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The Reckoning: A Novel
In a world ruled by the fiercest warriors, Gage was the strongest--an American executing his country's darkest missions with legendary cunning and skill. Separated from the secret world he once dominated, he chose a life of exile--and only the murder of his mentor can compel him to emerge from solitude. Now his greatest battle begins when he challenges an ageless evil.
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First published September 1, 1994
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About the author
James Byron Huggins
24 books222 followersA veteran novelist and best-selling author, James Byron Huggins' life story reads more like fiction than fact. His career as a writer began normally enough. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism and English from Troy State University, and then worked as a reporter for the Hartselle Enquirer in Hartselle, Alabama.
Huggins won seven awards while with the newspaper before leaving journalism in 1985. With a desire to help persecuted Christians in eastern Europe, Huggins moved to Texas to work in conjunction with members of the Christian underground in that region.
From the Texas base, Huggins helped set up a system used to smuggle information in and out of Iron Curtain countries.
In 1987, Huggins was finally able to leave the United States to offer hands-on assistance in Romania. As a jack of all trades, Huggins photographed a secret police installation, took photos of people active in the Christian underground, and also continued his work as an orchestrator of smuggling routes.
Huggins was instrumental in smuggling out film and documentation that showed the plight of Christians in Romania. He even found time to create a code that allowed communication with the United States. As in Texas, Huggins' life had few creature comforts. To survive, he would often remain hidden in the woods or in secure basements for days at a time.
After his time in Romania, Huggins returned to the United States and took up journalism once more. He again worked for a small newspaper and won several awards as a reporter. Later on, he worked at a nonprofit Christian magazine before becoming a patrolman with the Huntsville Police Department in Huntsville, Alabama.
After distinguished service as a decorated field officer, Huggins left the force to pursue writing novels. His first three novels--A Wolf Story, The Reckoning, and Leviathan--achieved best-seller status in the Christian marketplace.
From there, Huggins broke into mainstream science fiction with Cain and Hunter, both of which were optioned for film rights. Huggins then released Rora, a historical novel depicting the harrowing life of a European martyr. His following book, Nightbringer, was met with critical acclaim and is in production for a movie.
Huggins won seven awards while with the newspaper before leaving journalism in 1985. With a desire to help persecuted Christians in eastern Europe, Huggins moved to Texas to work in conjunction with members of the Christian underground in that region.
From the Texas base, Huggins helped set up a system used to smuggle information in and out of Iron Curtain countries.
In 1987, Huggins was finally able to leave the United States to offer hands-on assistance in Romania. As a jack of all trades, Huggins photographed a secret police installation, took photos of people active in the Christian underground, and also continued his work as an orchestrator of smuggling routes.
Huggins was instrumental in smuggling out film and documentation that showed the plight of Christians in Romania. He even found time to create a code that allowed communication with the United States. As in Texas, Huggins' life had few creature comforts. To survive, he would often remain hidden in the woods or in secure basements for days at a time.
After his time in Romania, Huggins returned to the United States and took up journalism once more. He again worked for a small newspaper and won several awards as a reporter. Later on, he worked at a nonprofit Christian magazine before becoming a patrolman with the Huntsville Police Department in Huntsville, Alabama.
After distinguished service as a decorated field officer, Huggins left the force to pursue writing novels. His first three novels--A Wolf Story, The Reckoning, and Leviathan--achieved best-seller status in the Christian marketplace.
From there, Huggins broke into mainstream science fiction with Cain and Hunter, both of which were optioned for film rights. Huggins then released Rora, a historical novel depicting the harrowing life of a European martyr. His following book, Nightbringer, was met with critical acclaim and is in production for a movie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 3, 2010
This is a difficult book to read. There is excessive violence, but the story is about a man who was trained as a killer but became a Christian when he was left for dead and a monk found him and made him well. He has to put his old training to use to stop a plot meant to take down Christianity (sounds unrealistic, but works in the book). The first time I read it I was repulsed by the violence, but the second time I saw past the violence to the redemption storyline.
April 19, 2018
3.5 stars
I’m confused about something
The book I read was an ebook republishing. But there are many many errors that should have been edited in 2000. It got to the point that I was questioning myself.
