Indiana Jones and the Peril in Delphi

Indiana Jones: Prequels #1

by Rob MacGregor

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi <> Mass Market Paperback <> RobMacGregor <> BantamBooks

Genres: Adventure, Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Action, Media Tie In

Mass Market Paperback

First published February 1, 1991

About the author

Rob MacGregor is author of 19 novels, 14 non-fiction books, and has teamed with George Lucas and Peter Benchley. He is a winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for mystery writing, and has been on the New York Times best-seller’s list. He writes both adult and young adult mysteries, adventure, and science fiction/fantasy. He’s best known for his seven Indiana Jones novels. He co-authored The Fog with Bruce Gernon, and with his wife, Trish, co-authored three books on synchronicity. His latest book is Aliens in the Backyard: UFO Encounters, Abductions, and Synchronicity. In his spare time, Rob teaches yoga and meditation.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now to set the scene - I love the original Indiana Jones films (I am still not sure of the Crystal skull - but I digress) and so when I heard of these official prequel books I had to give them a go. However like many things that "bolt on" to something you hold so dear there is always that danger that it will at best take you places you do not want to go - at worst it ruins it all for you (remember the experience of the official Stargate book where they could not even get the characters names right).

So I started this book and gave it a go - waiting to be disappointed (sorry but I was) and all the time I was getting more and more involved in the story.

Okay so now my comments but without spoilers- this book does not have the same spectacular set pieces as say Raiders do however the action is fast paced and set in a cinematic way (you can sort of image them racing through the streets of Greece for example).

However the story feels like Indiana and although this book was set in the 20s (more on that in a second) you can already see the famous character starting to develop.

So what of the prequel - surely there is some place for this story, apart from as a blatant cash in. Well for starters this book was first published in 1991 so yes it could be seen as a cash in but at the same time (2 years) after the last Crusade so it wasnt really that far out of step with the films. But more importantly the events in the book set Jones on the path that leads him not only to Archeology but also to the encounters we know so well in the films.

This is a worthy addition to the lore of Doctor Jones - however its not a record breaker and without the fame of the films I suspect it would have disappears in to the mists of time (see what I did there). I guess the next book in the series is the true test as I believe there are currently 13 books in the series, I guess we shall have to hold my breath and dive in again.

[Lauren Stoolfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm kind of pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up actually liking this 1920s set prequel novel, Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi (Indiana Jones: Prequels #1) by Rob MacGregor. Usually movie tie-in books or what have you can be hit and miss, but this one was pretty cool. I've never seen the Indiana Jones film prequels, so I have no idea how they compare. Either way, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of these prequels.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rob Macgregor wrote this novel, "Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi"---the first in a series of books based on the popular character created by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg---in '91, long before the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull", and just as The Young Indiana Jones series was starting on TV.

It's set during Indy's college days, as a young Greek Linguistics scholar named Henry Jones Jr. falls for his sexy (but much older) archaeology professor. Adventure and romance ensue as Indy and his hot prof jet off to Paris and then Greece to find an ancient Greek artifact that is reputed to give the possessor the power to see the future. Entertaining stuff, if you are an Indy fan.

[Josiah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Are these young-adult Indiana Jones prequel novels part of the movie franchise canon? Indications are they could be. The copyright is assigned to Lucasfilm, Ltd., so the books appear to be a cooperative venture with George Lucas's company. Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is set more than a decade before Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it fits the film franchise narrative as far as I can tell: mentions of Henry Jones, Sr. and Marcus Brody sync with what we know of them, and the events of the story contradict nothing in the movies. Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi probably could be canonical, and thus we find ourselves on hand for the career launch of perhaps the greatest adventurer in film history as he embarks on his first major quest, one that could get him killed barely out of college. Indy isn't yet the suave veteran of archaeological conquest he is in the films, but he comes into his own rapidly as he learns on the job in this book. The legend is already being written.

Henry Jones, Jr. is a linguistics graduate student at the Sorbonne when Dr. Dorian Belecamus proposes he join her on a field excavation to Delphi, Greece, home of the ancient Oracle. Indy isn't sure why his professor wants a language student on an archaeological dig, but he accepts her offer. In a matter of days they're walking the dusty roads and ruins of Delphi, center of an intellectual culture that flourished thousands of years ago. Indy comes to suspect that Dorian intends to use him as a pawn in an underground political battle versus the king, so he stays on guard against potential traps. The vapors at the temple of the ancient Oracle are issuing forth for the first time in untold years, and the Order of Pythia, a lineage of mystics dating back to Ancient Greece, await the Oracle's rebirth, expecting it to lift Greece back to prominence as the pinnacle of civilization. If the Order of Pythia can find the person destined to be the new Oracle, its centuries-old plans will come to fruition.

