the emperor's tomb by steve berry

Title: The Emperor's Tomb
Author: Steve Berry
Pages: 480
Series: Cotton Malone #6
Published: November 16th, 2010
Rating: 4.5/5
Source: Receive for review
Buy at: Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble

Summary (Publisher):

The tomb of China’s First Emperor, guarded by an underground army of terra-cotta warriors, has remained sealed for more than 2,000 years. Though it’s regarded as one of the greatest archaeological sites in the world, the Chinese government won’t allow anyone to open it. Why?

That question is at the heart of a dilemma faced by former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone, whose life is shattered when he receives an anonymous note carrying an unfamiliar Web address. Logging on, he sees Cassiopeia Vitt, a woman who’s saved his life more than once, being tortured at the hands of a mysterious man who has a single demand: Bring me the artifact she’s asked you to keep safe. The only problem is, Malone doesn’t have a clue what the man is talking about, since Cassiopeia has left nothing with him. So begins Malone’s most harrowing adventure to date—one that offers up astounding historical revelations, pits him against a ruthless ancient brotherhood, and sends him from Denmark to Belgium to Vietnam then on to China, a vast and mysterious land where danger lurks at every turn.

My Say:

I read Steve Berry's book a few years ago and how I forget how great writer he is. Reading The Emperor's Tomb (the 6th book in Cotton Malone series) is very easy to understand without reading the previous books. The story is brilliantly told and well-mixed with Chinese history which I found it very amusing. It started with an incident that will bring readers curiosity, a fair length and details of history with also great characters. I personally love Chinese history and mythology which really intrigued my interest to learn how Berry will craft and blend it to make a good fiction. Berry succeeded in both plotting the story line together with the history and archaeology, producing an extraordinary story. Even though some details of history might bring boredom, but don't worry because it is entertaining with this book, and very knowledgeable too. He also provided his note on separate chapter about his writing process, a time line of Chinese Dynasty and maps. I believe that readers will quickly drawn into the story as the character's quest and obstacles to solve the political conflict that involved the sake of the future. There will be too many characters but I don't give it a big deal because you'll love the story more than you need to know the secondary characters. There's quite a few of action packed scenes which is very engaging and filled with suspense. Of course, there is twist and turns at the end of the story which I am truly glad with the ending. In addition a little bit of romance which I found it quite essential and bring excitement in the story. I love the book and would be happy to recommend this book to all thriller readers.

About the Author:

Steve Berry is the New York Times bestselling author of The Emperor's Tomb, The Balkan Escape, The Paris Vendetta, The Charlemagne Pursuit, The Venetian Betrayal, The Alexandria Link, The Templar Legacy, The Third Secret, The Romanov Prophecy, and The Amber Room. He has 11 million books in print, which have been translated into 37 languages and sold in 50 countries. Steve's road to publishing was long and arduous, spanning 12 years (1990 - 2002) and 85 rejections over 5 separate manuscripts. He's also an accomplished instructor, having taught the concepts of writing to audiences across the globe. For more information visit his website at http://www.steveberry.org/

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. for an exchange of fair review. Receiving a copy in no way will ever reflected my review and these are my honest review.