ASCENSION

In Gordon’s right-leaning fantasy/adventure, set during a crisis-wracked 21st century, the Order, an ancient, malevolent secret society, wants to rule Earth.

Gordon opens the Kingdoms of the Cults series with a time-hopping narrative, largely set in the opening decades of a troubled 21st century. A U.K. journalist in the 2030s—who’s looking for dirt on controversial scientist/tycoon Tyre Ahab—is slain by an otherworldly hit man. Flashbacks reveal this is only the latest crime by the Order, a society operating behind the curtains of history since biblical times. Working toward world domination, the Order spawns alarmist pandemics and climate change panics; implements wide surveillance and microchip implants; slants the media and corrupts governments; promotes gender fluidity and lack of personal responsibility; peddles toxic technologies and ineffective medicine; and ceaselessly fights Christianity, the philosophy most detrimental to its goals. Tyre Ahab is a brilliant college student who accepts the Order’s Mephistophelean bargain to gain riches, power, even physical/mental/supernatural enhancement so he may be hailed as a messiah figure. Once Tyre gains these powers, he’ll reign during the Order’s, well, New World Order (Aaron Temple, a fallen Episcopal priest, makes his own pact to become a famous atheist influencer, effectively serving the John the Baptist role for Tyre). Although the storyline stutter-steps back and forth years with every chapter, fans of Christian-oriented apocalyptic fiction should find the action easy to follow and compellingly told, with outright callouts of angels and demons kept to a minimum. Gordon’s real skill is a diabolical ability to make the Order’s temptations and voice seem appealing. Many readers, however, will be put off by anti-nonbinary and anti–abortion rights sentiments. Much remains unresolved by the end, but one need not be a prophet to foresee much paranoia and unease in upcoming volumes.

Well-constructed, conspiracy-laden Christian apocalyptic fiction.