Judge (Books of the Infinite)

Judge is a 2012 young-adult fantasy novel by R. J. Larson, the second in her Books of the Infinite trilogy. Here, Ela and Kien are sent separately by the Infinite to proclaim repentance to two idolatrous nations.

Judge gets off to something of a slow start, for a number of reasons - too much chit-chat, too many story tangents, too much treating the horse like it's an interesting supporting character. Ela is still insecure, questioning, and fatalistic - it doesn't seemed like she's learned much from the events of Prophet (it also gets tiresome for the reader, who has a pretty good sense of how these things go - this is, after all, a trilogy).

The second half of the book is considerably better, however, as the plot finally meanders to its destination. Siege, famine, persecution - these books do better the more serious and the more grim they get. And yet Larson has trouble juxtaposing the horrific events in the book with the PG rating she's imposed on the story, and she always errs on the side of the latter. And while it feels that Larson takes the path of least resistance with the story (one that leads in a decidedly cheesy and feel-good direction), there's some truly suspenseful and compelling writing here.

All things considered, Larson does an impressive job of telling a story of this sort without being too preachy (mostly) and in keeping some of the outcome uncertain. However, whereas in Prophet, Larson adopted the general prophetic mode of the Old Testament to tell her own story, in Judge, she appropriates OT stories and story elements more explicitly. She borrows extensively from the story of Jeremiah, which works well enough in her framework, but she also takes the vast bulk of the Jonah story and Elisha's floating axe head. R. J. Larson, please stop doing that.

In short, it's got some problems, and it plays things a little too safe for my taste, but Judge is nonetheless worthwhile.

Shortly after the events in Prophet, Ela of Parne is once again called by the Infinite. Her task is to travel back to her hometown, where the people have fallen away from the Infinite. If Parne does not repent, it will be destroyed. At the same time, Kien is on military leave. He has fallen in love with Ela and would join her, except the Infinite calls him away on another mission. Separated, they must hope they will be reunited and not die in service to the Infinite.

Once again, R.J. Larson captures an Old Testament feel to her story, as the story contains even more overtones of the prophets. One story thread in particular carries themes and ideas from Jonah, though it doesn't follow the story beat for beat. Like the first book there are some strange creatures, though this time around they feel more natural to the world and the story. As before, the destroyers often provide comic relief.

Ela still sufferes from being too perfect, but Kien grew into an even stronger character. Unlike Ela who follows the Infinite with little to no questioning, Kien has a tendency to push against the rules. This rashness makes him feel much stronger than Ela as a character. For much of the story he is on an island, and I found these to be some of my favorite scenes of the story, his frustration at the inhabitants seeming very real.

Unlike Prophet, there were some surprises along the way. Though character acted as most would expect them to, the results were not always expected. A character who contracts a life-threatening ailment prompts one of the most emotional parts of the book. Some of the weaknesses, though, are still present. As mentioned earlier, Ela still isn't a strong protagonist, though she is a bit better. Also, the whole story rests on Dues Ex Machina. In a story where the protagonist is guided by Creator of the Earth, it means there aren't going to be many surprises at the end and nothing the characters do can surprise the Infinite.

3.5/5

I received this book free from Bethany House Publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

RJ Larson returns us to the world of PROPHET with all the elements that people loved from the first book. The romance, the adventure, and the humor (mostly embodied by the destroyer, "Pet," a.k.a. Scythe).

As with PROPHET, the protagonists are torn between their duty to their God and their all-too-human desires. The sacrifice Ela makes to be a successful prophet (who, as is established in the first book, always die young) means that her relationship with the uncrowned king (and now fellow prophet), Kien, is doomed from the start. Or at least, that is how she sees it, and Kien spends a good amount of time trying to convince her otherwise. Kien and Ela also give lie to the notion that characters must be ambiguous or greatly flawed in order to be interesting. Though imperfect (as humans are), they are generally moral and obedient, and constantly call upon their Creator for guidance.

I will confess that I had a slightly difficult time finishing JUDGE, but it was not through any fault of the book or the author. I was simply trying to figure out what the story was, and once it clicked, the last half of the book raced for me. I had the impression, reading the first book, that this was generally a series loosely inspired by the prophets of the Old Testament, with a few more direct allusions. With JUDGE, I kept seeing more and more of these corollaries, until I had to work out in my mind what Larson was doing. This is not an allegory, per se, or even a fantasy "inspired by" the prophets. It is, instead, an actual reworking and re conceptualizing of the entire prophetic period into a fantasy milieu. So, instead of being thrown when I recognized the more obvious bits like Jonah, or Jeremiah, or the fact that the overarching plot was very much the Babylonian captivity, I started looking for the parallels, and enjoying them.

Readers of the first book may shed a tear or two at certain parts, but perhaps not unexpectedly or overwhelmingly. They will also wonder just how far Ela can go before her time runs out, given that her "doom" has been written (or, perhaps more accurately, strongly implied) since the opening pages of PROPHET. I have my own suspicions about where the series will go, but I have to admit that I am very curious to see how this trilogy pays off. Regardless of what happens to the characters, RJ Larson makes sure you will care about them enough in the end that it will make a difference to you, and that's no light task.

