When objects fall to Earth from space, it’s probably best to avoid getting too close to them. In The Hourglass and the Darkness, a pre-Flood high-tech past begins playing havoc with the present, and events may even lead to the beginning of the biblical end times. Kyle L. Elliott’s book posits a world before the great Flood, where spiritual power was combined with something like computer technology. This convergence has even created an artificial intelligence. Now, after a few thousand years, the AI is thinking on her own and wonders if there is something better than her programming. Meanwhile in the present day, human curiosity and spiritual forces are hastening potentially apocalyptic events. The Hourglass and the Darkness sparks a stellar start to what promises to be an intriguing series.

Best for: Older readers.

Discern: Quite a bit of alcohol consumed in the story’s modern sections.