In His Image: Book One of the Christ Clone Trilogy

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Summary: Mysteries within mysteries, but all is revealed in book 3
Review: I don't want to give anything away about this story, but even if I did, I don't think I would spoil it for you. The Christ Clone Trilogy is packed with mysteries within mysteries within mysteries within ... (well, you get the idea).

If you've read the Left Behind series, you may may begin to wonder what they've gotten yourself into. Things don't happen the way the do in Left Behind, but you'll find that the author has done some amazing research and analysis (including studies of the original Greek) before telling the story in such an unexpected way. The best example may be how the Rapture is portrayed. It's nothing like Left Behind, but if you can't wait, go to pages 119 and 120 of book 3 (Acts of God). The author explains his presentation very convincingly (he changed my mind). But while the story is very different, BeauSeigneur and LaHaye have the same pre-trib/pre-mil eschatology, so if something doesn't seem quite right, keep reading: it will be explained.

The Christ Clone Trilogy is much more real life than Left Behind and you may lose track of what is real and what is fiction, especially in post-9/11 America. It's grittier than Left Behind and aimed at the lost more than at the choir. Some characters in these books occasionally use harsh language (less than in some of C.S. Lewis's best known fiction), but don't expect BeauSeigneur's false prophet and the Antichrist to say, "Golly, gee!"

Over all this is a ground-breaking series, and if you've been secretly or openly disappointed with the quality of Christian fiction, I think you'll agree that with The Christ Clone Trilogy, Christian fiction has finally come of age.

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Summary: Avoids the Cliches...Keeps Us Guessing
Review: I'm a skeptic. Since my childhood days seated on hard floors in darkened church gymnasiums where end-time movies played with seventies schmaltz, where the only thing left behind was any feeling in my buns, I've wondered why so many get fixated on this subject of the apocalypse. Out of curiousity, I caved in and read the first few "Left Behind" books. I soon found myself frustrated by the lack of depth.

Then, on a friend's recommendation, I gambled on "The Christ Clone Trilogy." Man alive! This first book convinced me there is hope for this sub-genre. James BeauSeigneur paints a broad and sprawling canvas that, nonetheless, remains focused. He mixes in biblical prophecy, Jewish tradition, scientific study, and political intrigue. He startles with his twists and turns. He creates a believable and entertaining scenario for the earth's last days, as spoken of in the Bible, yet leaves us guessing as to where he's taking us. Judging by his research and the conversations of his Messianic Jew characters, I'm willing to believe that all will be revealed in its time.

The author does, I must warn you, use a few naughty words--you know, the ones that you could find in old western books. (Not the hangup for me that it seems to be with a few other reviewers.) BeauSeigneur doesn't get caught up in much character development; he lets the framework of the plot reveal these people to us. Considering the scope of this story, he still manages to maintain our interest in the individual characters, and I guess that's all we need. Sure, they lack some of the emotional intrigue of the "Left Behind" books, but at least I didn't feel I was being duped by corny twists and off-the-wall late-morning-TV drama.

Most amazing of all, to me, is that BeauSeigneur has put so much of his own time and self into the publication of the book. I'd love to see his stuff in the hands of a big-time publisher who could do some minor editing and give this book the attention it deserves. I've already purchased the next two in the series and plan to get reading soon.

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Summary: Left Behind an Appetizer for In His Image, the Main Course
Review: If you're like me, you've read the Left Behind books with considerable pleasure. And, most importantly, you've been LEFT WANTING MORE. Well, I'm here to tell you that MORE is here, right now, with In His Image, book 1 of The Christ Clone Trilogy.

Say you're at your favorite restaurant and you order your favorite starter dish--escargot, smoked salmon, beluga caviar, it doesn't matter. You're savoring the delicate, delicious flavors, BUT NOW YOU'RE READY FOR THE MAIN COURSE. What if that was all the food you got? Wouldn't you be disappointed? I know I would. That's what it's been like for us who're Left Behind fans. As we've gone through the series, we've encountered an endless string of appetizers--good, as far as they go--but not really totally satisfying.

Listen. Your problems are over. If you're at all like me, you'll DEVOUR In His Image--probably at one or two sittings. And the great thing is, books 2 and 3 just keep getting better and better. And you'll get up from your easy chair COMPLETELY SATISFIED. At least that's how I see it.

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Summary: BACK FROM THE FUTURE?
Review: James BeauSeigneur has done some very unusual things in his apocalyptic thriller, The Christ Clone Trilogy, and he's done all of them well. First on this list is that (until the third book) he gives no clue who's good and who's bad, who's right and who's wrong. Instead BeauSeigneur acts as an unbiased reporter of the events, and the reader is left to evaluate and discern the truth for himself. This makes for a very good mystery, but it will make some readers very upset as their own beliefs are so cleverly challenged. One word of advice: do not make the mistake of thinking you know which characters speak for the author.

Second on the list of unusual approaches the author takes is that he has built his story so closely on carefully researched real events, real science, real politics, real belief systems (when was the last time you read a fiction series that included footnotes?), that you have a sense that you may be reading a non-fiction book written in the future and sent back to our time for publication.

One final thing that makes this series so extraordinary is BeauSeigneur's use of well-developed minor characters and vignettes to give the reader a view of the global scope of his story. Unlike so many authors who try deal with global issues with contrived attempts to put the story's main characters in close proximity to every important world event, BeauSeigneur draws on a boundless stable of rich characters from around the world to give every page a full measure of realism and depth.

I highly recommend these books to all.

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Summary: Ingenious plot and perspective
Review: Like many end-times fiction works, this story parallels biblical prophecies, mostly in tune with the interpretations espoused by Hal Lindsey in THE LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH. Unlike most other works, however, BeauSeigneur weaves a rich, gripping tale, told from the perspective of the confused "man in the middle." The protaganist is not an "almost Christian," who converts as soon as his loved ones disappear. Rather, he is an intelligent, thoughtful man who struggles through the series, trying to do what is right. We struggle with him--understanding why he does not immediately "get it."

There are many twists and turns in the plot that keep the suspense level high. The author creates a true dilemma--stretching all readers--regardless of their current religiosity. Additionally, there is a sophistication here that many other novels in this genre lack.

The bottom line: read this book! My hope is that a major publishing house discovers this talented author.