Gedden's Armor - Tom Bazow

Someone—or something—is out to get Michael Gedden. The 14 year old has had a weird day, and the church trip to St. Louis City Museum will either be a break from the weirdness…or a continuation. From a mysterious bus that nearly runs him over that nobody else notices to an IM from a mysterious stranger, Michael isn’t quite sure what to make of what’s going on.

He meets up with his best friend Samantha and the two go off to explore this unique and interactive museum. At first, the museum seemed too good to be true. From caves, a circus, a gigantic ball pit…what kind of museum is this? As it turns out, Bazow based this museum directly on the St. Louis City Museum, which makes me want to visit this place if I ever get out to see the Gateway of the West. But something that may make me stay away? Bazow’s depiction of demon-possessed security guard Victor Boone.

Michael and Sam find themselves unwitting players in Boone’s sadistic game. The rules are simple: survive until dawn. Michael and Sam must do what they can to survive, and use the only power they have—the power of prayer.

Gedden’s Armor had a lot of potential. With a great location-based plot and interesting characters, it will appeal to kids mostly under the age of 14. That’s just my opinion. Probably my favorite part of the book was what turned out to be a brief aside regarding an incident in Michael’s past. Nonetheless, there were a few things about the book that I think made it fall short of its potential.

Some of the book’s subplots seemed a bit underdeveloped. I would have liked to have known more about the museum and what role it played in Stone’s possession. It was implied that the museum was the cause of the possession, as well as the source of other otherworldly things, but this is not explained. Overall, these are probably not things that the target audience will pay much attention to, but they are things that I felt could have been improved upon.

Gedden’s Armor tells an interesting story set in a great-location and the plot, while weak at points, is sold overall.  

Gedden's Armor - Tom Bazow

Tea With Hezbollah Contest - Winners Announced!

When I was given the opportunity by Waterbrook Press to review Tea With Hezbollah by Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis, I was excited. I'm a longtime fan of Dekker and am constantly amazed by his insightful and gripping fiction, which has propelled him all the way to the New York Times bestsellers list. I knew Ted would have a unique take on the issues in the Middle East, and I couldn't wait to read Ted's words as he recounted his adventure with Carl Medearis. But enough about what I thought about Tea With Hezbollah. You can read that review in full right here.

You want to know about the contest, the one where I was giving away a copy of Tea With Hezbollah to someone else. The publishers were nice enough to give me a copy to give away, and I thought "Hey, here's an idea...let's try to draw some people to my Facebook fan page." Just to incite some competition, I even added in a 2nd place prize. I thought if I got a couple people to refer 10 friends or a bit over that I could call the contest successful.

I. Was. Completely. AMAZED. at the sheer number of referrals that came in, and the many more fans that joined without being referred. All in all, The Christian Critic went from 106 fans at the beginning of the contest to 506 at the contest's end. What sort of arm-twisting, blackmailing techniques were used to get that many people to become a fan, I don't know. And hopefully even though you may have been a bit coerced to join, I can convince you that being a regular reader is worth it.

But enough introduction...let's announce our winners.

1st Place - Josh Hurst - 106

2nd Place - Katie Gaylean - 65 

Josh will be receiving a copy of the just released Tea With Hezbollah while Katie will receive a copy of The Martyr's Song by Ted Dekker. If you two would please send me your information by contacting me here, I'll get your prizes out to you as soon as possible. 

For the rest of you, keep watching for future contests! We average around one a month here at The Christian Critic, and next time it just might be you in the winner's circle. Thanks to everybody that played. It was a blast. If you haven't ordered Tea With Hezbollah already, do so soon!

Tea With Hezbollah Contest - Winners Announced!

Timescape - Robert Liparulo

What would you do if you knew the fate of the world depended on your action or inaction? The Kings’ battle with Taksidian is raised to new heights when the Kings step into a portal that takes them to the future and they realize the end goal of Taksidian’s plans. It isn’t just about Mom anymore. It’s about everybody everywhere. And the Kings are beginning to wear down.