Do the vapors truly possess healing powers, and can they fill the chosen one with the wisdom to become the Oracle at Delphi? Indy can't answer either question definitively, but something shady is going on behind the scenes. As he nears the discovery of what powered the Oracle millennia ago, Indy stumbles into a web of corruption that threatens not only his own life, but could lead to the assassination of the king. With greed and perverse ambition secretly at work everywhere, it falls to young Indiana Jones to save Delphi's legacy of wisdom from those who would misuse it to rule the world. Who will survive the violent collision of worlds ancient and modern?

The Indiana Jones movies see reputedly supernatural artifacts clash with the skepticism of modern archaeology, and middle ground is eventually found. There was chicanery involved in some ancient miracles, but certain talismans did have unexplainable powers. Indy enters any archaeology expedition with a healthy dose of doubt that legends depicting supernatural power are true, and Dr. Belecamus mostly approves of his attitude. "You're very rational, Mr. Jones. That's good. But sometimes we need to spur our imaginations in archaeology. Myths are often a springboard to truth and understanding." That explanation can be considered the motto of the Indiana Jones franchise, and Indy's response levels it out well. "(Myths) can also baffle and mislead, and too often are taken as the truth themselves...Even by intelligent people." If there are supernatural forces at work, Indiana Jones isn't too close-minded to believe, but as a rational student of history he's not about to jump to erroneous conclusions because he's predisposed to buy into the sensational.

People die all the time when corruption is afoot, and Indy ends his fair share of lives in the movies. But he never loses sight of the sobering reality that he could die as easily as anyone if he isn't cautious. He ponders this when he disposes of the bodies of two deadly enemies at Delphi, men who would have killed him without hesitation. "He had no reason to miss either man. They had caused him more grief than most people who crossed his path. Yet, their deaths still affected him, if for no other reason than to remind him that death followed life, and that he was as vulnerable as the next person. Maybe more so. Maybe he was the next person." No magical destiny protects Indy from harm. His life and future are as fragile as any of ours.

"The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding go out to meet it."

—Thucydides, quoted in Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi

Though imagining Harrison Ford in the role fills Indy on the page with almost as much vigor as on the silver screen, Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is nowhere near as thrilling as the movies. Regardless, I much appreciate an original adventure with the one and only Indiana Jones, a hero of mine for most of my life. There are many more prequel novels in this series and I intend to read them all, as any enthusiastic fan of the franchise should consider doing. Indy hasn't attained his full physical and intellectual powers in this book, but they're obviously on the rise, and it should be exciting to ascend with Indy to the peak of his fame. I'd give Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi one and a half stars, and I nearly rounded it up to two. I had fun, and I think other longtime fans will as well.

[Sean Carlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published one year (thirteen months, to be exact) before the premiere of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (which mostly took place during the Great War), the first of Rob MacGregor's six Indiana Jones prequels attempts its own origin story set in the early 1920s, a decade or so before the big-screen escapades. It opens with Indy as a student (and jazz enthusiast) at the University of Chicago, much the same ground covered in the 1993 episode Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues, though Peril at Delphi has him graduating in 1920, whereas in Mystery of the Blues he was only just completing his freshman year after having returned from Europe in 1919.

Flash forward two years to the Sorbonne, where Indy is studying linguistics. Against his academic agenda, he is lured by a beautiful professor -- naturally -- to accompany her on an archaeological dig in Athens to recover the Omphalos, a sacred stone believed to empower the Delphic Oracle. Essentially, MacGregor illuminates a biographical context in which Indy is drawn into the field of archaeology instead of actively pursuing it. That seems at odds with the (admittedly limited) backstory offered in the film trilogy, in which Indy has a healthy interest in archaeology as a boy (as evidenced by his fervor to see the Cross of Coronado safely delivered to a museum), and later studies the discipline at the University of Chicago (under Abner Ravenwood), versus only somewhat reluctantly considering it in his twenties as a graduate student in Paris.

Now, that doesn't simply create continuity problems, it adversely affects the story's narrative urgency. Because Indy isn't driving the plot here, the pacing and stakes of Peril at Delphi suffer accordingly. Hell, even in the opening sequence of The Last Crusade (which MacGregor novelized, incidentally), Indiana Jones is very much actively steering the course of the adventure. Here, he's much more of an inertial participant. Peril at Delphi has globetrotting, intrigue, history, a mystical MacGuffin, and a femme fatale -- all the hallmarks of an Indiana Jones adventure -- but what it's missing is dramatic exigency. It's not by any means poorly written like so many of these media tie-ins, but it isn't particularly exciting or consequential.

And that isn't helped by the fact that the action set pieces are few and far between. The movie series was very consciously constructed to evoke the old Republic serials with their cliffhanger endings at each chapter break, but that narrative design is not observed here. So, for all of those reasons -- continuity discrepancies, an incidental protagonist, structural issues -- Peril at Delphi is a problematic, and ultimately unsatisfying, adventure.

