Apocalypse Crucible (The Left Behind Apocalypse Series #2) [Paperback]

Mel Odom (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2004

Danger and personal crisis on land, sea, and in the air combine with a level of spiritual warfare that is unparalleled in a Christian book. Crucible is a page-turning thriller that runs side by side with the phenomenal Left Behind series that has sold in excess of 55 million copies. The world is exploding in confusion and terror following the disappearances in book one, Apocalypse Dawn. Meanwhile, Army Rangers and Marine Special Forces are struggling to keep the peace, while fighting spiritual battles of their own in the sands of Turkey and back home.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The end of the world is at hand...

In the midst of global chaos, people around the world continue to search for loved ones who have vanished in the disappearance. First Sergeant Samuel Adams "Goose" Gander and the men of the 75th Army Rangers fight to hold Sanliurfa, Turkey, against superior enemy forces. Goose’s newfound Christian faith is being tested at every turn, and he’s not sure he’ll survive long enough to learn if the troubles he’s facing are the result of the great events of the end times or the side effects of another terrible war.

Back at Ft. Benning, Goose’s wife, Megan, is struggling with the disappearance of her youngest son, worrying about a husband who is overseas and a teenage son who has run away from home. She’s been brought up on charges by the parents of a missing child, and anyone who could support her claims has disappeared.

As devastating as the disappearances have been . . . the darkest days may lie ahead. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Mel Odom is a full-time writer with many published works to his credit. Mel has been inducted into the Oklahoma Professional Writers Hall of Fame and received the Alex Award for his fantasy novel 'The Rover'. The first novel in the Apocalypse series, 'Apocalypse Dawn', continues to appear on the best-seller list. Mel resides in Oklahoma with his wife and five children.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0842387765
• ISBN-13: 978-0842387767
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #264,471 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I write in a number of fields, but always with the hope of telling an interesting tale that will incite a reader to think for himself or herself, to examine his or her own place in the world, and offer a little nudge in the direction of dreams, faith, and personal growth in spite of whatever odds a person has to face. I also believe we were all put here for a purpose. Hopefully, several purposes. I'm a father, a little league coach, a teacher, a friend, and a writer. I struggle to keep that balance, as many of us do these days, but I hold tightly to the belief that I'm doing all I can be doing, and doing what I should be doing.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Low Four or High Three, July 1, 2004

By 

TOMMY C ELLIS "Prison Rev." (Federal Way, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apocalypse Crucible (The Left Behind Apocalypse Series #2) (Paperback)

Apocalypse Crucible gave us more of Apocalypse Dawn. I like Odom's characters, action sequences, and the solid level of tension in the storyline. Goose is a true man's man, and his wife cares deeply, thinks well, but allows her heart to get the best of her at times. Jenny's complicated character has moved from the background to the frontline. Amongst this cast, there is someone for every type of reader to identify with.

Perhaps most interesting is how the author is able to slip back and forth between male-think and female think. The Goose storyline is all action, clear-cut decision making, with only short bursts of angst, while the female side is full of inner thoughts and emotional turmoil. We move back and forth between the two in seemless fashion.

The one potential danger in facing Odom's work is that the story is on the verge of either meandering (much as Left Behind began to do towards the middle of the series), or of really taking off. With all the warnings readers have issued concerning plotline drift, Book Three will either make or break this series. My Four star rating is a vote of confidence that the author will deliver!

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely mesmerizing, May 1, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Apocalypse Crucible (The Left Behind Apocalypse Series #2) (Paperback)

Millions of people across the globe have disappeared and few know why. In Sanlifina, Turkey, First Sergeant Samuel Adams "Goose" Gandiers knows that his five year old son Chris has disappeared out of the Fort Benning nursery. Though concerned, he tries not to think about it as the Syrians are about to attack the American lines and he doesn't have enough military support to stop them. A rogue CIA agent Icarus tries to find Goose to tell him something about the disappearances while his immediate superior Captain Remington wonders what to do with the sergeant who has chosen a different road then him.

In Fort Benning, Georgia, Goose's wife Megan is ordered to keep a low profile until her trial when she has to defend herself in regards to a teenager she was counseling who vanished while falling off a building; his body was never found, just the clothes he wore. Megan counsels another suicidal teenage when the MPs shoot him.

Alone and separated by more than an ocean, Megan and Goose struggle with their faith as demons from hell prey upon mankind.

APOCALYPSE CRUCIBLE, the sequel to APOCALYPSE DAWN, is an exciting military thriller that takes place over a twenty -four hour period. There is plenty of action as a military skirmish is vividly described that readers feel they are at the battlefield. The protagonist's wife questions what is happening in her world but at her lowest point, she finds the courage to learn the truth that everyone left behind wants to deny. Mel Odom has written a powerful tour de force and readers will want to read the next book in this series as soon as it is published.

Harriet Klausner

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tom Clancy Meets the Rapture/Settling In To A New Series, June 2, 2004

By 

Kim Marie Mcallister "mistiejourney" (Hayward, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Apocalypse Crucible (The Left Behind Apocalypse Series #2) (Paperback)

I was quite pleased with the second installment of the Left Behind military series. While this volume does not cover a large amount of time, it gives us a chance to become connected with, and thereby care for, the characters introduced in volume one. You can feel the evil beginning to develop - almost like having the hairs on your neck standing up. I would suggest that readers begin with the Left Behind series before beginning the military set, because it helps to have the entire scenario in your head as you begin the Apocalypse novels - it makes everything that much more suspenseful because you already KNOW what the characters have yet to discover! I read this book in one day. I recommend it,highly!