In His Image

The Christ Clone Trilogy #1

by James BeauSeigneur

FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE: Two nuclear wars. Three asteroids. Demonic madness. Into this, a savior will rise, cloned from Christ. It's not fiction. It's prophecy.

The Messiah of the New Age. His coming is prophesied by more than a dozen major religions. Cloned from live cells of Jesus Christ found on the Shroud of Turin, Christopher Goodman was born into the most turbulent time in human history. Mentored by former UN Assistant Secretary-General Robert Milner, Christopher rises in position and power, and displays remarkable wisdom and compassion. But through disjointed bits of dreams that sometimes haunt him, Christopher reveals significant troubling errors in the biblical record of Jesus life.

Soon the reason for Robert Milner 's interest in Christopher becomes clear: the world is about to undergo a time of destruction and chaos darker than any in history, with impending nuclear war merely a faint precursor. Milner explains that without Christopher, humanity will not long survive. Under Christopher 's leadership, however, mankind stands on the threshold of a final great evolutionary leap that will bestow on the human race god-like powers. This is the reason, Milner says, that Christopher was born.

In Israel, an unexpected threat to Christopher 's ascension is growing: two men, possessed of incredible supernatural powers, one claiming to be the 2000-year-old Apostle John, the other an apostate Hasidic rabbi named Saul Cohen. Together, the men lead an outlawed cult of 144,000 followers, each branded with the names Yahweh and Yeshua on their foreheads.

PRAISE FOR THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY
"BeauSeigneur knows how to write, deploying a tough, driving style in perfect cadence." -Booklist (Starred Review)
"Astoundingly intelligent...inventive...dizzyingly well-described." -Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"Undeniably riveting... daring...wonderfully creepy...Readers will be enthralled by the author's science-fortified vision of the Apocalypse." -Publishers Weekly

PUBLICATION HISTORY
IN HIS IMAGE is Book One of a revised, expanded, and re-edited release of THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY, originally published in 1997 by SelectiveHouse and in 2003 by Warner Books. This new edition includes a Study Guide and an extensive Prophecy Cross Reference. THE CHRIST CLONE TRILOGY has been translated and published in 12 languages. Book Two is BIRTH OF AN AGE. Book Three is ACTS OF GOD.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Science Fiction, Christian, Thriller, Religion, Fantasy

412 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

James BeauSeigneur (shown here with his wife Geri) is the author of the Christ Clone trilogy: In His Image (SelectiveHouse, 1997), Birth of an Age (SelectiveHouse, 1997), and Acts of God (SelectiveHouse, 1998.) He is a former intelligence analyst for the National Security Agency and former newspaper publisher. He taught political science at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and in 1980 was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress running against Al Gore, who was the Vice President of the U.S. at the time of this interview. His published works include manuals on strategic defense and military avionics; newspaper articles; speeches for U.S. Congressional and Senatorial candidates; and lyrics for several published songs.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My major in college was Web Design, so, I spent many an hour learning about HTML, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Illustrator, and other tools that people use to build websites or create images. We also learned about browsers; one professor told us that, statistically, Microsoft's Internet Explorer was the most widely used one in the world...but it stinks. He also said that he had created websites for other people--such as his family or his wife's sorority--and could get them to work just fine on Firefox or Apple's Safari...but, no matter what he tried, he couldn't get them to work right on IE; problem was, many of the people who were the intended viewers of those websites were not tech-savvy enough to know how to install another browser.

By now, you're probably wondering what on Earth all that has to do with this book. Simply this: Left Behind is to Christian fiction what Internet Explorer is to Web browsers: well-known, widely used/read...but terrible. While Mr. LaHaye and Mr. Jenkins have written some great works on their own, the "end times" series they created together is garbage, despite its bestselling status and multiple film adaptations. It's a shame that it has sold as well as it has; people who aren't familiar with "inspirational" novels will read those books, and think that all literature in that genre is just as shoddy. The only books from that franchise that are worth the paper on which they're printed are the spin-off novels by Neesa Hart and Mel Odom; I highly recommend those.

