Customer Reviews

Judgment Day

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Before reading JUDGMENT DAY, there were only three books in my lifetime that I stayed up till all hours of the night to read. They were FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by V.C. ANDREWS, SWAN SONG by ROBERT R. McCAMMON, and STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND. Well, I've just spent the last two nights up very late reading JUDGMENT DAY, and it's a true winner!

Like me, you may have read the LEFT BEHIND series and come away with a bad taste in your mouth. The less-than-acceptable writing, the bland, unlovable characters, and the stock, vengeful Jesus. Very Disappointing. With JUDGMENT DAY, the writing is superb (King and Koontz, watch out!), the characters are real and you care about them, and the religious zeal is second to the science fiction.

I never review books by going over the plot... you can read the book and find out the plot for yourself. I review the writing, the characters, and the quality of the book. Well, this one is a winner in every single catagory. Something that is very important to me in a book is characters you can truly identify with, characters you can truly care about. This book has those characters.

Imagine if you will, fundamentalist Christians with the power of space travel and the desire to separate themselves from a secular, un-Christian world. Imagine all the villians in the secular world set on preventing them from leaving. This novel had more twists and turns and heart-stopping action that kept me breathless! Every time one problem was resolved, another issue came up that kept me turning the pages!

I don't think it's far to lable this an end-times book. After all, the world does not end in the novel, nor does Jesus return to the earth. But the villian (the President of the United States - sound familiar?) is truly a servant of Satan and is truly hell-bent on destroying the Christians. Left wide open for a sequel, I truly hope the author delivers us one soon.

Buy this book and read it and love it. It's exciting, it's honest, and you can't put it down. If I could give it 10 stars I would!

As one who has read both the Left Behind series and Judgment Day, let me say that JD is no LB. That should encourage both fans and opponents of LB to consider this title. After who knows how many Left Behind books (was it 13?), most readers found themselves fans and opponents. I'm glad its over, and I haven't started on any of the spinoffs. Except for my secret theory for determining whether an author is Christian or not, I don't think this book is a "Christian" novel. Certainly not like Left Behind. The author presents a substantially flawed set of characters creating an inevitably flawed "church" at the center of the story. I am taking the bent that the author doesn't intend us to create a new theology of eschatology based on his story. Perhaps it is allegory. Who cares? Its a cool story. What if an offshoot group of Christian theology in an increasingly antagonistic culture of the future develops hyper-light speed technology? What if they decided to use it as a type of "Mayflower" to carry their marginalized followers to a new world? What would the new king say? I loved the story. There is plenty of room for a sequel. Mr. David, if you are reading, I'll line up to buy an advance copy. Someone complained about the incorrect use of an "ohm meter". If those types of things concern you, then don't trust my review. Frankly, I can't remember the exact usage of the ohm meter in the book. Someone complained about the book being predictable, so they quit about a quarter of the way through. That's kind of funny, if you think about it. As to my "secret theory"; if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret.

I don't read much Christian fiction, but this book was a real find.

A "cult" has made an amazing discovery which enables space flight. This sets off a chain of events that is, well, apocalyptic.

This is a strange brew of sci-fi, religious fiction, and social commentary, and it's all done pretty well. Everyone is given a chance to present their point of view, in as balanced a fashion as is possible - hard to do, since eco-terrorists and radical feminists come off as rather unhinged. But this is true to life, so it's hard to fault.

Christian and non-Christians take equal lumps, as far as hypocrisy and rationalization. A Christian woman has an abortion; an anti-gun character has a gun; one main character is a religious survivalist who has no qualms about killing; Christians on the "new world" excuse some of their actions in terms of evolution; other Christians reintroduce slavery; and so on. No-one gets off easy, and everyone's words and actions are examined or challenged. There are a couple of characters which may seem over the top, such as the main villain, Crow, but if the premise of the Christian universe is accepted, it makes sense.

The logical consequences of many worldviews are examined in a fast-paced story - quite an achievement in itself - and the author has obviously thought through things in much detail.

The most frightening aspect is how an entire group of people - the "cult" - is systematically destroyed, lawfully, in the United States, through various means, and especially through a willing press and public opinion. It's heartbreaking to see a family destroyed through "repressed memory" therapy, and how events are "spun" to blame the "cult". But the most frightening thing is that most of these scenarios are not fantastical; many are historical. For example, whole towns have been ruined through "repressed memories" which had children "remembering" sexual abuse that never occurred. A scene in the book recalls Waco. The various views that motivate the people who persecute the cult are current views - radical environmentalism, gender obsession, race obsession, Christophobia, and so on. This could happen today, because it has happened.

However, although we may loathe some of these people, they are presented not as consciously evil but as sincerely following their beliefs or living out their life experiences. Everyone, including the "cultists", are truly human. Their views sometimes come out in little glimpses, such as when a journalist reporting on a harrowing series of events takes pains to point out that an "African-American" is involved. It's subtle, but shows the true idiocy of race obsession. There are other such moments and actions, and the "cultists" don't escape the author's questioning stare, either.

There are many poignant moments here, but the truly memorable one is where the "cult leader" is naming their new planet. As in the rest of the book, the writing is measured but heart-wrenching. I feel I must reproduce it here, for the benefit of those who don't get to read it in context.

"We've been asked many times what the name of the new world will be ... What do you call a world of promise, a world where people are free to live their lives as they see fit, to worship God in their own fashion? What would you call a place of unlimited potential, where the only limits on men and women are those they place on themselves, and the government serves the people, not the other way around. There was once such a place, a brief shining moment in Earth's history that we hope to rekindle. Our new world will share the name of that place - America."

Then we see that the American flag has been scraped from the hull of their spaceship. It's a reading moment to remember.

I read the book almost 75% through the first day, until I couldn't keep my eyes open, then finished it off the next day. It's a page-turner.

