I was CRAZY blessed to be chosen as an Advanced Reader for Ted Dekker’s recent novel, “The 49th Mystic”.  After reading the book and writing the review that I was asked to have ready, I got the exciting news that I would ALSO have a chance to read the sequel, “Rise of the Mystics”.  Rather than ramble on about how much I love this series, I’ll let my review of “The 49th Mystic” speak for itself –

I discovered Ted Dekker’s work when I read “House”, a book that Dekker co-wrote with Frank Peretti. I was very familiar with Peretti’s work but was intrigued by the new “voice” I could sense when reading “House.” So I began to seek out more titles by Dekker. With every Dekker title I read, I am challenged at a spiritual level.

Dekker has clearly been sharing his faith journey with us through his stories for quite some time. He stepped away from fiction for a bit to write “The Forgotten Way” – a devotional study guide that removes the “fiction” completely and dives deeper into scripture than I have ever been. It’s a study I go back to at least once a year. When I started reading “The 49th Mystic,” I knew it was connected to Dekker’s series known as “The Circle”. But I also found glimpses of other titles and series – “The Paradise Series”, “Water Walker”, and “Eyes Wide Open” just to name a few.

As the main character, Rachelle, seeks to find the Five Seals, I found myself being asked to completely rethink my identity as a follower of Yeshua and rethink the way I see the world around me. It’s more than just a story – it’s a modern-day parable in which Dekker seeks to gently lead us to a true understanding of what it means to be the son or daughter of God. In this book, I found more than just a wonderfully written story. I found a new sense of purpose, a clear picture of my identity, and an ever-widening sense of what it means when I say that I am the Daughter of the Infinite God.