In return, Taksidian has stepped up his game, determined to get rid of Jesse, the one man who might know enough about the house to stop him. The journey continues with more suspenseful scenes and more dramatic turns. Questions are answered, but more are raised.

The Kings, tired of defending their home decide to turn the tables on their formidable enemy. And as the last pages close, one question remains: Was that the right decision? Timescape launches readers into the second half of the Dreamhouse Kings saga, which culminates with the already released Whirlwind and the to-be-released conclusion, Frenzy.

Liparulo continues to raise the stakes and heighten the suspense as the series progresses. Unforgettable characters are combined with excellent storytelling that leaves the reader begging for more. If you haven’t read the Dreamhouse Kings saga, Timescape isn’t the place to start. Each book in the series builds upon the previous, so you must be begin with book one, House of Dark Shadows. But I warn you, just like the mysterious portals in the King mansion, these stories are sure to suck you in and drop you in the middle of adventure.

Timescape - Robert Liparulo

Tea With Hezbollah - Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

 

You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies. – Jesus of Nazareth

In the West everyone speaks about love, love, we all gotta love, but when it comes to showing the kind of love that got the prophet killed, few seem much interested. – Ted Dekker

Let me set the scene for you if I may. The elevator takes you quietly to your floor. Your mind still reels as you consider that the city you are in is not a warzone now, but could be at any minute. You’re taken to a room where you will meet with the second-in-command of a political organization recognized by the United States as a terrorist organization. Tea is brought before you. You’ve come to talk about the ethic of Love, and the prophet of Love who died for His message. But you can’t help but be nervous. After all, it is not often one has Tea With Hezbollah.

Join New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker and Middle East relations expert Carl Medearis as they chronicle their journey through the Middle East on a quest to ask our perceived enemies some personal questions. What makes you laugh? When did you cry last? What do you think about Jesus’ statement that one should love his enemies? From a taxi driver to the Hezbollah to a couple of Osama Bin Laden’s brothers, Dekker and Medearis strip away the stereotype of the nameless, faceless identity all too easily called an enemy to reveal real people who laugh and cry, have hopes and dreams, and tuck their children into bed at night.

With transcripts taken directly from Dekker’s tape recorder, Tea With Hezbollah recounts word for word their interviews with figures nearly impossible to interview. And what they have to say will surprise you. This is a groundbreaking book that explores the issues in the Middle East with a unique take that could not have been conceived, let alone achieved, by any others. Hearts and minds will be changed as through the story, the point is made very clear. When it comes to loving one’s enemy, nobody does it awfully well, be they Christians, Jews, or Muslims. To really love one’s enemy we have to understand their perspective, think from their view, and walk in their shoes…We must make ourselves more like Jesus, who not only preached a gospel of Love, but while we were yet his enemies, loved us enough to die in order to save us.

Tea With Hezbollah, is, in two words, absolutely outstanding. I have no doubts that many will hate this book because of the message it is trying to share. Love terrorists? But the message doesn’t come from these two authors. They’ve just picked up on it from the one named Jesus.

I could go on about the concepts discussed in this book for a long time. Theme aside, Dekker’s writing in top-notch and the book is infused with a parable that drives the point straight home. There are many tidbits that I would love to share, but I shall leave that for you, the reader, to discover on your own. If you’d like to know more about Tea With Hezbollah and the concepts it discussing, register for the live web event Why Do You Fear Me? which will take place January 28 at 8pm EST. Dekker and Medearis will be joined by former South Carolina governor David Beasley in an honest and unscripted conversation about the Middle East.

Dekker and Medearis have gone where few men would dare go, and yet come back preaching a message of Love. Get this book. You will not disappointed.

Tea With Hezbollah - Ted Dekker and Carl Medearis

House of Dark Shadows Giveaway - Winner Announced!

