One-way-market

This book was extremely comforting to me after the loss of my wonderful fiancee. The way the author describes the "after life" made me feel so much better and helped to answer my never-ending question of "what is he doing?" "What can he hear, see, do, etc..." I would recommend this book to anyone who has suffered the loss of a very special person. I have several passages highlighted and look at them from time to time to get me through the rough times.

Shef is now co-king of england, and has brought peace and prosperity to his land. He is summoned to go north, and to make a great journey around the northlands. The plot thickens in this book, and builds on the first. The charachters develop even more in this book, and continue to do so in the final book of the trilogy.

I love this trilogy, from the start of book one to the end of book three, the historical aspects are pointed out in a way that fits as part of the story and they don't overthrow the plot, lending the books a very authoritative tone. The Characters are great, (Brand is one of my favorites) and there's plenty of action. What I like best about these books is that Harrison really makes you feel inside the story, the way he handles the characters attitudes towards each other and their surroundings really makes you feel like you're right with them weather it's Anglo-Saxon England, Scandinavia, The Frankish Empire, Muslum Spain or what's left of Rome. As for character development, Harrison has a great way of using the third-person point of view in a way that can convey things unknown to the characters yet at the same time the tone of the narrative is flavored with the particular character's personality, culture and view of their surroundings, helping the reader understand more fully the motives and inhibitions of the people he describes. I read these back in high school and loved them then as much I still do now.

I am not usually interested in alternate-history stories, but this one intrigued me -- and paid off. This book looks at the efforts of Shef, who has risen from slave-status to become one of the two most powerful kings in England (and an ally of the other). What does a driven man do when he reaches the top? Shef builds a mighty fleet and goes after his enemies abroad. Without intending to, he completes the legendary circuit of the Norse lands and establishes himself, after tremendous adventures and battles, as the King of the North. A new factor is introduced along the way, as the Holy Roman Church establishes an order of knights on a quest for the spear of Longinus that bears the Blood of Christ. Who has it? Shef, by accident or by destiny. This makes him an enemy of the knights and their fearsome Germanic leader, Bruno.

Another "alternate" factor thrown in to the mix is a new religion, called "The Way", which is a more organized and civilized version of old Norse mythology. As in standard Norse mythology, there is a set of gods, with each representing different aspects of life and with internal strife between the gods. What "The Way" adds is the idea that Man's role in life is to find his greatest talents and to dedicate himself to his patron god by mastering the talent that god represents, adding something to it, and teaching others. This new religion also does not see itself as being necessarily in conflict with any other religion, and follows a belief in freedom of choice. Shef follows a little-known god, who is the patron of knowledge and invention.

All of this might sound somewhat dry and esoteric to some. However, the religious factors is woven into a rousing, well-written adventure tale featuring lots of battles, alliances, treachery, a little romance, and very interesting settings. I have read this book several times, and expect to read it again.

Rosenberg starts another 'dual' series here, but with enough of a different spin than the Guardians of the Flame saga that it doesn't feel like he's done it all before. I'm always impressed with the way he gives the reader insight into the history of his characters without being overwhelming. A great mixture of action and insight, the 'what' and the 'why' of what's going on in the story.

And as usual with Rosenberg, the story is excellent. Thorian the Younger and Ian Silverstein are both worthy young heroes, and happily enough carry some baggage with them that actually affects them both positively and negatively throughout the story.

The Keepers series, in my estimation, doesn't quite measure up to _D'Shai_ and _Hour of the Octopus_, but it's definitely in the same ballpark. Solid, entertaining writing, definitely recommended for fans of Rosenberg or fantasy in general.

Rosenberg does an excellent job wafting us right into his interesting "otherworld" where fertility godesses live in their retirement and Odin runs a ferry. He identifies a little too much with Ian, I think, and spends just a little too much time on small details, but then again the details add to the richness of the setting, so long as they don't bog you down. All in all, an excellent read, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the books in the series. I hope he can keep up the freshness of the ideas and vitality of the characters better in this series than he did in Guardians of the Flame.

