Customer Reviews

Black (Circle Trilogy)

5 star:		(147)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Ted Dekker has proven time and time again that he can write a story that will capture and captivate us from start to finish. This first book of his new triology is no exception.

When we first meet Thomas Hunter, he is on the run from some hitmen. It seems that he borrowed some money from the mob and never quite managed to pay them back. A bullet grazes Thomas' head and he is knocked unconcious.

As Thomas regains conciousness, he finds that he has no memory of who he is or even where he is. He touches his throbbing head and finds that it is bleeding. There is also some blood on the rocks where his head was. He thinks he must have fallen and knocked himself out. Unfortunately, Thomas is in the middle of the Black Forest, which is filled with thousands of big, ugly, black bats. When one of them bares his yellow fangs at the confused man, Thomas passes out.

When Thomas comes to, he finds himself face down in a pile of garbage. He manages to make his way to his sister's apartment. After cleaning himself up a little, he passes out on the couch from sheer exhaustion.

As Thomas wakes up, he finds himself surrounded once again by the big, ugly, black bats. Worse yet, he still has no idea who he is or where he is.

Thomas Hunter is trapped between two realities. Everytime he falls asleep or goes unconcious in one of them, he wakes up in the other. But these realities seem more like dreams to Thomas. And to make matters worse, he doesn't know which one is the dream and which one is real.

Unfortunately, both realities are in grave danger. And Thomas is the only one who can save both worlds. But before he can do that, he must accept the reality of both worlds. If he doesn't, neither reality stands a chance of surviving.

At the time of this writing, the first two books of this trilogy ("Black" and "Red") have already been released this year. The final book ("White") is to be released later this year. Ted Dekker has shown us before how he can blindside his readers with plot twists and turns that no one saw coming. So far, this trilogy is off to a very twisty start.

I'm a rabid reader..everything I can get my hands on, including all the best Christian fiction. This book is very hard to describe or categorize. I was afraid at first that this book might wander off into silliness--what with talking bats and crystal-colored forests. Not to worry, however, as Dekker is a master storyteller and his metaphorical world is beyond belief. This is a great story and so much more. Don't believe for a moment that you know what this is about or how it will end...you'll be kept on the edge of your seat. I've read Black and Red, and can't possibly wait for the release of White. Wish this series would go on longer like the Left Behind series did.

This is a fascinating story about the power of evil and the consequences of human choice. Centered around a central character whose dreams propel him back and forth between two realities, this is an exciting and suspenseful book with a powerful theological sub-plot. I greatly enjoyed it!

Thomas, Kara, Rachelle, Monique, Tanis, Teelah, Johan, Elyon ... all memorable characters living in a vivid landscape of the mind.

I have read all of Ted Dekker's works and have found none of them to be lacking. He is a brilliant writer and has the ability to capture the heart, soul, and mind of the reader ... pulling him within his luscious landscapes.

Out of all of Dekker's novels, this one starts us off on a journey through a parallel world, entered only through the dreams of Thomas Hunter. He falls asleep in one world, only to wake in the next and can only return to the other by falling asleep to dream.

I have read other reviews correlating "Black" to the likes of The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings. Of the two, I would say that it most closely resembles the latter. Yet, throughout, Dekker always places a glimmer of hope. You never feel swallowed by the blackness, yet, live in the hope of regaining the light.

If you have yet to read any of Dekker's books, all I can say is grab them all. They are all fantastic in their own unique and special way. I would probably start with Blessed Child and then span out from there.

The only downfall to this novel is the fact that I now have to wait three months for the sequal and then another four months for the finale.

In the meantime, I will close my eyes to dream of the Shataiki, the Roush, Elyon, green canopies shimmering in the breeze, the black forest, sweet and delicious fruit, singing and dancing, the Gathering, lavendar and turquoise and gold hanging in the air, and the Great Romance.

Does this sound intriguing, inviting, and irresistable?

It is.

We were created to love beauty. We love beauty because Elyon loves beauty. We love song because Elyon loves song. We love love because Elyon loves love. And we love to be loved because Elyon loves to be loved. In all these ways we are like Elyon. In one way or another, everything we do is tied to this unfolding story of love between us and Elyon.

Elyon's love for us and ours for him, the Great Romance, is first. The second is that same love expressed between us, between man and woman.

God bless you all as you begin this journey of love.

P.S.: Congratulations to The Drudge Report for the honorary mention. :o)

Every time I pick up one of Mr. Dekker's novels, I wonder if it can live up to the last. I have not yet been dissapointed. His books can fill you with angst at the evils of this world while painting a vision of beauty and hope that surpasses all evil and leaves you longing to become part of that vision.

There are few authors I have read who can so well portray the narrow gap between heros and villains of humanity, while at the same time drawing a clear line between the two.

Having a penchant for Fantasy/ Science fiction novels, I was pleased to discover Mr. Dekker was trying his hand at this genre with BLACK. Would he be able to bring his unique style to this type of story? All I can say is Wow!

Start to finish was a pleasure to read. If you have enjoyed the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant by Stephen R Donaldson, you will find a similar sense of mystery about which reality is the real reality. If you've read the swashbuckling style of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Men of Mars novels, you will find that heroic pace and imaginative landscape.

