Jackie Rose Reviews

Page Two

Added January 8, 2005

Planet Maccabee

Author: Jackie Rose
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Available At: www.extasybooks.com
Publishing Date: December 2004
Genre: Science-fiction: Holiday
Format: Ebook download in PDF/HTML/LIT
Price: $1.49
Reviewer: Ayden Delacroix
Rating: 7 Gargoyles

To celebrate the holiday season, author Jackie Rose offers a retelling of a classic Hanukkah tale.

Settlers on Planet Maccabee follow the teachings of the Book. The Book was given to them and they must uphold it even if other worlds follow the Natural Law, with the stronger triumphing over the weak.

Prince Judah, son of the current priest, is a teacher at the Temple. His life is simple yet pleasing. One of his students invites a Teacher of Natural Law to visit Judah. While not pleased with his student's actions or his guest, he nonetheless follows the teachings of the Book and treats both with honor.

The Teacher and Judah talk for a great length of time, both debating which is the better way to live. When the Teacher's people invade Planet Maccabee, Judah knows his people are not strong enough to fight them and for a time is able to live in peace with the followers of the Natural Law, even allowing them to teach their ways at the Temple.

As time passes and his people begin to forget the teachings of the Book, taking slaves for the mere reason they believe themselves better, Judah knows he must act. No longer can the Temple teach both the ways of the Book and the Natural Law. The two contradict each other. When he tells the Teacher this, Judah's life is no longer safe. He and the few followers of the Book retreat to the mountains. They learn to fight, prepared to give their lives to win back their Temple and their planet.

Planet Maccabee is a glorious retelling of the Maccabees and their fight to reclaim the Temple of Solomon from the Romans. Jackie captured the entire message of this famous Hanukkah story, told it eloquently and without demeaning either way of life. Set in this time period, it is much easier to understand the reactions of the Maccabees and the reasons they went to war many years ago.

I wholeheartedly recommend Planet Maccabee; it is a glorious tale for all times, not just the holidays.

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