A masterful novel that combines the exhilarating mysticism of The Da Vinci Code with the pulse-pounding action of a Tom Clancy thriller, James Rollins's Map of Bones is destined to be a modern classic that will stand among the very best adventure tales ever written.

Reserved for BookBox Virtual "De Frase em Frase - Página 69".

And there ito goes to kizmiaz

I've been curious about this one, it'll be waiting its turn on mount TBR.
From the publisher:
"The crime is inhumanly cruel with horrific consequences both unthinkable and inevitable. During a service at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, a band of armed intruders dressed in monk’s robes unleashes a nightmare of blood and terror, ruthlessly gunning down worshippers and clergy alike. The killers haven’t come for the church’s gold and valuable artwork, but for a priceless treasure secreted within: the preserved bones of the Three Magi who once came to pay homage to a newborn savior. As they flee the carnage they have wrought, they carry a prize that could reshape the world.
The Vatican is in turmoil, and Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome’s carabinieri is assigned to lead the investigation. But no ordinary police organization alone can deal with the bizarre theft and massacre. Sigma Force – an elite covert arm of the U.S. Defense Department – is called in under the command of Grayson Pierce. New to Sigma, Pierce assembles a crack team of scientific and Special Forces operatives to unravel the mystery of the stolen bones, and together they set out on a twisting trail through a labyrinth of clues and dark revelations that carry them to the sites of the Seven Wonders of the World – and to the doorstep of the mystical and terrifying Dragon Court.
An ancient, secret fraternity of alchemists and assassins, the master-adepts of the Dragon Court have plans for the sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind in devastating ways that only the maddest of zealots could desire – and they will let nothing and no one stand in their way. Suddenly Pierce, Verona, and the Sigma team are the hunted as well as the hunters, forced to use every skill they possess to survive as they follow the bones to the ultimate confrontation between darkness and light – in a lost place of history where science and religion will unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time."

I finally got around to read this book and have a few notes on it.
A few years back it seemed all the mystery novels had to include some secret text from the past or a long lost scroll in the middle of the mystery and this is certainly a novel from those times (like 10 years ago). In the midst of all those novels there were some good ones and a lot of bad ones, this one is not great but it's not bad either.
The plot is good and tight and the part of the mystery surrounding the Magi is well played but the action is fast paced, a bit too fast paced for me.
I understand that the fast paced action is probably what attracts readers to these novels, and to this specific one, but to me it just felt a bit too unreal.
The team of characters that are in charge of solving the riddles is quite diverse and interesting, although some more interesting than others.
The Monsignor was probably my favourite just because he did not fall into the pattern that all the ones seem to fall into (shooting a lot, getting shot at and not mussing their hair much). At times the book reads like a 007 adventure, on speed.
Kat, Grayson, Monk and Rachel (why Rachel if she's Italian?) are a team of almost "Action Men" type of heroes that work very well together, but the predictable romantic mood between them was unnecessary.
The villains are plenty and for every sort of taste, prepare for a few chills and more than a few surprises. I won't go into details but I was underwhelmed by the revelation of the Imperator.
The twists in the plot are well placed and every one of them seems to speed the story along (once again, speed).
My favourite parts were the ones dealing with the unraveling of the Magi mystery, there are some details that really clinch the story and drag the reader further into the mystery.
In short, this is a good thriller with breakneck action from beggining to end (which, by the way, I was not so happy about) with an interesting enough ancient mystery in the background and a few twists to keep it more interesting than just an action story.

released in a BBox

Obrigada, kizmiaz :) Vai para a pilha TBR