Premonition (City of God, 1)

Rating:
Summary: enjoyed every word
Review: Amazing page turner. I enjoyed every word. I feel like the characters are my friends. So well written, complex in character study and their struggles point to things in my own life, ie control issues, trusting God, etc. Begin reading this book and you won't be able to put it aside without something REALLY important calling your name. I also loved how it made the Bible and the people from the Bible even more real to me. I understood more clearly lots of the issues that the people then were dealing with.

Rating:
Summary: PREMONITION -- a hint of things to come
Review: In Randall Ingermanson's first-ever novel, Transgression, backslidden Messianic Jew Rivka Myers found herself tricked into a dark closet, in the basement of a physics building in Jerusalem. It was difficult to get back, because it turns out there was a wormhole in that closet, built by somewhat of a mad scientist.

Physicist Ari Kazan wound up chasing Rivka and the other scientist into the wormhole, and into 1st-century Israel . . . Rivka met a Palestinian prostitute, and the scientist wanted to kill the Apostle Paul, and Ari got stung by wasps. . . . It gets kind of complicated.

I generally like complicated fiction, so I loved Transgression. But now, with the first installment of Ingermanson's new follow-up trilogy out, called Premonition, he deprecates himself a little, almost shrugging off Transgression as if a grade-school essay.

"You don't have to read Transgression to enjoy Premonition," Ingermanson says in his foreword. (Good thing, too, because at this point Transgression is almost darn near out of print.) "In fact, I recommend reading Premonition first because . . . it's a better book." [Ellipsis his.]

Because we're dealing with time travel and if you aren't careful the story can get contradictory, I'll go ahead and contradict the author by suggesting you read Transgression first anyway -- assuming it ever gets back into print and you can get a copy. It makes the time travel seem a little more plausible. While Premonition is better, I don't know how easy it would be to pick it up while being blind to the events of the real first novel.

(Example: some people can read The Lord of the Rings without reading The Hobbit first -- I did. But then, during LotR I didn't have a clue who Balin was . . . no idea whatsoever. Therefore the same situation goes for Premonition.)

Randall Ingermanson seems to be a major genius. He likes to talk about physics occasionally, although judging from his descriptions in his first novel Transgression he has no idea how to build a wormhole in your basement closet -- or what it feels like walking through. (Is it cold? Clammy, dusty? Are their any cool sound effects, or CGI light ripples?)

Transgression was the precursor to Premonition, and now Ingermanson must have gotten tired of the physics anyway, and grabbed hold of about four or five alternate Ph.D.'s at once: Biblical history, Hebrew and hermeneutics, some archaeology, a little architecture, and a pinch of ancient midwifery, just for flavor.

And before I go on I'll make one thing clear: this author isn't too shy. Nothing in Premonition is overly detailed or prurient; don't misunderstand. But if you're a teenager you're bound to learn all kinds of things you never knew as soon as Rivka begins delivering babies in ancient Jerusalem. Exclamations may range from "augh" to "ungh," to "eawwrgh," to "Hey-whoa! I didn't know that" from any teenagers out there, especially males.

Based on the details on that subject and everything else, any readers may get the impression that Ingermanson does have a wormhole in his basement closet. Perhaps he sneaks in there late at night, "transgresses" dimensions to 1st-century Jerusalem and learns about things like Temple architecture or Hebrew midwifery; I don't know. There's no proof for this, and I don't want to start any rumors here.

Either way, his research is impeccable. From the very beginning of the novel you get some great diagrams of the Holy Land, Jerusalem, the Temple Courts and such, to the point where you wish the book came spiral-bound so you could Xerox the front pages for easy reference later in your reading. In addition to the maps you get a Glossary and a directory of historical persons in the back. Then there's a list of books, too -- Ingermanson blows the secrecy on many of the materials he read for research, making it all seem so easy . . .

