A Book Review of the Judgement Stone by Robert Liparulo

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What if praying became a curse instead of a blessing?

Former Army Ranger Jagger Baird thought he had his hands full with the Tribe―the band of immortal vigilantes fighting to regain God’s grace by killing those opposed to Him. But that was before he encountered the ruthless group of immortals called the Clan. The Clan is after a prize that would give them unimaginable power―a piece of the Ten Commandments known as the Judgment Stone.

Those who touch the Stone can see into the spiritual world: angelic warriors, treacherous demons, and the blue threads of light that signal the presence of believers in communion with God.

By following the blue beam radiating from those closest to God, the Clan plans to locate His most passionate followers and destroy them.

Jagger quickly realizes his high-tech gadgetry and training are no match for these merciless immortals. But how can he defeat an enemy who hunts believers through their prayers . . . and won’t stop until they’ve annihilated all those close to Him?

In this high-action thriller, best-selling author Robert Liparulo examines the raging battle between good and evil on earth . . . and beyond.

Series: The Immortal Files (Book 2)
Genre: Adult Science-Fiction Thriller
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 21, 2013)
Page Count: 400 pages

What I liked: If anything Robert Liparulo is, he's creative and this book is no different. The idea of immortal people tracing back to Mount Sinai is pretty sweet. Now with the Judgment Stone or God Stone like some characters call it thrown into the picture the story goes to new heights. 

The plot is very past paced with lots of twists and turns. With the Clan now the villains, we have an even more formidable opponent than the Tribe. The Clan wish grieve God in any way possible--any way, and with the God Stone they can do immeasurable damage to believers. There are many big action scenes that keep you on your toes. Some parts especially with Nevaeh in this book really touched my heart. I also enjoyed all of the traveling, especially to more unique locations like Bulgaria and Portugal. They aren't mentioned in books much.  

Jagger is a great main character. His devotion to his family is admirable and it's cool that he's an amputee. Owen is compassionate and makes a great sidekick. Beth and Tyler are both lovable and you care for them throughout the story. The villain Bail is evillllllll and insane. He was very scary. I also liked how each character was described with their clothing. It got me an instant picture of their characters, particularly one dubbed Steampunk. 

The technology was really neat in this book. Extreme moon boots? Pretty awesome. The supernatural elements were cool too. A stone that allows you to see into the spiritual realm was very neat. I liked how the author described the other realm as subtly influencing the physical realm. Another neat element was how that demons look more evil the closer you are to God and more benevolent the farther away from him you are. Bale even thought demons looked beautiful. 

The biggest themes I could see is knowing that your works won't get you to heaven and compassion. Owen has compassion for the children at the orphanage in Bulgaria and eventually Jagger starts understanding this notion. The Tribe want to use their works to get to Heaven, but being good and just won't wipe you clean.

What I didn't like: Though I like Robert Liparulo's writing a lot, his prose is a bit blocky for me.

Content Cautions: There's a good deal of adult content, PG-13 level, but a lot of it. There's a lot of battles where people are killed with a considerable amount of blood. Some vivid descriptions of decaying corpses can be unsettling to some. There are a few rape, pornography, sexual abuse, and lusting references. Bale kisses a woman passionately on the neck and Elias smokes. Some characters are implied to swear.

I enjoyed the Judgment Stone. It was exciting with lots of fun elements. Four stars!

About the Author: 

I've been writing since before I could drive. Short stories, investigative exposes, celebrity profiles, editorials, business columns, radio dramas, screenplays--you name it. For the last few years, I've focused on novels. I'm the author of the thrillers "Comes a Horseman," "Germ," "Deadfall," "Deadlock," "The 13th Tribe," and the young adult series Dreamhouse Kings--"House of Dark Shadows," "Watcher in the Woods," "Gatekeepers," "Timescape," "Whirlwind," and "Frenzy."

Several of my books have been sold or optioned by Hollywood producers. All of them are in various stages of production. I'm also working on an original screenplay with Andrew Davis (director of "The Fugitive" and "The Guardian). I wrote the screenplay for Ted Dekker's "Blessed Child." My short story "Kill Zone" appears in the James Patterson-edited anthology "Thriller," and my essay on Thomas Perry's "The Butcher's Boy" can be found in the anthology "Thriller: 100 Must Reads."

Check out his website, Facebook, Goodread and Twitter!

If you enjoyed this review, you can find more over on the Book Reviews tab of click the link. :) And check out the review for the first book of the series!