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beejai's review against another edition
4.0
I much prefer the original ending to the one provided in the anthology.
This book actually started out as a disappointment at first. I felt it wasn't up to the standard the other three set. But as I continued reading I fell into it. His references to the Paradise novels and Immanuel's Veins was simply brilliant and it makes me wonder what other allusions to books I haven't read (or ones yet to be written) are also hidden within these pages.
This book actually started out as a disappointment at first. I felt it wasn't up to the standard the other three set. But as I continued reading I fell into it. His references to the Paradise novels and Immanuel's Veins was simply brilliant and it makes me wonder what other allusions to books I haven't read (or ones yet to be written) are also hidden within these pages.
acacia1rose's review against another edition
5.0
What a stunning conclusion! The twists and turns are unexpected and send shivers down my spine. I fall in love with the world more and more and I find Kara to be myself...longing for a way to experience this world. A perfect ending...mind-bending and thought-provoking. It’s forever a part of me, changing the way I see the world and the way I love.
ksfmcdaniel's review against another edition
Black was just so bad, I will not be reading the rest of the series.
trix_lotz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
jeanne25's review against another edition
4.0
I shied away from Dekker for a long time after discovering that he is a Christian author. I read for mostly for entertainment and my experience with Christian authors is generally negative. If I want religion shoved down my throat then I'll ... well I just avoid them. I am rating/reviewing this after reading all 4 books in the Circle series. I really enjoyed them all. I liked the good versus evil story line. This is the way a good author lays out his story. He unfolds it and allows the reader to incorporate it. He doesn't force it. I felt the same with the good vs. evil in King's The Stand (my all time favorite book in the world.) This was my first experience with Ted Dekker and won't be my last.
bookworm_mommy's review against another edition
1.0
Ugh. This book. I wish I could go back and time and never read it so it wouldn't have tainted my love for the original Circle Trilogy.
I read the original trilogy a couple of years before Green was released, so I wanted to reread the other three books before reading Green. I just read all four in a row. And I have a lot to say about Green - none of it complementary. I wish I could give zero stars.
First of all, Dekker says Green completes the Circle, and you can read it at the beginning or the end. There is NO WAY you could read this book before you read Black, Red, and White. Absolutely no way. It would make no sense and be even more confusing than reading it after you've read those three.
Second, it seems like someone completely different wrote this book than the others. There is none of the vibrancy of character or engagement of plot present in this book that was there in the first three that would make a reader want to keep turning pages. In fact, I wanted to do anything *but* read more of Green. I wanted to give it up every other chapter, but my stubbornness to see the series through wouldn't let me. Seriously, I cleaned my kids' bathroom once instead of reading more of this book. That's desperate for you.
There were so many great descriptions in the other books. There were descriptions in this book. I don't know how many times I read about "light colored horses." Worse than that, so many of the descriptions were much more sultry/sensuous/sexual or violent. I was not a fan of the change. I understand that this book was about good and evil. And evil is dark. But I think that point can be expressed without being so graphic.
And vampires?!? Okay, I guess at this point I should admit that I haven't read all of the Ted Dekker's books. I think that was some of my confusion with a lot of what occurs in Green. You need to not only have read the original Circle Trilogy but also the other books (Showdown series, Lost Books, etc.) that link in and were written after Black/Red/White. Especially to understand Billy's character and story. Things are hinted at in Green. But the hints are confusing.
There were So. Many. inconsistencies. How did Thomas know Billy was connected with Ba'al? Even more so, how did he know that Janae and the priestess were connected when he'd never met her in any form? Chelise later reflects on Thomas shouting at her as he disappears, but nothing indicates he ever even saw her there. How does Janae so easily infiltrate the Eramites when such a point has been made about Eram being a smart leader and it was mentioned multiple times that the Eramites are supremely cautious of the albinos, including Samuel and his friends.
Character development: There was none.
The world building of the other books: nonexistent.
Read the original three. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
I read the original trilogy a couple of years before Green was released, so I wanted to reread the other three books before reading Green. I just read all four in a row. And I have a lot to say about Green - none of it complementary. I wish I could give zero stars.
First of all, Dekker says Green completes the Circle, and you can read it at the beginning or the end. There is NO WAY you could read this book before you read Black, Red, and White. Absolutely no way. It would make no sense and be even more confusing than reading it after you've read those three.
