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dantastic's review
4.0
Gabriel Hunt goes on a scavenger hunt across Europe and Asia, with a dastardly billionaire on his tail, in search of treasure. What do a chamber below the Sphinx in Egypt, a temple to Homer on a Greek Island, and a cavern in a mountain in Sri Lanka have in common? And what is the mysterious treasure of the Cradle of Fear?
I have to admit that I had my doubts at the beginning of Hunt Through Cradle of Fear. The first Gabriel Hunt book was good but not great and Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear started off slow. Once the story picked up and the John Williams soundtrack started playing in my head, I was hooked.
Gabriel Hunt continues his Indiana Jones/Doc Savage/James Bond adventures in this tale. Lajos, the Hungarian billionaire, proved to be a good foil for Hunt in their race to the Cradle of Fear. While I knew Hunt wasn't going to die, he sure went through hell. The exotic locales were even better than the lost city from the first Gabriel Hunt story.
To sum it up, if you're looking for a good adventure story with plenty of suspense and action, look no further. Gabriel Hunt has your fix ready and at an affordable price.
I have to admit that I had my doubts at the beginning of Hunt Through Cradle of Fear. The first Gabriel Hunt book was good but not great and Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear started off slow. Once the story picked up and the John Williams soundtrack started playing in my head, I was hooked.
Gabriel Hunt continues his Indiana Jones/Doc Savage/James Bond adventures in this tale. Lajos, the Hungarian billionaire, proved to be a good foil for Hunt in their race to the Cradle of Fear. While I knew Hunt wasn't going to die, he sure went through hell. The exotic locales were even better than the lost city from the first Gabriel Hunt story.
To sum it up, if you're looking for a good adventure story with plenty of suspense and action, look no further. Gabriel Hunt has your fix ready and at an affordable price.
thomasroche's review
5.0
First of all, when you pick up this book -- and you should -- read the standalone novella, "Nor Idolatry Blind the Eye" first; I have to agree with an earlier reviewer who said this 40ish-page novella is worth the price of the book. It's darker than the Gabriel Hunt series, with a more Robert E. Howard feel, and almost Lovecraftian moments. It's amazing.
As for Gabriel Hunt himself, the first novel by [a:James Reasoner|11038|Immanuel Kant|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234190744p2/11038.jpg] was satisfying enough but I stuck with the series because I liked the concept, not so much because I thought [b:Gabriel Hunt and the Well of Eternity|6343908|Hunt at the Well of Eternity|Gabriel Hunt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266648883s/6343908.jpg|6530100] was a drop-dead novel. [b:Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear|6385630|Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear|Gabriel Hunt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1248111796s/6385630.jpg|6573852] is by series creator and Hard Case Crime publisher Charles Ardai, and it is a drop-dead novel, stand-alone or no. It seems like it probably should have been the opening volley in the series, no offense to the very capable Reasoner; Well of Eternity didn't have quite the same personality that this does, probably owing to the fact that Ardai created the characters.
However, despite starting like a locomotive, the beginning of Cradle of Fear doesn't actually have the grabby feeling that I'd expect.I encourage readers who pick it up and are not impressed by the first 40 pages to stick with it. It starts out with major action, but it is not the action that grabs me in a story like this, since it's slightly by-the-numbers. In addition, the characters are not the world's most interesting, but are sort of predictable archetypes.
But once you get deep into the history stuff it is absolutely amazing, evocative and riveting. It's like a textbook case in how by-the-numbers action feels fresh, alive, and exciting when you care about the situations and characters inside the action. It picks up steam as it goes along, and ends on a dime with denouement that's not just satisfying but actually kinda moving. By the close, I was totally blown away.
From what I can see so far, the series is strongest when it stays away from Doc Savage and leans toward Indiana Jones. The history and linguistics stuff is what I find interesting, and it makes all the gunfights, sucker-punches and mayhem seem fun instead of same-old. The action is capably written, but it's most exciting to me as a reader once I get my knickers in a twist wondering what the answer to the historical (or pseudo-historical) mystery is.
Ultimately this is one of the best adventure novels I've read, but I repeat -- stick with it through some slow moments in the early pages, and you'll be amply rewarded. I'll also be sticking with the series.
As for Gabriel Hunt himself, the first novel by [a:James Reasoner|11038|Immanuel Kant|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1234190744p2/11038.jpg] was satisfying enough but I stuck with the series because I liked the concept, not so much because I thought [b:Gabriel Hunt and the Well of Eternity|6343908|Hunt at the Well of Eternity|Gabriel Hunt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266648883s/6343908.jpg|6530100] was a drop-dead novel. [b:Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear|6385630|Hunt Through the Cradle of Fear|Gabriel Hunt|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1248111796s/6385630.jpg|6573852] is by series creator and Hard Case Crime publisher Charles Ardai, and it is a drop-dead novel, stand-alone or no. It seems like it probably should have been the opening volley in the series, no offense to the very capable Reasoner; Well of Eternity didn't have quite the same personality that this does, probably owing to the fact that Ardai created the characters.
However, despite starting like a locomotive, the beginning of Cradle of Fear doesn't actually have the grabby feeling that I'd expect.I encourage readers who pick it up and are not impressed by the first 40 pages to stick with it. It starts out with major action, but it is not the action that grabs me in a story like this, since it's slightly by-the-numbers. In addition, the characters are not the world's most interesting, but are sort of predictable archetypes.
But once you get deep into the history stuff it is absolutely amazing, evocative and riveting. It's like a textbook case in how by-the-numbers action feels fresh, alive, and exciting when you care about the situations and characters inside the action. It picks up steam as it goes along, and ends on a dime with denouement that's not just satisfying but actually kinda moving. By the close, I was totally blown away.
From what I can see so far, the series is strongest when it stays away from Doc Savage and leans toward Indiana Jones. The history and linguistics stuff is what I find interesting, and it makes all the gunfights, sucker-punches and mayhem seem fun instead of same-old. The action is capably written, but it's most exciting to me as a reader once I get my knickers in a twist wondering what the answer to the historical (or pseudo-historical) mystery is.
Ultimately this is one of the best adventure novels I've read, but I repeat -- stick with it through some slow moments in the early pages, and you'll be amply rewarded. I'll also be sticking with the series.
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