But the action was great even if all of the plot twists weren’t tied in a pretty bow by the end. I enjoy my espionage a bit fantastic. And this fit the bill weaving the almighty Church with the FBI and special forces to lay the smack down. I've seen some reviews complaining of the violence, but I did not find it excessive at all. It seemed right on target. In fact it could have been much more graphic in the knife fight scenes. The author did a great job describing action. I had no problems picturing what was happening. And the protagonists were very likable. There was some serious soul searching making our soldier quite appealing as a human being trying to make things right.
Huggins has a strong imagination with no issues expressing his story. I really enjoyed the book.
I’m confused about something
The book I read was an ebook republishing. But there are many many errors that should have been edited in 2000. It got to the point that I was questioning myself.
But the action was great even if all of the plot twists weren’t tied in a pretty bow by the end. I enjoy my espionage a bit fantastic. And this fit the bill weaving the almighty Church with the FBI and special forces to lay the smack down. I've seen some reviews complaining of the violence, but I did not find it excessive at all. It seemed right on target. In fact it could have been much more graphic in the knife fight scenes. The author did a great job describing action. I had no problems picturing what was happening. And the protagonists were very likable. There was some serious soul searching making our soldier quite appealing as a human being trying to make things right.
Huggins has a strong imagination with no issues expressing his story. I really enjoyed the book.
June 30, 2008
Great thriller espionage with twists and surprises. It's a well written study of the conflict and interplay between one's inner struggles and their relationships with the opposing realities of the world outside self.
It is sometimes shelved as a Christian novel, but doesn't at all limit itself to Christian readers. I think it's shelved that way because the Author is outwardly Christian and wanted to speak to that audience first...but the book is not obviously Christian in read, and is excellent for anyone.
It is sometimes shelved as a Christian novel, but doesn't at all limit itself to Christian readers. I think it's shelved that way because the Author is outwardly Christian and wanted to speak to that audience first...but the book is not obviously Christian in read, and is excellent for anyone.
May 9, 2018
Huggins is a master who writes with command and intensity. He takes you on a terrific ride, from one gripping scene to the next, leaving you panting and in a state of wonder and awe, unable to stop turning the pages. Do yourself a favor and climb aboard.
April 29, 2018
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. This is a great story based around the concept of a hidden document that tells of the identity of the anti-Christ. The tactical action scenes are well developed and believable. The anti-hero, Gage, is a troubled man who is trying to leave his past behind with one last attempt at saving his girlfriend and preventing the early emergence of the enemy of Christianity. What keeps this from five stars is Huggins over use of extended conversations that border on speeches.
September 15, 2009
Another book where the framing story lacks appeal for me, but the research is amazing. This book was responsible for beginning my fascination with Special Ops. The story is very similar to "The DaVinci Code," except Huggins did it years earlier and with out the creepy women-are-only-good-for-one-thing sex club.
Read
October 22, 2019I'm nearly 2hrs into the audio and just not feeling it, so I'll set it aside for a while.
June 12, 2018
James Byron Huggins’ The Reckoning is a well-paced, action-oriented novel from the Christian publisher Harvest House. Aspiring to an epic scope, the story crosses nearly two thousand years of prophecy, international intrigue, and gripping fight scenes. At 473 pages, it is no casual read, but it is a fun and well-researched take on one view of the end-times.
The Reckoning is Huggins’ second book, released one year after his 1993 A Wolf Story, also from Harvest House. Huggins describes himself as “a former award-winning newspaper writer and photographer, [who] recently left a career in law enforcement to pursue writing full-time.”
The Reckoning opens in Emperor Vespasian’s Rome. In a dark recess of the empire, an aging priest of the Egyptian god Set scrawls a terrifying premonition. Setting the book’s Christian tone immediately, the emperor, who visits the pagan priest, receives with wary excitement the cleric’s foretelling of the final destruction of “the Nazarene.” The emperor’s legionaries then attempt to move the manuscript to a guarded repository on the outskirts of the empire, but are waylaid in the deserts of Judea. In the last throws of the battle, a wounded Jew sacrifices himself to slay the manuscript’s last defender. In the aftermath, the manuscript lies amid the dead, and 20 centuries pass.
