The Rising: Antichrist Is Born (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 1) Reviews

• Surprisingly Good

  
  By A24QB5BF3B5A9S on 2005-03-07
  Even though I am a huge fan of the Left Behind series and feel that it has done much to advance the cause of the Gospel throughout the world, I must admit that I rolled my eyes when I heard that Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye were releasing three more books. I felt that people had waited long enough for Glorious Appearing. I have actually talked to more and more people who liked the Left-Behind series but have felt that it should go quietly into the night.
  
  So I was surprised at the aim and direction of Rising. Jenkins could have rolled out the same script and characters as Left Behind, inserted some forward-looking prophecies by Tim Lahaye, threw a few dozen Bible verses in and called it a day. Instead what comes forth is a reasoned, deep, character-driven, rich novel of intrigue and suspense.
  
  Jenkins takes us through the rather sordid events that surround the conception of the one who will be the antichrist, tapping into a well of mainstream evangelical theories as to the origins of his birth. A dowdy teacher's aid is chosen by the Satan-worshipping organization that is setting itself up to rule the world. At the same time, we're taken through the very average life of one Rayford Steele, who will emerge, post-Rapture, as a hero and nemesis of Carpathia.
  
  I was mildly disturbed and surprised by the detailed events of both Carpathia's conception and the juvenile college relationships of Rayford Steele. For that reason alone, I would not recommend this book to anyone under the age of 16-17 and even in that, I would hesitate. The book is clean, but some of the subjects discussed are appropriate for adults.
  
  I was also delighted to see that Rising shares the clear Gospel message and takes a poke at the modern evangelical church who inspires and warms the heart but never seeks the salvation of the soul. To me it reveals the deeping longing in the heart of the writer to see more people added to God's Kingdom.
  
  On the whole, Rising is a great prelude to the Left-Behind series, a wonderful read, but not a necessary companion to the twelve brilliant end-times volumes.
  
  

• fantastic Left Behind companion tale

  
  By AFVQZQ8PW0L on 2005-03-01
  Marilena Carpathia is a dowdy unfeminine woman who is more interested in the intellect than in looking attractive. She is married to Sarin who, like her, is a professor at the University of Bucharest in Romania. Their relationship is platonic, a mating of the minds, and she is satisfied until the day comes that she wants a child, something Sarin doesn't want. She meets and becomes involved with Viv Ivins, a spiritualist who worships Lucifer.
  
  She tells Marlena that Lucifer will grant her a child if she promises to raise him to worship him. Both Lucifer and Christ contact her; the former promises her the child while the latter offers her nothing but salvation. She chooses Viv's god and gives birth to Nicolae who grows up to be a brilliant, cunning, and manipulative man who promises to worship Lucifer as his god in return for becoming ruler of the Earth.
  
  Readers of the Left Behind series get to see how Nicolae came into being, how Viv entered his life and how Lucifer controlled events to make Nicolae the perfect Antichrist who would obey him. Surprisingly, hearts will go out to Marilena who realized she made a Faustian bargain and lived to regret it. The audience also learns how Rafe Steel becomes the man he grew up to be prior to the Rapture. THE RISING is a fantastic work that only master writers like Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins can produce.
  
  Harriet Klausner
  
  
  

• I can't believe that the authors. . .

  
  By A3MSB482DIB9SL on 2005-04-11
  . . .actually had the gall to write this book. I am literally speechless.
  
  As if the 12-volume, anti-historical, anti-Biblical, anti-Catholic, poorly-written series of silliness wasn't enough. . .along comes ANOTHER ONE???
  
  Why, when the characters were never flushed out in any reasonable way OVER TWELVE VOLUMES, should we care about their "lives" BEFORE the series even started???
  
  This latest "effort" is truly embarassing.
  
  

• One more trip to the well...

  
  By A15RZW9QF0JPZK on 2005-03-02
  It's ironic (is it irony? I always misuse irony, but this seems to be irony) that the Left Behind guys start their one more trip to the well with a dedication to the guy who did most of their book on tape readings, also noting that he was incapaciated in an accident and needs donations to a private relief fund, the irony being that as the Left Behind series (including, now, the 13th volume prequel) has certainly made more than enough money to enable these guys to write their humble employee a check if they were so inclined, but they probably don't want to set the charitable precedent, which definitely must be irony, if you go back to that Christian charity concept, which you'd think, considering, ahhh never mind: to the review. This book is dull, dull, dull, dull, my God it's dull, with the interesting exception of the parts with the Antichrist (not his mother, but Nicolae Carpathia himself, once he starts making dark comments and communing with Satan, you know, the dark stuff.) This proves again what Milton proved centuries ago: Being bad is more interesting than being good. As for the Rayford Steele character, we see that his big sin throughout his life was being too into himself, his own goals, which if you read between the lines could mean that Tony Robbins is the antichrist, but I digress. Steele considers any number of sins throughout his life, but for the most part doesn't do them. He marries the right girl, does the right things, but the theology the book advocates makes the steely point (hah, what a wit) that it isn't that you do good or do bad, it's the reason you do good or bad that counts. So a serial killer who comes to Jesus goes to heaven, but a decent, law abiding nice guy who follows all the ten commandments because he thinks it's the decent thing to do, but doesn't care for organized religion he burns in Hell. Hmmm. Okay. But theology aside, this...well, one can't put theology aside as the preaching in this novel is as subtle as one of those creepy illustrated YOU'RE GOING TO HELL tracts one occasionally finds on damp sinks in public restrooms, only it's ten times as dull. So skip the purchase, grab a seat in Barnes and Nobel, and skim to the last fifty pages and then just read the Nicolae Carpathia parts.
  
  

• The barrel has officially been scraped.

  
  By AL7H1UEY4S9UZ on 2005-03-04
  Bad bad bad. Bad theology(These books are VERY anti- Catholic)and bad writing. And yet they have such a HUGE following.Why? And why is there a need for prequel books to let us in on what happened BEFORE the Rapture. I REALLY hope that LaHaye and Jenkins aren't planning on stretching these books out as long as they did with the original Left Behind series.
  
  
• Left Behind: Standards, Literacy, Quality, Reason
  By A2ECPW4RA7NWMP on 2005-04-17
  This is my first, and last, book I have read in this endless, exploitative series. This "work" is nothing more than trite comic-book stuff that pretends to have a higher purpose. The real purpose is cash, and plenty of it, so that its "religious" authors can live in style while their readers sop up the pseudo-religious conspiracy messages that underlie what's supposed to be a plot. The characters here have zero depth and realism. The underlying premise that Lucifer is actively seeking power over the world and the boring repetitiveness of the "prose" is enough to make me think the world's gone mad to buy, read, and propel this rubbish to the best-seller list. The authors' idea of character development is to have their characters ask themselves hundreds of questions over and over again while the reader waits and waits for answers. Their idea of cool sophistication is to throw in some foreign words here and there to lend a Romanian atmosphere to a suffocating and thin plot. Harry Potter is far more entertaining if you want fantasy, battles between good and evil, and characters and writing that are worth the paper they're printed on. Utter garbage!!
  
  
• I doubt this is the effect they were after.
  By ANW3WPAOW7HY on 2005-03-14
  There are two points to make about this book:
  
  1. I doubt the author(s) intended to do this, but they have succeeded in making the Antichrist the good guy. He was absolutely fascinating, very fun to read about, and sympathetic. It reads like it wasn't his fault at all that he became the AC. Long before he was born, plans were made to brainwash, program, indoctrinate, etc., this little boy into believing in Lucifer. In fact, the brainwashing was EXACTLY analogous to the way that LaHaye, Jenkins, et al brainwash their own children in the ways of the "other side." The parts of this book that focused on Nicolae were fun to read, interesting, and engaging. Rayford comes across as a deliberate horse's rear end and utterly lacking in sympathy. I was surprised at the dose of realism in having Rayford actually have sex before he was married. The entire series became a joke when they had the 30-year-old Buck, an international celebrity with no religion to speak of, be a virgin simply because they couldn't bear to make reference to the possibility of (gasp!) sex. I suspect the dozens of reviews, both here and elsewhere, making fun of such nonsense had something to do with the decision to be realistic on that regard. But I digress. Nicolae comes across as a victim of childhood brainwashing. No child taught and treated the same way that he was could become anything but what he became. It made me feel sorry for him. Hence the title, "I doubt this is the effect they were after."
  
