It keeps calling me

Note: This post is about the sequel to Descent and as such contains spoilers regarding the first book. Go read Descent if you haven't already.

The way Descent, one of my favorite thrillers of all time, ended, I didn't think a sequel was really possible. It seems weren't quite as finished as we thought at the end of the previous book. Deeper, the sequel, begins with Ike, one of the main characters of the first novel being drawn back into Hell. Hell, or the Subterrain, as it is called is the center of the novel. This vast underground world was discovered in the prior novel. The discovery prompted a war between humanity and the creatures, the source of many of our myths, living there. Humanity won and the Subterrain is populated with settlers, ragtag armies, lost scientific expeditions, bizarre cults, and Chinese and American armies playing hide. And what would Hell be without Lucifer?

With all of that, it sounds fairly ridiculous. As it happens, it works quite well as the focus is on the grim struggle for survival in an underground world. The plot follows two stories underground and one above ground. Underground, a mother leads a crusade to rescue her kidnapped daughter. Ike's wife Ali, a trained linguist and experienced explorer, leads a smaller group to attempt the same thing. Aboveground, the United States and China engage in increasingly dangerous saber-rattling over control of the Subterrain.

It helps to go in realizing that this is clearly the middle book of a trilogy. The book ends with most of the above plots resolved but with dramatic developments that set up the next book. Keeping that in mind, I am happy with this book. I think this is Long's best book since Descent. It nicely balances the epic view with personal experience. Context setting and world creation is important in this sort of book, but Long doesn't overdo it. He also manages to create a decent amount of suspense as to what is driving the plot.