Last week, a new Sigma Force
novel arrived at the shore of my reading world. This new book is
called The Seventh Plague. Being a big fan of Sigma Force
series, I devoured the new novel in 3 sittings. All the while, this
book reminded me of Metallica's song, Creeping Death.
Oops, by mentioning Creeping Death,
I might have just given away what The Seventh Plague is about.
Or have I?
Worry not, my gentle readers. We are
talking about James Rollins and his Sigma Force novel. This is
a series of mystery/techno thrillers famous for inducing nail-biting
suspense and havoc-wrecking action! This is why, even if you have
already guessed, that The Seventh Plague has something to do
with the biblical plagues of Egypt, please rest assured this is just
the beginning of it and you haven't seen anything yet! And today I
will be sharing my non-spoiler review for this much anticipated new
book of Sigma Force.
Synopsis:
Out of the Sudanese desert came a
delirious man, who stumbled his way to a small town and died shortly
after. The officials identified him as Professor Harold McCabe, the
leader of a British expedition who disappeared two years ago.
A medical team arrived on the scene to
perform an autopsy, only to be shocked and mystified by what they saw
– there, on the cold, steely bench lied the professor's body, but
it appeared that someone started mummifying the good professor while
he was still alive!
The bizarre discovery called for a
further examination of the body, and the professor's mortal remain
was returned to London. Meanwhile, disturbing news came from Egypt;
an unidentified disease struck down all members of the medical team
who performed the autopsy, and a strange plague also began to spread
as a wild fire in Cairo.
A colleague of the professor took this
alarming news in great concern. Before Professor McCabe disappeared,
he was leading an expedition to search for the truth behind the
biblical plagues of Egypt.
Can this be a coincidence?
It was not long before Painter Crowe,
the director of Sigma Force, received a distress call for help. As
soon as Painter Crowe and Sigma Force operatives began to investigate
the case, however, they met a throwback immediately; a shadowy group
of assailants firebombed the professor's home and destroyed his body,
erasing all evidence. Now, Sigma Force must turn to the professor's
daughter for help.
The clock ticks away as the pandemic
spreads across the globe. Together, Sigma Force and the professor's
daughter must hurry and piecing together an ancient puzzle, and find
its linkage to an untold, historical journey involving Mark Twain,
Nikola Tesla, and Henry Morgan Stanley. Should Sigma Force fail,
unthinkable consequences will emerge from the shadow of a forgotten
past.
Thus begins the adventure of The
Seventh Plague, where Painter Crowe and Sigma Force are facing
their deadliest challenge yet...
My thoughts on this book:
Reading The Seventh Plague was a
blast! This book is a fast, thrill machine and it has Sigma
Force's signature stamped all over it.
What is this “signature”? Well,
since 2005, Sigma Force novels have attracted a large
readership, because these novels successfully blended science fiction
with history. I do not know if the science and history in these books
are credible, but I do love how James Rollins meshed these “facts”
together so seamlessly to writing these ultra fun, engaging novels.
The Seventh Plague opened its
story with a mystery. The moment I read its first page, it
immediately dragged me into a whirlpool of suspense. Throughout the
rest of the novel, James Rollins gradually weaved tensions into the
narratives, and his story beats at an excellent rhythm. The story
maintained its suspense and mystery, right until the last page.
Chapter after chapter, its many twists and turns will keep surprising
you at the least expected moment. Not a single page in this book
bored me, and I was yearning for more when the story ran to its end.
This year, I have read dozens of thrillers, but The Seventh Plague
stands near the top, as one of the best entries of 2016.
The Seventh Plague is using the
biblical plagues of Egypt as a background for its story. At this
point, some might be wondering, is this another “Dan Brownish”
novel, attracting readers with religious controversy? Nope, I do not
think this book is controversial at all. While The Seventh Plague
is based on religious history, but James Rollins pulls it off with
style. I do not think this book will offend a religious follower.
Sigma Force novels are exemplars
of the thriller genre, but character development is also contributing
greatly to its wide success; veterans and new comers to the series
have all expressed their love for the characters in these books.
Character development in thrillers? Yes, that is right! While best-selling thrillers don't usually pay attention to character
development, but James Rollins has put a lot of works into portraying
and growing his characters over the years. Most Sigma Force
operatives, from Painter Crowe, Gray Pierce, Monk, Seichan, Kathryn,
and Kowalski, are recurring characters in the series. James Rollins
did an excellent job at depicting, how, the events in these books
impacted and changed his characters. This means, while every Sigma
Force novel is telling a stand alone story, but the heroes in
these books are changing and growing from one book to the next, and a
reader will become very fond of these characters. James Rollin's
characters are an memorable, and likable bunch of daredevils. They
will cut marrow deep impressions into your mind, and you cannot help
but anticipating the next book.
Indeed, although The Seventh Plague
delivered a satisfying conclusion to its story, but I cannot wait to
read the next Sigma Force adventure. I wonder what's in store
for Rollin's beloved characters, and what ancient mystery and peril are lurking around the corner, waiting to strike out at Sigma Force next time.
If you like Sigma Force series,
then you will love The Seventh Plague. On the other hand, if
you have never read a Sigma Force book but have a fondness for
thriller novels, then I recommend this series to you, starting from a book called, Sandstorm.
Until the next time, happy reading!
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