Thunder of Heaven

Martyr's Song #3

by Ted Dekker

The world's worst fears have dawned. Nothing stands in the way of total destruction...except the love of one woman. Deep in the Amazon jungle a young American woman and the son of plantation owners fall madly in love. For Tanya and Shannon, life is a paradise most only dream about. But today paradise ends. The jungle has hatched more than idyllic love. It has also spawned insidious evil. An evil shrouded in a plot so diabolically brilliant that all of America will be brought to her knees at the hands of a few terrorists. The plan is executed to perfection. There is no way out...save an ancient woman whose dark past has lead her to a life of prayer in preparation for the unspeakable terror about to be unleashed.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Fiction, Christian, Thriller, Suspense, Fantasy, Mystery

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters, and incredible confrontations between good and evil. Ted lives in Austin with his wife LeeAnn and their four children.

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another of Ted Dekker's early works, this one is the second best of the trilogy. Enjoyable, inspiring, and gripping, this is what we've come to expect from Mr. Dekker.

[Dale · Rating 2 out of 5]

For such a thrilling start to a book, I was greatly disappointed in the remainder. I was also disappointed since I loved another Ted Dekker book. The premise of the book was good, the beginning had a hook, but the middle and even the ending lacked a lot of interest. The plot begins with missionary families in South America and involves the CIA, the Church, and Terrorists. How could this have missed its mark?

[Sparrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume of the Martyr's Song series was not nearly as self-righteous as the other two. If I could, I would have given this 2.5 stars, because although it lacked the incredible self-righteousness of the other two, it still had a complicated and somewhat enjoyable plot. I can tell that Dekker's writing has improved between all three books - this one outshines the first two. The characters are not all alike, and his ability to be far more realistic in his plot has strengthened.

That said, a couple things.

On page 122, I couldn't BELIEVE how much of an asshole the priest was. He claimed her 8 years worth of nightmares were only "a few sleepless nights" and when she got offended, he slammed her with his own parents' murder. So I guess Dekker DIDN'T fail to have a fundamentalist asshole in this book, even if it was only briefly. It's hardly a way to tell someone about the love and wonder of God, in my opinion.

On 192, Sherry wonders if God could use an assassin. She thinks not. Angel of Death, anyone?

On 268, the priest talks about Hitler's killer. Who the fuck was that? Hitler killed himself.

Overall, I was vastly disappointed with this series. Fundamentalist shit, to say in two words. But I know that Dekker's writing improves after this - after all, this was one of his first series he ever published. I'll never read these books again - in fact, I'm going to get rid of them all, after I finish the last book. I have more hope with the rest of Dekker's works.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was just a little too unrealistic for me to enjoy.
But I understood the overall theme of good vs evil and God has a plan, and we are here for a purpose, etc.

I just didn't buy into the male main character and how he evolved. If I say more, I will spoil the story. But this story speaks of real evil and how love overcomes all. that is always a good book for me no matter how corny.

[Gerdien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

[Godly Gadfly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ludlum meets Peretti: God is the chessmaster of history. (4 stars)

Book 1 of the “Martyr’s Song” series reminded me of John Grisham, book 2 of Francine Rivers, but book 3 reminded me of Robert Ludlum. With fast-paced action you’d expect from a Robert Ludlum thriller, it’s a suspenseful page-turner about a terrorist threat to America because of a nuclear bomb and about a CIA operative Casius who acts outside orders. The story begins with two lovers, Tanya Vandervan and Shannon Richterson on a plantation in Venezuela. They are separated and both of their parents killed when the plantation is brutally attacked by drug-runners wanting to claim the territory as their own. Believing each other to be dead, Tanya tries to overcome her past by becoming Sherry Blake, a medical student, whereas Shannon falls under the influence of the dark powers behind the witch-doctor Sula (p35ff) and becomes Casius, a hired assassin for the CIA. Eight years later, their paths cross again in Venezuela, this time with global history at stake due to the terrorist threat.