A further word about the thorny subject of continuity: This book establishes Indy as having had a fairly average upbringing in Chicago, as opposed to the seasoned world traveler he was shown to be in Young Indiana Jones (from Princeton, New Jersey, no less). I get that in a sprawling media franchise like this, there are bound to be biographical and circumstantial inconsistencies. What I don't understand, though, is that since these books were clearly written at the same time George Lucas was developing the TV series (in 1990 and 1991), wouldn't a modicum of editorial oversight from Lucasfilm between these two brand extensions have been in order? Surely MacGregor could have been furnished with the backstory Lucas developed for the show, allowing him to position his series of books between those two entities without tripping over either? The folks at Lucasfilm could've easily harmonized these two simultaneous projects, thereby minimizing any canonical disparities.

Regardless, the problem with Peril at Delphi isn't one of continuity so much as creative direction: The movies were Saturday-matinée serials writ large; the television series was a coming-of-age history lesson; I'm not certain what story model this book is meant to emulate/honor. If this were your first exposure to an Indiana Jones story, I can't see you coming back for more; it veers too far from the formula that made these stories such a success on the silver screen. At best, it's for diehard Indy aficionados. Speaking as one, I read all of these novels as a kid, and will continue with the next installment, Indiana Jones and the Dance of the Giants, to see how they progress (since I've long since forgotten!). To be continued...

[Jared Pahl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Is it that hard to write an Indiana Jones story? The formula is sound. A big action set piece to open, then exposition about a mystical MacGuffin, an evil faction who wants the MacGuffin for themselves, and globe-trotting adventure the rest of the way.

So I don’t know what Rob MacGregor wrote with Peril at Delphi, but it’s not an Indiana Jones story. Does he think anybody picking up an Indiana Jones prequel novel is interested in the minutia of daily life in 1920s Greece? Or the behind the scenes work that goes into an archeological dig? This reads like a book written by someone whose entire knowledge of Indiana Jones is his stated occupation. The whole concept is, “What if an archeologist went to a dig site?” What a dry, boring piece of work. The lack of adventure is actually impressive. The big set piece that MacGregor teases in the opening pages, the one he builds up as the showstopper of the book, is Indy being lowered into a crevice to pick up a tablet. Thrilling… Or how about a truly bizarre opening scene where Indy hangs effigies of the Founding Fathers at his college graduation? All for a tortured treatise on free speech or something?

MacGregor introduces too many characters with too many alternate names, he never clearly defines his one major setting, and he spends way too much time on useless details (was it so important to know the exact minute that the vapors rose every time they are mentioned?). I don’t know what this book is, but a light, fun, summer Indiana Jones adventure it is most certainly not.

[Quentin Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reader's opinions on this novel and series are all over the place, but I enjoyed it a lot. I've always thought the Indiana Jones character had a ton of untapped potential, some of which we saw in the comics from Marvel and Dark Horse. Now we have actual novels, and while some categorize these as a young reader series, it's really not. There are novels aimed at younger readers, those are the Young Indiana Jones novels. (Sort of on the nose there, huh?)

In this initial offering, we find Indy (yes, I call him Indy) at 22 years old and just graduating college where he finds himself offered an apprenticeship by a sexy, seductive female professor. He ends up in Greece at a dig which harkens back to the Oracle at Delphi. I won't get too deep into the plot but of course things aren't what they seem and Indy finds himself in all sorts of trouble.

I thought this was well done and fit the character. Interested to see how the series plays out from here.

[Terrance Layhew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prequels are dangerous histories to uncover, Rob MacGregor manages to avoid sacrilege to the character of Indiana Jones while adding to the lore of his beginnings.

It’s an adventure story which works with any character replaced as Indy, but what I appreciate is how it has the flavor of an Indy adventure. Even down to little moments where you can see Harrison Ford’s grin or a serial style last minute escape like in the film.

Here we meet Indy as he’s finishing graduate studies in… linguistics? When his sexy professor invited him to join her on an archeology dig at Delphi, he tags along. The results will change his life forever.

Good for adventure fans, but delightful to the Indiana Jones acolyte.

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just been to Athens and Delphi a few months ago, I felt right at home in this story and could picture all of the places they went. It's your typical Indiana Jones story. Leading love interest, adventure, a bit of the supernatural. It's a lot of fun. And as usual I love the real bits of history Rob MacGregor throws in there.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve had this book for a very long time. I remember getting this in grade school at a garage sale, paying for it with my own hard earned chore money. I even found my old bookmark inside – a Looney Tunes playing card.

I watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom wayyyy too much as a child. After re-watching it recently, I’m wondering why I was allowed to watch it. That’s besides the point, the point is, I had a mild obsession with the Indiana Jones franchise and jumped at the chance to continue his story. I started and stopped this book many times in my childhood. I think it was just too dry for me to get passed the first 20 pages.

