Cover via Amazon

Introduction

I don’t read a lot of fiction…well, let me rephrase that…I read a lot of fiction but not when compared to the amount of non-fiction. I’m always looking for a good fiction read to relax with – and share with my wonderful wife (Charity). When it comes to fiction I’m fairly picky. While I read widely in my childhood and teen years when it came to fiction I’ve since significantly refined my tastes.

Unfortunately, I find it fairly difficult to find good fiction books, so when I find one I want to share it. It is my humble opinion that every individual should seek to maintain a supply of recreational materials (e.g. books, movies, other venues) which they can utilize whenever the need arises. Recently I found another work (and author) to add to my list.

The Awakened is the freshman endeavor by Jason Tesar and is a three-part trilogy. I have only finished the first book (and am currently blazing through the second) – but I’ve read enough to know that I love it!

Synopsis

I prefer not to know much about the storyline from the books I am about to read. For those who are like me here are a few key themes that may peak your interest: ancient, nephilim, angels, mythology, parallel worlds (maybe?), action, intrigue, ethics. For those who are interested in a real synopsis, here is the description from Jason Tesar’s page:

“THE HISTORY: Over five thousand years ago, a renegade faction of angels abandoned the spiritual realm and began their inhabitation of earth. Worshiped as gods for their wisdom and power, they corrupted the realm of the physical and forever altered the course of history.
THE PROPHECY: Amidst the chaos of a dying world, a lone voice foretold the awakening of a warrior who would bring an end to this evil perpetrated against all of creation. But with the cataclysmic destruction of earth and rebirth of humanity, the prophecy went unfulfilled and eventually faded from the memory of our kind—until now!
THE AWAKENED: The physical dimension is fractured. What remain now are numerous fragmented worlds moving simultaneously through time, sharing a common history, connected only by a guarded portal. On a parallel earth, in the city of Bastul, Colonel Adair Lorus disappears while investigating the death of an informant, triggering a series of events which will tear his family apart and set in motion the resolution of an ancient struggle.
Kael, sentenced to death after rising up against the cruel leadership of his new step-father, is rescued from prison and trained in the arts of war by a mystical order of clerics. Excelling in every aspect of his training, Kael inwardly struggles to give himself fully to the methods of his new family, or the god they worship.
Maeryn, bitter over the disappearance of her husband and supposed execution of her son, fears for her life at the hands of her newly appointed husband. Finding comfort and purpose in her unborn child, she determines to undermine his authority by reaching out to an underground social movement known as the Resistance.
After being forced from his home, Kael’s former mentor, Saba, uncovers a clue to Adair’s disappearance. Sensing a connection to his own forgotten past, Saba begins an investigation which leads to the discovery of a secret military organization operating within the Orudan Empire.
In book one of his debut series, Jason Tesar delves into the heart of an ancient legend, embarking on an epic saga that will journey from earth’s mythological past to its post-apocalyptic future, blending the genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and military/political suspense.”

Review

Jason Tesar has a great future as an author – if his works continue to maintain the quality and innovation of The Awakened. The novels offer consistently quality wordmanship, a compelling storyline, intriguing mysteries, and a sweet balance of story progression and parallel threads^[1]

Tesar’s work is likely to appeal to a wide variety of readers. His works should attract fans of C.S. Lewis‘ Chronicles of Narnia and Space Trilogy. They may also attract fans of J.R.R. Tolkien, though the works are not in the strict fantasy realm, being much more along the lines of Lewis’ Space Trilogy. More contemporaneously, I would recommend Tesar’s works to fans of Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, Michael Crichton, James Rollins, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, and Tosca Lee.

If you like cerebral, action-packed page-turners – Tesar’s work should immediately hit the top of your reading list. I’m really excited at the quantity of work Tesar is turning out and optimistic that he will continue to deliver the quality of work he has demonstrated thus far.

Ohh, and did I mention the books are available for $2.99 for the Amazon Kindle and even better the first book is free!?!

Related articles

• Book Review: “Awakening Dreams (Grace Awakening Book One)” (thecheapreader.wordpress.com)
• Book Review: “Blood Red Road” by Moira Young (slclteens.wordpress.com)
• The Animal World of C.S. Lewis (bipedsandbrutes.wordpress.com)
• FORBIDDEN by Ted Dekker and Tosca Lee (W/ Giveaway!) (bookjourney.wordpress.com)
• Book Review: Blood Red Road (eulana.com)

1. ^[1] Many authors abuse parallel threads to offer ‘page-turning’ suspense instead of real suspense. The flipping between threads is done to force the reader to turn the pages, in an endeavor to get back to another thread in the story…to get to those threads which advance the story. Tesar uses parallel threads but not to create this forced reading experience, but as a means of advancing the story and maintaining a complex and thrilling plot. ↩

There are some Ted Dekker books I feel are masterful stories (Adam, Thr3e). There are some which I read but didn’t care for (Skin, House, Showdown, Saint, Sinner). There are those that seem like just another rehashing of already told tales (Boneman’s Daughters). Now it appears I must add a fourth category: the stories that are not masterful in-and-of themselves, that feel partially like a rehashing – but yet distinguish themselves for their message.