So...if Left Behind isn't very good, are any books about the "end times" worth reading? Yes...and this is one of them. While I'm not sure that the end of days will happen exactly as the author writes it here--then again, I don't really know exactly how any of it will happen; I'll take a late former minister's advice and just trust God--it makes for intriguing reading. Fans of Christian fiction will likely have a blast with it; I'm glad I have one of the sequels on hand, and the other one arriving soon.

[JT · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this kicks the pants off the money institution that is the "Left Behind" series. Although this book is in the same vein, it actually uses things into today's culture to show how prophecies in the book of Revelations can occur without all the obvious fire and brimstone that everyone else is banking on. Today most Christians lack a sense of reality and really just long for the end to come and prove their faith the "best ever." As a majority Christians miss the true teachings they are asked to learn. (I'm a Christian as well, so I'm not saying anything other than the truth about a group of people I choose to be a part of.)

This book does a hell of a job showing the character that is to become the antichrist truly being a pawn. This character shows how easily we "humans" can stray from the truth, even if it is with the best of intentions. This book (trilogy) is so well written on so many levels that it should be read in church groups with the intention of it being broken down and discussed. Without questioning who we are and what we believe, we are nothing greater than sheep being lead by the wolves.

If you want a read that gets you too look at the "end of days" in a new light, really getting you to see a new apocolyptic inturpretation that may be an afterthought to the "sheeple", this it.

* Marc, that "sheeple" is for you buddy - where did you hear it?

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unabridged audio.

I was torn between 3 and 4 stars here...I finally went with 4. This is an interesting premise, live cells found on the Shroud of Turin are cloned. The resulting child named Christopher (the scientist who clones him is an atheist and named the boy after Christopher Columbus rather than Christ. He is to be "the first" and begin a "new world). I became very interested in these books and do recommend them.

By the way these are frankly Christian novels and while I don't have a lot of arguments with their view of Christianity and scripture, I wouldn't suggest getting your theology from here, at least not here alone. I don't however think there is anything here that will offend most Christian readers. They are fairly interesting, absorbing, well done, and respectful of Christ. I'd say they fit neatly into what might be called "mainline Christian thought".

Still these are well written enough that non-Christians will find an interesting story and get an absorbing read. I include this information for those who might be annoyed simply at a Christian read and also (of course) for those who are looking for a Christian read. There are quite a number of Christian novels concerning prophetic events out there, I think these are some of the best and are "good novels" not just good "Christian" novels.

I don't give 4 stars lightly, it means that I truly enjoyed the book. 5 star reads for me mean that the book may be on my favorites list or at least doesn't miss it by much. So, an excellent novel and very readable. Recommended.

[Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite good on the whole, but like almost all American Christian fiction, it is absolutely PACKED with Republican propaganda and prejudiced/poorly informed stereotypes about nations other than the US. Also; like most books on this theme, it is "pre-trib", the dominating view of the Rapture in the US, but not in Europe. If you can't stand pre-trib, pass on this book.

There were some factual errors - nothing major but things that most educated people this side of the Atlantic knows. For goodness sake, Christian authors: If you are not sure, check your facts before you write it in a book that is being published! If you write about another country, locate somebody from there and get them to fact check it. And why don't editors pick up stuff like this? I knocked off one star for that because it's distracting and annoying.

The plot itself was actually good. It didn't fully follow the standard story line for Rapture books, something I also appreciated. What I mean is, the disappearance of the Christians happened in a different way than how it normally happens in these types of books.

I didn't think the characters were terribly engaging, but that may simply be because the main character was a middle aged male American journalist - not exactly a group I can easily identify with. Sadly, there is a complete lack of credible and interesting female characters in the book.

10/10 for keeping the suspense regarding "Christopher" up. I really couldn't figure out until the end of the first book whether he was good or bad.

As Christian fiction goes, this is absolutely top 10% though.