This book is for christian fanatics and absolutely no-one else. Since I am not such a person I will not try to dissect this book except to say it insults the intellect at every level. If you are a christian fanatic read the other reviews; you will probably find the book richly rewarding. For me, however, I will need therapy for years to come.

Like many of David's reviewers, I started reading the Left Behind series several years ago. I feel ashamed to say I read more than one, but reading them was like eating the crappy candy a few days after Halloween - there isn't anything else good lying around, and one bite just doesn't fill you up.

In fact, I was left with such a bad taste from that series, I became disillusioned with Christian books, and didn't touch one for five years. I spent the last five years reading Tom Clancy, Stephen King, Dean Koontz and classics from my senior high summer reading list (still kicking myself for not reading those in high school).

Judgment Day was in the used book bin at my local store for $7.00, and I bought it with several others. If I had known it was a Christian-themed book, I probably would never have bought it. However, it's been one of the best books I've read in years. Unlike most books by Christian authors, the good guys aren't all good. Like King David, some of them are guilty of serious crimes and nasty thoughts. The whole one-dimensional good guy crap was what turned me off to Christian books in the first place, and this book has given me hope that not all Christian authors write like unimaginative sixth graders.

My only gripe with the book is that the bad guys are so very bad, even when it does not serve them. I went to a pretty darn liberal law school, where I befriended many of the psycho-activist types this book stereotypes. To the last one, they were able to keep their disdain for believers hidden when it served their purposes. However, author David does accurately capture their smug attitudes, and attempts with some success to explain their thought processes.

Overall Judgment Day was a really fun read. I will be looking for all of the author's other books.

I had small hope for this book, but was pleasantly suprised. I found it interesting and fresh that the religious Christians were the good guys in this science fiction story. A depature from the norm for that genre, in which the religious types are usually the bad guys.

The book improved throughout and it leaves some great threads open for further exploration. It is on the whole a nice little space opera tale. I realize the religious angle may turn some off, but one may need to look in the "tolerance mirror." If one cannot enjoy a story because Christians are the good guys, well, you may not be so tolerant after all. And no, I am not an evangelical fundamentalist, just a science fiction fan.

I am sick and tired of reading books where the bad guy is this super powerful, all knowing, all powerful guru who is able to crush his opponents at will but always manages to get himself beat in the end. I've read books like that dozens of times and sometimes its great (J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)) but mostly it sucks (Germ). This one is completely different, with the bad guy constantly getting out smarted by our heroes but always managing to gain power and put them into new danger until the end. It's really refreshing to see a bad guy that isn't super powerful.

Going into this book I just needed something to take up some time until I could get Ted Dekkers "Skin". But after the first two chapters I was completely immersed in the story. The characters, the plot, the writing style, it was all very good. The plot might be a little far fetched, but the author makes it seem very real. You just have to suspend your belief and enjoy the story.

And this Christian author doesn't shy away from putting mild cursing and sexual references in his book like so many others do. Lots of things happen in this book that hard core Christian readers might not like, but for a more mature reader it really adds to the story and only makes it stronger. Finally, a Christian writer not willing to pander to the hard core right but instead reaches out to everyone who likes good fiction. Everything in this book is done tastefully, so it shouldn't offend anyone.

And no, this book does not take a literal account of the book of revelation like the left behind series does, instead it takes the idea of the end times and makes its own story. This might upset some hard core left behinders, but mostly everyone else will be fine with it. if you read this review, please leave a comment.

I think that this is a great book. As a nonchristian who loves apocalyptic novels, this one was not too religious (as was the Left Behind series), but it has the good versus evil thing going. The best part about the book was that the christians were not too perfect...I mean who ever met a perfect christian anyway? I love the fact that the author seemed to identify with Reverend Maitland's point of view and religious beliefs, but did not put down the Fellowship with their extremely conservative ides. The scifi aspect made it extremely enjoyable, the only complaint I have is that I would love to hear more about life in the settlement.

I only write reviews when I 've read something that really impresses me and this is one of those books. I was very pleased with this book -- I wasn't sure about how the "Christian angle" would play out but I was not disappointed -- I think this book will appeal to both Christians and non-Christians alike. It was uncompromising about the nature of evil; what was truly scary was that the evil presented in the book was entirely believable, in my opinion. That is, I could see many of the scenarios that were presented as being very possible in today's professional and political spheres. Without giving the plot away, I loved the sci-fi part -- great creativity!

This bulbous novel seems promising when one first opens it. A hundred chapters meticulously typeset in some fancy-pants fonts lend this book a collectible quality. Disappointment begins to set in soon, however, as the story plods along toward its rather predictable conclusion like molasses dripping out of a coffee straw. You will be tempted to skip entire chapters.

It's as though David is trying to give this book general appeal by throwing a little of everything in it. We have warmed-over Star Trek, bits of well-worn religious dogma, some conspiracy themes a la Ruby Ridge and Waco, racism, politics; even some romance. What Judgment Day lacks is...(drum roll)... God! About all He does is bestow technology on the cult-like "Light in the Darkness Fellowship," and we don't even get to read about how that happened. Everything else, including the "Judgment," is carried out by Fellowship members.

Besides being shallow, the characters of the Fellowship seem particularly unworthy of the blessings they receive. Their politics made me uncomfortable. What a great collection of stereotypes they are: a scientist who makes an amazing discovery because of a lab accident, a "gun nut" who has his own fortified compound, a rebellious teenager, an environmental extremist, a news reporter, a Satan worshipper (and his demon sidekick)... the list goes on.

I won't deny that this book was an entertaining read, but partly because it conjures up images of books or movies I liked before. With deeper characters, better religious grounding, and more thought and research on plot details, David could have made this novel much more than it is.