When all the chips were in, we had over 30 people enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of House of Dark Shadows, the book that began the Dreamhouse Kings saga. All the names were put in a hat (a Superman-themed fedora, no less) and the winning name was plucked at random. And that name was...

Christopher Craven

Congratulations! You can email me your address by clicking here. For the rest of you, don't lose heart. There will be a next time. When? Who knows? So check back often and keep up with the updates on Facebook.

Until next time,

Josh Olds

House of Dark Shadows Giveaway - Winner Announced!

Gatekeepers - Robert Liparulo

The only thing separating the end of Watcher in the Woods and the beginning of Gatekeepers are the book’s covers. Liparulo wastes no time launching the Dreamhouse Kings right back into the middle of the action. This time Xander and David are in the middle of the Civil War searching for…well, the same thing they’ve been searching for since the beginning…their mother.

Gatekeepers is the key to understanding what is house is, what is does, and the nature of the portals on the mysterious third floor. We are introduced to Jesse and Keal, an old man and his ex-military nurse, who play an integral part in the story to come. Jesse, it seems, knows more about the house than anyone. The Kings’ are gatekeepers, he tells them, and it’s up to them to make sure history happens correctly. Go through a portal and change the past, and the present may not be anything the same.

But as the Kings’ understanding of the house grows, so does their alarm. More rests on their shoulders than they realize. And Taksidian, a cruel man with a strange and mysterious past, redoubles his efforts to get the Kings out of the house. He’s connected to the house closer than the Kings can understand, but how?

As you close the pages of Gatekeepers, its last words will sing a haunting melody in your ears. The Kings stand before a scene that causes them to realize that the stakes are infinitely higher than just getting Mrs. King back, and then you read the words…NOT THE END.

If you haven’t read books 1-2 of this series, then you are going to need to do so before digging into Gatekeepers, otherwise you’ll find yourself more confused than the Kings are. Gatekeepers expands upon and intensifies the foundations set forth in the first two books. The introduction of Jesse and Keal to the story serves to provide some outside brain and brawn to help the Kings solve this mystery they couldn’t solve on their own. This series just keeps getting better. Each book brings the story to new heights, and yet three books remain to the saga.

Note: Interested in winning an autographed copy of House of Dark Shadows? Well, who isn’t? Comment on my review of Watcher in the Woods and be entered. Contest ends Saturday, so comment now!

Gatekeepers - Robert Liparulo

Dug Down Deep - Josh Harris

It had been a while since I’d thought about Josh Harris – you know, the “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” guy. True, I’d just reread that book a few months back, but the thought “what’s he doing now” just never crossed my mind. Sorry Josh, it’s just true.

But with Dug Down Deep, Josh Harris has my attention once again. Except this time he’s not pontificating on relationship issues. Instead he’s bringing us back to the core of theology, to the most basic and orthodox of beliefs, to make sure that his readers are Dug Down Deep in their Christian walk with God.

In the book, Harris traces his own journey towards a deep and fulfilling relationship with Christ while elaborating on simple doctrine put in simple terms. Harris takes theology off the top-shelf and makes it easily accessible to the lay reader. But he also recounts his path towards understanding that top-shelf matter, and why it is important to understand.

At base, Josh deconstructs all the theological terminology and puts it in these terms: While we were forced to be apart from God because of our sin, God wanted to be in relationship so badly that he was willing to sacrifice his Son in order to restore that relationship.

Josh calls us back to a humble orthodoxy, to not just believe the right things, but live and preach them with humility. In other words, we are to stand strong in our commitment to sound doctrine while being gracious in our words and interactions with others. For anyone wanting to get to know core theological doctrines better, this is a book you want to pick up. As a student of Christianity, nothing regarding doctrine that Josh spoke about was new to me. Yet it provided a clear and lucid refresher of those terms of basic doctrine. If you pick up this book, you will not be disappointed. Buy it here!

