Scan barcode
abc27's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
Kept me on my toes. Not only is the plot interesting, there's also a history aspect that I didn't realize I would enjoy this much!
kahale's review against another edition
3.0
A mysterious room stolen from the Catherine Palace in Czechoslovakia by the Germans during WWII. an art collector is trying to find it's location from two people that know it's secret. Lots of bodies
m00dreads's review against another edition
4.0
Reading The Amber Room felt a lot like reading a Hollywood action movie, if that even makes sense.
The adrenaline-inducing scenes, the badass female characters, the romance, the presence of dry humor and a comic relief - basically all the elements to be found in a good action movie are present in this novel. The superb and witty writing also helped a lot in setting the on-the-edge-of-my-seat kind of vibe. But The Amber Room is beyond action movie material. It's so much more than that - the plot's intricacy and the massive historical background is enough proof. Steve Berry had conducted some serious research on this one.
But it's also because that it's so similar to an action movie that I was a bit disappointed. The ending was predictable - all the "bad" guys dead, the broken family back together again. That was just too cliche for my taste. After going through more than three hundred pages of secrecy and foreshadowing, I expected a lot better ending to the whole mystery because it definitely deserves one.
Then there's this other thing. Rachel and Paul Cutler, the main protagonists, felt more like supporting characters. They were nothing more than passive players in the whole plot. I found myself getting a bit bored with their individual scenes and preferred the perspectives of the cunning (not to mention dazzling and badass) Suzanne Danzer and the villainous Christian Knoll who is every bit as intriguing, brilliant, and beautiful as Danzer.
Anyway, all those are nothing more than minor complaints. I loved the plot, the history behind it, the writing, and the characters -
Especially Christian Knoll.
Yes, I know, I'm twisted that way.
The adrenaline-inducing scenes, the badass female characters, the romance, the presence of dry humor and a comic relief - basically all the elements to be found in a good action movie are present in this novel. The superb and witty writing also helped a lot in setting the on-the-edge-of-my-seat kind of vibe. But The Amber Room is beyond action movie material. It's so much more than that - the plot's intricacy and the massive historical background is enough proof. Steve Berry had conducted some serious research on this one.
But it's also because that it's so similar to an action movie that I was a bit disappointed. The ending was predictable - all the "bad" guys dead, the broken family back together again. That was just too cliche for my taste. After going through more than three hundred pages of secrecy and foreshadowing, I expected a lot better ending to the whole mystery because it definitely deserves one.
Then there's this other thing. Rachel and Paul Cutler, the main protagonists, felt more like supporting characters. They were nothing more than passive players in the whole plot. I found myself getting a bit bored with their individual scenes and preferred the perspectives of the cunning (not to mention dazzling and badass) Suzanne Danzer and the villainous Christian Knoll who is every bit as intriguing, brilliant, and beautiful as Danzer.
Spoiler
It's such a shame that both met such tragic ends because they were the real key players in the novel. They set the whole thing in motion.Anyway, all those are nothing more than minor complaints. I loved the plot, the history behind it, the writing, and the characters -
Especially Christian Knoll.
Yes, I know, I'm twisted that way.
alice2000's review against another edition
1.0
Ok. I'm just going to do it...I am not going to finish this book. It is boring and I can't stand any of the characters and the thought of picking it back up is putting me to sleep. So I am done.
I might, in future, pick up another of Berry's book as I hear that the Cotton series is good, but it will be a while after this.
I might, in future, pick up another of Berry's book as I hear that the Cotton series is good, but it will be a while after this.
jmdaught's review
4.0
A great book. I didn't think the ending was as good as the rest of the book though.
lah_reads's review
3.0
There were some things about this book that I really enjoyed, but there was a lot about it that I found difficult to like.
The discussions of art and history were wonderful. I found myself wishing there were photographs of the art that was mentioned included in the book, and I appreciated the history lesson, as well as the author's theory (or fantasy?) about what may have happened to some of the pieces that Nazis stole that have never been found.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time appreciating the characters. I liked Paul okay, and Rachel grew on me a little, but I kept finding myself less concerned about them than I was about the art they were searching for. Knoll is designed to be a character that readers hate, but he kind of goes above and beyond. There is nothing even slightly sympathetic about him, and his actions near the end were just too much, especially considering the fact that he probably had more important things to do at that point in the plot twists.
Speaking of plot twists! There were a lot of them, but it kind of felt a little forced. All of the characters kept ending up in the same place at the same time over and over again. It started to feel like a winding road, rather than a rollercoaster.
I hate to say that I didn't love this book as much as I'd hoped, but it does have some redeeming qualities. I will be reading more books by Steve Berry in the future, mainly because I really appreciated the history and his take on what could have happened. I believe the Amber Room was his first published work, and it kind of shows. I expect the ones that follow it will be far better.
The discussions of art and history were wonderful. I found myself wishing there were photographs of the art that was mentioned included in the book, and I appreciated the history lesson, as well as the author's theory (or fantasy?) about what may have happened to some of the pieces that Nazis stole that have never been found.
Unfortunately, I had a hard time appreciating the characters. I liked Paul okay, and Rachel grew on me a little, but I kept finding myself less concerned about them than I was about the art they were searching for. Knoll is designed to be a character that readers hate, but he kind of goes above and beyond. There is nothing even slightly sympathetic about him, and his actions near the end were just too much, especially considering the fact that he probably had more important things to do at that point in the plot twists.
Speaking of plot twists! There were a lot of them, but it kind of felt a little forced. All of the characters kept ending up in the same place at the same time over and over again. It started to feel like a winding road, rather than a rollercoaster.
I hate to say that I didn't love this book as much as I'd hoped, but it does have some redeeming qualities. I will be reading more books by Steve Berry in the future, mainly because I really appreciated the history and his take on what could have happened. I believe the Amber Room was his first published work, and it kind of shows. I expect the ones that follow it will be far better.