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Summary: Left Behind an Appetizer for In His Image, the Main Course
Review: If you're like me, you've read the Left Behind books with considerable pleasure. And, most importantly, you've been LEFT WANTING MORE. Well, I'm here to tell you that MORE is here, right now, with In His Image, book 1 of The Christ Clone Trilogy.Say you're at your favorite restaurant and you order your favorite starter dish--escargot, smoked salmon, beluga caviar, it doesn't matter. You're savoring the delicate, delicious flavors, BUT NOW YOU'RE READY FOR THE MAIN COURSE. What if that was all the food you got? Wouldn't you be disappointed? I know I would. That's what it's been like for us who're Left Behind fans. As we've gone through the series, we've encountered an endless string of appetizers--good, as far as they go--but not really totally satisfying. Listen. Your problems are over. If you're at all like me, you'll DEVOUR In His Image--probably at one or two sittings. And the great thing is, books 2 and 3 just keep getting better and better. And you'll get up from your easy chair COMPLETELY SATISFIED. At least that's how I see it.
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Summary: Quite Impressive !
Review: I came across this title as I was reading the mediocre reviews for the Left Behind series. For whatever reason I was in the mood to read an "End of Days" novel (who knows why?). I found the concept of "In His Image" intriguing so I ordered the book. After finishing it I can say it is a fantastic read; thoroughly researched, fast paced, and very suspenseful. In all honesty I was expecting an average piece of fundamentalist propaganda disguised as a fiction piece. Instead the book truly did read like a Tom Clancy novel but with a realistic science fiction edge to it. What impressed me with the story was how convincing the world politics parts of the story were handled. Everything in the book seems very plausible in today's geo-political climate. Even the theory/story behind the cloning of Jesus was somewhat believable. After reading the first third of the book I went out and ordered books 2 and 3. That's how good I think it is. In fact I'll probably read them back-to-back. Highly recommended. PS I'm not hardcore religious but I know that there are people who are. If those people are offended at the cloning concept of the book I respectfully request that you give the book a shot (even if you approach it as a pure science fiction novel). I think you'll be entertained.
Rating: 
Summary: Stay with it...Don¿t expect a silver bullet until the end
Review: I was drawn to this book because of its premise, and because I also read the first book of the Left Behind series. Be warned that this book is dramatically different...the characters are more fully developed, as is the plot, and the content is geared towards a mainstream audience. During the first 100 pages or so the author painstakingly lays the foundation for the entire trilogy. This is NOT a fast-paced thriller by any means, but it is a startling account of the end times that will challenge you intellectually with shocking, vivid references, and over 200 footnotes. Just when you think you don't get where this book is going, you realize that the whole plot is unfolding right before your eyes. A neat trick by a cunning author. Four Stars because of its use of scientific facts and true-life accounts. BeauSeigneur masterfully weaves these details into a work of fiction that is not only believable, but shocking...and from a literary viewpoint, his writing is flawless. Enjoy. Cris
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Summary: Far Superior to Last Day
Review: The ideas, characterization, and overall writing is far better than in Kleier's Last Day, which I waded through a few months ago. In comparison, this novel has oringinality, wit, and style. It also makes you think instead of lecturing on how you should think. Enlightening, entertaining, and thoughtful, this is a gem of the genre.
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Summary: Another end times story - but is it a good book?
Review: This entry into the field of end-times stories is a unique one and stands apart from a crowded field. The author builds his story based upon a blend of politics, international diplomacy, religion (including Judaism, Christianity and New Age), finance and military action. This is not an overt Christian book, although clearly this is the passive view of the author. The characters and story line are never exhausted. Instead of spending half the book on a particular event, the author keeps the action moving at a quick rate which makes for an entertaining read. The events begin with a group of scientist looking at the Shroud of Turin. Eventually, the Rapture of the Church, wars with Israel, rise of the UN and the anti-Christ are all covered. However, the story line is VERY unique, believable and does not repeat the story of the Left Behind series. So how does it compare to the more popular Left Behind books? I have read both series, and I much prefer the Christ Clone book. It is more concise (three instead of 14), quicker paced and does not repeat the action or story with each new book. The story is built more around the action and events rather than the characters (though they are not left shallow). The strength of the story is that it is very well researched, using real people, real dialogue and real events. The plot brings the reader into the fiction, through the non-fiction, very effectively. One warning - there is some mild profanity used in the book, but it is in the context of being used by people who would use it (such as the anti-Christ and his crowd). However, there is also some thoughtful expressions of the Messianic faith in here and it contributes heart to the story. Overall, this is a great end-times action novel that will have you order the follow-ups before you are done with the first.