The theology underlies the plot to a lesser degree than the other two novels in the series. For the most part this is a typical Robert Ludlum style read, minus the moral garbage, but with a killer on the loose, taking down villains, and a count-down for a nuclear explosion. But the theology is there, because Dekker wants us to see God’s hand acting behind the events that ensue. Several times, Dekker portrays the unfolding events as moves in a chessmatch where God Himself is playing against the forces of evil. “God’s playing his pieces in this chess match ... They’ve been moving and countermoving for decades up there on this one.” (p51) The chess match imagery returns throughout the novel. “We know who the players are. They are God and they are the forces of darkness. The white side and the black side.” (p95) Ironically the terrorists call their plan “God’s Thunder”, but the significance of the book’s title is that Dekker wants us to realize that God is in control. Behind the decisions of mankind, God is pulling strings and whispering to hearts, which Dekker calls “the thunder of heaven. It’s up to us whether we will listen to that thunder, but make no mistake, he moves the match.” (p51)

Shannon has embraced the side of evil: “You’ve given yourself to Satan, Shannon.” (p225) “He was possessed.” (p294) He wants nothing else than to take revenge by killing Abdullah. “He had been tormented for years ... But his tormentor had been from hell, grinding him into the ground.” (p233) But his actions could place the future of the United States in jeopardy. Evil can only be stopped and Shannon changed by Tanya’s love for him. Here Dekker shows how all the events are worked together by God to thwart evil. Shannon asks: “You can’t expect me to believe you were drawn to the jungle to save mankind from some diabolical plot to detonate a nuclear weapon on US soil. You don’t find that just a bit fantastic?” (p192) It is fantastic, but Dekker wants us to realize that “nothing is without a purpose”, and that God is governing all things in “God’s chess match,” and this is why Shannon and Tanya have been brought together in love (p268-9). Tanya herself comes to realize her place in God’s plan: “I know some things now, Shannon. I know that I was made to love you.” (p281) Her love plays a small role in God’s large plan. “And if I hadn’t loved you, the bomb would have gone off. If my parents hadn’t come to the jungle, or if we hadn’t fallen in love, or if Abdullah had chosen a different location, the bomb would have gone off. It was all God’s leading, his turning evil to good.” (p289). It’s divine chess: “The Creator is the ultimate chess master, isn’t he? Why he allows evil to wreak havoc, we can hardly understand. But in the end, it always plays into his hands. As it did this time." (p294) Ultimately Dekker wants us to marvel at the chessmaster: “God is quite brilliant, don’t you think?” (p52)

To properly understand the role that love plays in this cosmic chess game, one needs to read Vol. 2 of the series, because it is in this book that Dekker more fully works out his understanding of true love as requiring a willingness to die to the self and one’s own desires (p269), in a Christlike sacrifice (p285). While the powers of evil desire to kill, the powers of love desire to die, a distinction Dekker makes clear when speaking about Christ’s death: “There were two sides to the crucifixion of Christ – a killing and a dying. Like in some grand chess match, there are the black players who are the killers, and there are the white, who are the die-ers. One kills for hate, while others die for love.” (p156) Shannon is currently a killer: “He’d come to the jungle to kill ... She, on the other hand, had come to die…” (p199). But he must make a choice: “Are you ready to die, Shannon? Are you ready to kill, Shannon?” (p234) “No, you can’t change what I am, Tanya. And I am a killer. It’s what I do. I kill. I do not die.” (p227) Can Tanya’s loving change who Shannon is? “She’s loving and she’s dying and she’s changing the world.” (p208)

In the end, the theological underpinning isn’t entirely successful:

1. Dekker emphasizes again and again that Tanya was made to love Shannon, and that this would make all the difference, but only until the final climax does it become somewhat clear how her final act of loving really does make a difference. This is the hinge on which the whole chess match depends, yet there was still some cloud over *why* and *how* Tanya’s love for Shannon changed the outcome. I found the main premise a little too hard to swallow, that she must love him even though she (and we!) doesn’t know why, simply because God tells her to. It’s true that God uses our moves and decisions as part of his chess match, but usually these are ordinary thought-out decisions of daily life, not irrational and unexplained passions resulting from visions. It could be argued that the *why* of Tanya’s love for Shannon becomes evident in the finale, but perhaps it would be even clearer if Dekker had explained what Shannon would have done if Tanya was not present in the final scene. The chain of reasoning also is weak, because while he states that “our parents – they died for this day” (p282), the reality is that if the parents hadn’t died, the terrorists wouldn’t have established the foothold they needed in the plantation, Shannon would not have been filled with revenge, so the bomb scenario would not have arisen in the first place.

