Even though he’s gained magical powers and already saved the world once from the Horsemen of the Apocalypse (in the first volume of this series), Alex Wise doesn’t feel like a superhero. In fact, he feels like a failure, since the apocalypse shows no sign of slowing down and everyone seems to be looking to him for answers. On top of that, his sister Mags is pulling away from him and growing closer to their stepbrother, and even Alex’s new empathic powers can’t seem to get through to her.
When the Horsemen move to start the next phase in their reign of devastation, however, it’s up to Alex, along with his best friend Lauren, demigod Liam (Alex’s crush); and Mags to try and stop them, even if that means sneaking into a ghost town and battling a giant dragon outside of Las Vegas. There’s action aplenty here for readers who crave that, but the real appeal is the likable queer, Black protagonist who’s learning to cope with failure as well as triumph, to balance his own feelings and those of others, and to continue his journey towards self-confidence and self-love.
The vast majority of the other main characters are Black, too, and many are queer. In addition to Alex and Liam, the god who lives consensually in Alex’s head is nonbinary, and we meet two new characters, a bisexual man and a nonbinary adult. From the previous book, we know that Loren is bisexual or pansexual as well, although that isn’t mentioned in this volume. One chapter, too, is titled, “Four Drag Queens of the Apocalypse,” which really tells you everything you need to know about the book’s queer inclusion and the sense of humor that author Terry J. Benton-Walker infuses throughout, balancing the grimness of the apocalypse with a little levity.
Benton-Walker also weaves in some glimpses of real-life Black history, such as the primarily Black towns that were deliberately flooded by the government, but avoids making the entire book into a history lesson. Instead, it’s a gripping adventure, but one informed by historical events and contemporary issues that feel relevant and authentic to the characters. Underpinning the whole is a thoughtful look at what it means to be a hero—and simply human.
The story ends on a cliffhanger, but since that means there will be another volume of this recommended series, I won’t complain.
