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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nothing Beats a Magic Sword, August 12, 2006
Take a pretty young archeologist who makes a career of stalking mysteries and monsters and turning them into TV episodes of "Chasing History's Monsters," and add, of course, a medieval monster known as La Bête, a magic sword, two 500 year old men, an exceptionally nasty villain, and a host of Joan of Arc legend, and you have the basic plot of Rogue Angel. It is an interesting first novel in a series that, for a change, is not an endless regurgitation of Knight's Templar tidbits. Alex Archer has chosen to mine a different set of French legends, those of Joan of Arc. As much as I'm addicted to the stories of the Languedoc, this shift to 15th Century is welcome. I know little about that period of history and Annja Creed's mysterious relationship to the saint is an excuse to discover a whole new cache of odd facts.
Creed begins this story searching the mountains if Lozère, a small town between the Languedoc and Auvergne, for the trail of a mysterious beast that was responsible for a string of killings in 1690 and then again in 1760. One wouldn't thing that a long dead serial monster would attract much attention, but Annja finds that she is in competition with Corvin Lesauvage a very unpleasant local criminal. In short order Annja has miraculously found the monster and a specual amulet, and is fleeing for her life from LeSauvage. In the process she meets Roux and Garin Bradin. Roux has spent 500 years looking for the amulet, and Garin has spent 500 years trying to make sure he doesn't find it. It is the key to reconstituting the pieces of Joan of Arc's sword, which materializes and promptly adopts Annja. Now Annja, who has an amazing number of martial arts skills now has a sword she can pull out of mid air. All the better to fend of Lesauvage with and anyone else who threatens her. Fortunately she is reluctant to start slicing everyone in sight or the ensuing battle would be a forgone conclusion.
Barring a few somewhat unbelievable moments, this turns out to be a good story with characters that are off the beaten track for this kind of tale. Archer has a very solid writing style that keeps you focused on the story. And, from what I can tell, he has done the homework that keeps the underlying story feeling realistic (although Archer romanticized the breaking of the original sword considerably). The telling is well paced entertainment with some very different twists. Future volumes will find Annja righting various metaphysical wrongs with a sword and a thoroughly modern attitude. If you hunger for mysterious hidden treasures and legends gone modern give this series a try.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
I liked it in spite of myself, December 18, 2006
Destiny, the first book in Alex Archer's Rogue Angel series, caught my eye at the bookstore, as did its interesting premise. I don't usually read novels that are part of a massive (read: over three, like Forgotten Realms or something) series, but I thought I would give it a try.
Destiny focuses on 20-something archaeologist Annja Creed and her adventures while on assignment for the fictional TV series, "Chasing History's Monsters." While Annja is in Lozere, France, searching for information about the Beast of Gevaudan for the show, she finds that several ominous men are stalking her, representing various groups interested in her research.
The book actually contains two different storylines. There's the research on the Beast that Annja is conducting, the people interested in it (or stopping it) and how she deals with them. There's also the finding of Joan of Arc's sword and how Annja is drawn to it and the only one who can wield it. The Joan of Arc connection is Annja's "destiny" and introduces several characters who will probably show up in later books.
The book is non-stop action, and that's not necessarily a good thing. The first 150 pages or so are completely devoted to the different groups pursuing Annja. It's not until the last third of the book that she even learns why she is being hunted. It sort of feels like that the author remembered to include the plot and needed to wrap it up quickly, as the last third of the book wraps up all the ends from the first few pages that are introduced and then quickly put aside.
Destiny reminded me of Tomb Raider with a bit of the Bourne Identity thrown in. All action, all mystery, with few plot points thrown in until the last minute. I found some of the fighting scenes a bit hard to believe (and a bit hard to follow) - I think I prefer my action/adventure with more adventure and less action.
But once the plot came back, it was solid. There were a few things that I think the author missed (why did Lesauvage pick the Wild Hunt as the persona for his gang of thugs?), and some parts felt like they were wrapped up a little too neatly (a brief introduction to the inspector, then he disappears until the epilogue where his storyline is tied up in a few sentences). But overall, it was an interesting read.
I think it will be interesting to see what the author does with the open characters (Annja, Roux, Garin), if he'll introduce a love interest, and if he'll start explaining Annja's mystical and historical connection to the sword. That alone should make the other books worth reading.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
look forward to more of Annja's Destiny being explored, May 20, 2008
Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques
Annja Creed loves her job as an archeologist. There's nothing she enjoys more than digging into the past, quite literally, to uncover secrets and solve the mysteries behind many popular myths. Her current job has her in France trying to uncover the truth about the Beast of Gevaudan where she falls into a cave at the top of a mountain and receives the shock of her life.
Annja has found an artifact, a small coin, which becomes her Destiny. Now she's on the run from a brotherhood of monks who have secrets to protect, and a blood thirsty occult follower who wants the coin for himself. Her strongest ally is the mysterious Roux who has his own reasons for helping Annja, believing she is the answer to his own Destiny as well.
Wow! I've been wanting to read the Rogue Angel series forever and never seem to find the time. When I happened across the audio versions of the books quite by accident on Amazon, I just had to buy the first three. I've since ordered the rest of the series that is presently available in audio. I love all the stories of Joan of Arc and I was quite excited to read this new twist on one of the most infamous women in religious history.
We have many mysteries linked together through Destiny and Annja had no idea what she was in for upon her discovery in a French cave. As I was listening, I couldn't help but wonder how all of these stories were connected yet when the climax is reached everything melds perfectly and I was amazed at how Alex Archer concludes the story.
Annja is a fascinating and complex character. Her history begins to be explored and we find out quite a bit about her. She's an intriguing blend of innocence, courage, heroism, and a thirst for adventure. She has her moments of weakness and strength with her selflessness usually winning out. I look forward to more of Annja's Destiny being explored in future novels in the Rogue Angel series.
© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2008. All rights reserved.
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