Showdown by Ted Dekker Published by: WestBow Press (2006) 357 pages Rating: 10/10 Buy it Now:    Also by Ted Dekker: Thunder of Heaven Thr3e White Black

I have a fear about Ted Dekker. That fear comes from his growing popularity. I've been worried that as demand for his writing grows that he'd stop doing his best - just crank stuff out for the marketing machine, so to speak. After all, his fanbase at this point is so large that he could write a phone book and it would hit the best-seller list.

Fortunately, that fear has not come to pass. Showdown, Dekker's latest, is not only up to the high standard of his previous works, it surpasses many of them (if not all).

Showdown opens in a small town named Paradise (coincidental name? What do you think?). A mysterious man in a black trenchcoat comes striding down the road, grabbing everyone's attention and promising "grace and hope." Marsuvees Black, as he calls himself, quickly captivates almost everyone, but is he there to really help them... or destroy them?

Meanwhile, not far away, a group of gifted children being raised and taught in a secret monastery are beginning to question the rules they've lived under all their lives, as well as the nature of evil itself. Is there some kind of connection between the two sets of events?

Of course there is. But what kind of connection is the real question. And true to form, Dekker deals the twists with skill and finesse. I almost slapped myself halfway through the book when I suddenly realized that a major point of this plot was actually taken from somewhat of a dangler from one of Dekker's previous works (you don't have to have read it to enjoy this one - that just adds something for long-time readers to recognize).

In some places, things get a little grotesque (including a bizarre opening sequence). It's a bit more graphic than most of Dekker's previous works, but there's a very definite reason for that. Once you understand who is behind the grotesque parts, it makes perfect sense.

The battle between good and evil unfolds in ways you might never expect. This is definitely Dekker's strangest novel, and just might be his best. When the turning point finally comes, the eucatastrophe that the protagonists and the readers are longing to see, it's absolutely brilliant.

I can think of no better way to say it than: this is Deeper Magic.

High praise indeed, for those who recognize the reference. For everyone else, I'll just say: Highly Recommended.