As an adult I thought the story was entertaining, but still didn’t grab me that much. This is a prequel to the movies. The story begins with Jones in his senior year at the University of Chicago in the 1930s. His beautiful, cold female professor takes an interest in him (of course…) and invites him to an archaeological dig back in her native country of Greece. It was interesting hearing about Greek oracles and the history of Delphi, but the female antagonist was a bit on the annoying side. As you can imagine there’s archaeology, mayhem, gun fights, and close escapes in this novel. If any of those float your boat, you might enjoy this book. Especially, if you want to learn more about Jones’ past.

Overall, the book was fine and satisfied that craving I had for an adventure novel. Unfortunately, it caused a lot of wanderlust for me after learning more about Greece. Reading this in 2020 means travel is out of the question, but one day I’ll have my own Grecian adventure.

OTHER PLACES I LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Art, Crafts, & Books: Blog | Instagram
Travel Stories & Tips: Blog | Instagram
Classy Cats in Classics: Tumblr | Instagram

[Jenny T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a prequel adventure story featuring Indiana Jones when he was a graduate student in ancient written languages at the Sorbonne in 1922. His experiences get him involved in an archeological dig at Delphi in Greece that will influence some his later life decisions. An exciting read which previews how Indiana Jones got his start.

[The Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would you write for an Indiana Jones novel? Well I guess there are two choices. 1: keep to the feel of the films, making it an adventure story with exciting action and discovery. Or 2: expand upon the format of the premise and develop the character. Rob McGregor decided to do number two.

But did this work? I would say no. I try not to approach tie-novels assuming it will be exactly like the original (in this case the films) So McGregor has decided to expand upon Indiana Jones. A character that, while having certain personality traits, was not an in-depth character as such. The Perils of Delphi is then an origin story, showing Indiana studying as a university student.

However, McGregor writes the character before he has become the adventurer or the hero we know him to be. This really works against the novel. Indiana is presented as a bit lost, weedy and generally uninspiring. So our main protagonist is very boring in comparison. He is constantly captured only to escape, and then get captured again.

I assume that McGregor goes onto develop Indiana into the character we know him as, but how long does that take? There are five more stories after this. So rather than take a risk, I would probably buy a novel written by a different author.

[Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the first two-thirds of this book, I was having a lot of fun. It wasn't quite the non-stop action of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it had some good characters, and the plot was decent. It has a lot of the characteristics of the Indiana Jones movies (even though Indy is young; he's still in college as of this story), including the mysticism related to the adventures. I was thinking this was going to be a four-star book at that point.

Then, in the final third of the book, everything fell apart. The plot got convoluted, and I kept losing track of what was happening in the action sequences. There was a much more cavalier attitude toward the story, and there were parts of it that strained credulity. It was like I was reading a book written by two authors.

MacGregor writes well, and I didn't find the narrative to be overly simplistic, or tell-y. For the book to capture me so well in the beginning, he has to be doing something right. He wrote the next five books in the series (which, if you've followed my reviews, you know I'll be reading...), and I'm hoping he gets better at concluding the stories as the series continues.

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where to begin with this disaster?

First, don't be fooled by the awesome cover. The Harrison Ford aged Indiana Jones is not in this story. This is a prequel about his college/graduate school days.

Second, I'm not convinced Rob MacGregor has ever seen an Indiana Jones film. He didn't know how Indy got the scar on his chin, for example. The character didn't even seem like the Old (or young) Jones we've seen in film. It felt like the only info he had was 1) he was going to be an archaeologist someday and 2) he has a hat he always wears.

Third, MacGregor fundamentally does not understand what Indiana Jones fans want. If you want an in depth look at Greek history/culture, this is for you. If you want to know the minutiae of a dig site, this book is for you. If you want action, look elsewhere. If you want a cool, ancient mystery, look elsewhere.

Bad news: MacGregor wrote the first 6 books in this series.
Good news: He didn't write books 7 thru 13 so maybe I'll try those.

[WhatShouldIRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

I collected all these Indiana Jones books years ago and read them. However it has been long enough that I don't remember any of the story so it was like reading them for the first time.

Contrary to the cover, these are more Young Indiana Jones adventures, taking place while Indy is in college. This being said, it would explain some of the poor judgement he made regarding the archaeological dig he was invited to.

While the story was pretty good I found it uneven and also I did NOT like his female companion one bit. As a reader I could see right through her but alas, Indy did not. Because of this I could not completely enjoy the story. Still, all came right in the end.

I will go on to another of his adventures soon!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun pulp fiction adventure novel with a “complicated” femme fatale who lures a newly graduated linguistic major to Delphi. Fall in love with your hot professor, stay in love with the field of archeology, apparently! I loved reading about Athens and Delphi and the fine line Indiana Jones continues to walk between supernatural and scientific explanations. The book was ridiculous and fun!

[Keller Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not great but good story of the beings of Indiana Jones. One that of my favorite film characters as a kid. It was exciting to stumble across these books. Hopefully the next book will be a little more exciting and entertaining.

[Donavon · Rating 5 out of 5]

1922 - Indy finishing university and decided to become an archeologist.