2. Dekker suggests that God speaks directly to people today in visions like the one Tanya sees (p106,191), although it could be conceded that this is a literary device that serves the plot, and that he is not seriously advocating ongoing revelation.

3. There are a few aspects of the plot that are somewhat too implausible, such as Tanya’s return to Venezuela at the insistence of her adoptive grandma (Helen Jovic, known to readers from the other books in the series) in response to a vision, and the failure of the two main characters to recognize one another. The identification of Shannon with Casius is easy to figure out, but somehow I think Dekker isn’t trying to hide this from us, because he has a much greater surprise and twist regarding character identity in store for us at the end.

But these weaknesses aside, on the whole this is a well-written and thought-provoking novel. Overall this novel has less theological weaknesses than the first two, but then again, the theology is more in the background here with the plot taking center stage. Fans of Robert Ludlum style suspense thrillers will love the fast-paced story-line which never lets up. And although it’s not quite as deep as his other novels, and the story-line could have been tightened somewhat, the theology is in itself sound. Dekker’s main point is bang on: “Remember, always look past your own eyes.” (p32) For a fast paced read with the thrills of Ludlum and the theological depth of Peretti, read of “The Thunder of Heaven” and be reminded that God is the chessmaster behind history, working all things for good.

[Josh Olds · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thunder of Heaven was Dekker’s third published novel and the conclusion to his loosely-connected trilogy, The Martyr’s Song. While the connections between Heaven’s Wager and When Heaven Weeps were already tenuous (the latter being the backstory of Helen, an important secondary character in the former), it’s pretty obvious that the Thunder of Heaven wasn’t originally written to be part of any larger storyline. While there are scenes that connect it back to Helen, it’s all very tangential and disconnected from the main storyline. If I had to guess, Ted signed a three-book contract and Thomas Nelson wanted a trilogy.

Thunder of Heaven follows two American kids—Tanya and Shannon—who live in the jungles of Venezuela on a coffee plantation. Their lives are forever altered when drug lords raid their land and kill their families. Both are presumed dead, but Tanya manages to survive, change her name, and begin a new life in the States. Shannon, well, his fate is something entirely more sinister.

Eight years later, Tanya feels a longing to return to Venezuela and make sense of her past. Along the way, it’s revealed that the CIA was complicit in the takeover, allowing drug runners to take the plantation in exchange for information on a larger cartel. Also, the drug runners aren’t just drug runners: their terrorists with the goal of launching a nuclear attack on the United States.

To stop the terrorists and unravel the mystery of her past, Tanya will have to work with a rogue CIA agent called Casius who has more than one secret he’s not telling. It all hurtles forward to a spiritual conclusion that speaks to the themes of love, loss, and the power of prayer.

I’m not going to call this a bad novel, but that’s only because I’ve read the unpublished version known as To Kill with Reason. It’s a fairly generic plot with bland characters that don’t fit neatly into the established theme and tone of the series. It lacks the same spiritual gravitas, with the spiritual theme being tacked on at the end rather than being threaded through the book. It moves through some predictable plot points like a paint-by-numbers picture. There’s the Assassin Who Isn’t Who You Think He Is (bonus points if you can guess who it is…); there’s the Islamic Terrorists Who Want To Destroy America (very popular in the early 2000s); and there’s a half-hearted, anemic romance that makes no sense but it’s gotta be done. Particularly in contrast to the originality of the first two novels, Thunder of Heaven comes off more than a bit lackluster.

