Words I Write Crazy: Week 51 Reviews: The Last Oracle, The Doomsday Key, The Skeleton Key, The Devil Colony

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Week 51 Reviews: The Last Oracle, The Doomsday Key, The Skeleton Key, The Devil Colony

From Goodreads:
What if you could bioengineer the next great world prophet: scientifically produce the next Buddha, the next Muhammad, or the next Jesus? Would it mark the Second Coming or initiate a chain reaction with disastrous consequences?

A master at combining historical and religious intrigue with edge-of-your-seat adventure, "New York Times" bestselling author James Rollins brings back SIGMA Force to battle a group of rogue scientists who've unleashed a bioengineering project that could bring about the extinction of humankind.

In Washington, D.C., a homeless man dies in Commander Gray Pierce's arms, shot by an assassin's bullet. But the death leaves behind a greater mystery: a bloody coin found clutched in the dead man's hand, an ancient relic that can be traced back to the Greek Oracle of Delphi. As ruthless hunters search for the stolen artifact, Gray Pierce discovers that the coin is the key to unlocking a plot that dates back to the Cold War and threatens the very foundation of humanity.

An international think tank of scientists known as the Jasons has discovered a way to bioengineer autistic children who show savant talents--mathematical geniuses, statistical masterminds, brilliant conceptual artists--into something far greater and far more "frightening," in hopes of creating a world prophet for the new millennium, one to be manipulated to create a new era of global peace . . . a peace on their own terms.

Halfway around the world, a man wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is, knowing only that he's a prisoner in a subterranean research facility. With the help of three unusual children, he makes his escape across a mountainous and radioactive countryside, pursued by savage hunters bred in the same laboratory. But his goal is not escape, nor even survival. In order to thwart a plot to wipe out a quarter of the world's population, he must sacrifice all, even the children who rescued him.

From ancient Greek temples to glittering mausoleums, from the slums of India to the toxic ruins of Russia, two men must race against time to solve a mystery that dates back to the first famous oracle of history--the Greek Oracle of Delphi.

But one question remains: "Will the past be enough to save the future?"

From Goodreads:
At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica. In Africa, a U.S. senator's son is slain outside a Red Cross camp. The three murders on three continents bear a horrifying connection: all the victims are marked by a Druidic pagan cross burned into their flesh.

The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force into a race against time to solve a riddle going back centuries, to a ghastly crime against humanity hidden within a cryptic medieval codex. The first clue is discovered inside a mummified corpse buried in an English peat bog--a gruesome secret that threatens America and the world.

Aided by two women from his past--one his ex-lover, the other his new partner--Gray must piece together the horrifying truth. But the revelations come at a high cost, and to save the future, Gray will have to sacrifice one of the women at his side. That alone might not be enough, as the true path to salvation is revealed in a dark prophecy of doom.

Sigma Force confronts humankind's greatest threat in an adventure that races from the Roman Coliseum to the icy peaks of Norway, from the ruins of medieval abbeys to the lost tombs of Celtic kings. The ultimate nightmare is locked within a talisman buried by a dead saint--an ancient artifact known as the Doomsday Key.

From Goodreads:
Seichan is ripped out of the Sigma series for an adventure all her own—but can she survive? The beautiful and elusive assassin wakes in a hotel in Paris with a deadly electronic collar fastened to her throat. Joined by a boy who is similarly threatened, she must rescue the son of a hated enemy, who has fallen under the sway of the nefarious leader of an apocalyptic cult. To survive, she must venture into the dark world beneath the City of Lights, into the infamous catacombs of Paris. Caught between two enemies, she must fight for her life…while time ticks down toward a fiery apocalypse. But in the dark, surrounded by the moldering bones of the dead, even success does not equal survival. In the end, the only true hope for the world lies in a stunning act of betrayal.

From Goodreads:
Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies—stir international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts to the bodies’ origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.

During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly: burned to ash in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help: her uncle, Painter Crowe, director of Sigma Force.

To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war across the nation’s most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet, an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.

From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies.

But can he discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?

My first review of The Devil Colony
My Review:
I love James Rollin's books! Like, I mean, so much, they have these awesome, intriguing mysteries, exotic locations, and amazing historical facts, that just blend together so well, with the high tech stuff, too!

One thing that I really loved this read through? That I got to read everything-The Skeleton Key-which I didn't read before. And I'm going to be reading Tracker, and yeah, just to be reading everything that's a part of this universe, well, just adds more depth to the series!

Each mystery has it's own elements, from all the things going on in Russia in Oracle, then Doomsday, mostly in those north countries in Europe, Skeleton in Italy, and Devil in the US. Of all of them, Devil was my favourite, because hey, ancient nanotechnology, in gold, and the founding of America, and the potential blowing of Yellowstone!

And we learn a lot about these characters, things that are new, like who Seichen's dad is, and developments in Gray's dad's Alzheimer's, and then, finally, the biggest personal development besides who Seichen's dad is, is that Gray's mom dies. Because of a bomb in Gray's apartment, that was meant for Gray. Not fun! I'd forgotten about that, and it hurt!

I can't explain how enticing and all-encompassing these books are to me, if I could, I would jump into these worlds, and never leave, they're that good! And I can't wait to reread more, and the wait for more books like The Kill Switch and The Sixth Extinction!

Author: James Rollins
Series: Sigma Force #5, 6, 6.5, 7
First Read: July 8th 2011
Read: December 16th, 16th, 17th, 17th, 2013
Source: Own, Tuebl
Reason Why: Rereading!
Publisher: William Morrow
Published: June 24th 2008, June 23rd 2009, May 1st 2011, June 21st 2011

The Last Oracle: