Jim's Fields of Observation

[Disclosure: I received from Thomas Nelson a free copy of this book for the sole purpose of providing an accurate and unbiased review.]

In 2004, Ted Dekker completed an unusual feat when he released Black, Red, and White. The tag line was “Three novels. Two Worlds. One story.” The Circle Trilogy, as it came to be known as, cemented Dekker as my favorite author. Now, he’s pushed the boundaries again. While Black, Red, and White really ought to be read in that order, Dekker wrote Green to function as “Book Zero”, turning the Circle Trilogy into a real circle.

From Thomas Nelson’s site:

“…Green brings full meaning to the Circle Series as a whole, reading as both prequel to Black and sequel to White, completing a full circle. This is Book Zero, the Circle Reborn, both the beginning and the end. The preferred starting point for new readers … and the perfect climax for the countless fans who’ve experienced Black, Red, and White.”

Does he pull it off? How well does Green work as the linchpin for this series? Your answer to that will depend on how much you want things to make sense. I was constantly checking new information against what I remember from reading the Circle Trilogy as well as Showdown and Saint (from the spin-off Paradise series). There are more books (the six-volume Lost Books series and Sinner) that, as I understand it, would really help someone get the full appreciation of the story. Or maybe if Green was your very first foray into this literary universe that would be better, too.

I recommend you make it an all-or-nothing experience. In my opinion, it doesn’t work well as an in-between type of novel. Otherwise, you know enough for certain details to make sense but not enough to grasp the whole story.