From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Alten's sequel to Domain (2001), based on the Mayan Popul Vul myth, charges bravely out of the gate, but quickly loses momentum. Centuries ago, Mayan legend predicted the death of hero Michael Gabriel, who would sacrifice himself to save Earth from alien invasion in 2012and the birth of Gabriel's superhuman sons, the Hero Twins, who would descend to the Mayan underworld Xibalba, to fight evil and resurrect their father from cosmic darkness. Born in 2013, Gabriel's sons, precocious Jacob and less enthusiastic Manny, grow up in seclusion, protected by their mother and the U.S. government. Within minutes of the twins' birth, a third extraordinary child predicted by prophecy, Lilith Eve Robinson, is born nearby. Raised in horrible circumstances, the girl later suffers unending sexual abuse by her Fundamentalist foster father. Ultimately, Lilith will face Jacob and his mother in an alien world where the winner will claim all the souls on Earth. Though the relatively unknown mythology intrigues, the story stalls early under the weight of one-dimensional characters and a plot choked by the moral certainty of the Left Behind series and paranormal "science" on the level of that in Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods. (Alten confuses electromagnetic arrays with electromagnetic pulses, misdefines volcano calderas, etc.) Still, with its apocalyptic scenario and emphasis on the afterlife, this novel will attract the same kinds of readers who've made LaHaye and Jenkins's books a success. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


About the Author
A native of Philadelphia, Steve Alten holds a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, a masters in sports medicine from the University of Delaware, and a doctorate in sports administration from Temple University. He is the New York Times bestselling author of MEG: A Novel of Deep Terror and Domain.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

What happens to us when we die? Is there really an afterlife? Do we possess a soul? Does God exist?

For Michael Gabriel, the answers to these questions lie in another dimension, a realm of eternity where there is no concept of time, only pure life force...pure existence. And pure evil.

Now, as was foretold 500 years ago in the Mayan Popol Vuh, Michael's sons are born: white-haired, azure-eyed Jacob, blessed with inhuman physical prowess, intelligence, and insight into the cosmos, and dark-haired Immanuel, who refuses his genetic calling, desiring only a normal life. Only the combined powers of the Gabriel twins can resurrect their savior father and save the human race from an eternity of repeating its own self-destruction.

But on this fateful day another child is born. Exposed to the uglier side of existence, empowered by her post-human genetics, the beautiful, schizophrenic Lilith will travel down a darker path that leads to eon-distant Xibalba (the Mayan version of Hell) and an epic battle of good versus evil...and the final destination of the human race.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Alten's sequel to Domain (2001), based on the Mayan Popul Vul myth, charges bravely out of the gate, but quickly loses momentum. Centuries ago, Mayan legend predicted the death of hero Michael Gabriel, who would sacrifice himself to save Earth from alien invasion in 2012-and the birth of Gabriel's superhuman sons, the Hero Twins, who would descend to the Mayan underworld Xibalba, to fight evil and resurrect their father from cosmic darkness. Born in 2013, Gabriel's sons, precocious Jacob and less enthusiastic Manny, grow up in seclusion, protected by their mother and the U.S. government. Within minutes of the twins' birth, a third extraordinary child predicted by prophecy, Lilith Eve Robinson, is born nearby. Raised in horrible circumstances, the girl later suffers unending sexual abuse by her Fundamentalist foster father. Ultimately, Lilith will face Jacob and his mother in an alien world where the winner will claim all the souls on Earth. Though the relatively unknown mythology intrigues, the story stalls early under the weight of one-dimensional characters and a plot choked by the moral certainty of the Left Behind series and paranormal "science" on the level of that in Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods. (Alten confuses electromagnetic arrays with electromagnetic pulses, misdefines volcano calderas, etc.) Still, with its apocalyptic scenario and emphasis on the afterlife, this novel will attract the same kinds of readers who've made LaHaye and Jenkins's books a success. (Feb. 23) Forecast: A national print ad campaign should ensure a strong start. Fans of more serious SF will know to keep their distance. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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