The Seraph Seal, by Leonard Sweet and Lori Wagner

The plot of this apocalyptic novel is a simple one:  The end of times is upon the world. The few remaining faithful have a short amount of time to decipher clues that indicate that, yes, the end of the world is here, so that they can adequately prepare as many people as possible for the final day.

I was intrigued by this book because it initially seemed to be of the intellectual suspense nature. Clues are presented, and the reader ostensibly has to work to determine what these clues mean. However, I didn't find any of the clues to be difficult - thereby negating the need for the appendix at the back that was supposed to be vital to this new genre of "engaged fiction."

Furthermore, the book was largely predictable and I was never able to establish any kind of personal connection with most of the characters. This may have been because the book jumps back and forth between several different storylines. The moment I became attached to a character, the plot would twist away from that character and not return until several other storylines had been updated. Adding to my confusion, the point of view will occasionally jump from third person limited to third person omniscient, making it difficult for me to understand which character's thoughts are driving the scene.

The Alphabet of the Apocalypse at the end of the book is an interesting feature, and I hope that the authors publish a non-fiction book that delves deeper into the ideas presented there. I didn't agree with everything that they wrote in the Alphabet, but the feature as a whole was certainly thought-provoking.

Two of Five Stars

I was provided with a copy of this book through Thomas Nelson's "Booksneeze" program, and was not required to post a positive review.