Customer Reviews

The Voice: A Novel (Faithwords)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The Voice by Bill Myers is exactly the type of novel that makes one wish they belonged to a book club - it is jam-packed with all sorts of jumping off points to spark excellent discussions. Regardless of your faith, or lack thereof, this book is bound to strike a resonant chord within. It's a work of fiction, but that needn't stop one from pondering and wanting to probe further into some of the ideas put forth. I love a book that can really make me think, and this one accomplishes that goal admirably.

Charlie Madison is ex Special Forces - a man who found religion, prompting him to retire from his life of government-sanctioned violence. Unfortunately, there were many who were not willing to let him go `peacefully into that good night,' and he pays the ultimate price when his family is murdered. He becomes only a shell of his former self, and all but drops out of the human race when he is rudely yanked back into reality when his niece, whom he hasn't seen in years, comes dashing into his music shop, being chased by men with guns. Making a split-second decision, Charlie Madison's life is forever changed.

Charlie's sister and brother-in-law have been kidnapped by religious extremists who are after a computer program they wrote that interprets what is believed to be the recorded word of God. Searching for Jazmin's parents and racing against the many different groups of religious radicals and government entities bent on using and/or destroying them and their program, Charlie and his niece travel the globe with danger dogging their every move. The search for the answers as to what is right and what is wrong and whether or not the end justifies the means brings Charlie's spiritual quest full circle - but will the knowledge bring with it the means for survival, especially once a contract is placed on their heads?

I read The Voice yesterday, and this morning was drawn to the following scripture: I Corinthians 3:11-15. Coincidence? I like to think not. <smile>

Carol Ann Hopkins 4/12/2008

THE VOICE is an interesting thriiler that provides both inspiration and suspense. There is just plain too much action at the start; so much so that for the first 40 pages or so the reader has a hard time understanding what is going on. (This lack of comprehension mirrors that of the hero so maybe that was an intentional device by the author ??) The reader and protagonist are confused about what is going on.

However, once the story line evens out it is a fascinating read.
The basic premise is that God's voice has been captured with modern technology and has a benefit that brings the potential for huge economic benefit to the possessor (perhaps not surprising considering whose voice it is). Dark industrial political and religious powers strive for control of this power.

Yes you have to suspend a lot of disbelief and the concept runs the danger sort of reducing God to a distant magicial genie like entity . . . and you'd likely be better off spiritually reading the Epistles to Ephesians and Colossians I'm sure . . but for entertainment value its a good buy.

For years, Bill Myers has given us thought-provoking thrillers that blend biblical ideas with fast-paced action. From "Blood of Heaven" and "Threshold," to his "Forbidden Doors" YA series, to "Eli," he has entertained us with consistent and strong storytelling skill. I'll admit, though, that I fell off the Myers bandwagon a few books back. Was it the marketing? The ideas behind the stories themselves? After hearing great feedback on "The Voice," I had to check this one out for myself.

"The Voice" is vintage Myers. He takes a cool concept (the idea that someone has figured out a Program by which to "capture" the universe-defining Voice of God) and throws in a few desperate criminals and unlikely heroes. Soon, the deaf daughter of the Program's designers is on the run with her ex-Special Forces uncle, and they alone have the opportunity to thwart multiple nations who want the Voice for their own various purposes. Some see the Voice as a potential weapon. Some want to hide the truths it unveils. And so on.

This sounds fun and over-the-top...and it is. It also sounds like a great chance to explore spiritual ideas about God's existence and His creative power...and it is that, as well. Myers has a way of breaking complicated ideas down into manageable bites. Because of this, perhaps, I felt like I was reading a YA novel at times, a book geared for an audience looking for a car chase every fifty pages (which you will find here) or a fist-fight every other fifty (also to be found). While these provide cheap thrills, that's all they are. I was much more interested in the details of Mt. Sinai, of the Rome connection, and of the Mossad's angle from a theological viewpoint.

This is a page-turner, no doubt about it. I was wowed once again by Myers' ideas and translation of those to the page, but I was hoping for a little more depth, along the lines of his "The Face of God." Still, for summer entertainment with a spiritual punch, Myers continues to deliver.

The Voice by Bill Myers is an interesting twist on the popular apocalyptic genre of Christian fiction. The voice of God has been discovered in the rocks of certain regions of Israel where the Bible records that He spoke. The imprint upon those rocks has been translated into an actual recording that is shaking the core of the earth's religions. The scientists who made this discovery are kidnapped, and their 13-year-old daughter runs to her uncle Charlie, a former special forces agent, for help. Together, along with FBI agent Lisa, they race to rescue her parents as well as discover the truth behind this mysterious discovery. Myers takes an intriguing concept and ratchets up the suspense and thrills. It's a real what if book. What if God's voice could be heard? How would people react to hearing it? How would it change the world that it created? How would religions respond? Myers answers all of these questions in this fast-paced thriller. It's a fun read with deep meaning.

This is one great "Mission Impossible" story. It's full of suspense, bad guys doing what it takes to get their hands on the secret weapon, bombs exploding and lots of gun fire. Charles Madison, X-FBI agent is one lean mean fighting machine. He's just like the energizer bunny - takes a licken and keeps ticken! When Jazmin runs to her uncle Charlie for help, all heck breaks lose. Her parents have been captured by the enemy because they want the technology her parents have developed. Jazmin explained the top secret research her parents have been working on that could change the world, and how we hear and see God.

