Type of bind: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 448
Printing Date: May 01, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 261961
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The bestselling master of astonishing adventure James Rollins delivers his most relentlessly exciting page-turner to date—a gripping and explosive novel of an ancient conspiracy to create a terrifying new world order out of the ashes of modern civilization.
The crime is inhumanly cruel with horrific consequences both unthinkable and inevitable. During a service at a cathedral in Cologne, Germany, a band of armed intruders dressed in monks' robes unleash a nightmare of blood and terror, ruthlessly gunning down worshippers and clergy alike. The killers haven't come for the church's gold and valuable artwork, but for a priceless treasure secreted within: the preserved bones of the Three Magi who once came to pay homage to a newborn savior. As they flee the carnage they have wrought, they carry a prize that could reshape the world.
The Vatican is in turmoil, and Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome's carabinieri is assigned to lead the investigation. But no ordinary police organization alone can deal with the bizarre theft and massacre, and SIGMA Force—an elite covert arm of the U.S. Defense Department—is called in under the command of Grayson Pierce. New to SIGMA, Pierce assembles a crack team of scientific and Special Forces operatives to unravel the mystery of the stolen bones, and together they set out on a twisting trail through a labyrinth of clues and dark revelations that carry them to the sites of the Seven Wonders of the World—and to the doorstep of the mystical and terrifying Dragon Court.
An ancient, secret fraternity of alchemists and assassins, the master-adepts of the Dragon Court have plans for the sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind in devastating ways that only the maddest of zealots could desire—and they will let nothing and no one stand in their way. Suddenly Pierce, Verona, and the SIGMA team are the hunted as well as the hunters, forced to use every skill they possess to survive as they follow the bones to the ultimate confrontation between darkness and light—in a lost place of history where science and religion will unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.
A masterful novel that combines the exhilarating mysticism of The Da Vinci Code with the pulse-pounding action of a Tom Clancy thriller, James Rollins's Map of Bones is destined to be a modern classic that will stand among the very best adventure tales ever written.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
-
This is a fast paced thriller/ mystery. Really good and interesting. Makes one think "What if".
Rated by buyers 
-
I have read four of Rollins' books, two of which I gave five stars, but since I almost stopped reading this book at most it only gets two stars. It is one of the few books that I laid down several times and wondered if it was worth finishing as I didn't care how it ended.
I did a lot of skipping past the code-breaking details. Here is part of a review by Dr. J. "Dr. J" (Virginia) posted on April 28, 2007 that says it all, "What would you tell me if I was trying to find some socks in my 10 year old's room (a feat to itself), and I told you that because I found a drawing of a cat on his desk, and cats have 4 legs, 2 ears, and 1 tail, that this means that there are 7 paces from the desk to the socks somehow. But wait, the cat was pointing north, so it means that I must perhaps take the fact that cats are said to have 9 lives, and take the difference, so that confirms that there are 2 socks in a pair missing due north in the room! Amazing, isn't it?"
If you can suspend your disbelief and skip pass the dribble, Rollins can tell a good story about a plot that leaves a lot to be desired.
Rated by buyers 
-
If you want a fun, historically interesting, fast read - this is it. I liked the book but was at times thinking it was a bit ridiculous. The end was a bit of a dud for me too. Overall, I liked the history and science in the book - all of which can be further researched. And, I liked the main characters. There is a clunky mini-romantic element which I am not sure why it was included. There are some over the top sequences and escapes too. But you read these books for what they are - escapist fun! Suspend disbelief for a while and enjoy. I am looking forward to reading the other Sigma Force books.
Rated by buyers 
-
Map of Bones is a fast paced thrill ride. I loved it. The book is a little too long, but all in all, I couldn't get enough. This is the second book in the Sigma series. The very first book, Sandstorm, is not as good, and most of the central characters are introduced in Map of Bones and not in the very first book.
Rated by buyers -
I just completed reading this book and it is a great read. I would have read it much faster if my freetime had permitted. I never wanted to put the book down. I can't wait to read the books that the author used to gather the facts used in this book! I will not tell you about the story itself. You will have to read and see for yourself...
Find other books like this one:
