The Whirlwind

“The evil Bobok and the Illusionist also know the special weave of these tapestries. And they’ll do anything in their power to destroy the children before they step into the Whirlwind, before they’re re-Breathed.”

“Then help them we must,” Listro Q said as he reached into a pocket for his trusty Cross-Dimensionalizer. “At once we’ll go there and –“

“No!” The Weaver cut him off. “To be re-Breathed is something the children must choose on their own, yes it is. It must be of their own free will.”

“But,” Aristophenix protested, “if Bobok and the Illusionist are gonna –”

“Their plan is most evil. If you interfere before the correct time, you will not only destroy the children, but you will destroy yourselves as well.”

Book:The Whirlwind (Book Three) (The Imager Chronicles) by Bill Myers, Bethany House Publishers, 1992

Genre: Fantasy
Target Audience: Boys and Girls 12-15
Subject: Salvation, Popularity, Appearances

Summary: Josh knows he is better than everyone else. Sure, he has some weaknesses, but he really is something impressive. And everyone else ought to recognize that! So when the Illusionist arrives and takes him to the Kingdom of Perfection to keep improving himself until he reaches perfection and can enter the Sea of Justice, Josh agrees, not realizing the Illusionist is hiding the truth – Josh’s attempts to change himself fail to make him perfect. And the Sea of Justice will issue true justice to all who enter. Meanwhile, Denise and Nathan are frantic to find someone perfect who can enter the Sea of Justice and rescue Josh. But when they start to see people as the Imager sees them, as they really are, they recognize that no one is perfect. How can they ever rescue Josh if they can not find someone perfect?

Notes: The Experiment is the third in the series known under three names: Journeys to Fayrah, The Bloodstone Chronicles and The Imager Chronicles. This series focuses on three characters who enter a fantasy world to learn about the love God (known in this world as The Imager) has for them. Each book focuses on one aspect of belonging to Him and trusting Him. In The Whirlwind, the characters finally find salvation. The idea is that Josh tries to make himself perfect and fails because only The Imager is perfect and only by letting Him re-Breathe you, can you risk facing justice. Once He has re-Breathed you, He takes away your imperfection, filling you with His breath. The characters can still choose to dwell on their imperfections or they can see themselves the way the Imager does – spotlessly clean because of being filled by Him.

Recommendation Scale: 5/5
Reviewer: J:-)mi

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Romans 3:10-18 - As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." "Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison of vipers is on their lips." "Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness." "Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know." "There is no fear of God before their eyes."