Overview
December 21, 2012: The fabled Feathered Serpent begins his relentless ascent out of the bowels of the earth, escaping thousands of years of torturous confinement. Controversial astrobiologist and archaeologist Caden Montez—who believes Teotihuacan is the best site on earth to find alien life forms, such as the Serpent—is on his trail. While exploring this so-called “City of the Gods”—a place so eerie it terrified even the most ferocious Aztecs—she discovers that the Serpent has broken free.
Ancient Mayan priests prophesied that when the God-King returned, he would open the gates to the End Time. Together with an ancient 1000-year-old Mayan warrior—who has crossed the Gulf of Time to save humanity from extinction—the outrageous and beautiful Caden must stop him. Scientists, political leaders, and journalists who have long ridiculed Caden’s theories have no one else to turn to. The Mayans’ Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse is on the move, and humanity’s survival hangs in the balance.
Synopsis
December 21, 2012: The fabled Feathered Serpent begins his relentless ascent out of the bowels of the earth, escaping thousands of years of torturous confinement. Controversial astrobiologist and archaeologist Caden Montez—who believes Teotihuacan is the best site on earth to find alien life forms, such as the Serpent—is on his trail. While exploring this so-called “City of the Gods”—a place so eerie it terrified even the most ferocious Aztecs—she discovers that the Serpent has broken free.
Ancient Mayan priests prophesied that when the God-King returned, he would open the gates to the End Time. Together with an ancient 1000-year-old Mayan warrior—who has crossed the Gulf of Time to save humanity from extinction—the outrageous and beautiful Caden must stop him. Scientists, political leaders, and journalists who have long ridiculed Caden’s theories have no one else to turn to. The Mayans’ Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse is on the move, and humanity’s survival hangs in the balance.
Publishers Weekly
Podrug (Dark Passage) jumps on the 2012 apocalyptic bandwagon with this flimsy thriller. An eruption of methane in the Gulf of Mexico leads to a collapse of civilization throughout the Americas, though pockets of high tech still exist. As the United States goes to war with Canada, astrobiologist Caden Montez, former CIA chief Allen Holt, and ancient ballplayer Tah Heen are brought together to stop a threat to the world’s water supply. Podrug throws in numerous new age ideas, conspiracy theories, time travel, and were-jaguars, shifting the action among first-century Mexico, ancient Vietnam, and near-future Las Vegas in a mishmash that never really holds together. The style is light and breezy, making this tale of global panic more of a mindless diversion. (Mar.)
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Podrug (Dark Passage) jumps on the 2012 apocalyptic bandwagon with this flimsy thriller. An eruption of methane in the Gulf of Mexico leads to a collapse of civilization throughout the Americas, though pockets of high tech still exist. As the United States goes to war with Canada, astrobiologist Caden Montez, former CIA chief Allen Holt, and ancient ballplayer Tah Heen are brought together to stop a threat to the world’s water supply. Podrug throws in numerous new age ideas, conspiracy theories, time travel, and were-jaguars, shifting the action among first-century Mexico, ancient Vietnam, and near-future Las Vegas in a mishmash that never really holds together. The style is light and breezy, making this tale of global panic more of a mindless diversion. (Mar.)From the Publisher
"Podrug’s novels tend to lean heavily on outlandish premises tinged with mysticism, whether they involve searching for lost Tibetan treasure (Frost of Heaven, 2000) or time-traveling back to New Testament Galilee (Dark Passage, 2004). His latest follows suit, revolving as it does around the notion of Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl awakening in 2012 from a long slumber in an apocalyptically bad mood. When archaeologist Caden Montez visits the Mesoamerican ruins of Teotihuacán, the supposed Mayan doomsday of December 21, 2012, has passed uneventfully, except for an inexplicable fish die-off in the Gulf. Then, in rapid succession, Caden is kidnapped by Mexicans wishing to sacrifice her, drugged by government agents, and rescued by a cult of alien abductees. Her biggest surprise, however, comes when her path intersects that of an ancient Mexican Indian ballplayer, mysteriously transported to the modern day. Podrug’s new yarn may get lost in the glut of 2012-themed novels and movies now flooding the marketplace, but it’s a worthy addition to the subgenre, if only for its fascinating peek at ancient Mesoamerican culture." —Booklist"A riveting, beautifully researched story about the mysteries of 2012, and the eerie journey mankind is taking through space and time. There are nine levels of hell...or are there more? Read Feathered Serpent 2012 and find out. But watch your back."—Whitley Strieber, New York Times bestselling author of 2012
"Fascinating, hypnotic, frightening...this swift-reading novel displays more imagination and vivid imagery than a studio full of special-effects experts. High performance, high standards, and a high old time for the fans of Junius Podrug."—Ralph Peters, New York Times bestselling author of Looking For Trouble
"The Mayan God-King is tunneling out of his underground tomb. Madder than a hornet, he’s coming after . . . us! This one frayed my nerves, fried my hair and had me up all night!"—David Hagberg, New York Times bestselling author of The Expediter
"The bad news is the 2012 Feathered Serpent is back, and he’s hell on earth. The good news is Junius Podrug has written a helluva novel about him. Guaranteed to rock your socks and shake your soul, Feathered Serpent 2012 is the ultimate 2012 thriller!" —William Birnes, star of TV’s hit series, The UFO Hunters, and the New York Times bestselling co-author of George Noory’s Worker in the Light"If the coming apocalypse has got you worried, you'd better avoid Junius Podrug, the Prophet of Armageddon. Podrug makes St. John sound hopelessly optimistic."—Stephen Coonts, New York Times bestselling author of The Assassin