Saturday, July 11, 2015

Author Spotlight - Ted Dekker

Ted Dekker, Christian  mystery/thriller/fantasy author, has published over 40 books in the last 15 years. (I've read 27 of them so far!) With 10 million copies sold worldwide, methinks this guy knows what he's doing.

First off, I can't tell you how much his novels have impacted me as a writer and as a person. Every single book is not one story, but two. First he arrests your attention with a gripping plot and fascinating characters--that's the surface story, and it's always strong enough to stand on its own.

But then partway through, you realize that a second story is unfolding beneath the first. I can't remember reading a Dekker book that didn't give me at least one "aha" moment. This underlying tale is the one that pulls you to a different vantage point, where you can rediscover something you've always known and find refreshment in the new angle. Or, more often than not, it's the tale that hits your heart like a train, blasting apart some piece of your world and leaving you to sort through the fragments and put them back together the way they were meant to be.

Yes. His books have been that life-changing. Some have even gone so far as to impact how I think, and I find myself using some of his images and terms in the way I relate to God, myself, and the world.

See, Dekker is anything but conventional. If you're expecting one of his books to fit a certain mold, he simply walks right past it and shows you something else. At times, that 'something else' is downright strange, I'll admit. Boneman's Daughters kept me up at night. When my dad and I went through a bedtime stories kick a few years back--for old time's sake, you understand--House, coauthored with Frank Peretti, had a similar effect on me. Showdown, among others, left me looking a bit like this.



And shall we just say that I occasionally wonder about Dekker's sanity, because of the disconcerting depth of his psychotic characters. Just kidding . . . sort of. ;)

If you're wondering at this point if the strangeness is worth picking up a Dekker book, I say "yes" and "maybe" at the same time. They're not for the faint of heart; many of them contain dark portions. But if you're willing to step into a vivid, wild adventure, do. Because the darkness serves a purpose. In this interview*, Ted says, "All of my stories take someone through a dark valley . . . to discover the light beyond." All of his characters come to the end of themselves, to a place of surrender. And it is there they find truth.

Redemption.

Freedom.

There is always light at the end, and it shines far more gloriously than it would have without the valley journey.

*I only watched the first half of this interview, because the second half dealt with books I haven't read yet. Supposedly there are no spoilers, but I'm not risking it! Anyway, the first half was really good.

So. Recommendations? I'm glad you asked! I first read the Circle Series (Black, Red, White, and Green, which is Book 0 and can actually be read first or last). I think it's a great starting point. Fantasy/real world crossover, beautiful allegory, thrilling plot, devious bad guys. If you enjoy those four books, there are other series connected to this one, mainly: The Paradise Novels (Showdown, Sinner, and Saint); and the YA series called The Lost Books (Chosen, Infidel, Renegade, Chaos, Lunatic, and Elyon--you'll notice the beginning letters spell circle). I've found some hidden connections to this storyworld in other novels as well, but these are the main books.

Another series I highly recommend is one he coauthored with Tosca Lee: the Books of Mortals trilogy. Dystopian with a medieval fantasy flavor, more stunning allegory, and a flat-out amazing premise. Basically, no one feels any emotion except for fear, which is deemed the only emotion necessary to survival. Of course there's a tantalizing "until . . ." tacked onto that, because certain characters stumble upon a means to reawaken themselves and--that's all I'll say for now. Seriously. Go read them now.

If an entire series is too daunting to get into, he's written a number of excellent standalones. Thr3e is mind-blowing.

I'd say his books are normally upper YA to adult, so if you're younger than 16, tread with caution. (If I remember correctly, I read Black when I was 14 or 15, which seems quite young to me now.)

Tell me, questers: have you read any Dekker? What did you think? Any favorites, or is his style just not for you? If you haven't read anything of his yet, feel free to ask questions! There's nothing a bookworm likes better than to share the wealth of yummy tomes with her fellow bookworms.

29 comments :

  1. I've often heard of Ted Dekker, but I've not read any of his books yet. That series with Tosca Lee sounds interesting, I think I would like to try it. Thanks for the recommendations!

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    1. It's a fascinating series, or at least I found it to be. :) Hope you enjoy it too, and you're most welcome!

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  2. Oh, I loved this! What I fun idea to spotlight an author. This was great!

    I can't believe I've never read a Ted Dekker book. I could probably find quite a few lying around somewhere because my dad reads them. I'll have to ask which ones he has. I think at this point in my life I'd really, really enjoy them. I've kind of more and more been wanting some deep, intense stories to toss my emotions around. Maybe I'm weird, I don't know, but the more dark, intense stories really snag me. So yes, NEED to read some of these!

    Thank you for the recommendations. Super helpful! In fact I just added them all to my GoodReads so I won't forget!

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    1. Thanks! I imagine I'll be doing more of these in the future. Share the author/book love.

