Customer Reviews

The Fall of the Nephilim (Cradleland Chronicles)

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

 

 

This book leaps forward in time from the second one and is set close to the approaching Great Flood.

The Oracle's backup plan concerning the Nephilim, knowing the Great Flood was coming, was a cool concept, though I don't want to give away details.

The way some people in Noah's extended family and some in the community bemoaned the fact that they would be left behind, seemed odd to me. Surely, if they were righteous (believers in the True God), they would be allowed on the ark as well. This was why Noah was preaching the whole time--hoping to turn people from their evil to the Lord and thus save more souls. These interactions were purely fictional though, as the Bible tells us that all but Noah's close family were evil at the time of the Great Flood, with their thoughts continuosly on evil things. The way the author writes the tale, though, at the end, those we know made it onto the ark were the only ones in the ark. The other's--well, that would be saying too much--but it was resolved to my satisfaction.

The way the animals were brought to the ark, which was built on an island, was quite inventive. The technology and location of some of the Nephilim was more reminiscent of sci-fi, but was cool, nonetheless. The final stories of Lamech, Rhone, and Bar'ack were very strong. The character of Thore was awesome, as well as Noah's dog, Vaul. The behind-the-scenes angelic warfare was also a powerful element of the story.

The story of the journey to get the Book that Noah needed to retrieve before taking refuge in the ark was intense, and the way the Oracle passed on his own poisonous words to the next generation was sly.

Overall, I enjoyed this final book in the trilogy as much as the others. It appears that Mr. Hirt is continuing the Cradleland Chronicles, yet we jump into the future for the next novel, to the Ottoman Empire of A.D. 1645. I can't wait for this one to be released. Keep up the excellent works, Mr. Hirt.

This review was first written for Christian Book Preview's site.

The Fall of the Nephilim is a unique novel with a science fiction twist on the Biblical account of Noah's ark. All of the characters from the Biblical story are present, but in Hirt's book he adds a few characters for additional conflict. One is the eldest son of Noah, Wend, who is never mentioned in the Scriptures. However, Hirt illuminates the Noah's characterization in a way that makes sense...through his dialogue and description. In particular, he offers a believable explanation for Nephilim and their purpose in the Old Testament, as well as showing a glimpse of the depravity of man--such as human sacrifice--which led to God's decision to destroy the earth and begin anew. Hirt's novel makes me think of Noah meets Darth Vader (in Star Wars) with a bit of C. S. Lewis's Screwtape Letters and Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness inserted for added flavor.

For the most part The Fall of the Nephilim an action-packed tale. It has a lot going on...sometimes so much you lose track of the details. However, as in the famous tale of the "unsinkable ship" The Titanic, the reader knows in advance how The Fall of the Nephilim will end because it mirrors the Biblical account of Noah. We know that not all was lost, and that he and his family were saved. Thus at the outset there is a sense of hope. In Hirt's account, Noah has additional children and grandchildren not mentioned in the Scriptures--who are lost, but Shem, Ham, and Japheth and their wives in the Genesis account were saved from the coming destruction.

On occasion I felt like the author went on a bit too long in his description-- like when Noah and his sons were choosing the wood for the ark--almost to the point where I found myself losing interest. Other portions were riveting, such as the scenes with Lucifer and his minions plotting to take Noah out, or at least bring him down. Overall, I'd say Hirt's novel offered an insightful look into the Great Flood as well as the inner workings of the enemy's mind as he attacks out human weaknesses. For people who love Sci fi, Biblical fiction, and spiritual warfare books, this story is sure to be a hit because it contains all of the above.

In the "Fall", Douglas Hirt ties up all the loose ends from the first two books. Of course, we know how the story of Noah is going to end, but going into this book, I wondered how he would deal with the characters introduced in the first two books. After all, if God was going to spare Sodom and Gomorrah for the sake of ten righteous men, surely He couldn't destroy the whole earth when there were so many of His followers still around. Hirt deals with this issue quite well. Hirt also develops Noah as a flawed character. This is refreshing to see, in that the religious hero is not perfect by any stretch, but is faithful to God. I was very pleased with this book, and look forward to reading more of Hirt's work.

This is a fascinating, well-researched trilogy, offering a high-tech view of the "first world" before the Great Flood. Author Douglas Hirt has portrayed the advance of pre-flood civilization--and it's subsequent corruption--with adventuresome style and great attention to detail. I was particularly intrigued by Rhone's character and was reluctant to see his story end.

I will miss all the wonderful friends I have found in this trilogy. Oh, they will continue with me in my memory, but when you read the last word on the last page of a series like this you can't help but feel a little sad. You can't go wrong by reading this series. I'll never be able to read the story of Noah in the Bible in the same way. I know the fantasy world Mr. Hirt created is, well, just that fantasy, but still I will silently smile whenever I hear a sermon or read something about Noah and remember my friends in the Cradleland.