Darksiders: The Abomination Vault
Ari Marmell
Del Rey, Jul 24 2012, $15.00
ISBN: 9780345534026

They seek what is inside the Abomination Vault left behind by the Nephilim. If they achieve their objective they will have at their disposal weapons of universal destruction that will end the fragile cold war peace between Heaven and Hell.

The only surviving Nephilim are the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Death recognizes the threat to the universe from the shadows. With memories of what happened when his species committed all types of atrocities, he and his brother horseman War set out to prevent the raiding of the Abomination Vault; knowing failure is not an option.

This is an entertaining companion prequel piece to the Darksiders and Darksiders II games. Part of the fun is comparing the personalities of Death and War as the former prefers stealth sniper while the latter is more an infantry charging the hill. Although Death’s barrage of amusing asides detract from the tension as at times he acts more like the Grim Reaper in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey than a horseman assigned to prevent the end of days war, fantasy fans (not just gamesters) will enjoy the two Horsemen riding ironically to stop the Apocalypse from happening.

Harriet Klausner