The Circle Series by Ted Dekker

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mui-scrimp
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The Circle Series by Ted Dekker

Post by mui-scrimp »

I just found this series because a friend suggested it to me. I love it! It's kind of like a continuous mind game for me... I love the idea that you can read the series either from Black to Green or from Green to Black. Anyways, what are your thoughts on the books?
There are weapons you cannot hold in your hands. You can only hold them in your mind.
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rssllue
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Post by rssllue »

I loved that series. I began when it first came out, so I went from Black through White. Green came out later. It pulled me in from the first scene in Black and kept me hooked throughout the entire trilogy! It is the best trilogy I have ever read and it caused me to dig into Ted's other books that he had written as well. I just hope one day that a GOOD production company will get the rights to it and, hopefully along with Ted himself, create a wondrous visual masterpiece for the trilogy. That would truly be awesome!
~ occupare fati suffocavit

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ~ Psalms 4:8
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mui-scrimp
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Post by mui-scrimp »

Creating a movie sounds amazing! But it would be really difficult, because the story is so complex.
There are weapons you cannot hold in your hands. You can only hold them in your mind.
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rssllue
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Post by rssllue »

I agree. But hopefully with the right company doing it, it can be pulled off. One can dream.
~ occupare fati suffocavit

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for Thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety. ~ Psalms 4:8
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Post by ConnorDiemer »

This series is one of my all-time favorites! It was what got me really excited about reading anything longer than a magic tree house book. It paralleled the Jewish and Christian faiths in an interesting way. Honestly, I wasn't looking for that connection as I read it and it only finally clicked in my mind near the end of the second book and I had to step back and go "woah!" because it was so good at what it was doing.
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Post by Momlovesbooks »

This was a unique series! I have never read anything like it. It's one of those things that lingers in the back of your mind and comes to the forefront when you're least expecting it. I read the series in order and then read other books by Dekker. However, that series remains my favorite!
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Post by MKRUGEL77 »

Never in my wildest dreams would I have even known how to start a series like this! Ted Dekker is a super star when it comes to writing complex mind boggling stories and the Circle series is no different. I mean just imagine for a second this was true, that when you gou to sleep in one world you wake up in another. This is definitely one of my all time favourites. And I remember the story line as if I read it yesterday, but infact I've read it a couple of years back. Thats the sort of impression Ted Dekker's series had on me!
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Post by e-tasana-williams »

New York Times Bestselling author Ted Dekker completes his Circle series with the fourth installation titled, Green: Book Zero: The Beginning and the End. Not having read the first three novels, Black, Red, and White, a reader will still grasp that the series is set along the circumference of a circular timeline. Green continues the odyssey of the protagonist Thomas Hunter, as he clings to his faith and travails against evil in a tale full of biblical parallels: The good god Elyon vs. the evil god Teeleh; free will vs. divine intervention/destiny; the power of blood to bind, cleanse and condemn, faith in the face of “reality” is often alluded to as well.

The recurring themes of the power of blood (as a gateway to another world/reality), the power of faith in the face of sure defeat, and the power of words to become reality form the pillars of the novel.

What Dekker does quite well in Green is how he includes biblical parallels. While it is truly a work of fiction, Green is unashamed Christian allegory. The faithful Circle await the second coming of their god Elyon. Some of the Circle remain faithful while others question their faith or lose faith altogether. The members of the Circle have died to this life (through baptism) in order to follow Elyon, while the evil Horde are consumed by a disease (sin). Dekker even includes scripture in his work; some straight from the Bible, some thinly veiled. Christian readers will enjoy finding these peppered throughout the story.

One drawback for me was that Dekker’s conclusion to his Circle series is at times confusing. The reader is constantly made aware that the story occurs in circular, not linear fashion but this method of storytelling tends to take away from the reader’s enjoyment of the story. For example, Dekker’s writing of an abstract titled, “The Beginning and the End”, followed by a prologue that repeats word for word some of the abstract, then the first chapter titled simply, “0”, causes the reading of the first 20 pages to be halting, as the reader re-reads previous paragraphs for clarity.

Another con is for readers expecting wholesome Christian fiction. Dekker openly describes sensuality. Green is not for kids. It is an adult Christian novel, if one could choose such a genre. From the reference of couples as lovers to the erotic descriptions of encounters between the vampire-like shataiki and their victims/worshippers, Dekker risks offending some readers expecting less risqué writing from a book with “Fiction/Christian/Suspense” as its Library of Congress subject heading.

Overall I enjoyed the novel once I got past the confusing introductory pages. The fantasy aspect of the book appealed to me, and so did the Christian allegory. It was fun imagining the otherworldly scenarios described, and gratifying to find parallels between the story and the Bible. I give this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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Post by Brittster »

I was so excited to see this topic. I have so many fond memories of this series. I was in high school when I started reading it because a friend recommended it to me. My reading this series is the first I really remember of my love for reading. Ted Dekker became my favorite author for the longest time. This is possibly where I developed my love for fantasy as well. He is an amazing author and the Circle series is truly the best of his works. You should also try the lost books series. It's based in the same world as the Circle and even ties into it.
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Post by SuzanneM_81 »

I love this series, and have started to share it with my kids. Starting with this set, and continuing into several others he has read, the concept of the full reality of the spiritual world around us (which we often do not see) is such a powerful reminder of what is real and what really isn’t. It is also fun to see how so many of his other books are tied back to this world and this story.
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