The Mask of Troy

I got really excited when I saw that David Gibbins had released another book. Quite frankly, I was disappointed. There was little action, and while the discoveries were interesting enough, without the excitement of a race to find it first, or a determined bunch of artefact thieves to fend off, the book just wasn't that great. If I wanted to read something just about finding archaeological treasures, I'd much rather read something factual. That said, Jack Howard remains an interesting character, even if there aren't really any particularly new revelations about him, like there have been in past books. It did pick up towards the end, with some kidnapping and action, but not as much as in previous books. I'm glad I finished it, and it most definitely did (eventually) get better, but to be perfectly honest I wouldn't bother starting it in the first place. It was a disappointment compared to the excellent previous books, and had it not been by David Gibbins I probably would have given up long before the end.

I'm glad I didn't rush out and buy it like I nearly did, but I can't help but feel the series would've been better if it had finished at book four rather than have this addendum. However, if there are more books, on the basis that the first four were truly excellent (especially Atlantis and Crusader Gold) I'll probably still get them out the library, even if I won't be rereading this one. I recommend you read the others, I don't recommend you bother with this one. The interesting bit at the end doesn't outweigh the fact that it takes an awful long time to get even vaguely exciting.

The Tiger Warrior

I enjoyed this one. The most recent by Alan Gibbons, it was brilliant. The descriptions of the 'lost' Roman legion was brilliant, and it blended the story of the ancient warriors with that of Jack Howard and his team of archaeologists. They're following in the footsteps of Jack's great-great-grandfather, in an attempt to unravel an ancient mystery. It's the fourth book in the series, and they just keep getting better. Atlantis was the first, and (amazingly for me), I've read the series in the order they were actually published, rather than in a totally random order as I've managed to find them from the library. I love the character of Jack Howard as well as the action and the descriptions of the ancient world (and the not quite so ancient world), and this book allows greater insight into his character. He's quite enigmatic, and so you find yourself rereading any detail of his former life with intense interest (or at least, I do :D). You also meet Jack's daughter for the first time (I never knew he had one... Maybe I missed something? Or maybe it's just another feature of Jack's past that he keeps quiet about.). To a certain extent, I thought Rebecca was a poor character, but that might just be in contrast with Jack who's a lot more developed. At any rate, I'd highly recommend this book and the rest in the series.

Atlantis

I'm pretty sure I've reviewed this before, but it's worth mentioning again, and I did reread it. I love this book! It's the first book I read in what I would call the 'archaeological thriller' genre, and it's probably why I love that genre. Whether or not anyone else agrees that genre exists is another matter, but still. It has a brilliant historical plot underlying the main narrative, an underlying current of discovery just verging on occurring. The underwater scenes inside the citadel of Atlantis are vivid and stunning, as is the description of the mountain top sanctuary. The historical backdrop is believable and interesting, and the technical detail is there without being too obtrusive and all consuming. There are fun gadgets which enable things to work, but they're within the realms of plausibility too. But what makes the quest for the lost city of Atlantis all the more exciting is the fact that modern day artefact thieves are interested in the site too. And as it lies underwater, outside the jurisdiction of any nation in particular, the archaeological team are on their own. David Gibbins creates tension remarkably well. A showdown in a nuclear submarine, explosions, dramatic escapes... They turn Atlantis from a wildly speculative bit of random fiction into a brilliant 'archaeological thriller', laden with excitement both in discovery and in the attempts to protect that discovery and fight against corruption and to save friends. A brilliant book, I'd highly recommend it.