maiad9's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
kriff08's review against another edition
4.0
I must confess I'm a sucker for this kind of blend of vague history, adventure, and romance. This story wasn't too heavy in any one of those and balanced out perfectly. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Loved this book; it kind of reminded me of Nora Roberts' The Reef which is a favorite, so ill keep my eyes open for some more.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
3.0
Originally published on AAR in Speaking of Audiobooks:
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8940
Narrated by Richard Ferrone
Archaeologist Lina Turner is not only a specialist in Mayan artifacts; she is of Mayan decent and can trace her lineage back to before the Spanish conquest. Hunter Johnson is a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. While helping a current ICE officer track down rare and illegally excavated Mayan artifacts, Hunter seeks Lina’s help. He hopes a better understanding of the significance of the lost artifacts can help him locate them. The investigation turns dangerous, and when the artifacts seem to be linked to Lina’s family, Hunter and Lina leave Houston for her family’s compound on the Yucatan peninsula, hoping for both safety and more answers.
Beautiful Sacrifice contains a significant amount of Mayan history. I enjoyed the history lesson but some listeners may grow weary of the many details Lowell includes. Lowell mixes the fact with fiction by inventing the Mayan god, Kawa’il, along with a bloodthirsty group of followers. Narrator Richard Ferrone has a gravelly voice that suits the sometimes mysterious and mystical atmosphere of the story. His reading brings the forbidding jungle, the dark caves, and the ancient rituals to life. Belief in the ancient Mayan gods seems almost reasonable in this setting.
The reasons behind Hunter’s inclusion in the search for the artifacts weren’t well developed, but that was a minor weakness. Hunter is presented as independent and emotionally closed off, and the narration emphasizes his strength and reserve. Lina is a capable professional who feels the weight of her family obligations. Due to her emotionally distant and often manipulative parents, Lina prefers to work in Houston rather than remain in the Yucatan. Ferrone manages to portray both Lina’s strength and her vulnerability. He doesn’t change his voice significantly when portraying female characters, but the gender of the speaker is clear most of the time. There are only a few sections of dialogue when the change in speaker is not identified that may cause some confusion.
The suspense plot doesn’t entirely work and the dramatic climax goes on for too long. However, the plot and setting are unique and the action moves the book along at a nice pace. In the end, Beautiful Sacrifice is an enjoyable, if somewhat flawed, book that is enhanced by a strong narration.
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=8940
Narrated by Richard Ferrone
Archaeologist Lina Turner is not only a specialist in Mayan artifacts; she is of Mayan decent and can trace her lineage back to before the Spanish conquest. Hunter Johnson is a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. While helping a current ICE officer track down rare and illegally excavated Mayan artifacts, Hunter seeks Lina’s help. He hopes a better understanding of the significance of the lost artifacts can help him locate them. The investigation turns dangerous, and when the artifacts seem to be linked to Lina’s family, Hunter and Lina leave Houston for her family’s compound on the Yucatan peninsula, hoping for both safety and more answers.
Beautiful Sacrifice contains a significant amount of Mayan history. I enjoyed the history lesson but some listeners may grow weary of the many details Lowell includes. Lowell mixes the fact with fiction by inventing the Mayan god, Kawa’il, along with a bloodthirsty group of followers. Narrator Richard Ferrone has a gravelly voice that suits the sometimes mysterious and mystical atmosphere of the story. His reading brings the forbidding jungle, the dark caves, and the ancient rituals to life. Belief in the ancient Mayan gods seems almost reasonable in this setting.
The reasons behind Hunter’s inclusion in the search for the artifacts weren’t well developed, but that was a minor weakness. Hunter is presented as independent and emotionally closed off, and the narration emphasizes his strength and reserve. Lina is a capable professional who feels the weight of her family obligations. Due to her emotionally distant and often manipulative parents, Lina prefers to work in Houston rather than remain in the Yucatan. Ferrone manages to portray both Lina’s strength and her vulnerability. He doesn’t change his voice significantly when portraying female characters, but the gender of the speaker is clear most of the time. There are only a few sections of dialogue when the change in speaker is not identified that may cause some confusion.
The suspense plot doesn’t entirely work and the dramatic climax goes on for too long. However, the plot and setting are unique and the action moves the book along at a nice pace. In the end, Beautiful Sacrifice is an enjoyable, if somewhat flawed, book that is enhanced by a strong narration.
sarah1984's review against another edition
1.0
27/6 - I was thinking this was a two and a half to three star read, not completely dreadful, but populated by too much purple prose to be truly enjoyable, but then I read some of the other reviews that talked about her mistakes regarding the geography of Houston and Cozumel, and the Maya culture. Those kinds of mistakes are pretty unforgivable. If you're going to use a culture and specific real-life locations in your book then you had better do your research and represent them in a way that natives of the location or culture would be happy with, otherwise you're not showing them the respect they deserve. It would be like a movie set in a South American jungle being filmed in a redwood forest, anyone who's been to either place would know immediately that they were being lied to and would feel like the people behind the movie were trying to trick them into believing something that was clearly not true. That's how I feel about what Lowell's done with this book. I was very disappointed with the story before I even knew about the inaccuracies because of the dreadful metaphors and overly flowery descriptive writing. I've long been a fan of Lowell's, but this reminded me of her early 80s works with the eye-rollingly bad metaphors
'His face was as hard as anything she'd ever seen carved in stone. And as compelling.'
*sigh*
But this was written in 2012, not 1982, and unfortunately the only difference between this book and one of her 80s books that always seemed to feature 'hard men' and horses is that a condom was mentioned in both of the sex scenes, which would have been unlikely in books like Beautiful Dreamer. You'd think her writing style would mature with age and experience...
'His face was as hard as anything she'd ever seen carved in stone. And as compelling.'
*sigh*
But this was written in 2012, not 1982, and unfortunately the only difference between this book and one of her 80s books that always seemed to feature 'hard men' and horses is that a condom was mentioned in both of the sex scenes, which would have been unlikely in books like Beautiful Dreamer. You'd think her writing style would mature with age and experience...
auntiel's review
3.0
It started great, then got really weird. Way out of the norm for her and it wasn't a good direction.
kas03's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
labraden's review
4.0
Elizabeth Lowell is always so good at using realistic research to make her stories come alive and her mysteries more interesting. This one was no different. My only complaint was that there was almost too much realistic information that occasionally bogged down the narrative. The two main characters had a previous friendship that made their romance entirely believable, and they were likeable. Overall this was a very good read.
imbookingit's review
3.0
I didn't care for the main characters, they didn't seem very real, and the events seemed even less likely, and they weren't interesting enough to suck me in anyway.
And perhaps that is a bit harsh. I found the book readable, and I didn't hate the characters or events. I just didn't like them all that much.
And perhaps that is a bit harsh. I found the book readable, and I didn't hate the characters or events. I just didn't like them all that much.
ammybelle's review
3.0
From here: http://ammysspaceontheblogosphere.wordpress.com/2014/03/26/book-review-beautiful-sacrifice-by-elizabeth-lowell/
This book was recommended to me by the little old lady in the blue cardigan that works Wednesdays at the Library Bookstore. She happened to notice that I like romance novels and mysteries, so she pulled it out, glanced at the back and told me I would probably like it. So I took it to the front, paid my ten cents, and decided to read it on the weekend.
Loosely, it’s about a woman who is Mexican-American, from a wealthy (mostly dysfunctional) family and a professor of archaeology whose path crosses with a former ICE agent who is now some sort of enforcer south of the border, around December 21 2012 – Yes people, Mayan apocalypse time!
So you can see why I had to read it?
Synopsis:
According to Maya legend, December 21, 2012, will mark the end of the world as we know it. Is it myth . . . or will their prediction become reality?
Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Maya artifacts, splitting her time between digs in South America and the classroom teaching college students. But the professor’s structured, academic life is about to spin out of control. Some extremely valuable and important Maya artifacts have gone missing. Are the culprits fanatics determined to create chaos and usher in annihilation?
Helping out a friend, former immigration and customs enforcement officer Hunter Johnston is determined to recover the missing pieces and he needs Lina’s help. A man used to calling the shots and working alone, he isn’t comfortable letting anyone get close, especially a beautiful and brainy woman like Lina. His gift for reading people tells him there’s a lot going on below that professional exterior, and he’s more than a little curious to probe her depths.
Burying herself in her work, Lina’s had little experience handling men, especially one as fascinating and exasperating as the secretive, headstrong Hunter. A devoted archaeologist, she has the skill to excavate those protective layers all the way to his core.
But finding the missing artifacts is only the beginning of a mystery that will plunge these unlikely partners into adventure, romance, and danger more thrilling, sensual, and deadly than either of them knows. . .
So, right off – let me just say this: if you’re an archaeology buff or have a particular interest in Mayan history – don’t read this book. It will make you cringe a bit. Seriously – it’s interesting stuff, but definitely no accurate by any stretch of the imagination (and in my edition, the author does make a note of this).
With that out of the way, here’s my review:
First off – Lina. Lina is an interesting person at the beginning – she’s smart, she’s capable, she’s sort of a hard-ass and there are hints at a troubled childhood and a tense familial situation. She’s a scholar and an archaeologist, after her obsessive father, and spends a lot of her time trying to keep her family out of trouble in the antiquities trade. As the story opens up, Lina is convinced someone is watching her, even though there’s no reason she ca think of for someone to stalk her. Meanwhile, a mystery falls in her lap – the theft of some undocumented antiquities that were acquired from an ICE bust that lands Hunter right in her way.
Now, as I said, when the book opens, Lina is my hero – she’s sophisticated, a little broken, a little headstrong, whatever. After she meets Hunter and they begin their headlong fall into love, she becomes a little bit of a wimp. No seriously. He sort of takes over her life in a way that made me slightly uncomfortable. She becomes a thing of feeling, her reason escaping her and her portayal a little shaky.
Then, we get to the real action and she steps up to the plate and bats it out. She becomes a stronger character, relying on her own smarts and her own experiences to navigate her troubles, even while understanding she cannot do everything on her own, and makes room for Hunter.
