Review – The Mayan Apocalypse

Robert Quetzal strode across the stage prepared to welcome the thousands in attendance with his rich vocal baritone. He began, "...welcome to the end of the world..." as we know it. Self-proclaimed, last-surviving Mayan prophet and priest, Quetzal spoke of the increased frequency and intensity of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, famines, wars and tsunamis, before he said, these "...signs...are the beginning of the end—the end only our followers will survive." His aide's steps crossing the stage caught his attention and he paused. Then took the note from the aide's outstretched hand and read quickly before he held the paper aloft and announced a meteor had struck a small Arizona town during the night. He assured the audience there was little damage and no loss of life. Then paused for what seemed like minutes before he continued—"yet." Andrew Morgan, grieving father, husband and wealthy CEO of Morgan Natural Energy, had stood for a better view of Quetzal when he entered the room. Seated next to him Christian journalist, Lisa Campbell, continued taking notes to report on the event. When she heard the announcement, she cleared her lap and grabbed her Blackberry to search the web for confirmation of the meteor strike. Morgan glanced down at her when he overheard the young reporter whisper aloud, "It's true." Neither one knew they would soon become friends or that romance would blossom between them. Or that Lisa would share with Andrew about the Rapture and other biblical end-time events similar to the Mayan prophecies. Nor could she know Andrew would dismiss it as just another myth. Thus begins The Mayan Apocalypse, co-authored by Hitchcock and Gansky. A fictional account of fact and legend, based on Mayan prophecies forecast to occur December 12, 2012, when the ancient "Mayan Long Count calendar" ends instead of entering another cycle. Little is known about the Mayans other than they "were master builders and keen observers of the sky and time." They measured time in cycles instead of years, with elaborate precision and time codes. Their calendars were so accurate they couldn't be duplicated until modern time. While enjoying the story, readers learn about the Mayan civilization, their view of calendars as a "schematic of the past and future" and their practice of human sacrifice. Authors also explain the Mayan's three primary time-tracking calendars. The solar, based on the celestial cycle, the Venus, based on Mayan sacred ceremonies and the Long Count Calendar that documented earth's repeating age cycles—until 12-21-2012—when all cycles end. The authors offer an unforgettable end-time mystery of an actual forecast event. Is it believable? Will it happen? Could an ancient Mayan civilization in Mesoamerica forecast catastrophic future events in our time? Some believe they could. Whether you scoff or believe the fascinating details of this end-of-the-world hypothesis will keep the pages turning. As will the excellent characterization, plot line and doomsday countdown. I would have liked the lengthy presentation of factual information presented throughout the story instead of as one chunk. I had to flip back through the pages for information I needed later in the story I'd forgotten. However, that's a minor fault and does not take away from the author's excellent research on a potentially confusing topic. I recommend it both for the factual information and the story.