Rise of the Mystics by Ted Dekker

The Beyond the Circle Series starts out with The 49th Mystic. Rise of the Mystics is the second and final book in the Beyond the Circle series by Ted Dekker. These are my first books that I have read by Dekker but I understand this new series also plays off of his original Circle series although it can be read independently.

Rachelle Matthews is also known as the 49th mystic. She lives in two worlds at once. In the ancient world she is currently locked in a dungeon. She has received three out of five seals in the book one and needs to complete the next two to save the people she loves and cares about. How can she do it in this realm when she is stuck in the dungeon? In the modern earth world she faces even greater struggles to overcome as she faces off with the villain Vlad Smith. I don't want to give away any spoilers so will stop there.

I especially like to read a series when I can go right from one book to the next so I was glad that both books were published when I decided to read The 49th Mystic. That said, Rise of the Mystics was different than I expected in both the beginning and the ending after reading the first book. I think it is well-written and interesting, but I really didn't like how the main character was treated and some of the storyline. I understand why the storyline had to play out that way to make it all work but I still didn't ENJOY reading what happened to Rachelle, especially at the beginning. I did like how it all ended though. Also, I continue to appreciate how easy it is to read between the two worlds and keep the characters straight in Rise of the Mystics. I liked the fast paced timing of everything. I never felt bored while reading this book, even though I ached for what some of the characters endured. If you like adventure, with some violence, and allegorical suspense, I encourage you to give the Beyond the Circle series a try--even if you are like me and have never read a Dekker book before. Now I need to go back and read the original Circle series.

I received this book from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.