[Noah Myhre Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denne boken eksisterer i gråsonen mellom filmmanus og skjønnlitteratur. Pacingen er lynrask, utviklingene tidvis påtvungne, og hovedpersonen selv stråler med kvikke onelinere. Oppdraget er som følger: Skriv det første eventyret til en ung Indiana Jones (dvs, det første full length eventyret). Denne må forklare hvorfor Indy har en lidenskap for arkeologi. Indy må være nybegynner men samtidig kompetent, nyutdannet og uerfaren men også jævla tøff. Han må begynne å bruke pisken sin. Indy må være Indy selv om Indy er en ung Indy.

Eventyret er ålreit. Jeg setter pris på narrativer sentrert rundt antikke mysterier. Delphi og orakelet er strålende, men mysteriet er temmelig tynt samtidig som alle intrigene bare forvirret det hele. Boken består av 250 sider. Det er ikke plass til enormt innviklede intriger og backstabbing og backstabbing av backstabberen og politiske rivaler og redemption arcs. Det ble rett og slett for mye til den grad at jeg falt litt av. Men alt i alt var det et søtt lite eventyr om hvordan Indy falt for arkeologien (hint, hint: takket være en kvinne. Det var kvinnen han falt for. Hun var arkeolog. Klassisk Harrison Ford).

6/10

[Jeremy Johnston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Elements of this novel are enthralling, especially the descriptions of Paris and Delphi. However, most of the book feels like the author is reluctantly writing an Indiana Jones novel. Jones hardly resembles Jones, the iconic accoutrements (whip, fedora) seem like after thoughts, and the story lacks swashbuckling adventure. There's no charm, weak characterization, and an overly simplistic and drawn out plot. Disappointing read, I'm afraid...

[Dennis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was really surprised by this book. The atmosphere, story and characters make the book feel like an authentic Indy-adventure.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Indiana Jones on the big screen, on the little screen, and even in the comic books. I have read several of the Indiana Jones novels and while this was the best of them so far, it still left much to be desired.

I guess I want the Indy stories to be BIG. In the movies he's found the lost ark of the covenant, the holy grail, the shankara stones and a crystal skull. He battles Nazis, Russians, crazed cultists and the like in great, spectacular finales. On TV, he dealt with spies, WWI, Thomas Edison, Al Capone, and more. In the books—and, to a certain extent the comic books—though, he seems to start out with the promise of a big adventure but it never has the sweep of the celluloid Indy.

There could be several reasons for this. One of them may be that whoever licensed the characters didn't want Indy becoming like the "Star Trek" or "Star Wars" crews and having to fight for the very survival of the universe every single time. Or maybe it's just that Indy is such a visual character that I have been expecting a visual spectacle even in his printed versions. (I know it can be done, because some authors are adept at writing stories that are "like watching a movie".) So far, I have not read an Indiana Jones author who, I thought, captured the big screen sweep and pulse-pounding action of the screen character. (As for the comic books, they seem to often set-up a big story, but it's as if someone at the production company can't quite pull the trigger and the stories end with a pop instead of bang.)

That being said, this is a decent story, if not an overly exciting one. One thing that helped my mental attitude toward the story is that it begins with Indy as a grad student, so I was picturing him more as Sean Patrick Flannery than as Harrison Ford. Indy is pulled away from his graduate studies by pretty prof Dorian Belecamus, a woman of Greek origin who wants him to come help her decipher some tablets found at the site of the ancient Oracle of Delphi. Once there, Indy discovers that there are people who believe the power of the Oracle is about to return to Delphi. Some want to use it for profit, but everyone—it seems—wants to use it for their own personal power. It is clear that Indy is being used as a pawn in Belecamus’s game … but [this is not a spoiler] I read the whole book and I was never entirely clear what her purpose for him was. At one point she tries to use him as an assassin, but when that moment comes it seems like any stooge could have fit into her plans and not a highly educated grad student. In fact, Indy seems like a remarkably poor choice for her machinations.

The writing is good, though even in the action sequences it seems like MacGregor is a little too subdued. Early on, there are many swear words, which disappear later on (reminding the reader how useless and out of place they were early in the story). Maybe the authors of the Indy stories are under some pretty strong constraints (obviously, they can’t kill the main character) so the mediocrity of the stories may not be entirely their fault(s). Or maybe they’re trying to re-ground the character in realism. Still, all of these books (this is about my 6th or 7th one to read) seem to take one of cinema’s most exciting characters and make him just a run of the mill adventurer without a story worth telling.

[David Kowalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a guilty pleasure. Better than I expected. McGregor does a fairly decent job of managing most of the tropes associated with Indiana Jones.

This iconic character always resonates with me so the book was a pleasure of sorts. If you enjoy Indy you will enjoy the story.

[Shayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this book as much as I hoped I would. When you say Indiana Jones, you think of words such as adventure or action-packed, or at least I do. I thought I was going to get cover to cover action and since it wasn't, I was more than ready for the end to occur much sooner than it did. I was surprised at how naive Indy was when it came to Dorian. He came across as wimpy when it came to her. Indy was nothing more than her gopher. Compared to the movies, you will not recognize Indiana Jones as you know him on the big screen until you're about 200 pages in, and even then, it is something of a let down.

