It's the dawn of the Great Tribulation, "the bloodiest season in the history of the world." After lying in state for three days, Nicolae Carpathia has risen from the dead. As the world responds in awe, statues of the potentate and "god" are erected in every major city, and a new religion, "Carpathianism," is in full swing. Followers of the antichrist are branded with a loyalty mark on their right hands or their foreheads, and "vaccinated" with a biochip embedded with personal information. Those who refuse the mark take a one-way trip to the guillotine. The second coming of Christ is only three-and-one-half years away. But can the Tribulation Force hang on?

"The God who calls you to the ultimate sacrifice will also give you the power to endure it. No one can receive the mark of the beast by accident. It is a once-and-for-all decision that will forever condemn you to eternity without God," writes Tsion Ben-Judah in his daily newsletter with its cyberaudience of more than a billion. Heavenly power may be the only hope for the Tribulation Force, as it struggles to survive amidst new terrors, the death of more loved ones, and some unexpected twists in its plans.

The Mark: The Beast Rules the World is the eighth installment in the blockbuster Left Behind series. Rich in dialogue, this action-packed thriller delivers the same consistent mix of apocalyptic mayhem and quirky humor readers have come to expect from the pen of Jerry Jenkins and the prophetic interpretations of Tim LaHaye. --Cindy Crosby


From Publishers Weekly
In this eighth installment of the bestselling Left Behind series, Satan has taken full possession of Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia, who demands that all Global Community citizens bow to him in worship and take his mark on their foreheads or right hands. This spells trouble for the members of the Tribulation Force, who have pledged their unswerving allegiance to Christ. Without the mark of the beast, they face torturous persecution and death; several of their associates have become martyrs. Hiding in a bombed-out (but still posh and technologically enviable) Chicago office building, they depend upon a network of other Christians for food and supplies. The believers' public enemy status doesn't prevent the swashbuckling men among them from performing their usual task of rescuing helpless female believers. Armed only with phony IDs and Bond-like cell phones, they whisk around the world preaching how the Book of Revelation predicted every calamity that has befallen the planet. There are some worthwhile moments here, but the authors" lazy exposition leads to scenes that don't ring true. When a Christian woman is killed by a supernatural lightning bolt and her fianc mourns that "no lightning bolt... could extinguish a love so pure," the sentiment falls flat; their love story has only been told, never shown, and the doomed woman"s character remains undeveloped. Fans who have thrilled to the series' repeated car chases, airplane runway escapes and glitzy technology will find more of the same. Others will earnestly pray for the hastening of the Glorious Appearing, which will bring the series to a close. (Nov. 14) Forecast: Tyndale's phenomenal success with The Indwelling, which debuted at the #1 spot on PW's hardcover fiction bestseller list on June 5, likely will be repeated with The Mark, although sales for the former benefited from a "whodunit" mystery that has no parallel in the new novel. Tyndale has planned a 2.5 million first printing. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
The eighth book of the popular Christian adventure series Left Behind covers the resurrection of the Antichrist, Nicholae Carpathia, and the events surrounding his order that everyone receive the mark of the beast--a tattoo and implanted microchip. Anyone refusing the mark will be guillotined. Frank Muller treats this story like the ripping adventure it is. Each character bears a distinct dialect, and Muller's mastery of various foreign accents outshines even his trademark pacing and tonal variations. Muller's performance is better than any movie. Carpathia is quietly evil, Rayford Steele honestly fights his inner demons, while Hattie finally slays her own. Muller's best portrayal is Leon Fortunato, a totally believable Brooklyn street thug, misguidedly but devotedly following the wrong leader. Muller makes us care about these people and look forward to his performance of the next installment. R.P.L. Winner of AUDIOFILE Earphones Award. © AudioFile 2001, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Idea man LaHaye and writer Jenkins team up once more for the next number in their Christian fiction Left Behind series. Bonnie Smothers
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

FROM OUR EDITORS

In the eighth installment of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's apocalyptic drama of "those left behind" at the Rapture, Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia returns from the dead with a satanic scheme to establish a reign of terror over the earth. With the technological means of domination at his disposal, Carpathia, now worshiped as a god, has instituted a worldwide mandate that all his subjects receive the mark of the beast -- a requirement to buy, sell, or trade in the new global economy. Believers who refuse to take the mark are forced underground -- or become martyrs. The Tribulation Force must race against the clock to outwit Carpathia...or else.

