The Secret of Excalibur [Mass Market Paperback]

Andy McDermott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 2010

A LEGENDARY WEAPON.
A RUTHLESS ASSASSIN.
A PERILOUS HUNT.
 
Excalibur . . . Legend has it that he who carries King Arthur’s mighty sword into battle will be invincible. But for more than a thousand years, the secret to the whereabouts of this powerful weapon has been lost . . . until now.

Archaeologist Nina Wilde is hoping for a little R&R with her fiancé, former SAS bodyguard Eddie Chase. But the couple’s plans are dashed when a meeting with an old acquaintance propels Nina and Eddie into a razor’s-edge hunt across the globe—battling a team of elite mercenaries who will stop at nothing in order to claim a prize every treasure hunter has coveted since the final days of Camelot. Nina and Eddie must do everything they can to keep the legendary blade from falling into the wrong hands. Because the truth behind the sword’s power—and those who seek it—will not only shock the world but plunge it into a new and more devastating era of war.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Adventure stories don't get much more epic than this' -- Mirror --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Andy McDermott is a former journalist and movie critic who now writes novels full-time following the international success of his debut thriller, The Hunt for Atlantis, which has been sold around the world in more than twenty languages. He is also the author of The Tomb of Hercules and The Covenant of Genesis. He lives in Bournemouth, England.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Bantam; Original edition (March 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553592955
• ISBN-13: 978-0553592955
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 1.1 x 6.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #278,538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andy McDermott is the New York Times bestselling author of the Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase series of adventure thrillers, which have been sold in over 30 countries and 20 languages. To date, he has had seven hit novels published in his native UK, with an eighth due out in 2012. His first novel, The Hunt For Atlantis, was published in the US in September 2009, where it became his first of several New York Times bestsellers. It was followed by The Tomb Of Hercules, The Secret Of Excalibur and The Covenant Of Genesis. The Pyramid Of Doom (published internationally under the title The Cult Of Osiris) went on sale in the US and Canada in October 2010, followed by The Sacred Vault in 2011. His next book, Empire Of Gold, will be published in North America in September 2011.

Andy's novels have received critical acclaim for their epic globetrotting scope and non-stop thrills, described as "pulse-racing adventure" (Northern Echo) with action scenes that "explode off the page" (Daily Express), while Andy himself has been called "a new master of the genre" (Le Figaro) and "a writer of rare cinematic talent" (Daily Express).

A former journalist and movie critic, Andy was the editor of respected UK magazines like DVD Review and the iconoclastic film publication Hotdog. He is now a full-time author. Born in Halifax, England, he now lives in Bournemouth, England, where he is working on his ninth novel.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars good book, but frustrating writing style, October 20, 2009

By 

Brenda Pink "snorkelgeek" (Lethbridge, AB, CAN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secret of Excalibur (Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase 3) (Paperback)

The author's writing style is very reminiscent of that of Matthew Reilly. The type of action is also very very similar to Reilly's. The author makes use of short sentences, short paragraphs, and dashes to try and introduce suspense into the plot. However, I find this style of writing frustrating to read and very disjointed. That being said, the plot was interesting. Both authors utilize Indiana Jones type adventure storylines with non-stop hard-to-believe action. As one other review states, at times this gets very old and tends to drag the story out.

As a rip-roaring romping story, the book is recommended. Don't expect any deep plots or truly believable storylines, but the book is indeed a fun read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars More Relationship Counseling Required, June 8, 2011

By 

Ian J. Hayes - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret of Excalibur (Mass Market Paperback)

<Spoiler Alert> Plot elements may be discussed. At the risk of being repetitious, I must repeat here what I said about the second book in the series: stop with the bickering couple routine already! A book of this type should be about the adventures and daring escapes and world-threatening villians, not some dysfunctional, immature and squabbling couple. I was sorely tempted to put the book down about halfway through, since I had ordered some additional books that I knew I would like better; but in the interest of fairness, I finished it because I was curious to see if the protagonist couple either got professional help or broke up. I will say that I will not rush anytime soon to read the fourth book in the series. And that is unfortunate, because Mr McDermott spins a darn good tale. I really like the fresh take on the legends and the action sequences are truly amazing. There are times when Mr McDermott's action scenes are reminiscent of Matthew Reilly, very high praise indeed. I really want to like this series, but just can't get past the squabbling, bickering protagonist couple. They are just not likeable characters.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great action, well researched history, page-turner, November 21, 2010

By 

C. Torres (Greater Seattle Area, United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Secret of Excalibur (Mass Market Paperback)

I love Andy MacDermott's novels. The best is still Atlantis, but this one's close. The research on the details, the storyline fast-pased and not improbable, and the well developed characters and their connections and transformation is well done. I had a hard time putting it down (as I do with any Aandy McDermott books or Steve Berry books). This one is entrtaining, fun to read, and you might learn a few things along the way.