The interweaving of spiritual truth and dependence upon God are evident through Enclave. The characters' doubts, struggles with reality, and need for support are all deeply under girded by their faith. They continually seek God’s guidance in the intense and unusual situations they find themselves in. These spiritual interactions are authentically written, particularly in Cameron’s case. His walk in faith includes all of the usual doubt, questioning, and revelation that is all too familiar for Christian readers.
Hancock does an excellent job of writing to draw her readers in. As the two worlds of the institute and New Eden are drawn ever closer to each other, I read on tenterhooks – awaiting the inevitable conclusion. The intersection of the two worlds in the midst of genetic engineering was not difficult to predict, or an unfamiliar premise for those familiar with sci-fi that tackles the potential dangers inherent in cloning. However, Hancock grabs the wheel and spins hard towards the end of the novel, revealing a re-imagined monstrosity from pre-Flood days.
In all honesty, I felt that this unnamed sudden interjection was pretty wild and incredibly speculative. While Hancock writes from a literal understanding of scripture, there are quite a few ‘what ifs’ tossed around in order to build the last third of the story. The believability factor hit an all time low with this development, it was simply built upon too many incredible suppositions for it to come across as credible.
Hancock is an excellent writer, and my emotional investment into her characters led me through the larger-than-life climax of Enclave. Though the story had morphed into a bizarre blend of secret mission tactics and nearly laughable comic-book style invaders, I pressed on, and was relieved when the ride was over. If you’re in the mood for some pretty ‘out-there’ reading, Hancock has the writing chops to keep you involved and on edge as you anticipate the unlikely collision of three story streams. Just prepare to be surprised when they do.
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