I have read a few novels since finishing BLACK, and when I turn the last page, instead of contemplating what I've just read, find myself asking, "I wonder if RED is out yet?"

This is a review for the whole trilogy rather than the individual books. I found that I could not write a review for one book without referencing another, nor could I appreciate the beauty of one book without including the other two.

That said, I loved this story. I didn't think I would when I first started to read Black. The people were just so...well, mushy and loving. It drove me nuts. But I kept reading on the promise of a friend that it would get better.

Pretty soon I got used to the mushiness and recognized it as seeing love and innocence in its pureset form, untainted by sin and evil. After awhile it made me long for that same innocence and love and I teared up at the end of the book when sin corrupted that world.

Sure, the Christian sybology is really strong. Its supposed to be. That is the nature of this world Dekker wrote. Its not subtle...its black and white...and red. Extremes. Extreme evil, extreme love. Thats the way it is in the real world too...though we have succeeded in turning everything into shades of gray.

Sin, evil, love, redemption, sanctification, the law, hope, faith, did I mention love? All in this series. And more.

Having read two of Dekker's previous novels (Thr3e and Blink), I was excited to pick up BLACK, the first act in a three-part fantasy drama about mankind's relationship with an all-knowing, all-powerful messiah.
Unlike Dekker's earlier BLINK, this book propelled me into the story from the very first page. Different from any fantasy novel I have ever read, including LORD OF THE RINGS and CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, BLACK focuses more on emotion and feeling rather than an epic storyline (although it's got one of those, too). The description and story-telling are very engaging; it's obvious Dekker has a way with words.
I don't want to spoil the novel anymore. Let me conclude: if you enjoy fantasy, action, drama, romance, or suspense- read this book!

PROS: Writing style; action; drama; engaging characters.
CONS: Couldn't really find any.

This is the first and only Ted Dekker book. It was recommended to me by a girl at the Christian bookstore. I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did! This book is fast paced, with a lot of twists and turns. The characters are so real, you forget it's fiction. I definitely intend to read the other two books in the Trilogy. I love to read, but I'm generally not a fan of science-fiction or thriller type books. But I don't think this book fits into either catagory. In fact, I find it hard to put this book into any catagory. I think it's in a catagory by itself.

The first Ted Dekker book I read was Three, and if you haven't read that one...YOU MUST!!! Since then, I've read Blink and Heaven's Wager, and although Blink was good, neither book captured the thrill I got from reading Three. With that said, Black kept me riveted in as much as Three did.

This is one of the most thrilling and imaginative books I've ever read. Ted Dekker has become my favorite Christian fiction writer, hands down. He tells this story about Thomas Hunter in such a way that you don't know whether his dream is reality or the reality is a dream. You will be cast into two different realities in two different time frames, and you'll be hanging on to see what happens the next time Thomas falls asleep. You have to read this book to find out what I'm talking about.

Will Thomas save the day, will the virus wipe out the world, what is going on with the Black Forest, and will he get the girl? Black has a perfect blend of suspense, thrills, and romance that will keep this book in your hands. When you're finished, you'll be clamoring for the second book in the trilogy....and the best part is...we only have to wait until May 2004.

If you decide to begin reading this book, be prepared to spend many hours with the whole trilogy.

Dekker has taken a gigantic leap in scale from his previous work, Three, a fascinating suspense thriller that exploded into popularity via word-of-mouth in 2003. Departing a bit from suspense and adding a splash of fantasy, Black is the engaging first part of Ted Dekker's The Circle trilogy (next is Red, then White). It is a fresh, C.S. Lewis-esque trip into other realities that sweeps through decades of time. Fans of The Chronicles of Narnia will recognize Dekker's use of time, fantastic creatures and epic implications for the actions of characters in either world. New here, though, is the gritty allegory Dekker uses to bring the history and spiritual plane of God's Creation to vivid and living color. He moves the main character, Thomas Hunter, back and forth between contemporary America (Denver, Colorado) and a separate yet connected lush world where the Scripture becomes for the reader a chronicle of events humans experience daily in primitive, intimate, joyous fashion. Wait...isn't that what the Bible already is? Indeed, but Dekker's parable injects vitality and immediacy. While a reclusive, somewhat troubled man who can not relate to his family in the Denver world, Hunter finds his heart and soul being gradually set free in the other reality through an unexpected adventure.

Ted Dekker has painted a three-part masterpiece here. His use of metaphor is striking, yet without pretense or cliche encountered in some other Christian and secular works of similar genre. His trademark plot twists are plentiful but never spurious. There are healthy doses of fear and the dangers of listening to the voice of the tempter that truly resonate. The characters are deftly engaging, and one can not help but slowly sense as Thomas comes alive that we, too, could take this same journey. One of my measures of a great novel is how disappointed I am when it ends--I finished Black wishing I had purchased the whole trilogy so I could continue the story right away! While some may be disoriented a bit by the time/space/parallel reality concept, I encourage you to recognize it's merely the vehicle Dekker employs for the heart of his story. He does it well, and the richness of this epic will leave you thrilled and contemplating the personality of God and His Creation in a grand new light.