When the World Shook: Annotated Hardcover – January 7, 2026

Set against the haunting grandeur of Iceland’s volcanic landscape, When the World Shook follows the experiences of the young Englishman Arbuthnot and his companions, Bickley and Bastin, whose journey of exploration becomes an encounter with a lost civilization and a revelation of humanity’s forgotten origins.The three men—each representing different views of life—travel to Iceland in search of adventure. Bastin, a fervent missionary, believes passionately in Christian doctrine; Bickley, a scientist and rationalist, rejects all religion; and Arbuthnot stands between them, guided by loyalty and curiosity. Their expedition soon turns perilous when they are drawn into the shadow of an ancient volcano and become entangled in forces far older and more powerful than they imagined.Beneath the mountain they discover remnants of a forgotten world and meet the enigmatic woman Oro, who leads them to the hidden realm of the People of the Fire. These beings are not gods but the remnants of an immensely advanced civilization that once ruled the earth long before recorded history. Their society possesses astonishing knowledge of science, energy, and psychology, yet it is crumbling under the weight of its own pride and decay.As the explorers are taken deeper into this underground empire, they witness marvels that challenge everything they know about human history, evolution, and belief. Bastin’s faith is shaken by the apparent power and immortality of these ancient beings; Bickley’s confidence in pure science is equally tested when confronted with knowledge that surpasses modern understanding. Meanwhile, Arbuthnot becomes emotionally bound to Oro, whose tragic existence embodies both the splendor and the doom of her people.When geological catastrophe strikes and the volcano erupts, the fragile balance of the hidden civilization collapses. The ancient race faces extinction as the world above them quite literally shakes. Through fire, destruction, and sacrifice, the explorers narrowly escape, carrying with them knowledge that could transform mankind’s understanding of its own past—yet knowing that the world is not ready for such truths.When the World Shook is a powerful fusion of adventure, lost-world fantasy, and philosophical inquiry, exploring the limits of science, the endurance of faith, and the haunting possibility that humanity is but the inheritor of far older and greater civilizations. Read more