Rating: 
Summary: The Antichrist lives again.
Review: .
It is the midpoint of the End Times when the Antichrist must die. Who kills him? It is an excellent question with wonderful foreshadowing as tension builds. John the Revelator's Prophecy states that the Antichrist will be killed by a sword, so LeHaye and Jenkins added a gun named the Sword. Will it be the bullet or blade?
In death, Nicolae Carpathia is displayed in a crystal coffin for the predicted three days. Over four million people make the journey to New Babylon to cry over their beloved leader and millions more watch the non-stop television presentation. Beside this man is a twenty-four foot bronze statue that belches black smoke and demands submission and commitment from everyone. Replicas will be in all major cities, and if one does not bow to the graven image, it means death.
When Carpathia comes back to life on the third day, he breaks out of the crystal coffin, there is but one thought -- he is god. This is the Indwelling when Satan takes full control of the man. Whereas Nicolae kept his satanic prayers in private and did not blatantly destroy those who opposed him, now the beast is ready to acquire as many souls as possible in the time left. The stature given by his faithful is enhanced when he calls forth his own dead prophet.
Each member of the Tribulation Force faces personal dilemmas and seeks to find others whose faith is not in Carpathia. Safe houses are blown, new places and new characters are added and do add to the depth of the force as well as add foreshadowing. It is pure action and seems to have a solid background in Biblical knowledge, especially in the accounts of God's judgments.
You cannot start reading this series by starting in the middle. Each book builds upon the previous one, and if you have read this far into the series, you will not stop. I made sure I had the next one when I read so that I felt the continued pressure and involvement.
There are many who will not like any of the reviews of this or the other eleven books because they do not like the series or the ideas presented. It is their right. There are many interpretations about the Book of Revelations, and I happen to enjoy this series very much. Still, nothing is perfect, but the pleasure and heart racing action are worth five stars to me.
Victoria Tarrani
Rating:
Summary: Better than people give it credit for
Review: A lot of the reviews I have read of these books tend to put it down by comparing it to other end of the world books. And while I will admit that these are not as smart or engaging as some of the the better books that cover the same topic like Fire of Heaven or We All Fall Down, I still really enjoyed them. A friend introduced me to the first book and I cut through all 12 books over the past two months. In a way, it's not really fair to compare them to some of the other books because they are trying to do different things. Left Behind seems to me to try to simply tell a great story about the end of the world. It's light, but what's wrong with that? I really felt like I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next when I finished a book and the very next day would order the next one. I call that a success. A book like We All Fall Down is obviously much more intense and thoughtful, the characters seem much more like real people, and it gives you more to think about, but why does that make Left Behind bad? Can't The Ten Commandments and The Passion both be good movies?
Rating:
Summary: Better than people give it credit for
Review: A lot of the reviews I have read of these books tend to put it down by comparing it to other end of the world books. And while I will admit that these are not as smart or engaging as some of the the better books that cover the same topic like Fire of Heaven or We All Fall Down, I still really enjoyed them. A friend introduced me to the first book and I cut through all 12 books over the past two months. In a way, it's not really fair to compare them to some of the other books because they are trying to do different things. Left Behind seems to me to try to simply tell a great story about the end of the world. It's light, but what's wrong with that? I really felt like I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next when I finished a book and the very next day would order the next one. I call that a success. A book like We All Fall Down is obviously much more intense and thoughtful, the characters seem much more like real people, and it gives you more to think about, but why does that make Left Behind bad? Can't The Ten Commandments and The Passion both be good movies?
Rating: 
Summary: The Indwelling
Review: As many of you have also done, I waited for months to read this next addition to the Left Behind series. While I found the "action" to be somewhat lacking, the book flowed very nicely. To make the prophetic facts seem more real to me, I enjoy keeping my Bible next to me and looking them up as they occur. One important thing to remember about this series is that it is FICTION based on FACT of what will happen when our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ comes again to claim his children. You can make fun of the characters as much as you want to, but what would any of us do who were put in the same situation? This is a battle of good vs. evil; if you lose, you die. While dying as a Christian means eternity in heaven, I can't think of anyone who actually looks forward to death. During the tribulation, the only two things that will matter will be witnessing for Christ and survival. I praise Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins for their lifelike casting of the Trib Force. Here are perfect examples of sinners, just like me, who were saved by putting their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The authors are not afraid to make the characters human, like Rayford and Chloe. Both had strong, sinful desires that show them for what they are -- sinners saved by grace. I can't wait until this fall to read the next book. Hopefully, Jesus will return before then and we, who are truly born again, can leave this old world behind. I also highly recommend Are We Living in the End Times. This is written by the same authors. If you are like me, this book will send chills up your spine when you see how close we truly may be to the rapture! Hopefully, it will spur you as it did me to be a better witness for Christ!
Rating:
Summary: Indwelling Dwells on Me
Review: Every time I read the latest book in the series, I find that the plot literally dwells in my mind. This, in turn, raises questions I feel I need to address in my own life. This particular book, The Indwelling, raised some interesting questions I had not yet answered in my own life:
1. Am I taking responsibility for my fellow man, those closest to me and praying for them, helping them even though I don't like what they are doing? The characters of Hattie and Chaim and the Tribulation Force's continued efforts to help them really brought the lack of that spirit within me to light.
2. Being human, I get angry, and could see myself plotting to kill some scumbag like Carpathia even though I know he's just going to be raised from the dead. I identify with Rayford and his guilt feelings when he finally owns up to the fact that he was trying to control events instead of letting God guide him. Hmmmm. I needed that reminder.