Over time Dekker’s books seem to move more mainstream and to remain less and less in the Christian thriller niche. The Bride Collector certainly feels this way, and yet it is with great conviction that Dekker portrays a message of high importance to his readers. What message? That those who are mentally ill are not so different from the rest of us. That the monsters of this world are as likely to be sane and rational as insane and that there is still bountiful humanity and intelligence in those who are maimed in some way in the mind.

I’d encourage anyone who wants a thought provoking and entertaining read about the nature of mental illness, the humanity of its suffers, and the insanity of every man to consider The Bride Collector.

P.S. I read this book on my Amazon Kindle!

Related articles

• The 2011 Christy Award Winners (hopeofglory.typepad.com)
• 2011 Christy Award Winners (jeanettewrites.wordpress.com)
• Orange, Red, White and Green (bindingthemain.wordpress.com)
• Choose “Chosen” As Your Next Read (scottcouey.wordpress.com)

I thought I had noticed a pattern in Dekker’s writing. I’d found that his series seemed to fall into the lower category (at least for me) while his individual novels seemed to stand fairly strong. I had hoped that Boneman’s Daughters, a stand-alone novel, would hold this pattern true – especially coming on the heels of Adam. Unfortunately – it doesn’t. Not that its a bad novel – James Rollins gives it accolades, so it has to be decent right?

Boneman’s Daughters is the story of a father (Ryan Evans) whose wife (Celine) and teenage daughter (Bethany) feel abandoned and independent as Ryan has spent years serving in the military away from them. Ryan has a life-changing experience that renews his desire to correct his relationships with his wife and daughter – but is he too late? Given enough time perhaps he can win them back – but there is a killer (“Boneman”) on the loose who steals daughters and breaks their bones horrifically – and he’s about to take Bethany. How will Ryan save her and if he does save her will she even want to be saved? Or is Ryan really Boneman?

A number of interesting questions with potential thrills – but the story fails to grip and hold. The spiritual aspect is at times absent (Dekker’s first “secular” book) but at other times feels heavy-handed. There aren’t the same sort of psychological insights and emotional twists that Adam offers in Boneman. If I had to rate it I’d give it a seven on a ten point scale. Its a decent read if you are bored, but not revolutionary. Read Adam instead.

Part One (6/15/07):

Today I received a small package in the mail. What was this? I hadn’t remembered ordering anything off Half.com recently. I busted it open. Ohh, it was Demon a memoir by Tosca Lee. I had seen the book in a Crosswalk review and decided that I would like to get my hands on it. Amazingly, Tosca happened upon my “wish list” and offered to send me a complimentary copy. So here it was. While I hadn’t asked, I was happy to see she had taken a moment to sign it. Since running several websites on the internet over the years I have accumulated quite the small stash of items from various authors, publishers, etc., but few that I have looked forward to so eagerly.

Tonight was a youth event, so I didn’t have much time but I sat down and began to read. I was happy to see it was published by NavPress, a Christian publisher I trust. The first chapter read smoothly enough, but started more slowly than most. Many novels these days begin with a cliff hanger seeking to immediately draw their readers in. Tosca avoids this traditional formula – perhaps to her monetary detriment, but not to the detriment of her storytelling. Rather she slowly picks up pace – revealing layers of mystery and pain.

The story of Demon a memoir is a twin tale. First of Clay, a man who has lost everything when his wife Aubrey divorces him, and of the demon that desires to have his story told by Clay to the world. Such a premise is fascinating. Humans are always drawn to the unknown – that is why genres such as science fiction and fantasy attract us and why we are so driven to scientific discovery.

Thus far Tosca has managed to powerfully portray the surroundings, individuals, and storyline. The story reads with great detail but not so much (that like Dostoevsky) it becomes overwhelming and brings the storyline to a painful halt (though I still like Dostoevsky). I have begun to feel the pain that Clay is experiencing over his wife’s betrayal. The anguish is almost palpable. At the same time I am drawn to the story of the demon, Lucian. Tosca is building up camaraderie and sympathy with the demon. The demon seems honorable, humble, and earnest. What story does he have to tell? Is God really the bad guy in this cosmic war? Tosca gives no hints as to her plans, though the publisher and some of the recommendations give away where the story is headed.

