vixen13's review against another edition
0.5
Uuugh. This was such a mess. So many words to say so little. I think this premise made sense in the author's head, but it did not translate to the page. I cannot imagine how this series continues for more books. I would absolutely never read another of them.
kesnit's review against another edition
3.0
Convoluted
The author got too “cute” in this book. It takes too long for the reader to be let in on the “secret” (There is nothing wrong with a little mystery and suspense, but there has to be some hint of resolution.)
The puzzles are too convoluted, and yet the MC managed to solve them all with almost no difficulty. Again, there should be something that the reader can point to and say “oh, that makes sense.” Instead, I felt like I was being drug along.
The ending is unsatisfactory. What happened is not realistic. (A better solution would have been posting the Founding Document on the Internet...)
The author got too “cute” in this book. It takes too long for the reader to be let in on the “secret” (There is nothing wrong with a little mystery and suspense, but there has to be some hint of resolution.)
The puzzles are too convoluted, and yet the MC managed to solve them all with almost no difficulty. Again, there should be something that the reader can point to and say “oh, that makes sense.” Instead, I felt like I was being drug along.
The ending is unsatisfactory. What happened is not realistic. (A better solution would have been posting the Founding Document on the Internet...)
fivepennies907's review against another edition
3.0
Like a female Robert Langdon
This book seems to be modeled after the Di Vinci Code with a female protagonist. Unsuspecting scholar is pulled into a life and death game of riddles to solve. All in all enjoyable.
This book seems to be modeled after the Di Vinci Code with a female protagonist. Unsuspecting scholar is pulled into a life and death game of riddles to solve. All in all enjoyable.
scott_a_gardner's review
3.0
Better than some in the same vein
There are a ton of books out there along the same line. Members of a hidden order of the Catholic church (90% of the time they're the bad guys) are trying to stop the protagonist and hangers-on. There were books like this before DaVinci Code, but since then everyone wants to write one.
I'm not Catholic, so I'm not morally outraged by the "hidden Catholic group" line but *man* - use some imagination. Threaten the world with another boogie man.
I found some of the POV shifts in mid-sentence to be confusing, but all in all it's actually well written. I don't know my way around Paris, but a lot of it was explained very well. I thought all the characters could have used some more development, but then it would have weighed down the book. Most of them were better than cardboard cutouts, though.
Most readers of end-of-the-world thrillers would probably be happier than I was. Really 3 1/2 stars.
There are a ton of books out there along the same line. Members of a hidden order of the Catholic church (90% of the time they're the bad guys) are trying to stop the protagonist and hangers-on. There were books like this before DaVinci Code, but since then everyone wants to write one.
I'm not Catholic, so I'm not morally outraged by the "hidden Catholic group" line but *man* - use some imagination. Threaten the world with another boogie man.
I found some of the POV shifts in mid-sentence to be confusing, but all in all it's actually well written. I don't know my way around Paris, but a lot of it was explained very well. I thought all the characters could have used some more development, but then it would have weighed down the book. Most of them were better than cardboard cutouts, though.
Most readers of end-of-the-world thrillers would probably be happier than I was. Really 3 1/2 stars.
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