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Summary: A Cool "History" Lesson In A Christian Read!
Review: As a fiction writer, and Christian myself, I've often found it hard to defend my arguments, without emoting frustration, angst, guilt or gushiness, as to why I believe what I believe about Christ. So it was here with Claire, until Feldhahn eloquently wove apologetics, history, Scripture, into a tale current as it may be ageless. I found myself relating to Claire more than I wanted to admit to. The Harvard co-ed finds it difficult to give solid ground as to why she continues to serve God as her heart desperately wants to, but can only express emotionally. It was obvious Feldhahn is a Frank Peretti fan, but her work only complemented Peretti's "This Present Darkness" without being wishy-washy, happy-ending packaged of "every one in my story becomes a Christian". For this I was thrilled, as life seldom happens this way. Feldhahn uses real time issues, replete with the historic (?) political correctness leanings even in the 17th century! Then again, INHO, maybe it's the demonic beings twisting the hearts and minds of men to be even more pc than Jesus ever was. Read this book. Although I'll never get to Harvard, the history of this statsemen school gave me great spritual food for thought. Maybe you'll get even more interested in the founding principles of this country than you bargained for, too. I absolutely couldn't put it down once I got started, and I'm even challenged to put more meat into my own writing as a result of reading this book. Worth every penny!!
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Summary: Veritas Conflict
Review: Excellent novel! One wonders if, in fact, it is a novel; however, Feldhahn explains in postscripts the connections between fact and fiction. A terrific commentary on higher education today and how far we have strayed from original purposes, all skillfully woven in an exciting fictional fabric so real one could think they were reading a documentary. Going to buy several for my Christian friends.
Rating: 
Summary: Flawed but fascinating!
Review: For a novice novelist - with background as a financial analyst, no less! - Feldhahn is one terrific writer. She creates believable characters you care about, has a deft hand with both narrative and dialogue, weaves numerous plot threads into a well-organized, suspenseful story, and uses humor with sensitivity. It's a remarkable book. It is NOT light reading. Claire Rivers, a devout Christian teenager, copes with the challenges of Harvard, and finds herself in a serious battle with the forces of evil. The battle is played out in the minds and beliefs of the characters, which means that the characters have some heavy discussions of religious and moral issues, both in and outside of the classroom. Their moral and philosophical development isn't a digression from the plot, largely because it *is* the plot. And since such discussions are a major occupation of college students, the debates seem very natural. There are too many of them, though. The first half of the book drags, since some of the debates (notably an after-class discussion about wifely submission) aren't really relevant to the plot. Feldhahn clearly has a goal to present an Christian apologist viewpoint, and she's a great spokesman, articulate and compassionate. But she doesn't really need to try to cover every single issue in one book! The second half picks up pace, as Claire and her friends begin to uncover an ugly conspiracy and the shadowy organization behind it. The book is thought-provoking, and while its fundamentalist point of view might aggravate some liberals beyond endurance, it's recommended not just for conservative Christians who want an intelligent story, but for liberals who are willing to hear and consider, or at least learn more about, where fundamentalists are coming from. This book demonstrates both the best and the worst features of current Christian fiction. Because it has a big flaw. Like some other Christian novelists, notably Peretti, Feldhahn creates angels and demons as characters. She often cuts away from the human scene to present an angelic take on the situation, or a strategy-conference among the demons. It doesn't work. Angels are so purely good -- with their valiance and Godly fervor -- and the demons so utterly despicable, as they lob temptations at the human characters and "rub [their] hands together with eager relish" like Jack Nicholson playing The Joker, that these passages resemble a Christian comic book geared toward 12-year-olds. The angel/demon passages also dampen the suspense. They sometimes answer important questions that should have unfolded with the plot. Is Claire following God's plan for her, by choosing Harvard over a Christian school? It's an issue with major consequences, but the angels settle it on page 34! Do Christian publishers or writers think that readers won't understand the forces at work "behind the veil" if the battle is shown only through the actions of human characters? That's certainly not true in Feldhahn's skilled hands. Small things -- such as a student delayed in registering for a class because of a starngely recalcitrant bicycle lock -- change lives, and as the story comes together, intervention by both good and evil forces becomes obvious. The angel-or-demon scene is a literary device that Christian fiction needs to outgrow. Too slow and philosophical to quite be called a thriller, the book is still suspenseful and very involving, as well as thought-provoking. Try it.
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Summary: An Amazing Story
Review: I can relate to so much of what is in this book. Any Christian attending a secular college should read this novel. I have been that "lone student" attacked by a classroom full of atheists...it's not fun. I loved this novel! If you like Frank Peretti, C.S. Lewis, or Randy Alcorn, you'll love this great piece of Christian fiction by Shaunti Feldhahn.
