Beneath the ruins of Babylon, an ancient evil stirs. Bound for four thousand years. Prophesied to rise at the End of Days.
Now, a secret sect seeks to unleash the Serpent of Serpents—and Morgan Sierra must stop them before the world burns.
When a black marble tablet is smuggled out of war-torn Iraq, it carries a terrifying warning: an ancient serpent, imprisoned beneath the earth since the dawn of civilization, will rise again when the stars align. The cuneiform text speaks of the End of Days, when the Great Serpent will devour the world.
And that alignment happens in ten days.
Morgan Sierra, ex-military psychologist and now ARKANE agent, thought she'd seen the darkest corners of the supernatural world. But when ARKANE is infiltrated by the Roshites—a cult devoted to the Great Serpent spanning back to ancient Babylon—she discovers a conspiracy that reaches into the highest levels of power. Someone inside ARKANE wants the apocalypse to begin.
From the snake-handling Pentecostal churches of Appalachian Kentucky to the oracle chambers beneath Delphi, from the secret vaults of the Vatican to the cursed ruins of Babylon itself, Morgan and her partner Jake Timber race to find the pit where the serpent lies bound. But they're not the only ones searching. The Roshites have waited millennia for this moment, and they'll stop at nothing to see their prophecy fulfilled.
At the center of it all is Lilith, a brilliant herpetologist with her own connection to the serpent, whose past is as dark as the creature she worships. As ancient mythology collides with modern extremism, Morgan must confront not just external enemies but a terrifying question: What if some evils are meant to remain buried?
A Pulse-Pounding Archaeological Thriller
End of Days takes readers on a breakneck journey through the world's most sacred and forbidden places, weaving together real ancient mythology, cutting-edge archaeology, and heart-stopping action. J.F. Penn masterfully blends historical detail about Babylonian serpent cults, Pentecostal snake handlers, Greek oracles, and Vatican secrets into a thriller that feels ripped from tomorrow's headlines.
Perfect for Readers Who Love:
- Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series (The Da Vinci Code, Angels & Demons)
- James Rollins' Sigma Force novels with supernatural elements
- Religious conspiracy thrillers with archaeological depth
- Strong female protagonists
- Globe-trotting adventures
- Ancient prophecies coming true in the modern world
- End Times mythology explored through action-adventure
- Snake mythology and serpent cults across cultures
Series Information
End of Days is Book 9 of the ARKANE thriller series. While it can be read as a standalone adventure, characters and relationships develop across the series. Morgan Sierra's personal journey continues as she faces both external threats and the shadows of her past. The ARKANE series can be read in order or enjoyed individually—each book delivers a complete, satisfying adventure.
Themes & Content:
This thriller explores the intersection of ancient prophecy and modern extremism, examining how End Times beliefs can be weaponized. It features authentic details about Pentecostal snake-handling traditions, Babylonian archaeology, Greek mystery cults, and Vatican politics. The serpent mythology spans from the Garden of Eden to Norse Midgard Serpent to the Great Serpent of Revelation, creating a tapestry of global belief systems.
Story Details:
- Genre: Religious thriller, Archaeological adventure, Supernatural mystery
- Length: Approximately 70,000 words / 300 pages
- Reading time: 6-8 hours
- Pace: Fast-paced, action-driven with intellectual puzzles
- Setting: Iraq (Babylon ruins), Kentucky (Appalachia), London, Greece (Delphi), Vatican City, Israel
- Mood: Tense, atmospheric, apocalyptic, globe-trotting
- Content note: Violence, religious extremism themes, snake handling scenes