CHILDREN OF THE EARTH

The buildup to and final culmination of prophecies from End Times (2014).

Three months have passed since the death of Janie’s baby, and in the time between novels, the townspeople have changed their minds about Daphne and now believe her a prophet—she’s attracting religious newcomers who want to participate in the final battle. But Daphne is keeping bits and pieces of her visions from them, just as she’s keeping her relationship with Owen a secret. The secrets are connected: Daphne doesn’t know what to make of visions of Owen with his fellow Children of the Earth reaping destruction and death. Meanwhile, Children of the Earth leader Luna finishes assembling her flock and shifts gears, hoping to lure Owen back by any means, as he is necessary to her single-minded goals. In less-mystical subplots, Janie’s grief and loneliness become overwhelming as she’s isolated in her in-laws’ partially built chateau, while her father-in-law recklessly attempts to steal the oil right out from under her father. The plot suffers from logical hiccups—baffling depictions of police work notable among these—but the characters’ emotional lives are rich and believable. With each character’s moves, the showdown and solution’s inevitability become clearer.

A sequel that fulfills its predecessor’s promises.