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gbdill's review against another edition
4.0
I thought this was a terrific book. Not worth a 5-star rating, nevertheless, it had lots of adventure and was totally unpredictable. The ending got a little corny, but ending his books with the strange and unusual is normal fare for James Rollins novels. I was intrgued with the author's knowledge of Incan culture, both its religious and social aspects. I also enjoyed the adventure deep into the caves of the South American jungle. It does make one wonder if there are still unreached places of South America yet to be explored. If you like adventure, suspense, and traveling into the unknown, then this book is for you.
zach's review against another edition
2.0
Repetitive, predictable, and not much depth. The fast food of fiction books.
gaulien's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
seanml's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Excavation is a very fun thriller that sets out exactly what it aims to. You're taken along on a wild adventure through the Andes, moving through peril after peril and twist after twist. Of course, you have to have characters, so to keep the plot simple enough, you've got your Texas boy who ALWAYS wears his hat, the Irish girl who's REALLY Irish, the photographer who is ALWAYS coming in with those jokes, and the homophobe, who's...REALLY homophobic. Obviously this sets up a redemption arc for them, but also nobody really takes this guy's homophobia seriously. Why? ANYWAYS doesn't matter - the revelations are fun, and everybody gets their one-liners in. My favorites are 'Told you smoking kills' and 'Just shut up and kiss me!' But very fun overall. 8/10.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Grief, Car accident, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture, Death of parent, and Alcohol
raggedyman1342's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"A team of explorers and a National Geographic photographer unearth the remains of 500 year old Dominican monk. Etched on his cross is a strange message. His secret tells of something wondrous and terrifying waiting to be unearthed." (From Amazon)
I have read this novel twice now and can probably do another reread of it. It is a great adventure thriller novel that has you reading right to the end because you want to know what is going to happen next.
read 2004 and 2008
"A team of explorers and a National Geographic photographer unearth the remains of 500 year old Dominican monk. Etched on his cross is a strange message. His secret tells of something wondrous and terrifying waiting to be unearthed." (From Amazon)
I have read this novel twice now and can probably do another reread of it. It is a great adventure thriller novel that has you reading right to the end because you want to know what is going to happen next.
read 2004 and 2008
madzior57's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
authorjbr's review against another edition
4.0
Rollins is a great writer. A few moments that feel off or out of character, but otherwise he sets up his characters, throws them into a problem, and gets out of the way.
acsar's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
apatrick's review against another edition
Gosh, this was so terrible I had to quit reading. And I was sitting in a waiting room. Staring into space was better than reading this because my eyeballs were tired from rolling every third sentence.
Full of cliches. Sam doesn't just wear a cowboy hat, it's a "Stetson". In e-v-e-r-y mention. They sit in "stygian darkness". The middle-aged scientists feel awkward about their sexual tension. The black football player hates the gay guy. Albino tarantulas creep out of underground cave. The (Spanish-speaking) hired security team is secretly planning to kill the archaeologists and loot the site. And the Indian translator says "I no know". Give me a break. I thought about putting it in the pile of books in the waiting area but thought it might be bad karma to inflict this terrible book on another person.
Full of cliches. Sam doesn't just wear a cowboy hat, it's a "Stetson". In e-v-e-r-y mention. They sit in "stygian darkness". The middle-aged scientists feel awkward about their sexual tension. The black football player hates the gay guy. Albino tarantulas creep out of underground cave. The (Spanish-speaking) hired security team is secretly planning to kill the archaeologists and loot the site. And the Indian translator says "I no know". Give me a break. I thought about putting it in the pile of books in the waiting area but thought it might be bad karma to inflict this terrible book on another person.