Lowly’s Book Blog

I attended the book launch for this book, and the whole idea seemed fascinating at the time. I quickly got it added to my ‘work’ reading list and even managed an immediate deadline for completion. And I am glat that I did.

This is the most unusual scifi book that I have read in a very long time. It is written for kids, but it is certainly not written down. I spent the whole time reading this book wishing that I remembered more of my Philosophy 101 course from my university days. I understood the story alright, but I think the whole book was could be read at a whole different level. It turns out I was right.

Anyway, the plot… The book opens in the distant future. The action takes place during a doctoral interview. How unusual is that? This young student has made her specialty the life of one of the founders of their new society. He was a young man of independence who had great skill in solving problems creatively. The story moves back and forth between the interview and the events of Adam’s life as retold by this student. Does this sound boring? Be honest.

Beckett’s artistry is in keeping this story riveting. Very quickly we like this young student and are cheering for her success. She claims to have made new discoveries, and found new interpretations, and we are with her all the way. She has to succeed. And every reader will want to be like Adam, proud and independent with the strength and determination to do what he believes is right, regardless of others. If that’s not enough, let me assure you that there is a twist at the end that caught me.

As soon as I had finished, I handed the book on to the philosophy teacher. Her enthusiasm convinced me that Beckett really had added many more complex layers that I, and many readers, will simply miss. Might I suggest that you keep a copy of Philosophy for Beginners at hand as you read this book. You will truly enjoy the story even more.

My editor keeps saying that I go on too long with my reviews. Well, he’s not going to be happy with this one because there is a lot to say.

This book is another in the growing Indiana Jones genre. You know the plot, a clue to the location of an ancient treasure has been found and our hero has to race the bad guys to locate the treasure and rescue it for humanity. Sometimes this ancient treasure has supernatural powers, and sometimes it is simply the power of truth.

This time Jack Howard is looking for artefacts from the beginnings of Christianity. First he finds the ship that wrecked under St Paul. But before long he is under Vesuvius looking at an ancient library left by Emperor Claudius. There he finds that Claudius left a precious document, but another archaeologist from the early 20th century has already found it and moved it to a new secret location. The bad guys in this case are a special committee within the Catholic Church, because exposure of this treasure could easily destroy the Church.

You see, the hypothesis is that Claudius, a cripple, travelled with his friend Herod Agrippa to Judea to meet this young man who was gaining fame as a healer. This carpenter from Nasareth did not heal Claudius, but did present him with a scroll and a warning. When Claudius became emperor, this scroll was sealed and hidden with his friend who lived in Herculeum. Later Claudius faked his own poisoning and escaped for life as a hermit in a small villa on the slopes of Herculeum. In 79 AD Vesuvius got excited and buried a couple of cities, and Claudius as well.

At first I found the whole idea a little over the top. But the longer I read, it seemed more plausible. Gibbins is nothing if not thorough in his archaeological information. Since Gibbins is really an archaeologist by training he does have some credibility, certainly more than many others who are writing in this genre.

But I suspect his publisher would sell more books if there weren’t quite so many ancient history lectures found in the text. Every now and then Gibbins, in the voice of Jack Howard, stops all action and goes on for a page or three about ancient history. All right already…if I were that interested, I am perfectly capable of looking it up for myself.

This is a good read, but keep your brain engaged or you will be lost.

I have been reading so much adult fiction in the past few weeks that it was a refreshing change to see this book in the shops. This is one book from a series that I have to read before anybody knows it is in the school, so reports got put on hold while I read.

Now, how to summarise the plot. For those who have been reading the series, they know that Arthur has to recover the 6th Key, and the 6th part of the will. This key is in the care of the most powerful sorcerer in the House. Saturday was given care of the Upper House, and in her effort to reach the gardens, she has been building a tower for 10,000 years. Nothing is dissolving the lower house. Arthur manages to gather his assistants and enter the Upper House without too much trouble. But then the fun begins…

A friend of mine read this book and threw it down when he had finished. Yes, this is an unsatisfactory ending. But then the end of book 6 in a seven part series has got to leave you hanging. Remember Harry Potter? Except Rowling led the reader to believe that the last book was all planned out. Little did we know the surprises in store. Nix has left everything to our imagination. Arthur collected the 6th part of the will, but who knows if he even got the key…

I felt this book was lighter than many of the others. More like a simple, straightforward adventure without a lot of distraction. It was as though once Arthur realised he was transforming into a Denizen, he simply got on with the job and did what he had to do. It may only be a week, but this Arthur is much older and more mature than the youngster who encountered Mister Monday, all those years ago.

 I saw this just last weekend, and it is not very often that a book leaps to the top of my reading list, even replacing the book currently underway, but this one did. My excuse, of course is that I knew lots of people would be waiting for me to finish so they could begin.

Now if you haven’t read Wolf of the Plains, stop here and go read it. This review, even this book will make no sense until you are done. For those still with me, this is the next in the continuing story of our friend Temujin, now Ghenghis. We last met encountered the young man as he first took the title Khan of Khans as he united all the tribes of the Mongols into one fighting force. This book tells the story of the conquest of the Chin.

Within the story the reader gains a real appreciation for the intelligence of this man. He encountered walled cities for the first time, realised that he did not have the equipment, tactics, or skills to win, so he sent his brother off to find someone who could help. Patience, a willingness to learn, these are not usually qualities associated with Ghenghis Khan.

And the pace of the story reflects the pace of the battles. Yes there is plenty of blood around, but often it is a matter of internal discipline rather than sweeping battles. There are action high points, like the battle for the pass and the reinforcements/supply convoy for Beijing. But this is also a story of developing tensions within the family. When the assassin comes for Ghenghis, and nearly succeeds, the question arises about the line of succession. And the many sons of the Khan are promising to provide their own excitement as they reach manhood.

I have seen this is going to be a trilogy. If my memory of history is correct, there is going to be a lot of ground to cover in the last book. But I will patiently wait for another year to give poor Ghenghis a chance to return to his tribal lands to rest and heal before he heads for Europe.