Every once in a while I break away from my typical novel choices (Christian historical fiction) and try something new. I was intrigued by this title and Rachelle Dekker is a new author for me, so I was very excited to have the opportunity to review The Returning from Tyndale House Publishers.
Set in a futuristic world far removed from our current reality, The Returning explores what the world may look like in our society. Dekker has an easy style which makes her writing flow naturally and reminds me of Madeleine L'Engle. Her characters are engaging and believable in their roles and the story makes you really consider faith and its role in society as a whole.
There is an element of science-fiction and fantasy because of the futuristic setting and miraculous occurrences surrounding the characters although it is not intended to feel magical in anyway. As I read I could genuinely picture this as a potential future for our world, no matter how removed from current reality it actually is.
After receiving the title I realized this is the third and final book in The Seer Collection. I would highly recommend reading the first two novels in this series before getting to this one so you have more understanding about what is going on. I did enjoy this book, but because I have not yet read the first two it took some time to really understand what was going on.
Here are some thoughts from the author about the novel...
You talk about the power of belief
in the book. What is the purpose of faith,
and what makes faith so powerful in
people’s lives?
Belief and faith are everything. We
form our own realities. We make judgments
based on the past and what we think
the future will bring;then we shape our idea of what we are capable of around those
beliefs. Imagine if we truly believed we were infinite sons and daughters of
the creator. How different would the world look then? When we believe and have
faith in who the Father calls us, then the world looks pretty different.
How do you hope this book will
resonate with your readers?
I hope, as with both of the other books,
that the reader sees themselves in the characters and that the story causes
them to look inward. To ask hard questions like, Who am I? What am I capable
of? Do I see myself the way the Father does? Can I? I hope it challenges their
idea of identity and then gives them hope to see themselves and others more
clearly. Because that’s how these stories have impacted me, and we are all
really just the same
If you are a fan of science fiction, this is an excellent title. This is also a great book to pick up if you are looking for something a little different in style. You will be entertained as well as challenged in your faith, which is a uniquely wonderful aspect of this novel. I am personally looking forward to going back and reading the first two in this series.
Disclaimer: I received this title as a part of the Tyndale Blog Network. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.
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