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The Enclave
When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.
She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly. The Enclave is characterized by adventure, intrigue, spiritual analogy, and romance, all set in an unusual but fully realized world--one that may have its foundations on earth but which, the more one learns of it, doesn't seem much like the earth we know at all.
492 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2009
22 people are currently reading
517 people want to read
About the author
Karen Hancock
8 books313 followersKaren Hancock has won Christy Awards for each of her first four novels—Arena and the first three books in the Legends of the Guardian-King series, The Light of Eidon, The Shadow Within, and Shadow over Kiriath. She graduated from the University of Arizona with bachelor's degrees in biology and wildlife biology. Along with writing, she is a semi-professional watercolorist and has exhibited her work in a number of national juried shows. She and her family reside in Arizona.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
April 19, 2010
Not my favorite by Hancock and a bit of a departure from her earlier works, yet compelling all the same. This is an odd way to describe it, but the book best I can figure somehow reminds me of The Hulk mixed with The Village.
January 27, 2015
An imaginative spec novel that's spiritual thread is just as strong as its fantastical elements. Even better than Arena as it seemed like the Christian aspects were a little less forced. Kept me turning the pages!
September 11, 2009
Well I will admit I was a little confused by this book to start off with. There were two very separate stories going and I did not see any connection at all in them (there was a small reference that did connect them though… and you can see it come together as you get further along)
Anyhow, a little slow to start but as I got drawn in I found it to become more and more interesting. I couldn’t put it down by the end and had a lot of “AHA” moments while reading it. Hancock was good at drawing the stories together and twisting them into an intrinsic work of art!
Why was Cameron so scared of the past? Why was Lacey so stupid lol. (I mean that in the nicest way lol)
I love that this book brings the “future sci-fi” into face. It was very interesting, and makes you wonder a lot about that sort of thing. The second story really was wild, but I love how it connected in the end.
Anyhow, a little slow to start but as I got drawn in I found it to become more and more interesting. I couldn’t put it down by the end and had a lot of “AHA” moments while reading it. Hancock was good at drawing the stories together and twisting them into an intrinsic work of art!
Why was Cameron so scared of the past? Why was Lacey so stupid lol. (I mean that in the nicest way lol)
I love that this book brings the “future sci-fi” into face. It was very interesting, and makes you wonder a lot about that sort of thing. The second story really was wild, but I love how it connected in the end.
April 28, 2015
I'm a Christian, but I normally don't gravitate to Christian books/movies because in my experience, they are usually disappointing when it comes to literary structure, style, character development, etc. Because The Enclave falls into the "speculative fiction" category--my favorite genre!--I threw caution to the wind and gave this a shot. WOW, am I glad I did! Hancock did a great job creating interesting, believable characters I could care about--some Christians, some not. The story did NOT end with everybody and his brother becoming a Christian (which some Christian publishers seem to feel is the mark of a successful novel), and I was pleasantly surprised to see that Hancock did not shy away from gritty subject matter simply because there was a Christian in her story. She dealt with fascinating, often creepy, concepts with great imagination and candor, letting the characters speak for themselves without imposing a sanitized moral grid over the book. While there were no actual cuss words printed in the book (that I can remember), Hancock lets her characters "swear," which I think contributes to the tension and world-building, because it reveals real characters struggling with real issues. I can't tell you anything more than what's printed in the book's synopsis, because it would give away too much. Suffice it to say that this was a highly imaginative and stimulating story, and would be engaging for anyone, IMO, regardless of religious background. Very pleasantly surprised to find this gem, and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys speculative fiction and sci-fi. Not for kids (use your judgment and preview it first), but definitely a great read! I will be checking out Hancock's other books!
Want to read
December 24, 2008This book hasn't yet hit the shelves, but I can't wait! I really like this author, especially Arena. It's one of my all-time favorite books.
From the publisher: When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.
She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly. The Enclave is characterized by adventure, intrigue, spiritual analogy, and romance, all set in an unusual but fully realized world--one that may have its foundations on earth but which, the more one learns of it, doesn't seem much like the earth we know at all.
From the publisher: When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendell-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But a disturbing late-night encounter with an intruder leads to an unexpected cover-up by Institute authorities, and she soon realizes there's more going on than she ever imagined.
She finds a supporter in genetics researcher Cameron Reinhardt. However, Reinhardt is a favorite of the Institute's director, and she can't help wondering if he, too, is in on the cover-up. The brilliant but absentminded researcher turns out to have his own secrets, some of them dark and deadly. The Enclave is characterized by adventure, intrigue, spiritual analogy, and romance, all set in an unusual but fully realized world--one that may have its foundations on earth but which, the more one learns of it, doesn't seem much like the earth we know at all.
November 18, 2021
I first read this book several years ago. Hancock’s book Arena is one of my all-time faves and this book is nearly as good.
This story is Christian scifi. Intense, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, with excellent character development and settings described so I could pretty easily picture them in my mind. Although the tech used in the story is slightly dated (cell phones and other tech have changed so much in the past 12 years), the science of genetics is still current and relevant today. Once you reach the story’s climax, you won’t want to put down the book until you finish.
Since this was my second time through, I remembered some of the characters, and some of the events, but I had forgotten many of the details, so it was an enjoyable reread and almost as fun as reading it the first time.
5/5 stars
Note: there is one scene during the climax of the story that describes a few gruesome deaths. I just recalled how it made me cringe a little, so for that reason, I’d recommend this book for young adult (ages 16+ or so) and adult readers and be aware that it does get a tad gory.
This story is Christian scifi. Intense, suspenseful, and full of intrigue, with excellent character development and settings described so I could pretty easily picture them in my mind. Although the tech used in the story is slightly dated (cell phones and other tech have changed so much in the past 12 years), the science of genetics is still current and relevant today. Once you reach the story’s climax, you won’t want to put down the book until you finish.
Since this was my second time through, I remembered some of the characters, and some of the events, but I had forgotten many of the details, so it was an enjoyable reread and almost as fun as reading it the first time.
5/5 stars
Note: there is one scene during the climax of the story that describes a few gruesome deaths. I just recalled how it made me cringe a little, so for that reason, I’d recommend this book for young adult (ages 16+ or so) and adult readers and be aware that it does get a tad gory.
January 28, 2011
I liked this book a lot, but the ending seemed to just peter out. I felt like she got tired of writing and just ended the book. So, do all those missing girls just die??? What about the other 11 enclaves? Do they exist? So many questions. One question that still puzzles me is regarding Neos. Is this guy that saved his little brother Zowan the same creepy dude that was stalking Lacey in the beginning. It seems like two different guys...and what happens to him in the end? Will there be a sequel?
I liked Arena a lot more. Arena was like two books in one. The Enclave was like 2/3's of a book. Still...I love her writing. It's like Dekker and Peretti only from a female perspective. Would love to see one of the collaborate with her.
I liked Arena a lot more. Arena was like two books in one. The Enclave was like 2/3's of a book. Still...I love her writing. It's like Dekker and Peretti only from a female perspective. Would love to see one of the collaborate with her.
November 7, 2018
Love, love loved this book!!!! I need more books by Karen Hancock!!!! There is always a deeper message in the midst of the mind boggling science fiction.
