Copy edited this for an LT author. Most of the reviews here on LT seemed to like the story but complained that it needed editing, which it has now had. The author has been a pleasure to work with and my fingers are crossed that the book gets the wider distribution I sincerely feel it deserves.

He's working on two sequels (for an eventual trilogy), which is good news, as there were some things left hanging at the end of this book.

I don't want to say too much about books I work on, but the author's archaeological expertise and knowledge of Central America provide an interesting backdrop to the story. There's quite a bit of violence and it doesn't do to become too attached to the characters--not many survive! I shall say no more . . .

Overall, I liked this book. I found the jumping back and forth between so many characters and time frames to be a little confusing though. I would be reading along and have to go back and figure out when/where/who was being talked about. It is fairly fast-paced, and while it includes a lot of information about archeology/history, it doesn't get bogged down in it. I'd recommend it.

This book in spite of the lack of solid copy editing, is well-written and compelling. Is that a contradictory statement? Not to me. The punctuation problems have been acknowledged by the author, and other reviewers. The publisher has most of the responsibility for providing an inadequate vetting at best. And, in another post here (Writer-Readers), the author states he has hired an editor to correct these problems.

Now that's out of the way, and I can concentrate on how good the book really is. It is a multilayered archaeological mystery-thriller. There are not too many of those books out there (if any?), particulary a book that has been written by a practicing field archaeologist, with over 20 years of experience. Even the reviewers that read with a red pen, admit that the story is compelling, and that the characters are well-rendered. I look forward to the next well-edited edition, and the obvious sequel (the ending is pretty clear on that). Furthermore, I think (like another reviewer says), the editing problems pretty much fade out as the story moves on, and it moves on very quickly! It is a great read and I learned quite a lot about the ancient and modern Mayans. ( )

An interesting fast-paced read that caught my interest from the first chapter. The main characters are fairly well-drawn and although there was a large cast, it wasn't overwhelming or confusing. I'm a bit ambivalent about the ending, but enjoyed the book overall and would gladly give this author's next novel a read.

I'm trying to catch up on the book reviewing now that I've got a couple free weeks between spring semester and summer session. Things have really piled up on my desk waiting for me to get around to the reviews.

So. Nine lords of the night. I got this book from the LibraryThing Member Giveaway, where LT members can give away books to other members. Either those they've got just sitting around gathering dust, or, if they've written a book, it's a way to get it out there and get some reviews.

The number one thing I have to say about this book -- please, someone get this man an editor! Mr. Gibson, if you are out there, I kindly offer my services, and as I'm currently unemployed, I could use the work as much as you could use an editor.

Some other reviews I've seen have mentioned the problem, and I'm rather surprised that more haven't. The biggest issue is a repeated and prominent misuse of semicolons. Now, don't get me wrong, I love a good semicolon. As some may have noticed, they often make their way into my own writing; I blame the many 19th century novels I've read, and their influence on my sentence structure. But sentences like the following just won't cut it. "Ziggy [a cat] had to weight at least fifteen pounds, and any time Delia got within three feet of him; he bared his fangs and hissed." [p. 26] There are also plenty of cliches scattered throughout, some awkard words put into the mouths of characters, and a very fade-to-shot-of-waves-crashing-on-beach-in-moonlight sex scene a little over half-way through.

Ok, now that I've gotten that of my chest, I'll say some nice things about the book.

This is not the usual kind of book I go in for. I'm not big on murder, mystery, and all that. But I got terribly caught up in the book from nearly the beginning, had a lovely read, and finished it quickly.

To summarize without giving to much away, the Harvard archeology department is decimated by baddies from within their own ranks and from South America. There are several twists and turns to the plot, right down to the very end when your favorite character gets killed. How do I know that your favorite character will meet an untimely demise? Easy -- there are very few left standing at the end of the book. My favorites certainly were done for. Poor Harvard, there are almost no profs or grad students left in the department; if Gibson plans a sequel he'll need to repopulate it. I'd probably read the sequel if there was one.

While he's clearly never set foot inside an English class, Gibson knows lots of other stuff, and all that stuff has made its way into the book. His archeology and anthropology background is brought in to give details about the work his characters are doing, and there's plenty of South American history both ancient and modern, including the Zapatistas, though I wouldn't say that it's "[s]et against the background of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico..." as the back of the book claims. Unless things are going over my head, there's very little hint of the Zapatistas until near the end of the book, aside from general tones of ongoing political instability in South America.

All things considered, you might as well read it. If you can ignore the poor grammar and occasional cliches, it's an exciting story. Might make a good movie or mini-series, too. There's an idea, Mr. Gibson. Get picked up by a publishing house someone's heard of, get an editor, and then get a movie made of it.