OK... You can't judge a book by it's cover, right? But, with all of the positive comments that were on the book's cover it had to be good.

Actually, it was better! I literally could not put the book down. I got it just before Thanksgiving and finished it with in 3 days.

The plot is quite involved. Just when you think you have things figured out, there's a new twist. I don't want to give details of the plot as it will ruin the surprise of discovering the twists: just know they are there and that it makes for a fun read. One of the things that I liked about the main plot was it was so believeable. In fact, I heard about this book while watching the author, Joel C. Rosenberg interviewed on Hannity and Colmes. I heard Joel say that while writing the book, 9-11 hit and he had to do some adjusting to the plot due to how real his initial premise was to what had just occurred.

The characters become your friends, just as in any good book. I liked the character development, much like a Tom Clancy novel, in that the reader seems to be drawn into a world of reality that most of us only see from the outside. How do they set up security boundaries for Presidential motorcades? How do they draw information out of a suspect that may be reluctant to talk? I have wondered about that very thing while hearing of some of the information drawn out of the actual Taliban prisoners held in Cuba. How do they get these "loyal" Taliban top aides to talk? I got an idea of how it might be done in Chapter 5...

All in all this was one terrific read. If the first chapter doesn't get you hooked, then have a Urologist check out your adrenal glands. For the rest of us, lay off the caffeine. This book is a good substitute.

My only complaint: It'll take Joel C. Rosenberg at least a couple of years to pound out another book...

I don't normally read fiction, but this book has been getting so much press that I decided to explore it for myself. After the first few pages I was spell-bound -- I could hardly put the thing down! Rosenberg has a smash hit on his hands, and I, like many other readers, am eager to read a sequel.

This work could be described as a combination of a Tom Clancy novel and a Jenkins/LaHaye "Left Behind" volume. Global crises, military action, political intrigue, compelling characters, and a conservative, Christian mindset are all present in this book. The Christian aspect by no means dominates, but as a Baptist minister I quickly noticed the two or three times it surfaced and was pleasantly surprised.

Perhaps the most appealing characteristic of this fictional, future tale is its closeness to present-day reality. With the current war on terrorism, the escalation of tension between the United States and Iraq, and the development of military and communications technology, the scenario described here could very well happen.

I recommend this book very highly to anyone enjoying a good fictional read. The narrative consistently moves along at a rapid pace, never once dragging. Order it, read it, and see for yourself!

This was a very good book. The American President has declared war on terrorism with spectacular results.He has destroyed terrorist training camps and killed Osama Bin Ladin.An assassination attempt is made on the life of the President.Iraqui hit men also strike in London,France,and Saudi Arabia. In the background oil and gas have been discovered off the coast of Gaza.Throught the efforts of Jon Bennett and Erin McCoy they are trying to use this find to achieve peace.In the meantime Israeli commandos stop the Iraquis from launching a scud
missile armed with a nuclear warhead.You also have four deadly Iraqui terrorists named the four horsemen who are on a dealy mission for Saddam. The United States goes to war with Iraq with Israel anxiously waiting in the wings.All of this is leading to a nuclear confrontation in the Middle East. This is an exciting book that you will really enjoy.The ending will leave you shocked.Buy this book and read it.

the first 3/4 of the book i could do without. 3/4 of cairator development in the 6th book and very little plot development or action is a grate way to bore a reader. after the first Walter dream segment skip the rest, that never goes any were.

This series is great! The concept was creative ad well entertaining. Joel Rosenburg delightfully colors his characters with strengths and weaknesses, making them very easily to relate with.

Yet there is one major flaw I see in Mr. Rosenburg's writing of this series. EVERYONE has to sit "tailor-fashion".... Do you know how OLD this has become after re-reading this series straight through? Walter Slovotsky sits tailor-fashion on the boat, Tennetty sat tailor-fashion while sharpening her blades, even Ahira gets to sit tailor-fashion! WHAT'S UP THE TAILOR-FASHION SEATING ARRANGMENTS? This descriptions is laced through all the books like wormwood in how much it is used. It begins to detract the reader from the excellent story that is written here.

The only negative critique I have for Mr. Rosenburg is that he needs to write his characters as sitting in some other way than "tailor-fashion". He has worn holes through this term, and should not use it again.

I wonder is Ellegon gets sit tailor-fashion in The Road Home....?

Rosenberg's Guardians of the Flame series is one of my favorite fantasy tales, but this one seemed to be "just another sequel". The character development and depth that I enjoyed in the first couple of books in the series didn't seem to be there.

This theme has been played-out and such poor writing does nothing to help.

I liked this one. I hated to see Karl get killed off in the last one, but hey, that's what happens. As the saying goes, you live by the sword you die by the sword. Or in this case the sword and the gun. At any rate, I thought this "he's really not dead 'schtick'" was well-played. I would only have been disappointed if he had not really been dead. I wanted to see more of Karl, but at the same time knew that wasn't possible - he was _dead_. It would have been very easy to bring him back again as the writer can basically do whatever he wants, he can play God. But he didn't. He played it like the real world in spite of the fact that his world is filled with magical beings, etc. Karl Cullinane, for all he was extraordinary, was as mortal as anyone. I liked this one.