Heavens Wager by Ted Dekker

I have mentioned before that Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors.  I have read just about every one of his books.  Heaven's Wager is one of Ted's first novels and I was excited when I found it at the book store.  It follows a man, Kent as battles through the grief and turmoil of not only losing his wife, but also losing a big promotion, and soon after his wife's death he losses his son.  He proceeds to find a way to get the money he deserved back, even if it meant stealing.  There is a war going on between good and evil, battling for his soul.  Which side will win in the end?

Unfortunately this is not a Ted Dekker book I became fond of.  It began very slow and it was hard to get past the first 100 pages or so.  It felt dry and lacking of that Ted Dekker quality.  I am glad I began with books Ted wrote later in his career, rather than this because it would have turned me off from his writing.  Not that I am saying it is a bad book, because it is, just slow paced.  Generally, Ted is good at descriptions and painting a vivid picture, but in Heaven's Wager he over does this, to the point that it takes away from the heart of the story.  He also uses a lot of the same tag lines over again throughout the novel.

While I enjoy Ted Dekker's writing, this book was not for me.  That being said, don't let that discourage yourself from picking up this book and giving it a try yourself.  What might not be my cup of tea, might be what gets you interested in this amazing author.  As a rating I would give it a 3 out of 5.