About this title: When several people are burned to death during the theft of a religious artefact, Gray Pierce, a new member of the US SIGMA force, pursues a clandestine fraternity of alchemists who would use the artefact to establish a new world order.
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Description: Good. 0060765240 Good condition paperback book, some creases to spine, some edge/corner rubs, may have corner crease, small edge tear or spine slant, a good book for reading. Shop & Save With US. read more
Description: Very Good. 0060765240 Mass Market Paperback, Condition: Very Good; this book is in very good condition but does have some curve to the spine / reading creases to the covers. read more
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Avon
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780060765248ISBN:0060765240
Description: Good. 0060765240 Mass market paperback, previously read used book in good condition, varying degrees of shelf wear, some spine creases, m..._ read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Avon Books
Date Published: 2006
ISBN-13:9780060765248ISBN:0060765240
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Spine creasing and cover wear. Still a solid reading copy. Mass market (rack) paperback. Glued binding. 540 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
"A mysterious mass murder in a cathedral in Cologne, Germany starts this book and sets a quick place. At a midnight mass, all partakers of communion were fried from the inside. Everyone else was shot. A covert sect of the U.S. government called Sigma is called together with representatives of the Vatican to piece together a puzzle that will ultimately lead them to find the Magi described in the Bible - the "Three Wise Men".
This book is a story of their bones and an ancient secret of truth left behind in puzzles and clues so only the deserving will discover the answers. This knowledge is powerful and with it terrifying weapons could be built to control the world or bring about Armageddon. The party responsible for the mass murder in Cologne, The Dragon Court, has learned just enough to build a test weapon. Both they and the Sigma/Vatican team are racing one another to solve the mystery first.
Historical record and scientific fact are merged together in a fictional thriller. This combination happens to be my very favorite type of novel, so I enjoyed the read immensely. Some parts dragged a little and some were repetitive, since The Dragon Court and the Sigma team were always neck and neck. There were a few cool surprises and a few moles I never suspected. I can't wait to read some of Rollins' other novels."
"The book was a fast read which was nice. It was basically a light read while traveling or in a waiting room. The science parts were nice but the action sequences were tiring. It seemed like I was watching a show on television that needed an action sequence for every commercial break. I also do not enjoy books that you know that the good guys are all going to survive because it is part of a series. The Harry Potter books were written for children and young adult and dared to kill off major characters this made the danger more real.
In summary nice light read with formulaic action. Not really my type of book anymore."
"This is a strange one to review. First, it was another entertaining book. I liked the introduction of new characters. It moved at a good pace, it was interesting. So, for that I give it 4 stars.
As usual, anyone who tries to set a Gnostic foundation to Christianity, they never use the bible as their source. It is always based on some obscure texts and taking biblical verses out of context to make the entire thing work. For a piece of fiction, no big deal. However, people need to be able to step back and realize that this stuff is purely fiction. There is a reason why Gnostic gospels have been left out of the bible... they are not theologically aligned with the rest of the bible. It isn't because of some dangerous hidden knowledge that people want kept safe, or a truth people tried to suppress. Those texts weren't in agreement with anything else in the bible, so they don't belong.
Having said that, if you have problems with books that deal with issues of history and faith, avoid this book. If not, then enjoy it for what it is... FICTION!"
"Gray Pierce is the lead operative at SIGMA, a covert government agency that makes the CIA look like a bunch of pansies. He and his team of specialists are in a race against time to decipher ancient clues to a treasure that could destroy the world if acquired by the deadly Dragon Court. It's all standard treasure hunting fare, done countless times by Rollins, Dan Brown, Clive Cussler, and probably a few of your relatives. As long as they are written good I enjoy them. In this case, Map of Bones, it is written very well and even has the bonus of having solid characters. It's a non-stop thriller that traverses the globe, offering quite a bit of history, most based on real concepts, but all no doubt embellished for the sake of the story. Through the course of the book, puzzles are contemplated and solved far too conveniently, just like in the DaVinci Code. Heroes get themselves in tight spots with very little suspense of whether or not they will survive, because they always do in these kind of books! Regardless, there is a certain comfort in knowing that your hero is about to kick some ass and really show that bad guy what time it is. Cheesy, I know, but that's why we read these books. I loved it - great summer adventure book, interesting historical perspective, and fun well thought out characters. I highly recommend it."
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