Review: A thrilling ride!
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 25, 2012
It's always fun to step outside of your normal reading and find something you really love. There were so many unique things about Golden Chariot from the setting of an archeological underwater dig site and an exotic locale to the utterly fascinating characters from different walks of life slowly forming a relationship against all odds. Add in a bit of danger, some real grit and the quest to prove a bit of mythology really happened and you've got a damn fine story that'll keep you entertained for hours.One of my biggest freak-me-the-heck-out things is the ocean and all of the things that have been lost to it over the centuries and holy crap Karlsen got me really damn good with some of the underwater scenes. The dangers from an unstable site, mother nature interfering and random underwater beastie encounters had my heart pounding and me backing away really damn quick from the book with a muttered some choice words. It was excellent!The thing I found about Karlesn's writing is that it pulled me in completely and had me involved and invested in what was happening. I was just as excited about all of the archaeological discoveries as Charlotte and the rest of the team and found myself wanting her to find her proof of the mythological characters more and more as the book went on and wondering how the heck Karlsen was going to pull it off (she did a fabulous job in the end too). It was really fascinating to see how they went about uncovering all of the forgotten bits of history on the ocean floor and how they each reacted to all of the finds and what they signified.Atakan and Charlotte's relationship was interesting. It's a very, very slow burning romance but I found I really liked that. I liked watching these two individuals that were somewhat at odds with each other slowly become friends. The sometimes snarky teasing you have with someone you've really bonded with and enjoy being around. The attraction building and finally, finally something coming of it. The scenes are a little innocent and lean towards the fade to black variety but there's still a little spice that sneaks in and that's perfectly suited to the couple.Atakan turned his air drill off. "You want to switch back?""No," she said. "I'm curious."He waited for her to explain.She grinned slow and wicked. "Do you have this music on a CD at home somewhere?""Yes," Atakan said, his eyes narrowing. "Why?""You ever put the deserty stuff on when you have a woman over and play sultan and harem girl?"His mouth dropped open and he appeared speechless. This is a first."That's a most indecent thing for a woman to ask a man," he said, at last. "Is your brother not disturbed by your boldness?""You don't know Nick," she said, laughing at the suggestion. "So, what's the answer?""I will not dignify such an impertinent question with a response.""I'll take that as a yes." She'd bet there was a fiery blush beneath his tan.He handed back her iPod. "If I ever see your brother again, I shall speak to him about this," he said sternly as he replaced his artifact in the secured storage cabinet.From the underwater explorations to the suspense surrounding the murders and a very sweet love story that'll sneak up on you Golden Chariot was really a wonderful experience. It did take me a little time to get used to the very unfamiliar names (both for people and locations) but it was so worth holding in there for a couple chapters and getting used to them. I'd love to see more from Karlsen and am really hoping this will turn into a series. I'd love get lost in the world she created for just a little longer.