Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully Entertaining, April 9, 2000
Of the three X-Files series books I've read(GOBLINS, GROUND ZERO and RUINS), RUINS is most definitely the best. It is unlike the others for the simple fact that it is actually relevant to the show. For once, the reader can actually picture Mulder and Scully in the adventure, relating to each other in believable fashion. Anderson most definitely redeems himself with RUINS. It's well written, well researched and beautifully vivid. Kevin Anderson paints a rich tapestry of lush jungle, exotic natives and white-knuckle action. The few instances in the book that aren't congruent are quickly forgotten by the fast-paced storyline and overall flow. This book could easily be made into a made-for-TV movie or even on a larger scale. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I would love to see more of the same caliber from Anderson!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
My Favorite X-File Novel, February 20, 2000
This is definitely my favorite X-file novel. It simply seemed the most adventuresome of the books. It has more of a sci-fi slant with the alien artifacts and any "shipper" has to appreciate the moment when Mulder thinks he should "thank" Scully. As a whole I enjoyed this book and think it's quite in keeping with the series.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great, entertaining read, April 2, 2009
The X-files: Ruins is a fun, quick read that any fan of the show should find entertaining. It is well written by Kevin J. Anderson who also wrote the bestselling `Ground Zero' prior to Ruins. His style has a nice flow to it and he is able to transfer Dana Scully and Fox Mulder to text in a near perfect fashion. So if you're worried about this book because of its writing do not threat, because unlike most tie-in authors Anderson seems to have a real grip on his quality and what pleases viewers of the show.
The plot centers on (of course) FBI special agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who handle strange and mysterious cases known as "The X-files." Scully is the skeptical one who tries to rationalize the abnormal occurrences in the files while UFO-phile Mulder seems to believe in just about every paranormal concept imagined (due to his sister being abducted by aliens when he was young.), but I'm sure if you're reading this book you're already familiar with one of TV's most iconic pairings.
At the beginning of this adventure there seems to be little to do between Mulder and Scully other than to exchange idle chit-chat. That is until they discover that the daughter of a famous archeologist has gone missing while excavating a new site in Central America, but due to unknown circumstances they have had no contact with her in well over a week. Needless the say the old man is greatly concerned and summons to help of Agents Mulder and Scully to follow him to Central America to find his daughter. Along the way of course we discover the region is full of leftover beliefs from the long forgotten days, drug lords rage war across the region over each other's operations, and rebellion is brewing as determined rebels take artifacts from their ancestor's temples in order to fund their operation. Just another day in a chaotic world, but it only gets better once our agents get down there and discover in the hot, humid forests that human sacrifices are still practiced in this region and rumors of large feather-headed serpents slinking through the forests come up. Could this be the ancient God's returning for revenge? The pair will have to discover the truth when the venture to the previously un-excevated ruins of the lost city of Xitaclan; a place known for strange disappearances.
Mulder (as usual) brings aliens into the picture believing them to be the "Gods" worshipped by the ancient Central American civilizations (Mayan, Inca, Aztec, etc.) were in fact aliens. This also leads him to believe extra terrestrials are behind the disappearance of the archeologists and all the strange occurrences around the Xitaclan temple.
Scully doesn't have long to debate Mulder's irrational explanation for they are soon thrown into the middle of just about every Central American conflict and they even manage to get the US military involved. It becomes a fight against time as Mulder tries to discover the secrets of Xitaclan, and the whereabouts of the missing girl while Scully tries to comprehend the situation and why anyone in their right mind would still practice such barbaric rituals as self-mutilation and human sacrifice.
Ruins is an exciting read and really plots itself well even with its limited page count and is one of the best book tie-ins I've ever seen for a movie/TV series. The writing is quick and exciting while still managing to be descriptive enough to give the reader a clear visualization of what it is they're processing. When characters talk the dialogue comes as if directly from the show. Mulder's sly comments are funny, and his interactions with Scully retain their charm in this novel.
If you're an X-Phile or just a casual fan of the series you should enjoy Ruins as a quick adventure with TV's favorite FBI agents. Trust me, if you have a quiet afternoon, are away from the TV, but you still want your dose of X-Files, or just sci-fi/fantasy adventure, lean back and open a copy of Ruins and read the day away.
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