Black Order: A Sigma Novel (Sigma Force Novels) (Mass Market Paperback)

by James Rollins (Author)
Key Phrases: blast chamber, head warden, blast shield, Ang Gelu, Darwin Bible, Paula Kane (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
What would thriller writers do without the Nazis? At the start of Rollins's inventive eighth Sigma Force novel, a secret experiment is smuggled out of Berlin in the waning days of WWII. While the Americans have been working on the atomic bomb, the Nazis were delving into the paradoxical tenets of quantum mechanics. In the present day, descendants of Heinrich Himmler are trying to create a new race of Aryan supermen. Last seen in 2005's Map of Bones, Painter Crowe and Grayson Pierce, employees of Sigma Force, a secret arm of the U.S. military, venture to the brink of death to puzzle out mysteries that encompass the theories of evolution, intelligent design, and the physical and spiritual nature of love and God. It's a tall order, but every time the author appears to have stretched too far, he saves the read by throwing in a fascinating scientific or historical fact, plus a scene of heart-pumping action. This is Cussler and Ludlum territory with a dash of Dan Brown, sure to please devotees of any of these authors. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
The globe-trotting adventurers of Sigma Force, that elite American special-ops team, return in this high-powered thriller. The story begins cryptically. In Nepal, a strange plague has struck a remote Himalayan monastery, and a Nazi swastika is found on a cave wall. In Denmark, someone is buying up rare historical documents connected to Victorian scientists (for instance, Charles Darwin's family Bible), and the purchaser is desperate enough to kill for his prizes. In South Africa, a mythological beast is apparently alive and well and preying on wildlife. The author interweaves these stories, following the Sigma Force team members as they risk their lives to get to the heart of one of humankind's greatest mysteries: the origins of life itself. Rollins keeps getting better with every novel, and his fast-paced thrillers are feasts for the imagination. Why Hollywood hasn't snapped his books up yet is a mystery, but it's doubtful any big-screen version could capture the author's gung-ho enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity. If you like all-stops-out, high-concept adventure, this one's for you. David Pitt
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Harper; First edition (May 29, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060765372
• ISBN-13: 978-0060765378
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (152 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #901 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in this category: (What's this?)

  #61 in

  Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

57 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The new king of the thriller adventure genre!, June 30, 2006

By	Shauna King "Happy Mom!" (California) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Black Order: A Novel (Sigma Force Novels) (Hardcover)

There are very few authors whose books I have to go buy the day they come out, but James Rollins is one of those authors (Patterson used to be but no more). I fell in love with this author two years ago when I started reading my husband's copy of "Sandstorm," I was hooked from the first page. With "Black Order" Rollins has taken the action, suspense, and non stop thrills up another notch. I wont go over all the plot details as that has already been done enough here, plus it just ruins the surprises (be careful of some of the other reviews, I think they give too much away). In this one Rollins brings back Sigma force led by Painter Crowe and Grayson Pierce, then mixes the descendants of Heinrich Himmler, quantum mechanics, theories of evolution and intelligent design, and in includes a dash of spirituality for a wildly fun read. This may seem like a stretch but he makes it all work! The twists and turns will keep you guessing while the heart pounding action will keep you turning the pages! Fans of Cussler, Crichton, and Dan Brown should all enjoy this book.

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Children of the Bell, October 4, 2006

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Black Order: A Novel (Sigma Force Novels) (Hardcover)

James Rollins novels are generally readable, but several of his most recent, in particular Map of Bones and this new release, Black Order show greatly improved structure and narration. While SIGMA Force stories have appeared before, Rollins has greatly developed the basis of this series, and the result is characters that have some claim for personality and glimmers of original plotting. In a genre that isn't particularly noted for novelty and depth of plot, this is a welcome change. If you have enjoyed Rollin's stories before you will like this new work even better.

Several related subplots make up the story. Commander Gray Pierce is in Copenhagen following an auction of rare books that involves some surprise bidders. Attempted murder and arson make what he thought was an easy assignment that he could use as an excuse to have a lover's tryst into a frantic chase that comes very close to nipping him in the bud. Meanwhile, a continent or so away, an isolated Tibetan monastery goes insane, trapping Lisa Cummings, a young doctor studying survival in the severe heights of Mt. Everest. Also hidden in the monastery is Painter Crowe, Director of SIGMA Force. The two join in their own flight from merciless hunters.

Deep in the mountains is hidden the castle Granitschloss, the ultimate retreat of Heinrich Himmler. Nazi experiments interrupted by the end of the war are still carried on there. An arcane technology is being used to create the super race of which Hitler dreamed. But the current residents may be heirs of the Nazi's but they are no longer the monsters of the Third Reich. Gray Pierce and Painter Crowe piece together the truth, that there is an even more secret organization that intends to use the deadly technology hidden at the castle to forward their own goals of world conquest.

Rollins keeps up a good pace, and the suspense builds as Crowe struggles against a deadly condition that is dissolving his body from within even as he tried to put an end to the threats. The story mixes neo-Nazis with not quite Nazi's, secret rays and genetic manipulation, and occult runes with Darwin's bible. Some of the plot is standard thriller fare, but there are just the right number of twists to keep the story fresh. I hope Rollins can keep this up in future volumes, because I'll be buying them.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best thriller of the year!, July 26, 2006

By	Susan Tunis (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Black Order: A Novel (Sigma Force Novels) (Hardcover)

I've been reading James Rollins since his very first novel. I look forward to each one with anticipation months ahead of its publication. (Thank God he's prolific!) Truthfully, I like some of them better than others. This latest, The Black Order, is an unequivocal slam dunk. I loved everything about it from start to finish.

One thing Rollins has done right is bring back Painter Crowe in a more significant roll. I've had a warm spot for him since Sandstorm. And in his second outing, I feel that I know Gray Pierce better than I did. How wonderful that these individuals have become like friends and I see their characters deepen and grow from book to book. He introduces a new character in this book that has become a favorite. I really hope we get to see her again!

But the best thing about The Black Order is the plot. I couldn't turn pages fast enough! I plowed through the book in two days and was then sad it was over. What a thrill ride! The novel is complex enough that I can't do it justice trying to sum it up in a paragraph. There were several different intertwined stories spanning the globe, from Asia to Europe to Africa to America. Rollins ties in Nazi science projects dating back to WWII to South African mythological beasts. And even though there were Nazi bad guys, this book has a lot of shades of gray and things aren't necessarily what they seem at first glance.

As always, there was fascinating, cutting-edge science. Each book has some bit of factual science that literally makes my jaw drop, and I think: I have to learn more about that! This one was no exception, but there were also major philosophical aspects to the story. Really, it's a book that has everything--non-stop action, terrific characters, a little romance, a little humor, some good scares, and a lot to make you think. I can't recommend it highly enough!