James Rollins

James Rollins has always been the author I turn to when I need some escape from reality, and I’ve never needed more escape than right now in the middle of the pandemic. And I got so much more from it than I expected.

There’s usually an equal amount of historical and scientific themes that play out in a Sigma Force novel but this was slightly different and I found that refreshing. This book takes the mythological route, concentrating on Homer’s The Odyssey and various other Greek myths show more and reimagining if they were all actual historical events that took place. We also get to know about some of the most acclaimed scientists and inventors of the Arab world and their creations were definitely very eye opening. I found the idea that innovations that happen in one kingdom/civilization are then used by others to build up on and that’s how more innovation propagates across the world fascinating to read about. When we are talking mechanical inventions, Leonardo da Vinci can’t be far behind, so his addition was fun. There is also a theme about the different versions of the coming apocalypse across religions and the zealots among them who want to do everything they can to bring it on sooner. I loved the way the author weaved all these threads together to create such an entertaining adventure tale. And as usual, all the locations that the characters are jet setting to are wonderfully described and I always wish I could jump into the pages to visit them myself.

It’s always very comforting meeting these characters because I’ve known them for almost a decade and they feel like my friends now. And after all this time, seeing Gray and Seichan as parents felt surreal. They are still struggling with their new found parenthood which actually made them feel more human than the usual badass persona they always project. Kowalski also gets a great arc to shine in this book and he always comes across as gruff and grumpy but we get to see how much of a heart of gold he has and what lengths he will go to protect his team. There are also many other new side characters and I was amazed by how I could never guess who among them was trustworthy and who was a villain. The author kept hitting me with betrayal after betrayal and I was happy to be shocked.

To conclude, this was a lot of fun and just the bit of relief I needed at this tense time. If you have followed this series since the beginning and have ever thought the storylines had become repetitive, then I promise you that you’ll find this book to be refreshing and a lot more adventurous. I don’t know if I can recommend it as a stand-alone but if you wouldn’t mind taking on a huge series that is a mix of great action, lots of history, and some very cool advanced science and tech stuff, you should totally start from Sandstorm. show less

A fast-moving novel with a truly intriguing plot, The Last Oracle achieves what might seem impossible—making Greece’s oracles real and relevant to the present time, without veering into fantasy or simplistic adventure. There’s a nice blend of modern world politics, ancient world history, and world-spanning geography. There’s a growing threat that just might promise Armageddon. And there’s a pleasing collection of characters—the novel's clearly built on a series, but it's easy to show more read on its own. The Last Oracle is a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, a cleverly plotted mystery, a nicely intriguing commentary on the post-WWII world, and a really good read.

Disclosure: I borrowed it from the book bank. show less

Seichan in the spotlight

Readers of James Rollins’ Sigma novels should be familiar with his most enigmatic character, Seichan. (Though it should be said that you need no familiarity with the character or the series to enjoy this entertaining interlude.) Seichan is the only series character that appears in The Skeleton Key, and I have to say that it was all kinds of fun to see her take a central, rather than secondary, role this time around.

Seichan has long been the servant to two masters. show more It’s a dangerous position, but then again, she’s a dangerous lady. While chasing needed intel on behalf of Sigma, she returns to her Guild sources. But perhaps she hasn’t been as careful as she thinks she has. After what should have been a straightforward meeting with an academic source to secure a document, she wakes up nearly nude in a strange hotel room. She’s been drugged, booby-trapped, and worst of all—saddled with a partner in the same predicament. She had been trying to ascertain the source’s asking price for the info, and discovered that it was a lot higher than she realized. And his agenda went way beyond money.

The Skeleton Key calls on Seichan to use all of her considerable skills on an adventure through—and below—Paris. Mr. Rollins is also called on to use all of his considerable skills in service of this lengthy short story, and he comes through with a fast-paced, amusing precursor to his novel The Devil Colony. Ultimately, you don’t need to read this story before reading the novel, but if you’re waiting on pins and needles for the novel’s release, do treat yourself to this amuse-bouche, a bite-sized taste of what is to come. The story dovetails nicely into the novel, and here’s a heads-up: The Devil Colony is the best thing Rollins has ever written. show less

Tucker Wayne and Kane, his militarily trained dog, the combo introduced in the SIGMA series book Bloodline are the main characters in this thriller.

As usual in a Rollins' thriller the authors start with a past event, in this case the Boer Wars. Then we fast forward to the present. Tucker and Kane are in Russia finishing a freelance job when Tucker gets a call from the head of SIGMA and gets given a job. Get a guy out of Russia through non-traditional ways. Of course, if it were really that show more easy there wouldn't be a book. The Op springs quite the leak and he and his charge wind up with killers on their trail as they try to save themselves as well as saving the world.

The Prologue was a little hard to get into, perhaps because I know next to nothing about the Boer Wars, but once the narrative got back to the present it smoothed out and it turned into an amazing thriller.

A lot of the characters were pretty great too. SIGMA gave Tucker a handler, Ruth Harper. Almost all of the interactions were over Tucker's SAT phone and I thought it was an interesting way to approach the relationship. Other characters that really stood out were Christopher Nkomo and his brothers. (So much so that I really would love a short story just about them). There was a nobility to how the authors wrote them that was very refreshing.

Then there was Kane. My favorite Kane scene was one he had with three lionesses. And that scene illustrates brilliantly how well Rollins and Blackwood wrote the non-human character of Kane. And they did write him so well. They managed to give him emotions and character, but they didn't anthropomorphize him. He was my favorite character in the book (he managed to beat Tucker by a paw).

This wasn't Rollins' first thriller, and it won't be his last, but so far it's my favorite by a long shot. show less