Hunter is your regular Alpha Male – formerly ICE, now a sort of vigilante bounty hunter that spends a lot of time in Mexico, and it’s hinted that he has a pretty good family life, some great friends and a steady income. He speaks Spanish (yay!) and actually is pretty cool in that the reason he first meets Lina is that he is taking a class she teaches on Mayan religion. There is something about a man who can take instructions from a woman in a romance novel that makes me happy. Very happy.
Anyway, the story itself is a little disjointed, it’s not as fluid as other Lowell works, but it is an interesting one that doesn’t shrink away from the scary or slightly toe-curling things. Again, with someone from a archaeological background, it may not work – but with someone who only has a passing interest in the things we can find buried in dirt – it works out alright.
While I wouldn’t urge you to run out and grab this book right now (sidenote: it’s a very hard book to track down), it is worth the summer read if you’re on a beach somewhere.
This book was recommended to me by the little old lady in the blue cardigan that works Wednesdays at the Library Bookstore. She happened to notice that I like romance novels and mysteries, so she pulled it out, glanced at the back and told me I would probably like it. So I took it to the front, paid my ten cents, and decided to read it on the weekend.
Loosely, it’s about a woman who is Mexican-American, from a wealthy (mostly dysfunctional) family and a professor of archaeology whose path crosses with a former ICE agent who is now some sort of enforcer south of the border, around December 21 2012 – Yes people, Mayan apocalypse time!
So you can see why I had to read it?
Synopsis:
According to Maya legend, December 21, 2012, will mark the end of the world as we know it. Is it myth . . . or will their prediction become reality?
Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Maya artifacts, splitting her time between digs in South America and the classroom teaching college students. But the professor’s structured, academic life is about to spin out of control. Some extremely valuable and important Maya artifacts have gone missing. Are the culprits fanatics determined to create chaos and usher in annihilation?
Helping out a friend, former immigration and customs enforcement officer Hunter Johnston is determined to recover the missing pieces and he needs Lina’s help. A man used to calling the shots and working alone, he isn’t comfortable letting anyone get close, especially a beautiful and brainy woman like Lina. His gift for reading people tells him there’s a lot going on below that professional exterior, and he’s more than a little curious to probe her depths.
Burying herself in her work, Lina’s had little experience handling men, especially one as fascinating and exasperating as the secretive, headstrong Hunter. A devoted archaeologist, she has the skill to excavate those protective layers all the way to his core.
But finding the missing artifacts is only the beginning of a mystery that will plunge these unlikely partners into adventure, romance, and danger more thrilling, sensual, and deadly than either of them knows. . .
So, right off – let me just say this: if you’re an archaeology buff or have a particular interest in Mayan history – don’t read this book. It will make you cringe a bit. Seriously – it’s interesting stuff, but definitely no accurate by any stretch of the imagination (and in my edition, the author does make a note of this).
With that out of the way, here’s my review:
First off – Lina. Lina is an interesting person at the beginning – she’s smart, she’s capable, she’s sort of a hard-ass and there are hints at a troubled childhood and a tense familial situation. She’s a scholar and an archaeologist, after her obsessive father, and spends a lot of her time trying to keep her family out of trouble in the antiquities trade. As the story opens up, Lina is convinced someone is watching her, even though there’s no reason she ca think of for someone to stalk her. Meanwhile, a mystery falls in her lap – the theft of some undocumented antiquities that were acquired from an ICE bust that lands Hunter right in her way.
Now, as I said, when the book opens, Lina is my hero – she’s sophisticated, a little broken, a little headstrong, whatever. After she meets Hunter and they begin their headlong fall into love, she becomes a little bit of a wimp. No seriously. He sort of takes over her life in a way that made me slightly uncomfortable. She becomes a thing of feeling, her reason escaping her and her portayal a little shaky.
Then, we get to the real action and she steps up to the plate and bats it out. She becomes a stronger character, relying on her own smarts and her own experiences to navigate her troubles, even while understanding she cannot do everything on her own, and makes room for Hunter.
Hunter is your regular Alpha Male – formerly ICE, now a sort of vigilante bounty hunter that spends a lot of time in Mexico, and it’s hinted that he has a pretty good family life, some great friends and a steady income. He speaks Spanish (yay!) and actually is pretty cool in that the reason he first meets Lina is that he is taking a class she teaches on Mayan religion. There is something about a man who can take instructions from a woman in a romance novel that makes me happy. Very happy.
Anyway, the story itself is a little disjointed, it’s not as fluid as other Lowell works, but it is an interesting one that doesn’t shrink away from the scary or slightly toe-curling things. Again, with someone from a archaeological background, it may not work – but with someone who only has a passing interest in the things we can find buried in dirt – it works out alright.
While I wouldn’t urge you to run out and grab this book right now (sidenote: it’s a very hard book to track down), it is worth the summer read if you’re on a beach somewhere.
katekat's review
4.0
Elizabeth Lowell books are obviously fairly formulaic but I still find them to be an enjoyable quick read. I think her books are at their best when they are part of a series so she has a chance to develop the characters and story a bit more. I especially like her series that deal with rare artifacts. This series is one of hers that I think works the best.