The story resumes in the late 1990s. The protagonist, a former US Army Delta operative named Jonathan Gage, comes to the bedside of his dying mentor, the Catholic priest Simon. Father Simon’s last words alert Gage to a grand conspiracy, one that reaches from the centers of the world’s governments to the papacy—and then home, to Gage’s last assignment—the secretive CIA group known as “Black Light.” As the story unfolds, readers discover that Gage is a warrior beyond compare: tenacious, ferocious, and feared by those few souls who know he exists. But, Gage is not the soldier he once was. Three years before Father Simon’s death, the tragic and suspicious ambush of his team led Gage out of his life of clandestine combat.
But his past is not easy to escape. Caught between the incomprehensible danger of the forces he combats and the suffering that will ensue if his enemies succeed, a dramatic series of battles climax with Gage severely wounded and the story’s love interest, Sarah, held by Sato, the enemy’s finest warrior. In the heart-pounding final scene in Rome, Gage and Sato serve as synecdoche for the struggle between God and the worship of human power.
While The Reckoning is an enjoyable read, it does suffer from some unfortunate detractions. For one, it is very, very long. For some, particularly those accustomed to the verbosity of authors like George R.R. Martin, the page count might not be an issue; however, I thought that the story could have been told better in half as many words. Cutting the number of key characters in the book would have been a great start (there were 22 that I can think of off the top of my head). Plus, fewer characters would have left more room to flesh others out, particularly Barto, the comical but superfluous language student, and Malachi, Sarah’s exposition-delivering father.
Indeed, lack of appropriate character development was a central problem. For instance, the two chief protagonists, Jonathan Gage and Sarah Halder, are continually and thoroughly eclipsed by superior supporting characters like the FBI investigator Kertzman and the assassin Sato. This is perhaps owed to the author’s background. Huggins, a former Atlanta police officer, clearly is more comfortable writing lines for middle aged special agents and philosophizing hitmen than Army special operators or female academics.
Aside from these literary frustrations, though, I found myself bothered by some of the deeper cultural biases and internal contradictions in the book. For one, Augustine, the chief of the antagonists, believes that he and his followers are literal supermen, beings superior to the unenlightened masses. And while the author clearly portrays this as lunacy, his narration contradicts itself by routinely ascribing superhuman levels of will, skill, and ability to Gage (make a game of counting how many times the book refers to its protagonist as “perfect”).
Moreover, I am disturbed by the perhaps unconscious connection that Huggins seems to make between war and Christianity. Though Gage is described as feeling regret over his life of killing, the narrative of the book constantly doubles back on this by equating Gage the believer with Gage the unstoppable killer. To be fair, I do not believe that this is an issue with Huggins, but with a belief imbedded in some segments of American Christianity. I submit that this book is an example of a subtle and almost unquestioned amalgamation of American folk culture, political conservatism, and Christianity that links machismo with the faith. It seemed to me that the narrative undertone of this book does not seem very enamored of the Christ who refused more than twelve legions of angels on the eve of his execution.
Yet, I led off with the downsides of The Reckoning so that I could end with its positive points. First of all, it is just a fun read. While it was indeed long, it never felt slow. The tension of the fight scenes, the grandeur of the concept, and the undeniable brilliance of its supporting characters made it an honest pleasure to read.
Indeed, its supporting cast members steal the show. Kertzman, the superbly gruff investigator, should be the main character. His clear, straightforward thinking is both believable and a great stepping off point from the the reader’s realm of the everyday into the world of make-believe. Then there is Augustine, the elegant super villain. His regal deportment, unflappable composure, and palpable intelligence make the reader, at times, honestly root for the enemy. While it might have been expedient to merely craft a two-dimensional, demonic antagonist, Augustine provides a satisfying and understandable adversary—a fantastic counterpoint to Clement, Bishop of Rome. The interplay between Pope Clement and Augustine provides the philosophical climax of the book. In what is perhaps its finest passage, the two leaders argue like seasoned Platoists, a scene I found immensely satisfying. Then, finally, there is Sato, my absolute favorite. Strong, deep, and three-dimensional, he is a joy to watch even at his most heinous.
In conclusion, Huggins’ The Reckoning is an enjoyable thriller with a bigger-than-life narrative. Though it has points that could have been improved, it was well worth the hours I invested in it and I found myself reliving its scenes long after I had closed the covers for the last time. Thought-provoking and action-packed, I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys conspiracy and thriller novels.