ANNOTATION

The exciting eighth book in the Left Behind series has sold over 2.5 million copies in hardcover and is now available in trade paperback. With over 40 million products sold, the Left Behind series is an international phenomenon.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In the blink of an eye, millions of people on earth have disappeared. The Rapture, predicted centuries ago in the Book of Revelation, has finally happened. Now, the evil one rules the world, and those left behind must make a crucial decision. Each one must choose whether to receive the mark of the beast, or die. Never have faith and courage been more important for the group of believers called the Tribulation Force.

The Left Behind Series has topped best-seller lists across the country, been the subject of special features in national media, and captured the attention of Hollywood producers. With sales in the tens of millions, the Left Behind books have become the biggest selling inspirational series of all time. Now, you can hear all the apocalyptic action voiced by Audie Award-winning narrator Frank Muller in this complete, unabridged production.

SYNOPSIS

In the blink of an eye, millions of people on earth have disappeared. The Rapture, predicted centuries ago in the Book of Revelation, has finally happened. Now, the evil one rules the world, and those left behind must make a crucial decision. Each one must choose whether to receive the mark of the beast, or die. Never have faith and courage been more important for the group of believers called the Tribulation Force.

The Left Behind Series has topped best-seller lists across the country, been the subject of special features in national media, and captured the attention of Hollywood producers. With sales in the tens of millions, the Left Behind books have become the biggest selling inspirational series of all time. Now, you can hear all the apocalyptic action voiced by Audie Award-winning narrator Frank Muller in this complete, unabridged production.


About the Author

Noted scriptural authority Tim LaHaye provides outlines for the vivid Biblical prophecies in the Left Behind series. Best-selling author Jerry B. Jenkins creates the dramatic stories for each fast-paced apocalyptic thriller.


About the Narrator

The Library Journal has called narrator Frank Muller, who has narrated over 150 titles for Recorded Books, ￯﾿ﾽthe first true superstar of spoken audio.￯﾿ﾽ His narration of Pat Conroy￯﾿ﾽs Beach Music won an Audie Award, the audiobook industry equivalent of an Oscar. AudioFile says, ￯﾿ﾽReader Frank Muller is outstanding, providing, in a richly evocative voice, a sense of time and place that matches the book perfectly."

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this eighth installment of the bestselling Left Behind series, Satan has taken full possession of Antichrist Nicolae Carpathia, who demands that all Global Community citizens bow to him in worship and take his mark on their foreheads or right hands. This spells trouble for the members of the Tribulation Force, who have pledged their unswerving allegiance to Christ. Without the mark of the beast, they face torturous persecution and death; several of their associates have become martyrs. Hiding in a bombed-out (but still posh and technologically enviable) Chicago office building, they depend upon a network of other Christians for food and supplies. The believers' public enemy status doesn't prevent the swashbuckling men among them from performing their usual task of rescuing helpless female believers. Armed only with phony IDs and Bond-like cell phones, they whisk around the world preaching how the Book of Revelation predicted every calamity that has befallen the planet. There are some worthwhile moments here, but the authors'' lazy exposition leads to scenes that don't ring true. When a Christian woman is killed by a supernatural lightning bolt and her fianc mourns that "no lightning bolt... could extinguish a love so pure," the sentiment falls flat; their love story has only been told, never shown, and the doomed woman''s character remains undeveloped. Fans who have thrilled to the series' repeated car chases, airplane runway escapes and glitzy technology will find more of the same. Others will earnestly pray for the hastening of the Glorious Appearing, which will bring the series to a close. (Nov. 14) Forecast: Tyndale's phenomenal success with The Indwelling, which debuted at the #1 spot on PW's hardcover fiction bestseller list on June 5, likely will be repeated with The Mark, although sales for the former benefited from a "whodunit" mystery that has no parallel in the new novel. Tyndale has planned a 2.5 million first printing. Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

In The Indwelling, the assassinated Nicolae Carpathia was resurrected after three days to prove his claim to his true believers that he is the returned Christ. But true Christians remember the Bible's warning that the Devil can take many forms. As Nicolae implements his plan to barcode his followers with both a visible tattoo and a hidden biochip, Christians come face to face with his "new" enforcer, the guillotine. Resistance to the Mark is fatal in body, but acceptance will kill the soul. Members of a Christian activist group, the Tribulation Force, start dying, a startling new development that forces David Hassid to abandon his post and leave an untried teenager named Chang Wong in his place. The "Left Behind" series has a heavyhanded approach to Christianity-Mark Mustian's The Return (LJ 4/1/00) offers a more believable End Times foretelling-but it still provides a thrilling "what if" scenario that will be devoured by readers. A necessary purchase for all collections.

AudioFile