Customer Reviews

Infidel (The Lost Books)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Johnis, Silvie, Darsal, and Billos continue on their quest in this second installment of Ted Dekker's Circle Series. Having just helped the Forest Guard thwart a major Horde attack, they now find themselves settling into their new leadership roles. Johnis soon learns that his missing mother might be living as a prisoner among the Horde. Despite his promise to seek out the hidden Books of History, Johnis decides to follow his heart back into danger and find a way to save his mother. Soon Johnis and Silvie embark on a dangerous mission that may just put the future of Elyon's followers in jeopardy.

Ted Dekker has crafted another remarkable story full of heart, suspense, and action. Infidel takes us deeper inside the veiled world of the Horde, and what Johnis and company discover about their enemies is surprising and eye-opening. At its core, this is a story about compassion, acceptance, and honor. The insights into humanity that Johnis experiences are compelling and his inner battle of duty vs. compassion is incredibly captivating.

Dekker is known for plots full of unexpected twists and turns, and his hard core fans will not be disappointed. Infidel is full of fascinating characters, beautiful and vivid landscapes, and gut wrenching battles. However, Dekker's major strength is clearly found in his ability to persistently entertain on a high level while causing readers to think and question. This new young adult series is a fresh and exciting addition to the world of Ted Dekker.

Dekker's sense of pacing is never clearer than in the Lost Books. He has taken the Other World that was explored in the Circle Trilogy and turned it into the setting for continued cataclysmic conflicts between good and evil, between the Forest Guard and the Horde.

"Chosen" left us with a solid ending and a defined objective for the main characters. "Infidel" picks up right where the other left off, but Dekker leaves us little time for catching our breath. Johnis, the central character of the first book, is once again on a mission--an ill-advised trek that will land him in a heap of trouble. Followed by Silvie, he endangers lives and loses all that he has obtained in a quest to rescue his mother, whom he believes to be alive.

Despite the meager map details on the book's inside cover, "Infidel" leads us into a world that is well thought out and that parallels our own. Dekker has imbued these settings with detail and symbolic depth, and he challenges us to love even those we find abhorrent. Johnis is a rich character, with believable conflicts and transformations. The book's message of Christ-like love is clear, while never being preachy.

One or two of the scenes near the end seemed a bit convenient, but overall the pace and action never flags, and I look forward to continuing this great series. The book ends with a perfect jumping off point into further adventures, raising the stakes, the conflict, and the possibilities.

Below is an excerpt of my full review of The Lost Books Series:

I read all six books in just over a week's time as it continued to suck me in just as The Circle Series had. There were times that it was a challenge to put the book down. I even lost sleep reading this books late into the night. Much like The Circle Series, these book built off the previous one and the story become more engrossing as it progressed further. The connections between Green and this series are finally made clear. Where Ba'al (Billos) came from, how he knew so much about the Books of History, what he was talking about when he described going into another world, what became of the book Thomas Hunter brought with him in White, and how Billy could have gotten his hands on one of the Books of History that gave him telepathic powers. I am sure that there were other connections as well, but I do not recall all of them. In the end, only one chosen youth did not finish the quest while the other three were able to gather all seven books in the past (our not so distant future of 2033). Very enjoyable and satisfactory.

If you enjoyed the Circle Series, this series is a great addition to a fantasy world that delivered a great story. Unless you really feel inclined, I strongly suggest skipping books five and six. The quality is sub-par and you can almost see where Ted Dekker's influence stops and Kaci Hill's begins. The series, as a whole, suffers because of Lunatic and Elyon. Separate, however, the first four books are superb. The last two books They were close to awful and should be purged from Ted Dekker fantasy lore.

The Circle trilogy consists of the books Black, and Red, and White, and is followed up by Showdown, and House (co-authored by Frank Peretti), and Saint, and Skin. And a new book to be out either later this year or next year, titled Sinner. And the Lost Books consist of Chosen, and Infidel, and (coming out in May Renegade and Chaos.

Yes, Ted Dekker has been quite busy creating his history of Other Earth.

While the Lost Books are marketed in the Youth Fiction genre, it was of course well-known to Dekker and his publisher, Thomas Nelson, that millions of Circle fans of all ages would flock to bookstands to pick up the latest installments. In fact, by marketing the Lost Books as Youth Fiction, Dekker and Nelson stand to pick up even more readers than before, as the appeal of The Circle spreads to younger readers.

I, for one, have been captivated by Dekker's Circle trilogy, as well as many of his other works. A quick browse through my review list will turn up almost every book written by Ted Dekker. But you didn't come here for that, did you? You came here to learn more about Infidel.

I was at first a little confused as to whom the title referred. According to Dictionary.com, the number one definition of the word infidel is "a person who does not accept a particular faith." The several Dekker books surrounding Other Earth are filled with people who don't accept the faith of the Forest Dwellers. It was hard for me, in Infidel, to determine just which character was the infidel. I'm still not altogether sure.

And while I understand that weaving a story takes considerable character development and that several threads of the plot line must be laid in order to get to the culmination, I found Infidel to be a very interesting work, but just not quite up to the standard that other Dekker books have set.

Infidel is, no doubt, critical to understanding the history of Other Earth, and I can't imagine reading the next two books in the chronicles without first reading Infidel, but I just wasn't grabbed by it like I was the original Circle trilogy, or most of Dekker's other works. I found Infidel to be more about laying the foundation for coming installments than furthering the story.

