The Sanctuary, by Ted Dekker

Those of you who know me know that I've been a Dekker fan for almost a decade, since right after he wrote When Heaven Weeps, and I discovered his magical ability to write about God's love and His redemptive story for mankind in a more unique way than I had ever seen before.

Over the years, his message has not changed, although he crafts both fantasy and suspense in different ways to suit his purpose. His latest offerings have been amazing, including the co-written Books of Mortals series. The precursor to The Sanctuary was The Priest's Graveyard, which introduces and develops the main characters in both books, Danny and Renee.

I feel like I always say this, or at least many times say this, but this book is one of my very favorites of Ted's. It's got everything in spades--great characters, thoughtful themes, sacrificial love, fast plot, twists and turns, surprise ending, and everything else you come to expect from Dekker. I finished reading it weeks ago and I'm still raving about it, still thinking about it. You will, too.

I won't rehash the plot here. You can read about that on Amazon or somewhere else. Here are some good reviews from my friends at Fiction Addict. I tend to agree more with Josh's review, because I didn't think the book was too violent or graphic, like Lori did (I reserve that opinion for some of Steven James' books.) Hands down, the book is nothing short of fantastic and I bid a fond farewell to Danny and Renee (At least I think I do--I don't know of any plans to bring them back.). Kudos, Ted.