Soon

The Beginning of the End

By: Jerry Jenkins

Narrated by: Steve Sever

Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's Summary

In the aftermath of World War III, world leaders resolve as never before to eliminate war. The global conflict killed millions and wiped out entire countries. All nations agree to eradicate the most serious threat to world peace: religion.

Paul Stepola is a leader in the world's backlash against religious extremists. As an agent for the National Peace Organization, Paul relishes his job. It's not enough that the law has forced religion underground. With unlimited resources, Paul is determined to expose religious zealots, flush them out and destroy them.

His quest leads him to startling revelations, supernatural events he can't explain. The religious underground call them miracles. Paul calls them conspiracies. Until one hits close to home, and Paul can no longer deny the truth.

©2003 Jerry Jenkins (P)2003 Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Enjoyable Book

This starts with 9/11 and goes from there. There is a modern day Paul and God has just performed a miracle for the whole world to see. I enjoyed it and look forward to the others in the series.

Exciting

Having completed the entire "Left Behind" series, I expected this to a rewrite of the same material. It was not. I was impressed and intrigued by the plot line and the characters. I found it exciting. It held my interest to the end and left me eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

Exciting fiction

I could hardly put down my iPod while listening to this book. There is great action. I enjoyed the book very much. The ending did leave me on edge, and I wish it had wrapped things up a little better. Warning: If you listen to this, you'll have to get the 2nd book "Silenced". I don't think there is a 3rd book in this trilogy yet.

Not your usual Left Behind

Better than I expected, not "hokie" like some of the content in the Left Behind series. The story moves along at a fast enough pace to keep you interested and yet is not over done. I look forward to the next installment.

nonsense

I gave this book a two star rating because I must save one star ratings for books I cannot finish. The book starts out OK with the hero killing religious zealots that have been deemed illegal by society after religion was blamed for WW3. Then the book goes downhill when he converts to a zealot himself and starts believing the nonsense. Just turns silly.

Corny

I tried to listen to "SOON" after having enjoyed the 'left behind' series. But I must confess that this novel failed to grab me. The narrator's narration was uninspired, the characterization (yet another womanizing chump ala "Rayford), left me cold, and the parallels to the life of apostle Paul were tedious. I also grew bored with the 'persecution of poor widdle innocent Christians' which seems to be the single note played over and over in the 'end times fiction.' Somehow I seriously doubt you'll get Christians to give up God quite so easily, and I don't see the world capital moving to Switzerland anytime soon.

1 star. Silly.

Poorly written, poorly read - a poor overall value

My assessment concerns the content and style of the audiobook on the one hand, and the delivery style of the narrator (reader). First, the content of this audiobook was uninspiring and, in some portions, downright boring; by the second half of the audiobook I could barely wait to finish, not out of suspense but just to finally get to the conclusion. (Incidentally, the "conclusion" - not sure I would call it that - was a real yawner.) The overall premise of the book could have lent itself to many different fascinating plots - but, sadly, did not. Moreover, the writing style was too rigid to keep me interested. It did not appear to be written to capture my attention or imagination. Finally, the narrator (reader) had the worst style I have ever heard on an audiobook - as if a robot had read it. Each sentence sounded like the previous one, regardless of what was happening. The natural ups and downs of sentences, narratives, descriptions and dialogues were simply missing. In fact, the reading style of the narrator turned a mediocre book into a painful book to listen to. My advice: save your money (or credits) for a more worthwhile book.

Christian transition was too "Soon"

I enjoyed it! My only issue was the transformation made to Christianity. It was too clean and was with too intense knowledge in the short span of time.

Good story, terrible narrator.

Such a pity that I had to return this book after the first chapter, but the narrators monotous tone was driving me insane. Rather just purchase the book and read it yourself.

Good book

This book was riveting I like the authors development of a modern day Paul. The book was exciting and held my interst well I was impressed and intrigued by the plot line and the character interaction.