There have been a number of "archaeological thrillers"
since The Da Vinci Code became so popular. Some of them are
definitely more interesting than others. THE TENTH SAINT by
D.J. Niko comes out ahead of the pack because of its unique
time travel angle on a prophecy, its settings and Niko's
ability to describe people and locations. The book starts
out in Aksum in Ethiopia where Cambridge archaeologist,
Sarah Weston stumbles on a tomb with inscriptions in an
ancient dialect. With the help of American anthropologist,
Daniel Madigan, Sarah searches for answers in Addis Ababa
and the monasteries of Labiela, finding an ancient codex
with the prophecies of Coptic Christianity's Tenth Saint.
Interspersed with the adventures in the present of Sarah
and Daniel, is the story of Gabriel, who wakes up buried in
sand in the 4th Century B.E. among a Bedouin tribe. He
doesn't know who he is at first but gradually his memory
comes back, and we learn his past and how he became the
Tenth Saint.
Daniel and Sarah may want to know the whys and wherefores
of the prophecy, but there are those who want all to remain
hidden. Being left for dead in the Simien Mountains of
Ethiopia is just one way they plan to stop the two from
learning more and spreading their knowledge.
Niko brings her locales to life, so readers feel like
they too are in a tomb in Ethiopia or on the streets of
Addis Ababa. Her lyrical prose, strong characters and
interesting plot twists, keep this novel from being just
another thriller with an ancient prophecy.
Fast-paced and filled
with danger and action in interesting and less well-known
locales, THE TENTH SAINT will keep readers on the edge of
their
seats until the end. And the ending has a nice twist to
make it all worth it. Niko's second adventure with Sarah
and Daniel, the Riddle
of Solomon, is due out next year.
Cambridge archaeologist Sarah Weston makes an unusual
discovery in the ancient Ethiopian mountain kingdom of
Aksum—a sealed tomb with inscriptions in an obscure dialect.
Along with her colleague, American anthropologist Daniel
Madigan, she tries to identify the entombed man and
translate the inscriptions.
Tracking down clues in Addis
Ababa and the monasteries of Lalibela, Sarah and Daniel
uncover a codex in the subterranean library revealing the
secret of the tomb—a set of prophecies about Earth’s final
hours, written by a man hailed by Ethiopian mystics as
Coptic Christianity’s 10th saint. Faced with violent
opposition and left for dead in the heart of the Simien
Mountains, Sarah and Daniel survive to journey to Paris,
where they’re given a 14th-century letter describing the
catastrophic events that will lead to the planet’s demise.
Connecting the two discoveries, Sarah faces a deadly
conspiracy to keep the secret buried in order to promote
technological advances presently leading toward the
prophesied end of the Earth.
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