A Batalha do Apocalipse (2010)

A Batalha do Apocalipse: Da Queda dos Anjos ao Crepúsculo do Mundo (The Battle of Apocalypse: From the Fall of Angels to the Twilight of the World) is a book written by Brazilian journalist Eduardo Spohr, published in 2007 by Jovem Nerd site, in 2009 by the imprint created by site and in 2010 by Verus. The plot revolves around character Ablon, a renegade angel doomed to wander the world of men for having rebelled against the archangel Michael. Other characters include Shamira "the Witch of Endor", which helps the historic journey to the apocalypse.

With a total of 586 pages, the book is divided into 3 parts titled The Holy Avenger, The Wrath of God and the Scourge of Fire.

In 2011, the book was released in the Netherlands, under the name Engelen van Apocalyps.

Plot

In the distant past, the Celestial Paradise was the scene of a terrible uprising. A group of warrior angels, lovers of justice and freedom, challenged the tyranny of the powerful archangels, raising arms against their oppressors. Expelled, the renegades were forced into exile, and condemned to wander the world of men until the final judgement.

But then comes the moment of Revelation, the time of reckoning, the day of the awakening of the Most High. Ablon, sole survivor of the purge and leader of the renegades, is invited by Lucifer, to join his legions in the battle of Armageddon, the final struggle between Heaven and Hell, the war that will decide not only the fate of the world, but the future of the universe.

From the ruins of Babylon to the splendour of the Roman Empire, from the vast plains of China to the frozen castles in medieval England. A Batalha do Apocalipse is not just a journey through human history, but also a journey of knowledge, an exciting epic, full of heroic struggles, magic, romance and suspense.

The Book

A constant journey between past, present and future the author begins the book introducing us to two important characters of his story, the archangels Michael and Uzziel. In that first moment he begins to present the personality of Michael and the context in which his story unfolds, God, soon after the creation on the seventh day - where the Bible refers to the time of your rest - enters a sleep deeper and you awake, supposedly the day of Judgement. Mankind then falls under the "guide" of the Archangels and their subordinates, the angels.

There are five Archangels: Michael, the prince of the angels, heir to that title by being the firstborn. Uziel, commander of the armies of cherubim. Rafael, who was exiled after the fight of his brothers archangels. Gabriel, Master of Fire, rebelled against Archangel Michael. And, Lucifer, the morning star.

As might be expected, Lucifer naturally craved the throne of his brother and it is around that nebulous plot that the course of the story takes place, as the rivalry between the two brothers is the main character of the book. The former general of the cherubim, Ablon, comes to us in Rio de Janeiro, in the near future, in the "hands of the Creator", i.e., standing in the hands of Christ the Redeemer. He meets his friend Orion, former King of Atlantis and current servant of Lucifer, who comes to propose a truce. Ablon's rival Apollyon is a deadly protagonist.

Characters

Archangel Michael: The Prince of angels, and the most radical of them. Later the leader of the archangels. He defeated the armies of Lucifer and drove them to Sheol.

Ablon, the Renegade Angel or also called First General: The protagonist of the book. Over the years on earth, Ablon traveled through diverse corners of the world, always escaping from various dangers. At the present moment of the book, Ablon is in Brazil, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and becomes the leader of a great gathering of angels.

Lucifer, the Morning Star or the Son of the Dawn: After revolting against his brother Michael, today he has his own kingdom in the depths of Hell.

Archangel Gabriel, The Master of the Fire or Messenger: He came too close to human beings, and therefore he adhered to their cause. Like Lucifer, he also revolted against Michael, but for less selfish motives.

Archangel Raphael, the Cure of God: Being the kindest of the archangels, in the time of the deluge, he disappeared from paradise, causing everyone to believe that he had descended to the earth to live as a mortal.

Archangel Uziel, the Golden Marshal: The youngest among the archangels. Commander of the order of the cherubim (the soldiers of God).

Apollyon, the Destroying Angel: Lucifer's favourite warrior. When he fell with him, he became one of the nine Dukes of Hell.

Shamira, the Witch of En-Dor: Having been trained early in the arts of magic and necromancy, Shamira met Ablon when he saved her from her persecutors in Babylon. Since then, both have been helping each other as they can each time they meet.

Amael, the Lord of the Volcanoes: After helping the Archangel Michael to create the biblical flood, he repented and ended up following Lucifer and falling in Sheol. To this day he cries fervent tears for the atrocities he committed.

Flower-of-the-East: Daughter of Chinese nobles. Her tongue was cut off and she was sold after a revolution. She is a great help to the Witch of En-Dor in saving the Ablon from death.

Important Places

Heavenly Palace: the stronghold of the archangels in the Fifth Heaven, the most central and important point of the heavenly paradise.

Fortress of Zion: the greatest bastion of the forces of the archangel Michael out of the sky. Located in the ethereal plane, under the worldly city of Jerusalem.

Citadel of Fire: the First region of Heaven which is the meeting point of ishins. It was ruled by Amael, then by Aziel, and later became the headquarters of Gabriel and the new rebels.

Tsafon, Mount of the Congregation: the highest region of the Seventh Heaven where God was asleep.

Sheol: the dimension where the remains of Tehom and the gods of darkness were buried. It later served as home to Lucifer and his fallen angels, becoming known as Hell.