The third installment of the original and the 2nd book in the TOR reprint of the Riverworld  series by Phillip Jose Farmer.

The main characters in this one build a couple of airships and a helicopter to make their way to the Tower at the top of the world. It ends in disaster for most involved. Sabotaged by several members of the different crews that turned out to be agents.

Really did not find this book as interesting as the first two. The characters were far removed and much harder to get close to. 

Religion

Nothing new is explored much in this episode in the way of religion. Shows how some on the river continue in the religious practices that they did during their original lifetime. Others give it all up due to the fact that the Riverworld is entirely different then their religion ever predicted the afterlife to be like. Then there is the new religion that started by the influence of some of the agents or creators of this new world: the Church of the Second Chance who are pacifists and believe that the Riverworld was created to give mankind a 2nd chance to prove and ready themselves  for the next level and for virtual immortality.

The main characters are attempting to get to the tower at the top of the world in order to learn the truth about who created Riverworld and what it is all about. Some among them are agents who are trying to get back to the tower for their own purposes and taking measures to keep the rest of them out.

All of the major questions in this series are still left unanswered.

By Brad Thor (New York: Pocket Books-Simon & Shuster, 2009, 516 pages)

Brad Thor’s latest ‘Scot Harvath’ action adventure. This time it takes place in Afghanistan. It begins with the kidnapping of a American Doctor on a relief mission by the Taliban. They are demanding the release of one of their major terrorist leaders who had recently been captured in return for the doctor. It is an official American policy not to negotiate with terrorists.

However her mother is an influential media mogul who is close to the President and blackmails him into taking action anyway.

Scot Harvath is sent over to Afghanistan on an ‘unofficial’ mission by the newly elected President (who ironically had just let him go because he was against Harvath’s type of covert operations) to take care of the mess privately. The plan is for Scot to raid the Afghan military prison, take the Taliban leader by force and trade him for the American doctor.

As usual in a Scot Harvath story nothing goes as it was planned but it turns out for the best anyway.

This book is not only a good read but also gives the reader an opportunity to get to know the situation in Afghanistan a whole lot better. The place is out of control but there are regular folks living in villages trying to look out for there own people the best they can in the face of the Taliban onslaught and the counter attacks by the allied American forces.

There is an Afghan cultural bias against foreigners which is balanced out by an Afghan tradition offering hospitality and protection. No one likes the Taliban but at least they are Muslims and many are native Afghanis. Add to that the fact that everyone is armed with automatic weapons and nobody really likes Americans all that much and you get a glimpse of the backdrop to this story and what Harvath has to deal with.

Meanwhile back in America there is a continuing subplot surrounding a Secret Service agent that over heard the doctor’s mother blackmailing the President and this launches an undercover investigation that ultimately could end up bringing down the new President.

A real ‘page turner’ that I highly recommend. The story is particularly useful in providing a better understanding of what our military is currently facing in Afghanistan.             *Top

The first half of the book follows Sir Richard Francis Burton who along with everyone who ever lived from early Neanderthals up to 2200 AD were resurrected at the same time into a new world along a nearly endless river.

Everyone starts off nude and without hair and It takes a while for folks to get use to their new circumstances and the parameters of the new world that they find themselves in. First they discover that many of their basic needs are taken care of each day provided by mushroom-shaped towers called "grailstones" found along the river at regular intervals.

Every person has been provided with their own personal mess kits commonly called ‘grails’ which they can place into the grail towers 3 times a day for food, drink, and other items like liquor, tobacco, drugs, and candy. The weather is perfect and there doesn’t seem to be any diseases but people can still get hurt by accident or on purpose. The resurrected folks can also die by accident or be killed but later they find themselves ‘resurrected’ again at another location along the river. Some even commit suicide hoping for a better location next time along the river.

Soon the newly resurrected people are forming protective groups that later become governments over areas of land along the river. They build homes, towns and new nations.

Religion

The old earthly religions are now rejected by most folks since this new ‘River World’ doesn’t seem to relate in any way to any of the old religious teachings. Both the ‘evil’ and the ‘good’ and everyone between from the former life has been resurrected together in this new world with total recall and no distinctions from the previous life.

A new religion started up with the idea that this new world was an opportunity to start over and become better people and make a better world without making the same old mistakes that were made in the former world and life. The new religionists are pacifists.

The Storylines

The first story revolves around English explorer Sir Richard Burton who is driven to find out who is behind the ‘resurrection’ and what it is all about. He comes to the conclusion that a super race of beings resurrected everyone who ever lived on Earth as some kind of experiment. In fact one of the super beings appears to him from time top time to help him along the way with important info. Former Nazi leader Hermann Goring is one character that keeps on showing up, first as an opponent to Burton, then later sometimes as a friend, and finally as a new resurrection religionist.

