Wanna Trip?

Wow I am really slacking on Book Reviews. This is my "bookshelf," but lately I have drifted from that theme. I guess I have gotten involved in some of the newer aspects of the blog that I drifted from the books. But that section is back, and hopefully I will remember to be a little more consistent.

So I am taking it back a few years. Ted Dekker is known for his crazy twists and amazing plots. This book provides it all, but not in the way you would expect. Many authors, including Dekker, are good at providing a stand alone novel with an amazing twist. And this book provides any wandering reader with that very thing. It can be read alone, and a reader would not miss anything. I fell that they would be satisfied with the story. But this story is not by itself. Dekker has written many of these books as stand alones, but they are all ultimately part of a bigger story.

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Black, Red, and White were known as the Circle Trilogy. They left many unanswered questions. Dekker was providing his readers with a much bigger story. Showdown was the first novel written after the Trilogy that tied directly back in. It took place in our world and not the fantasy world of the Trilogy. But anyone who has read the Trilogy would immediately recognize some of the events, characters, and objects. It begins answering a few questions, but it ultimately opens the door for much bigger ones. These answers are explored in other novels such as Saint, Skin, House, and The Lost Books Series.

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But Showdown introduces 2 pivotal characters that become pivotal later on. The most notorious of all of Dekker's villains is Black. He roams about Paradise, Colorado stirring up problems. He is mysterious in every way, and no one ever knows where or who he is. And no one can ever guess what he is up to. From his mysterious entrance into Paradise to his even more mysterious departure, Black does not allow readers to figure him out.

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But Black is just part of the story. There is so much more to explore in the small town of Paradise. The monastery plays another pivotal role in the novel (and in stories later on). But the story really begins here, in Showdown.

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Although these books can be read in a variety of owners, I feel that it is best to read them in publishing order. That gives readers the sudden surprises and connections that they would miss if they read them in any different order. It is similar to reading Narnia. If one read The Magician's Nephew first, they would miss out on the revelations revealed in it. It is so much richer if read after The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I feel that this is how Dekker's novels are too.

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So if you have never read Showdown, pick it up quickly. I will be writing about Saint ("Book 2") later on this week. And then on September 2, the next installment of this twisting series will be released, Sinner.

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Matt