Charlie is a little overwhelmed as Jazmin explains all this scientific stuff (he wasn't the only one). Later on, a priest attempts to explain the project again (hooray). He says that the whole world can be reduced to patterns and mathematical formulas - including "the voice", which would be the greatest mathematical formula ever discovered!

Why could such a discovery be a threat? Why would everyone want the "voiceprint" of God? According to Gen. 1:4 "God said, let there be light," and there was light. He spoke it into existence. In John 1:1 it says "In the beginning was the Word ("spoken" word) , the Word was with God, and the Word was God". It also says in the bible that the "rocks will cry out His glory if we don't praise Him". I always thought this was a figure of speech - not something that could actually happen, or something that I could hear for myself. Whoever owned this technology (according to Jazmin and the Priest) would be able use God's power. In this story they have discovered power in the vibration of rocks - they wanted to use it for good - others wanted to use it to destroy their enemies.

The premise of this book is based on technology that has captured the mathematical formula from rocks and is able to translate it into the "Voice" of God; that created the heavens and the earth by a spoken word. Powerful stuff! I was going along with this theory up until the rocks cried out messages - they translated and understood. I have loved Bill Myers and the books he's written over the years, (Agent Dingledorf for kids, his teen series he wrote about spiritual warfare, the Wager and Eli! ) Each of these books have their own unique style, message, and emotional thrill ride. I expected nothing less from this book! The author is a man that writes about things that often time push the envelope of "normal".

So, I dug deeper into this "Voice" scenario on the internet. Could this really happen? That is when I discovered the most surprising things being researched and acted on right now. For example, science says "Motion equals vibration, vibration equals sound". The bible said in the beginning...the word was God (word - vibration equals "voiceprint" of God).

"The law of vibration is the basis of manifestation. Everything is in a constant state of vibration and motion". There really are people studying vibrations from rocks (much like the technology we use to detect earthquakes) and have come up with patterns (not kidding - check it out!). You can buy equipment to decipher these vibrations to get patterns. They are close to finding out the actual message the rocks are putting out from the activity detected. If we could hear the rocks cry out, what would they say? Would they verify biblical events? Interesting to think about.

Bill Myers is an author on the cutting edge in many of his books, and this one is no exception. After I understood that the technology in this book is real and people are really researching "vibrations, etc", the book came together for me and it will you too. Be prepared to have your socks knocked off by the message and possibilities found in this story. You will view life very differently after reading this very exciting book.

Nora St.Laurent - Book Club Servant Leader
www.psalm516.blogspot.com

Sometimes meaning gets lost in action, and sometimes drama convolutes the message; but this is not so in Bill Myer's THE VOICE.

The voice is a fun read, action-filled and fast-paced; somewhere on the level with Indiana Jones' "Raiders of the Lost Ark." As the story evolved, I got to meet and to know the characters: Charlie, the Special Forces vet with emotional and familial baggage; Jazmine, his deaf niece who becomes his greatest asset; and Omar, who struggles against cultural and moral milieus to find Truth for himself. The characters are stories in and of themselves, lives that complement the ever-thickening plot of The Voice, lives that challenged me to reassess why I believe what I believe.

At its end, The Voice left me with a newfound appreciation for the reality--the sheer awesomeness--of the supernatural. After the chases, the shootouts, the plane-trips, the implosions, and the potentials for the destruction of the earth...and not to mention after the message itself, I was left breathless. And fulfilled. THE VOICE is worth my time and yours.

Excellent read.Author Bill Myers sure knows how to write thrilling novels and keep you on your seat without compromising the faith of true Christian beliefs and values.

This book has an interesting premise: underlying noise in the universe is actually the voice of God. The premise is hardly explored at all. What we get is a rather violent adventure story. I don't think the adolescents who would appreciate it would be attracted by the rather serious, science fictional blurb.

There are a few problems and loose ends. First and biggest problem: did God always speak in English? Even at the time of creation of the universe? Or at least some other human language? If not, I can't see how the scientists would have recognized the few words involved. Second, some people who were very important to the motivation -- the hero's late wife and daughter -- were reincarnated late in the book. Then the author seems to have forgotten that this happened.

The book reads as though the last 20 or so pages were added in a rush to meet a deadline. A major rewrite would be a good idea. With a bit less blood and guts.

Imagine. Hearing Gods voice. An actual recorded voice of God. Amazing, right? Now think of all the people in the world who would want to destroy and disprove it. That is what this book is about. The power of Gods voice. I thought the book was well written and flowed very well. For me, ths book was a quick read but very entertaining. If you like sci-fi Christian, then you will like this book.

Myers has done it again. He has a God given gift of weaving strong mind bending plots with spiritual truths. I love how he gives such thick development of characters right down to the cracking of a salty pistachio. High energy, in your face truth charged with loads of action and dare I say a bit of a love story...all wrapped in a wonderfully amazing story line that keeps you turning pages and jumping on Amazon to buy the next installment. Love this book and looking forward to finishing Angel of Wrath. Thank you Bill for all the amazing books you have written as they give us wonderful stories to challenge our minds and heart.