The second story revolves around Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) and his efforts to produce a new magnificent Riverboat like he use to captain down the Mississippi. His major allies and opponent is the former King John of Robin Hood fame. The story is delicious in its many twists and turns right to the end. Twain does finally build his boat but it quickly ends up far different than he planned.

The two stories merely wet ones appetite for more and there is more. Tor (Tom Doherty Assoc.) is in the midst of republishing the series and this is only the first with more to come. Can’t wait.           *Top

A non-stop action/adventure stand alone novel. The third and final book in the ‘Assassin’ series-previous: “Prayers For The Assassin” and “Sins of The Assassin”

The year is 2045. The former United States is split in two major nations including The Islamic Republic based in Seattle and the Bible Belt in the south with a capitol in Atlanta. The Aztlan Empire (Formerly Mexico) is ready to gobble up the entire Southwest and there doesn’t appear to be any way to stop it.

Time is running out for the ‘Old One’ to establish his international caliphate. He is 150 years old and is finally degenerating. The hero of the ‘assassin series’ Rakkim is off to the contaminated Washington DC zone along with techno nerd Leo to find a sacred relic that could bring the two warring factions of the old USA back together again and counter the Aztlan encroachment. Sarah does prevail in her plans for using the ‘relic’ but in a way even she doesn’t expect.

The story starts off with Carbon–skinned super warrior Gavenholtz vowing to get Rakkim and kill his entire family. The fake preacher Malcolm Crews actually has a few real healings and seems to be somewhat changed by it all. The cruel Grand Mullah of New Fallujah- Ibn-Azziz finally has his confrontation with Rakkim after he tries to condemn survivors of a girls school fire. After all the girls were not fully clothed in their burkas since the fire was in the middle of the night.

In the end it can be said that ‘divine providence’ saves the day.

Most of the ‘organized’ religion in the series is something that most of us would rather avoid, particularly the Islamic fundamentalists and the fake Christian preachers. There are no really ‘good’ religious leaders anywhere in this series even though religion is front and center throughout. Nevertheless the story does turn out right with the ‘good’ winning out and ‘evil’ basically losing along with far better prospects for the former USA on the horizon.

This leaves us to speculate that the author may not care for organized religion all that much but does hope against hope for some kind of order and divine providence in the universe anyway. At least that is what this series seems to represent.

I highly recommend all three books. The author gives an uncanny picture of what the country might be like if the Muslims ultimately prevail and turn at least a portion of the United States into an Islamic Republic—a very scary prospect.               *Top

Another fast paced Robert Langdon novel by Dan Brown. This time the focus is on Washington DC and Freemasonry. Professor Langdon produces under pressure and threat once more to solve every clue and symbol put before him. The life of a close friend, Peter Solomon, is in jeopardy and Robert works overtime in a pursuit all over the District to find the need clues that would save him.

The perpetrator is ruthless and someone with a major grudge against Peter who is wealthy and a major leader in the Masonic lodge. The participants in this scenario include major players from the Intelligence community, politics, the police, religious leaders, and prominent masons. Peter’s sister who is a major scientist on the brink of a major break through is also involved and in danger.

Of course there are several twists and turns in the story that keep you on your toes and begging for more. At one point Langdon is even killed? The evil terrorist/bad guy in the book is chilling to the bone to say the least and his origins are surprising. The inter workings of several government agencies also lend an interesting backdrop to the whole affair.

The parade through Washington DC’s famous buildings, monuments, and artifacts that have some kind of Masonic tie is interesting. This will probably increase the tourist trade at the Capitol seeking out the particular symbols and landmarks portrayed in the book. Folks will now want to take a second look at the famous painting- “The Apotheosis of Washington” in the rotunda of the Capitol building and maybe gander at any visible symbols on Washington’s Monument.

Philosophical and Religious Underpinnings

Christians will find this novel to be far more comfortable than the last two since the focus is on Freemasonry. However there is a prevailing view supported in the novel that there are hidden ancient secrets yet to be revealed that will take humanity to another level. Secrets that will also surpass any current scientific, philosophical, and religious understandings and render all traditional religions like Christianity as passe’.

The philosophical underpinnings of the work are rather ‘new age’ and feature the idea of ‘apotheosis’, that humanity with the proper knowledge can be transformed into a form of godhood. It is that legendary special knowledge that is sought after by the evil bad guy in this novel.               *Top

The last novel of Michael Crichton published posthumously. I received the book as a Christmas gift and couldn’t put it down until the last page.

Typical of any Crichton book, a lot of research must have gone into the work. The story is real and based up actual historical events as are most of the major characters. It gives you a real feel for what life must have been like in that time and far away place.

The setting is 17th century Caribbean and the Island of Jamaica. A time when the Spanish dominated the whole region while the English governor was left to depend upon ‘privateers’ who were really not much more than pirates depending upon ones point of view.

If the Spanish caught them they were hung as pirates, however they received a heroes welcome back in Port Royal Jamaica if they succeeded in a raid against the Spanish as long as they were attacked first and carried English papers.