  2. The political propaganda in this book made it very comical. It reads like satire, but it isn't. The Antichrist's father(s) are (GASP) homsexshuls! Worse, they're (Double GASP) college professors! Educated men! They read BOOKS! The Antichrist's mother is a successful career woman (of course!) who suddenly feels a deep longing for what all women are born to do -- make babies. Keep your daughters out of college. They might become professors and give birth to the Antichrist. I could go on and on, but there's no point. EVERY cliche that the far right has about everyone who are different from them (i.e. intellectuals, people who are educated, homsexshuls, etc.) is trotted out to an hysterical result. This aspect of the book would be a brilliant satire if it were meant to be a satire.
  
  So, a mixed bag. The parts with Nicolae are engaging and interesting. The rest of it is a joke.
  
  This review begs the question of why I obviously read the entire series and then this one, despite how absolutely atrociously bad they are. Well, some of you watch Survivor or Fear Factor to veg out and numb your brain. I read very, very bad fiction.
  
  
• A terrible witness
  By A24W57KAVAZTMM on 2005-04-24
  Reading the reviews of these books is MUCH more entertaining than the books themselves.
  
  LaHaye and Jenkins are continuing to hurt the cause of Christ by publishing such thin gruel. I know that the supporters of this series say that the books help spread the gospel. Maybe a handful of people from around the world have gotten saved as a result of these terribly written novels. I wonder though, how many more people would have heard the gospel if the authors and the readers spent the same time and money actually sharing the gospel themselves rather than hoping that unbelievers will get saved by reading these overgrown Chick tracts.
  
  
• LaHaye hasn't made enough money, so write another book!
  By ALFG09Y768HWZ on 2005-03-22
  I am disappointed to say that I can not sell my used copy of this book because the pages suffered water-damage from the drool that oozed from my mouth when I fell asleep on the book. Honestly, how long can we carry on this story line for? How rich does LaHaye want to get on the back of a Christian story. The first book was not bad, but with each sequel, the story became more diluted. That takes us to this book. In the name of George Lucas, LaHaye has written the great atrocity of a prequel. Not enough steaks on your plate? So in the prequel, all of the characters are still alive, but the world is going down the tubes. Really, do need to read this book to know what happens? I knew the story before I read it, not I feel like crucifying myself for spending the money. Enjoy the meal I bought you Mr. LaHaye for paying $20 for this garbage.
  
  
• Pointless
  By A2I6MHMAZZDCRX on 2005-09-09
  While never confusing them with great literature, I enjoyed the previous books in the Left Behind series. I was skeptical when I heard about this book, thinking it was just an excuse to make more money. My fears were justified.
  
  This book goes back years before the series starts to find Rayford as a nine-year-old. He knows what he wants to do, be a professional athlete or a pilot. And there is no way he is taking over his father's tool and die business. In fact, his parents embarrass him. They're older then his friend's parents are and poorer then Ray would like. He is determined to become rich no matter which career path he takes.
  
  Meanwhile in Romania, Marilena Carpathia has become surprised to find a longing for a child. Trapped in a marriage without romance, she searches to find a distraction. That distraction leads her to Viviana Ivinisova's class on spiritualism and a potential solution. Should she accept the offer even if it means raising her child as a spiritualist?
  
  The problem with this book is that it really doesn't have a story to tell. We already know what will happen to the characters, so much of the suspense is gone. It serves more as biography then novel. I was also rolling my eyes as Ray spent time analyzing his actions toward his parents. I know of no nine-years-olds who have the incite he did. Heck, some adults wouldn't look at things that way.
  
  There were some points of the book that held my interest, but these were few and far between. The lack of a story made the poor writing of the previous entries stand out even more here. My advice is to stick with the originals and skip the prequels. You aren't missing much.
  
  
• Wonderful!
  By A1VH22YZPTRIWC on 2005-03-03
  Another hit for the LB series. A wonderful story that gives you the background of some of the main characters of Left Behind.
  An excellent read! You won't be dissapointed!
  There are 3 more books coming for this series. I can't wait!
  
  
• Demeaning toward women - and other lifestyles -
  By A27RTEC02PKBH4 on 2005-04-18
  I almost threw up! I read the Left Behind Series...realizing it was fiction .. based loosely on Biblical reference! It was okay! .but this book....is prejudical, debaising towards women,
  and very amazing with it's "rightous attiudes" ... so sad!
  
