Customer Reviews

Area 51: The Sphinx

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Robert D. has kept up the excitement in this edition. Lisa D., Mike T. and the Russian Yakov are still kept off guard. The Mission and the Ones Who Wait are always a step ahead. Lisa is becomiong more careless and Mike and Yakov are not watching their back very well. This book travels all over the globe and covers many of man's most intrigueing mysteries. In this book you learn the truth behind the Sphinx, but still new mysteries are unexplained. And what new danger has Mars in store for the Earthlings. I can't wait until the next book comes out.

Great book - couldn't put it down. Much better than the Mission (the last book in the series). Area 51 is a wonderful sci-fi series. I can't wait to see where the story goes from here. I checked the author's web site - he's got at least 3 more books planned. I worry that he might string it along rather than stick to heart and soul of this great adventure. Mr. Doherty/Maguire/Dalton, etc, please be cautious to not dilute the action!

For those of you who enjoy this sort of "alternate history" sci fi, check out Ian Douglas' Heritage Trilogy (Semper Mars, Luna Marine & forthcoming Europa Strike) - its very much in the same genre.

The author isn't going to win a Nobel Prize for literature, but Area 51: The Sphinx has me more excited about this series than ever, which is quite an accomplishment for a series already at least 1400 pages long. There's not much point in describing the plot since this is the fourth Area 51 novel to be released. I must admit the plot has grown quite complicated by now, and I'm sometimes unsure which alien-controlled or alien-influenced groups are which because they are all so mysterious and inscrutable. It would be easy to take the basic premise of alien contact and let the story flop around like a dead fish, with predictable results, but the author has long ago transcended the UFO theme and laced his storytelling with unpredictable twists and turns, continually bringing in fresh new excitement and potentialities of earth's greatest mysteries, such as the fabled Hall of Records beneath the Sphinx, the Ark of the Covenant, and lost cities in the Amazon. I love the way he has brought a Russian Section 4 (read Soviet Majestic-12) operative into the heart of the activity, playing with the trust factor between the American and Russian agents like a literary yo-yo. In this novel, the very fate of the United States rests in the hands of the unlikely US-Russian duo. It is true that the author makes no real effort to tie up any loose ends at the end of this story, but I don't care by this point because I'm already poised to pounce on the fifth novel and keep plunging ahead. The introduction of nanotechnology by the "bad guys," the introduction of the Ark of the Covenant, the inevitable search for the Holy Grail, and even a quick tease about Noah's Ark are just a few of the many things that have me running to Book 5. I can see how some readers might become frustrated with the prospect of a long-drawn out story, especially since much of the "truth" of the events written of here will not become apparent until a later time, but I am perpetually perched right on the end of my seat. If you read up through book three (The Mission) and felt your interests flagging a little bit, I urge you to take a chance on this fourth novel because I think it will more than recapture your earlier interest. Personally, I hope this series never ends.

This is actually the best in the series (at least through the first four, which is all I intend to read). Doherty is actually showing glimmers of understanding how to write in this story. At some points, his characters are no longer one dimensional, but actually show two dimensions. There is still no depth, however.

Unfortunately, as Doherty improves some of his writing, he also seems to have given up in telling a complete story. All he does is make things more complicated and doesn't resolve much by the end of the story. For any true fan of science fiction - a person who has read the masters of the genre - this work seems only to have one purpose: to make other books seem better in comparison.

If you wish to read good alien invasion stories by real writers, try "The Visitors" by Clifford Simak, "Footfall" by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, "The Monitors" by Keith Laumer, "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" by Jack Finney or "Childhood's End" by Arthur Clarke. Any of these works (just the first few that came off the top of my head) show more talent in a single chapter than Doherty does in four volumes.

Do not read this book unless you have read its predecessors in the series, else you will be submerged in a confusing avalanche of subplots and information. The story moves apace and pays homage to the mystique of Sir Francis Richard Burton, the English explorer of the last century. One is left with the sensation that our history has been much involved with warring alien factions, and that, perhaps, more historic anomalies shall be explained, the Knights Templar having been mentioned. The story is, however, compelling and one is carried along with the mystery. The great antiquity of the Sphinx is confirmed and the Arch of the Covenant found. The horrors of nanotechnology released on Easter Island. The sequel is going to have to deal with a lot of problems.

This is a great read! Robert Doherty brings in many different concepts of Ancient Aliens beliefs, and weaves into a great read. I can't wait to read his other books.

If you enjoy military and sci-fi then you need to read the Area 51 series. You can tell the author wasn't kidding when he says he is ex Special Forces by the correct military details and descriptions he provides throughout the book. All of the Area 51 books are nonstop page turners and are a great in-depth story line with a perfect ending. I highly recommend starting with his first book, Area51 and then move through the series so you understand the characters and the overall objective they are trying to reach. The books can be read out of order and still make complete sense but for the max enjoyment start at the beginning.

So this one is really good. it starts to pick up and you get some hints on what is to come. I love the whole idea of these books and there are so many ways that the author can take the story lines. I look forward to reading the rest.

I like the story line between Toulette (?) and Duncan. It is interesting as well to see the involvement of our own governments and what they do and do not know.

Definitely a fun interesting read that makes you think about what could be out there and behind some of our mysteries!

Many people are beginning to question and research our ancient past and discover in the process that a lot of what has been imprinted upon our minds, as history, is wrong, misleading and sometimes downright lies.

This book, part of a the Area 51 series utilizes many facts from current historical, archaeological and archaeo-astronomical research and make it fun! Not for the sake of debunking any research, although there is a certain amount of "license" taken with many of the facts.

The author has created one of those novel series that create a great sense of reality because many of his locations and assumptions are based on historical and recent discovery. It's all great fun and leaves you with a desire to get to the next book in the series as soon as you've completed your current one.

The series will be tremendously enjoyed by those who have ever wondered about our true history and it's relationship to our future. If you're a sci-fi fan or an ancient history buff this is the series for you! Some light and enjoyable reading with a large measure of excitement built in, to alleviate the clay dust from the ruins of Sumerian civilization.

The Sphinx, book 4 of the Area 51 series, is overall a better novel than the previous ones I've read. This is not really a sequel, but a continuation of the overall story. The author has begun to deviate somewhat from the central storyline, but he makes it work.

This one involves the supposition that the Ark of the Covenant lies beneath the Sphinx. Lisa Duncan's quest is to determine whether or not it really resides there. The usual "aliens tracking humans trying to keep them from learning the truth" occurs here and the storyline builds to a big conclusion.

The book is not a 5-star book due to its dragging in parts and the author trying to tie too many things together. Some of them work and some don't. Things become more unrealistic in the following book -- "The Grail". Read this one if you found the earlier books readable, but don't start with this one. Otherwise, some of the subplots will make little to no sense.