The story is based upon Captain Charles Hunter’s innovative successful raid upon the Spanish port of Matanceros and the capture of a Spanish treasure filled galleon—El Trinidad.

There are a number of twists and turns in the story and enough action and adventure to keep you glued to the pages till the very end. It starts off slow but picks up after Captain Hunter and his group leave for Matanceros—it is non-stop from there.

Scot Harvath was in Paris with his girl friend Tracy Hastings recovering from his last assignment. Scot, a Navy SEAL who was assigned to the President’s Secret Service detail had been released by the President to seek and destroy terrorists wherever he could find them. Now that part of his life was over and he just wanted to have a regular life as a family man. Soon however the vacation was over as a bomb exploded near by and roped Scot and Tracy into a new anti-terrorist adventure.

This non-stop thriller involves the historical writings and residences of Thomas Jefferson, the ‘last revelation’ of Mohammed (Prophet of Islam), and American Muslim leaders and terrorists who are dedicated to do anything to keep the final revelation from coming to light.

A can’t put down book with a plausible plot that is destined to keep you reading and keep you up at nights. Way too real for mere fiction.

By Aaron Allston (New York: Random House Pub., 2009, 318 pages)

“Outcast” is the first book in the new Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi series. The war is over, Jacen Solo is dead and gone, and the Galactic Alliance is expanding under leadership of Natasi Daala.

In a move to consolidate her power and to control even the Jedi, Chief of State Daala unleashes a media witch hunt against the Jedi and has Jedi Master Luke Skywalker arrested and charged with negligence for not controlling Jedi Jacen and for standing by and allowing him to rise up and become a Sith lord- Darth Caedus. Luke accepts exile rather than watch the entire Jedi order be disbanded.

Luke does extract a legal right to come back from exile if he is able to account for and explain why he is not responsible for Jacen’s turn to the dark side. This launches Luke and Ben on a journey to seek out and retrace Jacen’s 5 year odyssey seeking alternate force traditions and force users—hoping to find evidence and reasons for Jacen’s change.

Their first stop is the Temple of the Baran Do at Dorin.  At the same time, the Solos along with Allana are having an adventure of their own helping old friend Lando Calrissian save the mining planet of Kessel. Meanwhile, back at Coruscant, Master Kenth Hamner is now in charge of the Jedi order and must deal with a new government order that all Jedi are to be monitored personally by an assigned ‘observer’.

It is an interesting read. Luke and Ben learn a few secrets while with the unwilling Baran Do leaders. Allana is spooked by a force presence from near space trying to communicate with her while on Kessel with the Solos. The Jedi try and cope with tag along observers shadowing their every move and reporting back to the government. Jaina Solo and others find ways to ditch their shadows and get the job done anyway–unobserved.

“Outcast” is the first installment in a series which promises to highlight an on-going struggle between Galactic Chief of State Daala and the Jedi. The Solos will continue to be uncontrollable ‘loose cannons’ in the continuing cold war between the government and the Jedi. Meanwhile, Luke and Ben Skywalker will continue their exiled quest for evidence to exonerate Luke and the rest of the Jedi.  It should be interesting to say the least!   

The latest offering in the Detective Alex Cross series. This story begins with the incredible slaughter and dismemberment of a family in Washington DC by a teenage Nigerian gang. Cross follows the evidence all the way to Nigeria and then on to Darfur in pursuit of a gang leader called Tiger.

In the process, he becomes involved with CIA operatives and becomes a fish out-of-water in Africa and a danger to himself and the others he comes in contact with. Cross finds himself arrested by the police and thrown in jail in Nigeria and nearly killed.

The story gives one a taste for the chaos and lawlessness of Africa along with the incredible heartache and on-going slaughter taking place in Darfur.

Dr. Cross escapes from Africa with his life but on return to Washington DC, the tables are turned and Cross and his family have become targets of the gang and leader that he was pursuing.

Oh yes, it does have the surprise ending that has become a signature part of the series. A real page-turner and bound to keep you glued to the book from page one all the way to the finish.            *Top

By James Luceno (New York: Ballantine Books, 2008, 317 pages)

The story follows the Millennium Falcon from the moment it was born (manufactured) at Corellian Engineering Corp. Assembly Facility 7. Then traces the history and different owners of the Falcon up to when Han Solo ‘won’ it from Lando.

Years later, Han and Leia go on a fun safari along with their adopted daughter (really their granddaughter) Allana in a hunt for the history, past owners, and secrets of Han’s beloved old YT-1300 freighter. Meanwhile, a former Captain and a wealthy consortium are also looking for the Falcon and the secrets that she may hold to a lost Republic treasure.

The book supplies a fun story that fills you in on a number of facts about the famous ship and its past. However, the real story in the end is the developing relationship between Allana and her grandparents Leia and Han.

The book fills the gap between the ‘Legacy of the Force’ series and the new ‘Fate of the Jedi’ series which will be launched in April 2009.           *Top