The apocalypse is a popular subject these days – it seems like everyone has a character who is the only thing STANDING BETWEEN HUMANITY AND TOTAL ANNIHILATION. So it is with Liz Phoenix, the heroine in Lori Handeland’s Any Given Doomsday. Liz is a psychic ex-cop with some heavy-duty guilt in her past and a big mystery to solve – why is the world coming to an end, and why is she the only one qualified to deal with it?
Handeland’s story is amusing, if uninspired. The usual cast of vampires and other assorted mythological creatures show up and align themselves firmly on their respective sides of good and evil, followed by the inevitable battle to decide the fate of all existence. In the author’s favor, there’s a fair amount of imaginative mythology here. I especially liked the way she hooked into Native American folklore.
The climax, when it comes, is predictable, but in a campy, almost fun way. This is a beach book for Goths and horror buffs, trite but entertaining, eye candy for a mindless afternoon. It’s the classic story we all love of a girl who wants the bad boy, and just can’t resist even though she knows he’s no good for her. I enjoyed it in the same way one enjoys a summer comic-inspired action flick or a favorite chocolate bar: just go with it baby, and don’t dig too deep.
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