of available options. Use it as a tool but do not assign undue importance to it (i.e. feel free to disagree with me).
- This review is somewhat abbreviated as it is the second in a series and I did not feel like belaboring points already made previously. Please check out my review for Black if you want a more in-depth discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the series.
- This review was written long ago under a different format than I use now. I have posted it here in its original text.
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