August 23, 2010
The Enclave by Karen Hancock
Upon receiving this book and reading the back cover synopsis, I really did not expect the story take the left turn that it did. The synopsis reads:
When Science Tries to Play God, Can One Man Summon the Courage to Stand in Its Way?
When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But when a disturbing late-night encounter with a bizarre intruder leads to a cover-up by Institute authorities, she soon realizes all isn’t as it seems.
Caught in an elaborate game of deception and seduction, her only ally seems to be the brilliant but absent-minded geneticist, Cameron Reinhardt. A favorite of the Institute’s charismatic director, Cameron, too, came to K-J hoping to escape his past. But the more he learns about Lacey’s attacker, the more he fears that the past still pursues him.
Not certain they can trust each other, Cameron and Lacey reluctantly work together to uncover the shocking secrets that lurk behind the Institute’s respectable façade—secrets that turn out to be bigger, stranger, and far more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.
**spoiler alert**
The Enclave is a classic story about driven scientists who pursue genetic engineering for the “betterment” of mankind. Cameron (“Cam”) Reinhardt is a brilliant scientist in the employ of Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute. He is the sole professing Christian at the institute and is persecuted for his faith. He also has a history in military intelligence—the experience of which renders him helpless against flashbacks of the nightmare that he survived in Afghanistan.
Parker Swain is the director of the institute, the mastermind of its operations, and has a history of pursuing his goals via any means possible. Swain gets himself banned from receiving federal research money from the FDA, and in return he builds his own privately funded genetic engineering empire with the help of wealthy investors. The institute is based out of a large building shaped like a ziggurat in the deserts of Arizona, surrounded by large berms that hide the campus from most of the surrounding areas.
Also at the Institute is a new arrival, Lacey McHenry, hired as a research assistant. She has a Master’s degree and dreams of obtaining her doctorate. That dream seems out of reach until Parker Swain offers her an opportunity that seems too good to be true.
The final protagonist is a young man named Zowan who is a New Edenite living in the Enclave. In this bizarre underground world, residents are ruled by Elders and High Elders and worship Father. The outside world has apparently been scorched to become inhospitable and poisonous to life, and thus the Enclave has been established as a safe haven for its occupants. As Zowan’s friend Andros is punished for refusing to say the Affirmation—a daily affirmation of their eternal love and devotion to Father for saving them, Zowan is overwhelmed by a sense of injustice to his friend as well as his own guilt for planting the seed of doubt in Andros’s mind.
I really enjoyed reading this book and pondering the possibilities of scientific exploration and its effects on morality and judgment. The main characters were well defined. Each had deep histories with frequent reflection, and enough mystery was given about each character that the reader is driven to read further in order to put the pieces together. The environment is described in detail, allowing the reader to envision the hallways of the institute, the labs, the offices, as well as the surrounding areas outside the ziggurat’s walls. Two parallel storylines are followed for a good portion of the book, eventually converging and leading into the climax of the story. Let me address each of these aspects in more detail.
Not being a scientist, I cannot claim the authenticity of the scientific descriptions of conversations in the story. However they were all convincing to me and led to a credible plot. I also don’t have a military or intelligence background, but all of those details were generally convincing to me.
Cam’s faith in the midst of this environment was also convincing; in fact, it was inspiring! He has a rock solid faith that is supported by daily Scripture study—something that all Christians should aspire to. Lacey’s resignation of her faith reflects the experience of many faltering Christians. She has had a difficult life and has learned to cope without accepting the grace of God. She struggles to fit in at the institute until she “passes” her initiation, after which she is warmly accepted by her colleagues and promoted by the Director.
On the other hand, Cam has been at the institute for some time but has never been embraced by his associates, primarily due to his faith in God. He is regarded by many as an absent-minded and eccentric, yet brilliant scientist. All of the employees regularly mock him, and Cam suffers continual scorn from those in the Inner Circle.
The secondary characters are understandably less well defined but tend to have either good guy or bad guy characterizations.
The institute’s ziggurat-style main structure lends itself to mystery, and the barren desert of its campus adds the perfect touch. Karen Hancock creates a secretive scientific society that is more securely guarded and watched than a top-secret military compound. The campus’s retreat-type spa and other amenities are not described in much depth but are treated as ancillary locations in the story. Overall, the campus is shown to be a self-sustained environment, one which the employees rarely leave. In fact, in the timeframe of the story, Cam is the only character mentioned to take leave, and that is only for one day (Sunday). And he is followed by institute surveillance during the entire leave.
The parallel storylines create a mystique that continues for three-quarters of the book. The further along the story gets, the more the reader is able to make connections between the storylines. However, once the storylines converge, chaos ensues rapidly. Hancock does an excellent job at pacing the story and keeping the mysteries shrouded until the right moments. I was disappointed however that the end of the book was rather abrupt. I would have appreciated having a longer slope to the ending of the story, with some hope-filled directions for each of “good” characters and justice-oriented directions for the “bad” ones, than the sudden drop-off that was written instead. Not that it needs to end like a fairy-tale, but the book left a lot of loose ends. The ending was almost a brief summary of the characters getting out of their scrape, hinting at a future together, discussing the other characters verbally, and end.
Here are a few of my unanswered questions:
Was Frogeater Neos? Why was he eating frog legs? Was that something they ate in the Enclave? Why was Frogeater obsessed with Lacey? What was his motivation for breaking into the animal lab to begin with? Was it Neos just trying to learn more about the surface world?
How will the surviving Edenites be integrated into society? How are they processing the surface world? Why is one of the main characters, Zowan, brushed off at the end? What happened to his P.O.V.?
I truly enjoyed reading this book but also struggled with the issues noted above. Perhaps the book was rushed into publication or the editors did not pay enough attention to the flow of the story. I enjoy stories that leave me with food for thought, but the many loose endings in this story really put a damper on my ultimate enjoyment of the book. This story had a lot of potential, and it is unfortunate that that potential was not fulfilled.
I would recommend this book to others as a diversionary tale but would caution against expectations of a fulfilling adventure.
Upon receiving this book and reading the back cover synopsis, I really did not expect the story take the left turn that it did. The synopsis reads:
When Science Tries to Play God, Can One Man Summon the Courage to Stand in Its Way?
When Lacey McHenry accepts a prestigious research fellowship at the world-renowned Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, she sees it as a new start on life. But when a disturbing late-night encounter with a bizarre intruder leads to a cover-up by Institute authorities, she soon realizes all isn’t as it seems.
Caught in an elaborate game of deception and seduction, her only ally seems to be the brilliant but absent-minded geneticist, Cameron Reinhardt. A favorite of the Institute’s charismatic director, Cameron, too, came to K-J hoping to escape his past. But the more he learns about Lacey’s attacker, the more he fears that the past still pursues him.
Not certain they can trust each other, Cameron and Lacey reluctantly work together to uncover the shocking secrets that lurk behind the Institute’s respectable façade—secrets that turn out to be bigger, stranger, and far more dangerous than either of them could have imagined.
**spoiler alert**
The Enclave is a classic story about driven scientists who pursue genetic engineering for the “betterment” of mankind. Cameron (“Cam”) Reinhardt is a brilliant scientist in the employ of Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute. He is the sole professing Christian at the institute and is persecuted for his faith. He also has a history in military intelligence—the experience of which renders him helpless against flashbacks of the nightmare that he survived in Afghanistan.