[Juli · Rating 4 out of 5]

The intro to this book describes "cloning" Christ from cells from the Shroud of Turin. I've always been fascinated by the shroud which is what initially drew me to this book. This book is very Tom Clancy meets Dan Brown. I've never read the "Left Behind" books but other reviewers mention this series (of three) is much better written. I have to say i definitely feel like that is the case. This has much more geopolitical intrigue to it. I very much enjoyed how heavily the United Nations played into the storyline. Most of the other characters were nicely fleshed out. During most of the book I was wondering about the nature of "Christopher", the cloned Christ (born via an unknowing surrogate)... was he good, bad, indifferent??? He has always been aware from the time he was a small boy of his origins. It was explained by the scientist that cloned the cells that this would only replicate the DNA of Christ not the beliefs or emotional characteristics or the divinity for that matter if there ever was divinity in the person of Christ. Christopher grows into an intelligent perceptive honorable and successful man.... as world events unfold he becomes more concerned for the outcome of humanity. Here's where the spoiler comes in... he goes into the desert in Israel in an event that mimics the 40 days of Christ wherein the Bible tells us he rejected the temptations of Satan. The book doesnt detail the time but when Christopher emerges from the desert we are left wondering....was he too tempted by Satan and if so, what choice did he make? I will definitely read the other two books in the trilogy. Finally do not even attempt the audio! It was HORRIBLE!

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Post Listen Review: In my quest to listen to all of the audiobooks in the fiction section in my local library I have come across a few odd books. This is on the weirder side of most of them. (The one with the seagull shape shifting detective excepted)

I apologize for any misspellings of religious icons in advance, you'll have to bear with me much in the same way I had to bear with the idea of this story.

So here is the basic idea of the book. The Shroud of Turin was found in the 1980's and a journalist goes to report on it, undercover as an assistant to some professor. When they get back life goes on and all is good. Then we fast forward some decades and the professor has found some human cells that were still living on the Shroud and he decides (logically) to clone them. Turns out he cloned Jesus. Yes that Jesus.

In the book the professor who does it says he thinks they are leftover cells from some alien species. Crazy right? Well how about the idea that you could clone Jesus? I find that utterly absurd. But ok the author gets a pass on that. But he goes to great length to explain that a clone doesn't have the same experiences as its original so it won't be the same person. Yet throughout the whole book the cloned kid is having flashbacks of being Jesus. So then he isn't a clone right there but this is called the "Jesus Clone Trilogy". The author should look up what is and is not a clone.

A few more years pass and there is this weird event where millions of people die from some unnamed illness. It's not like they are swept up because they are religious or whatever, they just die. Jesus clone doesn't die though. He instead finds the journalist who messed around with the Shroud. Because the guy who cloned him told him to do that if anything happened to him. Well, if you are a clone of Jesus, naturally what you want to do most in the world is um... intern at the United Nations.

The journalist goes to Isreal at some point and is captured by some militant group. But first it is explained that the Shroud of Turin that was carbon dated to prove that it was not old enough to be that Shroud really is the Shroud because, of course, the Ark of the Covenant is really a time machine box that the Shroud was placed in. The same journalist that was like, psshh aliens, goes holy moly that explains it!

So crazy equals aliens, not crazy equals a magical time machine box that kills people when they look at it.

Luckily for the journalist the Jesus clone has learned to astral project and frees him from the militant group.

More years go by and more bad stuff happens so the Jesus clone becomes an Italian citizen and then an ambassador to the U.N.

Then we learn some weird stuff like that John the Apostle is still wandering around and it was really him not Judas that betrayed Jesus (or something) and we know it because the clone of Jesus remembers it that way.

Then the Jesus clone wanders in the desert for forty days and brings back this guy who I wasn't exactly clear on who he was or what he was for. While he is out there, nuclear war begins and things get really bad.

But here is the strangest thing about this book. It is well written. If the author could have left off all the crazy Jesus cloning garbage and just focused on the global politics that are going on, he could be another Tom Clancy. But I guess he wanted to make up a story about cloning Jesus instead.

I really hope the library does not carry the follow ups to this one.

Pre-listen guess: I am not sure what I will think about this book but I am a bit skeptical about the description on the back. Something about Jesus being cloned? We'll see.

