Innocent Blood: The Order of the Sanguines Series Author: Visit Amazon's James Rollins Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0061991066 | Format: PDF
Innocent Blood: The Order of the Sanguines Series Description
From Booklist
In this sequel to The Blood Gospel (2013), archaeologist Erin Granger receives a message from Cardinal Bernard, leader of the Order of Sanguines, a group of vampires operating within the Vatican, whose thirst for human blood is kept in check by the blood of Christ. The message leads Erin back into the ancient war between the Sanguines and the Strigoi, a rival group of vampires whose interests lie in a more evil direction than the Sanguines’. Now a new villain has surfaced, a man who calls himself Judas Iscariot—and who may indeed be the biblical Judas. To save the world from Armageddon, Erin reluctantly joins forces with another entity whose evil nature is not to be trifled with. This collaboration between Rollins, the well-known author of the Sigma Force thrillers (contemporary stories with ties to ancient riddles), and Cantrell, author of the atmospheric Hannah Vogel mysteries (set in Berlin in the 1930s), should appeal to their fans, but also to readers who like an action-packed, epic-size story portraying the battle between Good and Evil. --David Pitt
Review
"There's a touch of genius...in pairing a Dan Brown-ian hidden codex mystery with a vampire tale." - Kirkus Reviews
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- Series: Order of the Sanguines Series (Book 2)
- Hardcover: 448 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow; First Edition edition (December 10, 2013)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0061991066
- ISBN-13: 978-0061991066
- Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Book two of the “Order of the Sanguines” Series follows shortly after the thrilling events of the first book, “The Blood Gospel”, and it continues the rich context of that first novel. Any time I read a second novel in a series it is always with a little trepidation because I worry, especially when the first novel is so filled with original concepts. How does an author(s) bottle that lightning a second time and ensure it continues for a third book and so on? So many times it just doesn’t and a second book, just like a movie sequel, falls flat.
Not so with this series as everything is turned up a notch or two. The action is practically non-stop with another crisis around every corner. And yet, somehow, the authors manage to expose the reader to their characters’ true natures and we really get to know them and care what happens to them. That, for me, is one of the key elements for a good novel, no matter what the genre. This series is a combination of known history, supernatural myth, religious fervor, and Indiana Jones style action plotting. It’s like watching a really good action-packed, intrigue-filled movie. Apocalyptic prophecy…supernatural intrigue…a religious political power struggle of the highest order…and even a bit of romance? What’s not to love?
What we think we know from the first book, like the identities of the Knight of Christ as well as the Warrior of Man and the Woman of Learning may not be accurate and a large part of the plot hinges on the quest to determine who has what role. And we have a new role to determine…the First Angel. We also get to experience several intriguing new characters that are woven into the mix. Two of history’s most intriguing characters, Rasputin and Judas Iscariot, make their debuts.
A fantastic follow-up to Blood Gospel, the first in a series of books co-authored by James Rollins (one of my fav's) and Rebecca Cantrell (whom I was unfamiliar with before reading the first book). Innocent Blood picks up shortly after the end of book one, and never for a moment lets the tension slow. Too often a second novel in a series tends to suffer from "Middle Book Syndrome" which may not be an actual syndrome, but if you've ever read series before, you know what I'm talking about.
Many didn't like the first book because it was a serious departure from Rollins previous works--but shouldn't ANY author be given the opportunity to spread their wings and explore outside their typical realm if they wish? Any more, its difficult for publishers to be willing to allow established writers to break away from what they typically do and attempt anything new for fear that it won't sell. I am happy that as Rollins decided to co-author his first book, he chose to take a different path and give me something I simply was NOT expecting. With that being said, I was less surprised by Innocent Blood having finished the first book last year. While I could guess at several plot lines first established in book 1, I definitely didn't see where this book ended up going. Kudos to both authors for keeping the tension taught and always at the surface of what is happening.
Taking us to secret societies within the Vatican certainly isn't anything new, but it was in the way these authors tell it. Conspiracies within bigger conspiracies and adding the Indiana Jones style entertainment along with James Rollins trademark action gives this story not only a great deal of depth, but it was literally LOADED with fun.
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