Rating: 
Summary: In A Word: Brilliant
Review: This second installment of The Christ Clone Trilogy, "Birth of an Age," by James BeauSeigneur, begins with an already changing world on the brink of a New Age. And to put it succinctly, this book-- the story as well as the presentation-- is, in a word, brilliant. BeauSeigneur takes you down his path with such precision that it makes the incredible seem altogether credible and believable, and considering the subject matter, it is quite a feat, indeed.In the prologue (which is actually the final chapter of the first book of the trilogy, "In His Image"), BeauSeigneur brings you up to speed on the story, as the significant elements of that first book are touched upon here. He also acquaints you with the protagonists, former journalist Decker Hawthorne, now a press secretary for the U.N., Robert Milner, a former Ambassador to the U.N.; and Ambassador Christopher Goodman, the man cloned some thirty years earlier from the dermal cells of Jesus, taken from the Shroud of Turin by scientists during an expedition in 1978. What makes this such an engrossing read (and it is-- thoroughly), is the detail, precision and logic with which BeauSeigneur presents his story. Approximately the first one-third of the book is a detailed account of the cataclysms which befall the Earth and it's inhabitants, and the devastating effects thereof. It begins with the discovery of three asteroids whose trajectory may bring them into contact with the Earth, which threatens the very existence of the planet; but there are also plagues and widespread madness called down upon the people of the Earth, many believe, by two religious fanatics-- one of whom claims to be the Apostle, John. It soon becomes clear that if life on Earth is to survive, if there is ever to be a New Age at all, it must be through the intervention of someone or something which can prevail against the forces of the devastation currently ravaging the planet. And it just may be that Christopher Goodman, the clone of Jesus Christ, could be the one; it could, perhaps, be the reason for which he was born. And once BeauSeigneur has laid the groundwork, which he does with exceptional acuity, the novel picks up steam until finally, after about two-thirds of the way through, it becomes impossible to put the book down. The last thirty pages or so are absolutely spellbinding; it is inspired writing through which the images presented spring vividly to life and veritably awaken the senses. And you experience the sights and sounds, colors and scents as if you were actually there, right up to the somewhat shocking, breathtaking finale. Realizing the full impact of all that happens, of course, is contingent upon having read the first book of the series. "Birth of an Age," however, stands well enough on it's own, especially in light of the astounding ending. But be prepared; once you have finished this one, you won't be able to get to the final installment, "Acts of God," quickly enough. Have it on hand and ready to read, because-- believe me-- you're going to have to know what happens next. And you are not going to want to wait.
Rating: 
Summary: Another end times story - but is it a good book (Part Two)
Review: After reading the first of the Christ Clone Trilogy, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the second installment in this series,"Birth of an Age." The author carries over the action from the first book, picking up with the "resurrected" anti-Christ. This book repeats the last chapter of the first book. However, this seems unnecessary to me since you almost certainly have to have read Book One to make any sense of it. The first third of the book focuses upon one element of the tribulation, a series of events that causes catastrophic environmental damage. I believe the great level of detail here is uncharacteristic of the rest of the series and tends to drag the story on somewhat. However, the scientific detail does add to the story and makes you understand how the events in Revelation really can occur. By mid-story, the pace is quickened and, as a well crafted story, rivals any other section of an end-times book on today's market. The author spends much time bringing in elements of politics, science and religion into the story to make it not only believable but realistic and very possible. You left understanding how the world can fall into the trap of the anti-Christ. The story, told mostly from the perspective of the non-Christian / Jewish characters (including the anti-Christ and his New Age followers), you are found sympathizing with the evil characters' situations. (Then you remember who is on the side of Holiness.) However, this effect has you intrigued through the entire book with the story, events and characters. A few new characters are introduced, but the plot continues to revolve around the ever-more-complicated lives of those introduced in Book One. Like the first book, this installment contains some small amount of bad language. However, it is not unreasonable and will not offend you unless you are very, very sensitive to this sort of thing. So how does this compare to the Left Behind series? I think it is a better researched story, with characters that are just as good, and the story line moves along at a much better pace. You are also more likely to characterize this as a Christian-Action novel and not a personal novel that goes into way too much detail. (Really, three versus fourteen books. You get the idea.) This book ends rather abruptly, but you will have already ordered the third and final installment before you are done. It is that good of a story.