      My dad has a pretty big Dekker collection too. I only own one--the rest I borrow from him. XD No no, you're not weird at all! That's why I enjoy him as an author, because he writes dark and intense things, and shines light into the middle of it.

      You're welcome! And oh my, does 'all' really mean ALL? o.o

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    2. I look forward to them!

      Yes, love those kind of stories! Glad I'm not alone. ^_^

      Not all of his books. Is that what you mean? XD Just the ones you linked in your post. It took no time to just click the links and hit "Want to Read" on GoodReads. It adds it to my to-read shelf and I'm good to go.

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    3. ^_^
      Ahh, gotcha. But still, that's what? Eleven or so books? Lots to get you started, anyway! XD That's right, I forgot it was that easy. *resists temptation to join GoodReads*

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  3. I haven't read too many of his books, but I did read House, Three, and some Vampire one he wrote. He is very talented, I just found that some of his villains are really similar, I just recall a lot of them being like Sinner, sinner you all have to die. I should probably give him another shot though because, his writing style is great.
    :)

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    1. House and Three are great! Hmm, trying to think which one you mean by 'vampire.' Was it Immanuel's Veins?
      I guess some of his villains are similar, and now that I think about the villains of House and Three, I can see the resemblance. His tone on that stuff has changed since his early books. The Outlaw Chronicles especially--he seems to have rediscovered something amazing. :)
      If you do, let me know which one(s) you read! :D Thanks for commenting!

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  4. I've only just recently started to read Dekker (thanks to you). Last week I read Eyes Wide Open, which kept me up turning the pages late into the night. I'll definitely check out some of the other ones you recommend. :)

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    1. Really? Aw, that makes me happy! :D I'd be eager to find out what you thought of Eyes Wide Open. (Oh yes, it's definitely a page turner!)

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  5. I read some of his works a long time ago and I remember they were very different, but I lost interest for some reason. This makes me want to try his books again. I'm almost finished with my book stockpile so I'll need ones for next year so I guess I should add some Ted Dekker to the list lol.

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. 'Different' sure is an accurate description, lol. XD I hope you do try his books again! If you do, let me know what you think. :)

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  6. I think I was just talking about Ted Dekker with someone...*goes and checks* AHA! It WAS you! XD

    We have Elyon, White, Green, Skin, the Books of Mortals trilogy, Thr3e, Obsession, The Bride Collector, Showdown, Saint, House, The Martyr's Song, and.....I think that's all. I haven't read all of them, though. X)
    The Book of Mortals is mine, which is why we have the full set. For the rest, if it's a series, dad used to only buy them if he couldn't find them at the library. I'm sure he'd enjoy a full set, though....Hmm, gift ideas! Oh, and I've also read Blink.....one of them. I'm not sure if it was the original, or "Blink of an Eye," the newer, somewhat rewritten version. Either way, it was great.

    Anyway, yes. His books are (mostly) pretty amazing, with the occasional, "....whhhhhat????" sort of book in there. X) Thr3e was GREAT, Blink was awesome, the Book of Mortals trilogy was epic. XD I'm always intrigued by his books, and I'll pick one up and read the back of it if I see it in a store. X)

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    1. LOL, yep, that was me. XD I felt like I'd been talking about Ted Dekker with a lot of people recently, which was part of the reason I posted this.

      Ooh, you've got some good ones, I see! My siblings and I buy Dekker books for my dad probably every year. We keep his collection current. XD I myself only own one...what am I going to do when I move out one day??

      Yeah, there are some of those o_O moments. THR3E WAS AMAZING, THOUGH. I heartily agree with what you said about the Books of Mortals too! :D

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    2. Haha, the eternal dilemma of young adults. "What can I take with me when I move out??" XD I'll have that problem myself soon enough. X)

      Thr3e was either the first or the second book of his that I ever read. It's a great introduction to his works! :D

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  7. Oh, as a side note: I follow you on Bloglovin', but for some reason, every time I try to follow you via Blogger, the little window that comes up just says, "We're unable to handle your request, please try again later." I've tried on many different occasions to follow you here, but it just won't let me. So, just know that I follow you in spirit. :)

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    1. Aw, thank you! And...I feel like this isn't the first time I've had issues with Blogger followers. Sadly, I'm not sure how to fix it. :( But I'll look into it! And thanks so much for the support. You're the best! :D

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    2. I see that clicking the 'join this site' button doesn't work. But I tried clicking the little square next to it (it expands the list of followers) and that seems to allow you to follow. I still don't know why it's not working right... :/ Just thought I'd let you know!