Dug Down Deep - Josh Harris

Watcher in the Woods - Robert Liparulo

Well, I wouldn’t stay in the house. But then again a strange hulking figure from one of the mysterious portals hasn’t kidnapped my mother either. Robert Liparulo wastes no time throwing the Kings back into even more perilous danger as the second installment of the Dream House Kings series, Watcher in the Woods, takes off right where House of Dark Shadows left off.

Mom is gone and the Kings have to save her. But doing so requires that they stop running full-tilt into situations they don’t understand and risking life and limb. They have to slow down – just a bit – and figure out exactly how these portals work. Is it an alternate reality? Is it actual history? Who is the behemoth who kidnapped their mother and why?

But the action rarely lets up, because as the Kings struggle to understand the house, they find that it might be even more dangerous than they thought. Compound this with a strange and influential man named Taksidian who seems intent on taking over the house. And Taksidian appears to know more than he’s letting on…way more. The search for answers only leads to more questions and more danger.

If House of Dark Shadows focused on oldest child Xander’s perspective, Watcher in the Woods shifts slightly to tell the story with a focus on middle child David. In the end, book two is as much a roller coaster ride as the first. Liparulo masterfully weaves an engaging story that all climaxes into a resounding crescendo of…NOT THE END?! Things are either all coming together or all falling apart, but it’ll take book 3, Gatekeepers, to find out exactly which.

The Dream House Kings saga is a continuous story, so if you haven’t read House of Dark Shadows, it’s rather imperative you pick up that book first. But I will caution you, Liparulo’s writing is much like the portals found in the Kings’ Victorian mansion: If you stick your head in too far, you’ll be sucked right into the world he’s created.

And now for a special surprise. Let’s say you like free books. Let’s say you like things that are autographed. Are you following me so far? Comment on this review and on January 23^rd we’ll take a random drawing from all the comments, and the winner will receive an autographed copy of House of Dark Shadows. Sound awesome? I thought so.

Watcher in the Woods - Robert Liparulo

The Gospel According to LOST - Chris Seay

My opening statement is probably anathema to some of my readers, so I pray you’ll forgive my ignorance and continue to read my reviews anyway. I must confess: I have never watched an episode of LOST before in my life.

I know, I know…how can this be, right? Well, I have all the right excuses. I didn’t get in on the show at its very beginning, and it appears to be something you must experience from the beginning in order to understand. I am at work when it is on TV…or at least I’m assuming because in all honesty, I don’t know when it airs, but as I work in the evening, every evening, suffice it to say I’m busy making money while you Lost fans curl up in a soft chair with your Cheetos.

But what’s this? The Gospel According to… Now there’s something I can get into. I LOVE the Gospel…and if you can show me how LOST makes the Gospel relevant to today’s 21^st century media-driven culture, then you can make me love the show. So, as I opened the pages of The Gospel According to LOST, I was presenting a challenge to author Chris Seay. By the time I close this book, make me a fan.

And so I began to read. And I’ll be honest. I didn’t understand everything I read. I don’t know who these people are, why I should love or hate them, or what they’ve done to elicit the reaction I’m supposed to have. Seay focuses on the characters of LOST in an attempt to demonstrate how their character or actions, or something that happens to them, is a metaphor or linked to Biblical imagery.

However, Seay never quite gets to the heart of the Gospel. Hence a title like The Gospel According to... is not entirely accurate. Maybe it’s because LOST doesn’t address the core message of the Gospel, I don’t know, but the book spends it’s time laying out imagery based on peripheral issues, such as the concept of human free will, issues more philosophical than evangelical. Only in a discussion of the character Sayid is the heart of the Gospel discussed.

Nonetheless, the book is engaging, for the most part, even for one who continually found himself not understanding all about what was going on. I found the character of John Locke, and the resulting discussion of faith quite compelling. Some of the connections Seay makes seem tenuous at best, but I am willing to plead ignorance and assume that it is I the reader missing an important truth.

