In Justin Cronin’s 2010 novel “The Passage,” readers were introduced to a United States that had been decimated by an apocalypse courtesy of bioengineered vampires created by the US military. Set 100 years after this apocalypse, the book followed a group of survivors, led by Peter Jaxon and a mysterious girl known only as Amy, as they set out to save their settlement and look for other survivors. In 2012’s “The Twelve,” the adventures of these survivors continued as they searched for the genesis of the vampires in an attempt to destroy the plague once and for all.
Ballantine ($28).
With “The City of Mirrors,” the final chapter of “The Passage” trilogy, Mr. Cronin completes his work with a powerful examination of the creation of myths and the power of faith — and of course, plenty of action. “The City of Mirrors” picks up a few decades after the events of “The Twelve.” Peter Jaxon and his cohorts are integral parts of the new version of the United States: one where humans no longer have to fear the attacks of the vampires.
Unsurprisingly, however, a greater evil lurks around the corner, not just for Peter and his friends, but also for the entire human race. All the while, two women are undertaking their own journey to defeat the last vampire, known as Zero. Since the book begins after the titular vampires of the last novel have been defeated, the first third of the book is slow going. The time spent re-introducing all the familiar characters and what they’ve been doing during this relatively safe period tends to plod along. Although it reads as an effort to build tension, instead it slows the movement of the plot to a relative crawl; a lengthy flashback that takes place in the present intensifies the languidness. Fortunately, the action does eventually pick up as characters are reunited and tasked with nothing less than securing the future of humanity.
“The City of Mirrors” presents an unexpected transition from straightforward horror/thriller fiction to a densely layered meditation on the intertwining of religion and history. In particular, the novel concerns itself with the tendency of history to be transformed into myths, given enough time. There is also a much stronger sense of the divine than in the first two novels, with the need for faith playing a major role in the motivations of the characters. Mr. Cronin eschews the tendency of the previous books to rely on happy coincidences and joyful reunions; instead, characters find themselves relying entirely on their faith that their actions may save the human race, even when they may not live to see that accomplished.
At times, “The City of Mirrors” can be somewhat heavy-handed; parallels between the mythical nature of the story and the similarities it shares with existing religions feel slightly self-important. The ending, in particular, seems almost unnecessary since it mainly serves as a confirmation of the author’s themes, which run through the book.
Despite these criticisms, Justin Cronin has pulled off a remarkable feat with the final chapter of his trilogy.
Readers are drawn in with “The Passage” and its more familiar horror tropes. Yet while other books in the horror genre tend to revel in gore and scares, Mr. Cronin resists this path. Although parts of this book are deeply horrifying, the author’s emphasis on a sense of hope, and a sense of history, is refreshing for both horror fans and readers drawn to literary fiction. “The City of Mirrors” is a satisfying end to an ambitious idea — that even in our darkest hours, hope, not evil, reigns supreme.
Wendeline O. Wright is a writer and editor living in Pittsburgh.
First Published: May 29, 2016, 4:00 a.m.