The Last Guardian (2001 novel) was written by Shane Johnson.
T.G. Shass was an ordinary college student in 1975, until a mysterious leather-wrapped object appeared before him on a nature hike. He took it, and was transported to the fantastic world of Noron. A world where dinosaurs live, most people are ten-foot giants, of high technology and countless wonders.
A world thoroughly lost, where every manner of sin and depravity is commonplace, routine.
T.G discovers that the mysterious object is, in fact, the last surviving copy of Noron's scripture. He himself has been chosen as Dovo Kosi, the Voice in the Darkness. The Last Guardian of this holy text, and the last prophet sent to try and spare the people of Noron the coming judgement. In and around his few trips home, separated by decades, and searching for his missing sister who might just have also been whisked away to this world.
So, a Christian novel wrapped up in high fantasy trappings.
Tropes appearing in The Last Guardian:
- Alternate-History Dinosaur Survival: On Noron dinosaurs never went extinct and casually wander the wilderness, when not being employed as beasts of burden.
- Apocalypse Wow: The end of Noron is strikingly cinematic in its description.
- Alien Space Bats: The apparent point of departure between Earth and Noron is the Flood from Noah's Ark, which never happened on this world.
- Beam Spam: T.G. while possessed by God, shoots lightning bolts from his hands so quickly it's impossible to tell where one bolt ends and the next begins.
- Buccaneer Broadcaster: The Faithful try and preach this way through a series of hidden stations.
- The Chosen One: T.G. Shass, being a reluctant prophet literally chosen by God.
- Crystal Dragon Jesus: Noron has Ish who, like Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia is literally Jesus as he appears on Noron.
- Flat-Earth Atheist: A number of people in the future are living in denial about the End Times, even as they roll down through the Revelation checklist.
- Gladiator Games: Noron has them, personal, hunting, small armies and even an arena that can flood for naval battles.
- Heel Realization: T.G. has one after saving a woman from a mugger and living among the rich elite for several months, first when unknowingly eating human flesh, then immediately after seeing a revenant not stop to glare at him, realizing the demons no longer see him as a threat.
- Human Sacrifice: The people of Noron kill an infant over an altar for funerals, to raise the dead as a ghost called a revenant. They're not really the ghosts of the deceased, but demons.
- I'm a Humanitarian: The wealthy elite of Noron favor a dish called sholari which are infants grown in vitro and killed and served when they would have been nine months old. T.G. is understandably very upset when he's told just what he's been eating.
- I Want My Jetpack: Because of the time difference, T.G. winds up coming back to Earth in the year 2000, and is profoundly disappointed that the only real changes he can see are inflation and right-turn-on-red.
- Red Eyes, Take Warning: The revenants all glare at T.G. and their eyes flare red. The one time this doesn't happen is a serious wake-up call for him.
- Refused the Call: T.G. before being sent home for the first time and learning his sister is missing, or the importance of the Book.
- Ridiculous Future Inflation: T.G. is utterly shocked to walk into a diner in the year 2000 and see a cup of coffee is two dollars.