In the end, I’m sure the The Gospel According to LOST will entertain and edify and fan of the runaway hit television show. And if you’re not a fan of LOST, but are a fan of theology and philosophy, you will be by the time the book is read. Because as I turned the last page, my interest sufficiently piqued, I say that I may have turned the corner. I may have become a LOST fan. I don’t know yet. But definitely intrigued enough to watch.

A review copy of this book was provided by Thomas Nelson.

The Gospel According to LOST - Chris Seay

House of Dark Shadows - Robert Liparulo

It sits in the middle of the woods, shrouded in the shadows made by the canopy of trees. It creaks, it groans, it breathes. It sits abandoned, waiting for a family to brighten its halls, to uncover its secrets, to discover its mystery.

Xander King isn’t at all thrilled about the big move to a small town. He can’t understand why his dad would have taken a job as the principal of a school in Pinedale. The only thing he knows for sure about his new home is that it is nowhere as cool as his old home in L.A., where he and his friends would make amateur films with the hope of someday making it big.

While the Kings are house-shopping, they happen upon an old abandoned Victorian mansion out in the woods. A talk with the real estate agent reveals the rumor that the previous family was killed in a murder-suicide. Lovely. Excellent place to live. But Xander’s dad certainly seemed excited about it.

As Xander, his brother David, and sister Toria, go about exploring their new and unique house, the quickly realize that not all is as it seems. Voices come from places they shouldn’t, sounds are all mixed up in the place. Xander finds giant bare footprints. And strangest of all…when David gets in the linen closet, he ends up in locker 119 at the school Mr. King is now principal at.

All those weird things are nothing though, compared to when they find a secret hallway that takes them to hidden rooms. And hidden rooms that take them to…well…anywhere. The house is basically a giant time machine, that can throw the traveler into very real and very deadly situations, as Xander finds out when he enters a portal that takes him to the glory days of the Roman Colosseum.

Xander is determined to unravel the mystery of the house. But his dad seems to know more than he’s letting on. What does his dad know about the secret rooms? And who is making the giant footprints in the dust? What secrets does this House of Dark Shadows keep? Is this Dream House the Kings’ worst nightmare?

Robert Liparulo sets up a creepy and well-written story of a house with a mind of its own. Written for young adults, it is the first installment in the six book Dream House Kings series. But don’t let the YA genre fool you. Adults as well as children will enjoy this enthralling story as the Kings struggle to uncover the mystery of the house – something made all that more important by the climactic cliffhanger ending.

My only recommendation for readers of this series is this: Have the next book ready. Those that know have told me the ride only gets better. And while I admittedly and ashamedly am beginning my own foray into the Dream House Kings rather late, I can smile smugly as I realize that I will not have to agonizingly wait for the next book to be released. As a matter of fact, I’m holding book two, Watcher in the Woods, in my hands right now. And I can’t wait to see how or if or when the Kings figure out exactly what this house is.

House of Dark Shadows - Robert Liparulo

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Contact The Christian Critic

Ghostwriter - Travis Thrasher

It’s 2am. The blinking cursor contrasts sharply with the blank white screen, mocking the fact that I haven’t written anything. Time for a break, I thought. Maybe if I read for a bit, I can clear my head and figure out how to finish that scene. So I grabbed the book resting atop my to-read pile. And pulled down Ghostwriter by Travis Thrasher.

You’d think by now I’d realize that beginning a Thrasher novel at 2am is potentially an unwise decision, as they’re so hard to put down that I end up reading the whole thing. At least that was the case with Isolation, a Shining-esque horror novel that scares the hell out of you…and Jesus into you.

So I pick up the book and open it, slowly remembering what I already knew about the book’s premise. Horror novelist Dennis Shore has a deadline looming, and a horrible case of writer’s block. I look up at the blinking cursor still mocking me. Haven’t even read the book yet and I feel this strange urge to check under my bed.

