Book Review: Desecration - The Anti-Christ Takes the Throne by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LeHaye (Left Behind #9)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A solid plot that keep me turning pages

Cons: Weak characters and writing style

The Bottom Line:

One of better books

Strong plot but weak characters

Makes for a fast read

As the Tribulation Continues....

Desecration is the ninth entry in the best selling Left Behind series. The series is written based on a pre-tribulation interpretation of the Bible.

By this point in the series, those who were left behind when the rapture of Christians happened are more then half way through this climatic time in history. They are divided into two camps. Many follow Nicolae Carpathia, the evil anti-Christ. But some have turned to Jesus Christ. Those leading the believers are known as the Tribulation Force. All of them are in the middle of Bible prophecy and just trying to survive until Christ returns.

Buck and Chaim have gone to Jerusalem to lead believing Jews to the refuge God has prepared for them for the rest of the Tribulation. But to do that, they must face Nicolae as he plans to defile the temple. Rayford, the pilot of the group, must carry out the plans to ferry these Christians to their refuge, placing himself and many others in danger along the way. Chang has to deal with the ramifications of having both the mark of God and the mark of the beast. And Chloe investigates a strange site near the safe house, which leads to great danger for everyone in the Trib Force. Meanwhile, God starts to unleash his wrath on those who have taken the mark of the beast.

People seem to be divided by these books, either loving them or hating them. Personally, I enjoy the story while finding the writing and character development shallow. The characters are hardly two dimensional at best, and I've read kid's series that were better written then these books. Still, for fans of the series, this book is a must read. It's fast paced, with many jaw-dropping scenes, and I couldn't put it down. The cliffhanger at the end is the worst of the series to date.

If you aren't already a fan of these books, there's nothing here to change your mind. If you're already a fan, Desecration will entertain you and leave you anxious for the next.