"Red" continues Ted Dekker’s epic tale of good versus terrifying evil. The story of the fantasy world is much faster-paced and more exciting this time around, and it dominates the volume. By contrast, the storyline taking place in the modern day is uninspired and more of the same. Far from carrying the story as it did in the first book, the action here is derivative, feeling like an over-long extension of the first book more than anything else. Once again, the fantasy world is incredibly well thought-out, and the translation of spiritual concepts into the physical is excellent. If you think about it too hard, as I am prone to do, there are a few points which do not quite add up, but they do not detract significantly from the overall world. As to characters, the treatment of them is uneven. Many of the newcomers are developed with care through their actions and words while others rely on exposition for the reader to understand their attitudes, biases, and skills. Even Thomas, the main character, falls prey to this sometimes, with the book telling the reader how much he has changed, but he rarely speaks or acts differently than in the first book. Finally, I once again have gripes, as tedious as ever, with Mr. Dekker’s lack of knowledge about the military. For example, while it is unlikely a scientist could catch a ride on a military fighter jet, it is even less likely for said ride to be taken in an F-16. With only one seat, the passenger and the pilot are going to become very well acquainted before the trip is over. These inaccuracies are not story breaking, but they are a pet peeve of mine. In the end, the fantasy world dominates this story, making for a good read, not quite as good as the first book in the series but still well worth the time.

There is also a book called green which completes the series.

I'm not a very eloquent writer, like some of these other reviews, but I wanted to share my thoughts. I read the trilogy years ago and have reread them since. These books are amazing, and they have helped change how I view God, His Love and His character. Ted Dekker is my favorite author and I've never read a book of his that I didn't love!

While I know "The Circle" series has received a fourth book, book zero (what is that about?), for the purposes of this review, I will treat "White" as the conclusion to a trilogy for two reasons. Firstly, this was the original context in which it was published and second, it is the most equitable way to deal with it. It continues the allegory of the Christian faith through history, blending modern-earth and future-earth storylines. The modern-day story is once again a nail-biting narrative and, frankly, where the real story happens. Unfortunately, this makes the future world storyline feel like dead weight at times. Also, because it vies with the present-day story for literary real estate, a relatively small amount of background for this incredibly unique world has left some parts underdeveloped. For example, the people of one culture hate water; however, I never truly understood the depth of their hatred, because I was told about it, not shown it. Another small critique concerns the Books of the Histories, a plot device introduced early in the series and undoubtedly of incredible importance. They are built up to be the driving force in the story, yet they are rarely seen and even more rarely used for anything. Moreover, at the end of "White," they have created a host of loose ends which take away from an otherwise good ending to the series. On the front of characters, the book surpasses its predecessors with the variety of people in the storyline. The villains of the future storyline are finally humanized and given depth and variety. Some of them are evil to the core while some are more like you and me. Additionally, differences of opinion among the heroes make them each feel unique. On the other hand, some characters behave in certain ways, not because it is what they would actually do but because the allegory demands it. One character, for instance, displays uncontrollable and unconditional love as an allegory for the way God loves sinners; however, with nothing preceding this attitude to justify it, the situation undermines the character’s personality simply to make a point. My most critical gripe is that "The Circle" trilogy over-uses death as a plot point and then utilizes poorly conceived resurrection gimmicks to bring characters back. It happens with such frequency that by the third book, the ultimate sacrifice has been cheapened to the point of being practically meaningless. As always, Mr. Dekker’s writing style is all his own, a good thing in my opinion. It melds easy to read English and sentence structures with the occasional use of older, more epic styles of writing. Combine Stephen King with Shakespeare or the Bible and you have Ted Dekker. This creates an easily devoured novel with a readily identifiable style all its own. Despite a few critiques, "White" is an enjoyable read and a good, climactic end to a trilogy.

The Circle Trilogy