3. Having to live during the tribulation would probably set a lot of people crazy. Me included. (I'm supremely grateful that I am saved and know that I can rely on God's grace to get me through such a time). My curiosity is tweaked, however, when I try to imagine people I know in the same situations. The characters being a tad bit out of character in this book seemed to go right along with the situation. Chloe has maternal instincts which are vibrating on "protect" mode in this book as she faces the possibility of Carpathia's forces finding her and her child in the safe house. Would she surrender the child or resort to murder to protect the baby from worse? What would you do? And here is the biggest message of all: Quit worrying about it, that's God's job!
4. I also find myself consistently wondering and dwelling upon the most important question: Will the things I do and say today have enough of a good influence on those around me that I might help them not be left behind? Unfortunately, I also find myself consistently coming up short on this answer. But that is the beauty of these books. They tweak your brain cells and get your soul involved. The end result has be to be better than the beginning.
I found this book to have the best written dialog compared to the previous books in the series. The first book suffered horribly from the stiffness of the dialog at time. However, I have noticed that I, too, become a little stiff when I try to talk about God. In this society, today, it is very difficult to talk to unbelievers, and when I look at that, I find the dialog a little easier to take. It is definitely coming along though and I didn't find the dialog grating on my nerves in "The Indwelling".
The conversion of one of the main characters left me in tears. This scene was movingly written and stayed with me for quite some time after reading it. I hope the same happens to all those I love and all those I don't love.
I can't wait for the next book!
Rating: 
Summary: Content vs. Theory vs. Writing
Review: I am going to put the same review on each of the "Left Behind" series books because my reaction to each of them is basically the same. (For actual content, read Amazon's description above. For my bent on the series, read on.)There are basically three main theories concerning Christ's return, based off scripture, and though I won't get into them here, this one is off the pre-tribulation theory. (Which is actually the same one I believe in.) The problem is, I know why I believe in this particular theory, whereas other Christian may simply read this book and say, "Oh, so that's what's going to happen!" Well, before you do that, check your Bible and other sources, and don't just base it off these books. OK, time to step off my soapbox... As far as writing talent, I have been VERY disappointed with all the books in this series. At first, I gave them the benefit of the doubt, thinking the writing was so simplistic so younger kids could read them too, until I discovered they have a young kids version out for this series, at which point I was just saddened. So don't expect a well-written novel, as I feel each book's writing has become more and more simple with each release. And by this, I don't mean the story doesn't flow, because it does. It's just written in such simply words that even a grade-schooler could read it without any problems. As far as content, you'll find stuff in here you like, I don't doubt that, but if you're like me, you'll be skimming many areas because you don't care about every single step that every single person takes to get from point A to point B. It's a tedious read at parts, but if you like the study of the end times, as do I, or like reading Christian novels, as do I, then these books will suffice. But don't base your belief system off them until you know more than just what's presented here, and certainly DON'T read them if literary content is your main goal as you won't find well-WRITTEN novels here. If it weren't for that fact alone, I'd be devouring these books as they came out, but as it is, I've read them after friends buy them and are done with them since I am interested in the story, but not the work it takes for me to constantly forgive the writing.
Rating: 
Summary: Woulda coulda shoulda...
Review: I know about eight hundred other people have said this, but there is no reason whatsoever that this book couldn't have been combined with Assassins. There were no more than four events that absolutely needed to be said---everything else was literally filler. The writing is at its most pedestrian; the beginning has an extremely ham-handed reference to abortion (and I'm as pro-life as they get). Such an interesting part of the Revelation prophecy; the book could've been so much better than it was.
Rating:
Summary: Momentary Lag in the Series
Review: I've completed the series Left Behind. Although The Indwelling is a necessary bridge into the next volume, the action in this volume seriously "put the brakes" on the momentum of the rest of the series. It's a must read for those wanting to keep up with the series but be prepared that it is not the page turner that you are expecting. Fear not, the momentum picks up again with the next book.
Rating:
Summary: NICHOLAE RISES FROM THE DEAD
Review: Nicholae is dead, the victim of an assassination attempt that occurred in ASSASSINS, BL#6. The only question is who killed him? Rayford Steele or someone else? The authors tried so hard to persuade us it was Rayford, we were left to conclude it couldn't have been him. Here we learn we were right, it wasn't Rayford. Surprisingly, it was Chiam Rosenzweig. Yeah, the guy in the wheelchair. Apparently he was pretending, just to get himself in a position to kill Nicholae.
But guess again, Nicholae isn't really dead! Some real suspense was built throughout this installment to lay the foundation for Nicholae's miraculous resurrection. Three days later, Nicholae rises during his own funeral and demands to be worshiped as a god. In actuality he has been indwelt by Satan himself, though that was not clearly spelled out.
I will move onto THE MARK. This was some interesting reading and a good way to burn up a weekend.
Rating:
Summary: BOOK SEVEN: THE INDWELLING
Review: The leader of the world is dead, and the relentless search for the killer is on. But just who did kill Nicolae Carpathia, and where to they go from here? This is perhaps the slowest-moving entry in the blockbuster series so far, with relatively little action and most of the narrative tied up in funeral preparations for the slain Carpathia. Rayford Steele and Chaim Rosenzweig must both struggle with their inner demons, and Leon Fortunato prepares to assume the reigns of the world. But the mourners who witness Carpathia's funeral are in for quite a shock...though an enticing, easy read, THE INDWELLING is a bit slow at times and does rely on some of the same escape scenarios the series has so prominently featured from the get-go but which are slowly becoming rather repetitive. Nonetheless, the authors continue to piece together a thoughtful, spiritual narrative that usually entertains despite some minor weaknesses. If nothing else, THE INDWELLING is an irresistible lead-in to the next entry, THE MARK. Not perfect, but still easily recommended.
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