Book Review: Mercury Rises

By Sandy Amazeen Sep 14, 2011, 18:38 GMT

Jaded religion reporter Christine Temetri and Mercury, a renegade angel, have just thwarted two diabolical plots to destroy the world. But their work isn\'t finished yet: mysterious powers outranking even the Heavenly bureaucracy seem intent on keeping the Apocalypse on track. While the world is plagued by natural disasters and nations prepare for war, crazed billionaire Horace Finch plots to use a secret device hidden beneath the African desert to ...more

Picking up the story immediately after Mercury Falls, this funny, unconventional fantasy finds Christine Temetri, an unemployed reporter trotting off with a relief organization bound for Africa. Still recovering from the catastrophic “Anaheim Event”, Christine wasn’t looking to become involved in another sinister, take-over-the-world plot but thanks to a nutsoid billionaire with way more money then brains, that is exactly what she got. Rooted in ancient Babylon, Tiamat has long desired to seize power and Christine, aided by FBI investigator Jacob Slater and Mercury may be the world’s best chance at thwarting her plans.

After all the angelic if quicksilver Mercury has experienced, he just doesn’t take the potential apocalypse as seriously as he might and little wonder. Over the course of existence, Mercury has had a very long list of assignments so the little matter of averting the end of the world seems like just another job. Having crossed paths with Noah, done construction work on Mesopotamian temples and generally come to the conclusion that job related problems never really change, Mercury is an engaging character and his many adventures are uproariously funny. The main character development is first rate. The supporting cast of assorted demons, archangels and others in their settings of cubicle hell and layers of heavenly bureaucracy along with ample helpings of history and biblical lore make for a thoroughly entertaining read.