I am very much looking forward to KING, and seeing how this quasi-biblical fantasy series pays off.

This book was sent to me by Bethany House Publishers for my review and I need not say anything nice about it...but I was super excited to get this book!!! And it did not disappoint!

I absolutely loved this book by Ms. Larson. Judge is the second in her "Prophets of Parne" series following the story of Ela Roeh, Kein Lantec and their adventures in the world in which they live.

We meet up with Kien Lantec at the beginning of this story, which is rather interesting. Usually, sequels keep with the main character, but Ela seems to take a bit of a back seat to what is going on with Kien and how the Infinite decides to use him. And use him, He does. Now, please gentle reader, do not worry...Ela is still a driving force in this book...but her character development is well established, Kien not so much.

Judge is action packed, a bit gorier than the last book and the characters become even more well rounded than before. It's nice to pick up a book, find the characters you love and still learn new things about them. They are not stuck in their proverbial "character" ruts.

The parallels between the prophet stories of the Bible and what happens to our main characters is amazing. And it makes you think. I mean, really think. And after you read what happens to Kien, you will know what I mean. YUCK!

Both my daughter (she's 13) and I have fallen in love with these books and we are waiting with bated breath for the third book in this series to come out, called "King".

Judge is action packed, full of good plot lines and engaging. I love it when a book makes me THINK!!! And it is totally amazing to be able to share this with my daughter and we get to discuss this story line, the Bible and how God can use everyday people to bring glory to Him. But, and even if you have never read the Bible, you can easily fall in love with these characters without drawing any sort of parallel. I guess what I am trying to say is that YOU DO NOT NEED to be well versed on Bible stories to get into these books.

"Judge" is the sequel to R. J. Larson's "Prophet," a Biblically-based story that captivates the reader in Ela Roeh's adventures as the Infinite's servant. Ela's friend, Kien Lantec, is also called to be the Infinite's servant.

Although the first book was interesting, Ms. Larson has definitely improved her writing style in "Judge." There is much more build-up, more character development, and less verbal spats between the Infinite's servant and those who are being called to repentance. Kien becomes much more of a main figure, and between jumping between his woes and Ela's challenges, it kept me as a reader wanting to continue chapter after chapter.

One aspect, however, that I did not like in the book was some of the interchanges between the Infinite and his servants. I felt that the Infinite delivered a too-harsh sentence against Kien at one point, whom I felt was trying to do the Infinite's will, although imperfectly. At other parts in the book, Ela is told to stop praying for certain people, and is even chastised for praying for her family's welfare at one point because the Infinite tells her He will take care of them and to trust Him. While we do need to trust in God and accept His will, I do not feel that God ever wants us to stop praying for others no matter the circumstances. However, that is my own personal view, and others may have no objections to the interchanges.

The book had a gripping ending and a great teaser for the third book, "King," which should be a great read as well.

Overall I recommend this book. I appreciate Bethany Books for a free copy to review in exchange for my honest opinion.

Kien Lantec, military judge advocate for the Tracelands, never expected his Creator to send him on a mission to warn the people of TorrenSea of their impending destruction. He's frustrated since the Infinite's plans don't match what he wants to do. Grumbling that this is the job of a true prophet, Kien goes to see the love of his life, Ela, Prophet of Parne. Only she's been stricken with a vision of her homeland having been corrupted by evil. The two must part. He to follow the Infinite's orders and she to deliver her message to the land of her birth. Will they be reunited?

The second book in the Books of the Infinite series picks up shortly where the first one leaves off. Once again Old Testament stories are very much apparent as Kien and Ela follow the Infinite's will for their lives. My favorite character is still Pet/Scythe, the destroyer that will protect Ela. While this book didn't quite hold my attention like Prophet did, I was still enthralled with the story. I am still eagerly waiting for book 3, King, to be released later this year.

I received this book for free from Bethany House Publishers for the purpose of reviewing. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recommended to fans of Christian fantasy, Anne Elisabeth Stengl, the Chronicles of Narnia, Bryan Davis, and Lord of the Rings.

Rating - 4 stars

Beautifully written, JUDGE, takes the reader on a journey with Kien Lantec, a young soldier used to fighting. Instead, he's sent on a mission to warn people against worshiping someone other than the Creator. Kien questions his role in the quest and seeks out a true prophet, Ela.

R.J. Larson has taken prophet stories from the Bible and made them rich for today's readers. This may be a YA novel, but readers of all ages will be drawn into the vivid detail of Kien's world. Well done!

Good series; worth reading

After my daughter finished 1 series of books we were looking for another one. This one was recommended in the back of the book so we took a chance on it. She just loves these books. This is the second in a series of three, and there is another series that follows that is similar to this one by the same author. I would recommend this for teenagers.

Great book! An unusual fantasy series, and one of my favorites!