The Second Sun

The Great and Terrible #3

by Chris Stewart

The old king struggled, lifting his had again. The prince smiled at the motion and placed his mouth to the old man’s ear, feeling the heat of his skin on his lips. As he spoke his voice changed, as if another man were there. “It has started, my father,” he whispered in a soft, evil hiss. “There is no turning back. You might as well lift your hand to stop the sunrise as to bring an end to this plan. Like your own death, it is inevitable. A new day is dawning, a day of secret alliances and powerful men, an age of dark miracles, dreadful rumors and a red sinking moon, a day of a bright flash on the horizon that does not come from the sun. It will be an age of power and oppression far greater than has ever fallen on the earth. Even as I whisper to you, Father, even as my breath touches your ears, the great battle has started. The sun is setting on the frail world you have known. It is passing, and with its passing, the greater kingdom shall come. A world poised at the brink of a disastrous war is unaware of the evil forces that will stop at nothing to achieve their aims. But in the midst of turmoil and impending doom, some of the Father’s most valiant servants are in place – sons and daughters who may have the power to change the course of history. The third volume in The Great and Terrible series, The Second Son, is a fast-paced, thrilling, action-packed story of war and intrigue by nationally bestselling author Chris Stewart.

Genres: Fiction, Lds Fiction, Religion, Lds, Church, Christian Fiction, Fantasy

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 2005

About the author

Chris Stewart is a bestselling author and world-record-setting Air Force pilot whose previous military techno-thrillers have been selected by the Book of the Month Club and published in six different countries. He is the author of the highly acclaimed series The Great and Terrible, as well as A Christmas Bell for Anya, which was performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir during their 2005 Christmas concert. He has also been a guest editorialist for the Detroit News, commenting on matters of military readiness and national security. He is president of The Shipley Group, a nationally recognized consulting and training company and founder of the Utah Renaissance and Leadership Center.

Reviews

[Tovi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is truly crazy!!! This series is about the Last Days. The author is LDS and writes it from that perspective, but was also a fighter pilot and doesn't fill the books with sappy Mormon stories, but truly opens your eyes to what the Last Days may be like and how the battle between good and evil has been an eternal thing. What a great serious that helped me understand my faith more and what purpose and preparation we need in our everyday lives. This book will leave you thinking and maybe slightly scared (scared into action?)

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now we're getting somewhere. This entry in the Great and Terrible series really starts ramping up the action. It's very today, very current, and sadly, very possible. This book made me rush out to buy the fourth one immediately. I keep wanting to know what happens next, and these books have an annoying habit of leaving things hanging. Good business on the author's part, but frustrating for the reader!

[Susie Carson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the first 2 books in this series were just OK. I really wanted to like them, since I had heard so many good things. This one was slightly better, but only because the action picked up around page 200. These are the problesm I have with Stewart's writing (and I fully admit that there are many others who disagree with me): He puts too much military detail in. I have skimmed over many passages describing bombs or jets. There are too many storylines - and not enough time spent on each. The characters I really want to hear about get very little page-time. It seemed to take forever for him to get to the point. Finally at the end of this book we get to see the beginning of Armageddon. I want to know what happens to Azedah, Ammon, Luke and Sam. Everyone else can get cursory descriptions. Maybe I am impatient, and obviously Chris thinks that the villains need more explanation, but I hope the next book continues with the momentum where this one left off, or I will probably not finish the series.

[Peggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the best of the 3 so far because the plot is more interesting/exciting but it seems like the story could be so much shorter without any problem. I feel like I'm laboring through the words to get to the story. But I'll continue to labor through the next volume so that says something for the story. The fact that it's laborious and that I always put it off if I have another book also says something for the writing.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of books 3-6:
This is one long continuous story in these final books. While each book does have a climactic ending, you definitely don't get a feeling of resolution until book 6. Sometimes the author's attention to detail can be maddening and slow the pace. But at the same time, the details are what makes the story rich and believable. I love how he would show angels from both sides working on mortals. I would have preferred more from the Light, but the dark angels give a good picture of how men can behave as they sometimes do, and give insight into our own internal battles.
The political and military battles felt like watching the TV show 24 at times. So intense and yet frighteningly believable (especially in today's world). Definitely recommend if you like entertainment and insight at the same time!

[Makenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m loving this series!!! I can’t wait to read the next one and find out what happens to the characters!!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is amazing. Glad I can pick up #4 and not wait. Can't wait to find out what happens next.

[Dail Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 3. The story is quite compelling.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

The battle for freedom and goodness continues against darkness and evil. I still don't know exactly how I feel about this series, but I want to finish it and see how it all comes together. It does make me think about life's purpose and the importance of standing up and fighting for good and right and remembering who we are.

Satan's lies continue and he deceives and leads many to horrible destruction as they seek for power. I thought this was an interesting quote where Satan calls his army into action, "'Go!' He hissed to his angels. 'They are waking now in this part of the world. I want you waiting for them the moment they open their eyes. Do your work. Say your whispers. You all know what to do (p. 130)!'"

A few other interesting quotes:
Ephesians 6:12, "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world...(p. 19)"

"Remember my final words, for they may be the most important thing I can say. There are times in your life when you feel completely alone, times you feel abandoned, as if there is not a soul in this world who cares about you. But when you feel that way, Azadeh, remember there is another world. There are others watching over you from the other side of the veil. We watch. We listen. And we understand. We never leave your side, Azadeh. Someone is always near, someone who knows you and loves you and wants you to succeed. You are never alone (p. 42)."

"Power could drive a man to do things he would not ordinarily do. It could change him. Distort him. It made him different inside, altered in subtle and yet irreversible ways until he was no longer comfortable in his old world (p. 54)."

"Did a nation truly value its freedom enough to fight for the cause (p. 94)?"

"If you want to help me, you must listen when I speak (p. 179)."

"Will your heart be softened, or will you let it become hard, like a wet stone in your chest, like an ice chip that is too cold to hold? Will you turn bitter--or will you remain happy despite the things you have had to endure (p. 193)?"

"God had led him to the family that had been waiting for him. Once he understood that, it had changed everything (p. 243)."

"Azadeh kept her eyes on the Statue of Liberty, the one symbol of American that was known throughout the world, the one symbol of liberty and justice that could not be clouded in lies (p. 302)."

"I give you this to remind you of who you really are....You were born to be a king. You must prepare. You must be worthy. You will reclaim the kingdom (p. 432)."

"I love it here [at the Washington DC Temple]...It is so peaceful, so still, even in the midst of the storm, so calming, so eternal...We are in the midst of destruction, yet standing here I can remember there is more. More in our lives. More in the eternities. More things we must do (p. 441)."

"'What do we do now?' 'We have hope. We have faith. That is all that we have left. We play our part. We keep walking. We do what God asks us to do....You wake up. You keep praying. You have patience and you wait (p. 442).'"

[Janean · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad I kept reading this series! This book was like reading a season of the TV show 24. I was completely engrossed the whole time and really had a hard time putting this one down.

The story continues as each of the main characters face little struggles of their own to do what is right and follow the spirit as it directs them to do great things. But most of the book is dedicated to the side characters, the various world leaders and how the beginning of the end of this world as we know it starts.

It's amazing to me how fragile our way of life really is and I can absolutely see something like what happens in this story, actually happening in real life. Tomorrow even. It doesn't seem too far off in the future that something like this could happen.

This story has really lit a fire in me to make sure I am prepared both spiritually and physically with food storage, fuel, and other stuff for a major devastating event to come to this country. I am torn to keep reading because I can't wait to see how this whole series ends, but I also know that more horrible things are to come in the telling of the end of Satan's reign on this earth. I truly hope that these events will not happen in my life time!

[Shauna · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an influence Satan can have on our lives. He controls people, adds doubt, manipulates and lies, all to achieve destruction and misery. While he sits in the background and smiles.

This book brings us to World Wars. I was enthralled at the simplicity of the destruction of an individual, and the complexity of destroying nations.

Makes you think!

[John Worthington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really enjoying this series and the insights I am gaining on how Satan and his followers try to influence us. It is also very interesting how "the great ones" can be placed in situations that are very hard and difficult but will make them grow. I was sad (spoiler alert) to see the boys father die. I am ready to read the next book. What an excellent series with good and evil.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes. Scary. An apocalyptic novel that sugar coats nothing. I know the next books in the series will get worse before they get better but I'll keep reading.