The real question now is, which I cannot answer until I have pierced more deeply into the novel, will Tosca be able to offer insight into the demonic nature? Will she be able to maintain the tension of the storyline? Or will Tosca’s novel become just another plodding example of Christian apologetics roughly pressed into the mold of entertainment? If so, I am sure she will find her place on my list (not a good place) amongst Unidentified, The Moment After 2: The Awakening, and Left Behind. But here’s hoping…

Part Two (6/22/07):

I am now on page 146 of 322, this compared to perhaps page 60 the last time I wrote. I find the novel fascinating and am continually picking it up throughout the day – whenever I am at home. I am attempting to pace myself, to force myself to enjoy it like a sweet chocolate rather than gulping it all down in one large bite and feeling as if I had just gorged myself – missing out on the flavor and depth.

I must say, I have been extremely impressed with the book thus far. It is not a cliff-hanger. Each chapter doesn’t end forcing you to read the next (as say, Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Dan Brown, etc.) – but there is this overall pushing forward which keeps you reading. There is this continuous thread slowly being unraveled as we learn about Clay and his demonic friend, Lucian. Tosca slowly, tantalizingly reveals to us the truth – and it is both delightful and painful. Tonight I seriously contemplated jumping to the end of the novel, to find out what secrets she has hidden – but I doubt that the novel will end with a summary conclusion, rather it is spread throughout – each chapter revealing more secrets.

Besides writing a compelling novel she has written a novel well-founded. It is based upon firm biblical interpretations, though not necessarily always ones I would agree with. While binding herself to the text of Scripture thus far she has also loosed herself from it. She walks a balanced road – painting broad strokes around the Scripture’s fundamental story while not undermining the essential details.

Finally, I would note that her writing skill is immaculate. I do not know whether she sat with a dictionary as she typed up each page but the variety and depth of her vocabulary is astonishing. Each page flows with details and grandeur – yet not so much so as to become academic and dry.

So, halfway through the novel how do I feel about it? I feel that it is amazing. No, its not your average thriller and it doesn’t force you to stay up nights – but it does draw you back daily and leaves you with a deep satisfaction upon the completion of every chapter.

Part Three (6/27/07):

Tonight I read perhaps a dozen chapters. I had been trying to keep myself to only one to three chapters a day – preferably one at a time, but tonight I had to finish it. Not only because I desired to know how the story ended, but also because I was eager to write this review and begin lending out my book to anyone who would read it. I was not disappointed and I have given Tosca Lee’s rating a near-perfect review (4.99/5.00). Amongst literary writers I would compare her most closely to C.S. Lewis, especially in his The Great Divorce (I read The Screwtape Letters as a pre-teen and have not had the opportunity to re-read them, at the time they seemed dry and boring, so I will not compare Demon to it). She ranks with certainty alongside of some of our most accomplished and popular Christian writers – e.g. Frank Peretti, Ted Dekker, Randy Alcorn.

Salient Features:

• Story: So many Christian products are repackaged secular products (this is especially true in the music and film industries). Lee separates herself as an original and innovative writer who provides a gripping story. She also manages to avoid the pitfall of Christian art. Creating a work which forgets that it is art by becoming so enamored with powerfully portraying the gospel, to the abandonment of its method. Lee skillfully balances these two – ensuring that truth is clearly demonstrated while at the same time raising the bar for Christian fiction artistically. Her story is fascinating and engrossing.
• Grammar, Structure: In both its vocabulary and style Demon manages to be a piece of art. Where many Christian volumes fall into redundancy and formulaic expressions she manages to skillfully weave a masterpiece.
• Theology: One could read her volume not only as fiction but also as commentary. The depth of expression and insight is breathtaking. Yet at the end she humbly writes in an “Author’s Note”, “…despite my research, I have never come to the point that I feel I completely understand the implications of God’s relationship with spiritual beings or the nuances of passages like Ezekiel 28 and Isaiah 14. I chose the interpretations I did for the sense they make to me and also for their storytelling merit. I encourage you to pass my approach through the sieve of your own discernment and to use it as a springboard for your own investigation.” (pg. 320)
• Un-Answered Questions: Tosca does not attempt to answer every question raised and while oftentimes suggesting what she feels is the answer, allows the reader to continue to wrestle with the unanswerable questions. This may be considered frustrating, but it is excellent in refusing to provide the pat answers we so often desire.

To those who are looking for a piece of summer fiction or the next must read I wholeheartedly endorse this volume as eminently readable and enjoyable.