Marah Chase & the Conqueror’s Tomb - Jay Stringer
Pegasus Books
320 Pages
If you’re a fan of the Indiana Jones movies with all the action and adventure mixed with history and archaeology, then Marah Chase & the Conqueror’s Tomb is the book for you. While it is not a movie, it has the same fast-paced, heart pounding action as one of those flicks. And the story is just as fantastic. It was definitely fun to read.
Marah Chase is a disgraced archaeologist who once sold artifacts for money rather than study them for educational and empirical data. When she gets word that the location of Alexander’s Tomb may be close to being discovered, she jumps at the chance, even if it means having to face the lover she wronged.
When Marah starts her investigation into Alexander’s tomb, she suddenly finds herself at the mercy of a covert group exploring the idea of an ancient super-weapon that is supposedly buried with Alexander. This weapon could very well tip the balance of power for the entire planet, and these blood thirsty renegades will stop at nothing to obtain it.
Marah reunites with old friends in an effort to find more of the discovery materials that will lead her to the tomb. However, the forces against her have their tendrils deep into many facets of the archaeological world. People she thought she could trust may not be as trustworthy as she thought. Her allegiances are fluid as she wades through the Indiana Jones archaeological world of guns, murder,and mayhem.
Marah Chase & the Conqueror’s Tomb is like the old serials that inspired George Lucas to write Raiders of the Lost Ark. The action is campy and at some points, simply unbelievable. The characters are definitely stereotypes, but are so much fun to read. The action as written by Jay Stringer starts at the opening page and continues all the way to the last. This is an exciting book. The minimal shortcomings of the characters are vastly overshadowed by the exciting and engaging action of the rest of the book.
This is probably the closest I’ve ever come to reading a movie. Most of the details that you need for this story are filled in by the reader’s imagination. If you’ve seen the aforesaid Raiders of the Lost Ark and the other Indiana Jones movies, you definitely can fill it in. Stringer does a superb job giving the reader a fast paced thriller that allows the reader to bring a part of the story to the game.
I saw on a website that this is the first book in a series. The second book, Marah Chase and the Fountain of Youth is due to come out in July. I will be requesting it at the library the very day it gets released. Sometimes, I really like to read these stories. And now I want to introduce my kids to the Indiana Jones franchise. Then they can read these books.
Craig Bacon plans on taking the kids for an archaeological at a nearby waterfall. The secrets are out there. Hopefully without the gunfire.