  Fiction like this is "horror fiction"
  
  
• Do NOT spend your money!
  By A1W5TZK3CIE4NZ on 2005-05-13
  I read the entire Left Behind series and ejoyed it very much. It was fast moving & very interesting. This book, on the other hand, was extremely slow and boring. I purchased it on CD. The unabridged recorded book containes 9 CD but half way into disc 4 I quit. In addition to the VERY slow story, the reader is dull and lifeless. If you completed the Left Behind series consider the last book THE END. Don't spend your money on The Rising.
  
  
• Good God!...
  By A2F6QJUW6QV59C on 2005-05-19
  LaHaye and Jenkins are beyond greedy...Please let this series go away...The writing is beyond poor...The series could and should have been done in no more than 3, count 'em, 3 books...
  
  
• gives Christians a Bad Name, and a Terrible Extrapolation of Prophecy.
  By A2Z9XBCYT3AHHU on 2005-11-06
  It really does give Christians a bad name. I mean, the very beginning, you have the authors explain Buck's thoughts of an affair as a product of his libido! what?!?!?! then Russia attacks Israel because Israel can suddenly make a desert productive?!?!?! (just curious where in John's Book of Revelation they got that from....)
  
  I tried reading it, I really did. But I like plots that are actually sensible, characters that have at least TWO dimensions if not three, and written as if the author actually knew how to write a book. I guess some people, apparently millions, don't really care how terribly written a book is.
  
  however, I will tip my hat to the authors, they've figured out how to make millions of dollars. Write crappy books geared towards right-wing Christians who hate the UN and you'll make millions....I'll start working on mine now...
  
  
• Skeptical at first...
  By A1CT0CDD30XE9A on 2005-03-11
  When I first saw the book on the shelf, I grabbed it immediately. I loved the Left Behind series and mourned having to leave my favorite characters behind as the series ended. I had heard of the prequel, but I had no idea it was to be drawn out into three books. That's kind of a downer. But the book in itself, though it starts out slightly disappointing (it's a stretch to say I was that intrigued by Rayford Steele as a nine year-old)it picks up into a thrilling pace that is so familiar to Jenkins writing as a whole. I agree there are more adult themes and shocking twists, but if you were a fan of the Left Behind series I would give this book a try.
  
  
• From "Here we go again" to "This is good stuff!"
  By A3EJVZ5LCBP61X on 2005-03-23
  Like many Left Behind series readers, I enjoyed the series, but was glad to see it culminate with Glorious Appearing. The last few books seem to meander a bit, and I figured the story had run its course. Then came word of a prequel and sequel. "Oh no, I thought. Let's leave this series to rest." Nevertheless, having come so far, I was determined to see the story through.
  
  What a pleasure to read the Rising. The prequel trilogy may outshine the actual series. There are fewer players to confuse the plot, and we see much deeper into their thoughts and personalities. Jenkins (the true novelist of this co-authored series) seems to have learned from complaints that too often the series was all action, with only inch-deep characterization.
  
  Another plus for the rising, is that we see just how easily and realistically an Antichrist personality might be groomed. Nicolae's development flows right out of modern day corrupt political and business miliues. The way he gravitates towards evil is believable. The process and results have been seen repeatedly throughout history's tryannies. The seductiveness of spirituality without accountability to God or morality played out effectively, and the emptiness of intellectualism sans spirituality also came across clearly.
  
  Congratulations Jenkins for reviving a series that appeared to be a done deal! Buy, read and enjoy!
  
  
• Zzzzzzzzzzzzz *Snore*
  By ASD7LAINVLNHC on 2005-04-01
  If you have read any of the other books in this series, you will find that this one is exactly the same as all of the rest. The first two were fairly intriguing but the rest I was only able to browse thru after relatives finished. I tried to give this one a chance but I would say "The Omen" was a better plotted book on the same theme and is probably as near to the truth on what will actually happen at the end of days as the LB series.
  
  
• Much better than I expected
  By A3C92MFCGLHDBQ on 2005-04-10
  Like many who have reviewed The Rising, when I first heard of a prequel trilogy I rolled my eyes, assumed Jenkins and LaHaye wanted money, and wondered what in billy blue blazes could possibly be interesting about a pre-Left Behind story.
  
