GEBIRAH

In this debut fantasy, a park ranger learns that her bizarre visions are prophetic, affording her a chance to prevent the apocalypse.

Ranger Gabby Sullivan, who works at the Washington Monument, has endured her share of rude tourists. But one day, four especially aggressive people ultimately fight with the security team. Coming to the team’s aid is a dark-skinned, white-haired motorcyclist. This man has shocking news for Gabby. Not only is he Cain (the very one from the Bible), but the four assailants were also likely targeting her since she’s the key to stopping Armageddon. Evidently, Gabby’s recurring dreams of a blood-drenched moon and more are actually prophetic visions. While she can help identify fallen angels and demons’ specific world-ending plan, Cain has the resources; he’s the richest man in the world. Cain has trained soldiers on his payroll while Gabby has her boyfriend, Daniel Masterson, by her side. Unfortunately, Gabby can’t predict everything the bad guys will do, such as abducting someone without a discernible motive. This may somehow relate to the mysterious person Gabby sees in one of her dreams, an individual she suspects is the Antichrist and the figure behind the impending apocalypse. In the meantime, Gabby, Cain, and the rest find themselves up against such beings as wraiths and gargoyles, though they also stumble on an unexpected ally. While various confrontations take the team around the United States, the final battle is more global and may force them to split into three units to save Earth from devastation.

Despite the religious backdrop, Dearing’s book is often lighthearted. The story takes a middle-of-the-road approach: What the Bible contains is mostly true; villains are unquestionably from hell; and God doesn’t make an appearance on Earth in the narrative. Although Gabby and Daniel are churchgoers (though he’s more devout), the tale is less about theology and more about whether or not the couple believe Cain’s astonishing claims. Adding to the story’s breezy tone is an abundance of pop-culture references. These are generally tongue-in-cheek, and though they eventually wear thin, the author wisely reduces their frequency in the more action-oriented latter half. Gabby’s tenacity and resilience make her a superb hero. Nevertheless, it’s confusing why she’s fighting in the field, given her importance in stopping the apocalypse. She furthermore gives orders to combat-trained professionals even though she’s a novice who explains her fighting stance by saying, “We watch a lot of kung fu movies. You pick stuff up.” Cain is especially intriguing as “the firstborn of all mankind,” and intermittent flashbacks reveal some of his thousands of years on Earth. As these are mere glimpses into his life, including when he was an enslaved person in America, Cain’s story could easily be a stand-alone novel. Conflict among various characters keeps the story hopping; someone on Cain’s team seemingly objects to Gabby’s presence, and there’s possible trouble in her relationship with Daniel. While much of this plot is straightforward, there are a few surprises, from details about the baddies’ Earth-destroying plans to a striking take on the Antichrist’s identity.

A captivating end-of-the-world tale that favors entertainment over profundity.