Book Series Review: "Zion Legacy" by Bodie and Brock Thoene

Authors: Bodie and Brock Thoene
Published: 2000 - 2002 by Viking

Synopsis: The story that began in Zion Covenant and continued in Zion Chronicles lives on in Zion Legacy.  From war-torn Jerusalem to the time of Yeshua the Messiah, these six books describe tumultuous times in history.

Artistic Merit

Plots: 2/5
The series starts out great, with plenty of action and intensity.  However, from the fourth book onward, it begins dealing with stories during Bible times that have nothing to do with the beloved characters in the previous novels, which ends up being simply a segue into the authors' A.D. Chronicles stories.  What a bait-and-switch!

Writing: 5/5
The Thoenes are great writers, and this series is just as well-written as one would come to expect from their other writings.

Moral Content: 3/5

I said that I wasn't going to discuss content concerns of Christian entertainment unless I felt something in particular was worth noting; in this case, it's the violence.  Both the twentieth century and first century stories are rather violent, and it may be too much for some readers.  Preview the first book before buying the entire series.

Final Score: 2.5/5
I hate to give a series by the Thoenes a bad review, but they appear to have sold out on us readers.  When the last half of a six-book set is essentially an advertisement for another set, that's just unacceptable.  I'm not sure if I want to keep reading their books.