cover image God of Clocks

God of Clocks

Alan Campbell, . . Bantam Spectra, $25 (367pp) ISBN 978-0-553-38418-5

In the dramatic third and almost certainly concluding volume of Campbell's Deepgate Codex (after 2008's Iron Angel ), an apocalyptic battle between warring gods puts the very existence of humankind in jeopardy as gore-splattered battlefields spill over from the realm of mortals and the depths of Hell to the labyrinth of Time itself. Featuring an ensemble cast of richly described characters, including a soul-eating giant and an angel trapped inside a 400-foot-tall golem, the numerous story lines eventually converge in a finale involving a multiverse of time paradoxes and mind-bending plot twists. Campbell's experience in video game design is evident in the relentless pacing and highly imaginative settings as well as his meticulous attention to detail in the many fight sequences. Readers will thrill to the hellishly dark imagery and labyrinthine plot lines. (May)