It's not. And what's even better is the book doesn't even read like a great big pile of historical research. Premonition is a wormhole to the souls of the past. When reading it, you are there, with people you grow to love. The author gets into the characters' heads and stays there, switching between Rivka and Ari at first, and then adding more even from the natives: Hana, Baruch, and then historical persons like the High Priest.

It would be difficult to summarize The Plot because there really isn't a single one. But Premonition isn't like the Left Behind series; Ingermanson weaves about 10 subplots all together. The title comes from Rivka's foreknowledge of events which earns her a reputation in Jerusalem as somewhat of a prophetess. Before blundering through the closet wormhole, she had read a lot of history books and has much of the material still up in her head.

Meanwhile, Ari is finding work as well. Having two centuries of advance physics knowledge helps land him a job as an independent contractor/mechanical engineer. That eventually pits him against the high priest, which isn't much fun. At the same time Rivka is also forced to get involved in history, saving the life of King Agrippa's sister, and then she enters Jerusalem politics as well, flowing even more with history and helping to maneuver other men into the position of High Priest. . . . It gets kind of complicated.

With this level of "predictability" one might think Ingermanson would fall into the Infamous Left Behind Event Predictability Trap. Nope. Rivka and Ari can't really change history. Whatever they do just happens to fall in step, right alongside. History is alive and well, the story twists are many and so are the "Oh NO!" moments you will always get in a good novel.

Finally, everything has settled down enough for an ending that comes all too soon. That ending is only the second of Premonition's two minor disappointments. The second is the real spoiler that's given on the novel's back cover and even in the Amazon review (which may not be the author's responsibility anyway): "But when one of [Rivka's] predictions fails, she is scorned as a false prophet."

Oh NO! That makes everything completely predictable when you get to that part in the novel. This is it, this is it, she's not right about that prediction, no, Rivka, come on, don't do that! But alas, because of 14 words on the book's back cover, we have a premonition of her failed premonition.

Regardless of that, as well as some pervasive (and informative!) midwife-related details, Premonition is something to behold. Rumor has it the intrepid Ingermanson has already burned through the second trilogy installment, Retribution. . . .

This is going to be good, I can tell.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, Thought provoking sequel
Review: Ingermanson has created a captivating tale that presents James the brother of Jesus in a very intriguing light. "Premonition" wrestles very honestly with one of the most difficult of Jesus' teachings - "love your enemy."

The book is an easy read, well plotted and difficult to put down. Those who enjoyed "Transgression" will be well rewarded with a worthy follow up on the lives of Ari and Rivka and their adjustment to life in the first century.

I can highly recommend this book to all lovers of historical fiction, time travel and fiction in general. It will challenge you, entertain you and leave you anxious for the next installment in the "City of God" series

Rating:
Summary: New Heights For Contemporary Religious Literature
Review: Premonition by Randall Ingermanson

Rivka, an archaeologist and Messianic Jew and Ari, her physicist husband, are swept through a hole in time from contemporary USA into first century Jerusalem. They try to bridge the gender, generation, religion and language gaps. Rivka has an eidetic memory and recalls passages from Josephus, the First Century historian. She struggles to find a way to communicate critical information to a culture that is unprepared to hear or to accept her because she is considered to be a "seer" or false prophet.

This book is about relationships: woman to woman; woman to man: man to man; man to child; and man to God. Premonition is filled with episodes of high drama - crises that will keep you turning the pages into the night. One of the most beautiful passages concerns Ari wanting to identify with the inexpressible grief of his best friend. Without words, Ari kneels on the ground alongside his friend at the ash heap and dusts himself with ashes. One can feel the agony of the soul and almost hear the groans of spirit with grieving spirit.

Ari understands complex linear operations, fiber bundles, Hilbert spaces but has to struggle with how to introduce basic physics such as gears for a water lift to supply water for the Temple. He believes in a personal God but has inner struggles about why a good God would permit evil to exist. He likens this to quantum mechanics, which don't make sense - yet work.

