Clear as the Moon

The Great and Terrible #6

by Chris Stewart

The nuclear explosion over Washington D.C. and the subsequent EMP attack have left a decapitated government and 300 million helpless citizens. In the ensuing chaos, a dark and powerful cartel steps forward to claim power. The Constitution of the United States hangs in the balance as the eternal struggle between good and evil spreads through the government. After Sara Brighton agrees to help a shadow government rise to power, Sara and Bono are sent on the most dangerous military mission of their lives. Azadeh agrees to guide them through the mountains of Iran as they seek for the key that could save the world. Struggling against overwhelming odds, they realize the most important lesson of their Faith is the only thing that matters as the final day draws near.

Genres: Fiction, Lds Fiction, Religion, Lds, Christian Fiction, Church, Historical Fiction

352 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Chris Stewart is a bestselling author and world-record-setting Air Force pilot whose previous military techno-thrillers have been selected by the Book of the Month Club and published in six different countries. He is the author of the highly acclaimed series The Great and Terrible, as well as A Christmas Bell for Anya, which was performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during their 2005 Christmas concert. He has also been a guest editorialist for the Detroit News, commenting on matters of military readiness and national security. He is president of The Shipley Group, a nationally recognized consulting and training company and founder of the Utah Renaissance and Leadership Center.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The final book in this LDS fiction series. The author seemed rushed and bit lazy in this one. He leaves out many sceens that would be difficult to write--letting the action play out "behind the scenes." There are also some big holes. If you read this, I recommend doing it quickly. Don't give yourself time to think and analyze along the way, or things will start to break down. . . .

This series is not great literature by any stretch of the imagination. However, I would still recommend reading it for the way in which it makes you evaluate how you think about certain things--events in the last days, influences (both good and evil) outside of this world, etc.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not happy with the way things were left unresolved, like what is going to happen with Luke and Ammon and VERY disappointed with the development of Sam and Azedah's relationship!!! All of a sudden they are just together and you never get to see it happen! Things just seemed to come to an end a little too quickly!

[Heather Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very exciting, suspenseful page-turner. Written well and not as disturbing as many of the earlier books of this series. Delving into the depths of the lives of both the very righteous and very wicked, this book is motivating to choose the right way.

***The following paragraph contains a tiny bit of potential Spoilers**** but not the paragraph after that.
I had expected this series to end with the coming of Christ or even beyond that since it began in the premortal life. So I was disappointed that it didn’t wrap up the end of the world but simple got us closer towards it. Therefore I think there should definitely be more to the series. I would like to see all the signs take place. I would like to imagine life during the millennium through eyes of individuals. I would like it to eventually go all the way through judgment day, the resurrection of the dead and living in the 3 degrees of glory. Granted, these would be hard to write about, having to take some liberties and wouldn’t be as exciting to read (as was the first book of the series) but I would read it.

So, if the author wants to keep his series as popular as it is, he probably shouldn’t go on. But I would think it would be awesome. It is so essential to faith that we know where we are going after this life. Bringing characters we love into the scene, experiencing with them the parts of the plan that seem so distant and sometimes abstract would aid us in our search for truth and meaning in this life. It would give us a better eternal perspective. Truly eternal perspective is a gift from God that can only be given to us from the spirit, but reading such a story might ignite the desire to know more and seek that perspective from God.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of books 3-6:
This is one long continuous story in these final books. While each book does have a climactic ending, you definitely don't get a feeling of resolution until book 6. Sometimes the author's attention to detail can be maddening and slow the pace. But at the same time, the details are what makes the story rich and believable. I love how he would show angels from both sides working on mortals. I would have preferred more from the Light, but the dark angels give a good picture of how men can behave as they sometimes do, and give insight into our own internal battles.
The political and military battles felt like watching the TV show 24 at times. So intense and yet frighteningly believable (especially in today's world). Definitely recommend if you like entertainment and insight at the same time!

[Lisa Wheeler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't comment on every book in this series. I read them last year, but just joined goodreads. I loved this entire series and couldn't put them down until I had read the next one. I recently met Chris Stewart at Time Out For Women in Ogden Utah. He is an incredible author and person. Very intelligent and knowledgeable about current affairs. He is going to be writing more having to do with this series my friends. We all thought it was over, but not so. That is coming straight from him.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVE this series, and I wish I could say the same for this book. The whole thing felt like "Oh, this is the last book so I have to wrap everything up and do it fast." Very little character development, and a lot of skipping over events that would have been very important to that. And it took three chapters to get to the storyline with the main characters. Once it did get there, it was better.

