"Enjoyable, high-energy thriller.Fans of Dan Brown and Clive Cussler will love this book." - Kirkus (starred review) "Lots of writers sacrifice character for pacing or spend so much time with their characters that the story feels lethargic. Rollins has found the perfect balance. Another terrific action thriller from a master of the genre." - Booklist "Nobody does this stuff better." - Lee Child "James Rollins once again demonstrates his mastery of the genre with [ Arkangel ] . a strong contender for best book of 2024.
" - The Real Book Spy " Tides of Fire is an outstanding, high-octane read that will make you look at the world around you from a different point of view and should be treated as a cautionary tale about what our planet is capable of." - Bookreporter.com "Master of the Doomsday scenario." - Steve Alten, bestselling author of The Meg, Meg 2: The Trench, and The Loch, on Tides of Fire "Science fiction and archaeology have had a long relationship. The link is a conviction that there is a hidden truth in the relics of dead civilizations.and that this can be uncovered by what we now know about science. The dominant figure in this area of fiction right now is James Rollins." - Wall Street Journal "A university professor is murdered.
As shocking as it seems, one of his own students might be responsible. Shortly before his death, the professor entrusted an intensely valuable and historically significant ancient text to a student. But shadowy, powerful people will do anything to get their hands on it. This new novel by the author of the Sigma Force series (most recently, Arkangel , 2024) asks whether the contents of the ancient text reveal a world-altering truth or are merely the ramblings of a long-dead man. Can a presumed murderer stay alive long enough to prove her innocence? Typically for a Rollins novel, the story moves at a brisk clip, but the author finds moments to slow down and let the reader get to know the characters, which means we actually care what happens to these people. Lots of writers sacrifice character for pacing or spend so much time with their characters that the story feels lethargic. Rollins has found the perfect balance. Another terrific action thriller from a master of the genre.
" - Booklist "A modern-day thriller rooted in ancient alchemy. Attackers slit a woman''s throat in Norway as her captive husband refuses to divulge the location of a unique book. The man was the Twelfth Keeper of the strange tome, which he''s already spirited away to the Thirteenth Keeper, a professor at the University of Exeter in England. Fearing he will be discovered, the professor urgently passes it to Sharyn Karr, an American graduate student in witchcraft. (Yes, that''s a real thing.) She must take the book, never open it, and keep it safe. "Trust no one," he admonishes. Soon after, the professor is found in the Old Library with a dagger in his heart.
The book has quite a provenance: It''s the work of 18th-century alchemist Comte de Saint-Germain, "a man who does not die, and who knows everything." Initially entrusted to a woman close to Marie Antoinette, its pages are "suffused with a combustible elixir" that will ignite should anyone attempt to force it open. It''s so important because it contains a map and three adages that contain the secret to immortality. The Confrérie, or Brotherhood, are willing to kill for a secret that extends life and betters the human condition. (Wait, what?) The object of their lust is bound in copper and leather, with a mysterious, intricately decorated crystalline orb that locks it. So Karr and a few friends--whom she trusts despite the warning--go on the run. "For truth be told," she muses, "what harm could come from a book?" Certainly none from this enjoyable, high-energy thriller, but likely death from possessing Saint-Germain''s combustible creation. The friends go to the Tower of London, brave a fierce blizzard in Italy, and find ancient, disused caves in the Dolomite mountains, but their enemies know where to look.
One of the scoundrels is a cardinal from the Vatican, bless his heart. Readers will like the raven that''s fed blood-soaked biscuits and the lynx that enters the fray. Fans of Dan Brown and Clive Cussler will love this book." - Kirkus (starred review).