What do You think about Sword Of God (2007)?
This was surprisingly good considering it is yet another of the surge of books mixing Middle Eastern politics and at least the implication of ancient secrets. Kuzneski can write without cliche when he wants to, but when he does cliche, wow does he go to town - the 'machismo' of the hero and his sidekick (who kept reminding me of the Lone Ranger and Tonto for some reason) in the early chapters was just OTT. But, despite this caveat and the usual necessary unbelievabilities which are part of this genre, this is worth reading because the investigation of the dark side of the war on terror is spot-on. Enough of interest to make it a good light read thriller: it would also make a good Denzel Washington-type movie, with a bit of tweaking (unfortunately, because of the subject matter, this film will never be made ... read it to work out why).
—Tim Pendry
The title of this one is a little misleading since the historical sword discovered in the beginning actually has nothing to do with the main plot. The historical side of it is weak and disappointing. The religious elements were strong but they are not as thought-provoking as Dan Brown's novels. If you like political/military thrillers about terrorism than this might appeal to you - although the writing isn't superb. But if you're looking for a historical mystery Dan Brown style, this isn't it. Although Kuzneski's other novels have stronger historical elements, I think they've marketed this one all wrong by going after the Da Vinci Code sub genre.
—Robin
Chris Kuzneski- Sword of God (Berkley Publishing 2007) 3.5 StarsWhen a boy from South Korea discovers a cave full of blood near his village, he has no idea how it will affect his fellow villagers. In Saudi Arabia a major archaeological discovery has just been made. The U.S. has called in Payne and Jones on a black ops mission, but neither knows exactly why they have been called in, nor what is going on. Left to figure things out on their own they have decided to handle things in their own way. Unearthing a plot that could put the world at war once again, they must put a stop to things before it is too late.The introduction was intriguing; it grabs your attention and makes you curious about where it is going to lead. The characters were interesting and added depth to the book. The plot was good, with some great twists that kept you guessing. It weaved in and out, but I did find that I was wishing that it would focus more on the main people, instead of digressing with the two groups of other people who tied in at the end. It was interesting to learn a little more about the Muslim religion. Overall the book was not bad, a good one time read.For more of my reviews check out my website, www.tonypeters.webs.comTony PetersKids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnappinghttp://authortonypeters.blogspot.com/
—Tony
