Into The Jaws Of The Lion
by N. S. Wikarski
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GENRE: Adventure/mystery
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BLURB:
This book
is number 5 in a 7 book mystery/thriller/adventure series. It can, however, be
read as a standalone. The author is
providing a summary of the Arkana series for the tour hosts' convenience.
Where do you hide a mysterious
artifact that has the power to change the course of history? You scatter clues
to its whereabouts across the entire planet. Five objects buried beneath the
rubble of ancient civilizations point to the hiding place of a mysterious
artifact called the Sage Stone. A secret society and a fanatical religious cult
vie against one another in a global treasure hunt to claim the prize. Only one
can win. More importantly, only one can survive.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPTS:
Chapter
1—Knot Good
In A
Foreign Land – Long Past Midnight
“Watch
out!” The Pythia’s warning came too late.
Several
dark figures swarmed from behind the boulders lining the trail, jumping Cassie
and Griffin. Before the pair knew what was happening, they were body-slammed to
the ground.
Half
a dozen voices were talking at once, demanding answers in a language Cassie
didn’t understand. She blinked as half a dozen flashlights pointed their
intrusive beams in her face.
“What’s
going on?” she asked dazedly. “Does anybody here speak English?”
More
voices joined the hostile chorus. Rough hands reached out to drag her toward
some unknown destination. She stumbled up a rock-strewn path and was thrust
inside a small tent. Griffin was propelled in after her. Two of their
assailants followed and forced them to sit back-to-back against the central
tent pole, tethering their hands to the stake with thick hemp rope.
Without
a word of explanation, their attackers left and shut the tent flap behind them.
The voices outside continued to angrily debate some unknown topic.
Cassie
tried to twist around but couldn’t. “Griffin?” she called anxiously. “Are you
alright?” She felt the reassuring pressure of his fingers looping through hers.
“I’m
fine, all things considered. And you?”
“Other
than a few bruises, I’m OK too,” she answered.
The
two of them sat back-to-back in silence for several moments, listening to the
bellowing match outside.
The Scrivener shrugged philosophically. “On
the whole, this night might have gone worse. Whoever they are, at least they
didn’t kill us.”
“The
night’s not over yet,” Cassie remarked ominously.
MY REVIEW:
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice blend of adventure, trouble, romance, and history. I found myself rooting for the good guys even more than usual because the bad guys were so awful. They well deserve the title of villain. There's a quest in this story, and I also liked that, although I doubt that I would ever have found what they were looking for because you had to solve a hard riddle to get the info you needed. I've never been good at riddles. There's also a little romance in the story. I'll be curious to see how that pans out.
I enjoyed this book. It was a nice blend of adventure, trouble, romance, and history. I found myself rooting for the good guys even more than usual because the bad guys were so awful. They well deserve the title of villain. There's a quest in this story, and I also liked that, although I doubt that I would ever have found what they were looking for because you had to solve a hard riddle to get the info you needed. I've never been good at riddles. There's also a little romance in the story. I'll be curious to see how that pans out.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
"There's a 52% chance
that the next Dan Brown will be a woman ... or should we just make that 100%
now?"
--Kindle Nation
Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive
from academia. After earning her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, she
became a computer consultant and then turned to mystery and historical fiction
writing. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society Of Midland
Authors, and has served as vice president of Sisters In Crime - Twin Cities and
on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. Her short stories have
appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology, while her book reviews have
been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures.
She has written the Gilded
Age Mystery series set in 1890s Chicago. Titles include The Fall Of White City
(2002) and Shrouded In Thought (2005). The series has received People's Choice
Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey
Award for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth.
She is currently writing the
seven-book Arkana Archaeology Thriller series. Titles include The Granite Key
(2011), The Mountain Mother Cipher (2011), The Dragon’s Wing Enigma (2012),
Riddle Of The Diamond Dove (2013), Into The Jaws Of The Lion (2014), and
Secrets Of The Serpent’s Heart (2015). The seventh and final volume in the
series, The Sage Stone Prophecy is scheduled for publication in December of
2016. All the books have become Amazon bestsellers with an overall average
review rating of 4.5.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
N. S. Wikarski will be
awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during
the tour. Use the link below to enter.
This sounds really good! I LOVE the cover! Really caught my attention. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat do you like to read in your free time?
ReplyDeleteLet me add my thanks for your willingness to host Into The Jaws Of The Lion.
ReplyDeleteThis is in reply to Mai's question. Usually I like to read Victorian adventure fiction, especially H. Rider Haggard. Right now I'm engrossed in Erik Larson's "In The Garden Of Beasts." It's a non-fiction account of Hitler's rise to power as seen through the eyes of the US Ambassador to Germany and his family.
ReplyDeleteYour book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, I love riddles! Can't wait to check this one out :)
ReplyDeleteThis is in reply to Kayla's comment about the cover. Since I design my own book covers, I'm really pleased that you liked it so much.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Becky and Victoria, I hope you enjoy the rest of the book as well.
Looks like a great read!
ReplyDelete