The Oracle - A Novel -

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Bridge Work
Review: ...The price was right--the title catchy--the editorial comment inticing--so I bought it, and now I have to get "The Priest" to find out how everything got started. Ms. Traylor's writing style is similar to LaHaye and Jenkins in the Left Behind series. It is easy to follow, detailed without being tedious, and very visual. The bridge between Christianity and Judiasm is wonderfully constructed and offers totally convincing scenarios for each exciting discovery. I heartily recommend this book, especially to those who have enjoyed works by Peretti and LaHaye/Jenkins.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing Apocalyptic Fantasy, What Next? Coulda Been Better!
Review: Small groups of dedicated Jewish traditionalists are even now working toward the possible rebuilding of the ancient temple in Jerusalem and the restoration of traditional sacrifical worship. They are busily reconstructing temple artifacts, musical instruments and priestly vestments, and they are training young men to become future priests. Of course this would become an explosive issue in Jewish-Muslim relations, politically almost unthinkable. In Traylor's novel, this core of reality is extrapolated into an amazing fantasy. Zachary Cohen has been identified as the one living person qualified to be the new High Priest. Certain ancient relics must be found, however, before he can actually be installed to the High Priesthood--such as the ephod or breastplate, the ashes of the red heifer, and the mysterious urim and thummim--the oracle of biblical times. Somehow all these relics have survived, hidden mysteriously in various far-flung points and the adventurers of the novel set out on a fast-paced search for them.
This could have made a great tale, but there are some serious drawbacks. Most of the characters are one-sided and not that believable. The adventurers never encounter any real danger. Everything turns out as they would have desired and much too easily. And Mr. Cohen, the designated High Priest, turns out to be a believer in Jesus, a Messianic Jew. Which, oddly enough, turns out to be a fairly minor problem. The author has injected into the story her own religious belief/aspiration/wish that the Jewish nation is about to accept Christ as its savior, not to mention the fact that the royal house of Jordan is going to assist and that friendship is about to break out all over. Just too many unbelievable things happening too fast, and credulity is stretched to the limit and beyond.
The book is poorly edited, with awkward dialogue, and with phrases such as "fair-complected," "elderly gents," "yuppie-looking" and "sneerd." The author spins an interesting yarn and it's not hard to read, but it could have been so much better done.