cover image Darkening Skies: Judgment of Ice

Darkening Skies: Judgment of Ice

Jerry B. Jenkins, Tim LaHaye. Tyndale House Publishers, $5.99 (176pp) ISBN 978-0-8423-4312-1

In the versions of the adult Left Behind series, those ""left behind"" when the true believers disappear in the Rapture include four teenagers who then find Christ. Jenkins and LaHaye know how to maintain suspense. They deftly cross-cut scenes and roll the action at a Gary Paulsen-like pace. While readers don't have to share the characters' faith to enjoy these page-turners, the appeal is definitely not universal. The ""stadium"" in Terror is Teddy Kollek Stadium in Jerusalem, overflowing with ""witnesses"" eager to hear an influential rabbi extol Jesus and ""the triune God."" An Arab helps the good guys, not because she's found Christ but because she wants vengeance against the bad guys (these include Nicolae Carpathia, potentate of the Global Community, and Peter the Second, head of the Enigma Babylon One World Faith. By Skies the story line has reached Revelation 8:12, and the sun, moon and stars lose one-third of their light. Will the kids holed up in a remote schoolhouse be able to power their generator? And how many people will they save? With series sales topping 7.7 million copies, it doesn't take series prophets Eli and Moishe to predict a ready audience for these new titles. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)