My review of The Begotten by Lisa T. Bergren

Product Description:

What if the apostle Paul had written another letter---one most believers knew nothing about---filled with mysterious prophecies foretelling "gifted ones" who would fight on behalf of the church? In Bergren's fantasy, the letter is real, the year is 1339, the Inquisition is raging, and "the gifted" are gathering. Can they vanquish the darkness?

My review:

To me, everything about The Begotten was so rich and fantastic that I was literally carried into another time and place. The author's vivid description and setting surround you and carry the story to the end with power and conviction. I was there and experienced the terrors of the Middle Ages and the corruption of the times. I felt the pain of Daria, the healer, as she longed to make people whole, yet could only do what the Lord had appointed for her to do. There was always a reason, but it was not always known.

Everything about this story made me ponder the Lord's ways, and I marveled at the power of His written word demonstrated in action. I was caught up in the beautiful prose and awestruck as the magnitude of good and evil were revealed when the two camps waged war. The intrigue and pacing was perfectly done and the action was so riveting that I couldn't stop reading. The intensity of the evil portrayed seemed as realistic as the righteousness found in the Lord's own, "The Gifted". To me, the spiritual messages interwoven throughout the story were healing and emotionally moving.

The next book in Bergren's series is called The Betrayed. I can only imagine the conflict that will lead into the sequel because the author leaves you satisfied at the conclusion of The Begotten, yet hanging just enough to make you want to buy the next book. Well done, and highly recommended!

The Begotten was published by Berkley Praise and released on August 1, 2006