Reviews

Black Order by James Rollins

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Starts of as spy thriller action romp, and slowly gets worse. Cliches abound, some interesting and bad science, a cryptic message that has a terrible pay off, loose ends that seem to have been put in as the author wasn't sure if he wanted to pick them up or not. In short, a poor example of the genre, spending too much effort being clever and "real" with little time spent on a well paced plot.

Will not be picking up the other "Sigma Force" books.

nalani_maria's review

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adventurous tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

drdash's review

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4.0

James seems to be polishing along the way and so far each book is better then the last. Not significantly better, but each is a step. You can see the series growing. On to the next.

novelesque_life's review

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4.0

I will be doing a reread as I read the series in order this time. I will write a review at that time.

jordongreene's review

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5.0

As always, another great Sigma Force novel!

mnakka9's review

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5.0

Loved it.

firefly99's review against another edition

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4.0

I love Rollins' writing style, and the stories he chooses are all very science-based. His novels are very much "what if" scenarios. This one has a heavy basis in evolution theory, quantum mechanics, and Nazi history. He uses a lot of facts, and builds a story around these facts. If you have some knowledge of the science, his ideas make sense. If you have no science background, the great characters and the fast-paced action are plenty to hold your attention. Black Order is one of his finest, in my opinion. The ideas are so intriguing, and very believable. Excellent book.

tlfuller13's review

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3.0

James Rollins presents another exciting adventure with Gray Pierce and Painter Crowe, and their team. This series is a favorite of my family's and we enjoy comparing each other's likes, dislikes, of each book. This perhaps won't be my favorite long term, but as a follow up to Map of Bones, this was entertaining to read.

I enjoyed Painter Crowe as a character and the quick shift from agent to director was abrupt, but happy that in the 2nd he still played a key part, and in Black Order had a very strong presence. Not that I don't enjoy Gray, I just felt jilted at the transition from one person to the next.

Black Order's scientific subject is much more recent than the preceding Sandstorm and Map of Bones subject, impact coming from World War 2 time. Evolution is not a strong area of my interest, but with how Rollins creates a conversation, it brings a new light to the subject.