Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Honest Effort Comes Across Cheesy, Yet Sincere, October 15, 2011
This review is from: The Thirteenth Demon, Altar of the Spiral Eye (The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel) (Paperback)
There are a lot of authors out there who come right out of the gates with the next best thing in fiction. Frank Peretti did just that, Ted DeKker did the same, and the list of names can go on forever. Some authors come out and fall flat on their face, and they are forgotten. But then you have an author or two who makes a genuinely honest effort, and while those efforts are sincere, they still come off looking cheesy. I'd say this fits the bill with Bruce Hennigan. But it wasn't the worst thing I've ever read either. No matter what he does, people are after Jonathan Steel. Some want him for good reasons, others want to eliminate him. He really doesn't have much of a memory, but what he's discovering is that he's using what seems to work. And if he has it his way, he's doing everything he can for a greater glory. People are showing up where they don't belong. It's time for a battle. We learn about the Spiral Eye tattoo, and we learn about the 13th Demon. We also learn about a power greater. We learn about fighting what's worth fighting for. I can't say that I'll be eagerly waiting for Hennigan's next offering. This was honestly enough for me. But if this reaches the people out there who need to be reached, then I hope they truly embrace the message found within these pages. Bruce has a message, and it'll reach who needs to be reached out to. It was a good effort. Just not among my favorites by a long shot.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
1st in Chronicles of Jonathan Steel fails to live up to expectations, October 28, 2011
This review is from: The Thirteenth Demon, Altar of the Spiral Eye (The Chronicles of Jonathan Steel) (Paperback)
The 13th Demon by Bruce Hennigan is the first book in the Chronicles of Jonathan Steel. Steel washed up on a beach two years ago with completely no memory of who he was or where he was from, but he had almost super human fighting abilities. When the woman he loved was killed by a vicious demon with a spiral eye, Steel committed his life to hunting own his nemesis. He arrives in the small town of Lakeside, Louisiana to help out a desperate pastor whose church has been taken over by demonic forces. Huge spiders and scorpions run around the sanctuary, blood pours out from the doors, and the baptistery holds a portal to another dimension. Steel calls on his mentor, Cephas, to send him to reinforcements, a linguist named Liz and a physicist named Claire who brings her troubled son, Joshua. Hennigan has an enigmatic hero in Steel, but he takes the mystery a bit too far at times. The story suffers from too much back story and introduction of characters. Hennigan obviously has plans to write a large series, but 300 pages are too few to include all of the story elements he wants to put into play. One thing that concerned me in reading is that Hennigan's descriptions of the evil forces are poetic and lengthy in nature, but the forces of good get far less detail, making them less real, more abstract for readers. The story moves so quickly, and so many characters are introduced, there is little time to grow to care for them. (SPOILER ALERT) When a major character dies at the end of the story, I had very little emotional response, because there hadn't been opportunity to grow to care. I think that Hennigan has some terrific ideas, and Jonathan Steel could be a terrific hero, but it needs some work.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it., July 7, 2007
A wonderful story full of suspense. It was good vs. evil. The author's attention to detail regarding science and creation was a plus. The characters were well developed with a full range of emotions such as anger, love and compassion. I recommend if you want a great story that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I can't wait for the 2nd book in this series.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
