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Rating: 
Summary: Stone me, please!
Review: Having been pleasantly surprised by the plot switch to ancient Israel in the previous Zion Legacy novel, I was hoping Stones of Jerusalem would pick up the baton. Not so. Unfortunately, the Thoenes went to the Biblical-plot well one too many times. Whereas in Jerusalem Scrolls biblical events were feathered seamlessly with the "real" plot of the novel, this current installment tries to bash you over the head with them, as if they're popping off the page to say, "Look, here we are, you can't miss us!" Of course, that's not inherently a bad thing. The book falls flat, though, because these run-ins with Biblical events are awfully contrived, and happen at the expense of the rest of the story's development. Also, it seemed to me like the Thoenes' writing sort of hit a wall in this novel. The past novels had been closely toeing the line of formulaic (I don't want to use the term 'bad') fiction, but the writing in Stones scoots past that line faster than creamed corn through a baby. Metaphor for the sole sake of metaphor (see previous sentence for an exaggerated example), anachronisms, and some overly ooey-gooey description make you want to stop and pick up a Philip Roth novel just to wash your brain out. I am pretty sure that people in Jesus' time wouldn't be using expressions like "seeing the bigger picture." Also, read the description of the storm while Deborah is sick and try to keep a straight face. C'mon, I dare you. While not their best effort, I'm still looking forward to reading the final installment of the series, as I really did enjoy the first four. Maybe in the sixth one, Alfie will smack Moshe around a little bit for subjecting him to this lame story.
Rating: 
Summary: Confused
Review: I did like this book, as I liked the others in the series; however, I am a bit confused. The authors seem to join Mary (Miryam)of Magdala with Mary (Miryam), sister of Martha, to make one character. The Bible has quite a bit of info on Mary Magdalene, but less on Mary of Bethany, who was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. I realize that this book is fiction, but I was disappointed that I could never figure out which "Mary" they were referring to.
Rating:
Summary: Confused
Review: It's amazing how these writers continue to create a piece of work that is so incredible. The story of Marcus and Miryam continues as more of Jesus and his story unfolds. In this edtion more fascinating characters are introduced to help in creating a picture of what life was like for those who witnessed Jesus and his miricales. As I read along, I felt like I wanted to be in their shoes. I wanted to witness these miracles for myself as I never before have. In this way, the Thoene's really outdid themselves in producting a quite memorable book.
Rating: 
Summary: Five stars again!!!
Review: It's amazing how these writers continue to create a piece of work that is so incredible. The story of Marcus and Miryam continues as more of Jesus and his story unfolds. In this edtion more fascinating characters are introduced to help in creating a picture of what life was like for those who witnessed Jesus and his miricales. As I read along, I felt like I wanted to be in their shoes. I wanted to witness these miracles for myself as I never before have. In this way, the Thoene's really outdid themselves in producting a quite memorable book.
Rating:
Summary: More Stories from the Life of Christ
Review: Picking up where The Jerusalem Scrolls left off, this book starts on the night of Purim. It's been six months since we last saw these first century characters. Marcus has been in the wilderness searching for rebels, but has been called to Jerusalem for the holiday. After the trouble caused by Herod, he's relieved to head back to Galilee to observe Yeshua for Pilate. But he's not the only one. Also searching are Nakdimon of the Sanhedrin, El'azar, notorious rebel bar Abba, and the orphan Avel. When they find Yeshua, things start to heat up even more. Once again, the Thoenes have written a moving novel that shows God's love and grace at work. They weave Biblical stories so seamlessly into the narrative it's almost a shock when they appear. In doing so, they offer a fresh insight into these familiar tales from the life of Christ. The characters, as always, are well developed and bring the story to life. I especially love their portrayal of Jesus. You can feel his love and compassion flow off the page. While this book has a moving and satisfying conclusion, they have also left things open for another novel in this time period. While not quite as powerful as the previous book, it's still a compelling story worth reading. I'm enjoying this break in the main story line of Israel's war for independence and am looking forward to seeing what the next book holds.
Rating:
Summary: More Stories from the Life of Christ
Review: Picking up where The Jerusalem Scrolls left off, this book starts on the night of Purim. It's been six months since we last saw these first century characters. Marcus has been in the wilderness searching for rebels, but has been called to Jerusalem for the holiday. After the trouble caused by Herod, he's relieved to head back to Galilee to observe Yeshua for Pilate. But he's not the only one. Also searching are Nakdimon of the Sanhedrin, El'azar, notorious rebel bar Abba, and the orphan Avel. When they find Yeshua, things start to heat up even more. Once again, the Thoenes have written a moving novel that shows God's love and grace at work. They weave Biblical stories so seamlessly into the narrative it's almost a shock when they appear. In doing so, they offer a fresh insight into these familiar tales from the life of Christ. The characters, as always, are well developed and bring the story to life. I especially love their portrayal of Jesus. You can feel his love and compassion flow off the page. While this book has a moving and satisfying conclusion, they have also left things open for another novel in this time period. While not quite as powerful as the previous book, it's still a compelling story worth reading. I'm enjoying this break in the main story line of Israel's war for independence and am looking forward to seeing what the next book holds.
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