Andy McDermott

Rarely have I enjoyed a book so much yet hated it at the same time. From its flat cartoonish characters to its impossible---LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE---narrow escapes, McDermott takes the corniest bits of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, douses them in testosterone and estrogen (yay grrrrl power!) then sets the whole thing on fire. Yet I couldn't put the book down even as it sped headlong towards an ending so spectacularly ridiculous that I found myself actually rooting for the bad guys...after all, show more I can only stomach so many Mary Sue moments before I start calling out B.S. If I ever get around to reading the next instalment in this series (it's staring at me from the bookshelf as I type this) at least I now know to park my brain in neutral and just hop on the rollercoaster. show less

Back in June 2011 I reviewed Andy McDermott's Empire of Gold, the seventh book in his explosive series featuring main characters Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase. I am a huge fan of what a friend and I have christened 'quest books', and this is one of my favourite series from this genre. Incredibly, the first book in this series, The Hunt for Atlantis, was only released back in 2008, so by my reckoning that is averaging at two books a year. From a lesser author, we might expect inconsistent show more quality, repetitive plots, characters that become boring over time. However, Andy's books suffer from none of these issues. In my opinion, every one of his books is an excellent, thrilling read, and now with the publication of book eight I can only hope there there is still more to come.

In my review of Empire of Gold I recommended that the books be read in order. This is not essential for most of the books, although for maximum reading enjoyment I still stand by that statement. However, Temple of the Gods really should not be read as a standalone, as it is a direct continuation of Empire of Gold. I remember well the frustration I felt on finishing that book and being left with a massive cliffhanger, something that the author had not done in his previous books. I have therefore been waiting impatiently since June to find out what happened next, with Eddie on the run accused of murder, Nina pretty much believing that he was guilty, and enemies closing on from all directions. I am happy to report that it was well worth waiting for.

Temple of Gods is Andy McDermott at his very best, and if like me you are a fan of the series, but are yet to read this book, then I fully expect you to be now salivating at the prospect of diving into the story. It has everything that we have come to love in Widle/Chase story: exotic locations; ancient history; epic, OTT action scenes; crosses, double crosses and triple crosses; and more twists and turns than an Alpine road. It is the culmination of a story that started way back when Nina Wilde discovered Atlantic in the first book, each book that followed adding another few morsels of detail regarding Nina's link to the ancient Atlanteans, and the mysterious purple stone statues that the pair have come across in their various archaeological adventures.

One criticism my 'quest book' loving friend has about this series is that she gets a little fed up with all the bickering that goes on between Nina and Eddie. I too occasionally found myself in previous instalments wanting to shout at them to stop arguing and just get on with things. If you share this view then you may be glad to hear that the shocking events at the end of the last book, and Eddie's subsequent flight from the authorities, seems to have brought the pair together in a way that none of their previous escapades managed. So much so that the pair have very few arguments this time round. Happy days! (well they would be, if it weren't for the fact that just about everyone they come across is trying to kill them).

With all the loose plot threads from the previous books now all neatly tied off I am left with a worrying feeling that this might be the final Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase. I'm hoping that there is a loose end that I have forgotten about, giving Andy McDermott a reason to write at least one more book (and hopefully many more) featuring his endearing pair of characters. show less

This is the 10th book in the Nina and Eddie saga. This is also the 1st one I've read. These are the over the top thrillers like Vince Flynn, Clive Cussler or Brad Thor. Only these stories seem to have a bit of tongue and cheek humor. McDermont knows it's a bit outrageous and has fun with that. It was a fun book and plan to try a couple more when they cross my path.

In this one some real WWII Nazi's had found a large jar of water from the fountain of youth. Now they are running out and are show more hoping to find the grave of Alexander the Great, which has a clue to lead them to the fabled spring. Alexander's tomb has recently been discovered and Nina was warned about an assault and she was sent to help keep things safe. Eddie goes grudgingly along, because he wants to be spending his time with Nina, not old dead guys in tombs. show less

The Hunt for Atlantis by Andy McDermott represents a genre that is one of my guilty pleasures: action/adventure novels. As Publisher's Weekly said, McDermott "raises the bar to please adventure junkies who prefer to mainline their action." And that is the reality here. The Hunt for Atlantis is a fast paced, globetrotting novel that has plenty of action. It is like a merge of Indiana Jones and 24. Really. The novel goes from one adventure plus narrow escape to another.

Let me be honest here. show more When reading action/adventure novels I'm not necessarily looking for great character development or subtle plot shifts. I want the pure adrenaline rush that non-stop action and narrow escapes provide. That's it. And McDermott delivers the goods. It is also very humorous at times and McDermott, a former movie critic, includes lots of movie references.

You do have to suspend disbelief to enjoy the story, after all, the action is the whole point, but I did have to roll my eyes several times. One good example occurred when the characters are in Paris, and are going to see the sights. They only spend the morning at the Louvre, go shopping in the afternoon, and Nina still had time to be back at her room in the afternoon for a nap. Yeah... But, if you are just seeking escapism and can overlook the characters ping-ponging across the globe with seemingly little or no preparation, narrowly surviving every fatal circumstance, then you're going to enjoy The Hunt for Atlantis.

The Hunt for Atlantis was on my wish list for a couple years so I was pleased to see that currently there are five books in the series, with more due out. I guess we all know what I'll be looking for at my local used book store. In the mean time I know a couple other people who will enjoy The Hunt for Atlantis.
Highly Recommended; http://shetreadssoftly.blogspot.com/ show less