L. Burton Brender is a native of Cashmere, Washington. He is the coauthor of In Cadence and the author the forthcoming Cashmere. In addition, he writes on leadership for publishers such as The Strategy Bridge, the Small Wars Journal, and Armor. Burt is a member of the Military Writers Guild, Write on the River, and the Olympia Writers Group, as well as a CS Lewis Institute Fellow.
The Reckoning is Huggins’ second book, released one year after his 1993 A Wolf Story, also from Harvest House. Huggins describes himself as “a former award-winning newspaper writer and photographer, [who] recently left a career in law enforcement to pursue writing full-time.”
The Reckoning opens in Emperor Vespasian’s Rome. In a dark recess of the empire, an aging priest of the Egyptian god Set scrawls a terrifying premonition. Setting the book’s Christian tone immediately, the emperor, who visits the pagan priest, receives with wary excitement the cleric’s foretelling of the final destruction of “the Nazarene.” The emperor’s legionaries then attempt to move the manuscript to a guarded repository on the outskirts of the empire, but are waylaid in the deserts of Judea. In the last throws of the battle, a wounded Jew sacrifices himself to slay the manuscript’s last defender. In the aftermath, the manuscript lies amid the dead, and 20 centuries pass.
The story resumes in the late 1990s. The protagonist, a former US Army Delta operative named Jonathan Gage, comes to the bedside of his dying mentor, the Catholic priest Simon. Father Simon’s last words alert Gage to a grand conspiracy, one that reaches from the centers of the world’s governments to the papacy—and then home, to Gage’s last assignment—the secretive CIA group known as “Black Light.” As the story unfolds, readers discover that Gage is a warrior beyond compare: tenacious, ferocious, and feared by those few souls who know he exists. But, Gage is not the soldier he once was. Three years before Father Simon’s death, the tragic and suspicious ambush of his team led Gage out of his life of clandestine combat.
But his past is not easy to escape. Caught between the incomprehensible danger of the forces he combats and the suffering that will ensue if his enemies succeed, a dramatic series of battles climax with Gage severely wounded and the story’s love interest, Sarah, held by Sato, the enemy’s finest warrior. In the heart-pounding final scene in Rome, Gage and Sato serve as synecdoche for the struggle between God and the worship of human power.
While The Reckoning is an enjoyable read, it does suffer from some unfortunate detractions. For one, it is very, very long. For some, particularly those accustomed to the verbosity of authors like George R.R. Martin, the page count might not be an issue; however, I thought that the story could have been told better in half as many words. Cutting the number of key characters in the book would have been a great start (there were 22 that I can think of off the top of my head). Plus, fewer characters would have left more room to flesh others out, particularly Barto, the comical but superfluous language student, and Malachi, Sarah’s exposition-delivering father.
Indeed, lack of appropriate character development was a central problem. For instance, the two chief protagonists, Jonathan Gage and Sarah Halder, are continually and thoroughly eclipsed by superior supporting characters like the FBI investigator Kertzman and the assassin Sato. This is perhaps owed to the author’s background. Huggins, a former Atlanta police officer, clearly is more comfortable writing lines for middle aged special agents and philosophizing hitmen than Army special operators or female academics.
Aside from these literary frustrations, though, I found myself bothered by some of the deeper cultural biases and internal contradictions in the book. For one, Augustine, the chief of the antagonists, believes that he and his followers are literal supermen, beings superior to the unenlightened masses. And while the author clearly portrays this as lunacy, his narration contradicts itself by routinely ascribing superhuman levels of will, skill, and ability to Gage (make a game of counting how many times the book refers to its protagonist as “perfect”).
Moreover, I am disturbed by the perhaps unconscious connection that Huggins seems to make between war and Christianity. Though Gage is described as feeling regret over his life of killing, the narrative of the book constantly doubles back on this by equating Gage the believer with Gage the unstoppable killer. To be fair, I do not believe that this is an issue with Huggins, but with a belief imbedded in some segments of American Christianity. I submit that this book is an example of a subtle and almost unquestioned amalgamation of American folk culture, political conservatism, and Christianity that links machismo with the faith. It seemed to me that the narrative undertone of this book does not seem very enamored of the Christ who refused more than twelve legions of angels on the eve of his execution.
Yet, I led off with the downsides of The Reckoning so that I could end with its positive points. First of all, it is just a fun read. While it was indeed long, it never felt slow. The tension of the fight scenes, the grandeur of the concept, and the undeniable brilliance of its supporting characters made it an honest pleasure to read.
