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In this fourth installment of Scheel’s epic saga The Underworlds, the author once again weaves light and dark with fate, destiny, prophecies, and singular agendas that are inevitably headed for a collision course. What commences with great optimism as the new year brings in the reunification of the underworlds under Denida turns to tumult and chaos when the death of a loved one sends Lucifer on the warpath, threatening vengeance on God and consuming the tenuous peace between the realms of the underworld in the process.
When dark magic is detected on Earth, rendering the magical shield for protecting mortals null, a sense of urgency envelops the characters. Familiar names from Gabriel to Lucifer make their entrances, but along every twist and turn, with the end goal in sight, there are myriad subplots. On one hand, there’s Henna’s apocalyptic prophecy. On the other, the very existence of the Earth is in jeopardy, and without his magic ring and necklace, Denida and his task force must find a way to maneuver in the material realm.
In every sense, this is the prototypical good versus evil tale, yet what makes it intriguing is the various realities and destinies that have the ability to play out in real time. A mother’s unyielding determination, talk of original destinies gone awry, and seemingly endless betrayals and secrets keep the plot churning throughout. Yet, what eludes everyone is the final goal of attaining peace. Ultimately, Scheel does a masterful job of using allegory to instill human qualities and emotions into the mostly celestial characters while simultaneously giving these characters purpose and personality through a steady stream of dialogue that allows audiences to feel like they are present for every bit of the confrontation, from the time the magic veil protecting earth falls to the final confrontation.