Review: Green


Green (The Circle, Book 0: The Beginning and the End)
by Ted Dekker
I have read the Circle Trilogy and reviewed Black and Red on my blog. I was thrilled to see that Thomas Nelson publishers was offering Green as part of their blogger review program.
After receiving it from them, I tore into it, and after a week of steady reading, I have to say that Ted Dekker’s prequel of the Circle Trilogy is superb. Dekker has effectively created a spiritual epic series that is moving, powerful and provocative.
Green opens on Thomas of Hunter’s life years into the future of the Circle — a group of Elyon’s followers. They are living lives of seclusion from the Horde and a new group called Eramites. Both of these groups have rejected Elyon’s ways. The Eramites follow the counsel of an audacious leader intent on destroying the Horde, while the Horde rejects Elyon completely and instead follows the teachings of the evil being Teeleh.
After years of Elyon’s silence and supposed absence, things are beginning to unravel in the circle. Thomas’ own son, Samuel, questions the ways of Elyon and whether he is even alive.
Dekker portrays a startling parallel in this fictional series with the apathy of the church. His tale exposes the tendency of Christians to withdraw from the world rather than seek to redeem it with the gospel of Christ.
Green is a real nail-biter and it sets up the conflict between good and evil, holiness and pragmatism in a profound way. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed all Dekker’s books so far. This was no different.