review: the seraph seal

I LOVED this book.

Over the years end-of-the-world scenarios have become cliche. We all got a good scare out of Damien, and everyone enjoys munching on a little popcorn during the summer disaster movies, but it's been a long, long time since anyone put on their thinking cap and wondered 'what if none of those cliches held?'

Seraph Seal follows a basic formula, but in a new way. The protagonist is a pedestrian academic - think Dan Brown, here - but he gathers a crew of would-be world-savers to assist him in avoiding Armageddon. Working together, this collection of well-drawn, interesting characters is more reminiscent of a caper film (Ocean's 11, the Rat Pack) than super-hero team; but the action never stops and you find yourself caught up in a myriad of plots and sub-plots, intrigue and nuance.

For those who like religious-themed fiction (end times, book-of-Revelation, stuff) there's plenty of that here. In fact, Sweet's work is far more biblically credible and theologically consistent than any of that 'Left Behind' babble. The book could be a master's level study in symbolism and hidden meaning, and the careful reader will be rewarded over and over again with gems subtly woven into each chapter (actually, onto almost every page).

So, if you like great characters, a well-constructed plot with multiple-layers, and want to imagine a new way in which the world could end (or not!), this is the book for you. The Omen, meets the Da Vinci Code, meets The Italian Job.