Indeed, its supporting cast members steal the show. Kertzman, the superbly gruff investigator, should be the main character. His clear, straightforward thinking is both believable and a great stepping off point from the the reader’s realm of the everyday into the world of make-believe. Then there is Augustine, the elegant super villain. His regal deportment, unflappable composure, and palpable intelligence make the reader, at times, honestly root for the enemy. While it might have been expedient to merely craft a two-dimensional, demonic antagonist, Augustine provides a satisfying and understandable adversary—a fantastic counterpoint to Clement, Bishop of Rome. The interplay between Pope Clement and Augustine provides the philosophical climax of the book. In what is perhaps its finest passage, the two leaders argue like seasoned Platoists, a scene I found immensely satisfying. Then, finally, there is Sato, my absolute favorite. Strong, deep, and three-dimensional, he is a joy to watch even at his most heinous.
In conclusion, Huggins’ The Reckoning is an enjoyable thriller with a bigger-than-life narrative. Though it has points that could have been improved, it was well worth the hours I invested in it and I found myself reliving its scenes long after I had closed the covers for the last time. Thought-provoking and action-packed, I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys conspiracy and thriller novels.
L. Burton Brender is a native of Cashmere, Washington. He is the coauthor of In Cadence and the author the forthcoming Cashmere. In addition, he writes on leadership for publishers such as The Strategy Bridge, the Small Wars Journal, and Armor. Burt is a member of the Military Writers Guild, Write on the River, and the Olympia Writers Group, as well as a CS Lewis Institute Fellow.
January 6, 2023
This is probably my all-time favorite Christian novel. Huggins, who is now retired from law enforcement, is also an award-winning journalist. This is the story of a man who sought redemption and tried to leave his old life behind. This book is action-packed, gripping and spellbinding. It will pierce you to your very soul.
Gage, our hero, is an exile in his own land, abandoned on a military mission by his own country. He is rescued by a priest and an archeologist, who smuggle him back into the states and who helps him see a different way of life. Then a secret society kills the priest and Gage must take up the guns that he had forsworn, to protect those most dear and near to him.
Can Gage come out of retirement and take on some of the best assassins in the world? Can he save his friends? Can he stop a great evil from taking place? You will have to read The Reckoning to find out.
(Review from 2006)
Gage, our hero, is an exile in his own land, abandoned on a military mission by his own country. He is rescued by a priest and an archeologist, who smuggle him back into the states and who helps him see a different way of life. Then a secret society kills the priest and Gage must take up the guns that he had forsworn, to protect those most dear and near to him.
Can Gage come out of retirement and take on some of the best assassins in the world? Can he save his friends? Can he stop a great evil from taking place? You will have to read The Reckoning to find out.
(Review from 2006)
May 14, 2013
I read this book years ago and I loved it. Keep in mind this book was published 10 years or more BEFORE the Da Vinci Code by Brown. Very much action filled, but filled with well written characters. Ex-special forces intermingled with forces of good and bad. Ted Dekker wrote something similiar in
.
I just found out last night that Huggins is finally releasing his books in e-format. Great! I own a hard to find (probably out of print) hardback of this thriller, but yet I plan to buy the Kindle version and re-read this thriller and others (such as
and
).
. I just found out last night that Huggins is finally releasing his books in e-format. Great! I own a hard to find (probably out of print) hardback of this thriller, but yet I plan to buy the Kindle version and re-read this thriller and others (such as
and
).
April 16, 2018
I love a book that flows naturally; characters and a plot that immediately grab my attention. Before I know it, I am three to four chapters in, captivated and chomping at the bit to read as fast as I can to see what happens next. James Byron Huggins does exactly that with his writing style. His characters grab you, you relate to them and find yourself rooting for the good guys and cursing the bad guys. When Malachi is hiding in the closet, I caught myself holding my breath, anticipation giving me goosebumps.
Engrossing, well laid out, superbly written, The Reckoning is one of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Huggins’ work.
Engrossing, well laid out, superbly written, The Reckoning is one of the best thrillers that I have read in a long time. I look forward to reading more of Mr. Huggins’ work.
July 20, 2013
This is a good book, but although the writing of James Byron Huggins is very exciting, he continuously paints himself into a corner in which each challenge or fight has to be an even greater and more amazing physical and emotional accomplishment than the one before, and that can get to be a bit tiresome.