[Donald · Rating 2 out of 5]

After a promising start detailing the 1970s scientific exploration of the Shroud of Turin, this book devolves into what seems to random episodes scattered throughout the world and not pertaining to what the book is supposed to be about. The idea of a human being cloned from the blood found on the Shroud of Turin, who may or may not be a clone of Christ, is incredibly interesting, but this is not dealt with for most of the book. Rather, we get a lot of political manuevering between countries and politictians, with the clone in the background until near the end. When the clone does start to do stuff, it seems like it's an afterthought.
This book is also rather annoying to the degree that over thirty years take place, with huge gaps in the narrative. It'll be cooking along with an interesting part of the story and then the chapter ends, with the new chapter saying "13 years later," or some such number. I'm still wondering what happened to one particular character which we left off in the middle of the book and haven't seen since! Some really important things are glossed over with throwaway lines or descriptions (the clone's awakening to who he may be, for example, is told to us, rather than shown us, and is therefore weaker for it). The gaps are annoying because we don't get to see the characters having to deal with the problems they're encountering as they're happening. We get "ten years later" and the ramifications of what happened, but not the actual event. It's as if the author was trying to get as much as he could into the first book in case the others in the series didn't get picked up for publishing. This one volume could have been carried over into at least two and fleshed out the characters and situations that are glossed over.
Still, the idea is sufficiently intriguing and the ending interesting enough for me to pick up the next one and see if it gets better.

[Dostalik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good fiction, but I warn you only read if you are going to read all three of the trilogy.

[Les · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a unique book. It is in the style of the Left Behind series. Rapture, End of Days, with a really unusual twist.

We begin with a reporter from a Tennessee newspaper lying his way to the Shroud of Turin testing in the 70s. Years go by, the Shroud is debunked as a forgery, a team member reaches out he has found something amazing. Living cells on the Shroud. He uses them to cure diseases and to make a clone
More years pass the reporter joins a national news magazine and goes to Israel where strange things are revealed and he and his colleague are kidnapped for years. Once he is returned the Big Bad happens and he gets a job at the UN. More years pass more bad stuff happens. More years pass more bad stuff happens (see a pattern)
What separates this series from Left Behind is that there are no real Christians in the story instead the people waiting for the 'messiah' are messianic Jews and New Agers who channel Tibetan wise men. So far there is no clear candidate for the anti-Christ. There are prophets one of whom is 2000 years old but they are too extreme for most people.

Really this series is just bizarre. The author seems to have thought things out at a level that most people wouldn't in real life - like a reorganization of the UN and the Security Council. Like who does this? And the time skips are erratic and awkward. You'll get really deep into something and the next chapter will say "8 years later"

This is book one of three and I guess it stands alone weakly but over all I was more bored than awed.

[Joshua Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up on advice from a friend who knew I was interested in Christian literature, particularly work focusing on the end-times testimonies of John, Paul, and Daniel. That said, I should also mention that I have never read the Left Behind books, and I am not aware of any other series that strictly follows biblical prophecy. Surprisingly, even works that deal specifically with the Antichrist, usually manage to contradict the very passages of text that they are attempting to fulfill.

So, with no other fiction with which to compare these books, I can judge them alone on the strength of the writing itself, and on how creatively the prophecies are interpreted by the author. James BeauSeigneur executes both of these flawlessly. Like fellow thriller writer Dan Brown, BeauSeigneur has an occasional tendency to get bogged down in details, particularly when supernatural events are depicted as scientifically explainable phenomena. Aside from these minor digressions however, the writing is solid and gripping, and his characterizations are fluid and evolving, especially in the case of major characters like Decker Hawthorne (the narrator), Christopher Goodman (Decker's adopted son and the central figure of the trilogy), and Robert Milner (Christopher's spiritual mentor).

