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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
It was with great trepidation that I delved into Kingdom of Bones. I like James Rollins, and have sincerely enjoyed the few Sigma Force novels I've read, but I wasn't sure I was up for another plague story - a worry that Rollins himself addresses in his introduction. I'd already bailed on a few reads this year because the doom-and-gloom hit a little too close to home, but I trusted the adventure aspects of this to carry me through.
It was a good choice. A very good choice.
Kingdom of Bones is a fantastic piece of storytelling, an adrenaline-fueled adventure thriller that's as though-provoking as it is exciting. There are three threads to the story - the research into the virus, a dangerous rescue mission, and a thrilling search for a cure - and it's the balance between them all that keeps the story moving. It's a quick story, with everything taking place over a matter of days, but it's also a deep one, demanding the reader consider questions of morality and mortality. While there is a human face to the evil, a villain against whom we can rage, the story is more about the greater good and survival of the fittest, with a catalyst we can fear . . . but find hard to question.
Rollins always puts a lot of research into his books, and the way he structures the story, with the conversations he orchestrates between experts and laymen, allows for levels of info-dumping that somehow never seem intrusive. There's a lot of serious discussion here about where viruses come from, how they develop, and what role they might play in the evolution of life, and all of its fascinating. The story also has some interesting things to say about the 'discovery' and colonization of the Congo, with the legend of Prester John at the heart, and I admired how Rollins made respect for tribal cultures and beliefs integral to all aspects of the story.
Where blockbuster adventure novels like this often fail for me is in the climax, which usually comes on too fast, with too many leaps of logic and demands upon our willing suspension of disbelief. Even the best of them rarely deliver in the end, and that's where Kingdom of Bones really distinguishes itself. There are several small climaxes that are part of the overall resolution, and every one of them just works. I liked the ending here, I appreciated it as a reader and as a thinker, and that's all too rare in the genre.
https://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2021/11/thriller-book-review-kingdom-of-bones.html
It was a good choice. A very good choice.
Kingdom of Bones is a fantastic piece of storytelling, an adrenaline-fueled adventure thriller that's as though-provoking as it is exciting. There are three threads to the story - the research into the virus, a dangerous rescue mission, and a thrilling search for a cure - and it's the balance between them all that keeps the story moving. It's a quick story, with everything taking place over a matter of days, but it's also a deep one, demanding the reader consider questions of morality and mortality. While there is a human face to the evil, a villain against whom we can rage, the story is more about the greater good and survival of the fittest, with a catalyst we can fear . . . but find hard to question.
Rollins always puts a lot of research into his books, and the way he structures the story, with the conversations he orchestrates between experts and laymen, allows for levels of info-dumping that somehow never seem intrusive. There's a lot of serious discussion here about where viruses come from, how they develop, and what role they might play in the evolution of life, and all of its fascinating. The story also has some interesting things to say about the 'discovery' and colonization of the Congo, with the legend of Prester John at the heart, and I admired how Rollins made respect for tribal cultures and beliefs integral to all aspects of the story.
Where blockbuster adventure novels like this often fail for me is in the climax, which usually comes on too fast, with too many leaps of logic and demands upon our willing suspension of disbelief. Even the best of them rarely deliver in the end, and that's where Kingdom of Bones really distinguishes itself. There are several small climaxes that are part of the overall resolution, and every one of them just works. I liked the ending here, I appreciated it as a reader and as a thinker, and that's all too rare in the genre.
https://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2021/11/thriller-book-review-kingdom-of-bones.html
The formula is getting very tired. After the Guild reveal in Bloodlines, I was hoping the series would take a creative turn. Unfortunately, this story is dull, repetitive, and is thin in the exciting future of science, a former hallmark of the Sigma Force series.
Two parallel storylines with the same setting were not interesting at all.
This book is much better than The Last Odyssey by far, but it falls short of the much more exciting first five books or so in the series. Kingdom of Bones also lacks interesting side characters.
I was very disappointed and I hope that the next book provides a new angle for the Sigma Force.
Two parallel storylines with the same setting were not interesting at all.
This book is much better than The Last Odyssey by far, but it falls short of the much more exciting first five books or so in the series. Kingdom of Bones also lacks interesting side characters.
I was very disappointed and I hope that the next book provides a new angle for the Sigma Force.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
2.5 stars. Tucker and Kane were the only high points for me. Not my favorite story in the series.
i picked this book up in a kiosk in the san Francisco airport, and just like SFO airport its mid, but i'll probably read the other books given the chance
In typical JR fashion, mystery, intrigue, suspense and lovebale characters come to life and make you not want to put the book down. I really missed Seichan in this storyline and in many ways miss the friction of the earlier hooks back before she got married and had kids, back when her and Gray had a lot of back and forth. I did love to see my favorite K9 return to the scene in a big way though.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No