Reviewed by Melanie on
This is a new-to-me author and narrator. But when I was asked if I was interested in reviewing this book, I thought it looked interesting enough to give it a shot. I’m really glad that I did. This is an interesting book that I don’t know that I would’ve picked up if it was not put in front of me.
This story follows several different characters in several different parts of the world. At the beginning of the story, you don’t know how it will all tie together, but you will by the end.
Charlotte Reed is a widow and works for the Department of Homeland Security dealing with forgeries and smuggling. But when she is contacted about something her deceased husband was interested in and she starts to investigate as it could be part of the reason he was blown up by terrorist.
Then there’s Michael Rempart in Mongolia. He’s one of the world’s top archaeologist. He uncovers a mummy that is amazingly preserved. He’s there with this his assistant Li Jianjun, who is what I would call, a major secondary character.
There’s also Lionel Rempart, the estranged brother of Michael. He’s taking a group of college anthropology students to find a location in Idaho. He has a map and a guide, but people are known for going into this area and never returning.
This is a story about alchemy. There is a big search for a alchemical book. There’s a search for missing people and people dying. Things get really interesting in the last third or quarter of the book. I don’t want to go into details, so as not to have spoilers.
I will say that I liked the characters. There’s a great mix of scholars, mercenaries, thieves, cops, and just regular people to keep the story very interesting. There is suspense to keep you on your toes.
This was a great first book of a series. It’s not a fast paced story, but I was very invested in the characters and what they were going through. I’m very interested in listening to more books in this series.
Narration
This is my first time listening to Tim Page. He did a great job. Both the women and men’s voices we were done. There are a lot of names that were not widely used in the US. They were difficult for many American to pronounce them, but he said them as if he’s been saying them for years. I thought the accents were well done too. I would look forward to listening to more books with him as the narrator.
**I like to thank the author for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 20 February, 2019: Finished reading
- 20 February, 2019: Reviewed