Though these books work best as a trilogy, they each tell a different type of story. In His Image is about Christopher's origins and ascension within the United Nations; Birth of an Age deals with the major prophecies and conflict that arise to challenge Christopher; and Acts of God concludes the trilogy with the arrival of the Beast and his final war against God's followers. Despite the vast difference in the events of each book, BeauSeigneur succeeds in maintaining a consistent, authoritative, and above all, neutral narrative. I recommend these books to thriller fans, and anyone who finds apocalypse literature intriguing.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's important to remember that this is a work of fiction. I thought the early parts with Decker Hawthorne being involved with the Shroud expedition etc. were unnecessary and could have been explained later in the story without much loss of information. The story took off for me once that was over.

I liked this book but not enough to go seek out the other two in the trilogy to see how the rest of the story develops. There seemed to be many ancillary characters whom I'm not sure really were needed in the story--though perhaps some of their importance will be seen in the other two books which I don't plan to read.

[Joel Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a series that should be read rather than listened to in audiobook format. The footnotes are some of the most interesting parts. Written by someone who is use to writing official government papers, he knows the importance of giving frequent references to real world events. Even though the premise is stretching quite a bit, this series is one of the closest reasons of the end time scriptures that I've come across to my own. It projects everything in events that can be explained away by non-Christ followers.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Left Behind Series has monetary been more successful then The Christ Clone Thrilogy, but that is a shallow comparison. The Christ Clone Thrilogy is immensely more perspicaciously articulate in pragmatically envisioning the final book of the Bible, Revelation. Those that have a propensity for intellectual writing; as opposed to sensational writing, will revel in the grandeur of these three books.

[Renee Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went through this phase of reading all kinds of Christian literature. I don't think it matters either way, but (just so you know) I'm not a religious person. I was just fascinated with the Book of Revelation. Pretty much everything I read ended up being lame or "preachy". But this trilogy was AMAZING!! If you're looking for a good end-times story, here it is. It's what the Left Behind series wanted to be. But it was better... OH so much better.

[Linda Richmond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written trilogy of books. With what is going on in this world, very believable. His descriptions of events to come are really hard, and frightening to read. I guess it would depend upon ones beliefs, but I for one, would not want to go through the tribulation. I have read the trilogy 3 times already.

[Ziad Khashram · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book from a friend of mine, and after 2 weeks, I put down the three books with the desire to read it again. Highly recommended. Both for its storyline and the creative writing style.

[Jena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not know what to make of this book.
At the beginning, the author included a note, asking us to read the series in its entirety before we fully judge it.
The premise is that a scientist clones Jesus, and the end of days follows.
It is impossible to clone Jesus.
But since no one knows how the end times will begin, I wonder. In this day and age, if someone convinced themselves there was the possibility to clone Jesus, would they try?
And you know somebody in this world would.
Thus, this imagining of the end times makes some sense.
So, how to interpret or feel about this story?
I feel like it may be headed in a different direction than the title leads us to believe.
The book starts off slowly, with a lot of information as opposed to action, but it did draw me in.
I will have to continue reading to see where it goes from here.

[Karen Medrano-rios · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this book 3.54 stars. I LOVED the concept but the execution? Not so much. The idea of someone being cloned from cells found on the Shroud of Turin (so allegedly, Jesus Christ's cells) is an interesting idea and I thought it should make for a fascinating story. However, I was really disappointed.

First of all, there are DOZENS and DOZENS of characters in this story, most of which don't make a lasting impression or really matter in the long run. The few characters that DO matter.....are really hard to care about. When some of them died, my impression was "Meh". None of the characters are developed enough to really like or care about, even Christopher, the main character.

#2: THE TIME!! What is up with the TIME SPAN and timeline?!??! The book frequently starts chapters/sections with "Three days later", "Two hours later", "Six weeks later", FIFTEEN YEARS LATER"?!?!?! WTH?! There seems to be no real rhyme or reason for the time frame. I didn't think much of it throughout most of the book but the time lapse between sections started to get annoying, ESPECIALLY towards the end when Christopher is supposed to spend 40 days in the wilderness but if you follow the timeline within that section, only 2 weeks time has lapsed.

