The Assault by Bill Myers, Frank Peretti, Angela Hunt, and Alton Gansky
JD's rating: 4 of 5 bookmarks

The Assault is the second cycle (collection of novellas) in the Harbingers series. Be sure to read Cycle One: Invitation before this one. This volume contains "The Revealing" by Bill Myers, "Infestation" by Frank Peretti, "Infiltration" by Angela Hunt, and "The Fog" by Alton Gansky. This review will be a bit different from my normal ones due to the unique nature of this series. While each novella does have certain elements which are tied up at the end, there is very much a huge overarching storyline that builds upon each previous novella. So as not to spoil anything, this review will be intentionally vague on details.

Building on the events of the previous volume Brenda, Dr. McKinney, Andi, and Tank find themselves in even more crazy and weird situations than before. I really love getting to know these characters and all their eccentricities. As each novella is told from one of the four's perspective, you really begin to care about them as you follow their adventurous travels. They are all well-developed characters that almost seem like old friends when you finish the book.

And speaking of their adventures: Wow! What a wild ride! From Rome to Florida to San Diego, the team is on a roller coaster of nonstop action. The story in Rome was one of my favorites thus far as I have for many years been fascinated by the catacombs and The Appian Way in Italy. And when you throw in a quest for a supposed "holy" relic, it's a fantastic story in every sense of the word. I also love the city of San Diego, California and having vacationed there on multiple occasions, I loved that I could envision the downtown area where the events in "The Fog" took place.

All four of these authors did a fantastic job of continuing this gripping saga in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I am really enjoying this series and can tell it's going to be a favorite. The only downside to Cycle Two is that it felt a little less cohesive across the four novellas than Cycle One did. It felt just a tad disjointed to me; ergo the minus 1 on the rating. And in terms of content: for those who are sensitive to death and descriptions of gore, both "Infestation" and "The Fog" have some fairly vivid descriptions of both, the latter story especially.




J.D. Sutter is the producer and host of the Bookworm Banquet podcast and editor of the blog. He is the founder of Porchlight Family Media.










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