Millennium Rising

by Jane Jensen

Sacred texts around the world warn of the terrifying signs and wonders that will foretell the end of the world. For thousands of years, the prophets have always proved false. Until now…

Shortly after the change of the Millennium, in a tiny Mexican village, people of different faiths are flocking to Santa Pelagia from all over the planet to witness a miraculous visitation. Among them are twenty-four who experience something more personal: a messenger clothed in the raiments of his or her own beliefs—the Virgin Mary, an angel of Islam, the Hindu goddess Kali. And each is given the same terrifying message: the Day of Judgment is at hand.

The Vatican sends Father Michele Deauchez to investigate. And Deauchez, caught up in the incredible experience, watches his palms run red with blood from the wounds of the stigmata. Yet, as a man of reason, a man deeply scarred by his own experience of the supernatural, he cannot—will not—believe.

Simon Hill is an investigator of a different stripe. A top reporter for the New York Times, Hill has a nose for news—and Santa Pelagia smells like Pulitzer material. Especially when the portents foretold in the Book of Revelations—and now by the witnesses of Santa Pelagia, the so-called Twenty-Four—begin to come true.

As Deauchez and Hill search ever deeper for the truth—penetrating the holiest councils of the Vatican, the boardrooms of powerful multinational corporations, and the highest reaches of the U.S. government and military—they begin to wonder: Is this phenomenon a case of mass hysteria…a devious, far-reaching plot…or has God truly spoken?

This gripping novel vaults Jane Jensen into the front rank of suspense writers. A brilliant blend of ancient prophecy and vivid, complex characters, Millennium Rising is a terrifying, chillingly plausible thriller that will cling to you like a cold sweat and forever haunt your dreams.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Literary Fiction, Irish Literature, Criticism

448 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Jane Jensen is the game designer of the popular and critically acclaimed Gabriel Knight adventure games and author of the novels Judgement Day and Dante's Equation.
Jane Jensen was born Jane Elizabeth Smith, the youngest of seven children. She received a BA in Computer Science from Anderson University in Indiana and worked as a systems programmer for Hewlett-Packard. Her love of both computers and creative writing eventually led her to the computer gaming industry and Sierra Online where she worked as a writer on Police Quest III: The Kindred and EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus. After co-designing King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow with veteran game designer Roberta Williams, Jensen designed her first solo game: Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, which was released in 1993. The dark, supernatural mystery was a departure for Sierra but the game was enthusiastically received, with the strength of Jensen's writing, along with the game's horror and gothic sensibilities coming in for particular praise from the gaming press and earning the title Computer Gaming World's "Adventure Game of the Year" title.
Jensen followed up Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers with two sequels: The Beast Within: A Gabriel Knight Mystery in 1995 and Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned in 1999. Somewhat unusually for an adventure game series, each Gabriel Knight title was produced in an entirely different format to the others. Whereas the original was a traditional 2D animated game, the sequels were realised through full motion video and a custom built 3D engine, respectively. Despite further acclaim for Jensen's design in both cases (The Beast Within was Computer Gaming World's "Game of the Year"), the large expenses associated with making the sequels, coupled with the declining marketability of adventure games (especially within Sierra) meant that a fourth in the series was not commissioned.
In 1996, Jensen published a novelization of the first Gabriel Knight game. A second Gabriel Knight novelization followed in 1998. In 1999, Jensen published her first non-adapted novel, Millennium Rising (later retitled Judgment Day). Her fourth book, Dante's Equation was published in 2003. Dante's Equation was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
Jensen has been involved in designing casual online games at Oberon Media, of which she is a co-founder. Her work in the Hidden Object/light adventure category can partially be credited with moving casual games in the direction of full adventure games in puzzle and story sophistication. Some of her more notable recent hits include Deadtime Stories (2009) and Dying for Daylight (2010). After leaving Oberon in 2011, she briefly worked at Zynga.
Jensen's most recent full adventure game was called Gray Matter, which was developed by Wizarbox and published by dtp entertainment in 2010. On April 2, 2008 the game, originally intended to be developed by Hungarian software house Tonuzaba, switched to another developer, French company Wizarbox: as a result, the tentative release was changed and shifted to 2010.
Jane Jensen owns a farm in Pennsylvania where she lives with her husband, composer Robert Holmes, who composed the music for the Gabriel Knight series and for Gray Matter. On April 5, 2012, the couple announced the formation of Pinkerton Road, a new game development studio to be headquartered on their Lancaster, Pennsylvania farm. The studio will use a Community Supported Gaming (CSG) model to give subscribers direct access to the games they produce, similar to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) where small farms provide consumers with regular produce deliveries. With this announcement, a Kickstarter campaign was launched to raise funds for the studio's first year of game development.
Jensen is also a story consultant on Phoenix Online Studios' adventure game Cognition: An Erica Reed Thriller.

