In Peter James Iengo’s The Last Prophet —Book One: Genesis, a young college student named Christian has the perfect life: his beautiful girlfriend Jessica loves him; he just celebrated his 21st birthday, and Father Ezio, the priest who raised him, treats him like a son. The only problem is, it’s December of 2012, the apocalypse is imminent, and Christian is—unbeknownst to him at the start of the book—the only human who can save the world from Lucifer and his demonic minions.
Like all books, comic books, and films with similar angels-vs.-demons plots (Hellblazer/Constantine, The Last Legion, The Prophecy, etc.), The Last Prophet has the potential to appeal to an audience that appreciates such things. Its main character is the unassuming everyman that such texts enjoy rewarding with superpowers; its angels are awesome and helpful, always appearing when needed, and all the other main characters have a complicated, centuries-spanning backstory (here, they’re called “The Creed,” a group of warriors dedicated to serving God with flaming weapons and bright silver armor). And yet, The Last Prophet has such severe issues that even the most enthusiastic reader will likely burn out only a few chapters into the slim, 100-page volume.
The biggest problem with The Last Prophet is not its plot; the real issue is the writing. Typos riddle each page, and the misuse of language in particular severely inhibits readability. Lines like “His screech complaints the explosion of energy,” “Lucifer lunches him across the square,” and “Christian takes a deep breath; a smell feels the air similar to burnet tare” are all too common. As a result, it’s difficult to recommend this book, even to fans of the “angels battle with swords for the fate of the world” genre.
Also available as an ebook.
