PUBLICATION DATE: OCTOBER 1, 2010

yborg, Rick Macey, spent decades working for the US government.  Not surprisingly, during that time he accumulated a lot of secrets.  Most of them were related to his job, but his deepest, darkest secret was personal.  A decision made fifty years prior, had left him riddled with guilt and hidden shame.  When an ambassador for the Unity Faith Society is killed, the message left at the murder scene draws Macey back into his dark past.  All signs indicate a member of his former team is responsible for this brutal murder, but is she the mastermind and if so, is this the first step in a large scale terrorist act?  Forced to choose between his wife and his beliefs in an attempt to rectify past mistakes, Macey returns to the Philippians to face the demons that have haunted him for decades.  Set 2082, The Tenth Crusader is a remarkable blend of science fiction technology and layman thriller.

I have wanted to read a book by Marcher Lord Press for some time.  I kept hearing fantastic feedback about the quality and inventiveness of their books.  Finally I requested a few books and if The Tenth Crusader is indicative of their work, then I have indeed been missing out on some good reading.

The Tenth Crusader is a sequel to Eternity Falls.  Since I had not read the first book, I was a bit concerned that I would be lost or confused.  However, Outerbridge did an excellent job of making sure the reader is well informed.  Macey’s character is nicely developed and I easily fell into step with the story.  The necessary background is well integrated and ties into the current story flawlessly.

I completely enjoyed the futuristic aspect of this story.  So many sci-fi books, I get lost in the technology and eventually start tuning that part out.  This book, though, is well balanced with really cool gadgets, but not so much as to interrupt the flow of the story. Since the technological parts are nicely integrated, it cuts down on the need for large explanations which makes it extremely easy to fall into the rhythm of the story and the futuristic earth Outerbridge creates.

While I enjoyed the plot and the characters, I struggled a bit with some dialog that felt forced rather than natural.  This is a Christian novel and I completely agree with the message, but there are times when the dialog goes on too long and begins to feel awkward.  Additionally, the extensive conversations make the ending a bit confusing.  I found myself having to re-read parts to figure out exactly what the characters were saying.  However, I love the ideas presented through these exchanges.  Outerbridge throws out some tough choices for the reader (and characters) to contemplate.  Does one compromise their faith to save the lives of 2 million lost people?  Are Christians soft because of lack of prosecution?  How does one truly follow their religion?  The choices the characters are placed in really highlights the points being made, but with a little less talking, they would have shown even brighter.

I really enjoyed The Tenth Crusader.  It is a fun book to read and a nice futuristic, sci-fi thriller.  The characters are engaging and the story well written.  I will not only be picking up Eternity Falls, but future books by Outerbridge as well.  Since the ending of this one is pretty open, I’m thinking there might be another book planned in this series, which is something I welcome.