Rating:
Summary: exciting second instalment of the Christ Clone trilogy
Review: James Beauseigneur is a fine writer, and here he continues his highly entertaining Christ Clone trilogy with a book that does not develop plot and character to the extent of the first book (But oh! the plot that IS there is mindblowing!), but concentrates instead on apocalyptic comets and plagues and locusts (oh my!). The author's descriptions are horrifying and riveting, and developments have led to a situation both complex and thrilling. Will Christopher Goodman, the man cloned from cells harvested from the Shroud of Turin, be elected Secretary General of the UN? Is he a returning messiah, or could he be the Anti-Christ? You HAVE to read the first book of the trilogy, In His Image, before tackling this one. This seems to be an intelligent, educated and creative series, and I'm really looking forward to reading the last book to see how it all turns out.
Rating:
Summary: Christopher Makes his Move.
Review: In this second book of the Christ Clone Trilogy, author BeauSeigneur chillingly fleshes out the cataclysmic events foretold in Revelations in an easy to read novel format. From the first installement, the reader followed the early life of Christopher Goodman, a genetically engineered human being whose DNA was removed from the Shroud of Turin. Now Christopher has achieved a certain amount of power and respect as a powerful delegate of a newer and stronger United Nations and with the help of powerful New Age allies has positioned himself to become the ultimate world leader. Birth of an Age depicts Christopher's ascent to sovereignty as the rest of the world sits back horrified as the predictions of the apostle John and Saul Cohen in Israel come to pass with blood curdling accuracy. BeauSeigneur scientifically and realistically portrays the discovery of three asteroids due to collide with the earth, the plague of locusts and the horror of a sickness that pits man against his loved ones. The cataclysmic events move the novel along at such a pace that I was shocked and dismayed to discover that I was turning the last page---and did not have the final novel of the trilogy on hand! All the fast moving brutality takes you at break neck speed to a climatic event that allows Christopher to reveal who he actually is within the scheme of the three books; I look forward to reading the concluding work; I am interested in discovering how BeauSeigneur will dispute Christopher's theory of God and depict the Second Coming. The author's style of writing, as other reviewers have commented, is not exactly literary, rather it is designed to move the plot along in an easy to read almost television-magazine format that works. Beauseigneur is not preachy, he tells his tale in a compelling fashion with appropriate citations from the Bible. An all and all great follow-up to the first novel.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: In 2019, China, India, and Pakistan finally break into the war that everyone has been expecting for decades. The death toll in the one-day debacle will probably reach billions once the aftermath of radiation and feral animals occurs. In Jerusalem, John the Apostle born during the First coming leads over one hundred thousand Messianic Jews with extraordinary super powers. He joins forces with powerful Hassidic Rabbi Saul Cohen and their followers soon cause asteroids to crash into the already damaged planet as John plans the beginning of the apocalypse. Locust, plagues, and famine are becoming the order of the day, as the end of time seems imminent for those left behind. Humanity's only hope is in God's son, Christopher Goodman, but is he really the second coming since he was actually scientifically cloned from cells found on the Shroud of Turin (see IN HIS IMAGE). However, after consulting with his father and studying the bible, Christopher must do the impossible and remain patient for the right moment to intercede though many die and most suffer. The second novel in the "Christ Clone" trilogy is an exciting, extremely complex tale that continues the theme from the first tale of blending science with the End of Days predictions of Revelations. The story is very complicated, but it will help the audience to understand this book better if the first novel is read before this enthralling tale. Though some Christian readers will object to elements in the series, most of the Left Behind crowd and those readers who enjoy apocalypse tales like The Prophet series will appreciate James Beauseigneur's novels and look forward to the conclusion. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: BACK FROM THE FUTURE?
Review: James BeauSeigneur has done some very unusual things in his apocalyptic thriller, The Christ Clone Trilogy, and he's done all of them well. First on this list is that (until the third book) he gives no clue who's good and who's bad, who's right and who's wrong. Instead BeauSeigneur acts as an unbiased reporter of the events, and the reader is left to evaluate and discern the truth for himself. This makes for a very good mystery, but it will make some readers very upset as their own beliefs are so cleverly challenged. One word of advice: do not make the mistake of thinking you know which characters speak for the author. Second on the list of unusual approaches the author takes is that he has built his story so closely on carefully researched real events, real science, real politics, real belief systems (when was the last time you read a fiction series that included footnotes?), that you have a sense that you may be reading a non-fiction book written in the future and sent back to our time for publication. One final thing that makes this series so extraordinary is BeauSeigneur's use of well-developed minor characters and vignettes to give the reader a view of the global scope of his story. Unlike so many authors who try deal with global issues with contrived attempts to put the story's main characters in close proximity to every important world event, BeauSeigneur draws on a boundless stable of rich characters from around the world to give every page a full measure of realism and depth. I highly recommend these books to all.
