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The end of days is approaching. Satan, in the guise of a charismatic politician named Malcolm Mabius, seeks to rule the earth’s kingdoms. With the assistance of AI-generated holograms, he has won the allegiance of much of humanity. He aspires to build a temple to himself in Yosemite National Park. But the natural world resists his leadership. Freak storms, avalanches, and volcanic eruptions kill millions. Perplexed by the bizarre weather, meteorologists use Ouija boards to make their forecasts. “Planetary alignment” brings mammoths and other prehistoric creatures back to life. Sam Rathe, a man of Native American descent, is drawn into the battle against evil forces following a life-changing vision of an Assyrian king on horseback. Tiye Abramson, a Jewish woman with ambivalent feelings towards her ancestral faith, becomes queen of the world but regrets her role in assisting Malcolm’s rise to power.
Osteen must be commended for his imagination. Early in the story, a bog body preserved in the British Museum returns to life. Confused by his sudden resuscitation, he nervously brandishes an axe. It is perhaps the most memorable image in the book. The centrality of Satan to the proceedings calls to mind William Blake’s thoughts on Paradise Lost, as the prince of darkness engages in mischief both diabolic and petty—forcing everyone to drive electric vehicles, hanging around supermarkets, and turning potatoes into images of Jesus for the express purpose of astonishing old ladies. The dialogue has a pulpy, comic-book air about it. For instance, informed that “faith can move mountains,” one character exclaims, “It can’t stop Laser Blasts!” Events trundle along in a random, improvised fashion. For example, at one point, a man is killed by giant weeds in a scene reminiscent of 1970s Doctor Who. As end-times novels go, this one is energetic, inventive, and unpredictable.