Book Review: The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski (Jonathan Payne & David Jones #4)

I am fond of treasure hunt stories.

Indiana Jones movies and The Sigma Force novels are among my favorite films and books. I like treasure hunt stories based on speculations of historical facts, where the heroes travel around the world to exotic locations, encounter esoteric societies harboring centuries old conspiracies, then decipher forgotten tomes and explore dark, ancient ruins to recover lost histories and artifacts.

For me, curling up on a couch with a treasure hunt thriller novel and a cup of tea, helps me to unwind and relax after a day's work. I am always on the lookout for a good treasure hunt thriller. The Lost Throne attracted my attention, because this book embodies everything that makes a treasure hunt story fun and exiting. When it became available at my local library, I loaned it as soon as I could.

The Lost Throne is a treasure hunt thriller written by best-selling author Chris Kuzneski. It is also the fourth book in a series featuring two characters, Jonathan Payne and David Jones. Although The Lost Throne is the fourth book in a series, but you don't need to read the previous novels, because each book in this series is a stand-alone novel. This book counts to 600 pages, and I had a great time reading it during the weekend. Today, I would like to review this book.

Synopsis:

Former MANIAC operatives Jonathan Payne and David Jones were enjoying the sunshine-bathed beach in Florida, when they received a mysterious phone call. Distress and panic flooded the voice of the caller, warning Payne that this is a “life or death” situation. The cryptic phone call drew Payne and Jones into a series of investigations, spanning across continental Europe.

Meanwhile, a group of men, armed with ancient Spartan weapons and armors, broke into the monastery of Meteora in Greece and brutally executed 8 monks. Nick Dial, an investigator from Interpol, arrived on the crime scene to resolve this puzzling case. Is there a connection between Payne's mystery phone call and the murder case at Meterora?

My thoughts on this book:

In the past, I have read two other books in Jonathan Payne and David Jones series, namely Sword of God and The Prophecy. I enjoyed them despite some flaws in the structuring of those two books. In comparison to those two books, The Lost Throne didn't bring any ground-breaking improvements over those two books. This book follows a formulaic storytelling method found in other Kuzneski's books, where the main plot is divided into two parallel storylines that only converged at the end.

I don't mind reading a book with parallel storylines, as long as the author can converge them at the end convincingly. However, in The Lost Throne (and other books written by Kuzneski), I found the ending of this book unbelievable, where the parallel storylines converged in a rough, forcible manner. This is the main flaw of The Lost Throne.

Having said this, I still had a great time reading this book. Firstly, the story in this book moves at a very fast pace. Like most best-selling thriller novels, The Lost Throne is a page-turning adventure romp filled with octane driven actions and puzzling mysteries. The kind of stuff that will keep you at the edge of your seat, paging through the book and wanting more. Secondly, while the writings in this book are sometimes cheesy, but it is clear, concise, and helps the story to flow smoothly.

Like most thriller novels, The Lost Throne does not excel in the department of characterization. The characters are mostly two dimensional, lacking real character developments. However, as protagonists, Jonathan Payne and David Jones are likeable characters. Their dialogues are humorous, bringing comedic effects into the book. In my view, it would have been good if the author can embed some sort of character development into the story, to show how the events from the book influenced or changed the characters.

In summary, while The Lost Throne has its share of flaws, but this book tells an entertaining, thrilling adventure story. If you are looking to read a thoughtful, well written book, then I would NOT recommend this book to you. However, if you looking to read a fun and exciting book that will help you unwind during the weekend (something like Matthew Reilly's books), then look no further, The Lost Throne will provide you with great entertainment for a few hours.

Book Review: The Price of Spring by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #4)

“We say that flowers return every spring, but that is a lie. It is true that the world is renewed. It is also true that that renewal comes at a price, for even if the flower grows from an ancient vine, the flowers of spring are themselves new to the world, untried and untested.

The flower that wilted last year is gone. Petals once fallen are fallen forever. Flowers do not return in the spring, rather they are replaced. It is in this difference between returned and replaced that the price of renewal is paid.And as it is for spring flowers, so it is for us.”

                                        -Daniel Abraham, The Price of Spring

Finally! I finished reading Long Price Quartet!

A great sense of satisfaction flooded my mind, as I turned to the last page in The Price of Spring, the 4^th and the final installment in Long Price Quartet series. Yet, at the same time, I was sorry to see the series end. Long Price Quartet is an epic fantasy series of its kind. Its story is unique, meaningful and bold. Its characterizations are dynamic and vividly portrayed. When this story concluded in The Price of Spring, it concluded in the most elegant manner.

That's right! If I was to use one word to describe The Price of Spring, I would use the word “elegant”. Today, I would like to share my thoughts about this book in a review, to help you decide if you would like to make a commitment to read this series. Let me begin this review, by providing a synopsis.

Synopsis:

Every decision has a consequence and a price to be paid.

Fifteen years ago, the Galt empire invaded the cities of the Khaiem. The Galts seek to destroy the Khaiem poets and their Andats, magical entities capable of unimaginable powers. The people of these two great nations fought a bitter, devastating war. In the end, Andats were destroyed, and the poets were no more. But both Galts and Khaiem paid a heavy price for this war; every Galt man became infertile, while every Khaiem woman lose the ability to bear children.

Otah Machi, now the emperor of the Khaiem, sits on his throne and watches in despair, as his people wither and fade like the falling autumn leaves. Because for 15 years, Khaiem people have had no new born babies. Otah himself is in his twilight years. With his remaining strength, Otah wishes to secure a hope for his people. So he made a plan, to forge an alliance with Khaiem's bitter enemy, the Galts. Where the Khaiem men would intermarry with Galt women, to produce a new generation of children, and a peaceful future.

But Oath's old friend, the poet Maati, harbors great guilt over his contribution to the disastrous ending of the war. Maati thought it was his fault that the world is broken. Against the will of Otah, Maati began to train female poets in secret. Hoping to produce a new generation of female poets capable of binding new andats. He hopes to use the power of andat to restore the world, back to the way it was before the war.

Thus begins the final chapter in Long Price Quartet. Otah and Maati, an emperor and a poet, two life time friends, are now enemies working against each other. Each man believes he has the better solution. Meanwhile, the future of the Khaiem empire and the Galts rest on a threshold, as a rocking boat on the stormy sea....

What I think about this book:

The Price of Spring brought the story of Long Price Quartet to a bitter sweet, but satisfying conclusion. This story spans over a period of 70 years. Readers follow the lives of two characters, Otah Machi and his friend Maati, from the time when they were young, until they were old. This allowed the author to highlight the character development, where readers can closely observe how events in each novel shaped the lives of the characters in a deep, and profound way. The Price of Spring moves at a slower pace, when compared to the previous installment, An Autumn War. Yet, this book will still charm its reader with top notch storytelling, packed with torrents of suspense, building up to an unexpected, and elegant ending.

Long Price Quartet explores a variety of interesting themes. The previous novel, An Autumn War, explored the theme for The Weapon of Mass Destruction. While this theme is still present in The Price of Spring, but this book distinguishes itself from the previous novel, diving deeply into the theme of female oppression and gender inequality. Personally, I absolutely adore the idea of using fantasy novels as thought experiments and social commentaries to explore the injustices in our social arena. Because I believe made-up stories can really mean something, if it can make us think.

Two nights ago, I closed The Price of Spring and put the book back on my shelf. I felt sad waving goodbye to the characters in this book. I must confess, when I began reading this series, I wasn't expecting to be moved this deeply by it. But after 3 weeks, and 4 novels later, I found Long Price Quartet to be a truly moving tale. So at the end of this review, I would recommend this series to fans of the fantasy genre, especially if you are looking for fantasy novels with thoughtful themes.

Book Review: An Autumn War by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #3)

An Autumn War is the third book in Daniel Abraham's epic fantasy series, Long Price Quartet. I have read the first 2 books in this series and really liked them. Long Price Quartet is one of the most unique and interesting fantasy series I've read. Most book reviews hailed An Autumn War as the best book in the series. So a week ago, when I turned to the first page in An Autumn War, I could hardly contain my excitement.

This book is a medium sized novel counting to 340 pages, and I read it in 4 sittings. What do I think of it? In short, this book is brilliant!

Today, I would like to share some of my thoughts about this book.

Synopsis:

The story in An Autumn War takes place 14 years after the events in the previous book, A Betrayal in Winter.

The plot follows the life of Otah Machi, now ruling supreme as Khai in the northern city of Machi. He tries to steer his people to a futuristic vision, where the city's commerce and defense would no longer rely on magical entities known as andat.

However, his efforts are to late.

An empire known as Galt, has long harbored ambitions to annex her neighbor. You see, for ten generations, andats stood as the only line of defense for Otah's people, warding off invasions from the Galts. But recently, a brilliant Galt general discovered a way to neutralize the andats.

Without the andats, the world is left at the mercy of the Galts. As the army of the Galts marches to the city of Machi, Otah and his old friend, the Poet Maati, must find a way to avert the fate of their nation from the brink of destruction.

What I think about this book:

Most book reviews praised An Autumn War as the best book in Long Price Quartet series. My opinion is slightly different. I think An Autumn War is just as good as the other books in this series, and each novel has its own individual strengths and features. Having said this, I found the pace in An Autumn War is faster than the previous 2 installments.

Until now, every novel in Long Price Quartet series were structured around political intrigues. In previous 2 novels, readers witnessed the build-up of tensions between two nations of different cultures. In this book, the tension finally erupted into the flames of war, consuming the people of both nations.

This war, is based on an interesting premise: 

One nation has the weapon of mass destruction but doesn't use it, and how it increases the tension and mistrust between two nations already in conflict. 

Daniel Abraham wrote about this war beautifully and tragically. The central plot is layered upon intricate characterizations. In this book, no character is depicted as obvious “good” or “evil”. Every character, from protagonists to antagonists, do what they have to do with the circumstances they are given, to help their own people. In other words, this book explores the stories on both sides of two warring nations, where the characters in this book are depicted realistically, and readers can easily connect with these characters.

For me, every novel in this series is a rewarding read, more so in An Autumn War. In the previous 2 installments, readers have seen how the characters erred in their decisions. There are consequences and prices to be paid for their errors. At the end of this book, the price finally rose from the culmination of their past errors, and struck them in the most unexpected and tragic way. 

Indeed, the ending of this book was a stunningly brilliant piece of writing. After I finished reading this book, I finally understood why this series is called “Long Price Quartet”. Yet, the story is not finished. I feel both eager and anxious about reading the next, and the final installment to Long Price Quartet, titled “The Price of Spring”. After the unexpected, but brilliant ending in An Autumn War, I feel anxious about what the future has in store for these characters, what other price will they pay? But at the same time, I simply cannot wait to find out how this series will conclude.

If you like epic fantasy, then I highly recommend Long Price Quartet to you. In the meantime, off I go to read The Price of Spring. Until the next time, happy reading!

Book Review: A Betrayal in Winter by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #2)

Long Price Quartet is a series of epic fantasy novels written by Daniel Abraham. This series distinguished itself from the mass of fantasy novels in the genre, breaking the mould of fantasy archetypes and tropes. 

A Betrayal in Winter is the second book in Long Price Quartet. The story in this sequel takes place 13 years after the events in its predecessor, A Shadow in Summer. I read A Shadow of Summer last week and really liked it. This week, I read A Betrayal in Winter.

In my opinion, I think A Betrayal in Winter is a better book than its predecessor in every aspect. Let me start this review, by providing a synopsis.

Synopsis:

Machi stands proud as the most powerful city in the northern lands. The city is ruled by Khai, who is slowly dying of old age. Traditions dictate the sons of Khai must kill each other, until only one remains to succeed as the new Khai.

Yet, the tradition of fratricide is not the only problem facing Machi. An empire called Galt, harbors an ambition to aggressively expand its influences. This time, Galt is plotting a scheme with someone from inside Machi, to eliminate Khai's entire family. The conspiracy began, when Khai's eldest son was murdered.

Otah Machi, the 6^th son of Khai, was exiled as a boy. With his father dying, and his brother murdered, Otah became the number one suspect for the murder of his brother. Under these circumstances, against his will, Otah found himself drawn into the centre of conflicts at Machi.

What I think about this book:

I think A Betrayal in Winter is a better book than A Shadow in Summer. Daniel Abraham went up a notch in his skills as a novelist, and this installment is more compact than the previous book . This also means, in A Betrayal in Winter, the storytelling is more coherent and engaging than in A Shadow in Summer.

Like its predecessor, the story in A Betrayal in Winter moves at a slow pace. However, the slow paced story acts in favor for this book. This is a character driven story, the plot is driven by intrigues. Naturally, the slow pace allows readers to explore the characters in depth, and become immersed in the world of Long Price Quartet. Personally, I really like this book (and this series). But in my opinion, if you are looking to read a fast-paced, hack & slash styled fantasy novel, then you probably won't like A Betrayal in Winter.

The characterization is probably the strongest aspect in this book. This book is cast with memorable dramatis personae. Every character, from the protagonists, supporting characters, to the antagonists, are portrayed vividly. Furthermore, I think the characterization in Abraham's books is superior than most novels in the fantasy genre. Let me explain:

These days, fantasy authors try to steer away from the traditional “good guys” versus “bad buys” storyline. Because in the real life, conflicts aren't always about “good guys” versus “bad guys”. Instead, in reality, “being human” means we all try to do our best, based on the circumstances we are given. This means, if fantasy novels can begin to accurately depict the complexities of “being human”, then dressed it up with fantastic, exciting stories set in worlds where imagination is the limit, then fantasy fictions will become a marvelous literary genre to behold.

However, very few fantasy novels have fully achieved this goal yet. In fact, most fantasy novels, not matter how “grim-dark” they are, still base their stories on conflicts about “some sort” of good guys versus “some sort” of bad guys.

This is where this book (and this series) truly distinguished itself from other books in the genre, and shines brightly as one the most unique stories I've read. You see, in A Betrayal in Winter, it is really hard for a reader to point the finger at the antagonists and judge them. Don't get me wrong, this book is NOT blurring the line between right and wrong. Instead, what I am saying is, in this book, the author gave his readers an omniscient view, showing the circumstances surrounding every character and their thoughts. Then the book turns around and ask its reader; if you were put in a character's circumstances and become that person, can you really say you can do better?

At 300 pages, A Betrayal in Winter is not a long book. Yet, I spent 4 days to read this book. The pace of the story is slow, but when I turned to the last page of the book, I realized how rewarding and memorable this book is. I was still thinking about this book for days after I finished reading it. At the end of this review, I would recommend this book (and the series) to fans of epic fantasy novels looking for something different to read. If you don't mind reading a relatively slow paced book, and a lack of hack & slash action don't bother you, then you would probably find a lot to like about this book.

Book Review: A Summer in Shadow by Daniel Abraham (Long Price Quartet #1)

Being an avid reader of fantasy fictions, I am always keeping an eye out for fantasy novels that are unique and original. This is why, when I heard about Daniel Abraham's Long Price Quartet, a critically acclaimed fantasy quadrilogy, it attracted my attention and I added it to my “to read” list.

I purchased these books last winter, and these books have sat on my bookshelf for almost 8 months, waiting for my attention. Last weekend, I finally had the chance to start reading them. After I finished reading the first novel, A Shadow in Summer, I was very impressed by it. A Shadow in Summer is unlike any fantasy novel I've read in the past, and it refreshed the fantasy genre with strokes of originality.

Today, I would like to provide a book review for A Shadow in Summer

Synopsis:

Saraykeht is the wealthiest of all Summer Cities. It embodied the remnant of the empire's glorious past. Saraykeht's mighty ports opened to welcome merchants from all comers of the world. Meanwhile, commerce flourished on Saraykeht streets. Traders flooded the public square, dealing gold, jewels and exotic merchandize. Along the dreams of wealth and fortune, desires and unimaginable pleasures can be satisfied and purchased in the city's soft quarter.

Sarakeht is as wealthy as it is decadent. Its people believed the city is the icon of progress. Until a political disaster struck the city, threatening to tear down this beacon of progress, brick by brick..

What I think about this book:

I believe a lot of readers have observed, the fantasy genre is filled with books about wars and conflicts, taking place in medieval, European themed castles and worlds. I am happy to report, A Summer in Shadow steered away from those traditions. The story in A Summer in Shadow took place in a world inspired by the culture of feudal Japan. Furthermore, while the story does revolve around a conflict (a cultural one), but the conflict did not resolve by armies or wars. Instead, the central conflict in the story was resolved by politics and intrigues.

This means, I suspect some readers, especially the ones who are looking for a fast-paced fantasy novel with hack & slash actions, may find A Summer in Shadow a slow book and lacking actions. Admittedly, this book moved at a slow place. But the slow pace actually suit the theme and the vibe of the story quite well. This is because A Shadow in Summer is mainly a character driven book, and the “actions” in the story mostly centred on the crescendo of intrigues and diplomacy. However, this also means reading A Summer in Shadow, is a rewarding experience. So if you don't mind reading a non-traditional fantasy story, then you might find this book to your liking.

One of the trademarks of fantasy fictions, is a world filled with magic. In fact, one of the key elements in fantasy novels, is the magic system. A Shadow in Summer has a very unique magic system. Instead of warriors or wizards, this book has poets. That's right! In the world of Long Price Quartet, poets are your fantasy equivalent of warriors and wizards. These poets don't cast spells, nor do they fight. Instead, poets spend their entire lives to bind and harness ideas, such as capturing an “Andat”. What is an “Andat”? Put it shortly, in the world of Long Price Quartet, Andats are abstract ideas in human form. Because Andats are abstract ideas, they are immortal and almost invincible. This is very interesting, don't you think?

Other than a unique magic system, I think another strength for A Summer in Shadow, is the characterization, let me explain: In recent years, fantasy novelists (such as George R.R. Martin, Mark Lawrence, or Joe Abercrombie) have been trying to introduce a sense of “realism” into fantasy novels by depicting the human condition. Modern fantasy authors aim to create characters who are not completely good, or completely bad. I think this literary movement makes sense because in real life, people are not black and white. However, in my opinion, not many fantasy novels have managed to fully replicate “the human condition and realism”. Take for example, in A Song of Ice and Fire, the central plot still revolves around a conflict between “some sort of “ good guys and bad guys in the story.

This is not the case in A Shadow in Summer. In fact, this book did a brilliant job at incorporating “realism” into a fantasy novel. While the book still has a cast of protagonists and antagonists, but none of them are depicted as obviously “good” or “bad”. Instead, the characters here tried to do their best, based on the circumstances they were given (aren't we all like that?). This method of storytelling casts dynamic lights on every character, introducing a level of complexity that resembles people in real life. Then it gives the power of discernment to a reader, leaving a reader to think for him/herself, then coming to their own conclusions.

Apparently, A Shadow in Summer is Daniel Abraham's debut novel. So understandably, it was not a perfectly written book. Nevertheless, I really liked A Shadow in Summer for its originality and vivid portrayals of characters. This is the kind of novel that will make you think about it long after you closed the last page. I am really excited about reading this series, and I cannot wait to read the sequel, titled “A Betrayal in Winter”.

P.S.

The book publisher Orbit re-printed this series in two omnibuses. Each omnibus collects two novels from the series. I own these omnibuses, and I think this is the most economical option if you are looking to purchase the entire series, because these two omnibuses cost half of what you will be paying if you were purchasing these four novels separately.

However, for the purpose of book reviews, I am reviewing each novel independently.

Book Review: The Prophecy by Chris Kuzneski (Jonathan Payne & David Jones #5)

I think our world is shaped by prophecies.

Let me explain, I am not saying I am a believer of prophecies. In fact, personally I very skeptical of prophecies. What I meant to say was, since the dawn of time, prophecy and religion always went hand in hand with each other. Considering how religion has undeniably shaped the course of human history (for both good and bad), it also means prophecy played a crucial role, because it acted as a driving force behind religion. 

Take for example, Abrahamic religions, which include three major religions in the world with billions of followers, are in fact, belief systems based on apocalyptic prophecies. Admittedly, without these apocalyptic prophecies, these major religions would loose much force in their theological thrusts, and influence over their followers.

However, religion isn't the only major player in the arena of prophecy-making. One of the most enigmatic prophets of all time, is a Frenchman called Nostradamus. Apparently, Nostradamus was supposed to have prophecized a few things accurately, such as the Adolf Hitler, 911, so on and so forth.

I do not possess much occult knowledge, so I am not qualified to discern the legitimacy of Nostradamus prophecy. Nevertheless, since its publication, Nostradamus prophecy have spell-bounded people with webs of enchantment. The name Nostradamus, has become very well known in the common culture. In fact, the story of this mystical prophet is so intriguing, it attracted New York Times Bestselling author, Chris Kuzneski, to write a conspiracy thriller based on Nostradamus prophecy. This book is called The Prophecy, and it is the fifth installment in Kuzneski's thrilling series, about the adventures of retired US special-force operative, Jonathan Payne and David Jones.

Does any of this interest you? If so, feel free to read on because today, I would like to provide a review for this book.

Synopsis:

Legend says, before Nostradamus died, he made a secret book where he wrote down all of his prophecies in the plain language. Today, the whereabouts of this book remains hidden. That is, until a fateful night when a young woman paid a special visit to Jonathan Payne and David Jones.

From here, Payne and Jones witnessed a series of events strongly indicating the fulfillment of Nostradamus prophecies. This also means they found themselves entangled in a life threatening situation: They have to secure Nostradamus' lost book, lest it fall into the wrong hands...

What I think about this book:

The Prophecy is an addictive read and a fast-paced thriller. The two main characters in the book, Jonathan Payne and David Jones, make a charming duo as protagonists. The dialogues are humorous, flashing out the personalities of Payne and Jones. However, the characterization for the villain in this book is weak and unimpressive, and the author did not portray the villain's motive convincingly.

This book is tightly structured with an entertaining story. The author successfully layered piles of mysteries and puzzles into the plot, and the story remained suspenseful for the most of the time. Unfortunately, I found this book ended hastily in an anti-climax. But this does not mean The Prophecy is a bad book. For the first 400 pages in this book, the story was shrouded in suspense and tension. This is one of those thriller novels that is very hard to put down once you opened it.

Like most thrillers in the genre, The Prophecy is an action packed story, the book is filled with scenes of gun fights and explosions. I am happy to report these action scenes are realistic and not over the top, and they added flares to the story.

After I read this book, my interest in Nostradamus rose, leading me to watch a documentary from Discovery Channel about Nostradamus, where I learned a few things about the life of this famous French seer. Meanwhile, I like this book. While The Prophecy may not be the best conspiracy thriller I've ever read, but this book tells a fun and interesting story. It is one heck of a ride! I would recommend this book to fans of conspiracy thrillers, or lovers of mystery/crime novels.

Book Review: Sword of God by Chris Kuzneski (Jonathan Payne & David Jones #3)

I am a fan of religious conspiracy thriller novels. As a fan of the genre, I noticed in the past decade, religious conspiracy thriller has been thriving. It all started, when Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code gained mass popularity. Today, the reading world is full of religious conspiracy thrillers. Interestingly, these books often revolve around Christian extremism, and we rarely see a religious conspiracy thriller with a story about extremism from other religions. This is why, when I found out about Sword of God, is a religious conspiracy thriller about Islamic extremism, this book immediately grabbed my attention. I trekked to my local library, borrowed a copy, and consumed it within the space of 3 days. Today, I would like to share my thoughts about this book in a (spoiler-free) review.

Synopsis:

In Mecca, a young archeologist works her way to discover an artifact of unimaginable significance. In the meantime, in South Korea, an elite special-forces officer was murdered. To solve the mystery, the military called in former agents Jonathan Payne and David Jones on a black ops mission. The only problem is, Payne and Jones have no idea where to start. In other words, Payne and Jones are on their own.

As they gradually stripped away the layers of mysteries surrounding the murder in South Korea, Payne and Jones uncovered a plot that might throw the entire world into a war. Payne and Jones realized, there is only one way for them to finish this mission: They must uncover the truth before it's too late...

What I think about this book:

New York Times Bestselling author, Chris Kuzneski, wrote Sword of God. This is my first time reading Kuzneski's book, and I like the way he wrote this book. For starters, Kuzneski's writings move at a very fast pace and the story is packed with actions. The dialogues in this book are humorous, bringing the characters to life. When I was reading this book, I didn't want to put this book down or taking a break. This is because the story is exciting, and I always felt the need to find out what would happen in the next chapter.

Having said this, I do think a weakness resides in the structure of the book. Let me explain. Sword of God is divided into two major plots. In the first plot, readers follow the journey of a young archeologist in Mecca. In the second plot, the story revolves around the murder investigation in South Korea. While these two plots did converge in the end of the book, but the convergence came too late, and it did not feel natural. In other words, when these two plots finally combined, it felt forced and didn't connect very well. This means I also felt the ending was anti-climatic.

The main characters in this book, are Jonathan Payne and David Jones, both are retired special-forces operatives. These two characters are very likable. Their dialogues are humorous, and the humor further flashed out their personalities, while reflecting their close friendship. However, like most thriller novels, this book lacks character development. i.e. at the end of this book, both Payne and Jones seem unaffected by the life-threatening events they experienced. Personally, I think the lack of character development is a weakness in this book.

In terms of this book's theme, Sword of God stands out from other books in this genre. It is because this book is one of the very few religious conspiracy thrillers about Islamic extremism. Like all other books in this genre, such as The Da Vinci Code, Sword of God is bound to be controversial in the eyes of some people. However, I personally think Kuzneski doesn't seem to be using sensationalism or controversy to gain popularity for his book. 

In conclusion, I like Sword of God. This is my first encounter with Chris Kuzneski's books and it certainly won't be the last. This book has a well crafted story that is both fun and exciting. Meanwhile, this book will most likely pave the way for a reader to think about the relation between religious extremism and the modern world. If you like reading religious conspiracy thrillers, then make sure you check out Sword of God.