What makes the whole thing even more interesting is the marketing ploy that Dekker and publisher Nelson have developed in order to drive the hype behind the stories. There's a massive online search for the Lost Books of History, with multiple sites and characters created for the sole purpose of guiding readers through the search for the ultimate discovery -- the last Lost Book of History -- and the ultimate prize -- a brand new Chevy Cobalt.

I have, of course, registered for the search, but I haven't been very active in it. I found on the first day that I could easily spend hours of my day just digging and digging through the clues online in search for the Lost Book. As much as the search intrigues me, I just don't have that kind of time on my hands.

But what I do have time for is reading the next Dekker book when it comes out. Adam hits bookstores next month.

In the meantime, Infidel is definitely worth the read, but only if you've read the rest of the epic first.

Johnis knows better than to mess with the Books of History--even the roush tells him not to--but he wants to know where his mother is more than anything and the books are his only hope. When he discovers that she's being held in Horde City, he tricks one of Thomas Hunter's armies to help him. But it was a trap. Now he must choose between Silvie and his mother, or the Forest Dwellers. And as usual, Johnis will follow his heart.

This is book two of Ted Dekker's Lost Books series, a young adult spin-off from his Circle series. I enjoyed it overall. It gives us plenty of action and intrigue, and reveals more details from Dekker's mystery of how the Lost Books work. Johnis' character annoyed me for the first part of the story, but I loved little Karas. Things were a bit predictable at times, yet the story worked out to an entertaining finish, complete with a cliffhanger for book three. If you loved the Circle series, these books will entertain.

A world exists where Forest Dwellers and the Horde battle one another. Bathing is a nathema to the Horde, who follow the Dark Priest and his minions. Four teenagers have been selected to join the Forest Guard- Johnis, Silvie, Darsal, and Billos- but their battle is only just beginning....

Johnis, Silvie, Darsal, and Billos should be savoring their survival from the Horde but instead Johnis is worrying about his mother. Does the ring signify his mother is still alive and now one of the Scabs? Against all logic, reasoning, and advice, Johnis sets off to rescue his mother. Will he jeopardize everything, including their quest for The Lost Books?

INFIDEL is the second book in this fascinating young adult fantasy series. Readers will best appreciate the storyline after reading the first book, CHOSEN, as the relationships and the quest for the books are part of the ongoing threads in the series. Fans of Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy will note the parallels to that series as well although it is not necessary to read it to enjoy INFIDEL.

I have to admit that Johnis irritated me on quite a few occasions in INFIDEL. In fact, I was starting to wonder if perhaps the beauty of the series was being lost... and then we meet Karas. The story of this one Horde girl is both touching and thought provoking. By the conclusion of INFIDEL, I was more than convinced of both the brilliance of Ted Dekker as an author and of the beauty of the Christian themes woven into the tale. Through the storyline's twists, we see the power of love, both in its ability to weaken and its ability to strengthen. Sheer genius!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

Love to read this author's books. Keeps you on the 'edge of your seat' and turning pages. Hard to put down.

Good story, Dekker rights well. Not what I call a 'page burner', but close to it. I enjoyed it, over all. At times I was frustrated with the characters because they didn't do what I considered to be logical things, but maybe Dekker meant it to be that way. I found myself drawn into the story and interested in what happened next. The book reads as if it is for late teens. It may be advertised as such, but I'm older and enjoyed it just the same. I would recommend the book. I read the Black, Red, White series and there a tie ins. I like that series more, but not a by a large margin. If you read the B-R-W series you would proabably enjoy The Lost Books series.

Once again, the plot is fast and intoxicating as Johnis rushes to save those he loves, following his heart against all odds into the very centers of darkness, being forced to trust in the light of Elyon to prevail.

the mission for the books is on in this second book but we finally start to get a more personal and real look at our hero, giving some much needed character development after the first series.
the plot is again exciting and leaves you desperate to get to the end, to know how it ends.
However, there are a few times that it seems circumstances/situations are too easily resolved and though a great, quick read, by the end, I was hoping for something a little more.

I would give it a three for lack of detail in the world and a more complex execution of the plot, but it is tagged for young adult AND i can't deny I raced through the book, enjoying every minute....

The Lost Book series are Dekker-light stories, with the action amped up a couple notches and the dialog and complexity Ted usually employs so well dialed down a couple notches. They're roughly ~250 pages, 1 to 2 sitting reading material, fast paced, serialized and because their target audience is the YA crowd, the plot is pretty simple and action comes fast and furious. While Infidel is not quite on par with Chosen, the first book in the series, it's pretty close and I enjoyed it for the most part. While I definitely had some issues with the choices that Johnis makes in a couple places in the book and am even more surprised at Thomas Hunter's reaction to Johnis's choices (not to mention everyone else around him), Dekker manages to cram enough Horde/Forest Guard goodness throughout to keep things interesting and allowed me to get past the insane decision making abilities of Johnis. Just about the time I would get frustrated out how easy things fell into place or how quickly and often they seemed to be completely screwed and then miraculously saved, Dekker would hit his groove and reel me back in with some great passages that feel like their adding quite a bit of depth to this future earth.

Speaking of which, I really wish Dekker had fleshed these stories out in his usual adult centric format as there's a lot of neat possibilities here that tie into many of Dekker's other books that I would loved to have seen this series gotten the full treatment. Still, I suppose it's not such a bad thing to have the shorter, more simplistic versions we got, even when things were a bit too simple or the characters being too 1 dimensional for my taste.

All that being said, the stories are compelling additions to the world that Dekker has created and I'm looking forward to diving into the next chapter of this series.