It has been ten years since the events of White. A lot has changed. The Circle no longer fights the Horde, but flees from them. They have faithfully followed Elyon's command to love regardless of personal cost. However, numerous deaths and hearts weary from flight have led The Circle to begin to fracture. Divisions from within concerning doctrine, has caused many to waver in their faith in Elyon. How long can they continue to endure the constant pressure from inside and outside The Circle?
When they believe things are at their worst, it's just the beginning. An evil like they have never imagined is working its way from the past into the future. With seduction and deception, it takes even the heart of Thomas' rebellious son, Samuel. Can Thomas save his son? Will Elyon rescue The Circle?
I always wondered why Black had a green cover. Never made sense to me until I learned there would be another book added to The Circle series. So while I was a bit skeptical of adding to an already wonderful, complete story, I took some comfort in knowing this was most likely planned before the success of the original three. However, I doubted that the magic of The Circle books could be recaptured again.
There are parts of Green that are reminiscent of the original three books. It takes us to the depths of Elyon's waters and allows us to once again bask in the knowledge of the God we serve. It opens our hearts to raw truths and lifts our spirits in anticipation of a time yet to come. Green at moments was powerful and gripping, intense and passionate. At other moments, it was boring. Not a word often used to describe a Dekker book. However, there were parts that I literally had to push through to get to the next section that moved the story along.
Green got bogged down in the filling in of details. It brings several series together, but there were parts that lagged. Scenes with Billy and Janae didn't see to progress well and felt circular at times. Not a lot of real plot. It was good to have Billy back, but much of what I loved about his character was lacking. This time around, he seemed a bit flat and one dimensional.
Janae didn't work for me. While I understand she was necessary to the plot, I couldn't get into her character. It lacked any real depth and the part about her father was silly. In Green, she pretty much bogged down most scenes she was in and outside the opening chapters a rather useless character.
It was nice to finally have some answers to questions that have been floating around for years. Three series were mostly tied up in Green--The Circle Books, Paradise Novels, and The Book of Histories series. There are still some open ends and threads that could be developed, but for the most part, these stories seem to be ended.
I do disagree with Dekker's notes at the beginning of Green. Personally I would never want to read Green before Black, Red, and White. I love suspense way to much to want to start reading a series knowing how it ended. The same would be true for Showdown, Sinner, Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, and Chaos. For me, all these books would be spoiled if I read Green first. Part of the beauty of Dekker's writing is in the twists and turns. If one already knows the answer, then his writing is greatly diminished. So while he says start anywhere, if you enjoy suspense, mystery, impulsive plot twist, and waiting for answers, don't start with Green. Half the fun will be lost.
Continuing to follow Biblical events, Green is apocalyptic. Dekker did a great job of portraying end times without diving into theology. It's interesting the approach he took and he handled the apocalyptic events well.
So it looks like the series is ended--maybe. Dekker wrapped up with some awesome scenes. We get to revisit characters that by now feel like family and dive once again into Elyon's water. We're reminded of God's love for us, of our call to love the lost, of passion, the past, the present, and the future. We get to once again glimpse God as the child, the father, the warrior. Dekker has created a series that is truly remarkable. These books bring God out. They remind the church of who we serve and why we persevere. Beyond the mysteries, of the worms, the books, the superpowers, stands God and His enduring love and endless pursuit of even one lost son. While Green was the weakest of the four, it still had scenes that could lift us to the mountain--to our Creator.
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