March 24, 2019
Fantastic Characters
Enjoyed exploring the theological debates that run through this fast paced story. Questions about morality and mans world view that man is always trying to make himself a god when the reality shows there is only one God. Gage is truly a man’s man that discovers what it means to have a true reckoning
Enjoyed exploring the theological debates that run through this fast paced story. Questions about morality and mans world view that man is always trying to make himself a god when the reality shows there is only one God. Gage is truly a man’s man that discovers what it means to have a true reckoning
November 7, 2008
This was one of my favorite novels up to the point where I read Lord of the Rings. It's been a very long time now, however, and I think I should read it again. I may think differently about it now. At the time though, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fun in a spy-novel sort of way.
February 1, 2008
Davinci Code before there was Davinci Code. Takes a while to get into it, way too many adjectives.
February 28, 2012
Fantastic!
October 3, 2012
One oft all time favorite novels! Ive read it at least three times!
July 29, 2014
I had a really hard time getting interested and staying interested in this book. Nothing against it. I guess it just wasn't my cup of tea.
June 19, 2018
One of the best books I've read in awhile. Fast moving, lots of action, great plot!! Top of the line.
January 24, 2022
My mom read this one to me when I was probably in middle school, and for a time it was my favorite novel. I'd all but forgotten about it, but since I'm revisiting books I recall from that era, decided to see if it still held up. It mostly did, though as an adult and an author myself now, I think I saw it a lot differently. The story is a thriller, which isn't (now) usually my genre. Technically it's considered Christian fiction, though really that was almost peripheral to the story, though it's a motivating factor.
The story follows ex-Delta special forces operative Jonathan Gage, who is described ad nauseum throughout the story as being practically superhuman: unbeatable, unkillable, unstoppable. Many characters, and indeed, many entire chapters, seemed to exist only to tell the reader yet again how awesome Gage is. (In retrospect, I see that this was probably why I loved the story so much. I've always been drawn to those superman kinds of characters.) Gage was recruited out of Delta, selected as one of the best of the best to be in a secret group called Blacklight, where they were sent by their superiors to commit sanctions on various targets around the world. But eventually, Gage started to get suspicious -- none of their targets made sense to him. They were powerful but they weren't the kinds of threats that should have required sanctioning by such a multi-million dollar, super secret and elite team as theirs. He started to create layers of fake identities for himself, stored money in various security deposit boxes all around the world and bought property way off the grid, intending to vanish as soon as he could. But he never got the chance: someone sold him and his team out, and most of them died except for him and two buddies of his who show up about halfway through the story. Gage himself was found and nursed back to health by a priest who became like a father to him, and through him, he found God. But Gage is very much a man of action; nowhere in the entire story does he say much of anything about his faith. We just know that he's not the man he was.
Through the priest, Gage learns of a millennia-old manuscript that a secret order has been trying to find, which reveals the identity of the antichrist. (Here's about the only place where Christianity is important as a motivating factor, even though it's kind of just a pretext.) The order wants to learn who he is so that they can prepare his kingdom for him and just hand it to him on a silver platter, rather than waiting for him to build it himself. The priest gives Gage the clues he needs to find the manuscript before they do. He goes after it, but he gets side-tracked, having to save a girl named Sarah who also nursed him back to health when he was wounded in the desert, and whom they now know they can threaten in order to get to him.
I really did love the "superman" aspect of the story, even though this time around I thought it was pretty overdone... even to the point of thinking the book would have been half as long if people weren't constantly raving about how amazing Gage is. The fight scenes were terrific too, though the motivation for them felt a bit flimsy. Characterization could have been better. Sarah's and Gage's relationship is literally all about Gage and his past demons; she's utterly fascinated by everything about him and he never shows any interest in her aside from the need to save her. The FBI man, Kurtzman, who first hunts Gage and then ends up helping him, was probably the most complex character in the story. But, that was all kind of okay, because this isn't a book about the characters--not really. It's a story about an amazing warrior who meets his match, and has to keep going when he's already past the point of endurance. And he wins in the end. That made me cheer in middle school, and it still does.
