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Fire of Heaven #2
Threshold
From the realms of science, the paranormal, and Bible prophecy emerges a novel for our fast-paced, carefully researched . . . with a warning none can ignore.Some say Brandon Martus has a mysterious ability to see into the future, to experience what scientists refer to as a “higher dimension.” Others insist he is simply a troubled Generation-X member plagued by the accidental death of his little sister. It isn’t until he teams up with Sarah Weintraub, the ambitious but haunted neurobiologist, that a far deeper secret unfolds.Utilizing the latest discoveries in brain research and quantum physics, the two carefully wind their way through a treacherous maze of human greed and supernatural encounters that are both legitimate and counterfeit--until they finally discover the astonishing truth about Brandon Martus.From the author of the best-selling Blood of Heaven comes a captivating scientific and supernatural thriller. Threshold takes the reader from the mountains of Nepal to the heartland of America, through the deceptions of hell and into the hands of Jesus Christ, in a carefully researched, thought-provoking, and thoroughly electrifying journey.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1997
26 people are currently reading
232 people want to read
About the author
Bill Myers
332 books393 followersBill Myers was born into a Christian home, and although as a child he became bored with Christianity, he decided at the University of Washington quote, to "make God my boss." Ironically, at the University his worst subject was writing. He claims to have prayed, and said that he would be able to do anything for God, except write. Even so, he has become a prominent Christian writer, and has a large amount of successful books and films to his credit.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 14, 2024
What Mr. Myers did well in the previous book, he continues to excel at here. I can't wait to see how the last book brings the two stories together.
(A side note: While it didn't affect my opinion of the book, I get the feeling that Mr. Myers despises Garfield; he makes multiple references to a smiling picture of the Tubby Tabby at the clinic where Sarah has her abortion. As a lifelong fan of the cartoon fat cat, I didn't like that; however, the author is entitled to his own opinion.)
(A side note: While it didn't affect my opinion of the book, I get the feeling that Mr. Myers despises Garfield; he makes multiple references to a smiling picture of the Tubby Tabby at the clinic where Sarah has her abortion. As a lifelong fan of the cartoon fat cat, I didn't like that; however, the author is entitled to his own opinion.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 26, 2019
A tiny town in Indiana is the main setting for this paranormal thriller.
The funding of Dr. Reichner's research depends on his reports, including an in-person travel to Nepal. While he is away, his research director, Sarah Weintraub attended a country club's awards ceremony where the rivalry between the Techies (those who came into town, driving prices up, working at the Moran Research Institute or other technological companies) and Townies (those who were in the town already, not working at the well-paying jobs) became known.
A prank brings Sarah and a Townie named Brandon together, and sets up the other games of chicken that happen throughout the book. We readers know that Brandon bears guilt for his little sister's death; Sarah bears guilt for the abortion that resulted in a hysterectomy and the break-up with her boyfriend.
Dr. Reichner knows that Sarah is a work-a-holic and therefore manipulates her in various ways. His trip to Nepal results in a connection with a python and the backer of his Institute. The backer wants a particular person with a high PSI.....
Brandon has been experiencing visions (others would call them hallucinations) and eventually they come true. Sarah pushes Brandon to be tested at the Institute; during his test, he passes the Threshold (inter-dimensional out-of-body experience) and nearly dies.
Brandon refuses to work with the Institute after that experience.
Brandon's visions have happened at his work and at church. Sarah learned the details and begins following up on the occurrences, finding the premonitions to be real. In relaying the information to Brandon, she is upset that Brandon isn't responding as she would like, and steals his truck. This results in the final game of chicken and a bad car accident.
Two characters that interact with the main characters are Gladys, a prayer warrior who had visions about Brandon during his infancy, and Lewis, a former subject of the Moran Research Institute. Sarah finds Lewis at Gladys' house; Dr. Reichner convinces Lewis to stop attacking Sarah and kill himself instead in an apparent murder-suicide.
