Black
by Ted Dekker
PLOT SYNOPSIS
Fresh off his shift at the Java Hut, Thomas Hunter heads home, only to find himself stalked by killers. The encounter ends with him taking a blow to the head, but as unconsciousness takes him, he wakes to find himself in another world. In this reality, the world he knows is gone, destroyed by a super-virus during the Great Deception. In its place has risen a new world, one where spiritual characteristics like good and evil, sin and righteousness, have physical representations. But when Thomas goes to sleep in this new reality, he reawakens in the present with news that will rock the foundations of humanity. As he struggles to understand what is happening, Thomas must race to stay ahead of those who are gunning for him and to find a cure for a virus which will wipe out the world’s population.
Series: The Circle (1 of 4)
Age Recommendation: 16+
Content Notice: Scenes of violence and disturbing imagery
Faith Based: Yes
ISBN: 978-15955-4730-9
Overall
Characters
Story/Plot
Writing
Setting
Consistency
THE BOTTOM LINE
An explosive start to a promising series.
THOUGHTS…
Black begins a series of epic proportions, building a bridge between this world and one of the far future. The unique story blends the modern day and fantasy in a way unlike any have done before. Flip-flopping back and forth from world to world could have been a confusing experience, but it is handled with such care that there is time to adjust to the nuances of the storytelling technique. As action builds over the course of the book, the reader is able to take it in stride, right up to the cliff-hanging climax. The modern-day storyline is fast paced with plentiful action while the story taking place in the other world is slow by comparison. This approach was wise as it allows the reader to fully explore and appreciate the intricately designed world, but it also has a downside. At times, the difference in pacing between the storylines can be uncomfortable, and it sometimes feels like the fantasy story is being stretched simply to spread out over the full runtime of the modern-day story. Additionally, it is incredibly obvious when Mr. Dekker is writing about topics of which he does not have sufficient knowledge. A glaring example of this is when the story involves government agencies or the military. This gripe is certainly captious in nature, but it is a pet peeve for me because of my background. Nevertheless, despite a few detractors, intriguing characters, engrossing worlds, and a captivating storyline make this book a solid choice for anyone interested in the genre.
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 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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