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Summary: An agnostic atheist perspective
Review: I realize, given the tone of many reviews on this page, that this book is intended more for a Christian crowd. I was raised Christian, but I am of the agnostic bend of atheism; i.e., I believe that if there is a 'Greater Power', then no religion has managed to properly describe it. That being said, I approached this novel with an open mind, knowing real well that a book about the clone of Jesus Christ would have a, shall we say, specifically Christian worldview. This is my biggest advice to any non-Christian picking up this book: take it as a fantasy with its own, fundamentalist Christian internal logic. Don't expect revelations about other religions. Even with that in mind, some aspects of the book shocked me a little. For instance, there is quite a lot of wishful thinking on the part of the author when he describes a Rabbi converting to Jesus Christ from a passage in the Torah. It's also somewhat amusing to see how inoffensive USA is in the events that unfold, when compared to the omnious role the UN seems poised to undertake; it feels right out of a right-wing conspiracy theory. Finally, the distribution of people 'saved' by the Rapture (i.e., a lot of rural US, very few in Europe, a very low number in Israel) made me chuckle by how unabashedly it sticks to fundamentalist cliches. Oh, and did I mention that one of the 'bad guys' is French and most likely homosexual? (This was hinted at in a very subtle manner near the end of the book.) But past all this, I found a lot to enjoy in this book. For starters, it's very well-researched. The expedition to Turin at the beginning of the book was gripping because it stuck so close to real events, and kept me reading when the book became less plausible. There's a lot of footnotes in this book, meant to underline Bible passages in many parts, that I didn't care about; they seemed to get in the way of the story. And the author's insistence in footnotes about reminding us not to assume characters say the truth when they contradict a statement from the Bible took a lot away from the suspense by making me guess, halfway through, what is supposed to be a big shock in Book 2. All in all, In His Image was enjoyable for its strong premise and its deep research, but I needed to remind myself than the author and his target readership took things for granted than were a bit irritating to me. That's fine, I'm sure it's the same problem for Christians who read books more aligned with my worldview. I could have done with better writing all around, as BeauSeigneur tends to enumerate instead of describing, which made the whole book sound like a very amateur endeavor. If you're a firm believer in Christ and find nothing offensive in a fantasy where Jews convert massively to Jesus when they read the proper passage from the Torah, then pick this book, the story and tone will please you. If you're atheist, you might enjoy it as a Christian fantasy, like I have. If you're Jewish or Buddhist or into New Age, don't pick up this book unless you have a strong sense of humor.
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Summary: Leaves you wanting more
Review: I just finished Acts of God (Book 3) last night. The Christ Clone Trilogy was the best set of books I have ever read. The way the author weaved fiction, prophecy and science together into a coherent and compelling story was absolutely brilliant. When I was going through The Birth of An Age (Book 2) and Christopher was presenting his case, I was truly troubled. My wife asked why I was reading a book like this. Christopher's case was so compelling. But, I told her that during any trial, you have to hear both sides of the case and this was only the prosecution's. I stuck it out and I am glad I did. If you decide to pick up this series, read the author's warning at the beginning and commit to stick it out until the end of the third book. The books, while fictional, helped me with a lot of questions. Why does God allow this to continue? What is HaSatan's motivation for causing such misery? What will heaven be like? And on and on... I have been a Christian for 30 years and read tons of theology. These books helped me form a little better picture of what the world is really like and where we're all headed.
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Summary: Interesting Conglomeration
Review: On the one hand, this book has a lot of flaws. I found it very hard to read, and had to take frequent breaks to get back with the game. But I read it, and I'm going to buy the next book. I don't understand that contradiction any more than you do. The dialogue is written as though the author was still learning the craft. He has a tendency to bundle together punctuation marks as though he were writing a comic book script (?!). This People speak in well-wrought complete sentences, and at key moments, every line is heavy with portent. Dialogue-heavy sections are kind of hard to get through. The narrative hopscotches over long periods of time. Chapter headings will begin with "Eight Years Later," like the title card in a Flash Gordon serial. And a lot of narrative is wrapped in long character monologues, the kind of speech science fiction editors deride as "Well, You See, Timmy..." Author James BeauSeigneur knows a lot of facts regarding the Bible, exigetical research, Jewish national history, and scientific research regarding holy relics. He throws these facts in, but feels the need to footnote everything, as though this were his doctoral thesis. Unless BeauSeigneur doesn't trust his audience, why would he pepper his novel with source notes? There are sixty-six footnotes in the book, including no less than two that simply urge readers not to kill the messenger. If this book weren't carried forward by the idea of a living clone of Jesus Christ from the Shroud of Turin, I doubt any respectable publisher would have touched it. Yet it IS about that idea. And the consideration is so thoroughly in keeping with contemporary social and political impetus that we can imagine a cloned Jesus might indeed behave in the way depicted if he came along in this day and age (though with more organic dialogue). The viewpoint character is Decker Hawthorne, a sometime journalist turned political operative, who through a bizarre quirk of events comes to be the warden of Christopher Goodman, who was cloned from biological traces left on the Shroud of Turin. The plot is Gordian in its convolutions, and there's a strong sense that it's setting up for the next book rather than telling its own story. Yet the setup is complex enough that, if you take enough aspirin breaks, it will hold your attention just fine. The book is somehow awful, yet it's compelling enough that I intend to buy the next book. I don't understand. Neither will you, but you'll read this one and go on to the next as well.
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Summary: THE BEST End Times series out there.
Review: All I can say is this beats everything out there to dust. Left Behind is nothing compared to Christ Clone Trilogy!
Rating:
Summary: Great Book...arouses emotion and feeds the intellect
Review: "In his Image" is by far the most entertaining book I've ever read. James BeauSeigneur does a marvelous job of creating a story that both maintains suspense and fulfills end time phophecy in an amazingly plausible way. Current day philosophical opinions, scientific theories, religions and world views are used perfectly together to weave a story that keeps you turning the pages. I even found myself reading the Bible to guess where the story might go next. After I finished reading all the books in "The Christ Clone Trilogy" I did my own research on some of the topics covered in the book and it's scary how some of the things the "bad guys" do/believe are based on actual people in positions of power. It's a highly entertaining book in the most chilling of ways.
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