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Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780842387767
ISBN number: 0842387765
Label: Tyndale House Publishing houses
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishing houses
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 336
Printing Date: May 01, 2004
Publishing house: Tyndale House Publishing houses
Sale Popularity Level: 91983
Studio: Tyndale House Publishing houses
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
Danger and personal crisis on land, sea, and in the air combine with a level of spiritual warfare that is unparalleled in a Christian book. Crucible is a page-turning thriller that runs side by side with the phenomenal Left Behind series that has sold in excess of 55 million copies. The world is exploding in confusion and terror following the disappearances in book one, Apocalypse Dawn. Meanwhile, Army Rangers and Marine Special Forces are struggling to keep the peace, while fighting spiritual battles of their own in the sands of Turkey and back home.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I enjoyed Apocalypse Dawn, so I picked up Apocalypse crucible and found it slow going. For one thing, the author has an annoying tendency to write stories from multiple points of view, sometimes as many as 5. Once you become accustomed to one character and his/her story, suddenly you are back in the states with another unrelated character. Only two characters really interested me. Goose and his wife. The other characters, their loser son Joey, the grave-digging preacher, the reporters, and the agent Icarus, just didn't thrill me. I wanted to hear more about Goose. It was just a little much. I felt the author should've written separate novels if he was *THAT* enamored of the minor characters.
I don't know, this story just didn't do it for me. I felt the multiple POV made the story weak. I also felt this story didn't have enough end times events. This could be any military book.Disappointing.
2 stars.
Rated by buyers 
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Continuing in the Apocalypse series, I got and read the 2nd book, Apocalypse Crucible by Mel Odom. While I like the series concept, I'm fairly dismayed over the pacing of the story. I don't think much happened in book 2 to advance the story, and definitely not enough for 326 pages.
"Goose" Gander is still over in Turkey, helping to run a delaying action in a town, designed to slow down the Syrians. A CIA spy that everyone is looking for has apparently focused on Gander, and Gander is holding out on his chain of command in order to figure out what's going on. All this while dealing with the loss of his youngest son to the Rapture. His wife is still on base back stateside, and she's in even more hot water now that a teen client tries to commit suicide with a pistol shot to the gut while the wife is trying to talk her out of the act. But for some reason, the military brass on base seems to think she actually shot the teen, and coupled with the "missing" boy from book 1, her freedom is tenuous at best. And then there's the military chaplain who goes to the grave of his son, planning on digging it up to see whether his son was part of the Rapture or not. He tries to walk away from the deed prior to opening the casket, but his own personal demon shows up to force him to open the casket or be killed. But the creature disappears before either happens, and the chaplain is still trying to make sense of what's left of his faith. Oh, and there's the lovely OneWorld News Network reporter over on the war front, thinking she has the lead on a big story related to the CIA spy, but is being stonewalled by her boss for unknown reasons...
Yeah, I've probably made this sound worse than it actually is. But I really thought we'd end up further down the plot after installment 2 than things ended up. Too many "why is this happening to character x" questions posed at the end of book 1 are still hanging there in book 2, and I felt as if we could have gotten there in far less pages. I'll still read book 3, as I have it on my shelf right now. But my enthusiasm for the series is starting to drag, and I'm not going into it with any great expectations...
Rated by buyers 
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I am not sure what Mel Odem's background is but he has managed to tell a story that is multi-dimensional. He writes an interesting story that is relevant to today's headlines in regards to the struggle between Muslim extremists and the rest of the world--- prophecies that are clearly described in the Bible in terms of modern day events--- and the complexities of relationships between people. He describes the confusion and dysfunctions that occur when a young mother divorces, remarries and has a second child with her new husband. He describes the complexities brought about by an alcoholic father whose son becomes a minister, who has a son that becomes a chaplain, and has a son that joins the military and is killed in action. He describes the fear that overcomes teenagers and adults when the rapture occurs and only non-Christians are left behind. He tells of the human tendency to bully others and to force others to submit to their will. And he tells of the struggle for good people who were too confused by the complexities of life to have given themselves completely to God who are caught up in a post-raptured world struggling to make sense of the situation that they now find themselves in. I left Mel Odem's very first book on my dresser for nearly a year because I thought it was a shallow fiction book based on the military aspects of end time events. I was wrong. I have read the very first two books in this series and ordered the third which I am looking forward to receiving and reading.
Rated by buyers -
Odom picked up the pace a bit in this second book of the series, incorporating a little more action and toggling between different storylines a little more often, which helps those of us with shorter attention spans to continue turning the pages well after we should be asleep.
I think this second book in the series is a marked improvement over the very first book. I really enjoyed the very first book, but it's obvious that Odom has hit his stride and better knows where this story is going with the second one.
I admire Odom's understanding of people. I'm now chewing through the third book in the series and have come to appreciate that Odom has obviously spent his life observing and getting to know people.
There's a depth to his characters - or maybe it's in the subtle thoughts he voices through his characters...I can't quite put my finger on it - that suggests the author has long been a student of people. Whatever it is, to me it's this strength that makes his characters so believable. They're not superheroes. They're just people in extraordinary times and circumstances. I can imagine any one of of his characters living subsequent door to me.
Odom's very first in the series was good. I thought this one showed marked improvement. Even the editing was tighter and cleaner than the very first book. Still no major shortage of signs that the editor tackled this one in a rush, but there was obvious greater attention to detail in the editing of this one.
It's a well-written book and was a page turner for me. It was more than worth my time to read. If you've enjoyed the books from the Left Behind series and its spin-off series, I suspect you'll find this one to be another worthwhile read.
Rated by buyers -
I found this sequel to be less fluent than the A:Dawn.
Its story line was relfective of the situations presented in the very first book.
Leaving the storyline way open for another sequel..
Although with the lack of Christian Military fiction around, it was a welcomed addition to my Library!I especially liked the twist at the end and again Mel Odom's obvious attention to detail which shows a keen interest in researching facts before meeting publisher deadlines. Which helps provide a realistic interpretation of Soldiers and their families during any conflict.
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