Ark of the Apocalypse Review

Ark of the Apocalypse
By Tobin Marks

Earth is dying. Climate change has put cities under contaminated sea water, while once-fertile land has become dry wasteland. Millions are dying from starvation and dehydration every day. Frenemies Russia and the United States compete for global power while working together to defeat attackers from overpopulated and under-resourced countries like China and India.

Is the human race doomed? Is there a path to survival? Is there a vision of what a post-apocalyptic life could become for humans?

Tobin Marks provides a rich, thought-provoking tapestry for speculation in The Ark of the Apocalypse. Climatologists are ignored until it is too late to save civilization. While many maintain the status quo and plow toward annihilation, others work to save mankind. One family has psychic capabilities for astral projection and seeing visions of the future and manipulating those with shorter-term viewpoints in the name of the survival of humanity.

Speaking of humanity, do we still believe there is other life among the stars? Were humans a random combination of atoms, or was there a creator building a being whose existence was planned to fulfill a higher being’s design?

This book is not a quick read or a chance to chill out for a weekend. The packed storytelling requires commitment to understanding the players and details, so I often turned back several pages to reread significant passages. The payoff is strong, watching how Marks builds and executes his carefully designed plan.

The book is to be savored, not skimmed. It’s loaded with fascinating characters, some of whom made me laugh or want to reach into the pages to strangle them for their ridiculous behavior. It’s enjoyable to envision the detailed settings, even the darkest and starkest ones. I’ve included a short list of the questions provoked by the story that doesn’t even include the many morality challenges that arise. 

This book belongs on the must read list for worldbuilding fans, as it explores the destruction stage for one planet and the structures used to attempt long-term survival of the human race.

This book is the first in the Magellan II series. I’m looking forward to seeing how the series develops, because Marks has left plenty of options on where the story could be expanded. I’m not sure what route he’ll choose, but I can’t wait to find out.

Ark of the Apocalypse made me think. It challenged me to consider deep questions while reading the book. Now that I’ve finished reading it, I can’t get it out of my mind.

And I don’t want to.

Thanks to BlackThorn Tours for providing me with an Advance Reader Copy.