Author: Ted Dekker
All of the engaging elements from Black and Red are present here--exciting battles, astounding symbolism, emotional upheavals, dramatic encounters with the enemy--but a different tone is in the air. As positive readers, we assume the battles will be won; we want them to be won. But the momentum seems to be in the other direction, toward a gruesome loss. Thomas strains to do the right thing, his faith in Justin (Dekker�s type of Jesus) severely tested, something many of us can empathize with. As his faith grows, we discover along with him that God�s solution to their predicament is not victorious destruction of their enemy, for their enemy is loved by Him as well; rather the victory He has in mind is less predictable: free redemption for those who choose it, beginning with one act of insanely sacrificial love.
During the first pages of White, it is hard to imagine how Dekker will weave his trademark romance into this third book; yet he does so masterfully, almost catching the reader off guard with his sense of emotional and verbal nuance. One can�t help but wonder when he will write a nonfiction work addressing romance and the nature of marriage! I found the romantic/redemptive aspect of White even more compelling and touching than that of the first two books--Dekker does an excellent job of conveying Thomas� awareness of being carried along in someone else�s plan, and he takes us on the same trip, all the way to the revelations at the end which are simultaneously shocking and profoundly moving.
I finished White with a fervent desire for the story to not be over. This series is a tremendous accomplishment, and its intricacy and rich characters raise Ted Dekker to a level above most of his peers. And while he brings his Circle Trilogy to a highly satisfying conclusion, I find myself hoping he may someday pick up the pen to share more of Thomas Hunter�s two worlds with us.