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing end-of-the-world story-telling from a relatively unknown writer. Ok, so it's arguably not as "spiritual" as, say, the Left Behind series, but it's at least ten times better in every other respect--plus, it covers the entire apocalypse in a single volume. Feels like a cross between Michael Crichton and Umberto Eco. It's not perfect--it's a tad too long, and the ending is a little weak--but Jane Jensen delivers here one of the most ambitious, assured debut novels I've ever read. Ok, maybe it's not technically her "debut novel," but since the only other things she'd previously written were a couple of video game adaptations (she was the creator of the popular Gabriel Knight computer game series)I feel the term "debut" rings true enough. It starts out a little slow, so impatient readers beware. But I couldn't put it down after a couple hundred pages or so. If life were fair, I think this book would be stealing a lot of the hype from writers like Dan Brown. This is take-no-prisoners fiction with a wide range of unique, evolving charaters and lots of unexpected surprises.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Father Deauchez and reporter Simon Hill investigate what appears to be a miracle but may be the beginning of the end of the world.

4.5 stars: This re-read surprised me by being just as good as I nostalgically remembered from years ago. I'm a fan of apocalyptic books and this one fulfilled that urge but it also is a clever thriller with twists and hidden turns that kept me reading for hours. Is all this the coming of the apocalypse? God's wrath? Or something else?

Excellent! I'm going to seek out more books by Jane Jensen.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first introduction to the writings of Jane Jensen were as the Gabriel Knight computer games (Sins of the Fathers, The Beast Within and Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned) which both my wife and I are quite fond of and are well written and paced games.

Due to my interest in these games and their author, by surfing the internet to see if a 4th game was forthcoming, I came across the notion that she had written stand alone books of which this is one.

The overall premise of this book is that several world religious leaders all attend a 'prophetic' event in Central America and each goes on their way to change the world. Shortly after their pronouncements from "God" (whichever incarnation they individually saw) the events of the Apocalypse as written in Revelations begin to occur. The two protagonists of the book are a Catholic Priest from the Vatican and a reporter for the New York Times. And the book follows their investigation of the 'events and their meanings'.

This book has a very good overall concept however the manner in which it concludes is rather wanting. The biggest issue being that the author seems to be setting the audience up on a 'journey of discovery' but about half way through the journey she seems to abandon it and continues to just conclude the tale. I am uncertain as to whether this is due to the fact that a) the author didn't feel she could effectively conclude the discovery, b) that she was afraid to alienate a portion of her audience or c) if the editor didn't want to have bad press/sales because of the leanings of the author (she was brought up the daughter of a fundamentalist Christian minister).

Also I happened to be reading this book during a very difficult time, as my father had recently passed away and I was having a crisis of faith (perhaps not the best time to read a book of the Apocalypse).

I would recommend this book to those that are fans of the genre or of Jane Jensen, but I would throw in a caveat of not to expect too much.