Throughout all of this, Brandon has been wrestling (or not) with his faith and family. His father had a stroke that paralyzed him and Brandon lost his trust that prayer works. The climax of the book is where Brandon is resisting the malevolent force/demon inside the church where his father had his ministry. The force is about to suck him in and Brandon loses his grip on a pew and must grab onto the cross that had fallen in the attacks.
Between Gladys' pencil drawings, the Bible verses she had pointed out, and other things, the end of the book brings Brandon to the hospital to be with Sarah after her accident, and he is accepting of his designated place as one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11.
Par for the course of the 1990's to tie abortion in somewhere, and I felt the symbolism, mostly in the climax of the tension, was "bash one over the head" blatant.
The funding of Dr. Reichner's research depends on his reports, including an in-person travel to Nepal. While he is away, his research director, Sarah Weintraub attended a country club's awards ceremony where the rivalry between the Techies (those who came into town, driving prices up, working at the Moran Research Institute or other technological companies) and Townies (those who were in the town already, not working at the well-paying jobs) became known.
A prank brings Sarah and a Townie named Brandon together, and sets up the other games of chicken that happen throughout the book. We readers know that Brandon bears guilt for his little sister's death; Sarah bears guilt for the abortion that resulted in a hysterectomy and the break-up with her boyfriend.
Dr. Reichner knows that Sarah is a work-a-holic and therefore manipulates her in various ways. His trip to Nepal results in a connection with a python and the backer of his Institute. The backer wants a particular person with a high PSI.....
Brandon has been experiencing visions (others would call them hallucinations) and eventually they come true. Sarah pushes Brandon to be tested at the Institute; during his test, he passes the Threshold (inter-dimensional out-of-body experience) and nearly dies.
Brandon refuses to work with the Institute after that experience.
Brandon's visions have happened at his work and at church. Sarah learned the details and begins following up on the occurrences, finding the premonitions to be real. In relaying the information to Brandon, she is upset that Brandon isn't responding as she would like, and steals his truck. This results in the final game of chicken and a bad car accident.
Two characters that interact with the main characters are Gladys, a prayer warrior who had visions about Brandon during his infancy, and Lewis, a former subject of the Moran Research Institute. Sarah finds Lewis at Gladys' house; Dr. Reichner convinces Lewis to stop attacking Sarah and kill himself instead in an apparent murder-suicide.
Throughout all of this, Brandon has been wrestling (or not) with his faith and family. His father had a stroke that paralyzed him and Brandon lost his trust that prayer works. The climax of the book is where Brandon is resisting the malevolent force/demon inside the church where his father had his ministry. The force is about to suck him in and Brandon loses his grip on a pew and must grab onto the cross that had fallen in the attacks.
Between Gladys' pencil drawings, the Bible verses she had pointed out, and other things, the end of the book brings Brandon to the hospital to be with Sarah after her accident, and he is accepting of his designated place as one of the two witnesses in Revelation 11.
Par for the course of the 1990's to tie abortion in somewhere, and I felt the symbolism, mostly in the climax of the tension, was "bash one over the head" blatant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2018
I didn’t dislike this. Parts were quite exciting, but it is probably a bit past its prime now. Would have been big somewhere between This Present Darkness and the Left Behind series. A bit cheesy by today’s standards (particularly the audio book version). Even so, it kept my interest and I will read (or listen to) the last book in the series.
August 22, 2019
Interesting paranormal genre branch into Christian end-times fiction. Myers takes a gutsy leap from book one in the "Fire of Heaven" trilogy; the limited continuity carryover also leaves readers with few direct ties between the books. Book two also lacks the inherent drama and timeliness of the first book. His strong writing skills make up some of the difference.
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March 17, 2021I really enjoyed this series. This book focuses on the danger of surrendering to paranormal powers. Although a thriller, it is Myers' relatable, human characters that to draw you through the twists and turns of the story.
November 11, 2017
Started this around 11:30, finished around 12:15.
