Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad
Review: I thought the story was original, but not very engaging. The plot was excellent, but the characters were a bit thin. Also, the ending left me going, "huh?"Still, if you want a different sort of read on the endtimes, this book isn't bad. I prefer the "Christ Clone Trilogy," however.
Rating:
Summary: More of a techno-thriller than a religious exploration
Review: If I want to read a techno-thriller, I'll stick with Tom Clancy. This is a well done novel on those terms, but when I read a Christian book, I'm looking to come to a better understanding of my faith. This book doesn't deliver on that level at all and left me feeling disapointed. ...
Rating: 
Summary: A strong entry in the endtimes genre
Review: In a lot of ways, this book reminds me of the Christ clone trilogy with its heavy emphasis on science and plot. in that respect, it's quite good. It is full of good ideas and clever concepts. Ther writing is fairly strong and I found myself engaged in the story itself. It doesn't hold up to the best novels in the genre such as We All Fall Down in that it never really explores the thological aspects of Christianity or character in any kind of real depth. Still, it is a fairly strong novel and is much better then the Left Behind series.
Rating: 
Summary: The most engaging apocalypse novel ever
Review: Not only is Britt Gillette's "Conquest of Paradise" the most intellectually engaging of the apocalypse novels I've read, but it also stands out as the most thrilling and believable. The novel takes a biblical view of the "great tribulation", but unlike LaHaye and Jenkins' "Left Behind", it covers the prophetic events of the Bible in a style that opens up the story to a more secular audience. You won't find the pretentious preaching that drips through the pages of the Left Behind Series. The reader is left to develop his own opinions. In addition, the book sticks closely to the scriptures, something you won't find in many great apocalyptic fiction novels like Stephen King's "The Stand". The only complaint I could register against this novel is that it takes a while to zoom. The suspense is present from the first page, but the seminal event - the assembler breakthrough - doesn't take place until halfway through the book. But I guess "Jaws" doesn't show the great white shark in the first scene either. No doubt, "Conquest of Paradise" has one of the most original plots of thrillers in its genre. This isn't a cookie cutter spy/political thriller, and it blows away the Left Behind books. If you enjoy reading about Armageddon, then you can't afford to miss this book.
Rating:
Summary: Thrilling, frightening
Review: One of the more original books I've read, you'll be up until the late hours of the evening reading Conquest Of Paradise. This is the first novel I've read tackling the development of a new weapon based on nanotechnology, called a molecular assembler. The writing itself is visual and entertaining, while the plot fast and quick. Each section begins with a prophecy from the Bible that makes so much sense in the context of the book's plot (which reflects today's world) that you will be frightened to the edge of your seat. The idea of an international race to build an assembler is new to me and an exciting, scary idea. I recommend this book to others.
Rating:
Summary: Awesome!
Review: One of the most fun and informative books I've read, I couldn't put this down! The ideas surrounding nanotech are frightening. They'll leave you clinging to the edge of your seat. If you enjoy the Left Behind Series or care about where the world is going, then read this book!
Rating:
Summary: Good story
Review: The last six months has seen the appearance of novels that make use of nanotechnology as a major plot tool. This book, in spite of its ties to Christian religious eschatology, is actually one of the best of these. I found the first 140 pages or so of the story as somewhat "tiring", but the story quickly picked up after that, and I found myself totally engaged in the subsequent events as they unfolded. This book, like others that have preceeded it, could be interpreted as a sign of the anxiety that many feel regarding present and future developments in nanotechnology. And like these other books, the author includes an afterword that lists URLs for informational websites on nanotechnology. The author cautions the reader as to the enormous power of nanotechnology as he believes it to be. Since the book is (science) fiction and is written to entertain rather than inform, one should not expect to find total conformance to scientific principles or facts. For example, in the story the nanobots engage in the complete dissolution of a human being. But this would entail the breaking of molecular bonds, mostly hydrogen bonds in water molecules since the human body is mostly water. This is not troubling from a scientific standpoint in and of itself, given the size of the nanobots and the fact that they are designed to carry this out. However, in the story the nanobots do this within a time period of just over two minutes. This would result in a rapid release of heat, which would destroy the nanobots themselves. Further, in the story the nanobots engage in both replication and destruction at a global scale, and at timescales that are short enough that the subsequent release of heat would act as a deterent to further activity by the nanobots. Nanobots and the processes they engage in of course are subject to the second law of thermodynamics. Also, in the story the nanobot's mobility is extremely sophisticated, since they are capable of traveling through the air at high speeds. This is also troubling from a scientific standpoint, since the turbulence in the atmosphere at the scale of the size of the nanobots would disrupt their ability to navigate coherently and efficiently. The author wants to stay close to a particular doctrine of Biblical prophecy. This is apparent in the use of a newly created European Union, which, say some interpreters of Biblical prophecy, was predicted to happen in the "final days" before the advent of the second coming of Christ. The major powers of the world are engaged in an intense research effort to develop a "nano-assembler" and the race ends with an assembler controlled by Raphael Vicente, the leader of the new European Union. His altruism and ambition results in an apocalyptic horror of global proportions, only to be alleviated by the second coming of Christ. Indeed the story is very entertaining and worth reading, and as a eschatological/science fiction hybrid, it might also be interpreted as a sign of current attempts to justify the Christian religion scientifically. Ideas from all the branches of science, such as physics, biology, and chemistry are being used to give Christian more substance and credibility. Some may frown on this strategy, believing that science and religion never have any intersection. But historically science and religion have coexisted, with the tension between them have varying degrees of intensity. There are many fine scientists alive now that profess to be born-again Christians, and they make excellent contributions to scientific knowledge. Whether these individuals are Christians who sometimes practice science, or scientists who sometimes practice Christianity is a matter of debate possibly, but the truth of their scientific results are certainly independent of the their belief in Christianity. ... and the status of this book as good fiction, which it is, is also independent of the author's Christian beliefs.
Rating:
Summary: Scary stuff
Review: This book is classifed as "fiction" but as it continued, I realized its fundamental truths were far from imaginary. The hypocrisy of humans, the desire to always have more power, more control...both points were subtle and provacative discussion topics. "Conquest of Paradise" was an enticing look at a very scary near-future that lurks much closer than we think. I am not a great reader of what others are calling "Christian" novels, but no matter, I think this novel is applicable in many environments, both religious and secular. Also, I traditionally, as a rule, skip the quotes at the beginning of book chapters, but Britt Gillette's Biblical references were so astoundingly well-selected and appropriate that I could not resist reading them. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys thought-provoking novels that are well-researched. A great idea for book clubs.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best
Review: This book is on a par with Caldwell's We All Fall Down and The Christ Clone Trilogy, the best of the endtime novels. Definitly worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: A quick read
Review: This is a book that really zooms! The bible prophecies at the beginning of each chapter really stand out and make the reader think about this book long after they've put it down. The fact that a technology such as this one is on the horizon should be cause for great concern. I like the fact that the hero wasn't perfect. In fact, his efforts to create a perfect world lead to the exact opposite. This one I'll read again, especially if (when) world events start to go this way!
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