The Seventh Plague

This might be the first Rollins novel that I didn’t love. It was very hard for me to finish and if it had been any other author I don’t think I would have bothered. This book was missing the elements that make the Sigma books so fun and page turning. Maybe because Rollins came into the book with an agenda on climate change instead of a great story the book never had the overall arch that makes the book come together. Usually we have the team in different places and we slowly figure out what’s going on and there is some big reveal that is exciting. In this book we have the elements but it never comes together in an exciting way. In fact the whole book is like a muted version of a Sigma story. There is no humor from the team, even Kowalski is kept from being his usual over the top self, and Monk is missing from the novel almost entirely. This book really needed Monk and his wry humor. All of the split up Sigma teams were in very serious circumstances and the team acted accordingly but it made for a very dry read. If you’re a Sigma fan you can easily skip this one as it adds nothing to the characters that would be needed for the next novel.

The Seventh Plague has moved up to one my all time favorite novels! This one.. is one that I can already tell I’ll read and re-read many times. One of James Rollins best stories ever! I love how he includes so many historical figures into the plot! Especially Nikola Tesla and Mark Twain. YES!! In real life they really were friends. And, they really did spend time together in Tesla’s lab.

What an adventure! Toss in the Sigma team and an ancient mystery and you have one heck of a ride! From a mysterious underground tomb in Egypt to a DARPA funded array near the Arctic. One very wealthy business man who seeks to build Tesla’s free energy device and also plans on “solving” global warming once and for all. Add to that killer microbe.. no cure.. an assassin.. all of your favorite Sigma members.. and you can forget about getting any sleep! Rollins has outdone himself! The Seventh Plague just carries the reader along, with no let up of twists, turns and excitement!

Readers will be talking about this book for a long time. It is truly a masterpiece! The ending is very chilling.. as it holds so many truths. May we learn the lesson BEFORE anyone decides they know better than everyone else the “cure” for any crisis. Real or not. What are you waiting for?? BUY THIS BOOK!!! It’s destined to be on the top selling list all year and beyond!

I just finished reading The Seventh Plague by New York Times Best Selling author James Rollins. I have to say, this installment in the Sigma Force series left me breathless. We got a chance to reminisce with old friends from previous books and catch up on their lives. We set off on a remarkable journey at the beginning of this story. I loved the history that was intertwined with this storyline, Stanley and Livingstone, Nikola Tessa and Mark Twain. But what makes these characters so remarkable is how they touched each other’s lives in real life. Throw in the frozen wastelands of Ellesmere Island, the Sudan Desert and Rwanda, Africa – along with plague induced microbes, mummies and elephants- and you have got the makings of a book that is going to leave you gasping for breadth and totally exhausted. Do yourself a favor and read this book.

Sigma is at it again! The gang is all here! A wonderful character from the first novel, Sandstorm, joins them. A major character is dealing with a serious situation at home in addition to the mission that threatens more than just the people that join him along the way. Another wild ride and an eerie bit near the end that involves the character from Sandstorm. The family situation is so well done; it feels so real. The author also dealt with Climate Change without insulting either side, too. My favorite part is actually the section where he tells what is real and what isn’t. He is a wonderful researcher and I can trust him to explain things in that section. Really fascinating stuff in there. I love this writer’s books – I’m so glad he shows no signs of quitting writing!!

Sigma Force is my favorite. I enjoyed almost all aspects of the book, just as I do with any Sigma novel. Constant across-the-globe action with Grey, Seichan, and Kowalski? Yes, please! Parts of this book were beautifully written and really stood out to me (see spoilers below). My only complaint with some of the more science-related topics in this one (e.g. the Tesla/Hartnell escapade) is that they end up being way over my head. Even though Rollins tries to explain, I just end up skimming and get the major parts without really understanding what in the world his really supposed to be going on.

*SPOILERS*
I did think Rollins did a great job with describing/educating on the plague microbe and its source of power and overall implications. Enjoyed the scenes in the Sudan and the caves made into the female goddess’s form, although I was THIS close to being done with the exit/poop jokes. One was enough!

I LOVED the elephant scenes. They were beautiful and took my breath away while reading. One of my favorite story lines that he has ever done. Grey has such a way with animals, doesn’t he?

Seichan and Kowalski – bad ass as always. I thought the play between Seichan and Valya was excellent, and drummed up just the right amount of “Alright Seichan, kick her butt!”

Not a fan of the Tesla/Hartnell story line, other than the use of the mummy to decipher next steps for his plan. That was rather interesting. Again, some of the science in these books is over my head. I found myself completely confused by what was going on with Painter and his fight to stop the launch from happening. That part was a bit jumpy. Did his actions in the cargo plane affect anything or was the experiment going to fail anyway? Obviously he saved the day at the end, but it seems odd that a cargo plane can crash into something that everyone seems convinced can kill the entire planet yet not cause any kind of damage outside of Hartnell’s station.

Overall, a successful outing for Rollins.

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