""Walt recognized the darkness that was surrounding them…. The darkest evil.""

Walthner “Walt” Walls is a college student at Credence University, located on the island of Ai. Walt is known for his Bible knowledge as well as his preference for corny witticism. Despite outward appearances, Walt experiences nocturnal torment via a recurring and vivid dream that leaves him screaming and thrashing himself awake. He relates his vision of carnage to his roommate, Dean, but the conversation can’t blot out the images. Walt’s nightmare begins to come into focus after the visit of a guest speaker to the university turns surreal with the presentation's controversial content. Walt is told about a book that will prove eye-opening, yet he is not truly prepared for its revelations. There is an unspeakable evil being perpetrated in the world, and a large concentration of wrongdoing is occurring in and around Credence University and the island of Ai. 

As a protagonist, Walt is intelligent but can be clueless. He is a romantic yet also old-fashioned in his thinking. While Walt and most of his friends represent the good of humanity, the villains represent evil incarnate as they act with malice and impunity. The mesmerizing narrative combines drama, suspense, and historical innuendo, enriching this conspiracy thriller. While the book has many biblical references and the Bible’s often cryptic nature, the story goes deeper and darker than a Dan Brown thriller. The topic of ritualistic abuse is explored, and while the story is fictional, the parallels to real-life anecdotes can’t be ignored. This book is meant to jar the reader’s senses and make them think, and it succeeds on both counts. 

book review by Philip Zozzaro

RECOMMENDED by the US Review