I guess another thing that upset me is, I had to revert from reading on my iPad to a paperback book since Indiana Jones books aren't offered as eBooks. I thought for an Indy read, it would be so worth it. I was wrong. Needless to say, if I can't get a book in digital format, I just won't bother.

[Erwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly this book’s story was threaded together beautifully. In the beginning I was slightly skeptical of where the direction of the book was going, But after finishing this book I’ve found myself lost for words.

All I know is that I have a hankering for more and I don’t quite think it will ever be satisfied.

Only con is that at some points you you get tired of reading the story because you can’t imagine how it could fill so many pages… until you spend the whole day reading and wondering what the hell happened to your day lol!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Realistically a 3.5

I grew up watching Indy on screen in the 80's, so I've been pretty familiar with the movies given how many times I've seen them. The only books I had were some scholastic books about the movies and there was a series of Choose Your Own Adventure style books at one point, I had some of those... but I don't remember them. I also only found one of the books when I was cleaning out some stuff at my parents house. As an avid book collector I am surprised I missed out on the initial printing of this back in 1991, but I picked up all of them around 2008 when they were repressed. Probably to go with the long awaited fourth installment of the movie franchise. MacGregor writing in 1991... these books should be closer in feel to the original films. This is sort of the case, but it is certainly not on par with the greatness of the films really. But, what can one expect from a first foray into trying to bring this character to the page in a long form novel.

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is more a prequel to the films, where we get insight into the development of Indy's character on his way to being the hardened adventurer we meet in Raiders of the Lost Ark. In this story, set in the 1920's, we meet Indy as he is graduating from university. This is sort of the only area of the book I had a bit of a problem with. I suppose MacGregor was trying to portray some level of high minded hi-jinx of college students... but for me this sort of felt way out of character. In the beginning he makes a statement of free speech by hanging the founding fathers of the U.S., and while the statement made sense, the hanging didn't make as much to me. I feel like the trouble Indy often got into was more to do with him trying to do the right thing and then things going weirdly wrong. I don't know, it just didn't seem like that's what happened here.

Anyway, after this we move more into the proper setting. Indy in the PhD program. Here we find him in Paris, France, where he is going for a linguistics doctorate. One of his professors, Dorian Belacamus who is an archeologist, is... as one can expect an incredibly beautiful Greek woman. It's an Indiana Jones story... at some point it needs to follow the Bond formula of having a different woman for every installment... I mean why would anyone want to read about a power couple with real staying power... (for the record, the power couple is honestly one of my all time favorite setups and there just aren't enough around). I digress, in any event, she lures him to Greece to try and pique his interest in archaeology so she can convince him to switch majors. Do they end up sleeping together? Of course they do... So, this is all very predictable, just as its very predictable in the movies!

Well, now the adventure can truly begin, because Indy finds himself in some power politics plot between Belacamus and her real lover Alex Mandraki. (That's right, the villain women is always sleeping around, of course of course.) The draw for going to Delphi is that there was an earthquake which apparently unearthed some hidden objects, but the big draw was the vapors were appearing again. I knew nothing of Delphi, other than that scene in the movie 300, so I rather appreciated MacGregor's explanations of whole point where Pythia would inhale the vapors and babble about stuff, which then required the special priests to interpret her predictions... which they would basically use as a method to sway political decisions. Ancient history, what a hoot. When they arrive at the dig there's already a bunch of hubbub about the vapors and a secret sect thinks Dorian could be the next Pythia. So between Belacamus trying to just do her job, plotting with her boyfriend and now this sect coming into play there are a lot forces vying for the vapors of Delphi.

Things really come to a head when the King of Greece gets involved, because he would naturally need to view the site.Essentially, Mandraki, who is a high ranking official in the military, wants to make a play against the king. He is going to use the backdrop of the vapors as a literal smoke screen to cast the king into the crevasse to plummet to his death. I don't think he planned on Belacamus becoming Pythia, but I'm sure he'd be fine ruling through her ideas. The secret sect is eventually done away with by Mandraki in one fell swoop. Only Indy and his friends from Paris manage to escape and eventually manage to tell the king the truth of what really happened. Enough evidence exists that the king believe Indy and eventually moves against Mandraki.

In the end, I did think this was a pretty decent book. Despite the predictability, and the time of its writing, I was able to look beyond some of the flaws and just enjoy it for the adventure it is. I think MacGregor did a pretty good job trying to cast a somewhat more doubtful Indy in his younger years. The budding college student, unsure of their future, looking off in the distance of time trying to figure out what they really want to do and reconciling the baggage of past mistakes and familial expectations. While, reading about a less confident Indy was a bit jarring at first, I did get into it and it really did make sense amidst the time frame... however, I do look forward to any novels that cater to the more hardened adventurer version of Indiana Jones. Perhaps I will find one in my pile of books as I read these in order of release.

