There aren't too many novels that function as both a beginning and an ending to a series, but that's exactly what best-selling author Ted Dekker serves up with Green, the much anticipated conclusion (nicknamed "Book Zero") in the "Circle" series.

While there are countless online forums dedicated to precisely what order the "Circle" series should be read in, (and boy are his fans opinionated to say the least), Dekker says what's unique about Green is that what's "essentially a retelling of our entire redemptive history" can function as the sequel to his previous novels White or the prequel to Black, depending on where a reader is at in the series.

Sound confusing? Well, it's not meant to be. In fact, Green was even designed as a point of entry for brand-new Dekker readers. But for those who've been patiently waiting for more than four years to see what happens next, the reward for their previous efforts has also finally arrived.

"Basically, Green is an apocalyptic story set in the future at a time when the Earth has been remade," Dekker says. "Once again, there has been a creation, a fall and a redemption—all in early Church times. And the problem is that the believers of that particular time are starting to crumble. Everything is ripping apart at the seams when the book begins, and I'm basically asking ‘What would've happened if Christ had come back at the time of the early church?'"

Fusing Theology with Story

Known for his memorable protagonists and particularly edgy brand of storytelling, the 46-year-old author says he's not isn't interested in pushing boundaries for boundary-pushing's sake.

Instead, Dekker, who splits his time between writing thrillers and fantasies to prevent creative boredom, says his early life experiences as a missionary kid in Indonesia are what ultimately fueled his imagination.

"Growing up in the jungles of Indonesia, story was born in me very young," Dekker says. "I think that's how I can travel to such dark places in my novels because I was often a stranger in my own surroundings, which was fascinating but also lonely."

Yet even with the stark realism, betrayal and battle that permeates every page of Dekker's work, there's also plenty of grace and redemption to be found, not to mention a clear delineation between light and darkness.