Second, it seems like someone completely different wrote this book than the others. There is none of the vibrancy of character or engagement of plot present in this book that was there in the first three that would make a reader want to keep turning pages. In fact, I wanted to do anything *but* read more of Green. I wanted to give it up every other chapter, but my stubbornness to see the series through wouldn't let me. Seriously, I cleaned my kids' bathroom once instead of reading more of this book. That's desperate for you.
There were so many great descriptions in the other books. There were descriptions in this book. I don't know how many times I read about "light colored horses." Worse than that, so many of the descriptions were much more sultry/sensuous/sexual or violent. I was not a fan of the change. I understand that this book was about good and evil. And evil is dark. But I think that point can be expressed without being so graphic.
And vampires?!? Okay, I guess at this point I should admit that I haven't read all of the Ted Dekker's books. I think that was some of my confusion with a lot of what occurs in Green. You need to not only have read the original Circle Trilogy but also the other books (Showdown series, Lost Books, etc.) that link in and were written after Black/Red/White. Especially to understand Billy's character and story. Things are hinted at in Green. But the hints are confusing.
There were So. Many. inconsistencies. How did Thomas know Billy was connected with Ba'al? Even more so, how did he know that Janae and the priestess were connected when he'd never met her in any form? Chelise later reflects on Thomas shouting at her as he disappears, but nothing indicates he ever even saw her there. How does Janae so easily infiltrate the Eramites when such a point has been made about Eram being a smart leader and it was mentioned multiple times that the Eramites are supremely cautious of the albinos, including Samuel and his friends.
Character development: There was none.
The world building of the other books: nonexistent.
Read the original three. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
whatsheread's review against another edition
This was the final selection for the INSPYs for speculative fiction and is the novel that eventually won. The brilliance of Green lies in its premise. It begins and ends the series, making it either the first or last novel to read in the Circle series. While it may seem initially confusing, it actually works quite well, as it either sets the stage for future stories or sums up previous stories very well.
That which made it brilliant also gave it a rather interesting message. In fact, from this idea of a circle, one could conclude that mankind is doomed to repeat its same mistakes over and over again. When talking about faith, this is not necessarily the most hopeful message, but it does reiterate the importance of free will.
Even more important, the idea of faith elements being physical becomes a key point in the story. Ironically, even with being able to physically see, hear, touch, and taste certain aspects of Elyon, Hunter's group still struggles to believe wholeheartedly in His goodness. If they struggle, even after physical manifestations of Elyon's love and benevolence, what does that mean for modern-day humanity? If seeing and believing is not enough, then how does one truly believe?
As is to be expected in any novel that is the beginning of a series, there are many unanswered questions. Because Green is also the end of the series, the reader only catches glimpses of those answers, which can be frustrating at times. Also, because it is setting up the rest of the series, much of the novel is spent in the future, creating this new world and introducing us to characters that play key roles in the events to come. This makes it more difficult to understand at times than a typical science fiction novel. Still, there is plenty of food for thought about the possibilities behind those questions and hinted-at answers, allowing the reader to contemplate the ideas behind Mr. Dekker's novel.
While not my favorite novel of the five, Green did make me curious how the story circles around as it does. I remain unconvinced that this idea of life as one big never-ending circle is the most positive message one could hope to learn. It was a welcome change from the more technology-based novels in the speculative fiction category, and the fact that Mr. Dekker was able to make the idea of a circle in a literary series work so well makes it a stand-out novel for the category.
That which made it brilliant also gave it a rather interesting message. In fact, from this idea of a circle, one could conclude that mankind is doomed to repeat its same mistakes over and over again. When talking about faith, this is not necessarily the most hopeful message, but it does reiterate the importance of free will.
Even more important, the idea of faith elements being physical becomes a key point in the story. Ironically, even with being able to physically see, hear, touch, and taste certain aspects of Elyon, Hunter's group still struggles to believe wholeheartedly in His goodness. If they struggle, even after physical manifestations of Elyon's love and benevolence, what does that mean for modern-day humanity? If seeing and believing is not enough, then how does one truly believe?
As is to be expected in any novel that is the beginning of a series, there are many unanswered questions. Because Green is also the end of the series, the reader only catches glimpses of those answers, which can be frustrating at times. Also, because it is setting up the rest of the series, much of the novel is spent in the future, creating this new world and introducing us to characters that play key roles in the events to come. This makes it more difficult to understand at times than a typical science fiction novel. Still, there is plenty of food for thought about the possibilities behind those questions and hinted-at answers, allowing the reader to contemplate the ideas behind Mr. Dekker's novel.