[Sydney Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story continues with the main characters Samuel, Luke, Ammon, Elizabeth (Azedah) in their earthly lives. Prince Abudllah is extremely evil and ambitious and is not content with just ruling over his country. He wishes to rule over the entire world, and he will do just about anything to achieve his goal. Samuel was invited to be apart of the most specialized and dangerous military units. Azedah’s father is murdered along with all the young boys in her village due to Abudllah’s attempt to kill the last heir. Samuel’s brothers Luke and Ammon are struggling to prepare for their missions. A nuclear bomb is set in Washington, DC which kills the three boys’ father and almost everyone who lived there.
Chris Stewart’s books really make you think. I personally learned a lot from reading the series. I’ve had to put the book down very often because of how amazed I am. There is much diversity between that characters, which I enjoy very much. The diversity shows extremely different points of view in the story. There are corrupted characters whose thoughts and opinions are shown in the book. Victims of these evil men and women are also shown, along with the characters who are fighting for good. There was a lot of military information that was slightly hard for me to understand, but it other than that, I really loved the book. “There are others watching over you from the other side of the veil. We watch. We listen. And we understand. We never leave your side, Azadeh. Someone is always near, someone who knows you and loves you and wants you to succeed. You are never alone. There is always someone there. Think of that, remember, and it will give you the strength that you need.” I also thought this was a super good book because it is very current and, unfortunately, very possible.
I can find many similarities and connections between me and the text. The biggest connection I think is that it is about the LDS’s Plan of Salvation. The author has the same beliefs and standards as me, as do many of his characters. The author also wrote of things that I was able to understand, religious wise, whereas if someone who did not have the same religious beliefs read Chris Stewart’s books, they would not understand the story very well. For text to text connections, the series relates to The Book of Mormon and the Bible. I believe the series relates to those two particular books because in the series it mentions The Book of Mormon and the Bible and some of it’s stories. The Second Sun relates to the world because there are a lot of war related disasters going on today. Plus, something that terrible, like if a nuclear bomb went off in the U.S, could actually happen. There a evil people in our world like those in the story, people who would do anything for power, people who would risk millions of lives if it meant that they were “better” and wealthier than his or her neighbor.
I would definitely recommend Chris Stewart’s books! I enjoy reading them very much and I’ve learned a lot from his stories.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Volume 3 in The Great and the Terrible series. This was interesting, although it is has some stereotypical ideas and the setting seems a bit tied to the time of it's writing (2005). I definitely wanted to start Volume 4 after finishing this volume. I did get a bit tired of the repetitive discussion of Bono's wife, with her beauty being repeatedly referred to as her main attraction. I felt that was somewhat demeaning and also a bit chauvanistic. Overall, I liked the book, although some of the doctrinal interpretations/theories I don't necessarily agree with.

One quote I found intriguing, that also lends insight into the book is as follows:

"Were some people born with a prediposition to do evil? Did some men's decisions in the premortal world make it practically inevitable that they would come into conflict with God once they arrived here on earth?

"Did some leave their best friends on the other side of the veil, friends who ad followed after Satan and fought against Christ? Did they miss those wicked ones? Was that where their hearts actually lay? Did they yearn for the pleasures those old friendships could bring?

"Did some skirt the boundary even in the premortal world, alwyas looking back, hoping to catch a glimpse of how the other side lived, yearning for the enticements that only the Great Liar could give? Did some watch their best friends, those whom they truly loved, choose to worship Satan and understand why? Were some of these people disappointed when their friends were punished by God? Did some come to earth confuse, even bitter, over the battles that had taken place in the premortal world?

"If the veil were to be lifted, would some of these men run with open arms to join their premortal friends, their seduction coming easy, almost laughably so, because they recognized the hissing voices of those who had known them so well?

"Was that why some human beings were so evil they would do anything?" (pgs 210-211)

I don't know that I agree with all these ideas, but I certainly don't pretend to have all the answers. I have understood that there were no "fence sitters" when it came time to decide who to follow.