[Robert (NurseBob) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A techno-psycho-theological thriller that starts out strong enough as a skeptical Catholic priest begins to have doubts after signs of The Apocalypse start manifesting themselves around the globe...manifestations whose origins may or may not be divine. Jensen's characters are clearly drawn and the action flows smoothly with very few snags---even with its credibility stretches (it's an "end-of-the-world thriller" after all) it had me hooked. She also did her homework, drawing upon prophecies from various creeds, native mythology, Nostradamus, and 19th century spiritualists. And then she loses it all in the last 50 pages when she gives readers a finale dripping with pseudo-spiritual claptrap and a moral/ethical hypocrisy so glaring it burned my eyes---one can't help but question where she is coming from when you start to see a pattern to the destruction. So what is it? A high-handed "cautionary tale" aimed at our wasteful lifestyle? Or a jet black satire on environmentalism run amok (introducing us to some of the foulest, most revolting psychopaths in contemporary literature)? Fans of Dan Brown might enjoy the conspiracy theory angle but I closed the book feeling as if I had been conned.

[Malena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toda vez que me senté a leer este libro pensé que invertía muy bien mi tiempo.
Las personalidades y movimientos de cada personaje son atrapantes, están muy bien escritos, en especial porque puede sentirse la diferente ansiedad de cada uno por un reloj que corre contra la vida de todos: el apocalipsis, igual al descrito por La Biblia.
Ante la advertencia de señales apocalípticas, los creyentes de todo el mundo se conglomeran para esperar el fin de la humanidad y lamentarse del poco futuro que les queda, mientras que los personajes buscan pistas porque "todo parece muy extraño".
El poder que se encuentra en las sombras juega a ser Dios, y bajo la prerrogativa del Ente Supremo, somete a una sociedad en el caos para aniquilarla y establecer un nuevo régimen.
Creo que es una buena lectura para reflexionar post COVID19, en razón de que el libro habla en ciertos momentos sobre la función de la salud mundial y los intereses de las grandes corporaciones.

[Guille · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una obra de suspense donde el autor juega con la idea de que es posible que el fin del mundo haya llegado.

Recuerdo haber tenido la sensación angustiosa de que alguna de esas profecías se estaban cumpliendo.
Es una novela entretenida de suspense y algo de terror religioso, si te asusta el fin del mundo claro.
Me gustó.

[Micaela Torres · Rating 5 out of 5]

No le tenía nada de fé al libro pero me atrapó de inicio a fin. Aún siendo atea desde temprana edad me pareció muy interesante como aborda la espiritualidad y lo mezcla con las conspiraciones dando pie a que cada quien tome las conclusiones que se adapten mejor a su credo.
Si sos un lector de exterior como yo te recomiendo leerlo en el celular porque es muy incómodo de transportar por su tamaño.

[Terry Polston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Apocalyptic story. It's evident early on that it is man made. The characters are well developed. Reading this during unusually high temperatures, drought, and fires made the story very vivid

[Arian Stoetzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page turning thriller with incredibly high stakes and ambition.

[Lisa Lilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite not being religious, or perhaps because of it, I'm intrigued by thrillers with an end-of-the-world bent. Here, thousands of people gather in Mexico. A small group of them -- each from different walks of life and religious (or non-religious) backgrounds -- claims to have been instructed by differing messengers to travel to Mexico to receive visions or experience miracles. Afterward, each predicts certain apocalyptic events that come to pass. Father Michele Deauchez, on assignment from the Vatican, struggles to understand why the visions and later events occur. He views religious visions, supposed miracles and stigmata as resulting from a combination of superstition and psychological issues. But even he can't write off the plagues and catastrophes the prophets foresaw as coincidence. Along with reporter Simon Hill, Deauchez attempts to uncover the truth about what's happening in Mexico and the world. And the closer Hill and Deauchez get to the truth, the less likely they are to survive.

