On-the-print

It is advisable to read 'Wilt' before 'Wilt on High' since it is more or less a sequel. Besides 'Wilt' is a much better read - a classic.

While Wilt is oblivious to the fact that he is a suspect, the police department assigns an overachiever inspector to solve the case, who in its eagerness to catch who he believes is the biggest drug pusher in the county. Logically, Wilt will continue with is everyday life, that for some unknown reason refuses to be calm and quiet as he would like, forcing him to act in an awkward manner. The police inspector puzzled by his behavior ends up breaching every possible law of privacy with the most hilarious results a reader can expect.

If you've read books 1 through 9, it's unlikely this review will sway you. You're hooked. Gotta read the latest. Like me.

Number 10 was a little slower than the best of the series. I'm spoiled. I want more dramatic miracles. More action! More angels vs. bad guys!! More drama!

On page 221, Remnant reads, " There were victims to grieve, martyrs to parise, and much work ahead...He was willing to hang in and work in his office during the day, doing his real work after hours, for as long as God chose to protect him." This pretty much sums up the content and the pace of this book.

Knowing how the story ends, there is a lot more ahead. I'm ready for the end; of the world and of this series.

(In retrospect, I think what threw me most about book 9 was its sudden expansion from four to five principle viewpoint characters -- Rayford, Buck, David, Leah, Tsion -- to well over a dozen. But that may be just because I'm a picky reader and I want everything to be perfectly consistent. ...)

But I have to give a full five stars to The Remnant. Somebody, perhaps the archangel Michael, must have gotten to the author(s) and voiced all of my same concerns about the series' declining literary quality. ...

In The Remnant, the cast of viewpoint characters grows even more, and half of the thing is devoted to the (attempted) rescue of one believer hostage. But still, everything is much better.

Of course, the book does begin somewhat predictably. After all, if all these millions of people are trapped in the canyon-walled ancient city with no hope at all, no way out except by a miracle, what do you think is going to happen? Probably a miracle. Noteworthy, though, to "secular" readers: don't think the authors "cheat" with miracles. This book has more of the miraculous than any of the previous -- and yet it seems to stay plausible!

But my major beefs about the series' preceding novel are all but eradicated. The characters act differently, and seem to speak in different ways. They don't all sound like the author this time -- and now they aren't as handy with awesome comebacks during stressful apocalyptic situations, such as being at gunpoint.

The Global Community forces, especially Leon Fortunato, are not buffoons -- now they've received intelligence injections, they're big and scary, formidable foes.

When things happen, they're described! Finally, we "see" the oceans/blood from the air. When freshwater rivers turn to blood, we see them ... we know what people are wearing, what their hair and skin looks like ... we "feel" the heat from the scorching Fourth Vial Judgment. The author(s) actually use italics, capital letters -- the narrative gets excited about things. When people die, you feel the hurt this time.

So way to go, authors. And readers, get this book -- if you put down Desecration halfway through, don't continue to be disillusioned: just retrieve it and finish it quickly, then pick up The Remnant and prepare to be pleasantly amazed. As far as I'm concerned, the series has now redeemed itself -- and it deserves its popularity.

I found this to be a very slow book. The characters were not well developed. Cotton's attraction to Jane seems to come out of the blue. Also, I had difficulties following the leads in the beginning. They were very technical.

The political intrigue did not get interesting until about 1/2 to 2/3 way through the book. One issue covered in the book is how much political corruption, stealing of public funds, etc. is allowable if it serves the purpose of getting or keeping the "better" politician in office.

Tony Hillerman's books set on the Navajo reservation are better. The characters are much more well developed in those books.

One of the most wonderful features of a Laurens' novel is the way the main characters come to life against the background of the supporting characters. Here a few of the names of the Cynster clan are tossed about, and the Ashford family members are mentioned, but you don't really "see" these people. Perhaps the only supporting character to have a true role in the story is the hero's mother. But even then, Laurens tells you the Luc feels compelled to keep his mother apprised of his plans, she immediately senses his budding love for Amelia, and yet you know nothing more about her, her relationship with Luc, etc.

Another disappointment was the brief glimpse at Devil and Honoria, the two main characters that set off the Cynster series. It was touching to see their relationship still evolving, but handled rather unfulfillingly.

I wouldn't have missed this novel since I'm an avid fan of the series, but for those picking up a Laurens novel for the first time, please go back a read some of her earlier works. They are true delights, this is only a hint of what can be.