The story follows ex-Delta special forces operative Jonathan Gage, who is described ad nauseum throughout the story as being practically superhuman: unbeatable, unkillable, unstoppable. Many characters, and indeed, many entire chapters, seemed to exist only to tell the reader yet again how awesome Gage is. (In retrospect, I see that this was probably why I loved the story so much. I've always been drawn to those superman kinds of characters.) Gage was recruited out of Delta, selected as one of the best of the best to be in a secret group called Blacklight, where they were sent by their superiors to commit sanctions on various targets around the world. But eventually, Gage started to get suspicious -- none of their targets made sense to him. They were powerful but they weren't the kinds of threats that should have required sanctioning by such a multi-million dollar, super secret and elite team as theirs. He started to create layers of fake identities for himself, stored money in various security deposit boxes all around the world and bought property way off the grid, intending to vanish as soon as he could. But he never got the chance: someone sold him and his team out, and most of them died except for him and two buddies of his who show up about halfway through the story. Gage himself was found and nursed back to health by a priest who became like a father to him, and through him, he found God. But Gage is very much a man of action; nowhere in the entire story does he say much of anything about his faith. We just know that he's not the man he was.
Through the priest, Gage learns of a millennia-old manuscript that a secret order has been trying to find, which reveals the identity of the antichrist. (Here's about the only place where Christianity is important as a motivating factor, even though it's kind of just a pretext.) The order wants to learn who he is so that they can prepare his kingdom for him and just hand it to him on a silver platter, rather than waiting for him to build it himself. The priest gives Gage the clues he needs to find the manuscript before they do. He goes after it, but he gets side-tracked, having to save a girl named Sarah who also nursed him back to health when he was wounded in the desert, and whom they now know they can threaten in order to get to him.
I really did love the "superman" aspect of the story, even though this time around I thought it was pretty overdone... even to the point of thinking the book would have been half as long if people weren't constantly raving about how amazing Gage is. The fight scenes were terrific too, though the motivation for them felt a bit flimsy. Characterization could have been better. Sarah's and Gage's relationship is literally all about Gage and his past demons; she's utterly fascinated by everything about him and he never shows any interest in her aside from the need to save her. The FBI man, Kurtzman, who first hunts Gage and then ends up helping him, was probably the most complex character in the story. But, that was all kind of okay, because this isn't a book about the characters--not really. It's a story about an amazing warrior who meets his match, and has to keep going when he's already past the point of endurance. And he wins in the end. That made me cheer in middle school, and it still does.
February 2, 2020
An old man is dying. He seems to be the keeper of an ancient manuscript that evil forces are trying to achieve. Another man who goes by the name of Gage, a lethal warrior of an equally lethal commando, will pick up from the old man's death and try to find this hidden manuscript before everybody else, especially these dark forces.
Pursuing his goal, a small group of civilians, friends of his, will be involved and all their lives will repeatedly be put at risk while someplace else other people are trying to find Gage and to understand what's happening and why.
*** some minor spoilers ***
I am honestly astonished about how high is this book's vote on Goodreads. I really had a hard time finishing it and even then, I was sincerely disappointed about so many things that were never resolved. We will know nothing about Gage and his past with the exception of a little background compulsory for the story to take place. Nor we will ever know anything about his friends, including the dying old man. Same can be said about the villains. There are two main characters in the Vatican's clergy that have an obvious conflict about this manuscript but we lose sight of them and we will never know what happens to them and if their conflict will be settled. One of the good guys seems to be a mild and meek person but he turns out to be a kind of badass and a hell of a driver! Why? nobody knows.
Then there are other faults: the manuscript is a McGuffin to say the least; there is no depth of character, goodies are totally goodies, baddies are totally baddies; there is a kind of romantic element but it happens just out of the blue, we never see it begin or grow, it's just there, that's it.
I could go on forever about how many inconsistencies there are in this book. The only good thing about it are the descriptions of the many fights that happen, which are described thoroughly and in depth. But all the rest was honestly a waste of time.
Pursuing his goal, a small group of civilians, friends of his, will be involved and all their lives will repeatedly be put at risk while someplace else other people are trying to find Gage and to understand what's happening and why.
*** some minor spoilers ***
I am honestly astonished about how high is this book's vote on Goodreads. I really had a hard time finishing it and even then, I was sincerely disappointed about so many things that were never resolved. We will know nothing about Gage and his past with the exception of a little background compulsory for the story to take place. Nor we will ever know anything about his friends, including the dying old man. Same can be said about the villains. There are two main characters in the Vatican's clergy that have an obvious conflict about this manuscript but we lose sight of them and we will never know what happens to them and if their conflict will be settled. One of the good guys seems to be a mild and meek person but he turns out to be a kind of badass and a hell of a driver! Why? nobody knows.
