David Meyer (9)

I also reviewed this book on my blog:
The Real World According To Sam

First of all let me just say: Oh-My-Gosh-My-Mind-Has-Just-Been-Hacked-And-Entertained-In-A-Way-I-Thought-Was-Impossible!!!! David Meyer..you are a genius...a true master of words when blended with action.

Now that THAT is out of my system let us move on with this review. Let us begin with the characters.
Cyclone Reed: The perfect protagonist. I absolutely adore him!! Strong, smart yet imperfect and prone to feelings of show more failure. I do like the fact that there is no actual physical description of Cy. It leaves a little bit of room to place your own image of him (which I think is for the better, as it enhanced my individual experience). Not to mention the wit. It's nice to find a character who has such a smart tongue in the face of evil. Simply brilliant! I can't say much else as I am so caught up in everything I just went through.

Beverly Ginger: I especially love Beverly...she is a great character that manages to keep in a dash of mystery amidst all the craziness surrounding her and Cyclone. I didn't see that ending coming. Right when I thought I had her figured out, things flipped. Stupid Cyclone and his confusing dual personality....I still think he should have picked Beverly. She's a stronger female, she understands things better and I honestly think that she really liked Cyclone. I'm not sure how everything is going to work out in the end, but I would REALLY like to see Cyclone end up with Beverly..although if there IS another adventure in store for Cyclone in the future, he can't really have a girlfriend at that point in time. We'll see. This book is SO good! I would consider it as worthy of being a Spielberg production that went down with greats such as Indy and my all-time favorite: Jurassic Park. =)

Diane Blair: Diane is a star archaeologist who has a history with Cyclone Reed, although due to circumstances, it ended up coming to an abrupt close. I found Diane to just be an extra. To me, she just seemed to always be in the way. I had no real like for her, but neither did I have any disdain. She is just there...a mediocre girl tossed into the mix. Due to her strict archaeological thinking, she does have a certain distaste for treasure hunters...and it just so happens that Cyclone has become just that. I kinda feel like Diane just gummed up the works and that the relationship between her & Cy was left rather undeveloped...I personally could have done without it.

Ryan Standish: What can I say? There are some characters you love, some you hate...and some you just don't know whether you do or don't. Standish---I don't necessarily hate him. He's a bad guy, but he was taken advantage of and misinformed rather severely by Chase. But--I do not feel bad for him in the end. He got what he deserved. I can honestly say that he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed...at least not from my perspective. & it goes to show considering his fate.

Jack Chase: THIS guy is the exact villain required for a story like this. He was perfect in every villainy aspect. He spent his entire life fighting for an unjust cause. He basically lost all sanity going after this powerful weapon. He lies, he cons people, he does everything in his power to get what he wants....and that's exactly what is necessary of a good antagonist. Well done, well developed...overall OUTSTANDING character. I hate him, but in the sense of the villain that you LOVE to HATE.

Moving on to plot:
This book is a mix of many things. It's got a whole cup of Indiana Jones blended with Tomb Raider, a pinch of Pyrates/Gregor The Overlander (in the Underground of New York City part-minus the kid book part), a pinch of Michael Crichton's typical technothriller (which covers the science aspect thrown in) and 100% original David Meyer genius. I loved it!!! It took me on a roller coaster adventure. Each chapter left me wanting more and more and more. I felt like a movie was playing out in my mind. This book was so gripping. It kept at a steady pace, but did whip around on a few curves to keep the action rolling forward. I was laughing in joy, whimpering in angst and smiling throughout it ALL. I honestly can't even find enough words to put the experience I had in this review. I'm trying...but I'm failing miserably.

Let's just wrap this up:
This book is amazing. I honestly want to pick it up and read it all over again. It kept me going for hours and I didn't want it to end, although I did want to see what happened. I really hope I get to see more of Cyclone Reed. I also have a few questions left unanswered that are really starting to bother me: What happened to Beverly? What is up with the Nazi gold? Will we see Beverly again? Will Cyclone dump Diane for Beverly?(pleasepleasepleasepleasePLEASE)Is there going to be a second Cyclone Reed novel? I am really hoping for a sequel. If not, I am ready to read whatever adventure Mr. Meyer comes up with next. =D Until then, Samantha OUT. show less

The premise of this adventure novel is interesting enough, which is why I bought it. It concerns itself with an expedition to locate and dig up the legendary (and probably mythical) lost library of the Maya.

The execution, though, is lacking. Perhaps the author is inexperienced, or he just doesn't have it. The characters are very stereotypical, including the main hero, who is an action movie badass of a modern type - that is, with feelings and empathy.

The writing style is also very direct, show more but in a bad way. You would think that an adventure concerned with Mayan mythology would be permeated by a sense of mystery, but no. In fact, in the middle some of it is quite boring, as the story is focused on various unsuccessful attempts to gain entry to the hidden pyramid. Fortunately, the author gets out of it before the end and the last quarter of the book is more interesting.

I think the problem, as with so many American authors, is that they're not trying to write a novel - they're trying to write a script for Hollywood. In the US, an author is not considered to have made it until their book gets picked up by the movie industry, or at least adopted for television. This is why you have totally unnecessary explosions, helicopter chases and sex scenes without any meaning in every other chapter.

So in short, idea is interesting, the author shows an adequate knowledge of the Mayan civilization, the book has its moments, but overall it reads like an average to bad action movie script. show less