Parker Swain is the director of the institute, the mastermind of its operations, and has a history of pursuing his goals via any means possible. Swain gets himself banned from receiving federal research money from the FDA, and in return he builds his own privately funded genetic engineering empire with the help of wealthy investors. The institute is based out of a large building shaped like a ziggurat in the deserts of Arizona, surrounded by large berms that hide the campus from most of the surrounding areas.
Also at the Institute is a new arrival, Lacey McHenry, hired as a research assistant. She has a Master’s degree and dreams of obtaining her doctorate. That dream seems out of reach until Parker Swain offers her an opportunity that seems too good to be true.
The final protagonist is a young man named Zowan who is a New Edenite living in the Enclave. In this bizarre underground world, residents are ruled by Elders and High Elders and worship Father. The outside world has apparently been scorched to become inhospitable and poisonous to life, and thus the Enclave has been established as a safe haven for its occupants. As Zowan’s friend Andros is punished for refusing to say the Affirmation—a daily affirmation of their eternal love and devotion to Father for saving them, Zowan is overwhelmed by a sense of injustice to his friend as well as his own guilt for planting the seed of doubt in Andros’s mind.
I really enjoyed reading this book and pondering the possibilities of scientific exploration and its effects on morality and judgment. The main characters were well defined. Each had deep histories with frequent reflection, and enough mystery was given about each character that the reader is driven to read further in order to put the pieces together. The environment is described in detail, allowing the reader to envision the hallways of the institute, the labs, the offices, as well as the surrounding areas outside the ziggurat’s walls. Two parallel storylines are followed for a good portion of the book, eventually converging and leading into the climax of the story. Let me address each of these aspects in more detail.
Not being a scientist, I cannot claim the authenticity of the scientific descriptions of conversations in the story. However they were all convincing to me and led to a credible plot. I also don’t have a military or intelligence background, but all of those details were generally convincing to me.
Cam’s faith in the midst of this environment was also convincing; in fact, it was inspiring! He has a rock solid faith that is supported by daily Scripture study—something that all Christians should aspire to. Lacey’s resignation of her faith reflects the experience of many faltering Christians. She has had a difficult life and has learned to cope without accepting the grace of God. She struggles to fit in at the institute until she “passes” her initiation, after which she is warmly accepted by her colleagues and promoted by the Director.
On the other hand, Cam has been at the institute for some time but has never been embraced by his associates, primarily due to his faith in God. He is regarded by many as an absent-minded and eccentric, yet brilliant scientist. All of the employees regularly mock him, and Cam suffers continual scorn from those in the Inner Circle.
The secondary characters are understandably less well defined but tend to have either good guy or bad guy characterizations.
The institute’s ziggurat-style main structure lends itself to mystery, and the barren desert of its campus adds the perfect touch. Karen Hancock creates a secretive scientific society that is more securely guarded and watched than a top-secret military compound. The campus’s retreat-type spa and other amenities are not described in much depth but are treated as ancillary locations in the story. Overall, the campus is shown to be a self-sustained environment, one which the employees rarely leave. In fact, in the timeframe of the story, Cam is the only character mentioned to take leave, and that is only for one day (Sunday). And he is followed by institute surveillance during the entire leave.
The parallel storylines create a mystique that continues for three-quarters of the book. The further along the story gets, the more the reader is able to make connections between the storylines. However, once the storylines converge, chaos ensues rapidly. Hancock does an excellent job at pacing the story and keeping the mysteries shrouded until the right moments. I was disappointed however that the end of the book was rather abrupt. I would have appreciated having a longer slope to the ending of the story, with some hope-filled directions for each of “good” characters and justice-oriented directions for the “bad” ones, than the sudden drop-off that was written instead. Not that it needs to end like a fairy-tale, but the book left a lot of loose ends. The ending was almost a brief summary of the characters getting out of their scrape, hinting at a future together, discussing the other characters verbally, and end.
Here are a few of my unanswered questions:
Was Frogeater Neos? Why was he eating frog legs? Was that something they ate in the Enclave? Why was Frogeater obsessed with Lacey? What was his motivation for breaking into the animal lab to begin with? Was it Neos just trying to learn more about the surface world?
How will the surviving Edenites be integrated into society? How are they processing the surface world? Why is one of the main characters, Zowan, brushed off at the end? What happened to his P.O.V.?
I truly enjoyed reading this book but also struggled with the issues noted above. Perhaps the book was rushed into publication or the editors did not pay enough attention to the flow of the story. I enjoy stories that leave me with food for thought, but the many loose endings in this story really put a damper on my ultimate enjoyment of the book. This story had a lot of potential, and it is unfortunate that that potential was not fulfilled.
I would recommend this book to others as a diversionary tale but would caution against expectations of a fulfilling adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 7, 2025
I desperately wanted to like this because it's Christian scifi, but sadly couldn't for many reasons, but I'll mention only a few. Had the description mentioned it referred to things in the Bible, I'd have avoided this because I don't like fiction based on people or events in the Bible--too much guessing involved.
One is the female protagonist who is supposed to be very intelligent waffles unbelievable quickly between in a way that defies everyting--no one is that mesmerizing. Another is that it plays fast and free with things from the Old Testament and then adds mind-controlling black cubes found underground from thousands of years ago, I kid you not. Then there are 30 foot tall sarcophagi. It's impossible for any humanoid creature to be anywhere close to that size and absorb enough oxygen plus other biological issues. Any giants in the Old Testament were more like 9-13 feet tall (from the cubits) and most likely in the shorter cubit sizes.
There was far too much telling and repetition of the same information as well, and this even went through a traditional publishing house.
The root of the word nephilim means "to fall" not "giant." There are many ways this word is translated, but it's often translated sons of God or spiritual beings (the latter in the JPS Tanakh) but this is all guesswork because--wait for it--ancient Hebrew has been a dead language for a very long time, and there are many words where the meaning is unclear (I still believe the Bible has the Word of God, but it's not something one can say with 100 percent certainty we can translate every single thing.)
Had
One is the female protagonist who is supposed to be very intelligent waffles unbelievable quickly between in a way that defies everyting--no one is that mesmerizing. Another is that it plays fast and free with things from the Old Testament and then adds mind-controlling black cubes found underground from thousands of years ago, I kid you not. Then there are 30 foot tall sarcophagi. It's impossible for any humanoid creature to be anywhere close to that size and absorb enough oxygen plus other biological issues. Any giants in the Old Testament were more like 9-13 feet tall (from the cubits) and most likely in the shorter cubit sizes.
There was far too much telling and repetition of the same information as well, and this even went through a traditional publishing house.
The root of the word nephilim means "to fall" not "giant." There are many ways this word is translated, but it's often translated sons of God or spiritual beings (the latter in the JPS Tanakh) but this is all guesswork because--wait for it--ancient Hebrew has been a dead language for a very long time, and there are many words where the meaning is unclear (I still believe the Bible has the Word of God, but it's not something one can say with 100 percent certainty we can translate every single thing.)
Had
December 16, 2022
THIS. THIS IS WHAT CHRISTIAN FICTION SHOULD BE.
Dealing with hostility, the real issues and debates science has, ACTUAL Biblical references and faith and a portrayal of God as accurate as I've ever seen.
Lacey's character was pretty wishy-washy in terms of faith, so that was annoying. I also expected her to side with Cam immediately, but she never did. Cam had too much doubt, and he was just a smidge too arrogant, but otherwise I liked him best.
The two main issues dealt with were Cloning and resurrecting things you shouldn't (the Nephilim). The departure from Biblical accuracy came with the Nephilim sub-plot, which was more along the lines of fantasy (since the Bible doesn't go into a lot of detail about them), and I don't know how much Biblical research went into that on the part of the author, but I wasn't expecting it to be a possibility/"what if" scenario so that was really cool. On the downside, that part eclipsed the "real" issue of the cloning.
Only other downside is that Karen Hancock just likes to end things. While I enjoyed this from start to finish, a little bit more closure on the Cloning cult community survivors would have made this story perfect. Maybe she just ran out of time to finish it.
It was like watching an episode of "Fringe" only with Christianity added to it.
LOVED.
Dealing with hostility, the real issues and debates science has, ACTUAL Biblical references and faith and a portrayal of God as accurate as I've ever seen.
Lacey's character was pretty wishy-washy in terms of faith, so that was annoying. I also expected her to side with Cam immediately, but she never did. Cam had too much doubt, and he was just a smidge too arrogant, but otherwise I liked him best.
The two main issues dealt with were Cloning and resurrecting things you shouldn't (the Nephilim). The departure from Biblical accuracy came with the Nephilim sub-plot, which was more along the lines of fantasy (since the Bible doesn't go into a lot of detail about them), and I don't know how much Biblical research went into that on the part of the author, but I wasn't expecting it to be a possibility/"what if" scenario so that was really cool. On the downside, that part eclipsed the "real" issue of the cloning.
Only other downside is that Karen Hancock just likes to end things. While I enjoyed this from start to finish, a little bit more closure on the Cloning cult community survivors would have made this story perfect. Maybe she just ran out of time to finish it.
It was like watching an episode of "Fringe" only with Christianity added to it.
LOVED.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2010
There’s a facility just down the road from my house that you probably wouldn’t notice if you didn’t know it was there. You can’t see it from the street, the signs pointing to it are small and generic, and it’s almost entirely underground. Nobody talks about it. Unmarked trucks go in and out of it at all hours of the day and night.
Something fishy’s going on there. I know it. Maybe it’s a command center for covert operations. Maybe it’s where they moved the alien bodies after everybody found out about Area 51. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a huge, underground research center for unethical human genetic experimentation, like the one in Karen Hancock’s thriller, The Enclave.
Lacey McHenry is a bright, young geneticist who thinks she’s just grabbed the brass ring…a research fellowship at the Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, where the future is being made today. Instead, she finds herself scrubbing glassware and feeding mice in the Institute’s animal facility. One night, she stumbles on a mysterious intruder who trashes the lab and injures her as he makes his escape. The next day, Lacey awakes to find her injuries miraculously healed, all evidence of the break-in removed, and the Institute’s leadership painting her as a stressed-out mental case who’s hallucinated the whole thing. Brass ring, indeed.
Cameron Reinhardt is a brilliant scientist with a shadowy past who’s come to the Institute after a false accusation of misconduct ousted him from Stanford. He’s increasingly uncomfortable with an ethically-ambiguous culture at Kendall-Jakes that challenges his commitment to his Christian faith. He witnesses the aftermath of Lacey’s attack, but is pressured by his superiors to lend no support to her side of the story or answer her questions. A mysterious figure from Reinhardt’s old military unit alerts him that Kendall-Jakes is not what it appears to be, and Reinhardt must decide whether to flee the ghosts of his past or stay and fight this emerging evil.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zowan, a young member of a strange community of survivalists who believe they are the last survivors of a global holocaust, begins to suspect that his leaders haven’t been entirely candid about the history and purpose of their little colony. As the evidence mounts, he begins to hear a voice instructing him to leave the enclave and seek the truth outside.
Could the enclave be somehow connected to the odd goings-on at Kendall-Jakes? Will Lacey and Cameron discover common interests beyond the care and feeding of laboratory frogs? Will Zowan escape the enclave and figure out why goats can thrive in an environment that kills human beings? In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, “Ehhh…could be.”
Bottom Line: I enjoyed this story. I thought it was engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Some jaded old guys like myself might quibble that we’ve seen a lot of these ideas before, elsewhere, and it doesn’t take much detective work to figure out exactly what’s going on at Kendall-Jakes. Bah, humbug. Karen Hancock has written a fast-paced tale of suspense in the spirit of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, and movies such as Logan’s Run and The Island. If you like those, you'll like The Enclave.
The People in Your Neighborhood: This story was all about the characters and the battle for their hearts and minds. Cameron Reinhardt was an appealing character with all his quirks and flaws, and a sympathetic hero, but I had trouble buying his whole Child Prodigy to Army Ranger to Genetic Engineer arc. Also, I’ve known a few Rangers, and even with PTSD issues, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find one you could label an absent-minded professor.
Lacey McHenry was cute and spunky, but I thought she spent way too much time squealing like a giddy schoolgirl, although I suppose some people enjoy that, and I won’t even get into her thoughts about Reinhardt’s “sheen” while exercising (oh, wait…I just did). A little more gravitas would have made her seem less like the Designated Victim, though I found her courage in agreeing to cooperate with Reinhardt’s operation, and dealing with the harrowing events thereafter, admirable.
The New Edeners were pretty much earnest, confused teenagers, ala Logan’s Run or The Island. Likeable kids. There’s some interesting discussion fodder here about the psychology of cults and the reluctance of people to leave them, even when they know the truth.
Reinhardt’s old Army buddy, Rudy, was an interesting character, and I would have enjoyed seeing more of him and knowing more about his friendship with Reinhardt.
Parker Swain was deliciously slimy as the evil mastermind, but I kept thinking I’d met him somewhere before–then it hit me: The Stand (TV version). If you ever encounter a character who looks like Jamey Sheridan, Run. For. Your. Life. The other villains were mostly anonymous but Gen Viascola had some nice (N.I.C.E.?) moments as Swain’s barracuda second-in-command.
Keeping the Faith: Lots of strong Christian themes, overt and covert, running through this story–standing up for Christ in a hostile work environment, trusting in God’s strength, the struggle between faith and doubt in a fallen world, the virtue of honesty, the evil of using people as tools (or as lab rats), and the call to confront and oppose evil, not just avoid it. Ms. Hancock highlights Christian values and virtues and presents the Gospel in a manner consistent with her characters and story. There are a few punches thrown at evolution theory and Eastern-style meditation.
Today’s Proof Text is Genesis 6:1-4: Some people may argue that the Biblical connection in the background story that explains how this all started is tenuous at best and misleading at worst, therefore we should discard this book as inappropriate for Christian reading. I disagree. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…this is a work of fiction, not doctrine. It pulls an *idea* from a verse of Scripture that is notoriously ambiguous and provocative, and such gray areas, I believe, are eminently fair game for Christian science fiction and fantasy writers, if we are to have any at all.
Something fishy’s going on there. I know it. Maybe it’s a command center for covert operations. Maybe it’s where they moved the alien bodies after everybody found out about Area 51. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s a huge, underground research center for unethical human genetic experimentation, like the one in Karen Hancock’s thriller, The Enclave.
Lacey McHenry is a bright, young geneticist who thinks she’s just grabbed the brass ring…a research fellowship at the Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, where the future is being made today. Instead, she finds herself scrubbing glassware and feeding mice in the Institute’s animal facility. One night, she stumbles on a mysterious intruder who trashes the lab and injures her as he makes his escape. The next day, Lacey awakes to find her injuries miraculously healed, all evidence of the break-in removed, and the Institute’s leadership painting her as a stressed-out mental case who’s hallucinated the whole thing. Brass ring, indeed.
Cameron Reinhardt is a brilliant scientist with a shadowy past who’s come to the Institute after a false accusation of misconduct ousted him from Stanford. He’s increasingly uncomfortable with an ethically-ambiguous culture at Kendall-Jakes that challenges his commitment to his Christian faith. He witnesses the aftermath of Lacey’s attack, but is pressured by his superiors to lend no support to her side of the story or answer her questions. A mysterious figure from Reinhardt’s old military unit alerts him that Kendall-Jakes is not what it appears to be, and Reinhardt must decide whether to flee the ghosts of his past or stay and fight this emerging evil.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Zowan, a young member of a strange community of survivalists who believe they are the last survivors of a global holocaust, begins to suspect that his leaders haven’t been entirely candid about the history and purpose of their little colony. As the evidence mounts, he begins to hear a voice instructing him to leave the enclave and seek the truth outside.
Could the enclave be somehow connected to the odd goings-on at Kendall-Jakes? Will Lacey and Cameron discover common interests beyond the care and feeding of laboratory frogs? Will Zowan escape the enclave and figure out why goats can thrive in an environment that kills human beings? In the immortal words of Bugs Bunny, “Ehhh…could be.”
Bottom Line: I enjoyed this story. I thought it was engaging, suspenseful, and well-written. Some jaded old guys like myself might quibble that we’ve seen a lot of these ideas before, elsewhere, and it doesn’t take much detective work to figure out exactly what’s going on at Kendall-Jakes. Bah, humbug. Karen Hancock has written a fast-paced tale of suspense in the spirit of C.S. Lewis’ That Hideous Strength, Robin Cook’s medical thrillers, and movies such as Logan’s Run and The Island. If you like those, you'll like The Enclave.
The People in Your Neighborhood: This story was all about the characters and the battle for their hearts and minds. Cameron Reinhardt was an appealing character with all his quirks and flaws, and a sympathetic hero, but I had trouble buying his whole Child Prodigy to Army Ranger to Genetic Engineer arc. Also, I’ve known a few Rangers, and even with PTSD issues, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find one you could label an absent-minded professor.
Lacey McHenry was cute and spunky, but I thought she spent way too much time squealing like a giddy schoolgirl, although I suppose some people enjoy that, and I won’t even get into her thoughts about Reinhardt’s “sheen” while exercising (oh, wait…I just did). A little more gravitas would have made her seem less like the Designated Victim, though I found her courage in agreeing to cooperate with Reinhardt’s operation, and dealing with the harrowing events thereafter, admirable.
The New Edeners were pretty much earnest, confused teenagers, ala Logan’s Run or The Island. Likeable kids. There’s some interesting discussion fodder here about the psychology of cults and the reluctance of people to leave them, even when they know the truth.
Reinhardt’s old Army buddy, Rudy, was an interesting character, and I would have enjoyed seeing more of him and knowing more about his friendship with Reinhardt.
Parker Swain was deliciously slimy as the evil mastermind, but I kept thinking I’d met him somewhere before–then it hit me: The Stand (TV version). If you ever encounter a character who looks like Jamey Sheridan, Run. For. Your. Life. The other villains were mostly anonymous but Gen Viascola had some nice (N.I.C.E.?) moments as Swain’s barracuda second-in-command.
Keeping the Faith: Lots of strong Christian themes, overt and covert, running through this story–standing up for Christ in a hostile work environment, trusting in God’s strength, the struggle between faith and doubt in a fallen world, the virtue of honesty, the evil of using people as tools (or as lab rats), and the call to confront and oppose evil, not just avoid it. Ms. Hancock highlights Christian values and virtues and presents the Gospel in a manner consistent with her characters and story. There are a few punches thrown at evolution theory and Eastern-style meditation.
Today’s Proof Text is Genesis 6:1-4: Some people may argue that the Biblical connection in the background story that explains how this all started is tenuous at best and misleading at worst, therefore we should discard this book as inappropriate for Christian reading. I disagree. I’ve said it before, and I will say it again…this is a work of fiction, not doctrine. It pulls an *idea* from a verse of Scripture that is notoriously ambiguous and provocative, and such gray areas, I believe, are eminently fair game for Christian science fiction and fantasy writers, if we are to have any at all.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2021
The foundation and ideas of this book are great and ultimately had me interested, however they did not get the “flashbacks” to pop out off the page in anyway so it would be very disjointed going from present time to a flashback and back to present time. Sometimes I’d have to go back and reread a paragraph because I’d somehow not follow the jumps through time. The Nephiliam were confusing as to who they were and why they were in these pods. The ending was a bit of a letdown with how much we had built up the evil of Swain and all he had done. The romance was not compelling either. For a Christian fiction i felt this books religious theme was not as strong as Arena or her Kiriath series, but more like an after thought.
I actually think this book would make a better Tv show or movie to help show the distinction of story lines and be able to clarify some aspect of characters.
I actually think this book would make a better Tv show or movie to help show the distinction of story lines and be able to clarify some aspect of characters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2023
I love this book! Karen Hancock has such a wonderful way of hooking you with in moments of starting her books! This was my second time reading the Enclave, and I loved it even more than the first time I read it!!
With mysterious science experiments, enclaves, and sarcophaguses, this book is a CONSTANT page turner full of mystery and science fiction delight!!
With mysterious science experiments, enclaves, and sarcophaguses, this book is a CONSTANT page turner full of mystery and science fiction delight!!
September 2, 2025
SUCH a fun book, this is now my second fav Christian sci-fi book of all time, running a close second to "The Last Guardian," if not ahead in some character aspects. What a thrill ride....and combines the faith element with sci-fi in such a BRILLIANT way.....
November 29, 2018
Good story but poorly written
May 25, 2019
Mix of medical thriller and sci fi....lots to say about genetic beginning and bioethics.
February 11, 2023
Loved this book it had me on the edge of my seat. I read it in highschool so not sure if it is still as good as a 24yr old. But I would recommend it to people for sure
October 26, 2020
The back cover summary doesn't even scratch the surface; if I told you what Cam's flashbacks are about and who Frogeater really is... you might scoff. Yet, the far-fetched is made believable in this novel by Karen Hancock. We follow two scientists who work prestigious but otherwise ordinary jobs and a mysterious character named Zowan whose life is filled with cult worship and fear. Their worlds seem unrelated at first but soon collide, shattering both in the process. A mix of speculative and spiritual, psychological thriller and sci-fi, Hancock somehow pulls it off.
The plot is like a ladder, and you have to climb to the top to get a better view of what's below. The climax is essentially the beginning of the end. Considering how quickly and dramatically everything unraveled, it would be hard to wrap up a book like this. The ending was well-done for such a complex plot. Still, I feel the author had much more to tell. The idea behind it all was so intriguing, and it wasn't explored much (since the reader is in the dark so long).
Overall, I would recommend this read. Don't be put off by the switching narratives early on. It will make sense. Be patient as it builds and wait for it to all boil over.
The plot is like a ladder, and you have to climb to the top to get a better view of what's below. The climax is essentially the beginning of the end. Considering how quickly and dramatically everything unraveled, it would be hard to wrap up a book like this. The ending was well-done for such a complex plot. Still, I feel the author had much more to tell. The idea behind it all was so intriguing, and it wasn't explored much (since the reader is in the dark so long).
Overall, I would recommend this read. Don't be put off by the switching narratives early on. It will make sense. Be patient as it builds and wait for it to all boil over.
September 23, 2009
The Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute is a literal monument to science, creativity, and the ability of man to rise above his limitations: a black glass ziggurat in the Arizona desert, labs and conference rooms interspersed with rainforest atriums, coffee bars, and incredible views. True, the Institute’s director, the globe-trotting, womanizing Parker Swain, once fell out of favour with the world for his daring experiments — but that only makes his hard-fought triumphs more admirable.
Working at Kendall-Jakes means prestige, the chance to work on the cutting edge of genetics, funding, community.
Or at least, it’s supposed to. For Lacey McHenry, newly arrived with a Master's, more debt than she can handle, and a gut-level need to transcend the disappointments of life thus far, Kendall-Jakes has meant three weeks of tending frog tanks, cleaning up after absent-minded geneticist Cameron Reinhardt, and foregoing sleep.
Stressed and unhappy, Lacey is unprepared to encounter a stinking, musclebound young thug in the animal lab, a violent and deranged intruder who has somehow slipped past KJ’s infamous security. Saved by the arrival of Reinhardt, Lacey is even more unprepared to be labeled a case for the psych ward, to have her story turned into a “hallucination” and the deep cut on her arm turned overnight into a scar. Nothing at KJ is what it seems, not even her own life.
Cameron Reinhardt is similarly unprepared for the encounter, one that triggers his struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and threatens to unearth memories he’s spent years burying. A devout Christian, Cam is appalled at the Institute’s treatment of Lacey and is forced to admit that his dream of research and freedom at Kendall-Jakes is a nightmare he’s not sure he can escape.
For the Institute’s secrets are ancient, everywhere underfoot, deadly — and determined to ensnare Cam and Lacey completely.
The Enclave is a scientific thriller along the lines of Michael Crichton, a throat-grabbing story that spans centuries and chronicles man’s efforts to become God even while trying to escape Him. Its characters, from the megalomaniac Swain, whose dreams are nonetheless poignant, to the convincingly torn Cameron Reinhardt, are entirely human. Plot twists and mysteries aside, I read this book to find out what would happen to the characters. They mattered. Their struggles with faith and integrity and hope resounded with me.
Even God, who reaches into the lives of several characters and interacts with them, is portrayed faithfully — when He speaks, the dialogue uses the words of scripture; when He acts, it’s in ways consistent with the God revealed in the Bible. The role of the Bible itself was especially moving, as the author shows its power to illuminate and give us hope.
The Enclave is well-written, intelligent, intriguing. Violence and sexuality make it a PG-13 read. For discerning readers who enjoy thrills, speculation, and stories about people living by real faith, I recommend this one.
Working at Kendall-Jakes means prestige, the chance to work on the cutting edge of genetics, funding, community.
Or at least, it’s supposed to. For Lacey McHenry, newly arrived with a Master's, more debt than she can handle, and a gut-level need to transcend the disappointments of life thus far, Kendall-Jakes has meant three weeks of tending frog tanks, cleaning up after absent-minded geneticist Cameron Reinhardt, and foregoing sleep.
Stressed and unhappy, Lacey is unprepared to encounter a stinking, musclebound young thug in the animal lab, a violent and deranged intruder who has somehow slipped past KJ’s infamous security. Saved by the arrival of Reinhardt, Lacey is even more unprepared to be labeled a case for the psych ward, to have her story turned into a “hallucination” and the deep cut on her arm turned overnight into a scar. Nothing at KJ is what it seems, not even her own life.
Cameron Reinhardt is similarly unprepared for the encounter, one that triggers his struggles with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and threatens to unearth memories he’s spent years burying. A devout Christian, Cam is appalled at the Institute’s treatment of Lacey and is forced to admit that his dream of research and freedom at Kendall-Jakes is a nightmare he’s not sure he can escape.
For the Institute’s secrets are ancient, everywhere underfoot, deadly — and determined to ensnare Cam and Lacey completely.
The Enclave is a scientific thriller along the lines of Michael Crichton, a throat-grabbing story that spans centuries and chronicles man’s efforts to become God even while trying to escape Him. Its characters, from the megalomaniac Swain, whose dreams are nonetheless poignant, to the convincingly torn Cameron Reinhardt, are entirely human. Plot twists and mysteries aside, I read this book to find out what would happen to the characters. They mattered. Their struggles with faith and integrity and hope resounded with me.
Even God, who reaches into the lives of several characters and interacts with them, is portrayed faithfully — when He speaks, the dialogue uses the words of scripture; when He acts, it’s in ways consistent with the God revealed in the Bible. The role of the Bible itself was especially moving, as the author shows its power to illuminate and give us hope.
The Enclave is well-written, intelligent, intriguing. Violence and sexuality make it a PG-13 read. For discerning readers who enjoy thrills, speculation, and stories about people living by real faith, I recommend this one.
July 9, 2015
What an amazing adventure I’ve just experienced reading The Enclave. I felt like I was watching a sci-fi movie as I read this book. It reminded me a little of John Grisham’s book The Firm, where this law firm kept tabs on their employees’ lives and wanted to control them in the end. It also reminded me a little bit of The Matrix, in the way things were created and operated in another world. And finally, it reminded me of Alien, and those hideous creatures and their slime.
This story was not like anything I’ve ever read. I had heard that Karen Hancock had a gift for writing science fiction and that’s what made me want to read The Enclave, in the first place. I’m happy to report that my sources were right; this book is suspenseful, imaginative, and scary (but not too scary), as she took on the topic of cloning and all its ramifications.
The author has one of her characters say this,”..Remember that just because someone holds an opinion different from your own, they must still be treated with respect.”
I think that Karen Hancock respects others opinions throughout her story. I’m not a science-fiction reader but this one drew me in and made me think about my faith. It also helped me see how to respect others I live with in this world.
Cam the geneticist says to his boss, “What do you want from me?”
“I want your mind, son. I want your heart and soul and strength…I just want your loyalty, Cameron. I want you to believe me when I say I have your very best interests at heart and trust that I know what I’m doing. And I want you to share my vision.”
I couldn’t believe that in the middle of life threatening situations, her action figures were contemplating what God would have them do next. It was great!! You just have to read this story to get the full affect. It’s hard to describe in just a few words. This book will definitely take you to most intriguing places you’ve never been before or even thought existed. All I can say about this book is what a great trip to “infinity and beyond.” I'm so glad I recieved a review copy of this book.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
This story was not like anything I’ve ever read. I had heard that Karen Hancock had a gift for writing science fiction and that’s what made me want to read The Enclave, in the first place. I’m happy to report that my sources were right; this book is suspenseful, imaginative, and scary (but not too scary), as she took on the topic of cloning and all its ramifications.
