"Erec Rex-- The Dragon's Eye" review

So I got some money for Christmas. I looked around at the bookshelves, wondering what to spend it on. And then this book's colorful cover got my attention. I opened it up to see several good reviews on the inside. So I started to read. Once I finished Chapter 1, I realized I should probably buy the book. And it was money well spent. I finished in less than a day.

Erec Rex (nice name) is not even attempting to be just like your average, ordinary kid. He's twelve years old, acts normal, but lives with his adopted mother in a cramped house-- so cramped he doesn't even gett a bedroom to share. He also has a glass eye that he's had as long as he can remember that doesn't match. His hair is part straight, part curly. Okay, so that's a little strange, but normal.

One day, however, his mother gets kidnapped, and Erec is told by a "cloudy thought", or one of his unusual premonitions, to go after her. He runs into a girl named Bethany who may know where his mother went. Together they get chased...

...into the sidewalk.

They soon find themselves in a world that's hidden right under (or above, as the case may be) our very noses. Alypium is a wondrous place, filled with little touches of genius-- my favorite was called an Inquizzle, a ball that answers a yes/no question. No sooner does the reader begin to ponder how the author came up with all of this than Erec is whisked off to take part in a tournament to decide who the future king will be. And Erec is beginning to uncover some secrets about his past that suggest he is not at all who we think he is. We, the reader, are taken along with Erec on a thrill ride we won't soon forget.

I really, really enjoyed this book, as well as its sequel, The Monsters of Otherness (review coming soon). Kaza Kingsley's loosely mythology-based world is full of all of the little details that made Harry Potter great. But the boy wizard's reign is over. Long live Erec Rex, and his wonderfully original tale of the magic that lies hidden beneath our feet.

The best part? There are going to be eight of these books.

Best Summer Blockbusters of 2007 (in my humble opinion)**

Best Series Starter: Transformers*

Best Sequel: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Best Threequel: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End*

Best Comic Book Movie: Spider-Man 3

Best Toy-based Movie: Transformers

Best Book Adaptation: The Bourne Ultimatum*

Best Opening Scene: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End

Best CGI/Visual Effects: Transformers

Best Fight Scene: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End

Best End Scene: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End

Best Credits/Post-Credits Scene: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End

Best Summer Blockbuster: Pirates of the Caribbean-- At World's End

*denotes a truly entertaining romp

**There were very few "great" movies this year, but there were some fun ones. I've only reviewed the fun ones. Since this only counts for summer blockbusters, there are no runner-ups.

Best Books of 2007 (in my humble opinion)

Best Debut: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss*
Runner Up: Erec Rex-- The Dragon's Eye, by Kaza Kingsley*

Best Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling*
Runner Up: Erec Rex-- The Dragon's Eye, by Kaza Kingsley

Best Series Starter: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss
Runner Up: Erec Rex-- The Dragon's Eye, by Kaza Kingsley

Best Sequel: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
Runner Up: Snakehead, by Anthony Horowitz

Best Middle Novel in a Series: The Titan's Curse, by Rick Riordan*
Runner Up: Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want, by Obert Skye*

Best Fantasy World: Erec Rex-- The Dragon's Eye, by Kaza Kingsley
Runner Up: Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want, by Obert Skye

Best Christian Fiction: Isle of Swords, by Wayne Thomas Batson*
Runner Up: Skin, by Ted Dekker

Best Fight Scene: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
Runner Up: Gregor and the Code of Claw, by Suzanne Collins*

Best Finale: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
Runner Up: Gregor and the Code of Claw, by Suzanne Collins

Best "To be Continued..." Moment: PENDRAGON-- The Pilgrims of Rayne, by D. J. MacHale
Runner Up: Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want, by Obert Skye

Author of the Year: J. K. Rowling
Runner Up: Ted Dekker**

Book of the Year: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J. K. Rowling
Runner Up: The Name of the Wind, by Patrick Rothfuss


*denotes true literary excellence
**I just discovered Ted Dekker this year. If I hadn't, the runner up would have been Patrick Rothfuss.

"Project Showdown" review

Isn't Ted Dekker great? I mean, he keeps churning out books at such a rapid pace, and with such quality, he could well be considered as one of the most prolific writers of our day. So far I've reviewed THR3E, House, Black, Red, and White, and I'm just getting started. Now, there's still one book left to come out in his Project Showdown "series", but since I've read the first two, I'll review them now.


Showdown: The name of the town is Paradise, and it becomes more and more ironic over the course of the story as events come into play to create what is perhaps the ultimate showdown between good and evil. A man named Marsuvees Black comes into Paradise, spreading a message of revival, giving everyone a taste of what he has in store. But his true intentions are more sinister than anyone is willing to suspect.

