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Babylon Rising

By: Tim F. LaHaye
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd
ISBN: 0340863145
ISBN-13: 9780340863145
Released: 19 Aug 2004
RRP: £6.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

Almost so bad it's good. - By: NoWireHangers, 26 Nov 2006
Ok. I've removed my previous one star review after re-reading the book (my first "reading" was listening to the audiobook).

I still think the story (involving an Illuminati-type group launching a conspiracy against evangelical Christians, & an assassin who murders people with falcons trained to attack & kill people) is ludicrous, the characters silly & the dialogue laughable. But I've got to admit that these... "qualities" actuallly make the book rather amusing, in a "so bad it's good" kind of way.

It's common knowledge that Tim LaHaye doesn't do any actual writing on any of "his" novels, & this time he's found another hack co-writer in Greg Dinalllo.

Anybody looking for a good adventure novel should look elsewhere. But those looking for an example of brainless Christian fiction at its worst may find "Babylon Rising" amusing, although it does contain some rather slow sequences.
A gripping tale - By: C. Saunders, 23 Apr 2006
From the first couple of sentences I was hooked! Tim LaHayes ability to draw you into the story is evident from the first chapter. I couldn't put the book down I had to know what happened next. I love the use of biblical background to the story it makes me want to read the account of Daniel & look at it with new eyes. Anything that makes you want to pick up your Bible & read it is excellent in my books. I would reccommend this to anyone & in fact have already passed the book on for others to read. Can't wait for the next installlment to arrive.
not worth the time spending reading it - By: Joe Sherry, 18 Aug 2004
Tim LaHaye is the creator of the best selling Left Behind series. This is another book (the first in a series) that is based on biblical prophecy. The Left Behind books were based on the prophecies of Revelation. Babylon Rising is based on the prophecies found in the book of Daniel. The other main difference is that Babylon Rising takes place before the Rapture (the starting even of Left Behind). In the introduction to this book, Tim LaHaye writes that he is more excited about this book (and the coming series) than he has been about any other project that he has worked on. He is teaming with Greg Dinalllo to write a fast paced, biblical based, adventure/thriller. LaHaye feels that the hero of this story, Michael Murphy is a fantastic protagonist, one who we should be excited to read about.

Michael Murphy is a biblical archaeologist. That means that he finds ancient artifacts & uses them to authenticate the Bible. For some time now, he has been given tips by a man who callls himself "Methuselah". Methuselah gives Murphy a tip on how to find an artifact, but at the same time he sets traps around this artifact that could easily kill Murphy. Michael accepts this & goes along with it because every biblical artifact has turned out to be genuine. Michael Murphy seems to be cut out of the Indiana Jones mold, only with a strong Christian morality.

When Murphy finds the latest artifact that Methuselah lays before him, it sets him on a path to confront a great Evil (with a capital E). We are also introduced to the other side, an organization known as the Seven, & their murderous henchman named Talon. As Murphy searches for a biblical artifact known as the Brazen Serpent, an endtime prophecy of Daniel begins to unfold.

As LaHaye wrote in the introduction, this is a fast paced adventure book. It is based on biblical prophecy, but unlike Left Behind, this one didn't hook me. I was able to read the book quite quickly, but I wasn't too interested in what happened to any of the characters (except for one minor character). Rather than be the great Christian hero that LaHaye had hoped for, Michael Murphy is a caricature. He is so idealized that he isn't believable as a character or as a person. That might be part of the problem with the entire book. While it is written with the best of intentions, the dialogue is horrible, the writing a step below that of Left Behind, & riddled with cliché. There is no sense that the dialogue between characters could possibly be a real conversation. It felt phony & forced.

With alll that said, if you loved the Left Behind books, you may enjoy Babylon Rising. It is similar to that series, & has the same basis in Biblical Prophecy. I didn't find Babylon Rising to be very engaging at alll. It is a fast reading book, so you won't waste too much time reading it, but I feel that your time would be better spent elsewhere.

-Joe Sherry