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matthewpollak22 's review for:
The Blood Gospel: The Order of the Sanguines Series
by Rebecca Cantrell, James Rollins
I reserve five star ratings for books that truly deserve it (if everything’s five stars, what’s the point). It’s been a long while since I’ve enjoyed a book this much. Keep in mind I audiobooked it, so the reading experience might be different.
Every moment of this book intrigued me. The opening at Masada hooked me then shook me minutes later with the dove and red mist. I had to know what was going on! Our introduction to Erin reminded me so much of the scene in Jurassic Park where we meet Dr. Grant, right down to the helicopter! (Influence, copy, or coincidence?) Whatever the case, it worked and it got me to keep listening to learn what was going on.
The authors cleverly connect and reimagine historical events through a supernatural lens and make connections where none might exist. Think National Treasure, Da Vinci Code, etc. with vampires. This book isn’t quite on that level, but it was overall cohesive and the progression felt natural. The vampires aren’t entirely original, but there’s enough that’s new to keep everything fresh.
The characters were fine. I found Stone kind of generic, and Erin was pretty cool. Not much to say about Rhub. I’ll admit I care less for character depth than plot and smart writing (as long as the characters aren’t blank cardboard), so though they weren’t perfect, it’s not affecting my rating.
This was a fun adventure that effectively mixes history and supernatural. The fast pace work to keep you reading (listening) while not rushing through the important parts. The reveal at the end about the trio makes me want to go back and re-read it and find the hints, and also to see what comes next. Even with the cliff hanger at the end, this story works as a self-contained story, and one that I very well might pick up when I want a fun read.
Every moment of this book intrigued me. The opening at Masada hooked me then shook me minutes later with the dove and red mist. I had to know what was going on! Our introduction to Erin reminded me so much of the scene in Jurassic Park where we meet Dr. Grant, right down to the helicopter! (Influence, copy, or coincidence?) Whatever the case, it worked and it got me to keep listening to learn what was going on.
The authors cleverly connect and reimagine historical events through a supernatural lens and make connections where none might exist. Think National Treasure, Da Vinci Code, etc. with vampires. This book isn’t quite on that level, but it was overall cohesive and the progression felt natural. The vampires aren’t entirely original, but there’s enough that’s new to keep everything fresh.
The characters were fine. I found Stone kind of generic, and Erin was pretty cool. Not much to say about Rhub. I’ll admit I care less for character depth than plot and smart writing (as long as the characters aren’t blank cardboard), so though they weren’t perfect, it’s not affecting my rating.
This was a fun adventure that effectively mixes history and supernatural. The fast pace work to keep you reading (listening) while not rushing through the important parts. The reveal at the end about the trio makes me want to go back and re-read it and find the hints, and also to see what comes next. Even with the cliff hanger at the end, this story works as a self-contained story, and one that I very well might pick up when I want a fun read.