Then there are other faults: the manuscript is a McGuffin to say the least; there is no depth of character, goodies are totally goodies, baddies are totally baddies; there is a kind of romantic element but it happens just out of the blue, we never see it begin or grow, it's just there, that's it.
I could go on forever about how many inconsistencies there are in this book. The only good thing about it are the descriptions of the many fights that happen, which are described thoroughly and in depth. But all the rest was honestly a waste of time.
April 4, 2019
This is my third James Byron Huggins thriller, as I've previously read "Hunter," and "Cain". To tell the truth this one is in third place, but still a wonderful, 5 star, thrill ride. I had a hard time putting it down. Some people refer to it as a Christian novel. Yes, there are many references to being a Christian, but I don't think the relatively small and subdued parts about Christianity would bother people who are not of the faith. To me it's more of a thriller written by a Christian. Huggins faith comes out in his writing, good for him! My only complaint is that some of the paragraphs and discussions, especially in the first half of the book, are a bit too long. If you like military thrillers, I highly recommend this one.
January 6, 2019
The Reckoning by James Byron Huggins pulled me in from the very beginning. Tom Lennon is perfect for this action listen. I loved how he gave distinguishable voices for the various characters. The twists in this book were awesome. I requested this review copy audiobook and have voluntarily written this review. I will definitely listen to more books by this author and narrator. The ending of this book was fantastic!
June 12, 2020
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title.
A commander of an elite force "Backlight", questioned his objectives, and had his team wiped out. He only survived due his grim determination and the help of some Christian souls.
Now, these same good people needed his help, to stop an evil, that believed in superior beings, that had a devine right to rule.
Off course they are after an ancient manuscript, and they are willing to kill to get it.
A commander of an elite force "Backlight", questioned his objectives, and had his team wiped out. He only survived due his grim determination and the help of some Christian souls.
Now, these same good people needed his help, to stop an evil, that believed in superior beings, that had a devine right to rule.
Off course they are after an ancient manuscript, and they are willing to kill to get it.
March 22, 2022
This is the story of a special ops guy who has to help keep an ancient manuscript from falling into the wrong hangs. The story has action and good plot but bogs down when it gets into details about the man's capabilities, how he was trained, what he's thinking as he's fighting, etc. It would have been better if some of this had been glossed over and the book had been 100 pages shorter.
I also listened to the audiobook which was very enjoyable.
I also listened to the audiobook which was very enjoyable.
February 19, 2025
I first read this book 20 years ago when I was still in high school and I loved it so had to reread it when I saw it on the shelf.
It’s still a great book, though it does show its age in a few areas. For example, the Japanese character is often referred to as “the Oriental” and some of the dialogue is a little cliche. However, the action scenes are written well and are still engaging even though the technology is obviously outdated.
The plot is great and I really enjoyed it. Would recommend.
It’s still a great book, though it does show its age in a few areas. For example, the Japanese character is often referred to as “the Oriental” and some of the dialogue is a little cliche. However, the action scenes are written well and are still engaging even though the technology is obviously outdated.
The plot is great and I really enjoyed it. Would recommend.
February 7, 2019
I thought I'd like this book.I didn't.I lost the plot early on and never really found it again.Narration was good most of the time.The sound was actually garbled for 2-3 minutes in one pat of my listening early on.I don't think it was meant to be that way. I was given this book by the narrator,author or publisher free for an honest review.
March 6, 2020
The violence was a little much, to hear on the audio. Overall the plot of a man who was a trained killer, and turned his life around when found by a monk. To keep himself in exile, or do what he was train, to stop their plans
of wiping out those that believed
Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
of wiping out those that believed
Given audio for my voluntary review and my honest opinion
June 29, 2021
A great book to read.
You are taken on a adventure that will leave you wondering what will happen next. You will not want to stop reading because you are so involved with it and wanting more. T he author did a great job with them book, you will not be disappointed with the book.
You are taken on a adventure that will leave you wondering what will happen next. You will not want to stop reading because you are so involved with it and wanting more. T he author did a great job with them book, you will not be disappointed with the book.
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