Ted Dekker would later polish up some aspects of this story and use the core fundamentals of a certain plot twist in novels like Thr3e and Burn. All in all, it was a bit of a dud and is mostly-forgotten. A Man Called Blessed released the same year and Thr3e, which gave Dekker his first Christy Award, released a year later. Ultimately, this one was better off in the unpublished drawer.

[Corrina S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book that I am currently reading is Thunder of Heaven by Ted Dekker. It is about what happens when terrorism collides with love and faith. The beginning of the book was very action packed and intriguing, that’s what I really liked about it. This book is like no other I have read, I always read books about high school drama. But I actually really enjoyed something different that had more of a deeper meaning and I had to think more
In the beginning it follows two kids who live on a Venezuelan coffee plantation, that is soon overthrown by drug lords. Both the kids and their families were thought to be dead, but 8 years later Tanya had survived and is now living in the city. She soon finds out that her old plantation is not only being turned into a drug plot, but a terrorist cell also.
To stop the terrorists and find out what really happened to her family and Shannon she must go back to the jungle with a CIA member named Casius he has some secrets of his own. Themes of love and the power of prayer are revealed in this novel.
Some quotes relating to the theme are “Please,God,” he whispered faintly. “Let this one last thing go in my favor.”(115) This goes with the power of prayer because it is telling you he has prayed before and it has worked because he is praying again when he is in a tight spot. A quote dealing with love is “We all die. My parents defeated Karadzic. Their love set me free to do what it is I must do.” (124) This shows that instead of moving on from their death he went back to see what happened because he loved them so much and he is willing to risks his life for closure.
The book is set up into chapters and goes between two characters Tanya ( her name in the city is Shelly) and Casius. It might seem confusing at points, but you can use context clues to figure out which character you’re following. At some times you are placed in dreams that Tanya is having about living in the jungle, some are good memories others are nightmares of the day of the attack.
The subject and theme of the book can help you to never give up on something or someone. Even if everything has gone totally wrong you should always have that bit of hope, because someday you might figure out what you always needed to know.

[Kaleigh Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The genre of Thunder of Heaven would be action, romance, and adventure. The theme of this story would be terrorism and faith in God. There are a few plots going on at once in the book at a time. They eventually tie back together, but it can get a little bit confusing at times if your not a strong reader. Tanya and Shannon both have missionaries for parents and they live in The Amazon jungle. They fall in love, but when their parents are killed, they are separated. Abdullah Amir is trying to bring America to its knees with multiple nuclear explosions at once.There is also other characters such as Tanya's Grandmother that influence the story as well.

The novel was overly successful for me. The multiple PLOTS kept me reading, and they were written so well that I did not get confused. There are about four or five plots in the story, and they all lead back to one common plot - it's amazing. The DESCRIPTIVE WRITING in this book was amazing. Ted Dekker's use of SENSORY DETAILS and adjectives helped create an amazing sense of place. When he describes the jungle, you actually feel as if you are there. He also describes the MOOD and emotions well. He can make you feel the way the characters are feeling. Overall, this is an amazing book and everyone should read it!!

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book. I didn’t absolutely hate it like I did the second book, but still didn’t care for it. It’s really interesting because I absolutely loved the first book in this series. I thought it was 5 stars! It was so well written and put together. The spiritual depth was definitely there. The second book was a complete mess for me. This third and final book seemed more cohesive and thought out, but I really disconnected with the relation between the main characters, what their relationship was suppose to represent and what the faith based themes were supposed to represent. As with the second book, I could see what the author was trying to do, but I just couldn’t get on board with the way he tried to do it.

The first part of the book was actually good. Two young teenagers living in another country with parents doing work overseas fall in love, and then fall victims to great tragedy. From there, the story shifts, and the story is still okay as it picks up I think 7 years or so later. It’s a bit after the two reunite that things start shifting in a way that lost my interest.

I do enjoy this author, and am making my way through his books, so I’m forward to reading something else by him soon even though I didn’t enjoy the last two in this series.

