Black: The Birth of Evil

Black by Ted Dekker is the first of the Circle Trilogy. The book takes the reader into two worlds, lived simultaneously by one man, Thomas Hunter.

Imagine being pulled into another world in your dreams. Now, imagine that both worlds are lived in a dream. Being awake in our Earth meant that you are asleep in the other Earth, and vice versa. But which world is real? What is causing these dreams? Are they even really dreams?

In our Earth, there is a plot to release a nasty airborne virus that could wipe out the whole planet in a matter of weeks. While in the other Earth, Thomas finds out about this plot and tries with all his might to prevent this destruction from taking place.

In the Alternate Earth, a band of Black Bats, called Shataiki, are drawing a member of the Human Race to themselves, so they can destroy them.

In the mix of all of this, there is the Story of the Great Romance, the story of the Love of the Creator, Elyon, for His creation.

As a reader, this book took a few minutes to adjust to. I am not much of a fantasy/alternate reality reader. But this book won me over. In the mix of both worlds, great spiritual truths begin to surface. It is ultimately a Love story, not a tawdry romance, but a story of the Great Love of God and His wooing of the Human race. I found myself crying in many places, my heart leaping with the discovery of Elyon, and it breaking with sorrow over Elyon’s pain at the end of this book.

Be forewarned though – do not get near finishing Black without having Red on hand. There is a major cliff-hanger on the last page.