Gideon's Dawn

In the spirit of C.S. Lewis and J. R.R. Tolkien, a new breed of Christian authors is venturing into the world of fantasy, attempting to open the reader's mind and draw parallels to the life of faith. Michael Warden, writer, adventurist and pastor is one of those daring souls. And he delivers a powerful punch in his thriller, Gideon's Dawn.Gideon is a confused and conflicted college professor who battles fierce rages when all of a sudden a routine earthquake-watching expedition launches him into another world in which he is a complete stranger but whose characters quickly brand him as a Kinsman Redeemer. It's a title he quickly rejects and a world that he struggles to understand. Gideon's Dawn reveals the treasure that results when a person of faith fully explores the depth of human imagination. It draws not-so-obvious parallels to the Christian experience and yet leaves the reader spell-bound, searching for clues to the meaning of this strange new life of Gideon.Wardens' characters are rich, his plots complex, and the story flowing in style and substance. This book is no cookie-cutter page-turner, but a deep and intriguing novel that will exhaust all of your senses. He leaves Gideon as a character with a rough past and a flawed life. He is someone with whom we can identify-imagine being lifted from normalcy into a strange world where Words have power and where thoughts are not kept silent but can be read by your peers? And yet it is in this life that Gideon finds his purpose and calling. If you enjoy a good story with many twists and unpredictability, then Gideon's Dawn is for you.

It took me a few chapters to really get into the book, but then I couldn't put it down. It takes you on a magical ride through lands that stimulate your imagination. Although this book would be great just as it is, I was thrilled to find out that it is just the first in a trilogy.

Micheal Warden yanks his readers out of their seats with this incredible novel. Gideon's Dawn is just an awesome story written with the calibur and imagination of any of the top fantasy writer(Tolkien or C.S.Lewis). The original idea of how languages can cause miraculous events to happen for both good and evil is awesome but,most of all, I love Warden's empahsis on spirituality and the purity of the heart. This aspect gives a whole new twist that is not found in the lord of the rings and not as elaborated in The Chronicles of Narnia. The major heroes in this book (with the exception of one at first, you'll have to read the book to find out who and why) all sure purity of spirit and heart. The characters emobody all types of personalities and races of which everyone can relate to and some may want to emulate. I know that I wouldnt mind being like the clear minded, focused,and kind heart Ajel Windrunner (a major hero in the book) and i know all of us can relate to the books main character and namesake Gideon who has an uncanny ablity to be obstinate in every way. In conclusion, This book Rocks!

This is the type of book that fans of fantasy fiction who are Christians have been waiting for. Well written, encompassing, vividly descriptive, and very relevant to Christian life and struggles therein. From a fantasy standpoint, the novel reminded me very much of Stephen R. Donaldson's 'Thomas Covenant' books. From a personal standpoint, I think the book could have used a little more of Gideon's geology background. The one thing that really sets this book apart for me is the fact that you are allowed to draw the spiritual parallels on your own. The author is not forcing faith into the work. It is there for the reader to find if they wish. This is the type of fantasy that makes a great bridge from the secular world to the Christian. Highly Recommended.

Wow. It's hard to believe that Gideon's Dawn is Michael Warden's first novel. He writes with such imagination and vision that the characters and setting seem to come alive right on the page. The story goes something like this: Gideon Dawning is a burned-out teaching assistant at the University of Texas. When he takes a group of undergrads on a geology expedition, he is summarily and unexpectedly transported into a whole new realm---birthed into this place through the chaos of an earthquake. Here he is taken (mistaken?) against his repeated protests as a long-foretold messiah. The result is a journey of hardship and discovery as he makes his way through a world where words have power and "there is no magic, only words of life and death."Have to admit I approached this one with skepticism, but was won over almost immediately by the lyrical prose and depth of story Warden has created. I'm told it took him 10 years to write---and it was worth it. Fans of Terry Brooks, Tolkien, or CS Lewis should eat this up. Warden is a bright new star in fantasy fiction...Let's hope he keeps writing for another 50 years.