The Circle Series – Ted Dekker

Title: The Circle Series

Author: Ted Dekker

Genre: Fantasy, Realistic Fiction

Plots: Black (Book 1) – Thomas Hunter just moves to Colorado with his sister. Low on motivation, he works in a coffee shop while his sister is a nurse. This all changes when he is shot at and attacked on his way home from work one night. Thomas is knocked unconscious. While unconscious, he is transported to another world. He barely escapes a Black Forest. Then Thomas wakes up and is back in Colorado. From then on he when he sleeps in Colorado, he goes to the other world. The more he goes there the more he learns that it’s like Earth but after a deadly attack. If Thomas can stop the attack in his Earth in Colorado, maybe he can stop the attack in the other world. The race is on, but who will believe him? Can he save both worlds?

Red (Book 2) – Years have past in Thomas’s alternate Earth. He has become a great leader of the Forest People. But his enemy, the Horde, has grown. A boy, Justin, has risen among them. He wants to bring peace between the enemies. Justin wants them to love each other. His ideas are scoffed at, while few see his reason. Then it seems like Justin betrays Thomas and the Forest People and joins the Horde. The Horde threaten the Forest People when they think Justin has betrayed them, too. For that, Justin is killed and the Forest People, or the few who believe Justine’s words, flee. Meanwhile, on Earth, Thomas continues to convince leaders that the deadly attack is real and imminent. Will he succeed? Will the Forest People Survive?

White (Book 3) – Thomas and the Forest People are aided by a former Horde member who has defected and joined them. They seek the Books of Histories. Books that could help them win the war against the Horde. While sneaking in the Horde capital city, they meet the princess, Chelesie. Thomas is taken prisoner and made to be Chelesie’s slave. She takes Thomas to the library and shows him the books he needs. She asks him to read them in order so the Horde can win the war. Instead she learns to love Thomas and sees reason in Thomas’s side of things. Thomas’s commander’s are plotting a rescue. Will they rescue Thomas? Will Chelesie be convinced of the truth? Meanwhile, in Earth Thomas is almost out of time. The people in charge of the deadly attack have all that they need. They demand the world’s nuclear weapons in exchange for protection. Some countries agree. But they release the attack anyway. Can Thomas find a way to save both worlds or is it too late?

Green (Book 0) – Thomas has survived in the alternate reality. The Horde have almost won. His oldest son, wants one last rally to wipe the Horde from the planet. Thomas is adamantly against it. The Horde are planning their own attack. Thomas takes the Horde leader on a trip to Earth in an effort to help him change his mind. It back fires when he takes modern weapons back his him and his second in command. Thomas finds another way back. He travels to find another way to save the Forest People. He finds something that could help, but will it be enough?

Rating: 3.6 – Good series, sometimes the plot was hard to follow cause of the dual realities in the books.

Opinion: This was a great series. Green (Book 0) is meant to be read first or last. I read it first and was more confused than if I had read Black (Book 1) first. So if you’re going to read this series, read Red (Book 1) first. It explains the alternate reality better and gives more background to the characters. The realities are easy enough to keep separate but still can be confusing when it jumps back and forth between the two. Overall I liked the series. I’ve loved Ted Dekker’s books. His books always want me knowing more and this one is no different. This one is his most “normal” book(s) that I’ve read. It’s not too scary. It’s a little dark, but not compared to Ted Dekker’s other books. It explains the dual realities well without overwhelming the brain. I enjoyed the series, and recommend them if you don’t mind a dual reality book.