Customer Reviews

2012: The Secret of the Crystal Skull

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I loved this book. I thought it was even better than Dan Brown - a gripping thrilling read, exceptional. Actually it was a bit like 'Indiana Jones meets the Da Vinci Code' but far more thoughtful sensitive and intelligent than either. An archaeological detective story and a dark supernatural thriller about what might happen in only a couple of years time, if the ancient Mayan prophecies turn out to be true.

I also understand, from an interview with the authors which I just read in an exclusive magazine [...] that this novel actually began life as a screenplay a number of years ago and effectively prompted both the Indiana Jones movie about crystal skulls and the recent Roland Emmerich blockbuster '2012'. It seems that each originally got their inspiration from this great story but the book is far better than either of them - so read on and enjoy!

The most skeptical will remain skeptical until it's too late. "2012: The Secret of the Crystal Skull" tells the tale of Laura Shepherd, doctor of archeology who finds a peer dead holding a crystal skull. 2012's prophecies begin to become all the more real for Laura but her knowledge may sentence her to a death long before the date even arrives. "2012" is an exciting thriller that's worth the read.

There is nothing better than a dire prediction by a society that was essentially wiped out centuries ago to generate interest, angst and serve as the basis of a good story. Translations, especially of languages that dramatically vanished rather than evolved out of existence, tend to be subject to interpretive license. If you doubt this, go to a library, pick out two copies of "The Iliad" by separate translators and start reading for comparison. The current dire prediction of interest is by the ancient Mayans, where they give the date and time of the end of the Earth as December 21, 2012.
Many years earlier, a young woman climbed a Mayan pyramid and entered a chamber that contained a crystal in the form of a skull. The crystal is a portal to the dimension of the dead where the designated person(s) can have their consciousness enter the crystal and communicate with the dead. Time has no meaning there so the dead, happy in their new existence, can see the future.
The crystal skull ends up in the possession of archeologist Ron Smith and unfortunately, it leads to his mysterious death. Fellow archeologist Laura Shepherd discovers the body and the crystal clutched in his hand. This is the starting point of an adventure that takes her to the ancient Mayan lands of Central America and then on an even greater journey into the deeper reality of existence.
In her search for understanding, Laura is forced to battle corporate greed, mercenaries, the harsh jungle environment and her own doubts as she races against time to learn the secrets of the crystal skull so that she can avert global catastrophe. The action is often fast, furious and Laura proves extremely resourceful as she relentlessly pursues the secrets of the crystal skull.
This is a very entertaining story of ancient mysteries with applications to the modern world. I personally do not know how accurately the authors follow the ancient Mayan predictions but don't really care as they turned it into an enjoyable tale of adventure.

The book is not well written, but has a good theme. I could hardly put it down since my interest lead me in the same direction as the book took.