  Well, I'm ready to eat crow. Not only was The Rising surprisingly character-driven, the writing was of good quality and Jenkins proved that he really had a good story planned out for the rises of Nicolae Carpathia and Rayford Steele. The book is mainly focused on Nicolae, his mother Marilena, and Viv Ivins, but Ray and Irene Steele get their fair share of coverage. Jenkins managed to make the son-of-satan storyline seem fresh and the ending of the book is probably the best-written conclusion in the series so far.
  
  I'm surprised to find myself looking forward to prequels 2 (11.15.05) and 3 (6.6.06) with much anticipation.
  
  
• Almost as good as the National Enquirer!
  By A3KFIMCP87VH4U on 2005-03-25
  The Left Behind endless saga started with a bang but then went on, and on, and on, and on, and on, ad nauseam. The dreadfully inane writing of "Left Behind" - particularly that found in the last half of the series was so embarrassing that I can't imagine why anyone would want to buy any further books from this money-making scam. There are absolutely no other books in the "religious" genre, other than the Book of mormon (that was clearly written by a lunatic), or the Purpose Drivel merchandising scam that even comes close to the insipid Left Behind Series.
  
  To be honest, I just returned from the grocery store and almost had to go back and buy some expectorants when I saw "The Rising" on sale at the checkout stand. The only positive thing I can glean from that experience is that this book was located, appropriately, next the National Enquirer.
  
  
  
• This book should have had a black cover. THAT would have been cool.
  By A2HEETS5292XQN on 2005-11-18
  Well, I gave The Regime three stars and it wasn't as good as this book was, so we'll see where this goes.
  
  Basically, Jerry Jenkins set himself up for the Phantom Menace curse in that he wrote a prequel to tell more of the story but risked destroying a legacy. Luckily for him, though, there wasn't much of a legacy because the Left Behind, while I love it, is admittedly tarnished by the fact that it went on too long. So, hey, why not write a prequel?
  
  Without any real action or biblical occurances to lean on for the plot, Jenkins actually had to think of a real plot for this one. And get this.. it worked! See, I know Jenkins is a talented writer when inspired and I truly believe he was insprired by the challenge given to him by a story about the origins of the Antichrist and a pilot who would help save the world from said Antichrist.
  
  This is a very character driven Left Behind novel, easily the most character driven of all of them. It succeeds on most counts; sadly, it fails on the count of "Little rayford", the child version of the main protagonist. That ain't good, especailly considering that Little Rayford appears for half of the book. Gasp. thankfully, Little Nicolae is quite the little shCHILDRENt and makes the first half of the book entertaining.
  
  I should also mention one Marilena, the mother of the Antichrist. Easily one of the most compelling characters in the entire series, and definitely the one I wanted to shake the most and say, "Hey, wake up, woman! What are you doing?!" Her's is a very sad story, well worth the price of the book alone. One could argue that she's the main character of The Rising.
  
  Bottom line?
  Much better, MUCH, much better than I thought it would be. It was very slow at times, but there were always other moments in the book that made up for it. And, for the first time in the series, Jenkins succeeded in actually making his book very spooky. Very creepy. In other words, just what a story about the end times should be like.
  
  Others have trashed this book and trashed the authors for going to the bottom of the well. They may have, but it's quite clear that this book is for some and not for others. I was one of those who found it VERY compelling. It wasn't the best book in the series, but it did a great job of making me care about the characters (even the ones that wouldn't last until the beginning of the original series).
  
  Nowhere near perfect, but I enjoyed reading it. that's all that matters.
  
  FOUR stars.
  
  
• I doubt this is the effect they were after
  By AD5K8Q3LYK8H2 on 2006-03-23
  There are two points to make about this book:
  
  1. I doubt the author(s) intended to do this, but they have succeeded in making the Antichrist the good guy. He was absolutely fascinating, very fun to read about, and sympathetic. It reads like it wasn't his fault at all that he became the AC. Long before he was born, plans were made to brainwash, program, indoctrinate, etc., this little boy into believing in Lucifer. In fact, the brainwashing was EXACTLY analogous to the way that LaHaye, Jenkins, et al brainwash their own children in the ways of the "other side." The parts of this book that focused on Nicolae were fun to read, interesting, and engaging. Rayford comes across as a deliberate horse's rear end and utterly lacking in sympathy. I was surprised at the dose of realism in having Rayford actually have sex before he was married. The entire series became a joke when they had the 30-year-old Buck, an international celebrity with no religion to speak of, be a virgin simply because they couldn't bear to make reference to the possibility of (gasp!) sex. I suspect the dozens of reviews, both here and elsewhere, making fun of such nonsense had something to do with the decision to be realistic on that regard. But I digress. Nicolae comes across as a victim of childhood brainwashing. No child taught and treated the same way that he was could become anything but what he became. It made me feel sorry for him. Hence the title, "I doubt this is the effect they were after."
  
  2. The political propaganda in this book made it very comical. It reads like satire, but it isn't. The Antichrist's father(s) are (GASP) homsexshuls! Worse, they're (Double GASP) college professors! Educated men! They read BOOKS! The Antichrist's mother is a successful career woman (of course!) who suddenly feels a deep longing for what all women are born to do -- make babies. Keep your daughters out of college. They might become professors and give birth to the Antichrist. I could go on and on, but there's no point. EVERY cliche that the far right has about everyone who are different from them (i.e. intellectuals, people who are educated, homsexshuls, etc.) is trotted out to an hysterical result. This aspect of the book would be a brilliant satire if it were meant to be a satire.
  
  So, a mixed bag. The parts with Nicolae are engaging and interesting. The rest of it is a joke.
  
  This review begs the question of why I obviously read the entire series and then this one, despite how absolutely atrociously bad they are. Well, some of you watch Survivor or Fear Factor to veg out and numb your brain. I read very, very bad fiction.
  
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• A story of two boys
  By A2GPEV42IO41CI on 2007-01-24
  I had just finished the twelfth "Left Behind" book and was wondering how to feed my ravenous addiction to this series; then I found the prequels and eagerly started reading, "The Rising." It was surprisingly exciting and, I think, the best-written of the books so far. It's all about the childhoods of Rayford Steel and Nicholae Carpathia. Ray grows up in an average mid-west family, marries, and becomes a pilot. Nicholae is born to troubled parents in Romania; with the help of the mysterious Viv Inis he becomes a phenomenally successful entrepreneur with an eye on world domination.
  
  Unbelievable dialogue was Jenkins' weakness in the previous books, but "The Rising" has a lot less dialogue and reads better. The narrative is swift and mesmerizing. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next to young Nicholae - his story was absolutely chilling and would make a terrific movie. Ray's life is more conventional but still interesting and well-told. The book ends with Nicholae, 23, about to enter the political arena; Ray is 32, dealing with marital problems and temptation at work. "Left Behind" fans are sure to enjoy this exciting prequel; it's a quick and satisfying read.
  
  
• Well written...kept you interested!!!
  By A2YNS7Z5M5USKV on 2005-03-05
  Anyone who has read the other books in the series must get this book. I read this book all the way through the first night I bought it, and could not put it down. Whoever said that this book is dull was wrong. It was great. It really helps put more of a perspective on who the characters really are. i give it 5 stars!!!
  
  
• A disappointing beginning to a disappointing conclusion...
  By AGMWV48U3HTV4 on 2005-04-08
  When I first began reading the Left Behind series, it was so rich with adventure, and really got me interested in the Bible and its teachings. Unfortunately, as time went on and the subsequent sequels released, I lost interest fairly quickly, but kept reading to find out what happened to the characters. The end of the series, 1/2 scripture 1/2 novel, was cheesy. But I figured since it was a prequel, it had a good shot of being pretty good. The writing was unprofessional and predictable (a family so religious it scares Rayford? go figure) and the character development actually had me disliking Rayford through most of the book. And the side-story of Nicolae's mother and Nicolae's birth and raising was really unnecessary. Overall, it felt like filler and now it's confirmed: they're going to milk as much wealth out of this series as they can, even if that means ruining it forever.
  
  
• A waste of time and money
  By A3HUS90YW4LLQL on 2005-08-11
  With great enthusiasm I bought this book, hoping for a continuation of the "Left Behind series." Wrong! This book was boring and a waste of my money. To be fair I must say, a few chapters were somewhat entertaining when dealing with the explanation of the creation of the soon to be little devil. I am being very generous by giving this review one star, but there is no other option.
  
