“Compulsive reading … successfully blends ancient teachings with the highly charged ways of the 21st century … bears all the hallmarks of a blockbuster.”
NO MAJOR SPOILERS
There are different reasons for picking up a book and this time it was purely the exciting cover with a highly ambitious and suggestive tagline – “THE BIGGEST CHALLENGER TO DAN BROWN’S CROWN”.
Such direct comparisons can work both ways as they work brilliantly in enticing you towards an unknown author but also raise the expectations manifold.
I think Mr Dan Brown can rest easy because this novel comes nowhere near any of his mythological thrillers. Nevertheless, it is a good enough novel in itself for a one time read. Though I would have liked more details and certainly a less predictable story line and definitely more thrills and a better ending. The climax was just too much of a fairy tale for me and completely implausible. Also, the virtual game ‘Second Life’ thing was a laughable overkill.
I think Mr Dan Brown can rest easy because this novel comes nowhere near any of his mythological thrillers. Nevertheless, it is a good enough novel in itself for a one time read. Though I would have liked more details and certainly a less predictable story line and definitely more thrills and a better ending. The climax was just too much of a fairy tale for me and completely implausible. Also, the virtual game ‘Second Life’ thing was a laughable overkill.
However, some things which did work for me were the pace of the novel, some interesting tid bits about the ancient history of Israel and Palestine and the strong willed Irish-American protagonist Maggie Costello.
Still recommend it as a one time read.
3.5/5.
Reviewed by:
Aditya Singh
Added 4th September 2017
