Customer Reviews

The Sacred Bones

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

With an abundance of writing on Jesus as of recent, it would be easy for one to overlook a novel like The Sacred Bones. You'd be well-off putting down one of those other "controversial" titles and picking up this one.

Written with a flair for suspense, The Sacred Bones certainly satiates those who enjoy history and/or religion, but doesn't leave you neck-deep in either Biblical references or entirely fictional content. Byrnes has crafted a wonderful, thought-provoking, non-controversial title that any fan of suspense, be it historical or not, can enjoy. From the opening sequence to the page-turning discoveries of the main characters, I think you'll find yourself finishing this one long before you'd like to.

A definite thumbs-up for Byrnes on his first work. I will be on the lookout for anything he has on the horizon.

This was one of the books that grabbed me based on the cover! It was too interesting too pass up!! Like a lot of people I'm wary of historical-fiction novels that are religious based just because too many of them follow the "Dan Brown pattern." This one didn't.

It was based in the Middle East with a host of characters that should not be getting along or working together. It was fast paced and very interesting. The cover kinda gave away whose "sacred bones" they were but the trip that got them to that is VERY good! The ending took a very different and thought provoking twist that makes you really think... could this happen? I'll definately be looking for more from this author.

"The da Vinci Code" has enjoyed amazing success, prompting dozens of novels with similar themes. Personally, I really like mysteries with historical twists like this. But this one is merely competent.

The premise is fascinating and clever. And the novel starts with some crackling scenes on Temple Mount, weaving history, politics, religion and intrigue. I found the character development lacking, though, and scenes which should have sizzled fell a bit flat . Perhaps that's where "The Sacred Bones" falls short. -- none of the characters jumps off the page for me.

One of the ways mystery/suspense novels like this provide enjoyment is, obviously, surprise. An experienced writer can create characters who become something unexpected, or scenes which morph from interesting to thrilling, or clues that become red herrings. Alas, Byrnes has constructed a rather cookie-cutter novel -- the pieces are all here, but we know who is good, who is bad, and where the plot is moving. Also, I found the historical scenes--for me, the raison d'etre of this kind of novel-- rather perfunctory, and not as engaging or enlightening as I had hoped. This made the plot's twists and turns less colorful. That said, Byrnes does have a clever, if fanciful ending in store.

A competent first novel, "The Sacred Bones" will perform as a quick airplane or beach read. Overall though, more is promised than delivered.

I LOVED this book. It's jam packed with action & detail. I truly feel that this book lends much more to the imagination than the Da Vinci code - it's a real 'what if' scenario. I can't wait to see what this author turns out next!!

I am a huge fan of religious thrillers. I've read them all --- good, bad and indifferent. I wasn't expecting much when I picked this up.

First of all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the book is about the bones of Jesus Christ. THe cover is an X-ray of 2 crucified hands. THe second issue is the Nails are in the wrong place. THey should have been inserted within the wrist bones. And of course, the Vatican and those wily Templars are involved. (Although really, who else would be so interested in the Holy Drumsticks?)

But with those minor quibbles out of the way, I was pleasantly surprised.

The author put a totally different spin on the role of Joseph of Arimathea and the bones of Christ. Even the miraculous properties of the Bones are unexpected. The science (archaeology and gene mapping) is top notch. I recommend this book highly!

Very intense plot with awesome character development. Hard to put down. If you are a fan of "The Da Vinci Code" and other religious conspiracy thrillers, you should enjoy this book. Looking forward to more from Michael Byrnes!

I quickly became engrossed in this book. I felt like I was there. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys possabilities. I read this in one night because I could not put it down!

Michael Byrnes' debut novel, The Sacred Bones, has an intriguing premise....the discovery of the human remains of Jesus Christ underneath the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That's enough to stir up believers, non-believers, and skeptics, and perhaps pursuade them to take a gander at this book, which I did.

The first half of the novel plods along, and for a 300 page book, that's not really a great choice...in my opinion. Once a reader is half-way through a book, to realize that the main characters, learned scientists, haven't yet figured out what is so blatantly obvious to the reader, it can be frustrating to continue. Yet I did, and happily so because the second act of this book is where all the real 'intrigue' can be found. Chases through dark tunnels, lethal injections, miraculous medical discoveries, corpse theft......all of these exist in the last 125, 130 pages of the book, and to great effect. But still I find myself unable to praise this work any higher than I did.

This novel involves characters such as Joseph of Arimethea and Hugh de Payens. With such a notable dramatis personae; it stands to reason that an author would wish to use them more, or even Jesus himself, in the story. Granted this is not my book, I merely read it, but...it seems as though a weaving of time, past and present, would have greatly enhanced this story. To incorporate more than a few journal passages from Joseph, and from Hugh de Payens, and insert chapters, however brief, that showed their actions and the necessity of their choices would have made this a far better novel.

Many writers say that modern readers don't want 'lengthy' novels any longer...they want 'quick fix' reading. I, for one, have read certain novels that could have benefited from brevity. However, this book could surely, in my opinion, have prospered from a better fleshed out and more historically descriptive narrative, and leaps in time, to support such an intriguing premise. Sadly, this was not the case. In an already over-crowded sub-genre of literature, that seems a less than thought-out choice.

Since Dan Brown's DA VINCI CODE was published in 2003, there have been a flood of imitations on the market. None of them are great, many of them are terrible, and a few of them are decent. I would put THE SACRED BONES in the "decent" category.

THE SACRED BONES faithfully follows the DA VINCI CODE formula, since it involves an age-old religious secret that the Catholic church is desperate to hide. Many of the characters seem familiar, especially the evil assassin who spends much of his time chasing the book's heroes. There's also quite a bit of Catholic bashing, although that's pretty typical for a book of this nature.

While THE SACRED BONES is predictable, it goes down smoothly, and the author is obviously intelligent and knowledgeable about religious history. Parts of this novel read like a travelogue, as the author doles out information about life in modern-day Jerusalem, Vatican City, Gaza, and Rome. I found much of this material intriguing, and I learned quite a bit about the roots of Christianity and Islam. If you enjoy novels that indirectly teach you history lessons, this is a decent choice.

While THE SACRED BONES is interesting, it isn't particularly exciting. The first half of the book is slow (Dan Brown could teach the author a few things about pacing), and most of the characterization is superficial. The ending is also abrupt and largely unsatisfying.

Still, THE SACRED BONES is a moderately enjoyable effort that fans of the sub-genre will enjoy. But my advice is to look elsewhere if you don't have a pre-existing interest in the subject matter.

This was a relatively standard conspiracy theory novel, the likes of which have gained popularity in recent years. When an ancient ossuary is unearthed containing the remains of a first century crucified man, the foundations of faith are challenged. The plot shifts between Israel, where conflict is brewing, and The Vatican, where the remains are being studied. As conclusions are reached and motives are revealed, a history involving Christ, Joseph of Arimathea and the Knights Templar unfolds with captivating evidence. While the writing wasn't exceptional, it wasn't overly corny, it wasn't full of typical clichés, and the progression flowed nicely. The plot was engaging, though it wasn't revolutionary, and included some intriguing theories. There were enough good elements to make it an enjoyable and thought-provoking book.