Rating:
Summary: Only gets better !!!!
Review: Book two of "The Christ Clone" trilogy is better than the first. The beginning of the end has started and no one knows who to turn to for salvation. Who will stop the tribulations. Who will lead humanity through the horrors sent to them? Is Christopher Goodman the person to do it...or not? This book contans some of the best written scenes of destruction ever put to paper. As the final plagues hit the Earth James Beauseignuer paints a realistic picture of the gruesome events man faces. These sequences are so vivid they rival anything in the best written horror novels (there is a scence invovling an asteroid that has some of the most gripping writing I've ever read!) The suffering the people go through is palpable. A great setup for the conclusion.
Rating:
Summary: The Best of the Rest
Review: All I can say is this beats everything out there to dust. Left Behind is nothing compared to Christ Clone Trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: Worthy Follow-up to "IN HIS IMAGE"
Review: The second part of "The Christ Clone Trilogy" frightened me in its opening chapters. My fear had little to do with its harrowing plot (eerie as it is), and everything to do with my thought process which went; "Oh no 300+ pages of disaster novel peachy". Beauseigneur made me forget my initial impression soon into his second entry into the series allaying my anxiety that it would be nothing but another long apocolyptic narrative that had been done time and again in fiction. While continuing to chronicle Christopher's career, and detail Decker Hawthorne's life after the disaster the author neatly parralels the story of Revelation in his novel, and even footnotes specific passages significant to the story line. This is not just one long disaster novel though his prose is too fluid so that another fictionalization of Revelation is lifted up into a suspenseful, gripping novel. Parts of the plot are a little predictable as is inevitable for any reader with a passing knowledge of the bible, but Beauseigneur manages to keep the reader guessing with unexpected plot twists. The author has included an explanatory note to both volumes, explaining that this is FICTION and happenings in the author's imagination, which should be kept in mind while reading this book. I wouldn't call it blashemous or heritical because it is a novel after all and if there are serious Christians reading this please remember the note at start of books. His explanation of the origins of humanity and speculation of who Christ the Messiah and Yahweh are seem a little far fetched at first but as I continued reading I found them plausible and entertaining as I am sure they were meant to be and this ending building up to the third and climatic volume is what clinched this books worthiness as a second entry in series.
This "Christ Clone Trilogy" I have to recommend to all, you may not find it to your tastes but I highly regret anyone who enjoys reading would regret taking the time to read this trilogy.
Rating: 
Summary: Revelation Redux Again, Too
Review: Well, this is a step up from the first book. Here are some of the problems:
The first book, when finished, read like little more than a preface to this one. The writer spent most of his time filling in bits and pieces from his version of revelation, without ever actually giving credit where credit is due, so that the reader would be shocked at how well the whole thing comes together at the end?... and the writer could convert a few naysayers? Or is it- so the writer could prevent valid criticism by claiming it's all the word of god?
The first book was nearly 500 pages (too) long of preliminary material. Now that the writer has got the ball rolling, we suddenly find this volume nearly 150 pages shorter, and over 40 of those (351) pages are without a doubt filler- the writer includes not only the last pages from the first book, but also the starting pages from his next (over 10% of this book is solid filler!).
[I suspect what we have here is really three 300 page books, that should have been released as two 450 page books, but was marketed as three books, overlong, repeating pages, using revelation as filler to hide a weak story and even weaker characters. all to make money. Oh, well.]
The writer does open a can of worms by showing how evil religion is, but it's obviously just window dressing for the slow-witted (Don't forget that NO ONE in the first book recognized the"Rapture!" The author paints a heavy brush of stupidity on all non-superstitious -read non-christian- people.) I suspect GOD will be restored to his glory in the end.
Like I say, this IS better than the first, more action, faster plotting... I just wish a true writer had tackled the subject.
I keep imagining this writer sucking down whiskey out of a dirty glass thinking, "Hey, I know how to screw those suckers outa their money!"
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