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Left Behind #2
Tribulation Force
In one cataclysmic moment, millions around the globe disappear.
Those left behind face war, famine, plagues, and natural disasters so devastating that only one in four people will survive. Odds are even worse for enemies of the Antichrist and his new world order.
Rayford Steele, Buck Williams, Bruce Barnes, and Chloe Steele band together to form the Tribulation Force. Their task is clear, and their goal is nothing less than to stand and fight the enemies of God during the seven most chaotic years the planet will ever see.
Those left behind face war, famine, plagues, and natural disasters so devastating that only one in four people will survive. Odds are even worse for enemies of the Antichrist and his new world order.
Rayford Steele, Buck Williams, Bruce Barnes, and Chloe Steele band together to form the Tribulation Force. Their task is clear, and their goal is nothing less than to stand and fight the enemies of God during the seven most chaotic years the planet will ever see.
452 pages, Paperback
First published September 27, 1996
About the author
Tim LaHaye
746 books2,065 followersTimothy "Tim" F. LaHaye was an American evangelical Christian minister, author, and speaker, best known for the Left Behind series of apocalyptic fiction, which he co-wrote with Jerry B. Jenkins.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
He has written over 50 books, both fiction and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,257 reviews
December 23, 2010
Absolutely fantastic. My first taste of christian fiction and it made me want to read the Bible again. It left me craving more and turned me back to the Lord. Thank you!!
July 23, 2011
First, I must dispute some of the claims made by other reviewers. They claim that this series is sexist, mainly because of the character of Hattie Durham. That is ridiculous, not only because such women exist in the world, but especially because there are other female characters (Chloe, for example) who do not behave in this manner. Additionally, there are male characters who have impure sexual motives as well. So, calling this book sexist is utterly unfounded. Secondly, they have called this book "racist." Now that I didn't get at all, since race is not even mentioned in this book... so I can't fight fire with fire when there isn't any fuel. And lastly, they claimed that this book is "offensive to anyone who isn't a born-again Christian." Well, I'm not. I'm Catholic, and I'm not offended. But I also have more than half a brain to think with.
The authors' theology does come on a bit strong -- but really, consider the source. Both are established Christian writers. What did you think they would write about? Some sort of philosophy in which God doesn't really care about our ultimate fate? That seems to be the popular idea nowadays, but still not one everyone embraces. These authors are writing from their ideas and their life experiences, which surely are different from mine or yours. Additionally, if you are trying to compare this fictional work with the text of the Bible, this series will come up short every time -- it is FICTION for a reason! It is someone's idea of what COULD happen, not a definite foretelling of what will happen.
I enjoyed this book because it is a fascinating look at what COULD happen at the end of time. How the "Rapture" will effect the global economy, politics, and families. How easily people can be deceived and killed with kindness. It makes the reader reflect on what he or she would do in that situation. It was a very easy read, and very entertaining. I will absolutely be reading the next in the series. My only real complaint with this book, which to me was a noticeable step down from the first book, was that about 100 or so pages were devoted to Buck's and Chloe's relationship, which was filled with bumbling dialogue and halting narration. Clearly, romance is not the authors' forte.
The authors' theology does come on a bit strong -- but really, consider the source. Both are established Christian writers. What did you think they would write about? Some sort of philosophy in which God doesn't really care about our ultimate fate? That seems to be the popular idea nowadays, but still not one everyone embraces. These authors are writing from their ideas and their life experiences, which surely are different from mine or yours. Additionally, if you are trying to compare this fictional work with the text of the Bible, this series will come up short every time -- it is FICTION for a reason! It is someone's idea of what COULD happen, not a definite foretelling of what will happen.
I enjoyed this book because it is a fascinating look at what COULD happen at the end of time. How the "Rapture" will effect the global economy, politics, and families. How easily people can be deceived and killed with kindness. It makes the reader reflect on what he or she would do in that situation. It was a very easy read, and very entertaining. I will absolutely be reading the next in the series. My only real complaint with this book, which to me was a noticeable step down from the first book, was that about 100 or so pages were devoted to Buck's and Chloe's relationship, which was filled with bumbling dialogue and halting narration. Clearly, romance is not the authors' forte.
October 12, 2009
Oh Left Behind books, our time is through with each other. I am going to send you all away from my house now. I just don't know what to do with you, you are not worth selling on Amazon since you are so common you fetch no money, but do I donate you and live with the guilt that maybe some poor gullible lost soul buys you and is influenced to believe in this sci-fi bullshit that is passed off as truth? I hate to throw books out, but you might just be heading towards the big recycling bin in the sky.
February 10, 2023
WOW. Book 2 after Left Behind was so good! We continue the story of Rayford, Buck, Bruce, Chloe as they formed the Tribulation Force to stand and fight the enemies of God during the 7 year tribulation after the rapture. THE ENDING was intense and just...WOW. Love how this story is unfolding and coming together. Love our characters. What a classic where there is never a dull moment.
We also really get to see great development between Rayford and his daughter Chloe. And then developments between Buck and Chloe in their relationship. Some of the way Chloe was acting with the miscommunication was annoying but still loved everything coming together in this story. Can't wait to dive into the next one.
We also really get to see great development between Rayford and his daughter Chloe. And then developments between Buck and Chloe in their relationship. Some of the way Chloe was acting with the miscommunication was annoying but still loved everything coming together in this story. Can't wait to dive into the next one.
July 26, 2018
After completing the first book in a reading frenzy, I couldn’t wait to start the next one. And I didn’t. I picked up Tribulation Force without a moment’s hesitation. We pick up with Rayford, Buck, Chloe and Bruce Barnes who are all feeling the weight of their roles.
They know what is coming. They know who the Antichrist is. They know they must set themselves against him. But how can they do that when said Antichrist has more wealth than all those left behind combined? He now owns all the media. He is the head of UN and has even gone so far as to rename it the Global Community. He takes things one step to far according to our Tribulation Saints when he proposes a One World Religion.
But these Tribulation Saints know what they’re up against; what they stand to lose. So, what exactly are Tribulation Saints? Anyone who converts to Christianity after the Rapture, generally speaking. It is their duty to spread the word of Christ and convert as many people as they can.
When the Antichrist asks Buck to head the new Global Community-owned news outlet, Buck is left with no choice but to agree. And who better to fly the Antichrist than good ol’ Rayford Steele. Is this a mere coincidence? Or is Hattie Durham, secretary and plaything to the Antichrist, behind all of this? Faced with the moral dilemma of working for the Antichrist, both men agree they have no other option. To give themselves up believers means announcing that their boss is the Antichrist. Neither can afford to take that risk just yet. Besides…it never hurts to have an inside guy on the job, right?
How do relationships work in the world when you know there are less than 10 years left? Is it worth falling in love, getting married and having a child if you know you’ll be subjected to horrifying trials and tribulations? If you know you’ll literally be at war? This is yet another dilemma facing our little group of believers.
This was another exciting and suspenseful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Listen, these books aren’t winning any literary awards by any means. The writing isn’t anything awe-inspiring. The characters tend to be one-dimensional and unwavering. So, what is it that keeps drawing me in for more? The story is fun. I can’t help it. It’s an end-of-times like I’ve never encountered, and I’m intrigued enough to keep turning those pages. I want to see who lives, who dies, what happens, if God actually comes down to Earth for the world’s biggest battle of Good vs Evil. This was a nice follow up to the first one, though the fast-forwarding of the time line kind of annoyed me.
All around, I quite enjoyed it and give it a solid 3 star rating.
They know what is coming. They know who the Antichrist is. They know they must set themselves against him. But how can they do that when said Antichrist has more wealth than all those left behind combined? He now owns all the media. He is the head of UN and has even gone so far as to rename it the Global Community. He takes things one step to far according to our Tribulation Saints when he proposes a One World Religion.
But these Tribulation Saints know what they’re up against; what they stand to lose. So, what exactly are Tribulation Saints? Anyone who converts to Christianity after the Rapture, generally speaking. It is their duty to spread the word of Christ and convert as many people as they can.
When the Antichrist asks Buck to head the new Global Community-owned news outlet, Buck is left with no choice but to agree. And who better to fly the Antichrist than good ol’ Rayford Steele. Is this a mere coincidence? Or is Hattie Durham, secretary and plaything to the Antichrist, behind all of this? Faced with the moral dilemma of working for the Antichrist, both men agree they have no other option. To give themselves up believers means announcing that their boss is the Antichrist. Neither can afford to take that risk just yet. Besides…it never hurts to have an inside guy on the job, right?
How do relationships work in the world when you know there are less than 10 years left? Is it worth falling in love, getting married and having a child if you know you’ll be subjected to horrifying trials and tribulations? If you know you’ll literally be at war? This is yet another dilemma facing our little group of believers.
