Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly readable.
Review: L. A. Marzulli, Nephilim: The Truth Is Here (Zondervan, 1999)
I have no idea what sort of odd conjunction has been having me reading so much Christian fiction this month. I had no idea what Nephilim was when I put it on hold at the library, and after picking it up and reading the back, I figured this would be an easy one: bite off fifty pages in an hour, hate it, throw it against the wall, write a scathing review of any Christian book that doesn't know how to correctly interpret Genesis 6:4 on its back cover.
More fool me.
Nephilim, which is an obvious satire on/parody of/homage to The X-Files given the subtitle, is the most subtle piece of Christian fiction I've read since the last time I picked up a Madeleine L'Engle novel. Marzulli's raison d'etre is to tell his story, and the preaching never once gets in the way of it, not even during the main character's conversion to Christianity halfway through the novel. This fact alone is enough to put it head and shoulders over most of the other modern Christian fiction I've found in my hands.
Second, it does address the differing interpretation of Genesis 6:4, and while the evidence used to back it up fills only a single paragraph in a four-hundred-fifty-page book, it's evidence that at the very least Marzulli realized that the interpretation he was using as the basis for the novel's action was controversial enough that he had to justify it at all.
Third, the novel does, in fact, have a plot. Art "Mac" MacKenzie is a former LA Times reporter who's been down on his luck since the death of his son, Art Jr. He's gotten divorced and turned into a hardcore drunk who gets just enough freelance assignments from the paper to pay the rent and keep him in Grand Marnier (those must be some nicely-paying freelance assignments; the guy buys it by the case). One day, the bone he gets thrown is to cover the opening of a new wing of a local hospital. While doing so, he hears rumors about the government keeping alien abductees on the sixth floor. What he finds when he sneaks back in sends him halfway around the world, unsure of whom to trust, to find out whether the so-called aliens are really extraterrestrials or demons working to subvert the second coming of Christ.
No, there's nothing new here in the wonderful world of the paranormal. Not that there usually is. But Marzulli's writing is solid and readable, his characters are well-enough drawn to at least make an attempt at three dimensions (well, most of them, anyway), and while the ending is predictable, that's only the case because of the novel's Christian slant (one assumes the author will not have his just-converted protagonist go breaking the seventh commandment at will, and one is not disappointed).
Certainly not the best book I've ever read in either the world of Christian fiction (L'Engle, of course, towers over most other authors of modern Christian fiction; she's easily in the same league with Francois Mauriac and his contemporaries) or paranormal/sci-fi action (early stuff by Greg Bear, especially Eon and Blood Music, are recommended for the Marzulli fan who wants to branch out), but it clicks very nicely on both levels, and left me wanting to read the other two books in the trilogy. *** ½
Rating: 
Summary: A+++ EXCELLENT!!!
Review: eventhough im a little more than 3/4 of the way through the book, so far i think its a excellent book and once u start to read it, i promise you that you wont be able to put the book down. I highly recomend this book to people who have a intrest in aliens and ufo's. A++++
Rating:
Summary: Unique and exciting
Review: What a great cross between science fiction and Christian fiction! I am hard to please in both genres, but Nephilim delivers good "aliens among us" suspense combined with a demonic plot to destroy Christianity. The main character "Mac" is a middle aged reporter who has lost his faith for the past two years following the death of his son and the breakup of his marriage. He has fled to the bottle for his comfort, and is on the brink of losing his damaged career entirely. Mac gets a chance for the story of his career, involving secret government installations and mysterious claims of alien abduction. He travels to Israel to see the remains of an almost-human giant referred to in the Bible as "Nephilim." His lukewarm interest turns into commitment to saving the world. The characterization is excellent. The plot is far-fetched, but hey--this is science fiction. So...get this book and sit back in your easy chair for an enjoyable mini-vacation!
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 Stars! A Gripping Thriller!!
Review: I loved this book. It was an easy read and moved very quickly, but still had time to promote character development. I especially enjoyed the main character, Mac, finding his faith and learning how to fight the Fallen Ones with The Spirit of God, not by might nor power.I thouroughly enjoy when real-to-life characters, like Mac, who are broken and mistake-ridden, find their faith in Jesus in fictional books, creating a unique story like so many of the fables that Jesus told. This book deserves to be in every Christian Church library. The story takes a interesting twist on the UFO and alien subject that many people are interested in today. I would be interested to see more of this story line continued by the author. The Great Deception has only begun!
Rating:
Summary: Nephilim
Review: This was an exciting book - cover to cover! Not only did it have an exciting story, it presented the Gospel in a great way. It was not heavy handed. The Gospel was presented in a simple and understandable way. It presented authentic questions and doubts that many have and then presents answers to the seeker. I have often thought that so called "extra terrestrials" and UFO's were a demonic event. I believe that the enemy (Satan) uses UFO's and the idea of Extraterrestrials as a diversion to get our eyes and thoughts off of God. This books captures that idea well. Read and enjoy! Debbie
Rating: 
Summary: The Great Deception Has Begun
Review: From start to finish 'Nephilim' was a rather enjoyable novel. As I was in the middle of the book I discovered that there was a sequel and I became more eager to finish this one so I could move on to the next.
The main gist of the novel involves a down and out reporter, Art Mackenzie, who has turned to booze to deal with the loss of his son. Inadvertently he finds himself wrapped up in covering a story dealing with alien abductions and goverment coverups. Somehow all of this is related to his father's murder years prior due to his involvement at Roswell. He soon finds himself on a plane to Israel and the story really begins as he is exposed to the mystery of the Nephilim, God and himself.
In Art MacKenzie, L.A. Marzulli has created a wonderful character to base the book around. I began to care about him right from the start of the book. I was immersed in his life and was eager to see what he would do next. Most of the main characters were of interest as well.
The book began very strong, however with the additional of new characters, sublots and location changes the overall story became slightly disjointed. The ending was slightly predictable and a slight let down, however do not let this stop you from reading this book. As I said earlier I am eager to read the sequel.
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