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Summary: Very encouraging!
Review: I found this book fascinating! While reading it, I realized that the plot was definitely FICTIONAL, but the speach in the book was extremely helpful. I am attending a secular college this year, and am nervous about the stronghold Satan has over the campus. This book was very encouraging to me! It made me realize how much God loves prayer and provided very useful arguments for defending your faith! :) This is a must-read for every Christian college student, and wonderful for everyone else as well! :)
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Summary: Good plot, but young writing
Review: I thought this was an interesting book, which used Harvard as its forum for an ongoing spiritual battle. In truth this could have taken place at almost any other university which professes to be open to ideas. Like other reviewers have stated, it aired many of the concerns Christians - and non-Christians - have about religious expression. I also found it interesting that - unlike Peretti's writing, which is completely different by the way - the angels were unable to act unless the humans prayed first. The only real criticisms I have regarding this book are that a) the writing is young, and b) it seemed to be a forum where the author could publish every major theological debate she has had in a venue where she would be uncontested. The writing is young from the standpoint where she became very repetitive (several times she wrote something similar to: "The Christians at the table prayed. People around them stared in contempt. But some looked interested." There was *always* a caveat at the end - some always look interested, whereas in real life, that isn't always the case.) And the theological debates Claire had in class always seemed too pat, too restricted, and too convenient. Anyone who has been in a theological discussion knows they are never so easily-scripted. For all the author emphasized about how preachy Christians can do more damage than not towards public view of Christians, in the end she came across as being VERY preachy. Still, interesting plot and brought up a lot of food-for-thought issues, for both Christians and non-Christians.
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Summary: The Veritas Conflict
Review: Move over Frank Peritti and Randy Alcorn we have a new awsome writer in Christian fiction. This book had be glued from start to finish.
Rating:
Summary: The Veritas Conflict
Review: Strait from the title to the deepest conflict, this book leaves you on your toes. As a Christian I find it hard to find good Christian fiction, so I stray to the regular fiction but in finding this book I have found a great book. I found it on accident and I was torn, should I buy it or not? but I chose to buy it and I wasn't upset.
The name, Veritas- means truth- a truth conflict. Perfect for the lies and secular demons/people in todays colleges. A ring of mysterys.
The spirtial battles only bring out the traumas. Character death.
A lot of controversial issues ar covered in this book and I think all Christians and non-Christians will enjoy it.
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Summary: Amazing book
Review: The plot is rather complicated, but here's the gist: Claire Rivers is a Christian student who begins attending Harvard. She is ill-prepared for the secular environment, and the hostile attacks against her Christian faith, and the "tolerant" society that rejects and criticizes her views violently. She manages to make friends with other Christians on campus, including Brad, a member of the Christian fellowship group at Harvard, and Professor Mansfield, the lovable teacher of history, and a fellow Christian. Although she is a freshman, she is drawn by God into difficult deeds: assisting Mansfield and his TA Ian in a special research project that may reveal results devastating to the secular, humanist faculty at Harvard. Trying to be the accountability "officer" to her roommate Sherry, who first welcomes and requests the effort, then grows angry with, and rejects them. Things get shaky when some attempts are made to stop the research project. Claire came to Harvard to study, but finds herself chosen as one of God's front soldiers in . . . The Veritas Conflict. In the world that Claire cannot see, angels chosen by God protect her against the enemy territory of the demon spirits. The book is an excellent read. It took me a while to finish it, but it was worth it. The message of Christ shines clearly through the book without anyone having to preach at the reader; it merely takes place in the "everyday" life of the Harvard students. The debates that Claire and her friends find themselves engaged in are incredibly well-crafted, realistic, and enjoyable to read. Are there any bad points? Well, just in case there are parents wanting to know, I'd rate this book PG, because there are some death scenes (one of `em will have you cryin' your eyes out) and a kidnapping, and vague descriptions of Satanic practices. There's also a few sexual references: one point where a man visits a porn magazine headquarters and views the girl while she is being photographed, and one point where a young girl caves to pressure and sleeps with her boyfriend. All this, of course, is painted in the BAD light as it should be, but it's all still rather suggestive to the imagination. My advice is, take your time on this book. It's 446 pages long, and the print is nice and SMALL. It'll take you a little while to get through it, but it will be worth it in the end. And besides, who could resist a book by an author with such a cool name as Shaunti Feldhahn?
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Summary: The truth about "Veritas"
Review: The Verita's Conflict is, hands down, the best fiction book I have ever read. I had never heard of the book when I first picked it up in the bookstore. I started reading it and i had to buy it. I am a person that loves books but will hardly ever buy one, so me buying a book the first time i saw it was amazing. I read the book and was astounded by it. It was written so well and i didn't want to put it down. I would recomend this book to anyone.
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