ROGUE ANGEL: DESTINY

Author: Alex Archer ISBN: 0373621191 7/2006 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: GOLD EAGLE

Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudin hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny: a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

DESTINY is the first book in the Rogue Angel series. I'm not sure where you will find it in the bookstore, but it says Science Fiction on the spine. It's a tasty read and worth searching out. We begin with an Indiana Jones type of story, then evolve into a superhero book. You are left with the impression that each series book is going to spin the tale of a fight between Good and Evil. DESTINY fits a bit into The Da Vinci Code genre, and is certainly being marketed as such, from what I hear. It's set partially in France, there are lots of murders and an artifact, and the tale behind the artifact has something to do with a famous religious female—Joan of Arc, in this case.

But really, there's very little of Joan in this book—it's mostly about a sword that she carried, and a couple of her followers who are somehow tied to the sword. Roux is a very mysterious and deadly character who has lived for unknown years, and Garin was his equally lethal assistant, who doesn't have any apparent arcane persona but got tied into the situation somehow.

The villain in this book is vanquished at the end, but the two followers of Joan of Arc are still alive, and I don't know how they will fit into the ongoing series. Annja Creed, our heroine, is an orphan who trained as a classical archeologist, and now travels the world filming archeology mystery segments for a cheesy TV show called Chasing History's Monsters. Hmmm.maybe this book is really more Lara Croft! Except our beautiful, kick ass heroine is poor and American.

It's all as fun to read as an action movie is to watch. Bring DESTINY to the beach this summer!

Heather Hiestand