Enoch's Ghost (Oracles of Fire, #2) by Bryan Davis

Enoch's Ghost (Oracles of Fire, #2) Reviews

• 
  Sofia

  TOTALLY AWESOME BOOK!!!!!!
  For fans of Walter and Ashley, this book will be exactly what you are looking for. I read it nine times and still read it over and over again. There are some great tender moments, action scenes, and three different storylines that morph together at the final climax. Incredible story about love and sacrifice.
• 
  Sarah

  2022 Series Review:
  When I first read the Dragons in Our Midst series not long after this book released, it quickly hit my favorites list. The Oracles of Fire series took me a little longer to win me over, but eventually, it joined its predecessor on my top ten (technically sharing a space, as you really can't have one without the other). But time went on, and my growing reading list meant I reread less, and before long, years had passed without my touching these books (except to occasionally take Bookstagram photos). And the question arose: were they as good as I remembered? Other favorites from that time had fallen in favor as I found other stories that I loved more and that rang more true and as I discovered other authors with lovelier writing. Would Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire hold up?
  
  In October 2021, I decided to find out. And as I delved into the familiar pages, I quickly found myself falling in love again with the story, characters, and themes, all of which were as excellent as I remembered — or, in some cases, better. Maturity on my part meant I could better appreciate certain characters and choices that had frustrated the younger me and that I could more clearly see the spiritual truths Davis weaves into every page of his writing. And books I originally didn't love — mostly Tears of a Dragon, Enoch's Ghost, and The Bones of Makaidos — I found I liked much better this time around because, again, I could better appreciate the themes, particularly the theme of sacrifice that runs so strongly through this series.
  
  It's bit interesting for me to think that in some ways, these books were published at the last possible moment that they could've been really successful, both in- and out-of-story. In-story, the increasing omnipresence of the internet and surveillance and just the increased number of people with cameras on their phones would've made it nearly impossible for the dragons and anthrozils to stay hidden (especially in the case of LITERAL dragons or Bonnie and her wings) — and that's not even starting on the events at the end of Circles of Seven or the merging of Earth and Hell in Oracles of Fire. Those were a Big Deal in the story; they'd be receiving hundreds of times more attention and panic today.
  
  And out-of-story, well, you can't get far into these books without recognizing that Davis isn't exactly subtle with his spiritual themes. Even compared to other books of the time, these books are saturated with Biblical truth, scripture, allegory, and messages — I would argue even more so than some books that were explicitly allegorical. It's even more evident compared to a lot of Christian fiction today, which tends to be much more subtle. But honestly? It's kind of refreshing to read a book that's so in-your-face about these things.
  
  So, do these books hold up? Absolutely. If you've never read them before, pick them up. And if you have read them before, well, don't you think it might be time for a reread?
• 
  Joseph Brink

  It was with fear and trepidation that I began rereading this book. I was worried that I would hate it... and surprise! I didn't! =)
  
  I think it was about 2-3 years ago that I first was introduced to Bryan Davis's books and really fell in love with the Dragons in Our Midst storyworld (and tbh, all his other storyworlds as well).
  
  I ended up buying all 12 Dragons in Our Midsts books thinking I'd reread them again and again and again... but after reading the first four books to my little siblings, I kind of lost interest. It wasn't that I didn't enjoy them, but I noticed all the problems so much more vividly.
  And from a craft point of view, there are a lot of problems.
  
  Info-dumping runs rampant, as well as cheesy dialogue and improbable character reactions. The characters joke around in the middle of tense battle scenes or after traumatic deaths, they are constantly willing to sacrifice their lives for others, and every time someone dies, they all rush to try to resurrect them.
  
  But despite all my complaints, this story is really good. I'd forgotten just how powerful all the themes were.
  
  Rereading this book was half me critically going "would they really?", and half me getting chills and going "this is actually really really brilliant".
  
  But man. This book is packed with emotion. Saphira and Elam's relationship always really spoke to me in the past and it still does. It's such a powerful example of waiting... of patience... agghkhjjk I love it =)
  
  And Timothy! And Listener! And Ashley! I forgot how much I love all these characters and their journeys!
  
  I thought this was just going to be a brief foray into the DIOM world, but now I'm sold and want to see more of Second Eden (I forgot how brilliant that part was!) so I guess I'll be reading "Last of the Nephilim" next!
  
  I'd recommend this series to kids who want exciting funny books that will inspire them in their faith -- as long as the kids aren't too critical of readers who will be annoyed by little problems. Ideally don't be as much of a book snob as me. XD Because these books are seriously really good if you can look at them from the right perspective.
  
  P.S. First time through reading this, my favourite scene was Ashley on the infinite stair, this time through it's Timothy in the birthing garden. I LOVED the parallels between that scene and the Garden of Gethsemene scene in the Bible.
• 
  Tracey Dyck

  This is my second (maybe third?) read.
  
  I think it's safe to say I love this book more than ever! Themes of sacrifice run like a scarlet thread through the narrative, characters grow and develop through excruciating circumstances, and the threat facing our heroes is cataclysmic.
  
  WHAT I LOVED:
  
  -Ashley. This girl has never been more relatable to me than right now. I'm not a genius like she is, but the way she struggled to surrender control hit close to home.
  -Ashley and Walter together. THEY ARE SO PERFECT. I forgot how much I adore their relationship!
  -The infinite staircase. *shivers*
  -Elam! My precious boy, thousands of years old, wise and courageous and full of purpose. He's been through so much.
  -Dikaios. That horse is awesome.
  -Mardon's plan. No spoilers, but the visuals in the climax were fantastic.
  -Second Eden. Possibly one of my favorite settings in the whole series!
  -Timothy. Oh, Timothy. He breaks my heart.
  -EVERYTHING, OKAY. Everything is my favorite. And it ended so well, putting my heart through the wringer and then offering just the right amount of hope and conclusion.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE
  -I honestly can't think of anything worth mentioning. This book is amazing.
  
• 
  Tori

  I'm starting to get into the story enough to really enjoy it. However, I can't really immerse myself in it and the cheesiness keeps me from even really being able to picture it well. The writing style is still not one of my favorites but I'm starting to enjoy the characters more as well as the story to the extent I'm able to follow.
• 
  Natalie

  I think each book that I read by Bryan Davis just gets better and better. This book was no exception-I really enjoyed it. This book is the second book in the oracles of fire series which is a companion series to the dragons in our midst series. One of my friends got me started on these books, and I’m so glad she introduced me to them. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. 😊
• 
  Integral

  I'll admit, at first the three (possibly four) different storylines were difficult to follow at first, but they came together quite nicely during the climax.
  Timothy's sacrifice was particularly touching.
• 
  Abby

  This book was very good! In a fictional context, and by a Biblical standpoint. The book itself was phenomenal, and beautifully written. I'm glad Mr. Davis wrote this book to show youth the love there God has for them! I would definitely recommend it!
• 
  ~Cyanide Latte~

  [REVIEW TO COME AT A LATER DATE UPON A FULL SERIES RE-READ.]
• 
  Sedna Dragon

  It had a beautiful ending that sets up the third book well.
• 
  Abby

  Yay! another good book in the series. I don’t like the cover but ya! It’s good
• 
  Brooke

  It's okay if you cry.
• 
  Jessie

  This book for me was kinda like the 2nd (maybe more the 3rd) Harry Potter book. Or maybe more like the 3rd Narnia book... It definitely provided important information for the overall story and is needed to be read while going through the series, but it also felt kinda like a filler. A book you read because you have to for the sake of story but would otherwise skip because it just doesn't quite hit the mark like the rest. I did enjoy seeing Walter and Ashley again but it felt like this story was rushed and meant to be an information dump. I did like that it gave some character development regarding Ashely and her faith. I feel like there was some with Walter but I am hoping for more in future books. I'm really hoping that we will start seeing even more characters from previous books and I am intrigued to learn what happens to some previously thought lost characters. Still plenty fascinated with this series - this book just wasn't a fav.
• 
  Addyson Huneke

  Edit: There's just something about a book that should set off major alarm bells when one of the settings is the literal Lake of Fire. And when one of the good guys sees one of the bad guys thrown in there. The whole Ashley-isn't-a-Christian thing felt rather forced, and her conversion is even worse. I like Yereq, and I like Saphira. But this book is so wrong. And it still bothers me so much that Hell and Hades are two different places.
  
  Original Review: I read these books very close together almost two weeks ago and because it's been a crazy two weeks together with my grandma and her friend visiting, stuff happening with our house that is on the market, and having a word count contest with my sister, the two books have blended into one in my mind. Plus I have a headache and pollen is high. Thank goodness last week was spring break or I really would have gone crazy.
  
  Bryan Davis's books are weird. A good weird, but still weird. These were no exception. No spoilers, but it contains the Lake of Fire. Just saying.
  
  Writing: 5/5
  
  The writing was really good. Lots of action, well done, no typos. Gah, I'm having trouble concentrating.
  
  Setting: 5/5
  
  Well, they're set in a variety of places. All of them are well-done. I liked the world before the flood, and the ark. All the places were very vibrant. You could feel like you were there.
  
  Plot: 5/5
  
  The pot of the first one was a little...um. But it was still really good. And I really liked the plot of the second book. It was really exciting.
  
  Character Development: 5/5
  
  Really good. I liked Sapphire Adi, and Morgana was a good villain. I loved Naamah and what happened with her in the second book. I really like Elam. And I'm glad Walter and Ashley were in the second book. I can't wait to read more about Bonnie and Billy.
  
  I'm really glad I read these books and everyone else should as well. I can't wait to read the last two books I'm borrowing from a friend, although I'm a little scared because my friend said there are a lot of people that die and...stay dead. Not something Bryan Davis does very often in Dragons in Our Midst and Oracles of Fire. Anyways, I hope you got sense out of that review. Here's to another hectic week!
• 
  eve v.

  Bryan Davis has done it yet again! Woven a masterful tale of love, faith, and sacrifice. I thoroughly enjoyed Enoch's Ghost, though I did find it a little slow going at first. However, the deeper you get into it, the more action and suspense there is! The characters were unforgettable, as always. Ashley, Walter, Karen, Roxil, Elam, Gabriel, and Sapphira... they're all thrown into one great big adventure all over again! I DID greatly miss Bonnie and Billy though, and Larry (too bad the power was down! lol! :D ).
  I also did find keeping track of all the dementions a bit hard. So far we have... Earth, Hades, the Circles of Seven, Hell, and we're also introduced to two new dementions: the Bridgelands and Second Eden. I sure hope no more are added, I'm bound to get confused. :P
  Overall, it was a GREAT book! Looking forward to reading The Last of the Nephilim soon. Currently though, I'm in the mood for a romance... ;)
• 
  Michael

  Every time I read this series, it just keeps getting better. It's amazing to me how Bryan Davis can have so many characters in so many different worlds, and yet the stories all manage to come together and make sense.
  
  This is my favorite of all of Bryan Davis's books, aside from the Bones of Makaidos. I love the way Davis references Dante's Inferno, and the Lake of Fire chapter was truly chilling. The character development is also pretty good. Finally, I love Davis's poetry. All of his riddles make perfect sense after the story plays out, but it's almost impossible to predict what's going to happen. Overall, this is definitely a series that I would recommend to my friends.
• 
  Gabby

  This one was a little hard to get through. It was extremely thick and it kind of threw all the characters at you. All the dragons turned into humans and changed their names at least once, if not twice, so it was really confusing to remember the family trees, and who was related to whom, and where they all were. At the back of the book there was a summary of everything and the timelines. You shouldn't need a timeline at the back of your book!
• 
  Brianna

  For the Walter and Ashley parts, this book deserves a seven star. For other parts....not so much. I'm very invested in the humans and the dragons from Earth, but some of the other characters aren't as developed and bloomed out. Some parts, yes. Other parts, no. And no Billy and Bonnie. :( But still a great book, and the talk of light and sacrifice were beautiful illustrations of God's love for us! (As certain characters discovered!)
• 
  (Jen) The Artist Librarian

  I liked the "Oracles of Fire" series much better than "Dragons in our Midst" (probably because I love the characters of Sapphira, Elam, and Ashley. Mr. Davis's writing improves with each book ... while the first book in this series, "Eye of the Oracle" was a "prequel" of sorts of the first series. "Enoch's Ghost" follows the last "Dragons in our Midst" book, continuing the story.
• 
  Irwings Morales

  This book is just amazing!! Bryan Davis has done it again!! Enoch Ghost the second of the great series "Eyes of the Oracle" It hooks you up in the beginning when Ashley meets Makaidos father Arramos to the end of the book!! This book acutally has some quite intense drama and some good morals to learn! I can't wait to read the 3rd book of this outstanding series!!
• 
  Joseph Leskey

  This is very good, possibly better than the books before it. Why did I give it but four stars then? No clue. Possible factors include: (a) The characters are sometimes ridiculously petty, (b) some minor things which I forgot, and (c) the way characters talk about each other in metaphors. It's rather unnerving.
• 
  Awesome

  I waiting for this book to be ordered........but i cant wait!!!!!!!
• 
  Colter

  i think it was good, not as good as the dragons in our midst books though.