Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent historical fiction, September 3, 2004
Absolutely riveting. Randy Ingermanson's action raced along and his prose was so engaging that I couldn't put it down.
From the back cover:
Jerusalem, A.D. 66
The City of God seethes with rage against imperial Rome...and, in an act of unspeakable brutality, Rome takes deadly retribution. War looms on the horizon--but one woman already knows the outcome...
Transported from the far future, Rivka Meyers has made her home in Jerusalem with her husband and fellow time traveler, Ari Kazan. But in a turbulent age, Rivka's foreknowledge of history is a heavy responsibility. She knows Jerusalem will be destroyed--and that a prophet will warn the fledgling church to flee the city. Is Rivka herself that prophet? And if so, will the people heed her warning?
Rivka's fears deepen when Jewish zealots demand Ari's help to design weapons of war. Ari faces the impossible choice: join the "men of violence" in their doomed cause, or leave the people defenseless against Nero's legions.
Desperate to know God's will, Ari and Rivka are about to face the cost of forgiveness...gain an unexpected ally...and learn the extraordinary power of sacrifice.
Camy again:
I don't read many historical novels, but this was a mix of both history and science fiction because the main characters were from our near future, stuck in the ancient past through the actions of a theoretical physicist. I've heard that time-travel is actually theorized in physics, although I would never understand the complex mathematics, so the characters' plight wasn't through a magical talisman or something that *Bibbity-bobbity-boo* zapped them back in time. This dabbled in the realm of possibility, which is rather neat. The author has a short, amusing article on time travel on his website, as well as a couple historical articles that relate to this series.
I've heard about the historical account of Josephus but never read his work. However, I thoroughly enjoyed how the author revealed and compared events transpiring with the slightly exaggerated writings of Josephus and other historians. The way the plot unfolded was intriguing and surprising. Things never fell into a predicted pattern or lost their richness, even though all the events were taken from actual historical writings.
Each character, whether good or evil, was very complex. No one was a cardboard cutout, not from the most devout Rabbi to the most evil Roman. It added incredible emotional depth to the story.
Slight warning here: the author described a true Roman crucifixion, which was a horrific thing, not the white-washed images of the Renaissance painters. The violence might offend some readers used to the typical fare of most CBA publishers.
This is third in the author's City of God series. Before reading RETRIBUTION, I had not read TRANSGRESSION (book 1) but I did read PREMONITION (book 2). This book stands alone, but I do believe that reading PREMONITION (book 2) made this novel much more enjoyable, because I had already come to care for the main characters, had seen their struggles and conflicts in PREMONITION (book 2). Many of those conflicts are related to the struggles in RETRIBUTION (book 3).
Kathy Tyers, author of SHIVERING WORLD and her FIREBIRD trilogy, endorses this novel and mentions that she "devoured the book and wished it were longer." I was exactly the same. Randy Ingermanson's writing style was fascinating, and the characters so 3-dimensional I could almost touch and talk to them. The ending came as a bit of a shock because I wanted there to be more.
Excellent writing--technically exemplary, if you follow Dwight Swain's method--and a very character-driven storyline. The plot twisted and moved so quickly that I really felt like I was on a roller coaster. I intend to buy more copies of this book to give away. I think it would appeal to a large range of readers.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I give it 5 stars!! , September 29, 2004
"Retribution," book 3 of the City of God series, continues the story of two time-travelers, a physicist and a historian, transported to ancient Jerusalem - and stuck there.
Three things stood out to me as I read this novel, three aspects of it that I especially enjoyed: cultural, historical, and spiritual. The culture of the first century Jerusalem comes alive to you in this book. As you look at it through the eyes of the time-travelers, you see how you would have reacted to it yourself, what would amaze you, puzzle you, shock you. Then you have a chance to look at things through the eyes of the natives, and see how it all makes sense to them. Then you also watch the time-travelers, who have lived in the city for over 6 years by now, become, in many ways, like the natives. Not everything is acceptable for someone raised in our world and time, but one can learn to play by the rules.
Although this is a work of fiction, the plot is largely based on historical facts, well researched and skillfully woven into the story. At times, you can't help feeling that everything in the book had actually taken place. The presence of the two time-travelers does not make it one bit less believable, they fit right in, blending in nicely with historical figures like King Agrippa, Apostle Peter, and Governor Florus.
The spiritual side of the story is probably the deepest. Not many Christian books show it so well that faith is a struggle. Not a struggle to believe in something your mind tells you is absurd, don't get me wrong here; a struggle to understand and to do God's will. Especially in a difficult, cruel time under the Roman oppression when one wicked governor replaces another, and hope seems to have left Jerusalem, the City of God. Especially when, as a time-traveler, you know from history that even greater disasters are coming.
I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys well written historical fiction, adventure, tight action, and suspense. This book has it all.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
City Of God Series started well ..., December 7, 2004
... and it just gets better!
PREMONITION was the first Randall Ingermanson book I had read. RETRIBUTION followed fast on its heels.
I liked PREMONITION, but I loved RETRIBUTION.
PREMONITION had Rivka Meyers, a Messianic Jew, and her husband Ari Kazan, an Israeli physicist, trapped back in time to 57 A.D.
RETRIBUTION jumps ahead in years, now at 66 A.D., and life in Jerusalem is no bed of roses for the Jews, or the fledging Christian church. Our heroine, Rivka, knows the trouble ahead, but will anyone listen to her? Ari faces his own problems, as Jewish zealots demand he help them in producing weapons for war against Rome. But even with the knowledge of what is to come, can Rivka successfully warn those around her of the coming danger?
The characterisations in this book are fantastic. Ingermanson has created a wonderful supporting cast for Rivka and Ari. At times they threaten to outshine the leads. The plot is wonderfully executed with enough twists to keep you guessing what will come next.
A wonderful book that leaves me eager for the next.
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