While not my favorite novel of the five, Green did make me curious how the story circles around as it does. I remain unconvinced that this idea of life as one big never-ending circle is the most positive message one could hope to learn. It was a welcome change from the more technology-based novels in the speculative fiction category, and the fact that Mr. Dekker was able to make the idea of a circle in a literary series work so well makes it a stand-out novel for the category.
carabelli's review against another edition
4.0
Just as good as the rest the trilogy - wish I had read it a bit closer to when I had last read the Circle Trilogy. A must read for any who have read and enjoyed the Black, Red, White stories.
emilyslittlebooknook's review against another edition
4.0
I loved how it answered why Thomas dreamed to begin with.I don't understand why this book in the series gets so much hate for being gruesome.The Bible isn't much better anyway great read I found a new favorite series I'm kinda sad Its over onto the next book.
michaelknipp's review against another edition
5.0
A bit more of a personal take than my usual reviews:
The original Circle trilogy was so important to my developing imagination with the way that it could tell such a powerful fictional story and blend it so heavily with spiritual Allegory. This was a different take on the Chronicles of Narnia type storytelling that incorporated a mature thriller story in tandem with its parables. Green was published in 2009 and I never got around to it. I had caught up on the rest of Dekker's Circle related books ([b:Showdown|456057|Showdown (Paradise, #1)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329547365l/456057._SX50_.jpg|2507883], [b:Saint|125959|Saint (Paradise, #2)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439004991l/125959._SY75_.jpg|681577], and [b:Sinner|3047320|Sinner (Paradise, #3)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432695665l/3047320._SY75_.jpg|3077979] as well as the Lost Books series and even many of Dekker's "stand-alone" novels which had slight tie ins potentially to the events of the Circle series. I never completed the circle by reading Green.
10 years after it was originally published, I have come back to the Circle to see the conclusion of its story. In a way it was a cool effect having been away from the story so long. The characters I loved so much were back in my life. Unfortunately, the tale of Green is a very dark and twisted one. In many ways, Green is to the Circle as [b:The Last Battle|84369|The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia, #7)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1308814830l/84369._SY75_.jpg|1059917] is to C.S. Lewis' Narnia. The difference here being that Dekker chose a satisfying ending to his fiction over one that truly wraps up his allegory in a scriptural way.
After all of this time there is a warmth in my heart for this series. It is so action packed and so full of strong themes. I have to admit tearing up a couple times during my experience with Green. Everything comes to such a dark and suspenseful climax that, once the story got moving, I couldn't stop. Now that it is over I am clamoring for the alternate ending that was offered later as well.
Nevertheless, thank you Ted Dekker for the conclusion to this series which has never left my head -- even years after reading it.
The original Circle trilogy was so important to my developing imagination with the way that it could tell such a powerful fictional story and blend it so heavily with spiritual Allegory. This was a different take on the Chronicles of Narnia type storytelling that incorporated a mature thriller story in tandem with its parables. Green was published in 2009 and I never got around to it. I had caught up on the rest of Dekker's Circle related books ([b:Showdown|456057|Showdown (Paradise, #1)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1329547365l/456057._SX50_.jpg|2507883], [b:Saint|125959|Saint (Paradise, #2)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1439004991l/125959._SY75_.jpg|681577], and [b:Sinner|3047320|Sinner (Paradise, #3)|Ted Dekker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1432695665l/3047320._SY75_.jpg|3077979] as well as the Lost Books series and even many of Dekker's "stand-alone" novels which had slight tie ins potentially to the events of the Circle series. I never completed the circle by reading Green.
10 years after it was originally published, I have come back to the Circle to see the conclusion of its story. In a way it was a cool effect having been away from the story so long. The characters I loved so much were back in my life. Unfortunately, the tale of Green is a very dark and twisted one. In many ways, Green is to the Circle as [b:The Last Battle|84369|The Last Battle (Chronicles of Narnia, #7)|C.S. Lewis|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1308814830l/84369._SY75_.jpg|1059917] is to C.S. Lewis' Narnia. The difference here being that Dekker chose a satisfying ending to his fiction over one that truly wraps up his allegory in a scriptural way.
After all of this time there is a warmth in my heart for this series. It is so action packed and so full of strong themes. I have to admit tearing up a couple times during my experience with Green. Everything comes to such a dark and suspenseful climax that, once the story got moving, I couldn't stop. Now that it is over I am clamoring for the alternate ending that was offered later as well.
Nevertheless, thank you Ted Dekker for the conclusion to this series which has never left my head -- even years after reading it.