This is actually going to be a 2 for 1 review!
First we have the short story prequel, and then the review for Innocent Blood (which releases in just a couple of weeks)!
Synopsis:
As a young reporter, Arthur Crane exposed the secrets behind the Orchid Killer, a cult murderer from the late '60s whose crimes blackened the end of the Summer of Love. Half a century later, Arthur wakes to find an orchid resting on his pillow, a symbol of death from a killer connected to his estranged younger brother, Christian. To discover the horrifying truth, Arthur will risk all--even his very soul--for Christian may not be the brother that Arthur remembers...
Review:
I actually read the prequel AFTER reading Innocent Blood, just because I accidently clicked on the wrong ebook, and was so enraptured with Innocent Blood, that I didn't realize I wasn't reading the short story until I was 4 chapters in, and was totally committed! But I actually think reading it that way was a good thing- I had some history of the Order of the Sanguines, and this short story filled in some gaps VERY nicely! I would say it was the back story that James wrote for the other 2 books, really, and as such is great to read, but better if you read after the books!
I actually read the prequel AFTER reading Innocent Blood, just because I accidently clicked on the wrong ebook, and was so enraptured with Innocent Blood, that I didn't realize I wasn't reading the short story until I was 4 chapters in, and was totally committed! But I actually think reading it that way was a good thing- I had some history of the Order of the Sanguines, and this short story filled in some gaps VERY nicely! I would say it was the back story that James wrote for the other 2 books, really, and as such is great to read, but better if you read after the books!
Synopsis:
In this riveting follow-up to The Blood Gospel, the first book in their thrilling and atmospheric Order of the Sanguine series, New York Times bestselling authors James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell deliver a riveting tale of international adventure, intrigue, suspense, and supernatural mystery involving a modern scientist, a highly secret eternal spiritual order, and a terrifying power who must join forces to bring down a ruthless and cunning enemy and prevent the Apocalypse
While exploring a tomb hidden for centuries in the depths of Masada, Israel, brilliant archaeologist Erin Granger began an incredible journey to recover a miraculous ancient artifact tied to Christ himself. The quest introduced her to a diabolical enemy determined to discover the book and use its powers for his own dark ends. It also led her to an ancient and highly secret Vatican order-known simply as the Saguines. Though she survived, the danger has only just begun . . .
An attack outside Stanford University thrusts Erin back into the fold of the Sanguines. As the threat of Armageddon looms, she must unite with an ancient evil to halt the plans of a man determined to see the world end, a man known only as Iscariot.
Review:
You don't need to have read the prequel or the first book in this new series to 'sink your teeth' into it (if you'll pardon the pun). Rollins and Cantrell turn what we think we know about vampires on it's proverbial ear and will leave you thinking and wondering about what you know about the Christian religion. You may find yourself going and hunting out the Lost Gospels, just to see where they got their research from! I LOVE a book that makes me THINK and wonder, and research myself. If an author can stimulate my brain like that, I am more likely to come back and read ALL of their books! Which I have realized, I have only read 1 or 2 of Rollin's book, so there is a reading mission pending!
You may NOT be able to put this book down once you start it- it is such a fun thriller of a mystery that keeps the reader on their seat wondering what is literally around the next curve, and what historical or biblical reference is coming up next! Call it an 'intellectual vampire' series and you wouldn't be far off the mark! And the best part? You end the book knowing there will be another one- score!
If you're looking for the PERFECT book to read by the fire, this Order of the Sanguines series is the one to pick up!
You may NOT be able to put this book down once you start it- it is such a fun thriller of a mystery that keeps the reader on their seat wondering what is literally around the next curve, and what historical or biblical reference is coming up next! Call it an 'intellectual vampire' series and you wouldn't be far off the mark! And the best part? You end the book knowing there will be another one- score!
If you're looking for the PERFECT book to read by the fire, this Order of the Sanguines series is the one to pick up!
About The Blood Gospel:
The first novel in the Order of the Sanguine series, An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators--Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist--are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.
But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb's sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ's own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. The enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning. From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.
Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ's own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened--until now
The first novel in the Order of the Sanguine series, An earthquake in Masada, Israel, kills hundreds and reveals a tomb buried in the heart of the mountain. A trio of investigators--Sergeant Jordan Stone, a military forensic expert; Father Rhun Korza, a Vatican priest; and Dr. Erin Granger, a brilliant but disillusioned archaeologist--are sent to explore the macabre discovery, a subterranean temple holding the crucified body of a mummified girl.
But a brutal attack at the site sets the three on the run, thrusting them into a race to recover what was once preserved in the tomb's sarcophagus: a book rumored to have been written by Christ's own hand, a tome that is said to hold the secrets to His divinity. The enemy who hounds them is like no other, a force of ancient evil directed by a leader of impossible ambitions and incalculable cunning. From crumbling tombs to splendorous churches, Erin and her two companions must confront a past that traces back thousands of years, to a time when ungodly beasts hunted the dark spaces of the world, to a moment in history when Christ made a miraculous offer, a pact of salvation for those who were damned for eternity.
Here is a novel that is explosive in its revelation of a secret history. Why do Catholic priests wear pectoral crosses? Why are they sworn to celibacy? Why do the monks hide their countenances under hoods? And why does Catholicism insist that the consecration of wine during Mass results in its transformation to Christ's own blood? The answers to all go back to a secret sect within the Vatican, one whispered as rumor but whose very existence was painted for all to see by Rembrandt himself, a shadowy order known simply as the Sanguines.In the end, be warned: some books should never be found, never opened--until now
I'll be reviewing it later- I just wanted to give you the info on Book One in the series!
About the Authors:
James Rollins is a bestselling author of thrillers that have been translated into forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd pleasers" (New York Times) and one of the "hottest summer reads" (People magazine). Acclaimed for his originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets at breakneck speed. Check out more on his website.
A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s. “A Trace of Smoke,” "A Night of Long Knives," "A Game of Lies," and "A City of Broken Glass." She also co-writes the Order of Sanguines series with James Rollins, starting with the upcoming book 1: "The Blood Gospel." And she writes the iMonster series as Bekka Black, including "iDrakula" and "iFrankenstein."
A few years ago Rebecca Cantrell quit her job, sold her house, and moved to Hawaii to write a novel because, at seven, she decided that she would be a writer. Now she writes the award-winning Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s. “A Trace of Smoke,” "A Night of Long Knives," "A Game of Lies," and "A City of Broken Glass." She also co-writes the Order of Sanguines series with James Rollins, starting with the upcoming book 1: "The Blood Gospel." And she writes the iMonster series as Bekka Black, including "iDrakula" and "iFrankenstein."
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