Judgment Day

I am sick and tired of reading books where the bad guy is this super powerful, all knowing, all powerful guru who is able to crush his opponents at will but always manages to get himself beat in the end. I've read books like that dozens of times and sometimes its great (J.R.R. Tolkien Boxed Set (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings)) but mostly it sucks (Germ). This one is completely different, with the bad guy constantly getting out smarted by our heroes but always managing to gain power and put them into new danger until the end. It's really refreshing to see a bad guy that isn't super powerful. Going into this book I just needed something to take up some time until I could get Ted Dekkers "Skin". But after the first two chapters I was completely immersed in the story. The characters, the plot, the writing style, it was all very good. The plot might be a little far fetched, but the author makes it seem very real. You just have to suspend your belief and enjoy the story. And this Christian author doesn't shy away from putting mild cursing and sexual references in his book like so many others do. Lots of things happen in this book that hard core Christian readers might not like, but for a more mature reader it really adds to the story and only makes it stronger. Finally, a Christian writer not willing to pander to the hard core right but instead reaches out to everyone who likes good fiction. Everything in this book is done tastefully, so it shouldn't offend anyone. And no, this book does not take a literal account of the book of revelation like the left behind series does, instead it takes the idea of the end times and makes its own story. This might upset some hard core left behinders, but mostly everyone else will be fine with it. if you read this review, please leave a comment.

I think that this is a great book. As a nonchristian who loves apocalyptic novels, this one was not too religious (as was the Left Behind series), but it has the good versus evil thing going. The best part about the book was that the christians were not too perfect...I mean who ever met a perfect christian anyway? I love the fact that the author seemed to identify with Reverend Maitland's point of view and religious beliefs, but did not put down the Fellowship with their extremely conservative ides. The scifi aspect made it extremely enjoyable, the only complaint I have is that I would love to hear more about life in the settlement.

As one who has read both the Left Behind series and Judgment Day, let me say that JD is no LB. That should encourage both fans and opponents of LB to consider this title. After who knows how many Left Behind books (was it 13?), most readers found themselves fans and opponents. I'm glad its over, and I haven't started on any of the spinoffs. Except for my secret theory for determining whether an author is Christian or not, I don't think this book is a "Christian" novel. Certainly not like Left Behind. The author presents a substantially flawed set of characters creating an inevitably flawed "church" at the center of the story. I am taking the bent that the author doesn't intend us to create a new theology of eschatology based on his story. Perhaps it is allegory. Who cares? Its a cool story. What if an offshoot group of Christian theology in an increasingly antagonistic culture of the future develops hyper-light speed technology? What if they decided to use it as a type of "Mayflower" to carry their marginalized followers to a new world? What would the new king say? I loved the story. There is plenty of room for a sequel. Mr. David, if you are reading, I'll line up to buy an advance copy. Someone complained about the incorrect use of an "ohm meter". If those types of things concern you, then don't trust my review. Frankly, I can't remember the exact usage of the ohm meter in the book. Someone complained about the book being predictable, so they quit about a quarter of the way through. That's kind of funny, if you think about it. As to my "secret theory"; if I told you, it wouldn't be a secret.

I only write reviews when I 've read something that really impresses me and this is one of those books. I was very pleased with this book -- I wasn't sure about how the "Christian angle" would play out but I was not disappointed -- I think this book will appeal to both Christians and non-Christians alike. It was uncompromising about the nature of evil; what was truly scary was that the evil presented in the book was entirely believable, in my opinion. That is, I could see many of the scenarios that were presented as being very possible in today's professional and political spheres. Without giving the plot away, I loved the sci-fi part -- great creativity!

Before reading JUDGMENT DAY, there were only three books in my lifetime that I stayed up till all hours of the night to read. They were FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC by V.C. ANDREWS, SWAN SONG by ROBERT R. McCAMMON, and STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND. Well, I've just spent the last two nights up very late reading JUDGMENT DAY, and it's a true winner! Like me, you may have read the LEFT BEHIND series and come away with a bad taste in your mouth. The less-than-acceptable writing, the bland, unlovable characters, and the stock, vengeful Jesus. Very Disappointing. With JUDGMENT DAY, the writing is superb (King and Koontz, watch out!), the characters are real and you care about them, and the religious zeal is second to the science fiction. I never review books by going over the plot... you can read the book and find out the plot for yourself. I review the writing, the characters, and the quality of the book. Well, this one is a winner in every single catagory. Something that is very important to me in a book is characters you can truly identify with, characters you can truly care about. This book has those characters. Imagine if you will, fundamentalist Christians with the power of space travel and the desire to separate themselves from a secular, un-Christian world. Imagine all the villians in the secular world set on preventing them from leaving. This novel had more twists and turns and heart-stopping action that kept me breathless! Every time one problem was resolved, another issue came up that kept me turning the pages! I don't think it's far to lable this an end-times book. After all, the world does not end in the novel, nor does Jesus return to the earth. But the villian (the President of the United States - sound familiar?) is truly a servant of Satan and is truly hell-bent on destroying the Christians. Left wide open for a sequel, I truly hope the author delivers us one soon. Buy this book and read it and love it. It's exciting, it's honest, and you can't put it down. If I could give it 10 stars I would!