A trip home from college with friends turns into a nightmare with attacking werewolves and a journey to a mythical land..Once again Joel Rosenberg creates characters that you feel you know right down to their soul..Once you read this one you'll have to have the next 2 in the series & they won't dissapoint you..

I am troubled by several scriptural interpretations presented by the author of this book. In particular, I am troubled by Adams' attempt to explain away Jesus' prayer of asking God the Father to forgive the soldiers who crucified him (as found in Luke 23:32-34) as a prayer for the Jewish religious leaders who were responsible for having him crucified.

Adams tries to explain that Jesus' prayer was answered by God the Father subsequently when thousands of Jews came to the Lord via Peter's preaching as documented in Acts 2:37-38, 3:17-19, and 4:4 (see page 29).

However, it is my opinion that Adams is misapplying the prayer that Jesus made concerning the soldiers who had nothing to do with the Jewish religious leaders to the Jews' subsequent salvation as documented in the above cited Acts passages. What took place on the cross was Jesus asking God to forgive the soldiers for carrying out the orders of crucifying Jesus. Furthermore, it can be argued that Jesus was also asking for forgiveness for the soldiers' subsequent cruel, humiliating, and selfish actions of dividing up and casting lots for his clothing.

It is my opinion that Jesus was not praying for the Jewish religious leaders to be forgiven for their actions since they knew exactly what they were doing-they were making sure that Jesus was to be put to death. There is simply no connection between the soldiers and the Jewish religious leaders and thus no prayer of salvation for the Jews by Jesus. Therefore, there is no justification for Adams' interpretation of the passage.

Adams' premise that God's forgiveness is conditional is not supported by his misinterpretation of the Lukan passage of scripture. It is not that God's forgiveness is conditional on God's part. Rather, it is conditional on our part in accepting the forgiveness that is unconditionally offered by God to all of us. It is our free will that determines for each of us how we are to respond to God and God's offer of reconciliation to us.

It is by way of Jesus' actions of asking forgiveness for these men that Jesus sets the standard for all of us regarding our extending unilateral forgiveness toward another who has hurt or in any way victimize us. It is up to us to follow this example and implement it in our relationships with regard to those who victimize us. While our human limitations prevent us from ever attaining this level of forgiveness that Jesus inspires us to work toward, it is still the ultimate example that we are challenged to emulate.

It is by way of Jesus' ultimate example that I understand God's forgiveness to be the ultimate on a continuum various levels of forgiveness. Also on the continuum are bilateral forgiveness (where the victim states that he or she will forgive the perpetrator if the perpetrator asks for the forgiveness), psuedo forgiveness (where the victim says that he or she has forgiven but continues to ruminate the events involved in the victim-perpetrator relationship), and premature forgiveness (when a victim extends forgiveness to the perpetrator before the victim is psychologically ready to do so.

It is primarily because of this misinterpretation of the Lukan passage of scripture that Adams poffers that I have great difficulty in recommending this book as a serious scholarly work on God's forgiveness.

Having just finished reading this helpful work on forgiveness, I can attest that it clarifies many difficulties that modernity has caused in viewing the problems of sin, personal offenses, and reconciliation. I certainly did not agree with everything he wrote--he distinguishes punishment of sin from ongoing consequences in a way I don't believe the Bible teaches--but overall he has written a very straightforward, helpful book. The chapters are brief, the language is easily understood, and his thoughts progress in a logical fashion. Recommended.

God forgives us conditionally, upon our repentance. God does not hold us to a higher standard than he holds himself. We forgive others in the same way God forgives us.

The authors do a fine job of discussing the many questions raised in our minds about forgiveness, and they look at the whole of Scripture to find answers. Unlike some books based more on pop psychology, this book is true to the Word. God's way is a lot more freeing than the "pretend you've forgiven when you haven't in the name of love" approach often advocated today. The best book I've found on forgiveness.

As a pastor of 22 years, I have preached and counseled these principles. Guilty consciences have been relieved and offenders have truly repented and became willing to re-establish credibility. American evangelicalism needs this book! A must for anyone who ministers to people--including dedicated laymen.