[megan fraser · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in like one day. It was that good. The action starts really really early in the book and then it gets slower but don't give up! Then all of a sudden there is a lot of action again and the story twists so many times its unbelievable. Any predictions you make about this book will probably be wrong so don't expect to be right. The story takes place in a jungle and you feel like you are actually in the jungle because of all of the descriptions. Its amazing. The story is about a girl and a boy whose parents are missionaries in the jungle and that's all I can say with out giving anything away. JUST READ THE BOOK!!!!!! Wow. I didn't think I could say this much about a book. I guess that just means that it's AMAZING (wait did I already say that???) and you should definently read it!!!!! Oh one more thing, thank you Kaleigh for letting me borrow it- even though I almost lost it and forgot to give it back!!! :D

[Adrienna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read most of the book, only had about 12% left to read...and oddly this book didn't work for me. Even though it compared itself to Jonah and Ninevah story, how Tanya aka Sherry Blake was the chosen vessel to return back to the place of where her parents were murdered. She didn't want to be chosen for such a mission but knew it was from GOD and got confirmation from Helen (her adopted grandmother). This appears to be the same Helen from the first book in the series.

Maybe I will try to finish the ending but the mafia stuff was just not convincing to me as a reader and skimmed through that to see what would come of Shannon (was he really dead, facing Sula, the demon known as Satan) and what Sherry's real mission was once she went back to the jungle.

There were some passages that stung in my spirit though.

Adrienna Turner
www.dream4more.org

[Mark · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning is interesting and somewhat mysterious and has a paranormal feeling to it that stimulates you to keep on reading.

However, half way through, you realise that this unknown evil is just a bunch of terrorists.

Don't be alarmed though. The hero happens to be an invisible Rambo that while in his teens could take several special ops agents without as much as breaking a sweet. Now, as a master assassin, he is destined to take them up.

Forced myself to continue reading as personally, an invisible hero than can single handedly take an entire platoon of Rangers. Is boring.

Meh. DNFed at 77%

[Micaiah Keough]

TWIST ENDING. Only slightly. And I wondered. But wow. (I seriously liked Casius and didn't know for sure why I did...especially since he was this assassin dude. But yeah. He was cool in some weird way. And then it turned around so yes. He was like Tarzan of the 21st century in South America. XD And Tanya was a good lead female.)

[Zach Ogren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ted Dekker's Thunder of heaven is a brilliant novel with vividly descriptive and thuroghly engaging storytelling. It's the second of his Martyr's song series, and is just as good as the first. Although it was disappointing that there was little involvement of the last book's characters, the plot line was very interesting.
The story began with a teenage girl named Tanya Vandervan playing with her best friend and neighbor Shannon. The Vandervans were an american family sent to Venezuela to preach the gospel to the natives and whoever else there in the jungles. When they were retuning from the natural pool they had just been swimming in, helicopters began to fly over both of their houses. From Tanya's perspective, she was already in her house and heard a strange noise overhead. When it began to fire on them, her father realized the threat and placed her in a chamber build into the house, below the lower level, to protect her. after a short while, the sound of the helicopters disappeared, and she realized that she was trapped in the tiny room. She screamed for her parents, but, to her dismay, realized they were likely killed by the choppers. Meanwhile, as Shannon returned to his home, helicopters flew over his house and began attacking as well. Being that he was not yet inside however, he managed to escape the bullets and hide, surviving the attack. However, Tanya was still encapsulated by the walls of the saferoom. Pounding on the ceiling to see if she could break it loose, she began to lose hope, and dreadfully realized that she would probably die in there. As she drifted in and out of conciousness due to hunger, tiredness, and darkness, she began to have visions of her father constructing the house. They were from a bird's view, flying overhead as she watched her father construct the very room she was trpaaed in now. After several of these same visions, she finds that there's actually a tunnel beyond one of the walls, leading out to a river. When she pulled on the same wall in reality, it did indeed reveal a tunnel, which lead out to the very same Caura river. Traumatized by the last week of solitude and claustrophobia, and believing she was the only one of the families that survived, she returns back to the U.S., and she begins to study to become a doctor. However, She feels God calling her back to Venezuela for some unknown reason and, after much coaxing by her grandmother Hellen, does return. The remainder of the book is spent discovering why God called her back and, in a roundabout fashion, saving thousands of lives.
This novel's major theme is that you need to trust God when he tells you what to do. God told Tanya he wanted her to return to Venezuela. She had so much PTSD from the last time she was there. Returning was the last thing she wanted to do. However, since she did, she saved thousands of lives. Without listening to God, all of those people would've almost certainly died. God's plan is always the best, even if it doesn't seem like it at the time.

