It was with high hopes that I requested Vigilante from Bethany House as my next book to review. I didn't expect them to send me an advanced readers copy within the week. Having loved Robin Parrish's earlier works, especially the Dominion Trilogy and Nightmare, I anticipated something spectacular. Spectacular it was—but I'm not so sure it was such a good thing.
Robin's novels are written in an extremely cinematic writing style, much like a movie in book form, focusing on visual, action, and pacing. In Vigilante, Robin steps it up a bit more, taking it to an almost cartoonish level. Which—don't get me wrong—makes for a quick, exciting, and interesting read. If that's all you're looking for, then Vigilante is a good choice. I think the part that disappointed me the most about Vigilante was the apparent lack of original ideas. The comic book, super-hero feel that Parrish was going for came across, and came across well. But throughout the whole book I felt as if I'd been here before or seen this before, and was waiting for the characteristic Robin Parrish aspect. The Dominion Trilogy was full of twists and surprises and spiritual themes, as was Nightmare; there was less of that in Vigilante, and what there was felt forced. I liked the characters for the most part, but the ones I really enjoyed were given very little “screen time” and very little back-story.
To be fair, I read this book over a month ago and have finally found the time to sit down to write a review for it. It is a good book...but it could have been so much more, and that's the disappointing part. Robin Parrish is a fine author and I'm still looking forward to whatever he has coming next. He definitely deserves more readers; however, I don't think this is the book that will give him more. I honestly think his earlier works should have done that for him, so if you're reading this, check them out.
In all, Vigilante is like the Avatar of Christian fiction: lots of flash, lots of bang, but in the end, there isn't much new ground covered here.
3.5 out of 5
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
The Priest's Graveyard, by Ted Dekker
Wow. I am once again impressed with Ted's storytelling. A few of his recent offerings were mediocre at best, in my opinion, but Dekker's latest thriller had me captivated from the start.
This is perhaps Ted's darkest novel to date—and if you're familiar with Dekker's writing at all, you'll know that he doesn't normally shy away from the gritty, gruesome, and gross. But in his other works, there was a clear theological theme or symbolic motif that framed the story and put the darkness into perspective. Priest's Graveyard, although it covers the topic of grace and justice in the form of a vigilante...it's different. Maybe it's because the issue at stake is a difficult one, maybe it's because the book was published through the secular market, maybe it's because Dekker wrote it so well, or maybe it's because I just didn't fully understand it. In any case, I am still trying to sift through the ideas to understand what he was trying to say—unless his point was to get his readers to think, in which case: job accomplished.
I was mesmerized by the story. Ever since I read a preview of the prologue and first chapter online, I knew that this was going to be a good one. When the reviews started coming in, I only got more excited. And I'm happy to say that the anticipation was well worth it; the book did not disappoint. The characters were well-drawn; I thought Dekker did a good job with the female first-person point of view, and for once, he actually made a male protagonist who seems different from the male protagonists in his other books. The plot is interesting and fast-paced and I don't really want to give too much away; read the synopsis or a few other reviews if you want to know the details. And yes, there is a twist, and it's a doozy I didn't see coming. However, it's this twist, the consequences of it, and the ultimate outcome that have me confused as to what Dekker was trying to imply, because I thought I had the symbolism all figured out until it got chucked out the window.
And then there's the vigilante theme. It's a very intriguing premise, an interesting portrayal, and it raises some very tough moral questions. It's also why I call it Dekker's darkest book. Because in this story, the good guys are actually very, very bad guys, and it's complicated because he makes you root for them anyway, and you want to root for them because you know that inside they are good people and they are only trying to do what is right, and the scary thing is that it all makes sense. But you follow them on murderous escapades full of torturous details, most of which are lengthily premeditated and planned. And that's why I say it's dark.
The Priest's Graveyard is a very good book, though, that I would recommend to anyone who knows what they're getting themselves into. Utterly absorbing, absolutely fascinating, and ultimately shocking; it's one of Ted's most original works in quite some time. You don't want to miss it.
4.5 out of 5
This is perhaps Ted's darkest novel to date—and if you're familiar with Dekker's writing at all, you'll know that he doesn't normally shy away from the gritty, gruesome, and gross. But in his other works, there was a clear theological theme or symbolic motif that framed the story and put the darkness into perspective. Priest's Graveyard, although it covers the topic of grace and justice in the form of a vigilante...it's different. Maybe it's because the issue at stake is a difficult one, maybe it's because the book was published through the secular market, maybe it's because Dekker wrote it so well, or maybe it's because I just didn't fully understand it. In any case, I am still trying to sift through the ideas to understand what he was trying to say—unless his point was to get his readers to think, in which case: job accomplished.
I was mesmerized by the story. Ever since I read a preview of the prologue and first chapter online, I knew that this was going to be a good one. When the reviews started coming in, I only got more excited. And I'm happy to say that the anticipation was well worth it; the book did not disappoint. The characters were well-drawn; I thought Dekker did a good job with the female first-person point of view, and for once, he actually made a male protagonist who seems different from the male protagonists in his other books. The plot is interesting and fast-paced and I don't really want to give too much away; read the synopsis or a few other reviews if you want to know the details. And yes, there is a twist, and it's a doozy I didn't see coming. However, it's this twist, the consequences of it, and the ultimate outcome that have me confused as to what Dekker was trying to imply, because I thought I had the symbolism all figured out until it got chucked out the window.
And then there's the vigilante theme. It's a very intriguing premise, an interesting portrayal, and it raises some very tough moral questions. It's also why I call it Dekker's darkest book. Because in this story, the good guys are actually very, very bad guys, and it's complicated because he makes you root for them anyway, and you want to root for them because you know that inside they are good people and they are only trying to do what is right, and the scary thing is that it all makes sense. But you follow them on murderous escapades full of torturous details, most of which are lengthily premeditated and planned. And that's why I say it's dark.
The Priest's Graveyard is a very good book, though, that I would recommend to anyone who knows what they're getting themselves into. Utterly absorbing, absolutely fascinating, and ultimately shocking; it's one of Ted's most original works in quite some time. You don't want to miss it.
4.5 out of 5
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