June 3, 2019
Last Days
Set in current days, end times events happen in a small town. Thought-provoking. Author uses since license, but remains biblical.
Set in current days, end times events happen in a small town. Thought-provoking. Author uses since license, but remains biblical.
December 28, 2020
EXCELLENT READ!
Thought provoking! Excellent read! Hard to put down!!!! Definitely will read the next book In the trilogy! Good job Mr. Myers!!!
Thought provoking! Excellent read! Hard to put down!!!! Definitely will read the next book In the trilogy! Good job Mr. Myers!!!
July 10, 2025
I liked this book better than the first. I was interested the entire time.
December 21, 2015
Neurobiology. Quantum physics. Parapsychology. Bible.
Who would have thought that these things would come together in one book? While this is the second book in the Fire of Heaven Trilogy, I have read that it does not have anything to do with the first installment, and that the story stands on its own, which is a good thing (since I doubt it will be an easy job to successfully find the first book).
The first few pages might not be so interesting, but as the novel goes on, readers would be drawn to the plot and the characters. Bill Myers write amazingly, and his narration will grip you and compel you to continue reading up to the last page. Despite the fact that he has an annoying habit of combining third-person omniscient and third-person limited, it did not hinder me from going further.
Bill Myers has the tendency to rattle off for paragraphs about the brain, about parapsychology research, etc. etc. Some might think this makes the novel tedious to read, but on the other hand, it is one of things that I liked about the book. Throughout the whole time, I knew I wasn't just reading for entertainment. I was also learning something.
The writing is crisp and quick-paced. As mentioned, it is written in the third-person limited. One moment the events are scene in this character's eyes, the next moment, through another set of perception. But astonishingly, readers would be drawn to the each of the character's point-of-view immediately, and would not be wondering: Who's the narrator supposed to be again? Despite not being written in first-person, the characters have their own voices and tone. Readers would be stuck in how they view the world, and especially, readers would be caught in the character's dilemma and internal turmoils.
Furthermore, the characters are very interesting, especially Brandon Martus, Sarah, and Dr. Reichner. At the beginning, when Brandon first met Sarah, we, the readers, would be under the impression that she is quite distant and hardly approachable. But when we finally see Brandon through her eyes, everything would be reverse - Brandon was actually the one who was aloof and indifferent. Those traits of his, especially his tendency to lapse into silence, might first annoy the readers. But soon enough, we were able to see another side of him: a vulnerability and pain masked underneath his persona of sullenness and disinterest. He was certainly most interesting, the kind of person I might be attracted to.
There was suspense throughout the book, but I was disappointed because the climax was not very riveting, and the tension was hardly there. Also, it was expected how the ending of the problem would come to be.
Threshold dealt with very controversial topics. As the book reached its conclusion, some things were intentionally left unanswered to provoke the readers. Also, the author had left a warning to what could plausibly happen to those who did not believe. You know what I mean.
Who would have thought that these things would come together in one book? While this is the second book in the Fire of Heaven Trilogy, I have read that it does not have anything to do with the first installment, and that the story stands on its own, which is a good thing (since I doubt it will be an easy job to successfully find the first book).
The first few pages might not be so interesting, but as the novel goes on, readers would be drawn to the plot and the characters. Bill Myers write amazingly, and his narration will grip you and compel you to continue reading up to the last page. Despite the fact that he has an annoying habit of combining third-person omniscient and third-person limited, it did not hinder me from going further.
Bill Myers has the tendency to rattle off for paragraphs about the brain, about parapsychology research, etc. etc. Some might think this makes the novel tedious to read, but on the other hand, it is one of things that I liked about the book. Throughout the whole time, I knew I wasn't just reading for entertainment. I was also learning something.
The writing is crisp and quick-paced. As mentioned, it is written in the third-person limited. One moment the events are scene in this character's eyes, the next moment, through another set of perception. But astonishingly, readers would be drawn to the each of the character's point-of-view immediately, and would not be wondering: Who's the narrator supposed to be again? Despite not being written in first-person, the characters have their own voices and tone. Readers would be stuck in how they view the world, and especially, readers would be caught in the character's dilemma and internal turmoils.