[Lghiggins · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading Ted Dekker’s Thunder of Heaven, I deviated somewhat from the types of books I usually read. My thirteen year old granddaughter recommended this Christian thriller, and I wanted to gain insight into her reading preferences. Having said that, I should clarify that Thunder of Heaven is not written for the younger reader; it is an adult novel without the inclusion of sex or vulgar language. I do not normally read thrillers; but, although suspenseful, this is not the kind of psychological thriller which will keep me up for nights to come.

Shannon and Tanya have grown up in the jungles of Venezuela where Shannon’s parents are coffee farmers and Tanya’s parents are missionaries. Their blooming romance and happy lives are interrupted by horrific events in this action packed story that focuses on good versus evil, the sacrifices of love, and God’s bigger plan.

I had some confusion with the identity of the characters, but it eventually surfaces that the confusion is intentional and is resolved in the end. The plot is strong and intricate. The Venezuela jungle setting is interesting, well depicted, and perfect for the tale Dekker weaves.

Thunder of Heaven deals with some of the bigger spiritual questions. Can God use evil for good? Can a person become possessed by satanic powers? Can a Christian have a vision from God? What is the ultimate sacrifice? The exploration of these topics is not simplistic and is woven throughout the book coming to a head in the resolution of the conflict.

I am new to Dekker’s work, but Dekker is not new to suspense aficionados. A best-selling author, he has written over thirty books which have been translated into multiple languages. Two of his works have been made into films. His chosen genres for his storytelling are thriller and suspense, fantasy and speculative, and historical fiction. I’m looking forward to reading more novels by this author.

[Symon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thunder Of Heaven by Ted Dekker is the third and installment in the Martyr’s Song Series (which is really book 4 when you include the prequel).

Deep in the Amazon jungle a young American woman and the son of plantation owners fall madly in love. For Tanya and Shannon, life is a paradise most only dream about. But today paradise ends. The jungle has hatched more than idyllic love. It has also spawned insidious evil. An evil shrouded in a plot so diabolically brilliant that America will be brought to its knees at the hands of a few terrorists. Nothing stands in the way of terrible destruction. Except for the love of one woman.

Thunder Of Heaven is less ‘chick-flick’ than the synopsis implies, and although begins all romantic-like, very quickly changes tact to include drug cartels, massacres by a gunship, witchcraft, CIA cover-ups, black ops missions, nuclear bomb threats, etc. In other words, a very entertaining, engaging read and one which I enjoyed immensely.

Thunder Of Heaven seems to be the odd one out of the Martyr’s Song series. It is very different from the previous three installments and the story is only thinly related to the rest. Dekker has chosen to pack this book with more action/adventure and less ‘deep spiritual allegory’ which I appreciated.

Although it is not of the theological level of When Heaven Weeps, I was still was very encouraged by the faith-themes running through it. It always amazes me how God speaks through fiction by gifted Christian authors. I usually am more inspired by good Christian fiction than by Christian non-fiction.
Thunder Of Heaven is a relatively short novel, is fast-paced, unpredictable, and thoroughly enjoyable.

My type of book.