  
• fiction or non-fiction ?
  By A3CZMIP84UXRSD on 2005-03-08
  ...I commend the authors of this book, they have
  made bible prophecy accesible and relevant to
  a new generation of the churched and un-churched
  although the authors created a fictional character
  in Carpathia, there is a real rising European
  diplomat who should be watched : Javier Solana
  the European Union's Top Diplomat, although THE
  RISING is a fictional account of what will transpire
  in the not too distant future that MAN is alive
  and well and just waiting in the wings, the only
  difference is that his name will not be N.Carpathia
  
  
• The Rising is a disappointment
  By A1Y50BL5PV9JSQ on 2005-03-25
  I really liked the Left Behind series and looked forward to reading the new prequel"The Rising", but this book was definitely a disappointment for several reasons. The character development was slow and tedius, and by the time the book picked up the pace there was little interest in what happened to the characters. We are to assume that since this book takes places years before the Rapture that the timing is probably during the 1960's, but the characters have all the modern technology that exists now, such as the cell phone, computers, email,etc. It was distracting and odd that the authors would do this. I found Nicolae to be a totally ridiculous and unbelievable character, and in the end think that it would have been better to have left his childhood to our imagination.
  
  
• This Book Will NOT Be Left Behind.......
  By A3E6L8BTQ4U41C on 2005-03-31
  Chest-tightening thriller. Spiritually chilling. Eerily creepy. Jerry Jenkins is a master, evoking emotions without resorting to graphic descriptions. Indeed, his style of writing brings out the imagination of the reader in a way that makes the evil more pervasive than mere descriptions could ever accomplish.
  
  Enough "review-speak". This book is one fantastic read! The settings are so normal. The characters are so normal. The evil is so insidious.
  
  The character development was impressive. If you thought Nicolae Carpathia was evil before, wait until you see what this cold creature was like as a child. Did it take you awhile to warm up to Rayford Steele in the main series? Get some insight as to why. Meet Irene Steele for the first time. And Marilena Carpathia: a willing accomplice or the victim of the ultimate deception?
  
  There are no graphic descriptions of Nicolae's conception or Rayford's sex life. Rayford has premarital sex in college; it is neither glorified or glossed over. To understand his Christian life transformation in "Left Behind", it helps to see the mindset and behaviors of his pre-saved lifestyle.
  
  I read this book in a 5 1/2 hour sitting and I'm writing this review at 4:00 am. And yes, it was worth every minute and I hated to finish it. I"m looking forward to the next "Prequel".
  
  
• Stay away from the audio cd
  By A2SUI2YXSRNP1R on 2006-03-17
  I have only heard of (and heard of and heard of) the left behind series. I wanted to start with book 1, so at my local library, this was the best I could do, until book 1 of the original series comes available at my lib.
  
  The narration/production of the 9 cd audio book is horrible. The point of view of the author is good and the story, for someone with no contact with the plot of left Behind, kept me interested but boy do they drag it out for the first 7 cd's.
  
  And the writing!! The writing stinks on ice.
  
  It is a testament for how badly people of faith crave modern literature that endorses their point of view that the series sells in the trillions.
  
  There is a huge almost totally untapped market for books that take a faith-positive approach.
  
  It became very clear around 1/3 of the way through that this book was written to continue to feed the demand for these books and nothing else.
  
  The imagery is as empty and barren as can be. The only character that held my interest was Rayford. None of the other characters, and I mean none were interesting in the slightest and the writing just dragged and dragged. A 2nd year college liberal arts student could more reliably deliver the goods than whoever this pair is. Awful. Embarrassing.
  
  Finally, near the end, they realized that they had filled enough pages to satisfy the publisher and put the foot to the gas on developing the plot, such as it was. The character of Nicolae's mother, Marilena, is about the dullest, emptiest, non-dimensional character in any book I can recall. I seriously would laugh AT some of the narrative. There are parts that are worthy of an SNL skit, they are so over the top and corny. She can't realize why her son doesn't love her. "Hello!!! you Sold your ******g soul to have a child sent by Satan. Were you expecting Ricky Nelson?" Sheeeshhh. Dime store novels got nothing on this.
  
  Having said all that, I will attempt to obtain the original series starting with the 1st book and see if the authors just had a bad day at the office with "The Rising".
  
  Stay away from this.
  
  

• The Regime: Evil Advances (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 2)
• The Rapture: In the Twinkling of an Eye--Countdown to the Earth's Last Days (Before They Were Left Behind, Book 3)
• Kingdom Come: The Final Victory: The Final Victory (Left Behind Sequel)
• Glorious Appearing (Left Behind)
• Armageddon (Left Behind #11)