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    3. HA! Clicking the box worked! :D WOOOOT! :D I am now an official follower. ^.^

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    4. Yay! And thanks so much!!! ^____^

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  8. I love Ted dekker I started with house cuz I love frank peretti. Then I was blown away and had to read more dekker. I read the circle trilogy (before green came out, haven't read it yet) I read chosen, and part of the one that comes after it. Bonemans daughter, Immanuel's veins, skin, kiss (cowritten with Erin Healy) burn (also cowritten with Erin healy) showdown saint and sinner. The book of mortals trilogy, one or two others that I can't remember. And I tried reading outlaw but it was too dark for me. Then I bought eyes wide open and saw that it was an outlaw chronicle so now I have to go back and finish reading outlaw before I can read eyes wide open. Thank you for writing this blog and renewing my interest in dekker.

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    1. Me too! (Have you read Illusion? SO good.) I've read all the Dekker books you've mentioned. XD Aren't they great? Outlaw does have a dark streak, yes, what with the native tribes and their oppressive ways... But it gets better. :)

      You're quite welcome! I'm glad it succeeded in renewing your interest. ^_^

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  9. Yay! I so enjoyed reading this post (ages ago... and forgot to comment... whoops!). Thanks for doing this! I'll definitely be referencing this next time I'm looking for books to read! ^_^ They sound quite interesting... *schemes which to try reading* Thank you! :)

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    1. That's great! (And no problem whatsoever.) Mission accomplished, then! :D I hope you find one you like!

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  10. Ohmygoodness, I am BASICALLY THE BIGGEST TED DEKKER FAN IN THE WORLD??? I mean, people can feel free to compete, but... I think I'd win?

    Anyway, I couldn't agree more with everything you said!!! I have read EVERY TED DEKKER BOOK EVER (except for the nonfictions, which don't really count if you ask me...) and so many of them are ABSOLUTE FAVORITES.

    THAT SAID - some of his books are kind of useless garbage??? I hate to be mean BECAUSE I LOVE HIM, but it's true. You mentioned Boneman's Daughters and House and I couldn't agree more. It seems to me that at times he is trying just a little TOO HARD and goes overboard with the pyschopath stuff.

    And ohymgoodness, you haven't read all his books yet??? YOU MUST!!! Immediately. I ESPECIALLY recommend Kiss (coauthored by Erin Healy) and Immanuel's Veins.

    Also, I love that pretty much ALL his books are connected in some small way, you know? Agh!!!

    I started reading his books at age eight (no, I do not recommend that for the average child) and his books have absolutely changed my life and influenced me so much. Great post!

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    1. THAT'S AWESOME! It's great finding more Dekker fans.

      It's been quite some time since I read Boneman's Daughters, and even longer since I read House, but I meant that I found them really creepy/off-the-wall, not garbage. I can see how it would feel overboard, but I mostly enjoyed them.

      I knooooow, I have so many to read yet! I have actually read Kiss and it was SO GOOD. So was Immanuel's Veins! One of these days I want to print off a list of all Dekker's books and read each one, from his first to his most recent (and I'd reread all the ones I've read before along the way). Would you say Kiss and Immanuel's Veins were your favorites?

      Yes, the connections are the best! Have you read the Outlaw books?? (I've read all but Hacker.) Water Walker's connection to previous books got me ridiculously excited.

      Wow, you started at age eight? I think I would've had nightmares. XD But you're so right, they are life-changing books! Thanks for sharing the Dekker appreciation, Kyla! :D

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    2. Haha, yeah, I didn't mean to say that YOU thought they were garbage - that us purely my opinion! I've just always felt that Dekker is either hit-or-miss with his writing; its either the BEST THING EVER, or kind of a flop. But like I said, that's just how I feel and maybe since I've been a fan for so long, I've gotten a tad cynical.

      Probably, although I LOVED Blink and the Circle trilogy pretty much changed my life it was so fantabulous!

      I have! Somehow, Water Walker and Hacker slipped past my radar (apparently he switched publishing houses?), but ibquickly rectified that!!!

      I didn't love Eyes Wide Open, Water Walker, or even most of Outlaw (the beginning was legitimately AMAZING - the part about Stephen's mom?), but Hacker was good. The best of that series, if you ask me. Some striking resemblances to Kiss.

      Haha, yeah. Lots of older siblings = them giving me they liked edven if they weren't quite age-appropriate.:) Oh, well. I turned oiut alright. For the most part...

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    3. Ah, gotcha--sorry for the misunderstanding!

      Oh, Blink is one of the ones I haven't read yet. *needs to read all the Dekker books* The Circle series changed my life too! <3

      Yeah, those were published by a smaller house, I forget which one. Gah, now I REALLY have to read Hacker soon!

      LOL, I borrowed my dad's books, but I didn't start until I was in my early teens, I think? Haha, I'm sure you turned out awesomely. ;)

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    4. Haha, don't worry about it!

      Ohhhh... You haven't read Blink yet??? IT IS SOOO GOOD! I think you will really like it. Is it mostly his earlier ones you haven't read, then?

      Normally his books are published by WestBow, but those were published by Worthy. I have no idea why I know that off the top of my head...

      Haha, yeah, they are probably much more appropriate for teenagers than an eight year old.:)

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