Customer Reviews

Red: The Circle Series

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a kicker - for those that like fantasy and adventure - this delivers both with a top note allegory and a rich storyline. Can't wait to see how "White" with tie it all together!

This is Christian Fiction at it's best!!! I read Red in 6 hours, could not put it down! (Read Black first-equally awesome!)
I think Ted Dekker is setting the pace and leading the way; I'm excited for the entire Christian Fiction Market, because he just blew the doors wide open! I hope he's busy working on something else!!
I was so upset by the thought of having to wait till September for the third book in the trilogy that I went back to the book store and bought his other titles! "Blink" was consumed in 4 hours...totally loved it!
I love the way Ted Dekker weaves deep truths into the story, how he stretches your mind and heart and changes your reality!

Thomas Hunter continues his mission to save the world from the deadly Raison Strain virus in RED, the second volume in Ted Dekker's "The Circle" trilogy. This time, though, the countdown is much nearer the eleventh hour, when the virus will begin to annihilate the world's population. Only by discovering the formula for the antivirus will the world be saved, and Hunter --- an unlikely hero with no background in chemistry --- may be the planet's only hope.

But Hunter doesn't need a scientific background. In fact, he needs little more than a good night's sleep to keep moving closer to finding the formula the world so desperately needs. As in BLACK, the first book in the trilogy, each time Hunter falls asleep in this dimension he wakes up in another dimension, a futuristic world that has only a fading memory of the events surrounding the release of the Raison Strain by terrorists willing to die in their pursuit of global power. In that dimension, Hunter seeks a long-lost history book chronicling the earlier events in this dimension. His pursuit of the book there mirrors his quest for the antivirus here.

As he draws nearer to finding what he is seeking, he acquires skills and information --- precious little at a time, it seems --- in the alternate dimension that carry over into this world to give him supernatural abilities and uncanny knowledge. That makes Hunter a very important man, both to the world leaders trying to avoid a global catastrophe and to the terrorists who have brought the world right to the brink of such a catastrophe. But for the first time, it appears as if the relationship between the two dimensions may not be as it originally seemed, setting up some intriguing possibilities for the final volume, WHITE, which releases in the fall.

Fans of Dekker will not be surprised to find that the author carries all this off with considerable skill. Hunter's life flows between the two dimensions so naturally that you don't even think twice about the probability that dream-like travel between two realities could exist. Dekker is equally adept at allowing the suspense to build through the progression of the events in the story; the build-up never feels forced or heavy-handed. And he makes sure that the beautiful Monique de Raison, whose company developed the vaccine that mutated into the deadly virus, needs to be rescued once again. Don't be surprised if you start to hear the theme music to Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark in your head as you're reading one section of the book.

There's a third dimension in the trilogy, of course --- the spiritual dimension. In RED, the underlying Christian message is much more subtle than in BLACK, making this one a stronger book. Readers new to the trilogy should read the books in sequence, because RED won't make a lot of sense without the background that BLACK provides. As for those readers who have been eagerly awaiting the second book, rest assured --- you won't be disappointed.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

"Black" was an appetizer. Pleasing, but not entirely satisfying, it lacked a certain richness. Meant to whet our appetites, it was preparing us for something greater.

"Red" is the meal. Ted Dekker expands upon his concepts and worlds, entertaining us, spinning a great story, and serving up substance with style. The dream-like world of Thomas Hunter takes on weight--it becomes more real. In the "real" world, the spreading virus and its global threat become parallels for the actual battle playing out on another plane. A spiritual plane. A plane with very real consequences.

As in the first book, we don't get much inner character conflict or change. For me, this can lead to disappointment. But Dekker aims for a larger, symbolic conflict--the struggle of the human soul between darkness and light, between death and life. In this, he succeeds wildly.

I've had my appetizer and my entree...Now I'm waiting for dessert!

With 2 down and 1 to go, man, Ted Dekker leaves the reader in suspense! Thomas Hunter continues his quest along with Monique to eliminate the Raison Strain. Dekker writes at a panic driven speed, along with a sense of urgency, and then leaves the reader saying something like, "WHOA!" and it just keeps getting faster!