One of the things I love about Chris Stewart is his knowledge of the technical aspects of the military, etc. But this time, it seemed like it was a crutch to lean on to avoid "uncomfortable" character events. There would be several paragraphs on the detailed technical and mechanical information on equipment or procedure, and a few sentences about what the character actually did with it. I felt this just bogged it down, and I skimmed a lot of paragraphs because of it.

For instance, Luke and Ammon decide they're going to answer the call to go to Jackson County. They are perhaps not THE main characters, but they're important, and all we get is that they arrived after 3 weeks of struggle and hunger. Well, what happened? And the entire Jackson County experience is only a couple paragraphs. The next time we see them is at a funeral later in the book, with no explanation of how they got there or what they have been doing in the mean time. There are other examples, but I don't want to give away the plot, etc.

Overall, I wish I could give this a higher rating. I had high hopes for this book, especially being the last in the series. Instead, I feel unfulfilled and slightly gypped. Sorry.

I still recommend reading it to tie up loose ends left by the last book, but if you're hoping for major character development and learning events, then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good conclusion to a well-crafted plot over these six novels, but the writing style is ruinous, as are the characterizations. Most disturbing is the main characters' fluctuations of personality -- few are consistent enough to remain recognizable from the others. A person who is standing defiantly against evil one minute will the next minute be sitting despairingly on the ground staring blankly into space. It just really was annoying. But the military stuff was very well done, so if you're into that -- enjoy.

[Jennifer Riding]

Just finished this series. What a RIDE! There are parts I strongly disliked and parts I loved. If you’re considering reading it, text me and I’ll tell you if you’ll like it. Glad for the concepts I’ve been thinking about because I read this series.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the end of a series of 6 books. They relate to today with corruption around the world, and those who have all the money they that want but now want all the power. It tells of Satan and his followers whispering to us all, promising great power, wealth and happiness. There are those in the story who stay true to who they were in the pre-existence. Those who fought on the side of light, free agency and who still believe in these things. They are the ones who listen to the whisperings of the angels who are on the Lords side. This relates so much to us today. It makes me want to push away any thought that may be there from one of satans angels trying to pull me down or discourage me, and become more in tune with that which is from the Lord.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, the last book in the Great and Terrible series! I loved it. It wasn't without its faults, but I thought it was among the best of the series, and where the other books ended with cliffhangers, this one finally gave closure. It was riveting, compelling, satisfying. I even cried, dang it. I hate it when a book does that. It is very much a sequel, however. It can stand on its own, but without knowing the backstory of the characters, the reader might find it hard to follow.

I recommend this entire series. If you are cynical about the quality of LDS fiction (as I am), this might change your mind.

[Max Skidmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series of books for many reasons. The author's description of the nuclear attacks was compelling and the aftermath of the EMP was very thought provoking. Makes me want to get a VERY generous supply of iodine tablets to purify water if needed. The interaction between the forces on either side of the veil of mortality was well done. The series didn't finish with the end of the world but it was close to the edge. Reminds me of what I used to tell friends: "I grew up in Mud Lake, Idaho. It's not the end of the world.....but you CAN see it from there." Seems the author left himself options for a sequel?

[Lacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great series! It really made me think about a lot of things, and while I realize it was fictional I appreciate the authors ideas of what may be going on around us daily that we can't see with our mortal eyes. The series is incredibly intense, so much so that I had to take a year and a half break half way through. Very glad I finished it though. First book in the series is completely different than the rest, so if you don't like it, it's still worth sticking it out through book two before deciding whether or not to complete the series.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the final book in this great series. I am sad to see it end but I really felt like it gave you enough that you could see what was coming. As a whole I felt that this series was very valuable and well worth reading!

[Jelina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Did chris get tired of writing? I loved the series but this book left a lot of story lines from precious books completely unresolved and open. Why put them in there in the first place?

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awesome series! It really made me think, and I loved all the characters. I'm kind of bummed to be done.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series, but there are a few things that I wish we had more of ..

-I wanted to see more of Azadeh (Elizabeth) in the series... Throughout she's still scared, doesn't understand (and understandably so!), hides in the back, but I wish we had more of her growth, learning about Christ and growing her faith.

-Do she and Sam get together? the epilogue has her mention the hope of for future children, but we get nothing on this

-Does she ever get her $12 million that Pari left her?

-Does the UN apologize/ express shock or something upon knowing neither Israel nor the USA had any hand in the big attacks? Or horror about how bad the USA was hit? How did they react / did they invite the USA back?

-Can the government actually rebuild such a large country, recover from so many gangs, with nearly all of Congress dead? Or maybe we could have a scene at the end showing how they began / their plans? Do they have the counties / states run things for a while until they can elect new state representatives, etc? Or

- Did the Saudi boy king ever go home, or will he be raised in the USA?

-Also. The beginning of the series starts with the scene at the gravesite (though you don't know who it's for at the time), from the perspective of one of the soldiers. He sees the peace of the family along with their sorrow and wonders at it, then is curious about the idea of dedicating the grave. Nice opportunity for someone to be curious about the family's faith, right? Nope. But the scene is repeated at the end, last chapter. We could see mourning but also faith that they'll be together in the next life, right? yeah .. until the epilogue when he's actually fine and they send a rescue mission .. what?? In enemy territory, with dozens of bad guys, he's shot through the chest, falls from the flying helicopter, and they see him getting beaten as they fly away (didn't want to leave him but the mission was vital and well, see above details)... but he survives well enough from a chest wound that he's still alive six months later?? I don't think so. Plus I feel like that just undoes the previous scene of coming to terms with his loss/ trusting God. Of course I loved his character, but I think the story-line would have been better if he'd died but they recovered his body.

- There's also a few instances of foreshadowing that never follow through. When Luke breaks up with whats-her-name so that he can go on a mission, it says something like "it would be a long time before they would see each other again, and they would both be very different people". Or Azadeh leaving her village and thinking she would never be back, but "she didn't know it, but she would" or something. But we don't see either of those happen

I know it wasn't intended to tie everything up nicely, because really the end is just them starting the rebuilding process, but a little more closure would be nice. Maybe a scene of people rebuilding, the soldier at the gravesite asking a question, Azadeh getting baptized would have been a beautiful scene.

[Carol Jones-Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

"We have this one chance,” Brucius told Sam. “If you can get him, if you can locate and extricate King Abdullah, then we can punish him. Justice will be served. We could stop the final world war. Find him, we'll try him and hang him. Don't, and we'll have to retaliate.”

The United States, stunned by the nuclear detonation in Washington, D.C., and further crippled by the EMP attack on the whole country, is on the brink of destruction. The unscrupulous leaders who have banded together to toss out the Constitution and divide the ruling of the world between themselves have all but achieved their objective.

But they haven't factored in one thing. They haven't considered the chance, however slight, that good people remain who will continue standing up for what they believe in. A daring plot to reinstate Brucius Marino to his rightful position as president of the United States, with an even more audacious plan to bring King Abdullah to justice — everything hinges on the courage and skill of Sara and Sam Brighton and their friends. The thrilling conclusion to The Great and Terrible series will keep you riveted to the very end!

I just finished a marathon listening of Chris Stewart's "The Great and Terrible" series and I must say that I have rarely been as profoundly moved by a novel. The best literature, films, and stories are the ones that make us reexamine our own circumstances, motives, and souls and encourage us to consider what we would do if confronted with the same challenges. I found myself taking stock of my own life and state of preparedness and mentally rehearsing what I would do if faced with such dire circumstances.

This series grabbed my attention from the beginning of "The Brothers" (who isn't curious about the pre-existence?) and held it until the final epilogue in "Clear as the Moon". Stewart's compelling story has prompted me to see my husband and family differently and more compassionately than I did before as I consider the nature of their character before coming to earth, and what kind of person I was before coming here. I've even started formulating plans to help organize the homeowners in my subdivision in the event of an EMP-style catastrophe. And I'm taking stock of our storage of food, water, medicines, and the means to protect ourselves and our neighborhood. "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" applies to more than just temporal preparation. One of Stewart's driving themes is spiritual and emotional preparation, too. The reader is reminded, through the narrative of the Brighton family, that this preparation is perhaps the most important of all.

Now, what other novel can inspire all of that? These are great books. I feel lucky that I got to read them both in our Book club and on our own. Highly Recommend.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this series and this is coming from someone who does not typically enjoy reading LDS fiction. These were thought provoking and reading them has made me want to get better prepared.

A few complaints: I wish the author would have better defined the timeline. There seemed to be some discrepancies in how things were timed. I understand why he wouldn’t want to use a year, but I wish he had somehow portrayed how much time had passed between certain events. For example, one character is introduced as a 15 year old but by the end of the book she is 18. We witnessed her 16th birthday but there was no indication that two years had passed. Maybe it was my misinterpretation but it was a bit jarring to me.

There was also a heavy use of military jargon and description which I found myself skimming over in order to get on with the story.

My final and probably biggest complaint is about subplot. The author introduced several minor subplots that were either not resolved at all, or if they were resolved, it was not satisfactory at all and almost skimmed over. For example, a character learns someone she thought was a friend betrayed her family. I expected a big reveal as to who he was, but he’s never even given a name and definitely no link to any character we’ve met in the series.

