Book Review: Babylon Rising - The Edge of Darkness

The latest book in the Babylon Rising series by Tim Lahaye is out. The Edge of Darkness is the fourth book in the line.

I'm no author, obviously, and certainly no exprert on writing. I do, however, love to write, love to read, and love the English language. One thing that really gripes me when I'm reading a book is when I come across an obvious error in the text. I can understand a spelling or typographical error. I can even forgive the occassional punctuation or grammatical error. Editors should catch this type of thing, but the major publishing houses today are nothing more than page mills cranking out the latest drivel (in many cases) as fast as they can, hoping to stumble upon the next great literary masterpiece.

But one thing I simply cannot tolerate is when there is a material error in the text that causes a structural flaw to the work. For example; a setting that doesn't fit with the plot, a major inconsistency in events of the story (which I'll discuss further soon), or a character error.

While reviewing book three in the series, The Europa Conspiracy, I discussed a major inconsistency in the story line. Mere pages apart, a character survives what could have been a tragic accident, only to later be referenced as having died in the very accident he survived.

I have encountered a major character misuse in The Edge of Darkness. First, a brief character inventory. The series involves a group of seven international power magnates manipulating events to hasten the beginning of the last days. This group is led by a man named John Bartholomew. One tool this group uses is the owner of an American communications giant, named Shane Barrington, whom they use as a pawn to do their bidding to further their evil plan.

On page 147 in the book, the group is meeting to discuss the next steps in their plan. Among other things, they discuss what action they will have Shane Barrington take to aid in the establishment of a unified religion. Barrington clearly is not present at the meeting, as his status as a lowly pawn has left him out of the decision making process throughout the series of books. As the meeting is coming to a close, while clearly referring to the leader of this evil consortium -- John Bartholomew -- the author uses the name Barrington. One paragraph later, he's back on track with the correct character name.

It seems to me that this could cause quite a confusion for the reader. I immediately noticed something odd and reread the passage to clarify. It appears that the editors of the Babylon Rising series either don't read the work too closely before publishing or, more likely, rely on a low-level staffer to proof-read for them. Either way, I find this sort of error disturbing and unacceptable.

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Babylon Rising: The Edge of Darkness, seemed to move a little slowly early in the reading. The rest of the series seems to progress quite rapidly. But don't let the seeming slowness fool you. A great deal of plot is laid out for events to come in future installment(s). There are also some surprises in the closing chapters -- things one might never expect when there is obviously at least one more volume to be released in the series.

I found the book to be a rather good story, and essentially true to the rest of the series. Other than the inconsistency mentioned above, The Edge of Darkness, like the rest of the Babylon Rising series, is first rate. I would recommend it to anyone.

Joe

Book Review: Left Behind - The Rapture

How many sequels can the authors get from the second-coming of Christ? One more, it seems. That's what Tim Lahaye and Jerry Jenkins have planned for the hugely successful Left Behind series. After twelve books in the series, three prequels, and numerous spin-offs, Left Behind: The Sequel is the next promised installment.

I just finished reading the third -- and apparently final -- prequel: The Rapture. If you read the original Left Behind book, much of The Rapture will seem familiar to you.

The authors revisit much of the accounting of the Rapture from The Bible's book of Revelation. You'll witness again as billions of people the world over disappear without explanation. You'll see Nicolae Carpathia, the Antichrist, begin his rise to power as he ascends to the presidency of Romania and puts in motion his plans to take over the United Nations. All familiar territory to the millions of Left Behind fans who have made the books so popular.

What you won't find familiar is the accounting of the first Judgement of those who have been raptured. Lahaye and Jenkins share their version of what those of us who will be raptured can expect in the presence of God. Judgements to determine what reward each raptured saint will receive for his or her works on Earth.

The book is an easy read, though the reaccounting of the original Left Behind is a bit unnecessary. It serves only to set the timeline for activities that occur to those who aren't left behind after the rapture.

If you've invested the hours required to read the rest of the Left Behind series, you'll certainly want to read The Rapture, as well. If for no reason other than to be prepared for the next installment, Left Behind: The Sequel, which promises to show us how the authors vision the time that Satan is to be let loose after being cast into the Lake of Fire. I, for one, can't wait!

Joe

Read more here about Left Behind: The Regime.

Book Review: Babylon Rising - The Europa Conspiracy

From Tim Lahaye, creator of the best-selling Left Behind series, and author Bob Phillips, comes the latest in the Babylon Rising series, The Europa Conspiracy.

Tim Lahaye proves he can do more than Left Behind in his latest end times thriller as Professor Michael Murphy, a Biblical Archaeologist, encounters great danger and great discovery at the hands of arch-nemesis Talon and the mysterious Methuselah.

In book one, Babylon Rising, Murphy loses his wife to the cruel claws of Talon. In book two, Secret On Ararat, Murphy and his crew uncover the hidden resting place of Noah's Ark. In this most recent volume, Murphy and his gang find the handwriting on the wall that signaled God's punishment on ancient Babylon.

While I've found each volume in the series to be riveting, I did find something in book three that has been driving me nuts. As Murphy makes his quest to Babylon in search of the handwriting of God, one of his partners is a professor named Bingham. On Page 311, when Murphy worries that Bingham might be dead and he dreads having to give the news to Bingham's wife and kids, Bingham shows up behind him with a camera in hand and asks, "Were you looking for this?" On Page 320, as Murphy and company are discussing leaving Israel, they mention that Bingham needs to get back to his wife and kids. On Page 327, while sitting in a restaurant with Levi Abrams, Murphy says, "I still haven't gotten over the loss of BINGMAN -- he was a really nice man. His death brought to mind Laura's death... ." There is no BINGMAN in the story, and it clearly is meant to refer to Bingham. I suspect that it got past the editor because of the discrepancy in names. Not only is the name incorrect, but Murphy also talks of Bingham's death, which never occurs in the story, either.

It's just one of those minor details that bugs me. Obviously we're to believe that Bingham was somehow killed, though we never learn how and are lead to believe the opposite. It's not a difficult thing to follow and didn't lessen my enjoyment of the book at all.

If you enjoy end times fiction such as Left Behind, pick up this series today. You won't be disappointed.

Joe

Book Review: Left Behind - The Regime

The second prequel book to the popular Left Behind series from Tim Lahaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, The Regime takes us further into the dark development of the would-be Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia.

An up-and-coming Romanian businessman-turned-politician, Carpathia orchestrates his rise to the lower Parliamentary house thru means both immoral and illegal.

The Regime differs from other volumes in the Left Behind collection in that it is a creation purely from the imagination of the authors while the rest of the series is based on the Biblical account of the second-coming of Christ foretold in the book of Revelation.

Though a purely fictional work may seem blasphemous to the most staunch of believers, the authors do a good job of keeping their fiction true to the original series without creating any theology in the process. I found The Regime to be a much more enjoyable read than it's predecessor, The Rising. I highly recommend this episode of the Left Behind saga. You'll finish it in anticipation of the next episode, scheduled for release on 6-6-06, fittingly enough.

Joe