In this book, you will finally understand the meaning of the circle. In this book, you will understand what The Great Romance really means. And yes, you will know what Red means. The question is, are you ready for it?

Ted Dekker is Red hot right now, and after watching some counter punching a little with Black, I'm ready for the knock out punch that'll floor us all! There was a lot more detail in this, that was what I really liked. Black was awesome, but left you ultimately wanting more. Well, he gives you more with Red, saying, "Oh yeah!!" White indeed will be something to buckle your seatbelt for, because this time he ain't stopping until the ride is over! VVROOM!!!

This was awesome. So, to everyone who's read up to this point, Elyon's strength!

Red: Heroic Rescue takes the epic storyline of Black to the next level. With tight prose and a focused plot Red draws you in from the first chapter and won't let go. Without the worry of having to establish the story Dekker is free to play in the intriguing twin worlds he has created. The strongest part of the book is it's intense story driven focus, that unfortunately doesn't leave much room for character development. Kudos to Mr. Dekker for undertaking the most ambitious series in recent Christian Fiction! Dekker presents the Drama of Redemption in a vibrant and real way that will draw christians and non-christians alike. Take a deep breath and dive deep!

Dekker is quite good at what he does - suspense with elements of s/f or fantasy mixed in as well as allegory/theology. I personally found this book the weakest of the trilogy, because of its being in the middle - no real beginning or ending.

I really feel Dekker could have written a stronger story by shortening the whole series to 2 books - by the end of Red I was just ready to be done with this already and move on to the next book. Frankly you could get away with skimming this one to grab the key developments all 4 or 5 of them before moving on the finale in White.

Now that I've done my complaining I want to repeat myself - Dekker is really good at what he does. Suspense with scifi and fantasy elements, and not much beyond that. So it is fun, even if it does feel somewhat padded.

because i couldn't give it six. do yourself a favor and read black first. THANK YOU MR DEKKER

The wait since I read Black is over. Red is here, and it exceeds the high expecations that Black had established. To my amazement, Red is even better than Black, and that's saying a lot. Red is even more suspenseful, with more hair rising turns and plot twists than you can imagine. Yet, at the same time, everything is coherent, well-written, taut, direct. Dekker does a wondeful job of creating different worlds and situations while maintaining credibility. Red is a page turner that is nearly impossible to put down. The only joy in setting it aside for awhile is the pleasure of picking it back up and getting back in on the adventure. Red is the best fiction book I've read this year.

A word of warning to those who have not read Black and are thinking of starting with Red, don't. This is not one of those books where what happened in the previous book is backfilled in the current book. Red picks up where it left of, all action, suspense, and exciting plot developments. I don't want to give anything away, but I found the way things developed toward the end of Red very satisfying.

Now it's a long four months wait for White to come out!

Every time Thomas Hunter falls asleep, he switches realities to and from our world where he failed as an author and a forest realm where he serves as a great military leader to a tribe. He does not even keep the same body as in our reality Thomas is in his mid twenties while in the forest domain he is forty. The common threads between his two "orbs" besides Thomas is both dominions face total destruction with the countdowns running out and he is the last hope in each because information he gains on one side he needs for the other side.

On our earth, the hero faces terrorists ready to release a pandemic virus that will eradicate everyone who fails to obtain the antidote. On the forestry world, the desert dweller hordes threaten to overwhelm his people. Only he stands in the way of dual genocide.

RED, the second Birth of Evil tale (see BLACK), is an exciting science fiction thriller starring a delightful protagonist who has the ultimate split personality as he lives two distinct lives on differing yet similar realms. The action-packed story line moves rather quickly forward although there is plenty of political and religious overtones and symbols, some of the former not quite as subtle as the latter. The religious aspects make for intriguing speculation while the Francophobe seems a bit unfair overkill especially in light of recent events. Still fans of fast-paced, exhilarating similar to Piers Anthony's THE APPRENTICE ADEPT trilogy will want to read this colorful tale, its predecessor and look forward to what will surely be a fabulous multihued final.

Harriet Klausner