| Showdown (Paradise Series, Book 1) (The Books of History Chronicles) | 
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Avg. Customer Rating:   (based on 72 reviews)
Sales Rank: 9621
Category: Book
Author: Ted Dekker
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Studio: Thomas Nelson
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
Label: Thomas Nelson
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 496
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.6
ISBN: 1595542302
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN: 9781595542304
ASIN: 1595542302
Publication Date: April 10, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Welcome to Paradise.
Epic battles of good and evil are happening all around us.
Today that battle comes to town with the sound of lone footsteps clacking down the blacktop on a hot, lazy summer afternoon. The black-cloaked man arrives in the sleepy town of Paradise and manages to become the talk of the town within the hour. Bearing the power to grant any unfulfilled dream, he is irresistible.
Seems like bliss . . . but is it?
Or is hell about to break loose in Paradise?
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| Customer Reviews: Read 67 more reviews...
 A Good "Prequel" July 26, 2008
What I appreciated mostly about this book is the answers to questions raised in some of the other books. The story does grab you and keeps you engaged, but I kept feeling sorry for the characters who didn't understand what was being done to them. It does have some very interesting twists and it definitely keeps you guessing, but I felt there needed to be some sort of explanation or resolution given to the citizens of Paradise part of the story at the conclusion. The monastary side of the story was very good and gave insights to things in other Ted Dekker books. So if you are a Ted Dekker fan, this is a must read as it fits in with several of his other books.
 Absolutly Brilliant. May 30, 2008
Ted Dekker has a big three when it comes to his books; a host of good to great books, and handful of bad ones, but only three books which should always be remembered. Those big three are Thr3e (what a surprise), Black/Red/White (The Circle Trilogy 1-3) and this novel right here, Showdown. In anticipation for Dekkers next Novel, Sinner: The Books of History Chronicles, I decided to re-read this book so that I can familiarize myself with its main characters and themes so that I may better understand Sinner. The allegory of Dekkers earlier years shines through with this brilliant novel.
Johnny lives in a small Colorado town called Paradise, nestled in a little valley in the Rocky Mountains. Life is dull and mundane for the most part until a mysterious stranger walks into town garbed in black and bringing a message of hope and grace. His name is Black, Marsuvees Black, and he is no ordinary travailing preacher. Johnny knows that he's dangerous, but can't convince anyone in town. Meanwhile in a monastery far above the town thirty children are being raised in isolation as part of a project funded by Harvard called "Project Showdown" which is designed to raise children outside the influences of society in order to raise "noble savages" who may one day change the world for love. Unfortunately one of the students has decided to disobey the rules of the monastery by going into the forbidden dungeons.
Yes, I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, it's great. The story takes one huge twist after another until reality itself is called into question, and everything you know about love and hope will change. If I were to be picky I guess I could call into question some of Dekkers philosophical views about love and free will and liberty, but the very fact that I can nit pick at these ideas is what makes this book so enthralling. This is a must read book for any Dekker fan, and for all those who simply wish to have a good read.
PS; it might be best to read the Circle Trilogy first as it will defiantly make the book more enjoyable, and easier to understand.
Re-read value; High.
Showdown May 20, 2008
"The sound of his boots crunching into the gravel carried across the blacktop while the man who wore them was still a shimmering black figure approaching the sign that read Welcome to Paradise, Colorado. Population 450"
A mysterious man, named Marsuvees Black whom calls himself preacher, comes to a little town called Paradise saying that he has come to save them and is offering "hope and grace". Little does this small town know that this "preacher" is going to turn their small world upside-down.
Meanwhile in the monastery that overlooks the town a boy named Billy is venturing down into the forbidden dungeons. He is met down there by a mysterious masked man whom encourages him to write. There are also giant worms covering all of the walls. Billy decides that he likes the lower levels and thinks that there is nothing wrong with being in them so he convinces his friend Darcy to come with him. Both of them think that the lower levels are harmless and they challenge the leaders of the monastery on the rules that forbid them from going there. The leaders decide that they should hold a debate. So Billy and another one of the students debate whether they should keep the rule or not. The choice was then up to the students after the debate and they decide that they should be allowed to go into the lower levels.
While all of this was going on at the monastery Paradise is falling apart at the seams. People are going crazy, seeing things, and having crazy dreams, the entire town is being engulfed by black clouds, and this mysterious man is still preaching about the hope and grace that he has to offer. All of the people of the town say that he is a good man except for Johnny. Johnny is confused he isn't sure if Black is there to help or if he is causing all of the problems, but he is becoming more and more suspicious everyday.
I thought that this was a good book for anyone that likes a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. It may get confusing at parts but at the end it all becomes clear. I think this book should be read because it is a unique book but yet it still has a classic good vs. evil in it. Also this book is very hard to put down, once I started reading it I didn't want to stop. It had a lot of surprises and action in it and that made it very interesting.
By: Tiffany Depuy
Mrs.Bain
9th grade
Showdown-Ted Dekker May 18, 2008
I wasn't quite sure about this audio book when I started listening but Ted Dekker has a way of getting you wrapped up in anticipation for what will happen next.
Excellent delivery time, it came way before the delivery date.
Another intriguing book from the wild imagination of Ted Dekker April 9, 2008
I first was introduced to Ted Dekker's writing with "Blink", and soon followed that up with the Circle Trilogy. I was almost immediately hooked. When I heard that there was a book which gave more information about things in the Circle trilogy, I immediately knew I wanted it. And so I bought "Showdown" and "Saint", books 1 and 2 in the Paradise Series.
After reading "Showdown", I am definitely not disappointed. Ted has a manner of writing that few people can dislike. His main put-off would probably be his strange story lines, but I personally enjoy them. Plus, Ted has a way of convincing you to believe his story lines, partly by having the characters in his story stuggling to accept it themselves. As Ted's character(s) become convinced about the happenings, so do you, the reader.
In "Showdown", Ted has a way of pulling you along and keeping you guessing throughout the story. He gives you just enough information to keep you reading and to keep you guessing about certain parts of the story. Then, when you finally think you understand what is going on, he shows you that you are wrong, but usually he still does not tell you exactly what is going on. He sprinkled plenty of surprises into the story, yet saved the best surprises for last. At the same time, some of the most predictable and somewhat sappy parts were also near the end. I personally thought that the part about the second Book entry gave "Showdown" too much of a "everything is good in the end" feel. At the same time, without that addition, there could not have been the spiritual parallel from Samuel's fate.
Also, I have a small problem with Billy's entry in the Book about Thomas Hunter. How could it have been entered in the Book after the story in the Circle Trilogy and yet still cause that story? Apparently Ted wants us to believe that the Books themselves can change the history found in them. In some ways, this seems like just a poor attempt to explain the mystery of Thomas in the Black Forest (the Circle Trilogy story), but in other ways it sounds reasonable. I will let you decide for yourself.
Overall, I definitely enjoyed this book. It fulfilled its purpose by explaining a few thing from the Circle Trilogy, plus it is a very good read. I found it to be a very interesting read and hard to put down. I would definitely recommend this book, however I would also recommend that you read the Circle Trilogy first. However, if you do this, I have to warn you that you might become hooked on Ted Dekker's writing. I certainly did. Read and enjoy.
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