Rating: 
Summary: Beware the Anti-Christ!
Review: The back cover of this book tells us that the author, James BeauSeigneur, was a former intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency, a newspaper publisher, a political science professor, a contender for a seat in Congress in 1980 (he ran against Al Gore), and a writer of numerous speeches, manuals, and articles. What this description doesn't tell us is that BeauSeigneur is a fundamentalist Christian as well. This is important to note because this series of books, of which "Acts of God" is the final installment, is a fundamentalist Christian view of the end of the world. Some people will have a problem with a fundamentalist based view of the apocalypse. They shouldn't worry, however, because these books are exciting and about as "unputdownable" as you can possibly imagine."Acts of God" is the boisterous conclusion to the Christ Clone series, and BeauSeigneur pulls out all the stops with this one. Plagues right out of the Book of Revelations roar through the world, killing millions upon millions of people. Water turned to blood, extreme heat, and sinister darkness ravage the globe. People turn to Secretary-General Christopher Goodman for help, and they get it when Bob Milner, his New Age guru, performs miracles to clear up the plagues. Goodman and his coterie of officials operate out of the new United Nations headquarters located in Babylon, Iraq. It is here that Decker Hawthorne, Goodman's confidant, suggests marking the hands of the faithful when they receive doses of Christopher's blood in the "Communion." The only people organized to oppose Christopher is the KDP, located at Petra, in the wilderness of Jordan. Needless to say, the book ends with a bang, and yes, Jesus Christ himself puts in an appearance. In this volume, I am most impressed with what I see as the process of Christian conversion involving Decker Hawthorne. Christopher Goodman's opposition, the KDP, kidnaps Hawthorne, the main character of the series. At the KDP compound in Petra, Jordan, Scott Rosen, a minor character who appeared in the first book of the series, confronts Decker about his belief in Christopher. Rosen launches into a lengthy exegesis on Christianity, trying to prove to Decker that it is the only true religion in the world. Decker, upon his release, spends a month agonizing over what Rosen told him, while biblical plagues sweep the world. Decker ultimately converts to Christianity (it's a close one, as you'll see) and rejects Christopher's New Age world. BeauSeigneur dramatically shows how many come to convert to Christianity, and also tries to get some of his readers to convert as well. BeauSeigneur's use of New Age religions as a conduit for the Anti-Christ is also a relevant detail of the story. New Age religions encompass two important aspects in the rise of the Anti-Christ; the first is humanism, or the emphasis on man as the center of spiritual development; the second is moral relativism, which allows humanity to engage in any type of deviant behavior without fearing consequences. Bob Milner, the false prophet who serves the Anti-Christ in the story, is a practitioner of New Age quackery. When the Anti-Christ is preaching about man becoming a god, he uses the language and techniques of New Age religion to accomplish his goal. I guess my only concern with the trilogy is the lack of character development. It may be successfully argued that the main character of the book is the apocalypse, but there is no reason to ignore the other characters. BeauSeigneur rarely provides adequate descriptions of his characters beyond their words and actions. It is an uneven process; Decker's internal thoughts are described, but others are completely ignored. It is also difficult to sympathize with characters when you have no idea what they look like. I also take exception to the fundamentalist interpretation to the apocalypse. Every event that happens is right out of Revelations, as though the plagues are a checklist. It's funny that many characters never seem to notice what is happening as the events unfold. Perhaps BeauSeigneur is commenting on the lack of knowledge most people have today with the Bible. Personally, I think I would have bowed out long before the UN relocated to Babylon. Get out there and pick these three books up as quickly as you can. I originally bought "In His Image" without getting the others. I finally picked up the other two when I realized they might go out of print before I read the first one. I am glad I did this because I wanted to start reading the next book right after I finished the previous one. These books are so engrossing that the pages fly by at lightening speed. I think I finished the whole trilogy in about three days. Get going!
Rating: 
Summary: Gotta have More!
Review: My only disappointment with the Christ Clone Trilogy is that there's not a dozen of them. I want a sequel, a prequel, and if not that then at least more books by Beauseigneur.
Rating:
Summary: A nail-biting, edge of your seat novel, hard to put down
Review: This entire series is great. For me, the detailed approach to explaining prophecy made it all so believable. The plot is fast-paced and enthralling, and the writing style is smooth and pleasing to read. A great beach book, or night stand reader.
Rating: 
Summary: The ending
Review: I got hooked on this trilogy from the very beginning. Having an extensive biblical background I knew what the author was talking about and referring to, and I was in total shock with the twists and turns. But, for me the ending was pure disappointment. It was too fast, short, and extremely fictional. I wish he had developed a better ending.
Rating:
Summary: Either way, these are great books.
Review: In the Christ Clone Trilogy James BeauSeigneur has given us a much more believable depiction of the end of the age than that provided by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins in Left Behind. For those of us who believe that something like this really is in our future, the Christ Clone Trilogy provides believable answers to nearly all our prophecy questions. For those who see Revelation prophecy as the stuff of legend and fantasy, the trilogy is a page-turning, surprise-a-minute, what-if techno-thriller. Either way, these are great books.
Rating:
Summary: Dittos on what King said
Review: I agree with Stephen King's comments on this series: BeauSeigneur is a master!
Rating:
Summary: A True Apocalyptic Thriller!
Review: James BeauSeigneur shows himself to be a master at keeping you on the edge of your seat! His plot twists keep you guessing, even if you're familiar with the prophetic end-times. Even though the Trilogy is a work of fiction, the scientific, medical, and political scholarship is extraordinary. BeauSeigneur has certainly done his homework! And while the technical detail in the book is incredible, it does nothing to bog down the story. In fact, it enhances the story all the more. The Christ Clone Trilogy never strays outside of what Scripture tells us, though it does take some very unexpected twists. While the trilogy may not follow the usual "party line" on all subjects, BeauSeigneur never, ever violates Scripture. In fact, he documents Scripture more than any other end-times writer I've read. This book is a must-read. If you haven't read it, you're missing out on one of the best reads of your life.
Rating: 
Summary: A Let Down
Review: After reading the first 2 books in this series, I eagerly jumped into the third. What a disappointment. The character construction and development from the first 2 books was almost totally forgotten in the final installment. It was obvious where the author wanted to go, but it was forced and contrived. I have also read what is available in the Left Behind series, and the pacing and layout of the story in these books is far better.
Rating:
Summary: MUST read for Christians & non-Christians alike!
Review: Great book series, but I like Left Behind better.
Rating:
Summary: REAL Meat for the End Times
Review: This is the first trilogy I ever read that each book could stand alone on it's own merits. Each book was great and really gives you a more realistic view of the end times than the Left Behind Series could even begin to.But if you're just a big sci-fi fan you won't be disappointed either. The author has done his homework, as well as has a resume that lends to insider knowledge only guessed at by most.I'm not much into sci-fi at all. My husband reads little else & yet we both were engrossed from the first chapter, first book onto the last page of this one. The only disappointment was there weren't any other books by this author. But you can bet when the movie is finally made we'll be front row & center. Even C.S. Lewis would be impressed.
|
