The Fall of the Nephilim by Douglas Hirt Published by: River Oak (2006) 481 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Douglas Hirt: Flight to Eden Quest for Atlan

Sometimes I'm amazed at a writer's simple creativity, and by everyone else's lack thereof when it comes to Scripture and tradition. Case in point: for all our lives, we've seen pictures, from children's books on up, of Noah building the ark out in the middle of a big field, while people laughed at him. What most of us have probably never even thought of is this: Satan knew the prophecies. He heard them. He knew God was planning on destroying the world and preserving humanity through Noah. So did he just sit back and watch? Motivate people to just laugh? The Bible says the world was filled with violence. Did all that violence just happen to stay away from the area where the ark was being built?

Douglas Hirt asked himself those very basic questions, along with many others, and came up with the absolutely fascinating triogy, the Cradleland Chronicles. This final book picks up the story where most of us think we're familiar with: the building of the ark.

If you've read the first two books in this series, you know where Noah gains protection of sorts as he sets out to do the task God has assigned to him. (If you haven't read them, what are you waiting for?) Thus, there's somewhat of a sense of fatalism about this book. We all know who ends up on the ark, and therefore who doesn't, so it's simply a question of wondering when various characters we've come to know are going to die (or turn away). Still, in some cases, it's the stuff that myths are made of (seriously - Hirt has thrown in many hints at possible "sources" for various mythologies).

Some of you visiting this site are no doubt wondering about the spaceship on the cover. Isn't this series set pre-Flood? Yes, it is. But think on it this way: if our scientists could have 800+ years of life to research and study, what wonders could they devise? Various extra-biblical sources have implied this, as well, and it's fascinating to contemplate. This entire series plays the "what if" card many, many times, and always in a way that's completely fascinating.

There's also a few hints toward the end that the series is not over... and yet this is the final book of the series. What that means, I'm not sure. I'll be keeping an eye on the website, myself, and eagerly awaiting whatever comes next. Highly Recommended.