What I enjoyed most about this thriller is that I never knew quite where the book was heading or what the author's own philosphy was about the various views of the prophets. Throughout most of the book, I struggled along with Deauchez to decide whether the source of the events was divine or human and, regardless, the meaning or likely outcome. The contrasting approaches taken by the prophets, who range from Catholic to Indian to New Age to Born Again, provided good commentary on the role of religion in our culture and on people's need for meaning. I empathized with Deauchez as he learned not only about the cataclysmic events around him but also about the failings of his superiors. His struggles are both external and internal and he is a well-drawn, three-dimensional character.

Most of the prophets are a bit one-note. At the same time, I felt the scenes showing them became repetitive. For that reason, the pacing stuck me as a bit slow. To be fair, though, I read this book while recovering from surgery, and I could only read about 6 pages at a time before I got tired. Perhaps if I had read it when well I would have sped through and called it a page turner.

It's hard to say much about the resolution without spoiling the story. So I'll add only that the explanation for the visions and plagues was inventive but I didn't find it quite plausible.

I've rated this 3 stars rather than 4 or 5 because the premise grabbed me and I expected to love it. Instead, I only liked it. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys thrillers, particularly with a religious or psychological aspect.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this book with an expectation of 'an end-of-the-world' scenario with suspense and a solid plot. This novel is a better attempt but it has several lapses in keeping up the suspense and trying to add too much. At one point, biblical prophecies,secret societies, religious organization-engineered plots, aliens, political power plays, economic, natural, and social upheaval are all thrown into the mix. All this confuses one and makes one stop reading to try and find out the direction of the novel. It is a a decent read but it takes close to 150 pages for the reader to get where this may be going. Even then, I was not satisfied. The plot and feel of the book is best summarized by a main character, Father Deauchez' statement: "You fear massive death and destruction, so you cause massive death and destruction!" In this case, add confusion.

[Keith Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Could someone actually fake the apocalypse, and could they have a good reason to try? A young Italian priest is sent by the Vatican to Mexico to investigate a Marian apparition and becomes involved with a diverse group of religious visionaries from around the world who are all prophesying the immanent end of the world.

[Charleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the kind of large-scale, high-stakes story that I love to read, and Jensen executes it beautifully. It is a fusion of faith, philosophy, politics, all blended together in an extremely intense novel. I love that it doesn't shy away from where it's going, and really makes you think. A must-read for any thriller fan.

[Dianne Gothly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everybody needs to read this book. it's so amazing how Jane Jensen write and create a big story with many beliefs. you can't stop to read and the most important, how 15 years ago was published a book with many things that are happening just right now. it's like read to Orwell, Huxley...

[Jenna Raytor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of THE BEST books I have ever read. Kept me wanting to turn every page! I've recommended this to a lot of people. Scary, thriller, nerve-wracking...it has everything that a reader could want in a book and has no slow downs. This book starts at page 1

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather enjoyed this novel in spite of its silliness. I especially enjoyed the information on how the Vatican goes about investigating cases of stigmata and visitations from Mary.

[Athena · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW! This one had me practically running out and stocking up on food and provisions, just in case. Then the plot thickened and it was good! This one will make you think, for sure!

[Shaunalyn Disney · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s the apocalypse! or an elaborate diabolical conspiracy? Either way it’s a dark commentary on modern times and revisionist history.

[Tina · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried 3 times to get into this book, and I just couldn't. I enjoyed her book "Dante's Equation" but this one had too many threads that just didn't connect quickly enough.

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Add this to your wish list if you enjoy "end of the world" books. All the signs are there. Is it time for the world to end or is it just mass hysteria? A perfect beach read.

[Joan Horkey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Horrifying, suspenseful, and emotional. I was riveted by Jane Jensen's spectacular story of the end of the world.

[AE · Rating 4 out of 5]

aka Millenium Rising

[Karen Puerchambud · Rating 4 out of 5]

El padre Deauchez busca desenmascarar "el fin del mundo" para lo cual deberá sufrir la pérdida de otros y cambiar sus planes.

[Joshua · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. It wasn't your average apocalyptic novel. I found much of what I used to believe about the world.

[SittieCates · Rating 5 out of 5]

A page-turner! Such a wonderful read! I loved it!