#3. The events. Why do certain things happen the way they do?! Most of the events ALSO have no real rhyme or reason to each other. For example, the fact that Decker was owner/editor of a small town newspaper, his friendship with Tom Donafin (they never interact again after being rescued! WHAT?!?!), Tom's blindness, his marriage to Rhoda, Scott's and Joel's involvement in the Russian attack.....none of these events are really connected or important to each other!! Decker wonders the same thing as well towards the end and makes loose associations between the events HE was involved in but they seem more like convenient coincidences more than anything else. Ugh!

I read this book because I absolutely LOVED the Left Behind series and a lot of the reviews for that series recommended THIS trilogy as "the better one". I HAVE to disagree, though!! These books definitely have a more "sci-fi" feel to them and they DEFINITELY don't preach to you like the Left Behind series does. However, the Left Behind series has a lot more likeable characters, storylines that make sense and even the apocalyptic events make more sense! In this book?? The events just HAPPEN; the 4 horses of the apocalypse just ride on, the scrolls and seals in heaven are opened and there's just no real consistent follow through with them. Even the antichrist! Nicolae Carpathia in the Left Behind series was a charming, intelligent, super likeable yet somewhat relatable guy. It was EASY to hand that guy the reigns of the world! Christopher in THIS book? Not so much. Even when he was growing up, his "father" admitted that he wasn't the most intelligent boy. Sure, he's interesting but not really impressive, (which is what the antichrist will be like).

What I DO like about the books is that they focus on things never mentioned in the Left Behind series like the Shroud of Turin, the Ark of the Covenant and there's more of a focus on how politics works. I didn't hate this book and I'll definitely read the rest of the trilogy but in all honesty, it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. The Left Behind series sparked in me an interest in the book of Revelations and taught me things in the Bible that I never knew existed. The Christ Clone trilogy? Not so much.

[Daniel Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I realize, given the tone of many reviews for this novel, 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.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is truly one of those books that makes you think, "What the f___ did I just read?"

I was led to this trilogy in the comments/reviews of the Left Behind series, of which I read the entire original series and two of the four prequels. (I also read the first book in the Prodigal Project series, which was awful, but I digress...) All of the reviews seemed to indicate that this trilogy far exceeded the Left Behind series, so I finally decided to read it.

I will say this, it is definitely not what I was expecting. A research team goes to investigate the Shroud of Turin (which has been proven to be a fake, but we'll overlook that for now), and finds living skin cells on it, presumably the living skin cells of Jesus. One of the scientists decides to clone the skin cells, and unwittingly gives birth to the Anti-Christ. Definitely an original idea -- pretty sure there is no other book on the whole of planet Earth that suggests the cloning of Christ is possible.

While I give the author many points for creativity, some of the things that occur in this story are pretty bizarre, even for and end-of-times novel. For that reason, I sometimes found myself distracted and unable to focus on the plot or characters.

One thing I did truly appreciate, however, is that the author does not take a literal interpretation of Revelation and just put it in a modern setting, which is basically what happened in the Left Behind series. The author takes a symbolic approach and includes something like a hundred footnotes to explain his literary devices.

Yes, I am going on to read book two. So, four stars for this book.

[wwjdcindygmail.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!!!!

Excellent!!!!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I began this epic but I know how I feel once I have finished book one.it has been exciting and once I finish this review,I plan to start book 2.one thing I have really found intriguing are the end notes that have given me a new perspective on how I look at revelations as well as old testament prophecies. making it all more believable.I can't say what revelations really stands for in the bible as I know it's controversial.and to be honest, it doesn't matter who's right or wrong.I just like this kind of book(I have no clue why but to say I have a sick mind).I have read the left behind series.I enjoyed them but they lacked good literary skills.this first book so far is much better.now I'm sick as I said so wouldn't have minded more of a"feel"of dread the world should have been feeling,.that said....off to book 2!

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely well researched and smartly written. Lots of information and action with some cliff hangers and incidents needing wrap up. My predictions coming soon….

I ordered the next two books. The day or two they take to arrive will be unpleasant.

