World of Impossible Things
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Book 4
World of Impossible Things: Legend of the Flames by Ted Dekker and H.R. Hutzel is a companion series to The Journey to Impossible Places series. This series opens one month after their return home. Michael and Charlie are not only brothers now, but close friends. Unfortunately, Tyler now feels on the outs and cannot understand the sudden change in Michael and Charlie’s relationship. Tyler’s brooding is also made worse by his solitude and the mysterious purple fruit he brought home from the island.
After Michael and Tyler have a small late night confrontation, Michael is unsure what to say to Tyler but doesn’t want to say the wrong thing; meanwhile, Tyler knows exactly what he plans to do. Tyler has been listening to a voice from the darkness who goes by the name Prince of Chaos, and after this conversation with Michael, he decides to poison Charlie causing him to fall into a coma. Meanwhile, he and Michael use the fruit as a portal back to the island where they end up in a land known as Raven,
Raven is where the rest of the conflict and plot for the story series is established. Tyler uses Michael to release the spirit of Prince of Chaos. Michael briefly ends up in the land of Lumina where he discovers that he must stop Tyler from extinguishing three divine flames. In this portion of the series, Michael is not successful in that endeavor and is left trapped in a dome of ice at the first location at the end of book four. Tyler is already escaping with the ember of the first extinguished flame.
Meanwhile, back at Earth, Sarah and Milo, along with Mr. Abbott, have tried to return to the mysterious island, but a dome of ice currently is surrounding the island and without a way to currently get through unharmed.
Readers who enjoyed the first three books in this series will definitely enjoy the intrigue of book four and will quickly devour the series. One of the great aspects of this story in book four is that Michael has empathy for Tyler and recognizes that he must find his own way to the Light. Tyler is looking for affirmation and love, which the false prince gives him. There are great Biblical themes and tie-ins that families and readers can discuss.
Noteworthy quotes/ points of interest:
“Michael hoped he could still be a support to his friend on that journey, though. Once Tyler realized the truth, they’d all be a family again. He just needed time, and Michael needed an opportunity to show Tyler that he still loved him” (14).
On pages 17-20 a ghostly spirit of Maxine (who died in the other part of the series) shows up and taunts Tyler.
“Ages ago, this being, the Prince of Chaos, wreaked havoc on entire worlds, thrusting them under his evil influences. He was finally captured and imprisoned, bound under lock and key, and cast into the depths of an old well where no one would find him, deep beneath the abandoned Isle of Perdido” (76).
“Don’t forget that the light of love dwells in every human heart, though the darkness–fear–conceals it for many” (78).
Tyler, through the influence of the Prince of Chaos, speaks of the past to a man named Tomlin, the captain of a ship that Tyler needs. He calls him out for his immoral behavior in “an attempt to undo [his] guilt” (125). Tomlin’s young daughter died, and he was unable to save her.
A character named Rusty says to Michael, “Take it from me, lad. Women are as unpredictable as the sea. Men like us are better off to steer clear of them” (145).
There are a few mentions of referring to the ocean as “Mother Ocean” and the men pour herbs and offerings into the sea for goodwill.
Overall, I really enjoyed book one/four of this series. I think it would appeal to readers who have read the first part of the series.
Book 5
World of Impossible Things: Cure of the The Ember by Ted Dekker and H.R. Hutzel is book five in the Impossible Places Series. Book five opens with Michael realizing that Tyler is ahead of him and has already extinguished and taken the first Divine Flame. However, now they are trapped by a wall of ice that mirrors what has taken place on earth with Sarah and Milo. Michael is soon reminded that he must follow the light, which eventually leads them out as solar flies cut through the veil keeping them inside.
Once out, they set sail for the new coordinates leading to the second flame. They can only hope that something will happen that will allow them to arrive first. Arriving safely is far from smooth sailing as they must battle sea dragons to reach the island. Brynn and Michael, as well as other sailors, are severely injured in this endeavor, but they do manage to get ahold of the second Divine Flame before Tyler. Rusty, the ship’s captain with Michael, is confronted by Michael and Brynn about how he was able to afford gold for this voyage. Rusty shares that he sold his home and everything he owns. “‘Because I believe in you, lad. I’ve spent my entire life chasin’ the flames–what I believe to be the greatest treasure of all. And when you believe something that deeply, you go all in. There’s no turning back for me’” (103).
While Michael is preparing to fight sea dragons, the story shifts to following Tyler and the crew on the Black Dahlia. Unfortunately, the crew is severely sick and Admiral Tomlin chooses to land on a nearby island for healing. This island is not friendly to Tomlin and his crew. The reader soon finds out that Tomlin stole the Black Dahlia from Captain Dutchman. Once Dutchman is aware of his presence on the island, Tomlin and his men, Tyler included, are taken prisoner. Tyler, recognizing that time is of the essence, chooses to play both sides. After escaping the prison with a bit of trickery, he is taken to speak with Dutchman. In this meeting, Tyler convinces him to come to the ship in order to bear witness to the ember of the first flame, hoping to entice Dutchman into helping him fulfill his mission. However, Dutchman touches the ember and becomes miraculously healed to the horror of the Prince of Chaos, who seems to almost possess Tyler’s body in order to kill Dutchman. Tyler is horrified by the events but continues to do the bidding of the Prince of Chaos. In the end, Tomlin is released and the mission is back on track. Page 78 and 79 detail the Dutchman’s death. It would be worth reviewing if you are giving to younger readers as the detail may be too much. Tyler apologizes that he didn’t have a choice in killing him and the Dutchman’s final words are “‘You always have a –have a choice’” (79).
Back on earth, Sarah is falling apart due to her worry and anxiety for Charlie. She is ultimately learning that “You can’t fight fear with fear” (146). Milo is concerned, but to the extent that Sarah is. The world is now watching the “anomaly” that is the island and the children are called in to speak with experts and the president of the United States. The world is worried and the US President sends missiles into the dome covering the mystical island. This seems to anger it as it proceeds to grow and expand, taking ships and men with it. The story ends with the children needing to evacuate as it grows closer to the private island they are residing at. Mr. Abbott in this portion of the story plays a much bigger role than he did in the first four books. He is an endearing man who truly cares for the children. In trying to calm Sarah he makes a comment about his boring children. “‘Man, did I ever get fooled. Here I thought I’d adopted all of these extraordinary children just to find out they’re the plain old boring kind.’ [...] ‘Yup, just another boring adventure with my two normal kids’” (31).
The last part of Tyler and Michael’s story in this portion of the series ends with Tyler getting a hold of the second ember from Michael. Meanwhile, Michael’s ship and crew are struggling after being attacked by cannon fire.
If readers liked the first in this portion of the series, they will definitely love the second installment. It will leave them running for book three to see how all of this ends. Will Charlie be saved? Can Michael reach Tyler with the Light or is it too late for him?
Book 6
World of Impossible Things: Treasure Beyond World’s End by Ted Dekker and H.R. Hutzel is the final installment of the Impossible Places series. Picking up where book five ends, the race is on to get to the final flame. However, Michael’s group has a ship to repair, Tyler has a mutiny on his hands, and back on earth Sarah tries to stop a nuclear missile from launching on the “anomaly.” Meanwhile, Charlie is still in a coma, but is able to communicate with the Sage and knows all of what is happening.
In the fifth book Charlie is nothing more than a mention or concern, but book six opens with Charlie reminding the readers of his predicament, but also setting the stage for his return. While in a coma he is communicating with the Sage. In this chapter the Sage is reminding Charlie that “The light of God’s love has no boundaries in whatever world you find yourself in” and that he needs to “Trust Michael to find that light” (7). Towards the end of the novel, Sarah, Milo, and Mr. Abbott retrieves Charlie from the hospital, despite the objections since he is still in a coma and brings him to the mysterious island shrouded by the dome. Crossing the barrier awakens Charlie where he creates a portal to briefly encourage Michael.
For Michael, repairing the ship proves to be more adventurous than expected. When he, Brynn, and a few of Rusty’s crew venture on the island of the second flame to retrieve wood for the repairs, the crew members eat mysterious fruit that turns them against Michael and Brynn. Despite their attempts to kill them, Michael is able to break through the darkness and all is forgiven and ends well as they travel to their third destination.
Tyler, meanwhile, has to deal with a mutinous crew who have a horrible rash causing boils. Tomlin turns the ship around and once Tyler finds out, he turns the crew against Tomlin. However, that isn’t the only problem. The daughter of the man Tyler killed in book five has an entire fleet with her and they are gaining on the Black Dahlia. Once close enough to the island, Tyler escapes the ship and makes it to the island undetected.
Michael arrives first at the location of the third flame, but it is Tyler who has the means of opening the doors. It is here that the final showdown happens as Michael attempts to thaw Tyler’s heart and seek forgiveness for his own actions towards Tyler in the past that contributed to the choices he has made. Of course, all ends well, but I don’t want to give away too much of how it all comes together.
Other noteworthy mentions/ quotes:
Brynn and Michael have a bit of a budding crush which is mentioned more towards the end of the book when Brynn returns to earth instead of Lumina and lives with the Abbott family.
When escaping an island while the dome/ “anomaly” grows unpredictably, there is a scene in which Sarah and Milo see the people below flailing in water. However, at the end, you find out that everyone survived without memory of what happened, but it does leave a horrible impression on Sarah at the time.
When Rusty’s men do try to go after Michael and Brynn, there is a scene on 49 where they attempt to drown Michael.
“Your promises of wealth and power are empty without love. My daughter is my true treasure, dead or alive” (97).
“You can’t fight fear with fear. You fight fear with love” (124).
I really enjoyed this second installment to the Impossible Places series, and I am sure that if you have readers of the first set, they will surely enjoy this one as well.