Many of the first century Biblical characters have a place in this book: Paul, Governor Festus, James, King Agrippa, Queen Bernice, Gameliel and others. Conflict and stress evolve from Jewish religion and culture. Dr Ingermanson seems equally at home in painting word pictures of tender, gentle love or hideous, malicious acts of violence, humiliation and degradation. The book was well researched and has a ring of authenticity. It is thoroughly entertaining and offers a greater understanding of the activities at the Jewish Temple, the priesthood, morning prayers for the men, festivals; and the stoning of persons.

I was brought to tears during a scene in which one of the priests had a monumental inner battle with hate. The brutal, malicious killing of priests made him hate the perpetrators of the crimes. The struggle was not for his life, safety or freedom but to be able to claim victory by releasing the hatred in his heart as he faces death. The final chapters present a problem. The tension is so great that it hurts to go on and yet the reader can't stand not to find out what happens next. The images of friend with friend and the "redemption" of an innocent child will linger long after the covers of the book are closed. Surely Premonition will earn a special place - a singular place - in contemporary literature.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner!
Review: Randy Ingermanson sure knows how to tell a good story, and has done so again in Premonition! His characters are real--and flawed, which makes them believable. And likable. Although I'm not a history or science buff, I enjoyed reading about this very different time and place (and am also quite grateful that as a woman I didn't live back then! Like Rivka, I would have had a difficult time with all the cultural constraints placed on me.) The author says you don't need to read Transgression (the book that sets up Premonition) but I recommend you do since that's where you first meet Rivka and Ari and grow to care about them. I'm looking forward to discovering what happens next to this couple and their friends in the next book in this City of God series. And for those of you who prefer contemporary or sci-fi fiction rather than historical, let me higly recommend Ingermanson's "Oxygen" (co-written by John Olson). It grabs you by the throat from the opening sentence and doesn't let you go!

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Summary: Do avoid the riots if at all possible...
Review: The book is the continuation of the story found in Ingermanson's 'Transgression.' In order to understand this book, the previous book is necessary read. Now, on with the review.

Ari and Rivka have accepted the inevitable - they are stranded in first-century Jerusalem. The question is how will they survive. Ari's expertise in quantum physics isn't much use in a time when few people can even read.

Rivka, however, has been cursed with a curious gift. Her photographic memory can vividly recall what the historians wrote about these turbulent times in Jerusalem. She literally knows what is going to happen because she studied about those events in the 21st century.

Ari is still struggling with the idea that the true Yeshua of history may not be the hated Jesus he believes Him to be.

Through Rivka's gift, she and her husband become entangled in the deadly politics of the time. Rivka attempts to orchestrate history to avoid the bloodbath that is coming. She manages to acquire several powerful enemies for her efforts.

All the characters from 'Transgression' make a return, excluding Damien. Well, maybe not. Anyway, Hana, Baruch, Renegade Shaul, Yaakov the tsaddik, and a few other historical characters create a simply marvelous story.

The story is so real you can almost taste the dust from the streets and hear the screams from the riots. No joke, the author did a great job of creating a realistic scene.

I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who simply enjoys an excellent, thought provoking read. A warning is necessary, though. Instead of studying med/surg as I needed to, I spent the night finishing 'Premonition.' Enjoy!

Rating:
Summary: Great reading
Review: This was the first time I read a book by Randall Ingermanson and I loved it. I am a lover of historical fiction and this book met all the requirements that I have. Although we know from history how women were treated in biblical times, this book brought it home more realistically and I shared Rivka's frustration with the whole situation. What grabbed me the most, however, was the subject of forgiveness and how unforgiveness brings bondage upon our lives. I can't wait for the next book, but will first have to get hold of the first one, as I HAVE to know how Rivka and Ari got to be in first century Jerusalem in the first place. Thank you, Randall, for making biblical Jerusalem so real to us!