Predictions for the unfolding plot over all three books:

* Christopher will be the anti-Christ
* Decker’s wife was about to tell him she converted
to Christianity along with his daughters
* The disaster was actually rapture
* Decker will eventually come to see the truth of
Christianity

[Kristi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the sci fi story and action in this first book of the trilogy. I read this book back in 2003 when it was first published by a mainstream publisher (Warner Books). After reading the trilogy, I realized that the author is one of those close-minded, bigoted right-wing Christian religi-nuts whose books should not be dignified with the category of science fiction.

[Abigail Roca Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing fiction story. I did enjoy it a lot. The trilogy must be read complete.

[Donovan Pete · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly a great trilogy.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILERS WITHIN!

Well! That was something. Alternately leaden and turgid, occasionally changing things up to be dry and ponderous, but ending with a burst of plot to set up Volume 2: the outbreak of Armageddon on the TV news and our Hero, like the young Clark Kent, beginning to sense his long-dormant powers, if Clark Kent was a rising-star diplomat in the United Nations.

The main thing, the author explains at the start in an "Important Note," is that while various parts of the story -- notably, a Jesus clone cultured from skin cells stuck to the Shroud of Turin -- "may not set well with some Christians," wait till you've finished Vol. 3 before casting anathemas, as recommended by "the words of Ecclesiastes 7:8: 'The end of a matter is better than the beginning.' " Two footnotes hark back to this, encouraging the faithful to keep at it, as in the fullness of time it will turn out to be doctrinally sound.

In the meantime, miracles happen: Tom Clancy's writing suddenly looks, by contrast, like Irvine Welsh's. ("Joel had heard talk about a remote, an off-site test facility for the Strategic Defense Control Facility (SDCF), but he had written it off as speculation by people who didn't know any better. If the Off-Site Test Facility (OSTF) was real, it would have been evident in the communications configuration needed for such an operation.") Info dumps multiply like loaves at Cana. A learned Israeli rabbi reveals to a confidant that, encouraged by a voice heard in a dream, "my studies have recently brought me to a rather interesting passage" -- Isaiah 53, the bit about the Suffering Servant, and "I was as astounded as you when I read it. ... It is obvious of whom the prophet seems to be speaking."

Oh, and the French ambassador to the UN, the power-mad M. Faure, when not scheming with his aide, M. Poupardin, to become secretary-general, is ... well, see for yourself as a clue to his deviltry is coyly offered:

"If there is no more pressing news," Faure said, as he opened his brief case, "I picked up a few videos for you while I was in Paris. They came very highly rated."

"These look great," Poupardin said, as he took the disks from Faure and eagerly examined the photo collage on the cover of one of the disks. "We can watch these when you come over tonight."

"It sounds like fun, Gerard, but I promised Suzanne and Betty I'd take them to dinner when I got back," Faure said, referring to his wife and daughter. Poupardin was obviously disappointed. "I'm sorry, Gerard," he said, and then looked at his watch. "I suppose we have a few minutes right now, if you'd like."

Poupardin smiled and went to lock the door.

Lord, give me strength! I may not be able to resist the rest of the series.

[Miranda · Rating 1 out of 5]

No me ha gustado y de hecho, lo he tenido que dejar a medias. Aunque el inicio del libro me parecía prometedor, mi entusiasmo empezó a decaer a medida que avanzaban los capítulos. Los saltos temporales tampoco es que hayan ayudado precisamente a mantener mi interés.
Después me ha intrigado saber (o confirmar mis sospechas) sobre el devenir de la trilogía, y la verdad es que creo que hice bien abandonando esta historia.

[Marie Chantale · Rating 1 out of 5]

most boring book ever

I was so excited about the premise of this book (cloning the Christ …. ). I powered through it but goodness gracious is it boring !!!! … badly written and ends stupidly … I would not recommend this book to anyone… well, maybe to my ex-husband. I wish I could give it zero star or minus one

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does a very good job of setting up what the end of the world as we know it could actually, realistically, look like.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a kind of love hate view on this book. The premise is interesting but the story seemed to drag on a bit. I will read the second book, but I may want to read something else first.