Black Order - Sigma Force, Bk 3 Author:James Rollins From the frozen peaks of the Himalayas to the diamond fields of the Congo, the SIGMA Force races to unlock a riddle locked amid cryptic runes and expose a century-old plot that threatens to destroy the current world order and alter the destiny of humankind forever. — What would thriller writers do without the Nazis? At the start of Rollins's ... more »inventive eighth Sigma Force novel, a secret experiment is smuggled out of Berlin in the waning days of WWII. While the Americans have been working on the atomic bomb, the Nazis were delving into the paradoxical tenets of quantum mechanics. In the present day, descendants of Heinrich Himmler are trying to create a new race of Aryan supermen. Last seen in 2005's Map of Bones, Painter Crowe and Grayson Pierce, employees of Sigma Force, a secret arm of the U.S. military, venture to the brink of death to puzzle out mysteries that encompass the theories of evolution, intelligent design, and the physical and spiritual nature of love and God. It's a tall order, but every time the author appears to have stretched too far, he saves the read by throwing in a fascinating scientific or historical fact, plus a scene of heart-pumping action. This is Cussler and Ludlum territory with a dash of Dan Brown, sure to please devotees of any of these authors.
The globe-trotting adventurers of Sigma Force, that elite American special-ops team, return in this high-powered thriller. The story begins cryptically. In Nepal, a strange plague has struck a remote Himalayan monastery, and a Nazi swastika is found on a cave wall. In Denmark, someone is buying up rare historical documents connected to Victorian scientists (for instance, Charles Darwin's family Bible), and the purchaser is desperate enough to kill for his prizes. In South Africa, a mythological beast is apparently alive and well and preying on wildlife. The author interweaves these stories, following the Sigma Force team members as they risk their lives to get to the heart of one of humankind's greatest mysteries: the origins of life itself. Rollins keeps getting better with every novel, and his fast-paced thrillers are feasts for the imagination. Why Hollywood hasn't snapped his books up yet is a mystery, but it's doubtful any big-screen version could capture the author's gung-ho enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity. If you like all-stops-out, high-concept adventure, this one's for you.« less
This is a non-stop action thriller. The story starts out at the end of WWII as the Nazis are trying to hide all of their scientific knowledge from their enemies. Then you jump to present day in the Himalayas where a mysterious illness is killing people and animals alike. From there, you go to Denmark, where a simple observation mission turns into something more sinister and an agent is running for his life. Next, you go to South Africa where a game warden is being hunted by a creature that seems to be more nightmare than reality. Of course, you know that all of these seemingly unrelated incidents will come together - and they do. They are all related to the German experiment - which sought to interfere with the process of evolution. Kept me on the edge of my seat all the way to the end.
Currently 4/5 Stars.
Bruce L. reviewed Black Order (Sigma Force, Bk 3) on
11 member(s) found this review helpful.
Good mixture of fiction and science. Specifically quantum theory.
Really scary Nazi master race and evolution.
If you like Crichton you will like this.
This is the first time I have read the exploits of Sigma.I have to admit, it was enjoyable.Enough action, mystery and romance (sort of) to keep me interested.I also like the underlying commentary he has.His research is sound, and even the most crazy things seem to have a reasonable explanation by the end.I will read more Sigma adventures with enthusiasm
James Rollins with his ever exciting group of Sigma Force personnel come through again with a nail biting, hair raising adventure in a thrill a second story of intrigue that will have you up long after bedtime. Great characters, excellent story line and non stop action will make this a book hard to put gown.
I have read many of Jack Rollins books, but I likes this the best. As usual it is fast paced and thrilling. The ending was another nail bitter. But the character were better than ever. Good people put in bad situations.