I can't reveal much of the plot, but well-versed Ted Dekker readers will find some interesting ties to some of his other books. And I can't praise it enough. It's perhaps my favorite of his novels.


Saint: Carl Strople doesn't know anything about his past, only that he's being put through a series of tests to become one of the deadliest assassins in history. The X Group has plans for him he doesn't grasp the fullness of. And he doesn't know if he even really is Carl Strople.

This is another of Dekker's signature blend of several genres, accompanied by a signature Dekker plot twist. And the tried and true formula works.

I'll be back again sometime to post some news in the book world, as well as some reviews of other Dekker books and other books in general.

I'm not posting the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne"...

Watch this space. At the beginning of 2008, I'll post some information on upcoming books and movies of the year. Celebrate New Year's as happily (or drowzily) as you like.

"The Circle Trilogy" review

Yadda yadda. You know the shpeel. Ted Dekker's done it again! Kept me riveted from the first page to the last! What a great writer! Yeah, same old, same old. Anyway, Merry Christmas. Here's my cumulative review of Black, Red, and White, the three volumes of the Circle Trilogy and the beginning of the Books of History Chronicles, which, at the time of my writing, spans no less than six books.

Black: The story begins as Thomas Hunter exits a coffee shop in Denver to discover he is being shot at. He is wounded and soon falls asleep... only to awaken in another world. This is Earth's future, where a plague has ravaged and eliminated most of the planet's population. The survivors live in a colored forest alongside white fuzzy bats known as the Roush. It is peaceful, and the humans are all under the great Elyon's protection. But across the river is the Black Forest, where the Deciever, Teeleh, lives. None from the Colored Forest can eat Teeleh's fruit or drink his water, or else they will die and the Colored Forest will be destroyed. One day, though, a man from the Colored Forest crosses over, and evil begins to creep back into the world...

Meanwhile, on present-day Earth, a man named Valborg Svensson plots to kill millions, if not billions, with the Raison Strain, a mutation of what was thought to be a helpful vaccine. It leaves its victims dead in three weeks...

Thomas Hunter discovers that anytime he is asleep, he travels from one world to the other. It seems only he has the ability to save both worlds...

Red: Fifteen years have passed in the Other Earth, though only a night has passed in the here and now. Thomas Hunter is the leader of the Forest Guard, who protect what is left of their home, from the attacks of the Horde. The Horde are those whom Teeleh decieved, who did not drink of Elyon's cleansing water, and they have sworn to destroy the Forest Guard. And there is a traitor in Thomas's midst...

On the Earth of today, the Raison Strain has been released. The clock is ticking...

White: It has all led to this. Thomas Hunter and his newly born sect, the Circle, have vowed to show the Other Earth Elyon's love, even if it means their deaths. And it very well may. Qurong, the leader of the Horde, has a plan to overthrow the Circle, and Teeleh is pulling the strings. It is this moment the Circle has been waiting for. It is this moment in which the fate of the world may be decided...

On present-day Earth, a possible cure to the Raison Strain has been found. But it might require the ultimate sacrifice...

I'll admit, I was skeptical. I mean, this sort of thing doesn't normally work. But Dekker's writing had me hook, line, and sinker from the beginning, and he kept raising the stakes until it became almost unbearable... the mark of a truly good writer. There is not enough praise I can give for this series. So I'll just say two words:

Dive Deep.

"THR3E" and "House" reviews

Ted Dekker is known to be the master of Christian suspense. His books, some of which have been made into movies, are bestsellers, and they combine Christian themes with nail-biting adrenaline rushes. This is one of his books.

What would you do if you got a phone call from a man while you were driving down the road? What if that man told you to confess a sin you didn't know you'd committed? What if he told you the car you were in would explode in a few minutes? Of course, you'd be curious. You'd probably pull over to the side of the road and step out of your car for a while, just to be sure.

What if the car really did explode?

Such is the starting point for THR3E, a thriller that will keep you guessing until the last page. Filled with an unusual perspective on goor and evil, a twisting plot, and solid characters, this book is a must-read that will keep you up at night.

House's plot is as simple as the title. Four people get stranded in a house with no way out, no way to alert the authorities. A man named Barsidious White tosses in a can with the house rules. #1-- God came to this house and I killed him. #2-- I will kill anyone who comes into my house like I killed God. #3-- Give me one dead body and I might let Rule #2 slide. You have until dawn.

This book is a collaboration between Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker, which is sort of a big deal. And I'd say it's worth the hype. The story takes place all during one night, which gives the feeling that time is running out with the pages. The characters all have radically different personalities, and it's always interesting to see them bounce off each other in a situation of full panic. Finally, in the end, decisions are made that show each character's true worth.

Enjoy.