Armor of God [Hardcover]

Paul Block (Author), Robert Vaughan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 6, 2009

Father Michael Flannery is Keeper of the Sign, prophesied to bring the gospel of peace to the world. On his way to New York for a landmark symposium of the world’s largest religious groups, Flannery barely escapes assassination. Not content with possessing the scroll, Via Dei is determined to tie up loose ends and ensure that Father Flannery’s message never gets out.

Interwoven with this modern-day suspense is the story of Tobias Garlande, a scholar living during the First Crusade. Burdened with terrifying visions of future tragedies, Tobias is the first Keeper. His connection to Father Flannery echoes across centuries with a simple warning: You must not fail.

Combining international intrigue and suspense with fascinating historical detail, Armor of God continues to explore the ramifications of true faith with a compelling tale of past and present religious turmoil and touching human drama.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Fr. Michael Flannery, the 47-year-old priest last seen in The Masada Scroll, is back and continuing his quest for the Gospel of Dismayas. This religious thriller alternates briskly between present-day New York City and Jerusalem and scenes set in the time of the Crusades in France, Toledo and regions near Constantinople that feature Tobias Garlande, a scholar who has visions of the future and is revealed to be connected to Father Flannery. Back in the future, Father Flannery learns he is being targeted by an ancient religious order that doesn't want him to share his message of faith with the world. Although the dialogue is lamentable and some early antics involving computer hacking are hackneyed at best, the authors show a good grasp of the variety of various religious traditions and histories that underpin this series, even if the faith elements are a bit heavy-handed. (Jan.)
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From Booklist

In 2007, coauthors Block and Vaughan (the latter is a prolific novelist, not the well-known actor) published The Masada Scroll, which concerned discovery of an unknown gospel predating those of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. That novel’s hero is Father Michael Flannery, who decodes a mysterious symbol contained in the gospel, only to have the scroll stolen by Via Dei, an ancient sect determined to keep the scroll’s message from being divulged to the world. Now Via Dei has embarked on a series of assassinations designed to keep Flannery and others silent forever. The authors tell two stories here: the modern-day account of Flannery’s attempts to stay out of Via Dei’s clutches, and the eleventh-century story of Tobias Garlande, a French scholar whose visions may foretell future events. Religious-conspiracy thrillers were a dime a dozen even before The Da Vinci Code; now they’re a penny a dozen, and most of them are hastily produced, and painful to read. This one, while no great work of literature, is solidly written and imaginative, with a story line that delivers the goods. --David Pitt

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765313391
• ISBN-13: 978-0765313393
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,523,898 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Armor of God, March 8, 2009

By 

Robert O. Harder (Chicago, IL, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Armor of God (Hardcover)

This sequel to "The Masada Scroll" is terrific! As implicity promised in the first book, this second volume continues the larger story of what spiritual faith of any stripe should really be about. Once again, the authors enrich the telling by framing their tale in a double viewpoint context--one contemporary and one in the historical past; this time, readers travel back to the Middle Ages and Crusades. Through it all, the book's primary protagonist, Father Flannery, now himself a Keeper of the Sign, finds he is under constant threat from powerfully entrenched religious groups with a very great deal to lose if he accomplishes his prime directive--revealing the newly discovered Masada gospel of unity and peace to the entire world. Throughout, the authors keep the reader on chair's edge; both are master thriller/suspense story-tellers and once again with "Armor of God," they do not disappoint. all the way through to the last page.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fast-paced religious thriller, February 14, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Armor of God (Hardcover)

Though at times he feels the weight of the world upon him, forty-seven years old Father Michael Flannery knows faith and his mission for God keeps him going. He is the Keeper of the Sign that somehow combines the Star of David, the Cross of Christianity and the Crescent and Star of Islam before any of these symbols have been known to have existed.

He knows the consolidated symbol represents the Trevia Dei paths to God. He continues his work to bring peace and harmony through the recently stolen Gospel of Dismayas that predates the four accepted Gospels. Many fanatics from each major religion want him dead as he preaches any path to God not one intrusive way. On his way to give a talk in New York, a Via Dei assassin tries to kill him to keep him from preaching the earliest known gospel; one that has been contradicted ever since.

This fast-paced religious thriller also contains a subplot involving the Crusades starring a scholar Tobias Garlande, who sees the future which adds depth and excitement, but this is Father Flannery's tale. The story line is fast-paced from the onset as assassins try to kill the hero to prevent him getting the word out. Although at times the language feels stilted, fans will relish the sequel to THE MASADA SCROLL as Paul Block and Robert Vaughan provide an intriguing look at the three major monotheistic religions in which a gospel of peace and harmony is unacceptable to the powerful who need the masses conflicted to maintain their affluent position on earth.

Harriet Klausner