Bloodline

First Sigma Force read for me. Bought it originally due to presence of CAPT Tucker Wayne and his war dog partner, Kane. Was delighted to see the inclusion of a short story, “Tracker” at the end and read that first as an appetizer. Then on to the main course! Began the.story and wanted to try to finish in one seating. Size of book and other considerations kept me from doing that but I kept the story in mind as I laid the book down, each time leaving one or another of the multiple protagonists in dire straits. The action is fast-paced and without much letup. The prologue of the book gives a subtle hint of the main secret of the story which does not become clear until the end of the book. After the the prologue, Rollins introduces a teaser which stays in the mind of the reader as he/she follows the ensuing maze of excitement. There are some very rough descriptions as the author juxtaposes ethics/morality against the singleminedness of the scientific search for knowledge. I was both horrified and facinated at the science of trying to extend human life toward immortality. As is often the case, the ultimate goal is control of power by the chosen few. A darn good read and only the first of many Sigma Force novels I plan to inhale.

Rollins is a really good author and I will be purchasing more of his novels. What I really appreciated was the fact that he has really good proofreader/s. I found only one or two errors in the entire book. Bad spelling, punctuation, omission of words or incorrect repetition of words ruins my enjoyment of a good read and I am happy to report that this James Rollins novel does not suffer from that.

His characters were well developed, his story line intriguing, and his surprises well thought out.

Rollins isa good writer, make no mistake about that. And the man can write any genre he so chooses. Bloodline is clear evidence of that. If there’s a flaw in Bloodline, it’s that it’s medical thriller, sci-fi, tech, military thriller, medical thriller, and a few more tossed in just for fun. I enjoy a good, fast-paced read; and that’s the problem with Bloodline. it’s a good read, but it’s too many genre’s skipping around from place to place and genre to genre to be a great read.

Another in James Rollins ‘Sigma’ series. This one I did not find as enjoyable as most of the others in the series. There was some shift in the main characters and Sigma personnel. Monk sat this one out and was replaced by Tucker and his dog Kane and although this worked to some degree I felt that there were to many characters involved in the actual mission this time. Another plot point that I did’t think worked very well was the capture of the heroes, their subsequent escape and then capture again. This happened to many times for one novel.

A bit of a low point in the series for me, but I will still continue reading Rollins’s books.

James Rollins has done it again!

I’ve enjoyed James Rollins books since first discovering Deep Fathom, over a decade ago. He’s quickly become a “must buy” for me. I really enjoy the bonds between the members of Sigma, and I’ve looked forward to this book with bated breath for months now.

Mr. Rollins left some interesting questions at the end of his last book (Last year’s excellent The Devil Colony), and he doesn’t shirk the emotional fallout in Bloodline.

A mysterious Templar Knight rescues a staff from a man much older than he ought to be. But this knight is not all she appears–and she leaves no witnesses.

Then we jump to modern day. A young pregnant American woman is kidnapped, her husband brutally murdered by Somali prates. But this woman isn’t your average tourist, though she’s traveling on a fake passport. She’s the president’s daughter and she and her baby could be used to leverage all sorts of unspeakable things. What do the kidnappers want with her? Is it money? Are political machinations afoot?

Sigma is brought in to find the woman and extract her. And the story is off to an explosive start. As Gray, Kowalski, and Seichan search for answers, Painter is unraveling a mystery of the Guild, Sigma’s greatest enemy. When he finds a tie to the US government, he decides to keep it quiet–for the time being.

As Kat and Lisa work Stateside and the rest of the team, aided by former Army Rangers Tucker and Kane, his military dog, circumstances quickly mushroom out of control. The president’s daughter is dead–or is she? And is the true target her or her baby? What can one woman’s tie to eternal life be? Is the president’s daughter expendable? What about his grandchild?

Mr. Rollins weaves science and adventure seamlessly, presenting high-concept DNA and PNA in a manner that is accessible to everyone, not just those with a scientific bent. The action flows from Somalia, to the excesses of Dubai, and to South Carolina. Throughout, the action never wanes.

There were some excellent–and some very unexpected–twists and turns in the book. Though I figured out the true power behind the kidnapping, there was a subplot featuring one of the characters that came as an absolute shock to me. I can’t wait to see how Mr. Rollins addresses that in the next book.

The addition of new characters Tucker and Kane was seamless. I loved seeing the action unfold through Kane’s point of view, and the bond between them was almost a tangible thing! I loved that both Kat and Lisa were in the field at the same location, yet they had such vastly different experiences. I loved seeing Painter having to deal with the upper echelons of government and justifying Sigma’s role in the rescue op.

And I loved that Mr. Rollins dropped a few Easter Eggs in for readers–the mention, or appearance, of characters who starred in past books.

The resolution brought up even more questions, and I’m very eager to learn more.

At times, Bloodline reminded me a bit (in theme) of Steve Berry’s Jefferson Key. There were some interesting parallels, including parts of the action occurring in the Carolinas. The books are completely different in feel and execution, but it was something that was definitely noticeable.

Mix science and action, add a sprinkle of exciting locales, and mix well with fantastic characterization, and you have the perfect summer novel. James Rollins has another winner here!

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