[Rob Irwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the first things you notice about Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is that it was written before The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles hit television. As such, there are moments that are in-sync with what we know of the Young Indy character, but these are obviously by luck and coincidence, than design.

Then there are some wildly off-base aspects. In the TV series, Indy is set up to have a clear interest in archaeology pretty early in life and, by 16 or so, knows he wants to be an archaeologist. In this novel, briefly set in 1920 but mostly set in 1922, Indy is in his early 20s and has finished college in the US, and is now studying at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Quite notably, however, his future is heading in a linguistics direction, not archaeology. As such, the shorthand for this adventure could be expressed as, “How Indiana Jones got a taste for archaeology and it changed his life forever…” It’s a prequel, really!

Even aspects that we know are canon – such as Indy serving in the Belgian army during WW1 – don’t get mentioned here because, again, the TV series just hadn’t happened yet. There’s even a scene where some tanks are spotted and a character asks what they are. Rather than describing them something like, “I’ve seen these before on the Western Front…” Indy’s response is noted as being more along the lines of how a history professor would describe them – which is cute, given his academic background, but also in-sync with there being no WW1 background for the character at the time this was written.

Despite these inconsistencies, I found it quite fun to be reading about Indy at this time in his life as, although some of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles see Indy home from WW1, there are only two movies set from 1920 – Young Indiana Jones and the Scandal of 1920 and Young Indiana Jones and the Hollywood Follies. It leaves a year like 1922 ripe for exploration. What was Indy doing? Well… this!

In a nutshell, one of the Sorbonne’s professors, Dorian Belecamus, absolutely fascinates and attracts Indy but she has a cold persona and they’ve never really had much to do with one another. So it’s a great surprise to him when she announces she’s off on a very important dig in Delphi, Greece, and wants Indy to go along for the ride as her assistant. Indy agrees to this, with a little trepidation, but is soon enjoying himself – and Professor Belecamus. However, this is by no means, “Indiana Jones loses his virginity to his professor” – he’s written as super comfortable with women already. It’s all very matter-of-fact.

Belecamus proves to be a very interesting character from the point of view that we have a broad idea of what she wants to do for most of the novel, but some of her motivations remain hidden or flip-flop at times, to the point where we perhaps start to feel like Indy does in the novel. He eventually catches on that remaining too involved with her will be bad news (just as we can see, as the reader), but still doesn’t have the full story behind her motivations – and neither do we. As such, she’s not one of the great Indiana Jones antagonists – in fact I feel she’s quite fond of Indy until the end – but she is the character whom the plot revolves around and who isn’t particularly likeable, so there’s a complexity about her.

Some aspects – like Indy wearing a leather jacket, a fedora and, at select times in the story, carrying a bullwhip – are all nods to the Indy we know and love. None of it’s delivered in any great detail, however, so I tried to imagine a prototype Indy wearing these things but not “the” hat or “the” jacket. I don’t think the cover illustrator got the memo, however, as they’ve drawn Indiana Jones as we know him from the films – yes, even with a MK VII British gas mask bag from WW2, even more anachronistic than ever here in 1922. But whatever. I appreciated what author Rob MacGregor was trying to do at least.

Speaking of MacGregor, who had previously novelised Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade a couple of years prior to this novel’s release in 1991, he has a very simple and easy to read writing style. Even in some less than riveting moments in the story, it was still very easy to cruise through the chapters.

All told, this isn’t a brilliant, seat-of-your pants action sort of novel, but it has its moments. With such a youthful Indiana Jones in the driver’s seat, it gets away with not being like the original three movies, because the Indy in this novel (much like the Indy in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles), isn’t the Indy of the movies anyway. Also similar to the TV series, he gets to meet a high-profile person a couple of times (in this case, the King of Greece), so to return to the start of the review, although this was written before the TV series and absolutely has some discrepancies with it, you can still read the novel and broadly imagine it as part of some grander timeline without any difficulty.

[Kris Layman · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be clear, I love Indiana Jones. Always have. He's my favorite screen action hero. I've read a number of these prequel books, as well as the complete Marvel Comics run from the 80s. The whole thing about writing a pastiche involving a well-known character is you have to at least get the spirit of the character right. Fail at that and you get it all wrong, no matter the story. (See the Johnny Depp "Lone Ranger" movie. That's exactly what I'm talking about.)

For those wondering if these were canon, I would say yes, at least when they first came out. Now that Disney has acquired all of Lucasfilms properties these may have been relegated to a "Legends" concept, much like all previous Star Wars tie-ins are now considered to be. But at the time, yeah, these were the officially licensed Indy adventures. Lucasfilm had final approval over the content.