This was another exciting and suspenseful read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Listen, these books aren’t winning any literary awards by any means. The writing isn’t anything awe-inspiring. The characters tend to be one-dimensional and unwavering. So, what is it that keeps drawing me in for more? The story is fun. I can’t help it. It’s an end-of-times like I’ve never encountered, and I’m intrigued enough to keep turning those pages. I want to see who lives, who dies, what happens, if God actually comes down to Earth for the world’s biggest battle of Good vs Evil. This was a nice follow up to the first one, though the fast-forwarding of the time line kind of annoyed me.
All around, I quite enjoyed it and give it a solid 3 star rating.
April 3, 2020
Left Behind: Tribulation Force is a baffling book that will make you laugh and cringe, all while putting you to sleep.
So, you’re a writer, and you have an idea for a series of books set in a dystopian future where Christians are hunted by a one-world government. You see the potential for drama, action, political intrigue, and some of the craziest imagery the Bible has to offer. But there’s a problem: you’re already one book in, and the pieces are nowhere near where you need them to be. Sure, you have the main players established, and they know where this Tribulation thing is headed, but the world of your book is still virtually unchanged from the one we live in now. The same countries are still in power, the political climate is peaceful, and there’s no hint of persecution seeping into government policy. And there’s another problem: all of your characters are stuck in suburban Chicago, but all the interesting parts of your story take place in Iraq and Israel. So, what do?
Well, I hope you wore sweatpants, because it’s time to move furniture — and a lot of it.
This is undoubtedly the predicament Tim LaHaye found himself in when it came time to write the second installment of his Christian Apocalyptic drama. He was anxious to reach the meat of the conflict, but had an inadequate setup to get there anytime soon. This leads to characters making decisions that are unmotivated or out-of-character just so that the plot can go where it needs to. It also means that the book as a whole lacks any overarching theme or storyline that connects the disparate subplots. The only subplot that carries through from the first chapter to the last is the romance between Chloe and Buck. But the romance can’t be the A-plot in a story like this, because it drives so little of the action and isn’t connected to the main conflict (Carpathia taking over the world). As a result, it becomes hard to pin down what the book on its own is about. The best I can say is that it’s about members of the church being pulled apart and put into positions of influence so that they can witness or impact events to come.
But even a statement like that indicates a flaw in the storytelling: our protagonists are passive throughout the entire plot. Now, having protagonists that don’t drive the plot forward is not an inherently wrong choice. The Empire Strikes Back is a great example of a story where the antagonists set the pace for the majority of the story. But there is a difference between a reactionary protagonist and a passive one. There is tension and intrigue when the heroes are barely keeping ahead of the villains, making plans, improvising when those plans fall apart. In Tribulation Force, there is none of that back-and-forth. Carpathia makes a play; Rayford, Buck, and Chloe watch CNN in horror and do... nothing. By the end of the book, Rayford and Buck are both put into positions of power through no effort of their own, and they do not use those positions to affect the plot. LaHaye presents us with the illusion of meaningful choices by filling scenes with endless minutia — mostly scenes of arranging travel plans or a mid-travel update on how Buck is flying first class. So, while I can tell you what happened in this book, I have a much harder time telling you what the characters did.
And now is as good a time as any to discuss our characters. In particular, I’d like to address this book’s female characters. Even more than the first book, Tribulation Force treats its female characters like garbage. Hattie is slut-shamed by every character in the book AND the narrator. Anytime she appears or is discussed, the male characters can’t help but think about how disgusted they are that she’s in a relationship with Carpathia, or how tragic it is that they introduced her to him, or how “she obviously didn’t get that position because of her brains.” Even Chloe climbs aboard the shame train to dish it out to Hattie. And speaking of Chloe, she is treated even worse than Hattie. In the first book, Chloe is at least a character with agency. She might be a little too perfect, but her entire subplot in the first book was one of self-actualizing, and her resolution was inherently a choice that only she could make. And the ending of that book made it seem like Chloe would be the brains of the opperation. She’s enthusiastic and smart, even if she isn’t in an influential position. In Tribulation Force, Chloe contributes not one iota to the plot, and she exists to be subdued or protected by our male characters. Rayford, Buck, and the narrator all express annoyance at Chloe’s talkativeness. In the first half of the book, she drops out of college to—no joke—learn to teach Sunday school, while Buck and Rayford are, respectively, taking over at a global newspaper and becoming the pilot of Air Force One. And I’m just not going to dive into the whole sexual purity angle when it comes to Chloe. It’s there, it’s problematic, moving on. While Chloe is viewed more highly by the author, I say she is treated worse than Hattie, because at least Hattie has some agency. By standing in opposition to the protagonists, Hattie moves the plot ahead (admittedly not by much) farther than Chloe does. Her choice to stay with Carpathia is also clearly *her* choice, not one that a man makes for her. So, even though Hattie is portrayed as a temptress, she at least chooses to be one, and that makes her a *slightly* stronger female character.
A side effect of the condescension our male heroes display toward the female characters is that it makes Rayford and Buck really hard to root for. Why should I hope Rayford and Buck can talk sense into Hattie, when they’ve done nothing but roll their eyes at her whenever she opens her mouth? In fact, none of our protagonists are given the chance to be the good guys. They never get a “save the cat” moment, even though Buck and Rayford are in perfect positions to have a little one-off adventure. If Rayford, say, stopped Air Force One from crashing, even though it was carrying the Antichrist, it would show us he values innocent lives in a way Carpathia clearly doesn’t. Or what if Buck managed to talk down one of the terrorists threatening the two witnesses, instead of letting them get burned to death with dragon breath? Without hero moments, we are left with only the flaws, and it makes it seem like Rayford and Buck have actually become worse as people since becoming Christians in the first book. And there it is again, that same creeping question from book one: “So what?” So what if the Christians win? The only Christians we saw were dicks. So what if Buck and Chloe get married? They aren’t a good couple. If you don’t like the main characters, “So what?” becomes the resounding cry at the end of every chapter.
##Eighteen months later
That’s right, the review is still going. This was such a bizarre part of the plot structure, I have to discuss it.
*SPOILERS for the end of Tribulation Force. You have been warned.*
Both Left Behind and Tribulation Force have a four-act structure, where Acts 1-3 are a normal three-act story, and Act 4 is the last chapter or two. Act 4 is the cliffhanger that sets up the status quo for the next book. In Tribulation Force, Act 4 takes place eighteen months after the plot proper ends. The bizarre thing is that 80% of the things that happen in Tribulation Force happen in these final two chapters. Not only do Buck and Chloe get married — we are introduced to Amanda, Rayford’s love interest (who got a blink-and-you-miss-it mention earlier in the book), and they also get married. Then, out of nowhere, Buck gets a call from the President as a head’s up that WWIII is about to start. Bruce falls into a coma, and then his hospital is bombed in the first wave of the war, and Bruce dies. Finally, we learn that Washinton DC and London have both been obliterated.
I do not understand why this came at the end of book two. The events of Act 4 are so disconnected from the rest of the plot that it felt like a completely different book. The eighteen month time jump would not have been jarring had it happened in the break between books.
I guess this section of the story got pushed forward so that something actually happens in book two? Even so, you don’t get credit for a sudden plot twist if you have done none of the legwork to set it up.
At the very least, Tim LaHaye is finally where he always wanted to start. The peacetime is over. Let the misery begin.
So, you’re a writer, and you have an idea for a series of books set in a dystopian future where Christians are hunted by a one-world government. You see the potential for drama, action, political intrigue, and some of the craziest imagery the Bible has to offer. But there’s a problem: you’re already one book in, and the pieces are nowhere near where you need them to be. Sure, you have the main players established, and they know where this Tribulation thing is headed, but the world of your book is still virtually unchanged from the one we live in now. The same countries are still in power, the political climate is peaceful, and there’s no hint of persecution seeping into government policy. And there’s another problem: all of your characters are stuck in suburban Chicago, but all the interesting parts of your story take place in Iraq and Israel. So, what do?
Well, I hope you wore sweatpants, because it’s time to move furniture — and a lot of it.
This is undoubtedly the predicament Tim LaHaye found himself in when it came time to write the second installment of his Christian Apocalyptic drama. He was anxious to reach the meat of the conflict, but had an inadequate setup to get there anytime soon. This leads to characters making decisions that are unmotivated or out-of-character just so that the plot can go where it needs to. It also means that the book as a whole lacks any overarching theme or storyline that connects the disparate subplots. The only subplot that carries through from the first chapter to the last is the romance between Chloe and Buck. But the romance can’t be the A-plot in a story like this, because it drives so little of the action and isn’t connected to the main conflict (Carpathia taking over the world). As a result, it becomes hard to pin down what the book on its own is about. The best I can say is that it’s about members of the church being pulled apart and put into positions of influence so that they can witness or impact events to come.
