The action in Kingdom of Bones is as dense as the jungle it takes place in. Like the mighty Congo river, the situation on the ground goes from dangerous to deadly without warning and readers will be gripping the book like it’s a matter of life and death.
James Rollins can craft an engaging and entertaining novel as well as anyone putting pen to paper today. The latest Sigma novel might be his most action packed novel to date. There is simply not a single moment for the reader to take a deep breath and collect themselves. Things go from bad, to worse, to ‘oh good god’ at a blistering pace and I loved every second of it.
To give a quick summary of the plot, I’m going to steal a quote from another famous series involving ‘Bones’...
“A man who holds that much power, even with the best intentions, just can’t resist the urge to play god.” - Dr. Leonard McCoy
Ok, I’ll expound a bit more on the plot.
When a mysterious illness is discovered by a United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo, they soon realize that something in the surrounding environment is very wrong. The local plants and animals have begun to display strange and predatory behavior as if they’re evolving at an exponential rate. Fearful that the situation has reached beyond this tiny slice of the jungle, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma force are called in.
As the hunt for the source of the mysterious outbreak develops, the battle between man and nature only intensifies. There was always going to be a breaking point when nature began to push back against mankind, the only question is how many of us will survive when it happens.
I also want to highlight the inclusion of Tucker Wayne and Kane in this book. Tucker and his canine companion have made a few appearances in the Sigma series and even has a couple standalone novels of their own. This duo has always been one of my favorite parts of the series and I cannot tell you how great it was having them back in action. I’m hoping this means there may be a third Tucker and Kane adventure coming our way.
I recently had a debate with someone that said Rollins should be categorized as a Science Fiction writer. Which is fine by me. There is a ton of science in this one (I never knew I’d be so interested in the history of viruses) and let us pray that none of the fiction in this story becomes fact. You can label this book SciFi, a thriller, or general fiction… it doesn’t matter. It is one hell of a story regardless of whatever genre you try and put it in.
Follow Todd on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Kingdom Of Bones
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