[brennieree33 · Rating 4 out of 5]

-One thng I don't really like about Ted Dekker's book is the tendency to make Muslim terrorists the villians. There's usually a Muslim trying to destroy America for Allah in a very high position in the operation.
-I LOVE the way Ted Dekker writes his 3rd person views from no one's perspective except this narrator just staring down on the planet. They're just perfect and I can't express the joy that fills my heart when I come across these little paragraphs.
-"The small cargo vessel had made the trip from the Bahamas to Curtis Point- just south of Annapolis and a stone's throw away from Washington DC- dozens of times, each time with a variety of imported goods on board, usually with at least a partial load of exclusive lumbers sold by the pound rather than by the foot." Freaking BRILLIANT line
-This book was really predictable, but it wasn't a bad book in the slightest. It was just, like I said, really predictable.

-It was PAINFULLY obvious that Casius was Shannon the whole time
-Throughout the whole book I was kind of jumping back and forth on whether or not Shannon was Jamal, and he was, so, I was right.
-The book handles the Sula magic thing really weirdly. Like, it's introduced in the beginning, and then kind of in the background when we get Casius' perspective, and it's not really tied up in the end. Is he still affected by the Sula voice? Why was it there in the first place? Why was the staff specifically what started the Sula voice in his head? Is Shannon a Christain now? Like, his plot thread involving Sula is just kind of not tied up, and it's unsatisfying and a little weird.

[LAS LECTURAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oigan al final descubrí que este libro tiene una pizca espionaje y me voló la cabeza porque hay un giró inesperado que me hizo una vez más amar con locura la pluma del autor.

Esta historia me dio una pizca de nostalgia al encuentrar a Helen a breves razgos; y sobretodo ya siendo una anciana y descubrir que su fé está arraigada en su corazón; me hizo feliz, sin embargo la historia se centra en la historia de amor de dos adolescentes, que viven en la selva de Venezuela, el hijo de un gran terrateniente, y ella hija de Misioneros Norteaméricanós, todo en el entorno a ellos te hace sentir cálido el corazón, te hace desear tener una amor asi de bonito, pero de un momento a otro todo su mundo perfecto se viene abajo, por que la mafia, gobernantes corruptos, y hasta una institución de alto prestigio invaden su Paraíso, para empezar a realizar sus oficios de narcotraficantes y terrorismo.

(Aquí viene un mine spoiler, ellos se creen muertos el uno al otro, y ambos están conscientes que sus padres si murieron, yo leí este libro con una sensación de dolor y a la Vez tenía la esperanza que ellos se volvieran a encontrar, por que ambos cambian de identidad)

[Justin Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7-- Rounded up. My favorite of the Heaven trilogy. Quite different than the other two, but still kept with the theme of 'Love conquers all.' Terror, tragedy, mystery, danger, corruption, faith, twists, and deep providential connections are all part of this terrific work of fiction. I was intrigued at the start, then riveted once things got cooking back in the Venezuelan jungle. Well-written novel!

[Steve Perkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

As with several books Trx Dekker has written as a series the books could stand as individual books but yet they are intricately tied together I thought Thunder of Heaven was a little slow at gaining my interest but still kept me reading knowing the author has a way of baiting you to point you to the conflict and then ultimate solution and salvation of the underlying Truths of the Gospel! Well done!

[Jody Elmquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with the last 2 Dekker books I have read (AD 30 & AD 33), an enjoyable read that is full of detail & imagery that sucks me into the story. I can connect the journey of each character to points of time in my life and journey as a Christian. I trust the content...not having to worry about polluting my brain with unnecessary vulgarity.

[Ruth Jessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thunder of heaven reaching earth...

This book is a favorite. Action packed, well written characters, heroes, villains, and the romance between Heaven & earth. You'll want to read it more than once. Even though it's part of a series it can be read as a standalone.

[Christine Jackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning

The third book in this trilogy will move you. I was carried through as if I were there. Amazing truths captured and given back out through story! So good you won’t want to put it down.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first Ted Dekker book I have read and I loved it. I will be reading the other books in this series (sad that I began on the third by accident, but apparently it doesn't matter). A quick paced story with surprises along the way.

[Lexi Faith Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good one!

[Steve N · Rating 5 out of 5]

good story -

[Rose Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story! Absolutely loved this set

[J.L. Burrows · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best series I've read in a long time!

[Erin Host Hisaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!