Overall, a very good series and a good story. The author isn’t a great writer, but he’s a good storyteller and I read these quickly because I wanted to see what happened.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sixth, and final, book in the series. Again, it was interesting, but depressing. When I finished the series, I decided I wanted to read something lighter and less dark. I chose a children's book, but interestingly, the children's book started out a bit dark and scary.

A couple of quotes I found interesting:
"Every part of the animals was used:...the wool stretched and dyed and sewn." (pg 84) Wool would be spun, not stretched. Then, if it were to be sewn, it would have to be woven into fabric, instead of remaining as spun yarn which could only be used in knitting, crocheting, etc. After it had been woven into fabric, then it could be sewn. Am I missing something, or did the author make a mistake?

"Everything about her said leave me alone.

"She sat in a corner of the main cafeteria, a sheaf of papers spread out before her, pen in hand, a laptop pushed to the side of the table. She looked busy and she kept her head down, not talking to anyone. The mess hall was always busy: day, night, it didn't matter, the staff at Raven Rock worked around the clock and the cafeteria remained open 24/7. Though she appeared consumed with her work, shuggling her papers, scrawling notes in the margins, tapping on the computer, she kept her eyes moving, always looking for him." (pg 207) I liked the description of how she managed to keep people from approaching her by looking busy.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing story. The first book was a little hard to get into but after that I was hooked. I didn't want to put them down. I spent way too much time staying up late to read and squeezing in every opportunity I could durig the daytime. I knew that America would be alright in the end, but it was a great journey to see how the author pulled the story together. Good and evil does exist in our world. There are angels around us more than we realize. I'm thankful for my testimony I have in Jesus Christ and am thankful I'm a member of his church. These books make me want to see if I can recognize better when I'm receiving help from those that have passed to the other side.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the series. Stewart can write a thriller, but he's not nearly as good at writing women. He often had them thinking unrealistic thoughts and (as a military spouse myself) that just bugged me.

The book should have ended after chapter 56, I'm not a fan of tying everything up in little bows for a happily-ever-after when in reality bad stuff happens to good people.

Overall, this book was entertaining and I do recommend the entire series: military thrillers without so much gore and profanity, they're nice clean, suspenseful escapism. My personal favorite is book 3.

[Halley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review is more for the whole series. I loved the idea of this story. Such a fun concept to write about, but I wish it was a little less... what's the word...boring maybe? While a few parts of the story were very exciting and I didn't want to stop reading during those parts most of the story could have been written in a more concise manner instead of long winded and drawn out and sometimes repetitive. I honestly would love for this story to be rewritten in a way that made me feel compelled to keep reading throughout the entire book and not just a few spots because it really is a good story.

[Shaury Searle · Rating 2 out of 5]

"The Great" concepts "and Terrible" execution. I wanted to love it, I really did! But I could only tolerate it. It was some of the most interesting ideas with the absolute worst writing. I loved his idea of the pre-mortal existence, and following this "family" throughout their mortal journey until present day. However, it was incredibly cheesy writing - almost painful to make it through. I only stuck with it til the end because I was curious how he would wrap it up. I was disappointed for sure.

[Lisa Reising · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have liked the story to go on. Not all the ends were wrapped up neatly, but I appreciated the surprise at the end! I read all six books within about a month and a half - intense, but fun. I would give the whole series 4 stars, despite the first and last books lacking some meat. They all lack artful writing, but the story-telling is wonderful.

I feel compelled now to read something by this author that is not for a targeted LDS market. Just to see what differences there might be.

[Wendy Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 6 The last book in the Great and Terrible series by Chris Stewart. Over the last few years Look forward to the next volume that would be added to the series. It all seemed to wind up in the end. One aspect I didn’t care for was how much Satan was portrayed & at the same time there was no one on the “good side” combating the evil one. I can’t help but believe that the “good side” would be rallying just as much for our souls as evil ones.

[Kylie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did like this book, but I felt like it was too short for all that happened!! The other books could have been shorter, but this needed more simmer time! A really cool story all together and really poignant. My favorite will always be the first one, though, and the really cool perspective of the premortal realm. Great writing!

[Catherine Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't like to read an entire series of books. Lets just say the this is the second series (6 books!) where I've read the entire series. A page turner for me. A novel from the beginning of time to the end of time. Gave me perspective and I loved the story line

[Keri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really liked this series. However, I didn’t like how it ended. The list of characters kept growing and I don’t feel like the author figured out how to wrap everything in one more book.

People that main characters claimed as “family” were left behind to fend for themselves.

[Lindzee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this whole series! very well written and kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end! I'm sad there aren't any more

[Flowing Ink · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book you can read!