Review: a great plot, apparently careful research, and interesting characters . . .
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 01 11, 2014
. . . fall prey to numerous faux-pas with language.  Who wouldn't enjoy a novel involving a beautiful, intelligent, perceptive young woman archaeologist who's just lost her famous mentor and father as he found the mythical Eden.  There's also a resourceful, struggling mature man who has lost his wife to over-dedication to his career.  And he's been sent by the Pope, no less, to assassinate this young woman!  And then there are the team of military mercenaries brought in to protect the ruthless multi-billionaire narcissist who's trying to manipulate everything so he can recover (read 'steal') all the best artifacts from the find.  Who wouldn't want to read that book?  I looked forward to it, but then there were in every chapter, sentences like this, "Her chin became gelatinous as her eyes moistened."  Gelatinous?  Really?  Did the writer just mean her chin trembled?  And then there's ". .. a person who never failed to cast a smile . . ." and "it's the only ring that moves in a clockwork direction."  Why not 'clockwise?'  And " . .. allow me to see what truly lie beyond."  "Lay!! "  And "Her eyes were quick to enamor until she saw the . . . collar."  "Enamor?"  Eyes can't be enamored, and enamored is an adjective in nearly every usage.  By this time I'd truly run out of patience with the awkwardness of phrasing, word choices, and even verb tenses found on nearly every page!  Were we writing with a thesaurus full of never-before-encountered larger words by our side?  Is there an editor in the house?