Deuteronomy 30:19-20

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and holding fast to him, for he is your life and length of days, that you may dwell in the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Green - Coming Full Circle



Green, by Ted Dekker is the conclusion to the beloved Circle Trilogy, Paradise Series, and Lost Books Series. It completes the "circle," and wraps up the Books of History Chronicles.

I cannot really tell you much of the plot of this book without ruining it. But I can say that if you have read any of the books in this massive series, you will most definitely enjoy this one. Dekker includes the best elements from all of the other books and piles it all into one. Characters range from those in "other" earth to those in our own earth to those from the monastery to characters that we might have even forgotten about. But the pure genius behind this book is that it can be read as the "grand finale" or the "beginning."

What I mean is, those who have never picked up one of the Books of History Chronicles could begin with Green and begin reading with Book 0. The rest of the series is summed up in the opening pages, but those who have not read those other books would never understand the connections. Then, once they grab hold of the rest of the series, they would be amazed at the connections Dekker created.

Now while I cannot tell you which way is best... the original order or this new order that begins with Green, I can say this. No matter where you start, read the separate series in order. I will list those later on. I prefer the original order because that is the way I read it. For 5 years now, I have read these books as they were published, and the twists and connections along the way kept me hooked. I am sad that the series is over, but I am excited about going back and rereading the series. I feel like a good book is one that can be reread. Although I already know the twists that are to come, I am excited to see them knowing the ending. This series never gets old!

So here is my preferred order (the original publishing order):
Black
Red
White
Showdown
House
Saint
Skin
Chosen
Infidel
Sinner
Renegade
Chaos
Lunatic
Elyon
Green
..
Now although this is my preferred order, it does not have to be read in this order. Keep the series together, dive deep, and read the Books of History (the common theme through all the books).
  • Circle Series - Black, Red, White, Green or Green, Black, Red, White
  • Paradise Novels - Showdown, Saint, Sinner
  • Lost Books (CIRCLE) - Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, Elyon
  • Stand Alone Novels with Connections - House, Skin

This is the end of the Books of History Chronicles... but for someone, it might just be the beginning.

Matt

No comments: