The Enclave - Christian Science Fiction by Karen Hancock: A Book Review

The Enclave by Karen Hancock, released in July 2009 by Bethany House, is a Christian science fiction novel full of mystery and suspense. When Lacey McHenry joins the staff at the world-renowned Kendall-Jakes Longevity Institute, she struggles to find her place among the other faculty members including Swain, the institute's charming director, and the brilliant but absent-minded geneticist, Cameron Reinhardt.

Seemingly stuck in a low level job, things change dramatically for Lacy when a strange intruder attacks Lacy and begins to stalk her. The institute tries to cover up the facts of the attack as director Swain begins to exert his charming influence on Lacy and to advance her career. Caught in the middle is Cameron Reinhardt whose Christian beliefs have already put him at odds with most of the staff and who is haunted by his own dark past.

As life at the Institute becomes stranger, Lacy learns a few women have disappeared over the years. She begins to suspect a cover up of some magnitude, but she isn't sure her fears are legitimate, nor is she sure who she can trust.

This is the plot line for most of the book, and it is interesting with several fresh elements. Hancock also has a knack for character development. The plot and characters are intriguing up to this point.

However, Hancock over-reaches with The Enclave and tries to do too much. The story about men trying to play God through genetic engineering is quite interesting, but near the end, Hancock introduces a new set of more supernatural characters, who have been hinted at throughout the book, but who are too much when finally brought into the story. A book with great promise and potential dissolves fairly quickly at the end.

It's always easy to be a back-seat critic, but I would like to have seen two books instead of one book with multiple personality disorder. It would have been interesting to see a book about Cameron Reinhardt's adventures with the Nephilim in one book and then The Enclave as a sequel focusing on the genetic engineering aspects of the story.

For the most part, I liked The Enclave. Until the last few chapters, I couldn't put the book down. It's unfortunate that an unsatisfactory ending becomes what a reader remembers most about a book, because The Enclave has a lot to offer readers who enjoy Christian fantasy and sci-fi.

Related:

Legends of the Guardian King by Karen Hancock is Great Christian Fantasy - Book Series Review
The Enclave by Karen Hancock

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