Furthermore, the characters are very interesting, especially Brandon Martus, Sarah, and Dr. Reichner. At the beginning, when Brandon first met Sarah, we, the readers, would be under the impression that she is quite distant and hardly approachable. But when we finally see Brandon through her eyes, everything would be reverse - Brandon was actually the one who was aloof and indifferent. Those traits of his, especially his tendency to lapse into silence, might first annoy the readers. But soon enough, we were able to see another side of him: a vulnerability and pain masked underneath his persona of sullenness and disinterest. He was certainly most interesting, the kind of person I might be attracted to.
There was suspense throughout the book, but I was disappointed because the climax was not very riveting, and the tension was hardly there. Also, it was expected how the ending of the problem would come to be.
Threshold dealt with very controversial topics. As the book reached its conclusion, some things were intentionally left unanswered to provoke the readers. Also, the author had left a warning to what could plausibly happen to those who did not believe. You know what I mean.
August 13, 2012
Kwam er per toeval achter dat dit het tweede deel is, maar goed deel 1. heb ik nou thuis en deel 3. ook. Voor een tweede deel niet slecht, het is echt een spiritueel, paranormale thriller. Het gaat over Brandon Martus die over paranormale gaven bezit. Hij heeft voorspellende dromen, maar zelf is hij er een beetje sceptisch over. Als hij wordt benaderd door een instituut die paranormale gaven onderzoekt besluit hij mee te werken. Zijn opdracht is om te kijken of hij in contact kan komen met zijn overleden zusje. Verder lees je over bezetenheid en het geloof algemeen. Zelf heb ik niet veel met het geloof maar in dit geval gaat het thema niet te ver en is het juist interessant om te lezen. Verder leest het boek lekker weg en is het moeilijk weg te leggen. Op naar deel 1. en dan 3.
March 26, 2015
I'm gonna be honest: this book was VERY hard to get into. For about the first third of it the plot was extremely slow and on several occasions I almost gave up. And I rarely give up on books. In fact I took a short break (only a day) to read a different book just because I felt like I was getting into a major reading rut and I needed something fresh and quick. But when I came back to it the action finally started to pick up. In fact the last few chapters were so riveting that I found myself reading as fast as I could because I couldn't get through the action quick enough. So overall, I gave this book three out of five stars for a slow and tedious start but a great conclusion that was worth the agony of the beginning. I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!
June 7, 2013
Loved this book. Wanted to start with the first book in the trilogy ("Blood of Heaven"), but wasn't able to get it. This is the second book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The characters and storyline are well developed. I am a big fan of Bill Myers' books. I haven't been disappointed yet with anything I've read by him. My sons thoroughly enjoyed his youth and YA books throughout their growing up years. I highly recommend anything -- books and movies -- by Bill Myers.
April 4, 2013
There wasn't anything about the writing or the story to slow me down - I raced through this book. It helped that I read the author's notes first, to understand that he left some aspects vague on purpose. That made it better, less open to critical review, as the story deals with controversial topics.
December 8, 2014
Who knew right? Paranormal, neuroscience & faith in god, all in one book? It started off slow & I even thought it was a pseudo-intellect's version of imitating the da vinci code & psychological thrillers but as the story progressed, the intensity grew too. And it was amazing!
March 3, 2009
The second book in the Fire of Heaven trilogy. It doesn't really tie in with book 1 though. Troubled Brandon and scientist Sarah learn their roles as future prophets.
January 2, 2013
This book felt like half of it should have been in Fire of Heaven and the other half in Blood of Heaven. All the same, an interesting read and preparation for the third book in the series.
July 6, 2015
Really interesting insight into the demonic realm!
August 9, 2015
Excellent book.
August 7, 2008
Engaging, but I liked the first one better.
February 5, 2016
A fast read. Good novel.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews