I try to review mostly fantasy and sci-fi on the blog, but this techno-thriller/historical puzzle book caught me up so well I decided to include it. (And besides, much of it reads like a sci-fi novel anyway). So without further ado, here’s my review of Map of Bones by James Rollins
Commander Grayson Pierce is a member of an elite special ops branch known as Sigma Force. A secret branch of the US Military, Sigma Force uses a unique approach of taking operatives from other covert ops groups and retraining them as both scientists and soldiers. They attend graduate level science courses, most earning multiple degrees, while maintaining their specialized military training, making them a wickedly intelligent force to be reckoned with.
When a Catholic cathedral in Germany is attacked by terrorists during mass, German and Vatican allies pull some strings in the US and Sigma Force is called in to investigate. Why Sigma Force? Because a strange weapon is deployed that kills all but a handful of the parishoners without leaving a mark on their bodies, and only a handful of bones from the altar are taken. The scientist soldiers are the best ones for the case on a mystery like this.
In Germany the Sigma Force team, lead by Commander Pierce is joined by Rachel Verona, Vatican Law enforcement, and her uncle who is both a spy and a high ranking priest. Together they uncover a disturbing truth. That the weapon used on the cathedral is based in an ancient science believed to be practiced by the magi from the Bible (i.e. the three wise men). Knowledge that was hidden from the world by Catholic alchemists who feared mankind wasn’t ready for such dangerous secrets yet.
An ancient cult known as the Imperial Dragon Court is seeking to unlock the mysteries left behind by the alchemists in order to topple governments and usher in a new world order. And their field commander, Raoul, seems to be one step ahead of Pierce at every turn.
Now let me say that I don’t usually read techno thrillers, because I find it difficult to connect with the characters in many of them. Rollins, however, does a masterful job of not just building up the characters in believable ways and making you want to root for them, but creating realistic relationships between them. The pasts, motivations, and personalities meld and clash in a very interesting and exciting way. Indeed the characters are a huge part of why I didn’t want to put the book down. Not that I’d expect anything less from James Rollins, who in my experience always delivers on that front.
I’ve found very few techno-thrillers (although granted I haven’t read widely in the genre) that have romance arcs I can get behind. Granted, I’m not huge on romance in general so I can be a bit picky on this front. Still, for my two cents, either the romance in techno-thrillers overpowers everything to the point of being silly, or it feels thrown in as an afterthought. Map of Bones, while doesn’t get it completely right, gets a lot closer than any other I’ve read. There are a few awkward moments in the book’s major romance arc that make it a little too obvious that’s the direction things are heading at moments when it seems odd to bring it up. But overall I felt it was well done.
As with any good thriller, the pace starts out quick and only ramps up as the story continues, so fans of high octane action and adventure will find a lot to love in this book. The aspect of ancient science that comes into play actually plays a lot into this, as the puzzles the characters must solve often have the burden of time hanging over them.
What interesting puzzles they are too! The puzzle portions of the book contain both science fiction and historical aspects. Reading about the modern science of m-state metals, wherein theoretically energy can be trapped in powdered gold made into glass, etc. and combined with the theories behind the ancient sciences of the magi are quite interesting to read about in their own right.
Really, I could go on and on about this book and its author. James Rollins, for those who don’t know, used to also write fantasy under the pen name James Clemens, and his Banned and the Banished series is another excellent read you should check out.
As for Map of Bones, I recommend it to thriller fans, but also science fiction and action adventure fans as well. I give it 4/5 stars, and definitely suggest you find a copy. The Sigma Force novels are still ongoing (although as Map of Bones proves, you don’t necessarily have to start with book one. I didn’t realize it was the second book in the series until I was half-way through it)
