The Underground Zealot Series by Jerry Jenkins

Remember Jerry Jenkins? Writer of the wildly popular Left Behind series? He's still writing, and he hasn't lost his touch. The Underground Zealot series consists of Soon: The Beginning of the End, Silenced: The Wrath of God Descends, and Shadowed: The Final Judgment. Published between 2004 and 2006, these novels are end-times thrillers in the tradition of Left Behind. However, the fact that there are only three books in the series makes it easier to follow the plot lines and the characters.
The story is set in a world where religion has been outlawed since the end of World War III, a religious war that occurred in 2009. Christians, not willing to deny their faith, have gone underground much like their first-century counterparts. They are dodging persecution by the world government set up after the war (similar to the persecution of early Christians by the Roman government).

Paul Stepola is an agent with the National Peace Organization, like today's CIA and FBI. His job is to find and arrest the followers of illegal religions, his specialty being Christians. As he studies about Christianity and attempts to infiltrate the underground groups, he has an experience paralleling that of the Apostle Paul. He loses his sight on a job-related sting, and, while in the hospital, he listens to Bible texts. With the help of an undercover Christian hospital volunteer, he makes the decision to become a Christian. From this point on, Paul is a double-agent, working in the agency that is charged with bringing Christians to "justice."

It's not practical for me to summarize the story from beginning of the first book through the last. Suffice it to say that the Christians rely on God to deliver them from their predicament, and God comes through for them.

You can get more hints on the storyline by reading samples and reviews on Amazon. I am not a fan of futuristic thrillers, but this story is interesting because of the parallels with the growth of first-century Chrisitianity. The believers in the post-WWIII world use the some of the same covert methods as the followers of Peter and Paul. Some say that fiction isn't instructional, but, since I finished this trilogy, I find myself wanting to go back and study the history of early Christianity to find more parallels.

And finally, the kicker for me----Jenkins has painted a picture of a cruel, selfish world, a world where Christianity is illegal. People grow up and live their whole lives without being exposed to Christian teaching. Could it really happen? Could religion be banned in the 21st century? Look around you. With Christmas on the horizon, cities and towns are afraid to put up Christmas displays because they're afraid of being sued. Christians are regularly chastised for expressing their beliefs.

I recommend that you read this trilogy if for no other reason than to see what the world is like when it's run by people who deny God. It's an exciting story with interesting characters, plenty of action, and suspense. Read the whole trilogy if you can. Ideally, you would read Soon first, but each subsequent volume has an introductory synopsis of the story in previous volumes.

The series is available as a set at Christianbook.com.

Disclaimer: I purchased the first book myself and obtained the others from my public library. I received no compensation for this review. I have reviewed Jenkins' Writing for the Soul on another blog.

Final Warning by Sandra Robbins

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Robbins' Pedigreed Bloodlines, an inspirational romance/mystery that was nominated for a national award. I liked it so much that I pledged to read her latest published work, Final Warning. Suffice it to say that I found it to be a real page-turner. The romantic interest was included, but the suspense in this one was heart-thumping. Rather than write a summary, I'm sharing the book trailer with you. All of Robbin's books are available on Amazon.

Green by Ted Dekker

-->Full title is, Green: Book Zero, the Beginning and the End (Thomas Nelson). Fantasy fiction is not my thing, yet I chose to review this book out of curiosity, mainly because I was intrigued by the title. Green is the last (and first) book in the Circle series. Hero Thomas Hunter leads the good guys in a good vs. evil story that lives up to its billing as a thriller. The story includes time travel from the pre-apocalypse world to the post-apocalypse Earth where this installment of the story begins. Hunter and his peace-loving band are drawn into confrontation with the bad guys, and Thomas ends up back where he started in the very first book of the series.
Not having read the first three books in the series, I had no preconceived notions. I saw similarities to the 1968 movie, Planet of the Apes. Life on earth has been totally altered by a catastrophe that puts inhabitants in a Dark Ages environment. Good and evil are ready to slug it out once more. Female characters have strong roles, although the hero and his son dominate the story.

Because I like stories to have definite endings, I felt a bit let down by the fact that the hero was not left with a happily-ever-after scenario. However, it occurs to me that the author may have in mind writing sequels that would take the whole story in to a different conclusion. I may go back and read the first three books to see how Black, Red, and White bring us into the Green story. At the end of Green, we’re back at the beginning with a chance to do it better next time. A never-ending circle. If you like fantasy thrillers, you’ll like Green.

Note: I received this book at no cost as a participant in Thomas Nelson’s book review blogger program.