[Samuel Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Where Angels fall, the second book in the Great and terrible series by Chris Stewart. It is about a prince who desperately wants to become king, but is not the crown prince. When he meets a man who wants to help him, the man persuades the prince to kill his way to the throne. So throughout the book, the prince is trying kill off all of the crown prince’s family, including the crown prince. When the crown prince learns of this threat, he hides away his family in a remote location out of the country.
I think the theme is to always stay close to your friends, because you never know when they will pass away. In one part, a brother’s younger brother almost dies while they were rock climbing, but didn’t. Another part was when the crown prince’s first wife was assassinated, and the crown prince was devastated. The last part was when an Americans friend was shot down in a helicopter and died. All of the deaths in this book are devastating to almost everyone.
I like that this book was so action packed, and it made me want to keep turning the pages to the end. It made it so I also desperately want to read the next book because it ended on a dead end. It was very descriptive, exciting, and a little over-descriptive at times. On a scale of one to five stars, I give this book a six.

[Judson Smedley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The antagonist are the Iranian government and they are on the move to kill all of the king’s family and trying to destroy the bloodline, the protagonist would be the American government and all the are doing to save the son and the mother. This book is really amazing and an eye opener. It gives me a taste of what other parts of the world are like. And all of the things that go on in the world today. It’s crazy that the world is this corrupt that people would destroy their own countries leader just too make a point or try to make the country better by doing this thing. Like I said before this book is absolutely amazing there are so many things that are going on and it shows you how crazy things are. It’s a good book to open your mind and to think about other people and what is going on in their lives. so, if you don’t have any books that you are currently reading I strongly urge you to read this book it will not disappoint I promise. I really enjoyed it and I hope you do as well if you do end up reading this book

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I mentioned in another review, I am not a fan of LDS fiction but I'm so glad I'm reading this series. It's definitely worth the read and I'm enjoying the books.

As for this book in particular, I enjoyed it for the most part. There were several places where I felt the military lingo/description was too much (probably stemming from the author's time in the military) and I found myself skimming over much of the description of flying, airplanes, etc.

Another problem I have with the book is the death of one particular character. I don't want to give anything away, but this death still doesn't make any sense to me especially in light of everything leading up to his death. I understand that in war, good people die, but it still doesn't make sense to me with this character. Maybe I'll understand more as I read through the rest of the series. Book 4, here I come!

[Fiona Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, the predictions that this author comes up with about the potential future of our country are pretty terrifying. He weaves an intricate story in this third book in the series about a family where the father is a confidant of the President of the United States and the king of Saudi Arabia. Intrigue through many characters create mayhem and chaos and terror. We are taken from a village to a refugee camp and see through the lens of special ops forces who are sent to protect local citizens, but instead are captured as being the agents of death. It’s quite an intricate story and fascinating to hope that this is not our future, but how it feasibly could be. Looking forward to the next book.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, there are some dark spots in these books, but I have been reading these aloud to my family and it has been so good! The kids moan that I stop after one chapter and beg for another. The discussions this book has sparked within our family has been phenomenal. Absolutely love this story line and all the curves it takes.

[Shaury Searle · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Great" concepts "and Terrible" execution. I wanted to love it, I really did! But I could only tolerate it. It was some of the most interesting ideas with the absolute worst writing. I loved his idea of the pre-mortal existence, and following this "family" throughout their mortal journey until present day. However, it was incredibly cheesy writing - almost painful to make it through.

[Emily Horne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still loved this one but I felt like the author bounced too quickly between different characters point of views. It would make it hard to stay engaged at times. I also think some of the details are unneeded. I know the author has a military background so that’s probably why but I would find myself skimming over details to get to the dialogue. Also the father’s death felt so unnecessary.

[M.G. Moody · Rating 5 out of 5]

another good read

Another good read. I’m excited to see what happens to the characters. This book takes place in current times and has a distinct familiar feeling especially with what has happened in the past.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot picks up in this installment, and sets the stage for the rest of the series. Much more excited to finish the series now.

[Swhe641200 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series

[Lisa Reising · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story-telling, enough to overlook the annoying technical points of the writing.

[Jess Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loving this series!! There end was SO sad, but I can't wait until I read the next one.

[Lyndsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading. I liked it.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a suspenseful series! Love it but it's also gut-wrenching!