Rise of the Mystics

Author: Ted Dekker
Genre: Fantasy

Some say the great mystery of how one can live in two worlds at once died with Thomas Hunter many years ago. Still others that the gateway to that greater reality was and is only the stuff of dreams. They are all wrong. 

Rachelle Matthews, who grew up in the small town of Eden, Utah, discovered just how wrong when she dreamed and awoke in another world. There she learned that she was the 49th Mystic, the prophesied one, tasked with finding five ancient seals before powerful enemies destroy her. If Rachelle succeeds in her quest, peace will reign. If she fails, the world will forever be locked in darkness.

In The 49th Mystic, Rachelle found the first three of those five seals through great peril and mind-altering adventure. But two seals remain hidden and the fate of both worlds hangs in their balance.

As Rachelle Matthews sits deep in a dungeon, Vlad Smith is just getting started. Thomas Hunter's world is about to be turned inside out. The mystics say that there is no defense against the Fifth Seal--but finding it will cost Rachelle everything.

So begins the final volume of high stakes in one girl's quest to find an ancient path that will save humanity. The clock is ticking; the end rushes forward. 

Ready? Set? Dream.

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Reviewer: Cheryl Colwell

​I give this book 5 stars! This two-book series is mind-bending and Spirit-awakening. The Rise of the Mystics is just as riveting as the 49th Mystic. The characters and action are compelling, but the allegory took me to a new level of who I am in Christ, invited to live in His kingdom of love and peace right now. Wow. I will treasure these books in my personal library.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing.

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Reviewer: Laura J. Davis

I am probably the last person in the world who should be reading a fantasy book. They are not the type of book I prefer to read, but since I read the last book in this series, The 49th Mystic, I was asked to review this one, and truthfully, I wanted to find out if Rachelle got the rest of the seals!

No, I'm not going to tell you if she succeeded, what I will say to you is that if anyone is going to get me to read fantasy, it would be Ted Dekker. The man knows how to weave a tale - and what a tale it is!

In the last book, Rachelle had three of the five seals she needed and Project Eden had been revealed to the world, in this book she has been brainwashed by DARPA who quite literally have wiped her memory clean and she can't remember who she is. Not a good thing when you are supposed to be saving the world, especially when you have an evil demon pulling the strings  behind the scenes. 

While The 49th Mystic immediately grabbed my attention and drew me in, The Rise of the Mystics took me a little longer to get into, because of what was happening to Rachelle and her father. As I continued to read, the story began to improve, but it bothered me when it seemed to be leaning towards the false doctrine of Universalism. Now I could be wrong there because as I said, fantasy books are not my thing. I might have just missed the whole point because frankly, there was a lot of deeper stuff to this book, so you had to think about it rather than enjoy the story. 

In the end I "got it" and Dekker captured the glory of heaven, redemption and forgiveness uniquely. So the ending was ... oops! I almost gave it away. 

The Rise of the Mystics releases October 2nd. Order your book now. You won't be disappointed.

Book provided courtesy of Baker Publishing and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.

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