Eric J.

This amusing alternate history fantasy picks up the pace. Dr Sauniére continues his investigations, now working for the Inquisition. The Duke of Lorraine continues his mad plans to seize the throne by causing a global war. The mystery of the holy grail deepens and moves into heretical territory. The story moves along but there were a couple of minor irritants for me. First is the chopping and changing of artists throughout the book. I am sure this was unavoidable but the graphic differences show more are jarring. The second thing is something which also annoyed me in volume 2: instead of piecing together the mystery himself, Sauniére is increasingly led by the nose to discover the next clue by a mysterious robed figure who happens to be in the right place at the right time. The conspiracy and mystery surrounding the Holy Grail is penetrated not by deduction and determination, but by this mysterious figure laying it out; a tour guide, with Sauniére and Tournon just along for the ride. show less

This story start in an alternate world where the U.S. Civil War ended in stalemate, and most of the European powers are still colonial powers, Europe is on the verge of war. And did we mention sorcery works and the Catholic Church has a strong grip on society? Yes, all that and more. The story is a quest to uncover the truth about a murder and a stolen scroll, which lead to what appears to be some secret society.

For people who like alternate history stories, they will definitely enjoy this show more tale. There are conspiracies and secrets, so I suppose people who like things like The DaVinci Code may like this, though this is a lot better written and plotted than that piece of tripe. The art brings the story and the details of the Paris of this time to life. There is much close attention to detail. The details of the alternate world are very rich, and the intriguing story pulls you in. The only small detail, which may irk some readers, are some segments between chapters, in the form of newspapers, which on the one hand interrupt the flow of the story. On the other, this is where you get a lot of the glimpses of the alternate world as well as more connection to the story. So, I leave it to readers to decide if they like the technique or not. I thought it was ok, especially reading some of the small articles on the Confederate States. Overall, this is an excellent series. I will be looking for more. show less

This was the first of the Rex Mundi books I had read and I was favourably impressed. Arvid Nelson creates a believable world where sorcery exists and the Catholic church still presides over the principalities and empires of Europe. The French, American and Russian revolutions never succeeded. It is 1933 and war between the European powers is imminent. Interspersed with the story are various Watchmen-style background newspaper articles. The story itself is a conspiracy about the Knights show more Templar and church secrets, somewhat like Holy Blood and the Holy Grail or the Da Vinci code.

The main protagonist is Doctor Julien Saunière, who diligently investigates the deepening mystery with the help of feisty Councilor Tournon and wise Rabbi Maiselles. The lovely Tournon is playing a dangerous game of double agent by sleeping with Lord Lorraine, a powerful French politician who seems inextricably linked to the conspiracy.

The writing can be a bit cerebral. Sometimes Saunière doesn't actually do too much but large chunks of the conspiracy are revealed anyway. The artwork by Eric J does a great job of rendering Paris, the scene of most of the action. show less

Rex Mundi describes an alternative reality in the early 1930s in which the Inquisition has prevailed in Europe. The protagonist is involved in mysterious happenings involving the Holy Grail. Easily more imaginative and clever than the Da Vinci Code.