The author has one of her characters say this,”..Remember that just because someone holds an opinion different from your own, they must still be treated with respect.”
I think that Karen Hancock respects others opinions throughout her story. I’m not a science-fiction reader but this one drew me in and made me think about my faith. It also helped me see how to respect others I live with in this world.
Cam the geneticist says to his boss, “What do you want from me?”
“I want your mind, son. I want your heart and soul and strength…I just want your loyalty, Cameron. I want you to believe me when I say I have your very best interests at heart and trust that I know what I’m doing. And I want you to share my vision.”
I couldn’t believe that in the middle of life threatening situations, her action figures were contemplating what God would have them do next. It was great!! You just have to read this story to get the full affect. It’s hard to describe in just a few words. This book will definitely take you to most intriguing places you’ve never been before or even thought existed. All I can say about this book is what a great trip to “infinity and beyond.” I'm so glad I recieved a review copy of this book.
Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”
Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com
December 21, 2022
This book was such a treat!! Karen Hancock’s “Arena” opened the world of Christian sci-fi/fantasy to me. Who knew I’d love a book about aliens? “The Enclave” was just as good! I went into it blind, just knowing I love the author.
-The sci-fi part was amazing! She had me guessing for the longest time.
-The slow moving romance was perfect and clean. ❤️
-The characters dealing with their faith amidst opposition was so well-done.
5 gazillion stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
-The sci-fi part was amazing! She had me guessing for the longest time.
-The slow moving romance was perfect and clean. ❤️
-The characters dealing with their faith amidst opposition was so well-done.
5 gazillion stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 3, 2009
First of all, I'm really stingy when it comes to giving out 5 stars, so unless a book profoundly changes my life....it's between 3 and 4 provided it's a worthwhile read.
I have read all of Hancock's books and while I enjoyed this newest one and had trouble putting it down in places, I liked it the least of all.
The book reminded me of Frank Peretti's work more than previous Karen Hancock work. The elaborate conspiracy by the K-J Institute had shades of "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness." The end was reminiscent of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons."
Hancock avoids being overly preachy which I appreciate. However, I had felt that she was making progress in writing fantasy and would rather she stayed with that. Her skill at weaving spiritual themes into alternate realities where the "rules" of Christianity don't apply was improving. Instead, she makes a move towards Christian action/adventure.
I also felt that she opened some issues without giving them full treatment. She establishes her main character as a stanch 7-day creationist but never gives a compelling argument for WHY he would hold such a view. Aside from "researchers" at ICR, most Christians in the sciences hold to old earth views and accept at least some of the tennents of evolutionary theory. If she wants us to believe that a world renowned geneticist accepts a 6000 year old earth, she needs to back it up with something.
Fans of Karen Hancock will most likely not be disappointed in this latest offering. However, those who are interested in Hancock for the first time might consider her "Lengends of the Guardian King" series first. If taking on a four volume series seems a bit much, then her first book, "Arena" would be a good place to start.
All in all, I was not disappointed in "The Enclave." But I know that Karen Hancock is capable of better work.
I have read all of Hancock's books and while I enjoyed this newest one and had trouble putting it down in places, I liked it the least of all.
The book reminded me of Frank Peretti's work more than previous Karen Hancock work. The elaborate conspiracy by the K-J Institute had shades of "This Present Darkness" and "Piercing the Darkness." The end was reminiscent of Dan Brown's "Angels and Demons."
Hancock avoids being overly preachy which I appreciate. However, I had felt that she was making progress in writing fantasy and would rather she stayed with that. Her skill at weaving spiritual themes into alternate realities where the "rules" of Christianity don't apply was improving. Instead, she makes a move towards Christian action/adventure.
I also felt that she opened some issues without giving them full treatment. She establishes her main character as a stanch 7-day creationist but never gives a compelling argument for WHY he would hold such a view. Aside from "researchers" at ICR, most Christians in the sciences hold to old earth views and accept at least some of the tennents of evolutionary theory. If she wants us to believe that a world renowned geneticist accepts a 6000 year old earth, she needs to back it up with something.
Fans of Karen Hancock will most likely not be disappointed in this latest offering. However, those who are interested in Hancock for the first time might consider her "Lengends of the Guardian King" series first. If taking on a four volume series seems a bit much, then her first book, "Arena" would be a good place to start.
All in all, I was not disappointed in "The Enclave." But I know that Karen Hancock is capable of better work.
August 30, 2009
This is such a hard book to review. I love fantasy / speculative fiction and I love a good mystery, suspense as well. Put the two together and I am usually in 7th heaven! This time I ended the book just a little confused. It will be hard to explain without giving anything away, but I'll try.
In the first two chapters we are introduced to Lacey and Cameron. Cameron is a genius scientist with an emphasis in genetics and Lacey is the new intern at this amazing science facility Kendall-Jakes where the owner, Parker Swain, is trying to change the world. Everything is present day and starts getting edgy when a very odd stranger breaks into the facility and attempts to assault Lacey. Cameron helps her but then mysteriously the next day, Lacey is being told that what she thinks happened is just her delusions and she stands back as everything that happened is covered up.
In the next two chapters we are thrust forward as we enter "New Eden" and find a community of people that are living in a post-apocalyptic world underground. Here they are not allowed to go above ground because of the toxins and the Enforcers are given a third eye (literally). Zowan, Terra and Parthos are trying to make sense of life below the surface.
We switch back and forth between the two scenes every couple chapters and the whole time I'm trying to figure out what they are both doing in the same book. Cameron starts having flashbacks to his military days involving ancient things. He is hearing voices and Parker Swain is looking suspicious.
Karen ties it all together beautifully and really weaves an amazing story. It just went a little over the top for me with the ancient stuff (which I can't name), without that the story would've been great. That of course is just my opinion, but that is why I review for you :-)
In the first two chapters we are introduced to Lacey and Cameron. Cameron is a genius scientist with an emphasis in genetics and Lacey is the new intern at this amazing science facility Kendall-Jakes where the owner, Parker Swain, is trying to change the world. Everything is present day and starts getting edgy when a very odd stranger breaks into the facility and attempts to assault Lacey. Cameron helps her but then mysteriously the next day, Lacey is being told that what she thinks happened is just her delusions and she stands back as everything that happened is covered up.
In the next two chapters we are thrust forward as we enter "New Eden" and find a community of people that are living in a post-apocalyptic world underground. Here they are not allowed to go above ground because of the toxins and the Enforcers are given a third eye (literally). Zowan, Terra and Parthos are trying to make sense of life below the surface.
We switch back and forth between the two scenes every couple chapters and the whole time I'm trying to figure out what they are both doing in the same book. Cameron starts having flashbacks to his military days involving ancient things. He is hearing voices and Parker Swain is looking suspicious.
Karen ties it all together beautifully and really weaves an amazing story. It just went a little over the top for me with the ancient stuff (which I can't name), without that the story would've been great. That of course is just my opinion, but that is why I review for you :-)
May 25, 2015
This book is yet another stunning addition to Karen Hancock's books. This story has been woven masterfully, and there is nothing I would criticize about it. I started this yesterday, and I finished it today. Most books take me a lot longer, and this book wasn't exactly short.
