Product Description

In 1975, the life of Cornell graduate student T.G. Shass is forever changed when he finds himself in possession of a mysterious and ancient artifact. Unable to remember how he acquired it and powerless to rid himself of it, T.G. is soon shaken not only by the object’s presence, but by a chilling encounter with evil and a jarring journey to another world.

He was the most unlikely of all prophets.
His was the most critical of all missions.

Upon his return, T.G. discovers that Earth is no longer the home he knew. His sweetheart, Jenni, is missing, and all evidence indicates that she’s been caught up into the macabre, unnatural realm he’s just departed.

His determination to find Jenni overrides the bitter aftertaste of his otherworldly experience, and T.G. seeks a way to go back. But his second journey holds far more than he imagines. Can T.G. fulfill his key role in God’s plan to defeat the forces of darkness? Or will his imperfect faith lead to destruction as the last days draw to a climactic end?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #449904 in Books
• Published on: 1999-01-01
• Released on: 2001-02-20
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 528 pages

From Publishers Weekly
In the tradition of Christian thrills-and-chills writers Frank Peretti (This Present Darkness) and Stephen Lawhead (Byzantium), first-time novelist Johnson offers a gory fantasy that is loosely based on the New Testament Book of Revelation. But where Peretti succeeds in creating heart-pounding scenarios of demonic warfare, Johnson's story falls flat, and where Lawhead's characters believably embody their hard-won spiritual truths, Johnson makes awkward attempts to pair those truths with his characters' too-sudden insights. Cornell graduate student T.G. Shass unexpectedly becomes the last guardian of an ancient artifact that holds the Creator's divine truth. When Shass proves too weak to resist demonic forces that threaten to seize the gift, a striking man who wears a brilliant blue robe and calls himself Ish (identified by the author in the afterword as Jesus Christ) transports him to a planet named Noron for his own protection. On the surface, Noron seems to be a paradise, but the society's moral depravity is evidenced by its citizens' enjoyment of a dish called Sholari (cooked from unborn children who are conceived in vitro and harvested at 18 months), and by gruesome funeral rites in which infants are murdered to bring the dead back to life. Despite a publisher's note suggesting that the novel's barbarous elements serve to illustrate humankind's depravity and need for spiritual regeneration, much of the violence is gratuitous, and many Christian readers will understandably be offended. The heavy-handed tome takes too long to recount Shass's determined attempt to redeem the fallen people of Noron and win them to Ish. Predictably, Shass triumphs, reunites with his true love and enjoys eternal paradise with other like-minded followers. Why aren't we more excited for him? (Feb.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Out of those shadowy passages in Genesis that hint of magnificent ancient worlds, Johnson creates the planet Noron in The Last Guardian, a vivid alternative universe filled with dinosaurs and ruled by a race of pagan, sometimes cannibalistic giants. T. J. Shoss, a nondescript graduate student and very much an earthling, finds himself propelled into Noron in 1975. God, called Ish, has chosen T. J. to carry forth the ancient, long-suppressed gospel contained in the "artifact." Slowly, it grows clear that in this new universe T. J. is to play the role of Christ, to be discredited, cruelly killed, and resurrected. Through T. J., Ish will defeat Beltesha, and the fates of Earth and Noron will become one. Johnson spent 20 years and more working on The Last Guardian, and it shows in his depth of characterizations and astounding detail. John Mort
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

From the Author
Dear Readers:

I am humbled to have been blessed with the privilege of writing this novel. I am grateful to God for the opportunity to fulfill this dream of twenty years, and for being able to see the realization of a posthumous pledge I made to the concept's originator, my dear friend Dan Cheney, who passed away shortly after the project began.

While I do appreciate the positive comments in the 'Booklist' review above, I wish to correct one misconception expressed within it. The review states that the novel's main character, the college student T.G. Shass, plays the role of Christ for the fictional world portrayed in the story. This is NOT the case -- such would be Christian heresy. Rather, his role is similar to that of John the Baptist, with added elements derived from the prophesied two witnesses of Revelation. This is an important point, a needed clarification that I hope will avert any misunderstandings within the community of Christian fiction readers.

For those of you who have discovered the book and have expressed your fondness for it, I deeply wish to thank you for making the novel a part of your lives. If only one person has drawn nearer the Lord through its words, its purpose has been fulfilled.

Shane Johnson

Customer Reviews

Intriguing
I have to admit this book intrigued me. I'm not a great sci-fi fan but get the feeling that Shane Johnson has soundly converted me. Every step of the way was a fascinating, exhilirating journey in the shoes of somebody trapped with a time and planet-jumping artifact of unknown, ancient origin and a destiny he did not choose. An excellent read

A great, Christian work of fiction, based upon Truth.
I just finished reading this novel, and I must say I was quite impressed. I can vouch for the author, as anyone that has actually read the book can, concerning the main character. He does not represent Jesus. Read the back cover for the information the author wanted to present to you, and check out some of the excerpts. In The Last Guardian, I must say that Shane Johnson's descriptive talent and vivid imagination was underpinned with a lot of Biblical truth. It made this novel a joy to read. I feel a kinship with him, and was surprised that some of the themes I wrote independently in my own novel were touched on by him. The Biblical concepts weaved into the fictional elements of the story are right on the money, and the fictional elements are well thought out and presented. After reading this book, especially the author's commentary at the end, I am sure that Shane Johnson is a true, Biblical Christian, and I whole-heartedly recommend this book to all Christians. The gory scenes some have mentioned are done in a manner that magnifies the depravity of certain people, and are not overdone, but are there for a reason. This is a powerful, uplifting read that I passionately recommend. 5 stars.

D. Shane Burton, author of Black Storm Rising.

Wow
Although this might be passed off by people who think that it is just another writing from the "christian" introverts that don't know what it is like in the "real world", it would be their mistake. Yes, this it a christian book, but it is also an enthralling story. From the Vivid descriptions one the very first page to the ending, it grabs you in to its complex and dark plot. It is more on the lines of a Secular fantasy than it is a Christian "happy tale". Its plot is dark and at points may be disturbing to those that are the feint of heart. I Got this book on a monday and by tuesday evening, I had finished it. I rarley read a story strait through, but I was so enthralled with the plot that I lost track of time, my mind wandering to the fantasy realm that he told in detail. I enjoyed it so much that i read it again the same week.

If you are looking for a story that will keep you turning the pages, and one that has an equally gripping meaning, read this book.