Status Updates From The Vanished Ones

I expect to finish this Wednesday. It's taken me longer than I hoped, but maybe on my next book I can get into a more consistent reading rhythm. I'm always happier in general when I prioritize the thoughtful consumption of art.

I'm skeptical, but there remains more than a hundred pages for Chad Lucas to restore subtlety to his story and tap the brakes on the one-note pandering.

Chad Lucas has the literary chops to deepen a mystery.

"But the fact is, truth always faces opposition, and it is much easier to surrender to doubt than to stand firm in faith. And once you surrender to doubt, what is wrong begins to seem right."

—The Apostle, P. 87

"To fall is human. But to learn from your errors and reach again for the light instead of sinking into darkness, this is a path that few choose."

—The Apostle, P. 87

Pretty good atmosphere thus far, and I'm partial to Chad Lucas's way with words.

Cover art by Abraham Matias. It's a neat look, like classic woodcuts.

I've never read Chad Lucas, and he's Canadian so this book wasn't eligible for the 2026 Newberys, but I look forward to seeing what his literary artistry is like.