THE ONE PATH

Gerovac’s (The Great Angel War, 2014) second novel in a trilogy concerning an unlikely prophet and his mission to stop Armageddon.

Tasked with being “God’s last prophet,” Thomas Mumin is on a mission to prevent the Antichrist from being born. While practicing “no specific religion” (albeit believing in God and accepting Jesus Christ as his savior), Thomas has done his best to understand the Bible, to lead a good life, and, after a nearly fatal car accident in the prequel, to do the work of God. He journeys to Vatican City to speak with the pope, but he gets more than an audience: he’s hit over the head to see whether he’s a demon. Having passed the test, Thomas comes to realize that Lucifer is attempting to create the Antichrist using modern-day science. Will Thomas and others on his side—including a savant named Myrrh, who “sees everything as a probability”—be able to stop this momentous event, or will they succumb to the many demons around them who are willing to resort to all manner of trickery? More Dan Brown than Umberto Eco, the story takes readers down a number of avenues via both action—“He then reversed his spin, bending low and coming up, hitting the fourth bully under the chin and knocking him out”—and Google searches. Despite Thomas’ Everyman attitude—“I am but a humble servant of the Lord,” he points out—events unfold quickly. Though the adventure is alive with the cunning ways of the devil and his helpers, the journey has its share of speed bumps, often due to dialogue that tells readers what’s already known, as when Thomas remarks: “We’re okay. We ran here to check on you and make sure you are okay too,” followed shortly thereafter by “I’m glad everyone’s okay.” As meek as he may seem at times, Thomas proves to be a hero who’s both believable and worth rooting for, a man just humble enough to carry the spirit of a genial holy messenger.

Will be enjoyed most by readers interested in seeing a seemingly normal man rise to a prophet.