But even a statement like that indicates a flaw in the storytelling: our protagonists are passive throughout the entire plot. Now, having protagonists that don’t drive the plot forward is not an inherently wrong choice. The Empire Strikes Back is a great example of a story where the antagonists set the pace for the majority of the story. But there is a difference between a reactionary protagonist and a passive one. There is tension and intrigue when the heroes are barely keeping ahead of the villains, making plans, improvising when those plans fall apart. In Tribulation Force, there is none of that back-and-forth. Carpathia makes a play; Rayford, Buck, and Chloe watch CNN in horror and do... nothing. By the end of the book, Rayford and Buck are both put into positions of power through no effort of their own, and they do not use those positions to affect the plot. LaHaye presents us with the illusion of meaningful choices by filling scenes with endless minutia — mostly scenes of arranging travel plans or a mid-travel update on how Buck is flying first class. So, while I can tell you what happened in this book, I have a much harder time telling you what the characters did.
And now is as good a time as any to discuss our characters. In particular, I’d like to address this book’s female characters. Even more than the first book, Tribulation Force treats its female characters like garbage. Hattie is slut-shamed by every character in the book AND the narrator. Anytime she appears or is discussed, the male characters can’t help but think about how disgusted they are that she’s in a relationship with Carpathia, or how tragic it is that they introduced her to him, or how “she obviously didn’t get that position because of her brains.” Even Chloe climbs aboard the shame train to dish it out to Hattie. And speaking of Chloe, she is treated even worse than Hattie. In the first book, Chloe is at least a character with agency. She might be a little too perfect, but her entire subplot in the first book was one of self-actualizing, and her resolution was inherently a choice that only she could make. And the ending of that book made it seem like Chloe would be the brains of the opperation. She’s enthusiastic and smart, even if she isn’t in an influential position. In Tribulation Force, Chloe contributes not one iota to the plot, and she exists to be subdued or protected by our male characters. Rayford, Buck, and the narrator all express annoyance at Chloe’s talkativeness. In the first half of the book, she drops out of college to—no joke—learn to teach Sunday school, while Buck and Rayford are, respectively, taking over at a global newspaper and becoming the pilot of Air Force One. And I’m just not going to dive into the whole sexual purity angle when it comes to Chloe. It’s there, it’s problematic, moving on. While Chloe is viewed more highly by the author, I say she is treated worse than Hattie, because at least Hattie has some agency. By standing in opposition to the protagonists, Hattie moves the plot ahead (admittedly not by much) farther than Chloe does. Her choice to stay with Carpathia is also clearly *her* choice, not one that a man makes for her. So, even though Hattie is portrayed as a temptress, she at least chooses to be one, and that makes her a *slightly* stronger female character.
A side effect of the condescension our male heroes display toward the female characters is that it makes Rayford and Buck really hard to root for. Why should I hope Rayford and Buck can talk sense into Hattie, when they’ve done nothing but roll their eyes at her whenever she opens her mouth? In fact, none of our protagonists are given the chance to be the good guys. They never get a “save the cat” moment, even though Buck and Rayford are in perfect positions to have a little one-off adventure. If Rayford, say, stopped Air Force One from crashing, even though it was carrying the Antichrist, it would show us he values innocent lives in a way Carpathia clearly doesn’t. Or what if Buck managed to talk down one of the terrorists threatening the two witnesses, instead of letting them get burned to death with dragon breath? Without hero moments, we are left with only the flaws, and it makes it seem like Rayford and Buck have actually become worse as people since becoming Christians in the first book. And there it is again, that same creeping question from book one: “So what?” So what if the Christians win? The only Christians we saw were dicks. So what if Buck and Chloe get married? They aren’t a good couple. If you don’t like the main characters, “So what?” becomes the resounding cry at the end of every chapter.
##Eighteen months later
That’s right, the review is still going. This was such a bizarre part of the plot structure, I have to discuss it.
*SPOILERS for the end of Tribulation Force. You have been warned.*
Both Left Behind and Tribulation Force have a four-act structure, where Acts 1-3 are a normal three-act story, and Act 4 is the last chapter or two. Act 4 is the cliffhanger that sets up the status quo for the next book. In Tribulation Force, Act 4 takes place eighteen months after the plot proper ends. The bizarre thing is that 80% of the things that happen in Tribulation Force happen in these final two chapters. Not only do Buck and Chloe get married — we are introduced to Amanda, Rayford’s love interest (who got a blink-and-you-miss-it mention earlier in the book), and they also get married. Then, out of nowhere, Buck gets a call from the President as a head’s up that WWIII is about to start. Bruce falls into a coma, and then his hospital is bombed in the first wave of the war, and Bruce dies. Finally, we learn that Washinton DC and London have both been obliterated.
I do not understand why this came at the end of book two. The events of Act 4 are so disconnected from the rest of the plot that it felt like a completely different book. The eighteen month time jump would not have been jarring had it happened in the break between books.
I guess this section of the story got pushed forward so that something actually happens in book two? Even so, you don’t get credit for a sudden plot twist if you have done none of the legwork to set it up.
At the very least, Tim LaHaye is finally where he always wanted to start. The peacetime is over. Let the misery begin.
March 1, 2012
While slightly better written than the first book (which is like saying steer manure is slightly better smelling than cow manure), this second helping of the "Left Behind" series suffers even more from lack of storytelling ability and imagination. The first 1/3 - 1/2 of the book is mostly taken up with an insipid budding romance fraught with problems of mistaken identity and mixed signals that seems like it was lifted straight out of any bad sit-com you can name. And once that is finally resolved, we are treated to a scene of synchronized cookie eating that sounds like some bit of smarm from a tween romance or "Sweet Valley High" book. The rest of the book is about on the same par as we are treated to such clever witicisms as the old "I'm sorry." "Don't apologize!" "Sorry." and a reporter saying "...a lie announcement. I mean live announcement" at the appropriate time. It isn't until the last 1/4 - 1/3 of the book than anything finally happens, and even that is tepid and unimaginative. How evil can the Anti-Christ really be if all he is capable of is a couple of murders, stealing an airplane, a few Jedi mind tricks, and getting his secretary to send a woman flowers and candy in some lame attempt to get the woman's father to leave town to protect his daughter from some "dangerous" stalker? And how can one of the two "witnesses" call someone on the phone if they never leave the Wailinig Wall? Then, at the end of the book, the author's conveniently skip over an entire 18 months they, obviously, don't feel capable of coming up with enough to write about just so they can get to the part where they can start writing about the beginning of the "Judgements" and the main character getting married to a woman who was only mentioned once before and that we never met before he asked her to marry him. This book left me wondering if there was some way I could sue the two authors for insulting my intelligence.
January 5, 2019
I absolutely love this book, these characters, and this series, and you can fully expect me to give every book a five star rating as this is a re-read series for me and things only get more intense from here. This is definitely one of my favorite series of all time, and it's honestly hard to separate the books as the plot is so interwoven and intense.
February 22, 2021
Book 2 in the Left Behind Series. Things are changing fast for the people that make up the Tribulation force. During there 21 months of peace the group gets everything in order for what they will be facing. You can't help to see what God is doing, to the witnesses at the wailing wall to Nichole Carpathia becoming Secretary General to the UN. At the end of the book the 21 months of peace ends so what will happen? What I love about this series there is never a dual moment. It has you at the end of your seat or have you fall more in love with the characters. Buck is the most adventurous of the group even confronting the 2 Witnesses at the wailing wall. The ending is wonderful and sad as well. I have read this series before so I know that Tim LaHaye does kill off the characters even if you don't want him to, I think this is one of the reason why I loved the book so much as many others has. If you never read this series before you must, Christian or not. If you are following what is happening to our world today, you can't help but wonder, is Jesus going to come back soon. This book will educate you on the book of Revelations as entertain you as well. A must read!!
August 6, 2021
It's really getting to me. It's so bad, it's back to being bad from good-bad. It's also incredibly misogynistic and cringe for that.
And it's so dumb. Carpathia just continues to go around going, "Wouldn't it be great if I had UNLIMITED POWER?" and then he gets it, global control of media, religion, weapons, governments, and currency.
There's a full on conversation between the two romantic leads, wherein they both ensure that the other is still a virgin somehow. It's peak purity culture cringe.
The author's had some real nerve with the presentation of the timeline in this... The first four hundred pages of the novel take place over a period of five or so days, with most of the drama revolving around whether or not God wants our masculine heroes to accept opportunities for employment by the Antichrist (something so delusional only an Evangelical could consider it rational).
AND THEN IN THE SPACE OF AN EPILOGUE THE AUTHORS GO -18 MONTHS LATER- AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE MASSIVE EVENTS OF THE LAST 18 MONTHS IN PASSIVE TERMS, INTRODUCING A FEMALE CHARACTER AND THEN IMMEDIATELY MARRYING HER TO THE OLDER MALE CHARACTER IN A DOUBLE WEDDING THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION OF WASHINGTON DC, I CANNOT MAKE THIS SHIT UP.
What the hell? I'm genuinely shook.
And for being a book on Biblical Prophecy, it's REALLY light on scripture and historical references. It's really about feeling superior for being a born-again Christian, without any sort of theological justification for the assertions the believers are always making.
And it's so dumb. Carpathia just continues to go around going, "Wouldn't it be great if I had UNLIMITED POWER?" and then he gets it, global control of media, religion, weapons, governments, and currency.
There's a full on conversation between the two romantic leads, wherein they both ensure that the other is still a virgin somehow. It's peak purity culture cringe.
The author's had some real nerve with the presentation of the timeline in this... The first four hundred pages of the novel take place over a period of five or so days, with most of the drama revolving around whether or not God wants our masculine heroes to accept opportunities for employment by the Antichrist (something so delusional only an Evangelical could consider it rational).
AND THEN IN THE SPACE OF AN EPILOGUE THE AUTHORS GO -18 MONTHS LATER- AND THEN TALK ABOUT THE MASSIVE EVENTS OF THE LAST 18 MONTHS IN PASSIVE TERMS, INTRODUCING A FEMALE CHARACTER AND THEN IMMEDIATELY MARRYING HER TO THE OLDER MALE CHARACTER IN A DOUBLE WEDDING THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY THE NUCLEAR ANNIHILATION OF WASHINGTON DC, I CANNOT MAKE THIS SHIT UP.
What the hell? I'm genuinely shook.
And for being a book on Biblical Prophecy, it's REALLY light on scripture and historical references. It's really about feeling superior for being a born-again Christian, without any sort of theological justification for the assertions the believers are always making.
August 20, 2009
I read the first of the Left Behind novels a little over a year ago and never really felt any compelling need or desire to continue reading the series. But based on the recommendation of several friends, I picked up the second novel in the series and gave it a try.
And while I liked Tribulation Force and it was a fairly quick read, I can't say that I was overly impressed by it.
Please don't misunderstand me--the authors have done a great job of researching the end times as predicted in Revelations and creating a world in which those events are coming to pass. If they stuck to that alone, my rating for this story would be a lot higher than it is. It's just that they don't write characters very well. None of the main protagonists feels very three-dimensional and that causes me to lose interest in them from time to time. Add to it that they pause every four pages to reflect on the events that have taken place up until now and it can get tedious quickly.
I will, however, give the authors one thing--they know how to end a book. Tribulation Force ends on a cliffhanger and it's enough of one that I'm curious to pick up book three and see how the events continue to play out.
And while I liked Tribulation Force and it was a fairly quick read, I can't say that I was overly impressed by it.
Please don't misunderstand me--the authors have done a great job of researching the end times as predicted in Revelations and creating a world in which those events are coming to pass. If they stuck to that alone, my rating for this story would be a lot higher than it is. It's just that they don't write characters very well. None of the main protagonists feels very three-dimensional and that causes me to lose interest in them from time to time. Add to it that they pause every four pages to reflect on the events that have taken place up until now and it can get tedious quickly.
I will, however, give the authors one thing--they know how to end a book. Tribulation Force ends on a cliffhanger and it's enough of one that I'm curious to pick up book three and see how the events continue to play out.
June 8, 2022
Book #2 in the Left Behind Series
This is the second book in the series and the saga continues with the four main characters who are left behind after the pre-trib rapture takes place. The four are Raymond Steele, an airline pilot, Chloe Steele, Raymond's college-age daughter, Cameron "Buck" Williams, a young hot-shot reporter, and Bruce Barnes, a pastor who didn't take faith seriously until after the rapture. Together these four form the self-described Tribulation Force as they prepare for the seven years of the Antichrist's rule.
This is the second book in the series and the saga continues with the four main characters who are left behind after the pre-trib rapture takes place. The four are Raymond Steele, an airline pilot, Chloe Steele, Raymond's college-age daughter, Cameron "Buck" Williams, a young hot-shot reporter, and Bruce Barnes, a pastor who didn't take faith seriously until after the rapture. Together these four form the self-described Tribulation Force as they prepare for the seven years of the Antichrist's rule.
February 2, 2023
It’s Ben Judah for me😭😭😭. Wow! The ending 🤯🤯🤯
November 22, 2021
I flew through this one. Little more unrealistic with how "pure" people are but I'm digging it.
September 21, 2007
After the first one, I didn't really want to chew through alot of political stuff. I liked the first book, but parts of it moved really slow for me.
However, book 2 in the Left Behind series was great. While still slightly political, the action is much more fast paced. As the group of four who call themselves the Tribulation Force move closer to the signing of the treaty which will start the seven year Tribulation period, the world rejoices in the new world leader, Nicolae Carpathia. Even religious leaders are taken in by his promise of world peace, overlooking the slight manipulations that those who've given their life to God (albeit a little too late as they missed the Rapture) can see.
The story moves quick and has several powerful moments. Admittedly, these will probably hit you harder if you're a Christian (but these books are good enough to be enjoyed by everyone, so don't let that deter you). The prophets at the Wailing Wall, Tsion's speech about the true Messiah, and the coming of the Red Horse of the Apocalypse are all moments in the book where I had to truly stop to take a breath.
While all the books are steeped in Scripture, this one may be even more so than the first one. While "Left Behind" sets the stage for the rest of the series, "Tribulation Force" gives it momentum and the urge to jump right in to the next book. Criticisms? The romance aspect seems a little overdone and partially contrived. But other than that, this book was awesome!
However, book 2 in the Left Behind series was great. While still slightly political, the action is much more fast paced. As the group of four who call themselves the Tribulation Force move closer to the signing of the treaty which will start the seven year Tribulation period, the world rejoices in the new world leader, Nicolae Carpathia. Even religious leaders are taken in by his promise of world peace, overlooking the slight manipulations that those who've given their life to God (albeit a little too late as they missed the Rapture) can see.
The story moves quick and has several powerful moments. Admittedly, these will probably hit you harder if you're a Christian (but these books are good enough to be enjoyed by everyone, so don't let that deter you). The prophets at the Wailing Wall, Tsion's speech about the true Messiah, and the coming of the Red Horse of the Apocalypse are all moments in the book where I had to truly stop to take a breath.
While all the books are steeped in Scripture, this one may be even more so than the first one. While "Left Behind" sets the stage for the rest of the series, "Tribulation Force" gives it momentum and the urge to jump right in to the next book. Criticisms? The romance aspect seems a little overdone and partially contrived. But other than that, this book was awesome!
May 4, 2008
The story continues. The romance story line gets really intersting for a while, then ends up getting sappy toward the end of the book.
Suspense, intrigue etc. etc.
[personal complaints]:
They actually moved the U.N. to a place called "New Babylon". I can't believe people, especially religious people (for example the Catholics, or especially the Jews that were left behind) would not see that there was something spiritually fishy about that idea, seeing how frequently the name of Babylon is used in the old testament to refer to evil.
Also, Actual fire blew out of the mouths of the witnesses to devour their enemies. Again this seems a bit too literal for me and makes them seem a bit meaner than I would have expected. Also, the Jews are not only waiting for the messiah to return, which many believe has happened, but many chritians are still waiting for Elijah and Moses to return (which we believe has already happened)
--but this reaction is just because of my personal beliefs.
Also the Jewish scholar who does a 3 year study on prophecy of the messiah sounded exactly like a Christian Scholar. This was a slightly inspirational part of the story but it was obviously scripted by a Christian author which made it less believable.
I am surprised it took 1 1/2 years from the "rapture" until the world started seeming like it was receiving tribulation.
Still a good novel.
Suspense, intrigue etc. etc.
[personal complaints]:
They actually moved the U.N. to a place called "New Babylon". I can't believe people, especially religious people (for example the Catholics, or especially the Jews that were left behind) would not see that there was something spiritually fishy about that idea, seeing how frequently the name of Babylon is used in the old testament to refer to evil.
Also, Actual fire blew out of the mouths of the witnesses to devour their enemies. Again this seems a bit too literal for me and makes them seem a bit meaner than I would have expected. Also, the Jews are not only waiting for the messiah to return, which many believe has happened, but many chritians are still waiting for Elijah and Moses to return (which we believe has already happened)
--but this reaction is just because of my personal beliefs.
Also the Jewish scholar who does a 3 year study on prophecy of the messiah sounded exactly like a Christian Scholar. This was a slightly inspirational part of the story but it was obviously scripted by a Christian author which made it less believable.
I am surprised it took 1 1/2 years from the "rapture" until the world started seeming like it was receiving tribulation.
Still a good novel.
June 18, 2022
The book, similar to the previous one, expresses some very alarming worldviews that help explain many of the beliefs and behaviors that permeate right wing thought leaders today. The book takes a clear stance that any concept of peace and/or global unity is to immediately be approached with mistrust and hatred. The book takes intensely sexist stances with its female characters. It attacks Catholics and what it calls “dead churches.” Finally, it continues with the antisemitism similarly expressed in the previous novel.
The most striking political message the book asserts is that any person approaching politics from a stance of peace or global unity is completely untrustworthy. It shows actions that in the real world would never be performed by any nation-state as enabling the Antichrist to consolidate power and leave every other country helpless against him. The book also continues its sinister framing of the UN that began with the last one.
Additionally, the book has a highly romanticized approach to the militia movement seen in the United States. It shows the militias as being righteous and the last viable defense against the Antichrist’s ascension to power. In the real world militias are mostly guided by bored people with specific persecution and power fantasies driven by paranoid conspiracy theories. This ultimately leads to events like the Oklahoma City bombing and the insurrection at the capitol, not gallant stances against oppressive world leaders.
The most insulting element of this book is its portrayal of women. There are three prominent female characters in this book and none of them are portrayed as realistic or even fully fleshed out as legitimate human beings.
The first prominent character is Chloe Steele. She is shown running into a random woman at Buck’s, who she has developed feelings for, apartment and sees her bringing his household goods. The woman makes mention of seeing her fiancé and Chloe immediately decides that Buck has a secret fiancée and has been lying to her the entire time. She cuts him out of her life, throws flowers she assumes are from him in the trash and refuses to even talk to him.
The woman Chloe saw was simply working for Buck’s employer and assisting in his move from New York. The fiancé she referenced was a different person entirely. This is not the way a real person, male or female, would respond to this situation. It is the most insultingly irrational response to a slight confusion ever seen and speaks volumes to how the authors view a woman’s ability at rationality.
The next prominent female character is Hattie Durham, the flight attendant Rayford was tempted by in the previous book. She is shown to act in bizarrely conniving ways. She was the actual person who sent the flowers to Chloe and then sent her a box of chocolate mints afterward. She pulls strings with the Antichrist to make Rayford his personal pilot, and she presents herself in oddly sexual ways to demonstrate how she ties her self worth to her relationship with Carpathia and his position. The novel also continues its negative depiction of Hattie by showing her pregnant with Carpathia’s baby while not married to him because of course the book would find an unmarried mother something to be scorned.
The final prominent woman is Amanda White, who was very briefly mentioned early in the book but is not seen as an actual character until the last two chapters. She is seen as independent, though saddened by the loss of her family (They began going to one of those “dead churches” but moved to the fundamentalist church. Amanda’s family adopted the fundamentalist ideology and were raptured, but Amanda did not, resulting in her being left behind). She is seen in one scene as being u happy with her job and the only thing keeping her in it is that a man hasn’t come to take her away from it. This is incredibly insulting in regards to the agency a woman has in making up her own mind regarding her career.
These are the only real female characters seen at all, and collectively they make a statement to the reader that a woman is irrationally emotional which leads her to jump to wild conclusions on the flimsiest evidence or act out of pure petty jealousy and vindictiveness, and the only real worth a woman can build is in the men with whom she has relationships.
The book also reflects the authors’ attitude toward interdenominational matters within the Christian faith. It perceives that only its fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible to be the correct interpretation and all others to be evil. It shows how Catholics were left behind except for those who secretly left the faith to be “real” Christians and other faiths are “dead churches” not teaching real faith. There are plenty of problems regarding the teachings and behavior of plenty of churches besides the fundamentalist faith. But it’s derisive attitude toward other churches shows the strict interpretation the writers have toward their faith and how unquestioning they are toward how that interpretation came to be.
Finally, much like the last book, this book reeks of antisemitism. Any of the Jewish characters give names are given the most stereotypical names imaginable. The two main Jewish characters are Chaim Rosensweig and Tsion Ben-Judah (See what I mean about the stereotypical names?)
Chaim developed a (magical) miracle fertilizer that can grow robust crops even in the middle of the desert. He is heavily charmed by Carpathia, who uses the formula for this fertilizer to strong-arm every country into giving up its weapons. Chaim is the most uncritical eye imaginable.
Tsion is introduced as a rabbinical scholar, ready to reveal the true messiah the Jews have been waiting literal millennia for. After lots of surface level description of the prophesies of the Old Testament, Tsion declares Jesus to be this messiah. This creates a rift in the Jewish community with the 143,000 converts arising as the book needs based on its biblical interpretation. It tends to show a heavily infantilized depiction of Jewish people, acting like they have simply never heard of Jesus and would accept him if they had.
All in all, the book, aside from the aforementioned atrocious world view it peddles, is just really boring. Most of its narrative is dedicated to using its painfully one dimensional characters to push its ideology while failing to have any real, engaging action to keep your attention.
This book was painful to read for two very big reasons, but I have 14 of these books left to go.
The most striking political message the book asserts is that any person approaching politics from a stance of peace or global unity is completely untrustworthy. It shows actions that in the real world would never be performed by any nation-state as enabling the Antichrist to consolidate power and leave every other country helpless against him. The book also continues its sinister framing of the UN that began with the last one.
Additionally, the book has a highly romanticized approach to the militia movement seen in the United States. It shows the militias as being righteous and the last viable defense against the Antichrist’s ascension to power. In the real world militias are mostly guided by bored people with specific persecution and power fantasies driven by paranoid conspiracy theories. This ultimately leads to events like the Oklahoma City bombing and the insurrection at the capitol, not gallant stances against oppressive world leaders.
The most insulting element of this book is its portrayal of women. There are three prominent female characters in this book and none of them are portrayed as realistic or even fully fleshed out as legitimate human beings.
The first prominent character is Chloe Steele. She is shown running into a random woman at Buck’s, who she has developed feelings for, apartment and sees her bringing his household goods. The woman makes mention of seeing her fiancé and Chloe immediately decides that Buck has a secret fiancée and has been lying to her the entire time. She cuts him out of her life, throws flowers she assumes are from him in the trash and refuses to even talk to him.
The woman Chloe saw was simply working for Buck’s employer and assisting in his move from New York. The fiancé she referenced was a different person entirely. This is not the way a real person, male or female, would respond to this situation. It is the most insultingly irrational response to a slight confusion ever seen and speaks volumes to how the authors view a woman’s ability at rationality.
The next prominent female character is Hattie Durham, the flight attendant Rayford was tempted by in the previous book. She is shown to act in bizarrely conniving ways. She was the actual person who sent the flowers to Chloe and then sent her a box of chocolate mints afterward. She pulls strings with the Antichrist to make Rayford his personal pilot, and she presents herself in oddly sexual ways to demonstrate how she ties her self worth to her relationship with Carpathia and his position. The novel also continues its negative depiction of Hattie by showing her pregnant with Carpathia’s baby while not married to him because of course the book would find an unmarried mother something to be scorned.
The final prominent woman is Amanda White, who was very briefly mentioned early in the book but is not seen as an actual character until the last two chapters. She is seen as independent, though saddened by the loss of her family (They began going to one of those “dead churches” but moved to the fundamentalist church. Amanda’s family adopted the fundamentalist ideology and were raptured, but Amanda did not, resulting in her being left behind). She is seen in one scene as being u happy with her job and the only thing keeping her in it is that a man hasn’t come to take her away from it. This is incredibly insulting in regards to the agency a woman has in making up her own mind regarding her career.
These are the only real female characters seen at all, and collectively they make a statement to the reader that a woman is irrationally emotional which leads her to jump to wild conclusions on the flimsiest evidence or act out of pure petty jealousy and vindictiveness, and the only real worth a woman can build is in the men with whom she has relationships.
The book also reflects the authors’ attitude toward interdenominational matters within the Christian faith. It perceives that only its fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible to be the correct interpretation and all others to be evil. It shows how Catholics were left behind except for those who secretly left the faith to be “real” Christians and other faiths are “dead churches” not teaching real faith. There are plenty of problems regarding the teachings and behavior of plenty of churches besides the fundamentalist faith. But it’s derisive attitude toward other churches shows the strict interpretation the writers have toward their faith and how unquestioning they are toward how that interpretation came to be.
Finally, much like the last book, this book reeks of antisemitism. Any of the Jewish characters give names are given the most stereotypical names imaginable. The two main Jewish characters are Chaim Rosensweig and Tsion Ben-Judah (See what I mean about the stereotypical names?)
Chaim developed a (magical) miracle fertilizer that can grow robust crops even in the middle of the desert. He is heavily charmed by Carpathia, who uses the formula for this fertilizer to strong-arm every country into giving up its weapons. Chaim is the most uncritical eye imaginable.
Tsion is introduced as a rabbinical scholar, ready to reveal the true messiah the Jews have been waiting literal millennia for. After lots of surface level description of the prophesies of the Old Testament, Tsion declares Jesus to be this messiah. This creates a rift in the Jewish community with the 143,000 converts arising as the book needs based on its biblical interpretation. It tends to show a heavily infantilized depiction of Jewish people, acting like they have simply never heard of Jesus and would accept him if they had.
All in all, the book, aside from the aforementioned atrocious world view it peddles, is just really boring. Most of its narrative is dedicated to using its painfully one dimensional characters to push its ideology while failing to have any real, engaging action to keep your attention.
This book was painful to read for two very big reasons, but I have 14 of these books left to go.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
I dalje istog mišljenja,bez obzira na tolike kontroverze i pljuvačine koje ovaj serijal u svijetu i dan danas trpi.
Meni je ovo sjajno upakovano. Ovo je samo viđenje dvojice učenih (i jakoo kontroverznih) individua,i ovo je njihovo poimanje proročanstava iz Starog zavjeta. I u čemu je onda problem??
Meni je ovo sjajno upakovano. Ovo je samo viđenje dvojice učenih (i jakoo kontroverznih) individua,i ovo je njihovo poimanje proročanstava iz Starog zavjeta. I u čemu je onda problem??
August 15, 2016
Why did I read two of these? Why are there so many good reviews? Surely the Antichrist is to blame on both counts.
I hate to leave reviews this brief and snarky, so I had to come back and elaborate. 20 years ago, when these books first came out, I was working in an office in Lexington, Ky, with a large number of evangelical type folks. They were nice guys, but given to starting arguments about evolution (it's all made up, have you heard?), singing Gospel songs at top volume in the office, and one of them once told another one that a recently deceased family member would "burn in Hell" if she hadn't been saved. Honestly, that last bit even shocked the other evangelical guy.
Anyway, they were all reading these books and digging on them hard. I guess they thought, "Hey, let's recommend them to that Heathen girl." (<--that's me, your humble narrator.) The first book was no great shakes and nothing was going to onboard me with the End Times philosophy, but it did have a certain compelling flow. I did have to get through to the end to see what happened, even as I'm still embarrassed to admit it. They loaned me the second one then, this book. At this point, I noticed a disquieting sort of joy at this upcoming tribulation business emanating from the text. Maybe I was imagining it, but it sure seems like Tim LaHaye (the half of the writing duo that provided all the Rapture intel) was positively gleeful over the shitstorm in store for all those non-believers. I did finish the book before I returned it.
I don't know where exactly I'm going with this. I guess that the series is supposedly a conversion tool, but why would you want to woo people to your beliefs just by terrorizing them? Are they really going to be sincere practitioners of the faith, or just terrified that the Anti-Christ is hiding under their beds with a bunch of Ozzy Osbourne albums? (and if he is, does he have a spare copy of Bark at the Moon, because my version is really scratched up.) Also, there's the small matter that the Rapture is hardly universally accepted amongst theological scholars. In fact, almost no scholars-real ones-believe in it.
I remain an Atheist, so mission not achieved. I doubt in reality many minds were swayed by these books though.
The series was not only a tool, it was a serious cash cow. It spawned 16 books in this series alone. There is also a "Children's" series which sounds hideous. And there's a video game series where the players can either pray at or shoot non-believers. See? I was right. This whole phenomenon is offensive as shit.
I hate to leave reviews this brief and snarky, so I had to come back and elaborate. 20 years ago, when these books first came out, I was working in an office in Lexington, Ky, with a large number of evangelical type folks. They were nice guys, but given to starting arguments about evolution (it's all made up, have you heard?), singing Gospel songs at top volume in the office, and one of them once told another one that a recently deceased family member would "burn in Hell" if she hadn't been saved. Honestly, that last bit even shocked the other evangelical guy.
Anyway, they were all reading these books and digging on them hard. I guess they thought, "Hey, let's recommend them to that Heathen girl." (<--that's me, your humble narrator.) The first book was no great shakes and nothing was going to onboard me with the End Times philosophy, but it did have a certain compelling flow. I did have to get through to the end to see what happened, even as I'm still embarrassed to admit it. They loaned me the second one then, this book. At this point, I noticed a disquieting sort of joy at this upcoming tribulation business emanating from the text. Maybe I was imagining it, but it sure seems like Tim LaHaye (the half of the writing duo that provided all the Rapture intel) was positively gleeful over the shitstorm in store for all those non-believers. I did finish the book before I returned it.
I don't know where exactly I'm going with this. I guess that the series is supposedly a conversion tool, but why would you want to woo people to your beliefs just by terrorizing them? Are they really going to be sincere practitioners of the faith, or just terrified that the Anti-Christ is hiding under their beds with a bunch of Ozzy Osbourne albums? (and if he is, does he have a spare copy of Bark at the Moon, because my version is really scratched up.) Also, there's the small matter that the Rapture is hardly universally accepted amongst theological scholars. In fact, almost no scholars-real ones-believe in it.
I remain an Atheist, so mission not achieved. I doubt in reality many minds were swayed by these books though.
The series was not only a tool, it was a serious cash cow. It spawned 16 books in this series alone. There is also a "Children's" series which sounds hideous. And there's a video game series where the players can either pray at or shoot non-believers. See? I was right. This whole phenomenon is offensive as shit.
July 2, 2022
This book, like the first one, was just garbage.
This book was better than the first one in terms of pure excitement, even if most of the building anticipation led to really disappointing denouement. The Eli/Moshe stuff was fairly cool sci-fi and I enjoyed the dynamic perspective switching... But this book was wildly Anti-Semitic. Not just in terms of trivializing the entire Jewish religion (which is theologically unavoidable in a fundamentalist Christian narrative like this one,) but in it's horribly stereotypical depictions of Jewish people. Frankly, both in the writing and the voice work, the depiction of Jewish characters are disgusting and borderline-hateful. The writers' grasp on politics and media are still child-like. The female characters are still super broadly drawn and they still exist only to inspire or frustrate the male characters, rather than having any agency themselves. The weird "comedy of errors" romance plot would have been thrown out of the Three's Company writers' room for being too absurd and pointless. And this volume is even preachier and less self-aware than the last.
This book was better than the first one in terms of pure excitement, even if most of the building anticipation led to really disappointing denouement. The Eli/Moshe stuff was fairly cool sci-fi and I enjoyed the dynamic perspective switching... But this book was wildly Anti-Semitic. Not just in terms of trivializing the entire Jewish religion (which is theologically unavoidable in a fundamentalist Christian narrative like this one,) but in it's horribly stereotypical depictions of Jewish people. Frankly, both in the writing and the voice work, the depiction of Jewish characters are disgusting and borderline-hateful. The writers' grasp on politics and media are still child-like. The female characters are still super broadly drawn and they still exist only to inspire or frustrate the male characters, rather than having any agency themselves. The weird "comedy of errors" romance plot would have been thrown out of the Three's Company writers' room for being too absurd and pointless. And this volume is even preachier and less self-aware than the last.
July 2, 2016
Tribulation Force is the second book in the Left Behind Series. The novel picks up a few days later from where Left Behind left off.
The book was written very well and does a really good job portraying how events are occurring throughout the novel. The ending becomes very intense which prohibits you from being able to put the bookdown. Over all the book was extremely intense and is a excellent recommended read.
Pros
Character development
Plot development
Intense
Clift hangers
Cons
A bit slow at times
The book was written very well and does a really good job portraying how events are occurring throughout the novel. The ending becomes very intense which prohibits you from being able to put the bookdown. Over all the book was extremely intense and is a excellent recommended read.
Pros
Character development
Plot development
Intense
Clift hangers
Cons
A bit slow at times
May 5, 2016
Another great book in the Left Behind series. This book continues where Left Behind ended. We follow Bruce, Rayford, Buck and Chloe as they further make sense out of everything that is happening.
This series is pushing me to study Revelations.
A series to be read in order. Recommended for readers interested in the end times and who would like to break open Revelations.
This series is pushing me to study Revelations.
A series to be read in order. Recommended for readers interested in the end times and who would like to break open Revelations.
July 21, 2024
2.5/5 Stars 🌟
I was anticipating much, much more.
This is the 2nd book in the Left Behind series.
We continue from where we left off in the previous book. Which was a high point of tension and promise. Now that our characters Buck, Chloe, and Ray Rayford have taken a stance in their faith, they each have tasks to fulfil in preparing for the rest of the trials in their Tribulation Force. With Nicolae Carpathia officially heading a new world government and our characters are in the middle of this. How will they get anything done working for the antichrist?
I was at least expecting the same pacing and suspense that made the writing less obvious, but it was pretty difficult to ignore how the dialogue is lacking and that "romance" between Buck and Chloe.
The romantic aspect was not the best, and it took too much centre stage when all I cared about was the biblical prophecy unfolding and really anything else but Buck and Chloe. Their romance felt forced 😬 The conversations between them were so cringe. Only for it to be resolved in such a quick patched-up way. I was relieved but also deeply hurt at the missed opportunity.
Look, considering the message and circumstances of approaching hardship, I would have eaten up a great love sub-story founded on strong bonds. I was hoping that character bonds would truly strengthen in this book and some amazing illustration of how relationships keep us stronger in Christ. Especially in the choice of a life partner. Instead, I felt like it was something the authors wanted to quickly get out of the way so we could deal with important things. Perhaps they should've just left it out entirely. I might have appreciated that.
Otherwise, all the other reasons I was excited for in the beginning were amped up this time. I was glad to see more Scripture, more little mysteries, and even powerful spiritual moments. I even read my bible to see more of what the bible says. I used to be confused about the book of Revelations, I still am, but I'm not scared to dive in anymore. That's a plus.
The writing still was not great. The dialogue and the shortcuts of convenience. I feel like we are rushing towards something... with 11 more books left, I hope not. It would be incredibly disappointing if the entire series had character whose depth remained this lacking. I'm quite a grim reader. I like the idea of realistic struggle and conclusions - hard learned lessons. I hope I see future failed tests and hard decisions that ruin lives ahead.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book.
Of course, I'm continuing. I'm kind of committed to finishing this series. I really am.
I was anticipating much, much more.
This is the 2nd book in the Left Behind series.
We continue from where we left off in the previous book. Which was a high point of tension and promise. Now that our characters Buck, Chloe, and Ray Rayford have taken a stance in their faith, they each have tasks to fulfil in preparing for the rest of the trials in their Tribulation Force. With Nicolae Carpathia officially heading a new world government and our characters are in the middle of this. How will they get anything done working for the antichrist?
I was at least expecting the same pacing and suspense that made the writing less obvious, but it was pretty difficult to ignore how the dialogue is lacking and that "romance" between Buck and Chloe.
The romantic aspect was not the best, and it took too much centre stage when all I cared about was the biblical prophecy unfolding and really anything else but Buck and Chloe. Their romance felt forced 😬 The conversations between them were so cringe. Only for it to be resolved in such a quick patched-up way. I was relieved but also deeply hurt at the missed opportunity.
Look, considering the message and circumstances of approaching hardship, I would have eaten up a great love sub-story founded on strong bonds. I was hoping that character bonds would truly strengthen in this book and some amazing illustration of how relationships keep us stronger in Christ. Especially in the choice of a life partner. Instead, I felt like it was something the authors wanted to quickly get out of the way so we could deal with important things. Perhaps they should've just left it out entirely. I might have appreciated that.
Otherwise, all the other reasons I was excited for in the beginning were amped up this time. I was glad to see more Scripture, more little mysteries, and even powerful spiritual moments. I even read my bible to see more of what the bible says. I used to be confused about the book of Revelations, I still am, but I'm not scared to dive in anymore. That's a plus.
The writing still was not great. The dialogue and the shortcuts of convenience. I feel like we are rushing towards something... with 11 more books left, I hope not. It would be incredibly disappointing if the entire series had character whose depth remained this lacking. I'm quite a grim reader. I like the idea of realistic struggle and conclusions - hard learned lessons. I hope I see future failed tests and hard decisions that ruin lives ahead.
I didn't enjoy this one as much as the first book.
Of course, I'm continuing. I'm kind of committed to finishing this series. I really am.
January 30, 2024
I was kicking my feet in anger. I am screaming both inside and out. This book is so amazing, I couldn’t put it down. If you have read it you will understand:
1. HATTIE HAS BEEN RUINED 😭😭😭 that poor girl
2. NO BRUCE WHY DID THEY DO THAT I CANT- 😱
1. HATTIE HAS BEEN RUINED 😭😭😭 that poor girl
2. NO BRUCE WHY DID THEY DO THAT I CANT- 😱
August 25, 2023
Incredible follow up to book #1. I’m already halfway through book #3. I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this series. 10 stars!
July 19, 2020
Left Behind 2: Evangelical Boogaloo
At the end of Left Behind: Ray, Chloe, Bruce, and Kirk Cameron agree to come together as the Christian supergroup: Tribulation Force. Now, two weeks after the rapture, the second book opens and we can catch up with our friends, some of whom have some sad shit going on.
* Buck has been demoted, which really sucks for him.
* Chloe is oh so horny for Buck, but she’s conflicted. Does he like her? It’s the end of the world, should she even be thinking about bearing his children? (Legit – that is her fantasy).
* Ray, poor ray... Ray is struggling with not being annoying. He’s also being persecuted for carrying a Bible... I presume because, in the post-rapture world, everyone remembers how oppressive Ray’s religion has historically been and they’re just not into it.
* Bruce... Well, it’s revealed he’s a bit unstable. “Sometimes I sit drinking it [the Bible] in for hours, losing track of time, forgetting to eat, weeping and praying.” (p. 17-18). HE. IS. NOT. HEALTHY. I want LaHaye/Jenkins to address this and, at the very least, indicate that Bruce had Cliff bars handy.
* Oh, and our favorite ‘but is he really the bad guy?’, Nicolae Carpathia. The dude is hard at work getting religious leaders together in an effort to get them to “respect their shared beliefs.” I particularly relish the notion that any sort of tolerance of other viewpoints or religious opinions is evil. How dare Nicolae (who is TOTALLY the Antichrist, in case there was confusion) try to bring people together?! Fuck that guy!
Wouldn’t you know it, right as the heat is rising for our heroes, Buck gets contacted by Nicolae. Nicolae, for whatever reason, really likes Buck and wants to offer him a job. He essentially sets Buck up with a dream gig of “live wherever you want and do whatever you want”, but Buck decides to play hard to get with the Antichrist. This, in particular, is just odd. As a Christian, Buck is aware of how everything is going to go down in the next 7 years. The Antichrist HAS to grow in power for Jesus to come back. Take the job, help Nicolae, and by extension, help everybody. No, that’s too logical and rational for Buck. Instead, Buck’s inner monologue during this exchange bounces between “God, tell me what to say” and “Fuck you Antichrist, you’re not my dad”.
Oh, before I dive deeper into this book, I want to share something that I found hilarious and quite enjoyable. Buck and Chaim (the scientist who made the Eden formula) are in a restaurant and Chaim recommends food to Buck.
“Buck had always, always made it a habit to ignore recommendations in restaurants. It was probably one of the reasons for his nickname.”
Later, during Buck’s discussion with Nicolae, Nicolae says:
“I am not naïve, Buck. I know the origin of your nickname.”
So now it’s headcanon that Buck ordered chicken tenders instead of a recommended steak once and decided he was to be called Buck thereafter. Everyone in the book is aware of this and just plays along.
Buck is concerned that working for Nicolae (who is going to buy all the media ever) is an unethical decision and he doesn’t want to do it. Chloe bravely questions Buck’s ethical dilemma, sending Buck into this inner thought: “This was one of the things he liked so much about Chloe. But independence and integrity had been so ingrained in him...” Integrity is the enemy in this book.
Suddenly, and without much warning, Nicolae breaks character and suddenly he’s pure evil. This hits almost as sudden as Rayford’s new relationship. We find out that Ray is into this girl (and marries her) in the same chapter. True love and all that.
Left Behind, for all its faults, at least had the redeemable quality of having a plot and sticking to it. Tribulation Force really suffers from being the filler book in between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. Plots don’t really move forward in any meaningful way until the last few chapters. They talk a lot about moving forward but then return to silly dialogue about Chloe and Buck holding hands or eating cookies at the same time. Perhaps the tagline is the giveaway here - "The continuing drama of those left behind" - I can only hope that the next one "The rise of the Antichrist" will be more apocalyptic. At the very least, I pray Nicolae will be a better book.
At the end of Left Behind: Ray, Chloe, Bruce, and Kirk Cameron agree to come together as the Christian supergroup: Tribulation Force. Now, two weeks after the rapture, the second book opens and we can catch up with our friends, some of whom have some sad shit going on.
* Buck has been demoted, which really sucks for him.
* Chloe is oh so horny for Buck, but she’s conflicted. Does he like her? It’s the end of the world, should she even be thinking about bearing his children? (Legit – that is her fantasy).
* Ray, poor ray... Ray is struggling with not being annoying. He’s also being persecuted for carrying a Bible... I presume because, in the post-rapture world, everyone remembers how oppressive Ray’s religion has historically been and they’re just not into it.
* Bruce... Well, it’s revealed he’s a bit unstable. “Sometimes I sit drinking it [the Bible] in for hours, losing track of time, forgetting to eat, weeping and praying.” (p. 17-18). HE. IS. NOT. HEALTHY. I want LaHaye/Jenkins to address this and, at the very least, indicate that Bruce had Cliff bars handy.
* Oh, and our favorite ‘but is he really the bad guy?’, Nicolae Carpathia. The dude is hard at work getting religious leaders together in an effort to get them to “respect their shared beliefs.” I particularly relish the notion that any sort of tolerance of other viewpoints or religious opinions is evil. How dare Nicolae (who is TOTALLY the Antichrist, in case there was confusion) try to bring people together?! Fuck that guy!
Wouldn’t you know it, right as the heat is rising for our heroes, Buck gets contacted by Nicolae. Nicolae, for whatever reason, really likes Buck and wants to offer him a job. He essentially sets Buck up with a dream gig of “live wherever you want and do whatever you want”, but Buck decides to play hard to get with the Antichrist. This, in particular, is just odd. As a Christian, Buck is aware of how everything is going to go down in the next 7 years. The Antichrist HAS to grow in power for Jesus to come back. Take the job, help Nicolae, and by extension, help everybody. No, that’s too logical and rational for Buck. Instead, Buck’s inner monologue during this exchange bounces between “God, tell me what to say” and “Fuck you Antichrist, you’re not my dad”.
Oh, before I dive deeper into this book, I want to share something that I found hilarious and quite enjoyable. Buck and Chaim (the scientist who made the Eden formula) are in a restaurant and Chaim recommends food to Buck.
“Buck had always, always made it a habit to ignore recommendations in restaurants. It was probably one of the reasons for his nickname.”
Later, during Buck’s discussion with Nicolae, Nicolae says:
“I am not naïve, Buck. I know the origin of your nickname.”
So now it’s headcanon that Buck ordered chicken tenders instead of a recommended steak once and decided he was to be called Buck thereafter. Everyone in the book is aware of this and just plays along.
Buck is concerned that working for Nicolae (who is going to buy all the media ever) is an unethical decision and he doesn’t want to do it. Chloe bravely questions Buck’s ethical dilemma, sending Buck into this inner thought: “This was one of the things he liked so much about Chloe. But independence and integrity had been so ingrained in him...” Integrity is the enemy in this book.
Suddenly, and without much warning, Nicolae breaks character and suddenly he’s pure evil. This hits almost as sudden as Rayford’s new relationship. We find out that Ray is into this girl (and marries her) in the same chapter. True love and all that.
Left Behind, for all its faults, at least had the redeemable quality of having a plot and sticking to it. Tribulation Force really suffers from being the filler book in between the rapture and the start of the tribulation. Plots don’t really move forward in any meaningful way until the last few chapters. They talk a lot about moving forward but then return to silly dialogue about Chloe and Buck holding hands or eating cookies at the same time. Perhaps the tagline is the giveaway here - "The continuing drama of those left behind" - I can only hope that the next one "The rise of the Antichrist" will be more apocalyptic. At the very least, I pray Nicolae will be a better book.
January 19, 2013
I really enjoyed this book like the first one. There were a few things that annoyed me though.
1. Rayford and Chloe's relationship. It didn't seem believable as a father and daughter relationship. I guess they were just very open and that's great, but I didn't fully buy it. I found myself wondering if perhaps the authors (both males) were living vicariously through Rayford and wishing their relationships with their own daughters were so amazing. A lot of times I kept feeling like I was stuck in an episode of Full House (a show I love and adore) which is great and all, but like I said just not totally realistic to me especially for two people under so much stress and trauma.
2. Buck and Chloe's relationship. I understand this is a Christian book so relationships won't have that level of intensity or lust, but I didn't feel like it was so realistic either. I appreciate the wholesomeness, I often rant in reviews about sex scenes in books (I don't mind them if they're relevant, but sometimes it just seems like authors just throw them in because they have nothing better to do, you know?). However, Chloe and Buck were a little too wholesome and the relationship just seemed superficial. I guess two elderly male authors who are very Christian may have had trouble conjuring up a decent romance? I just felt like the whole "romance" was very flat and emotionless. I didn't really FEEL THE LOVE. Same goes for Rayford and Amanda White. I just wasn't "sold".
All in all, it was a great book. Very exciting, kept me interested the whole time. I love the message and the different character's faith is inspiring. I do plan to continue the series, slowly but surely.
1. Rayford and Chloe's relationship. It didn't seem believable as a father and daughter relationship. I guess they were just very open and that's great, but I didn't fully buy it. I found myself wondering if perhaps the authors (both males) were living vicariously through Rayford and wishing their relationships with their own daughters were so amazing. A lot of times I kept feeling like I was stuck in an episode of Full House (a show I love and adore) which is great and all, but like I said just not totally realistic to me especially for two people under so much stress and trauma.
2. Buck and Chloe's relationship. I understand this is a Christian book so relationships won't have that level of intensity or lust, but I didn't feel like it was so realistic either. I appreciate the wholesomeness, I often rant in reviews about sex scenes in books (I don't mind them if they're relevant, but sometimes it just seems like authors just throw them in because they have nothing better to do, you know?). However, Chloe and Buck were a little too wholesome and the relationship just seemed superficial. I guess two elderly male authors who are very Christian may have had trouble conjuring up a decent romance? I just felt like the whole "romance" was very flat and emotionless. I didn't really FEEL THE LOVE. Same goes for Rayford and Amanda White. I just wasn't "sold".
All in all, it was a great book. Very exciting, kept me interested the whole time. I love the message and the different character's faith is inspiring. I do plan to continue the series, slowly but surely.
May 23, 2021
I am fascinated by various Apocalypse stories and while most of the modern ones tend to revolve around zombies or a virus (surpriiiiiissseee), or both zombies and a virus this one takes a decently unique turn and goes down Bible street.
Overall I enjoyed the ride. Very fast paced, episodic chapters made me feel at times like I was watching a show. Pages are full of dialogue and almost nothing else, but having read the first book, I was prepared for it and did not mind it as much.
It’s a Christian thriller ride through and through. Nothing complicated about it.
With that said, I felt the book was a bit too heavy on the preaching, but what can I expect when one of the authors is literally a preacher, soo it is what it is. If you’re Christian, you’ll probably find it fun and pleasant, if you’re not, the text will most likely irk you. If you’re in between, and are able to separate the heavy religious push and just enjoy the adventure, it’s really quite fun.
This book had quite a bit happening and I found it interesting to see how a potential Biblical themed apocalypse could unfold. It is surely very different from any other scenario I have read about it watched so far. It is heavy on politics, international events, and naturally religion.
There was also quite a bit of relationship drama woven in, so that was a bit of a change from Book Albeit it’s a very PG relationship, but hey we get at least some romance in a middle of an unfolding apocalypse.
I will most likely continue the series whenever I’m in a mood for a fun, fast paced, easy to digest thriller.
Roman
Overall I enjoyed the ride. Very fast paced, episodic chapters made me feel at times like I was watching a show. Pages are full of dialogue and almost nothing else, but having read the first book, I was prepared for it and did not mind it as much.
It’s a Christian thriller ride through and through. Nothing complicated about it.
With that said, I felt the book was a bit too heavy on the preaching, but what can I expect when one of the authors is literally a preacher, soo it is what it is. If you’re Christian, you’ll probably find it fun and pleasant, if you’re not, the text will most likely irk you. If you’re in between, and are able to separate the heavy religious push and just enjoy the adventure, it’s really quite fun.
This book had quite a bit happening and I found it interesting to see how a potential Biblical themed apocalypse could unfold. It is surely very different from any other scenario I have read about it watched so far. It is heavy on politics, international events, and naturally religion.
There was also quite a bit of relationship drama woven in, so that was a bit of a change from Book Albeit it’s a very PG relationship, but hey we get at least some romance in a middle of an unfolding apocalypse.
I will most likely continue the series whenever I’m in a mood for a fun, fast paced, easy to digest thriller.
Roman
July 14, 2022
Pensé que éste libro sería tranquilo. En serio, vi la portada, el nombre, la sinopsis y no sospeché lo que contenía. Realmente lo pensé, de hecho, iba a la mitad y dije "bueno, por lo menos habrá algo de paz y cotidianidad en el apocalipsis" y así era, más o menos.
No hace ni quince minutos que lo he terminado, los últimos cinco capítulos de un tirón. Se me ha acelerado el corazón, con el final. Siento una profunda desazón con éste final, con toda la última mitad del libro, caray. Siento que el autor me ha dado con un libro en la cabeza, con la biblia, para ser exactos. Pero una biblia gruesa, de esas que hacían los monjes en sus scriptoriums con tinta y papel especial, pesada, de tapa dura de madera y cuero curtido, con ilustraciones detalladas de demonios y ángeles.
Me ha dejado solemne y devastadoramente sin palabras... Y solo puedo decir que... Caray. Mis respetos a su autor, desde lo más hondo de mi corazón, puedo asegurar que esto es verdadera literatura, no la basura a la que tanta publicidad se le hace hoy en día.
El proceso de lectura hubiera sido más llevadero si yo hubiese sabido un ápice de inglés en vez de estar con el diccionario al lado y mis tristes, exiguos y descorazonadores conocimientos del idioma. Pero puedo decir que lo he disfrutado más que muchos libros que he leído éste año y en mi corta y aburrida vida.
Ojalá llegase a más personas. Porque esto sí merece la pena... No creo superarlo pronto.
No hace ni quince minutos que lo he terminado, los últimos cinco capítulos de un tirón. Se me ha acelerado el corazón, con el final. Siento una profunda desazón con éste final, con toda la última mitad del libro, caray. Siento que el autor me ha dado con un libro en la cabeza, con la biblia, para ser exactos. Pero una biblia gruesa, de esas que hacían los monjes en sus scriptoriums con tinta y papel especial, pesada, de tapa dura de madera y cuero curtido, con ilustraciones detalladas de demonios y ángeles.
Me ha dejado solemne y devastadoramente sin palabras... Y solo puedo decir que... Caray. Mis respetos a su autor, desde lo más hondo de mi corazón, puedo asegurar que esto es verdadera literatura, no la basura a la que tanta publicidad se le hace hoy en día.
El proceso de lectura hubiera sido más llevadero si yo hubiese sabido un ápice de inglés en vez de estar con el diccionario al lado y mis tristes, exiguos y descorazonadores conocimientos del idioma. Pero puedo decir que lo he disfrutado más que muchos libros que he leído éste año y en mi corta y aburrida vida.
Ojalá llegase a más personas. Porque esto sí merece la pena... No creo superarlo pronto.
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