Customer Reviews

The Messiah Stones

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The first chapter held promise, but then it fizzled away. The characters were drab, undeveloped and just plain boring. The plot, which could have been exciting and mystical, boiled down to..."and we did this, and then this, and then that...and then we went here..." I am amazed that this book was even published, considering that it lacks suspense, the slightest drop of plot tension, developed characters, believable dialog...it reads like a book that every writing teacher and professional says to avoid.

This is a excellent read this is my second time reading it so glad i found it again...

I can only say that I am glad I borrowed the book from the library and didn't waste money on it. A title and subject with promise, but that's where it ends. The characters are interchangeable, the dialog dull and flat. Everything is the story falls into place without a shred of suspense--and you really have to suspend your imagination. How many college professors can just get up and leave their class whenever they want? Their children are conveniently packed up when necessary. And those dream recollections...great for an insomniac to read because they will put you into a deep sleep. The ending gives you no clue as to what the sacred stones are really about...I think the author was probably so bored himself that he just put in a period and said that's the end. I gave this book one star only because Amazon does not permit you to rate in the negatives

Any book that has the word "messiah" in it catches my eye: Dune Messiah; Illusions: the adventures of a Reluctant Messiah, etc. So I picked up The Messiah Stones and was not disappointed. Any book that honestly and with integrity promotes the spiritual journey...the faith journey, is usually a good read for me; especially fiction. Messiah Stones was all of that. Granted that the "young fatherless child growing up and picking up the father's legacy" theme is a bit dramatic, it did not, for me, take from the basic "how God and humankind relate" ideas set forth. I would strongly recommend this for anyone who enjoys the various ways we human beings interpret our relationship with God...in fiction as well as in real life. Which is which? is perhaps an interesting question, too!

My kudos to Benig on his first novel. Keep up the good work! I picked up the book while on vacation and couldn't put it down till I finished. Benig chooses a tough story line to write about. His imagery is solid. Character development is adequate. But most of all, the book is simply a well-told story about a wonderful subject.... fiction though it is. It's a pleasure to read a mystery that's not about murder, evil, etc. Don't expect religious accuracy. Just try to enjoy.

I bought this book at the library as it had been discarded after fifteen years. This is written beautifully. The salvation plan is made clear by explaining the position of surrending to believing before you can belive. God will reveal Himself only to those who believe and seek Him. Quotes and philosophies of Plato, Aristotol, Churchill and many others are quoted to prove that "..we need completion in our lives". "We need to Know" " We spend our lives spinning in circles until we have the faith to believe." "In the silence that is so rare, we begin to find peace in the stillness of silence." We miss that special beauty that brings us closer to Godly intimacy. "....there are no new ideas, just new people learning the old ones for the first time." I will read this book other times and refer back to the statement as I teach and speak. Thank you Mr. Benig for your ability to write insight and thoughts. I am better for having read it.
Dr. Anne Reed PhD

I was looking for Christian fiction. This book is not that. It is pure SciFi. The back of the book cover reads, "What would it take to make you believe?" I read it through hoping that it would explain itself in the end, but after taking a long time to get started, it ended quite abruptly. I couldn't figure out what religion this book was dealing as it handed out Jesus & God & reincarnation & existentialism in equal shares. I found the dialogue unnatural and very wordy. It lacked excitement. Sorry.

This is the author's first work, not the product of a seasoned and polished writer. Indeed the novel does lack for dialogue but it does tie together places and ideas that anyone who watches the news can identify. I think there is a great deal to be said for writing a work that explains ideas to people and makes them wonder if it is true or not. A worse crime that a not so hot story is one that promises to explain something you are interested in and doesn't. Read it for diversion, that's about all.

I really enjoyed the first 3/4ths of this novel. The plot was well laid out with plenty of thought provoking layers. I didn't understand why after all that groundwork there wasn't some extraordinary significance to the McGowan name beyond the other names. Why was all this just leading up to their appointment as 'museum curators'?? The last 1/4 of the book needs to be rewritten by the author of the first 3/4ths.

I found the hardback edition of this book on the sale table at Media Play, its price slashed to almost 1/4 its original cover price. After reading it, I now understand why. I don't know how such an fascinating subject could be written so poorly and still get published. The protagonist, John McGown, is weak and poorly drawn, the dialogue amateurish at best, and the plot drawn out to a sleepy meandering of "first this happened, then that." I was so disappointed I could have cried. It wasn't the story that was bad, but how it was written. I didn't know how much longer I could stand reading another character's "yes" response. Handled by a more experienced and talented writer, this might have been a wonderful book. The intriguing tale of a millinial crossroads is best left in the hands of a writer who knows how to write compelling fiction.