13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Jane Jansen first real novel is one scary hell of a ride, December 12, 1999
The story, which reads like a cross between Chris Carters Millennium and The X-files, deals with the end of the world, but not as we know it. No comets or volcano's which can conveniently be stopped by a single action from a good-looking hero, but tales about famine and plagues and war. Let one thing be clear from the start, Millennium Rising is not a nice book and I would certainly not recommend it to the faint of heart.
The book starts with a vision, shown to twenty-four prophets of different religions. They are told that this time the end is really here. God has judged us and his judgment is fierce. Seven signs will not only make way for the apocalypse, but will also wipe out most of mankind. Only two people are wondering if there is real truth behind the prophecies of the twenty-four. They are Simon Hill, a New York Times reporter and Father Michelle Deauchez, a professional debunker in service of the Vatican. The question they have to ask themselves: is it really God who is behind the plague, the sores and the earthquakes, or is it mankind itself?
In the middle of the book I was wondering if Jensen wasn't overplaying her hand. The scope of the story is so broad, the things happening to the people and to the Earth so devastating, that it would be hard to end the story on a believable note. An Armageddon-like solution, with the two investigators stopping the end of the world with one push of a button, was simply not possible. It's just not that kind of book.
I must say that I should not have worried. If anything is clear about Millennium Rising, it is that Jensen is in complete control of the story. Like in a well-written computer game, plot points and clues are shattered around the book, some obvious, but most hidden in plain sight, like ancient prophesies. And the end, in all its tragic beauty, the narrative is utterly believable.
I made the game reverence on purpose, because Jane Jensen is mainly know as the writer/designer of the three great adventure games that make up the Gabriel Knight series. These CD-ROMs are detailed mysteries, set against a historical (and often supernatural) background. Not unlike Millennium Rising that is.
Jensen has written two novels before, based on her two first Gabriel Knight adventures. As much as I like them for the story, they read more as transcripts of the games then real novels and as such I can only recommend them to die-hard fans of the games, or people who don't want to be bothered with actually playing them. (Which is their loss by the way). Millennium Rising on the other hand is a real novel, with great writing and a cast of wonderful characters.
If there is anything wrong with the book, it must be that the two main characters are not as interesting as I would have liked them to be. Unlike the rest of the players, who are really flashed out, even though some of them are only present on some of the pages, Hill and Deauchez are a little flat. It is not until the end that the reporter and especially the priest become actual players in the drama, instead of devices to move the story along.
It is a minor scribble though. Millennium Rising is a great book, almost as good as Stephen Kings The Stand and a lot scarier.
Marcel van Driel
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
At times terrifying, chilling, despairing, ever fascinating, January 11, 2000
At the outset, I should state that I am not a fan of horror fiction (aside from most of Dean Koontz's works). While I can tolerate blood and gore quite well, religious horror seems to strike a primal fear in me. Ten seconds of the head turning scene from "The Exorcist" was too much for me to stomach. Although I love Ah-nold movies, I passed on "End of Days."
So you can understand why I approached "Millennium Rising" with some trepidation. I bought it because it had been described as "The X-Files" crossed with "Millennium."
I'm happy to report that Jane Jensen did a fabulous job of bringing me to brink of that primal fear without crossing the line. That's not to say that the book is not terrifying at times, because it is, and there are sequences that really do evoke the feeling of the end of the world.
As other reviewers have noted, there is a key revelation (so to speak) about halfway through the novel, but that hardly means you understand everything. Rather, the puzzlement shifts to a different level.
The only negative I have to say is that the ending seemed a little forced. Not unbelievable; it works within the framework of the book. But it felt truncated. Another short chapter would have been good. (I think this is because when you have been writing about the Apocalypse, you need more than a few pages to end your story.)
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the Best!, March 25, 2000
Millennum Rising is more than just a novel. It is the battle between good and evil, told in a way that will not let you put it down. The blend of religion, New Age beliefs, the echo of aliens from outer space, and memories of Woodstock are all there.
This is a blend of political intrigue and corrup-tion. The title of the book fits the story perfectly. Jensen creates a fresh look at the Millennium, just when we need it.
This is the author's first big novel, but I am sure it will not be her last.
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