After disposing of the remnants of the previous day’s dinner…I’m still not sure how it ended up under the bed…I settled in for the haunting story that is Ghostwriter. Still reeling over the loss of his wife, Dennis finds himself pushing a deadline with no book in hand. In a panic, he takes out a manuscript sent to him years ago by a kid – Cillian Reed – adds a few touches to it, and submits the plagiarized work as his own. He thinks he’s gotten away with it, until it literally comes back to haunt him.

At first, Dennis shrugs it off. He had to protect his career, didn’t he? But Cillian won’t stop stalking him. And he seems to know more than anyone alive ever could. A ghost? But Dennis only writes about the supernatural, he doesn’t actually believe in it. But Cillian doesn’t seem to care that Dennis doesn’t believe. He’s going to make sure the man that stole from him never writes again.

Thrasher has written a harrowing and redemptive story that explores the concept of a horror novelist who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, and then finds himself confronting it in a terrifying and visceral way. Thrasher seems to throw a lot of himself into the book, and one wonders if at least some of Dennis’s thoughts regarding writing and life aren’t taken directly from Thrasher himself.

It took a while for me to get used to the book’s pacing, but once I figured it out, I began to understand the book a lot better. In a technique that works astoundingly well, Thrasher switches to the present tense for his most terrifying scenes. The effect puts you into the moment and quickens your pulse.

Ghostwriter is excellent both in its writing and in its story. Thrasher is a master at blending horror with strong spiritual elements. If you’ve read Isolation and loved it, then you will definitely love Ghostwriter. If you haven’t read Isolation, then you will after reading Ghostwriter. If you’re looking for a novel that will scare and mystify and intrigue and leave you weeping at the moment of redemption, this is exactly what you want to read. As I look through my pile of books, I see Broken, Thrasher’s next novel, scheduled to release in May 2010. I shudder slightly, my heart beats faster, and I anticipate my next sleepless yet enjoyable night.

Review copy provided by Faith Words.

Ghostwriter - Travis Thrasher

Thicker Than Blood - CJ Darlington

A family was broken and the bonds of sisterhood all but destroyed when Christy Williams walked out of her parents’ funeral and her sisters’ life. Fifteen years later,

Christy now works at an antique book store, learning the finer points about how to spot a first edition gem. She’d worked her way up in the business from the bottom, and now she was really getting to the fun stuff. Nothing beats the smell of an old and valuable book. She wasn’t perfect. She drank a bit too much, at least in the opinion of the cop who gave her a DUI. But overall, she was faring pretty well. Her family only a sometimes memory.

May Williams never forgot the day her sister walked out, never to return. She was now part-owner of a ranch that was home to a couple hundred head of cattle. It was a rough life but May enjoyed it.  Yet life seemed incomplete without her sister.

But after Christy is accused of stealing a first edition autographed Hemingway, and her apartment burns in a mysterious fire, Christy flees to her sister, fearing for her life. It’s a bittersweet reunion as May and Christy realizes what opposite paths their lives have taken. It will take a relationship Thicker than Blood to resolve the pain.

C.J. Darlington scores in her debut novel. Thicker than Blood is a character and emotion driven novel that focuses on the breadth and depth of relationships. At the forefront, of course, is Christy’s relationship with May, but along the way, many more relationships are explored, each telling its own unique tale. For Christy, it’s a story of redemption from her past; for May, it’s about how to forgive the sister that hurt her so horribly. And at the center of story is the Gospel Christy so desperately needs, and May is so desperate to share.

It’s well-written with attention to detail. I particularly enjoyed the random tidbits about the antique book industry, as Darlington has many years experience in the bookselling business. As a self-professed bibliophile, I particularly enjoyed these little factoids.

On the flip side, I did feel that the book got a little heavy-handed on the preaching side occasionally. Not often, just enough for me to take note of it. And I fully realize that this is a Christian publication from a Christian publisher, so I’m not saying it’s not entirely a bad thing, but in my experience, such methods do not work as well as if the theme is more subtly integrated. However, on the whole, Thicker than Blood is a great debut, and I look forward to whatever might come next.

Thicker Than Blood - CJ Darlington