Showdown

What if words had the power to create and destroy? What would humanity do with such power? "Showdown" seeks to explore these philosophical questions. The story is set in modern-day, small-town Colorado, but lurking just beneath the surface is a magical world waiting to burst onto the scene. The book strikes a great balance between feeling grounded and fantastical, transitioning quickly and easily from one to the next. Magic powers, epic showdowns, gunslinging sheriffs, and magic worms with compromising goo share these pages, some of them believable, grim, and gritty while others are out of this world on the weird spectrum. Whether you enjoy this will depend heavily on your tastes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. A few of the main characters were well-developed and had serviceable arcs; unfortunately, the supporting cast felt shallow, one-dimensional, and as if their only purpose is to progress the story or fill out the world like extras in a movie. Yes, secondary characters exist to support the narrative, but they shouldn’t realize this. They should believe they are the hero of the story, but in this case, it felt like they realized they had no real agency. The story is primarily an allegory about humanity’s sin nature. As such, you can expect a certain amount of pointed dialogue and scenes. Even so, "Showdown" was a bit too preachy at times, featuring at least one philosophical “debate” which felt too short, lacked diverse thought or tactics, and generally seemed like the author hadn’t taken the time to learn the opposing side, nor had he ever needed to properly defend his own opinions. The big redeeming quality of the book is that the story is good. It is exciting, unusual, twisting, and not generic or run-of-the-mill. Though truly bizarre, preachy, or cringy in parts, it still kept me engaged all the way to the, albeit somewhat overpowered and “sky beam,” end. I recommend it to older audiences who are into weird stories.

And thats why so many christians choose not to look at it. This book was a push to get through. But I knew I had to get through it, because I knew the charactoristics of Dekker would fall in line. I liked this book, because it was a smack in the face with the reality of sin. Too many authors are afraid to offend their readers by presenting raw truth... Dekker defied this fear, and more of us should follow suit. This book had me squirming at many points, but the end is completely worth it. Please just hold on till you get there. It is the power of sacrifice that covers a multitude of sins.

I have been a Ted Dekker fan for a few years now. I have always enjoyed his books, but this one takes it to a whole new level. "Showdown" is one of the most amazing books I have ever read in my life. It is full of interesting charecters, and an awesome story as well. I think that in order to have a really good story, you need to have a really good villain. Believe me when I say this book has that in Marsuvees Black. I use to think that the best villain in any book was Randall Flagg from Stephen King's "The Stand" But Marsuvees Black has taken over that place for me. He has a lot more depth to him, and he fascinates me to no end. This book is darker and more violent in spots than your average Christian book, but it is not there just for the sake of being there. Everything in this book has a purpose. This book is not an average book in anyway shape or form, this one exeeds any book I have ever read!! I would recommend this book to everyone!!

I really enjoyed Showdown; the way Dekker told the story was gripping-- I almost hit the ceiling when I realized the connection from Showdown to the Circle Trilogy! Another reason I liked it so much is that it connects to the Circle Trilogy, but it is still able to be a stand-alone book. I was fascinated by the events in Paradise, and could not help wondering where Dekker was going with it all. When I found out, I grinned. (I'm not gonna spoil it for anyone reading.) Excellent points, Mr. Dekker, and I cannot wait for more.

Into the small town of Paradise, Colorado comes a stranger clothed in black. Calling himself Marsuvees Black, the man claims to be there to bring hope and love. But strange things are happening while Marsuvees in there. People are seeing things, acting different: as if everyone's attitude in the formerly quiet town has shifted toward anger, hatred, and paranoia.. Johnny Drake, a boy in the town, knows that something is terribly wrong, but doesn't know how to stop it. At a hidden monastery near Paradise, a secret school for children is disrupted as a young student named Billy explores the forbidden tunnels underneath. He has found a dangerous secret there, and through Billy, a number of the other students have also been lured down into the tunnels. While Billy doesn't truly understand what he discovered, he will change the lives of a whole town and begin an almost unimaginable series of events.. It will be a showdown between good and evil- as only Ted Dekker can write it. One thing when reading a book by Ted Dekker is that you can never expect exactly what you'll read. He has a habit of making the unthinkable seem plausible, along with giving a totally new perspective As usual, I devoured this newest book in one evening, barely able to sleep after I'd finished. The book was great! Finally understanding the connection between Billy, the Blank Books, and what happened to Thomas Hunter in the Black Forest (from The Circle Trilogy) was an added bonus. Showdown is a must-read for everyone who has loved Ted Dekker's books.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced readers copy of this novel and I must say... What a treat! This blows away any single book I've read in many a year. The plot is frightening in parts, very atmospheric through out, and kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. But like all of Dekker's novels, Showdown is oh so redemptive. The story is about small town that is ravaged by evil in the most suprising ways, but not nearly as suprising as the source behind that evil and the price it ultimately extracts from the town. I can't say more without ruining the twists the follow. This is definately a notch up for Dekker -- a big, mind blowing story that could very well be a water shed for the genre. Guarenteed to make you pace the carpet and lose sleep.