Creative Madness that Makes Me Myself: Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn: a review

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Gold of Kings by Davis Bunn: a review

Will she decipher the mysteries leading to the sacred relic, or be defeated by the foes racing to claim it and destroy her?

A dealer in art and antiquities, Storm Syrrell arranges her life as she does her work -- into neat, orderly categories. But when her grandfather is murdered, all certainties are crushingly replaced by suspicions. She struggles to understand his death -- and decipher the frayed leather journal she finds hidden in his vault. Storm soon realizes that, far from being simply a discreet art broker, Sean Syrrell was a trusted go-between in the highest ranks of business and government in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

But not all of Sean's associates were quite so lofty. Enter Harry Bennett, a scruffy professional treasure hunter just released from a Caribbean jail, followed by Emma Webb, a US government lawyer with links to Interpol. Storm pushes her doubts aside, locks the door to her Palm Beach art gallery, and opens herself to the quest begun by her grandfather.

Their trail leads them ever farther afield -- London, France, Istanbul, Cyprus -- and ever deeper into danger. The thrill of the search is haunted by Storm's determination to bring Sean's murderers to justice. Storm and Harry in turn are targeted by an unknown assassin and saved from death only by Harry's split-second reactions.

Their quest hones in on the Copper Scroll of Qumran and controversial claims made by the Jewish historian Josephus. Hidden beneath the dust and mysteries of two thousand years lies the reason behind Sean Syrrell's murder and the find of a lifetime: a fortune in gold of great historical significance. Storm begins to grasp the potential magnitude such artifacts will have on contemporary religion and politics -- especially the competing historical claims to Jerusalem. Some seek to claim the gold for the treasure it represents; others are determined to destroy it. With the tangled motives of greed and power now in focus, old allies become new enemies. Through this, something unexpected tugs at Storm. The sacred relics represent a formidable metaphor to an ancient faith; will her search include a renewal of her own faith?

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Now this was a fun book! "Gold of Kings" is quite adventurous and easily can be visualized as an action film much like National Treasure or the Da Vinci Code films in theory. The reading of this book gives off a similar vibe to Matt Bronleewe's August Adams series, although it is not quite as cool in my opinion as I just loved those books, but really like this one.

There are really three main characters that you are following through out the book in their physical, mental, and spiritual battles. The adventure is laid out for the reader to enjoy right along with the characters. The only flaw points that draw me back are the parts where a character figures something out, but it is hidden from the reader. That makes me feel like an outsider, and I love the stories that are as if you are right along side them, and not viewing from a window, you know?

One of the best parts about this book are the historical facts and images that are brought to life and explained through out. As the characters are learning some historical pieces of the puzzle the explanations are given to the reader as well in an intriguing manner. Maybe it is because I have a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and this is just my thing, but over all I was thoroughly impressed and plan to look for more titles like this from Davis Bunn in the future.

View all my reviews.