The book follows the story of two scientists, Cameron and Lacey, as they try to uncover the truth about the director of Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute. Both scientists are Christians, although Lacey has doubts about God and doesn't say much. Cameron is put into a difficult position because of his faith, and many brand him as a fanatic and say he's prone to violence and paranoid. It all started because Lacey was attacked by a strange, frog eating boy in the animal faction, and security tried to cover it up. When Cameron comes to her rescue in the aftermath, the two of them get caught in a web of lies and trickery. Between dealing with Director Swain and his direct underlings, Cameron and Lacey try to find and expose the truth about the Institute even as their reputations are attacked, and they themselves are subjected to physical attacks. Cameron has the added issue that his faith is always on display to be ridiculed, and he's the source of a lot of verbal attacks from those working with him because of his faith.
I really enjoyed this book. It did contain some sections with a lot of violence, so I might not necessarily recommend it to anyone under twelve or thirteen, but it's really well written, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced read. I think it will definitely hold the reader's attention throughout the book as there is always some new mystery to uncover or a new facet of the bigger problem being revealed.
The book follows the story of two scientists, Cameron and Lacey, as they try to uncover the truth about the director of Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute. Both scientists are Christians, although Lacey has doubts about God and doesn't say much. Cameron is put into a difficult position because of his faith, and many brand him as a fanatic and say he's prone to violence and paranoid. It all started because Lacey was attacked by a strange, frog eating boy in the animal faction, and security tried to cover it up. When Cameron comes to her rescue in the aftermath, the two of them get caught in a web of lies and trickery. Between dealing with Director Swain and his direct underlings, Cameron and Lacey try to find and expose the truth about the Institute even as their reputations are attacked, and they themselves are subjected to physical attacks. Cameron has the added issue that his faith is always on display to be ridiculed, and he's the source of a lot of verbal attacks from those working with him because of his faith.
I really enjoyed this book. It did contain some sections with a lot of violence, so I might not necessarily recommend it to anyone under twelve or thirteen, but it's really well written, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fast paced read. I think it will definitely hold the reader's attention throughout the book as there is always some new mystery to uncover or a new facet of the bigger problem being revealed.
May 23, 2011
If you have ever read the hunger games and liked them, then you will like this book. It is a faced paced action book that will always surprise you. I really liked how the author describes the tunnels and the city in the book. The words she uses to describe it make you feel as if you could actually see it and be there. Life in the Enclave would be very tough. They are no choice on the job that they get, and there are so many laws that making any wrong move can get you exiled. Their lives are even harder since the elders uses random citizens as examples to make sure that everyone know the rules and follows them. The freaks are the weirdest scariest thing I have ever heard of. They are human-like, that have claws for hands and razor sharp teeth. They are like the sharks of dry land. If you are bleeding at all, they will smell it and find you one way or another. They become very intelligent which is even scarier, because they started to work as a team rather than alone. And they started to understand what the humans said. The book ends in a giant cliff hanger just like the Hunger Games. They enter the compound, get their friend medical help and talk to some of the people that live there. They do not believe that they are from the city at first until they show them a book from the library form the city. The way the book ends set the pace for a sequel if the author writes on. Over all the book was very good and I recommend anyone to read it.
July 24, 2009
Lacey is thrilled to have landed a job as a geneticist for one of the most prestigious companies in the world straight out of school. Of course, she's low man on the totem pole, and assigned all the yucky duties, like taking care of the frogs used for research. The facility is more like a compound, with all the employees living on-site and only leaving when they're granted passes. Strange things happen, frightening things that everyone is covering up, and Lacey begins to think she's losing her mind. Then Lacey catches the eye of the director, and her career is put on a fast track, straight up to the man's luxuriuos penthouse. After all, he's known for his roving eye and attraction to beautiful women. Only all the past objects of his attention seem to be missing.
Interspersed with Lacey's story are glimpses into the lives of the people living in New Eden, the underground dwelling survivors of a catastrophic disaster that destroyed the Earth's surface.
A suspenseful sci-fi story that kept me riveted to my chair. This book has it all - suspense, drama, romance, believable technology, even ... uh, I don't want to give anything else away. The spiritual message is woven beautifully into the plot.
Interspersed with Lacey's story are glimpses into the lives of the people living in New Eden, the underground dwelling survivors of a catastrophic disaster that destroyed the Earth's surface.
A suspenseful sci-fi story that kept me riveted to my chair. This book has it all - suspense, drama, romance, believable technology, even ... uh, I don't want to give anything else away. The spiritual message is woven beautifully into the plot.
July 30, 2009
The Enclave by Karen Hancock is a mind-bending twisted novel that will shock readers at every turn. Lacey McHenry took a position at a prestigious science institute with the hope of improving her career, but after a nighttime intruder assaults her and the heads of the institute cover it up, even going so far as to plant rumors among the staff about her mental health, she starts to wonder what's really going on and what kind of research is being done there. Despite danger to both of their positions, she works with researcher Cameron Reinhardt, but neither of them can believe what they discover. An alternate plot involves a young man named Zowan trying to escape a post-apocalyptic society that has become cult-like and fascist. While the characterization is light, the action propels the story keeping the reader hooked. The mix of pseudo-science and religion doesn't always mix, but the supernatural is wonderfully creepy. The antagonists are a bit cliched and one-dimensional, but it's still a fun, escapist read.
July 28, 2010
Cameron Reinhardt, former member of military special forces, and Lacey McHenry, recently graduated with her masters degree are scientists working for the Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute. They each have secrets from the past, but these secrets are nothing compared to the secrets buried beneath the Institute. Trust doesn't come easily to Lacey or Cameron, but they must trust each other and God if they want to survive.
Hancock laid the foundations for a suspense-filled book early on in the story. While it took a bit of time to get into the story, once I did it was hard to put the book down. She successfully wove together two story lines in this fast paced, plot driven novel.
I recommend this for those who like suspense, stories about religious cults, and/or are interested in the topic of cloning.
Hancock laid the foundations for a suspense-filled book early on in the story. While it took a bit of time to get into the story, once I did it was hard to put the book down. She successfully wove together two story lines in this fast paced, plot driven novel.
I recommend this for those who like suspense, stories about religious cults, and/or are interested in the topic of cloning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2009
I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.
I love it I love it I love it I love it I love it.
Karen Hancock is one of my very favorite authors of the 21st century. Her writing style is so captivating, it leaves me breathless and longing for more. Her characters are like your best friends, you truly want them to succeed. Her villains are disgusting enough that you hate them whole-heartedly. Her plots are twisty and unpredictable, so that you have no idea what is coming next.
I have read every one of her books and have given 5 stars to them all. The perfect blend of Sci-Fi, Drama, Action, Romance, Adventure, Emotion and Fright. I couldn't put any of them down. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!
I love it I love it I love it I love it I love it.
Karen Hancock is one of my very favorite authors of the 21st century. Her writing style is so captivating, it leaves me breathless and longing for more. Her characters are like your best friends, you truly want them to succeed. Her villains are disgusting enough that you hate them whole-heartedly. Her plots are twisty and unpredictable, so that you have no idea what is coming next.
I have read every one of her books and have given 5 stars to them all. The perfect blend of Sci-Fi, Drama, Action, Romance, Adventure, Emotion and Fright. I couldn't put any of them down. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would!
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