All this said, the book was not without its flaws. This was a reread for me and after a span of years I ended up with the exact same feeling as I did the first time. It's just not fun. It's kind of boring actually. Any one of these books have a cool sounding premise and macguffin to acquire, but Rob MacCregor's Indy just doesn't have that same "spirit" that the Indy of the films has. MacGregor got the job of writing the first Indy series novels due to his previously adapting "The Last Crusade" into novel form. His version of Indy there conflicts with the Indy we all know from the films. It's just....odd. He's just not as personable or likeable somehow. I can't put my finger on it, but if you took away the name "Indiana Jones" and inserted a different name on the character and you took that story at face value you'd probably walk away going 'Meh'. As basic as I can explain it.

This initial story does have some merit. We get to see Indy as a bit of a rebel in college. He falls into the current adventure almost being seduced into it (in more ways than one) by his teacher. A lot of time is spent talking about the history of the places involved, especially Greece. That in itself isn't bad because, hey, this is a story about a budding archaeologist right? However, it tends to kill the pacing in between any high adventure parts, and there aren't many in this one. Also, a lot of artists tend to take known publicity/production pictures of Indiana Jones from the movies to come up with the Harrison Ford face for books like these. So you see an adult 35 year old Harrison on the cover, yet Indy is still a green fresh out of college young man in this one. Not a big gripe, but your mind wants to picture the movie Indy in this while reading but what you read is contrary to that whole image. You just can't totally buy into it. It's like you despise him for not living up to that image, know what I mean? I never have moments where I hear the "Raiders March" going off in my head. Not a good thing.

Anyway, the adventure itself is an overall bore, but it IS just meant to show Indy starting out on the road to becoming who we know and love. Heck, Indy isn't even interested in archaeology at the start of this. MacGregor's Indy is not all that fun. Just a rough start to the series. I'll continue to give the other books a go again but the next several are MacGregor written so I have my fingers crossed.

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi sees a young Indiana Jones setting off on his first Archaeological dig at the behest of Dorian Belecamus who is clearly up to more than she is willing to admit! :D At the same time we are introduced to a host of Indy's companions such as Professor Conrad, Jack Shannon, Nikos and co! :D This leads them them all onto a crazy adventure involving conspiracies, double-dealings, daring do and getting away with things! :D

Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi has grit and action right from the beginning! :D This is a young Indiana Jones who is still in the process of learning to take a look around him before leaping! :D This shows in the decision he makes! :D Though at the same time Indy is quick on his feet and fast to learn! :D We see this throughout the book as he tries to undo the machination of Professor Belecamus and Colonel Mandraki who are busily plotting and replotting against the King and for their own advancement! :D

The plot of Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi will keep you guessing as there are players all over the place with their own agenda! :D The are often in contradiction to each other and the way that they sort themselves out is brilliantly handled, often with a completely ruthless streak! :D At the same time the book charts Indiana's decision to become and Archaeologist! :D This of course neatly explains his future choices! :D Combined with all the other characters and their POV Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is a great way of showing Indiana's start in his adventures as well as showing a bigger picture of the world he is whip swinging in! :D

The whip and Fedora are all in place in Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi, the book has the feel of an unknown adventure as well! :D At the same time the wipe cracking adventure is there on every page! :D Indiana is on a learning curve and the plot never stop putting him through the wringer! :D Indiana and his friends slots into the plot perfectly with everything feeling natural and this gives the book the feeling of a gang going on an adventure with epic stakes! :D Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi Never lets up from the start! :D Indiana Jones and the Peril at Delphi is full of character development, exotic locations, Paris, Greece etc, evil villains, heroics, adventure and is action packed! :D Brilliant Crisp High Five! :D Review to Come! :D

[Rob Smith, Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

If one has seen any of the filmed versions of Indiana Jones, they are most likely to find this book very disappointing. If read without that background the reader is likely to find this book disappointing.

First let me review this objectively: This is a muddled book that has weak characters written and a plot with little to no suspense, though it's clear there is an attempt to establish such. There are also obvious political overtones that are distracting to the already poor plotting. The author plots the second half involving visiting an area over and over again. Better plotting and a smoother story would have been to depict maybe two visits. Especially in that the visits all tie into a prologue before chapters of a flashback.

My biggest problem is that I didn’t like any of the characters. Teeing off with Jones making a political statement I extremely disliked. There’s a female character that alters character many times. Some is written off as this and that. But none is resolved at the end.
The writing is mediocre. Add that to poor plotting, poor characterizations adds up to a poor book.
If you know the Indiana Jones stories: MacGregor appears to have written this prior to the television series that establish a very different drive and past of Henry Jones, Jr. This book is written as if Jones couldn’t have cared less about archaeology all the way to college.

Even if MacGregor didn’t know of the TV origins, the first 30 pages steer very far away from the first reel of ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’. Frankly, it seems MacGregor was out to include his political views in the book. The actions written have little similarity to all else that exists of the Jones character.

MacGregor writing misses the Jones character in many ways and makes the overall story feel like it involves a different character.

Bottom line: I don’t recommend this book. 4 out of 10 points.