Reviewed by J. J. Hanna, a Professional Writing Major at Taylor University.

Introduction

Title: The Assault (Harbingers cycle two)

Author: Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, Alton Gansky

Publisher: Bethany House

Publication Date: 2017

Format: Print Book

Length: 355 pages

OVERVIEW

Picking up where cycle one, Invitation, left off, Bill Myers sends the team to Rome. Professor McKinney, Brenda Barnick and her adopted son Daniel, Bjorn “Tank” Christenson, and Andi Goldstein find themselves in the midst of danger unlike anything on this planet. Animals have been dying without cause, and now the investigators  have a clue—a scroll the Vatican was very interested in. But it’s hard to know who to trust when taxi drivers take you where you need to go, rather than asking for your preferred destination.

A few months after their trip to Rome, author Frank Peretti brings the team to Florida, where fish and birds have been dying again by no obvious means. But it’s not the deaths that gathered them all: it’s Andi. She’d been hospitalized because she was seeing things and hearing voices. A search for the cause of Andi’s ailment leads the team to floating orbs, near-death experiences, and an organization called The Gate.

Angela Hunt picks up the story a few days after the resolution of Peretti’s novella and deals with the aftermath. For once, the team has a chance to study the circumstances and learn how to get one step ahead of The Gate and its plans for world domination. But can they truly learn as much as they need to if Andi continues to struggle with the effects of the death and destruction around her? As she studies the orb they collected in their previous encounter, she also spends time with a therapist, trying to get back to her normal self. Unfortunately, the orb she’s been studying hasn’t been dormant, and the situation promptly escalates.

Finally, writer Alton Gansky brings this collection to a close by taking the team to a fancy retirement party in California. Their purpose there soon becomes apparent as fog fills the streets and monstrous creatures prey on the lives of those unlucky enough to be at ground level. The team must race against the fog to find its connection to The Gate before the creatures reach the fiftieth floor of the building. It’s aa nail-biter right to the end.

ASSESSMENT

Rating (1 to 5)

5 stars

Suggested Audience

Readers who enjoy supernatural thrillers would enjoy this book. There are a few graphic scenes and descriptions of creatures and monsters; however, there is always hope in the face of adversity.

Christian Impact

This book offers multiple opinions. Brenda can occasionally predict the future through art. Tank can occasionally heal through God’s power. Andi is an amazing analyst who can see patterns and connections where most people wouldn’t see anything. The professor is an “atheist, ex-priest ruled by logic.” This opens the way for discussions of the Bible and the Gospel message; however, it also leans into seemingly supernatural powers and abilities some Christians may struggle with.

Other Notes: The Harbingers series is designed almost like a TV show. Each author writes from one character’s point of view, and each novella both has its own story arch and fits into a larger story arch of the whole series.

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