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The Cryptos Conundrum
Former CIA undercover operative Chase Brandon takes us deep into the mystery of Cryptos, a work of art containing a seemingly uncrackable code, in The Cryptos Conundrum.A fifteen-foot-tall steel sculpture stands in the courtyard of the Central Intelligence Agency, emblazoned with a message that no one can decipher. The three-inch-high letters on the sculpture form a coded message that is central to the survival of mankind--a message hidden in plain sight, displayed in a public space, with the full text available to anyone who has an internet connection.
One man knows exactly what the statue's message says--because he created it.
Dr. Jonathan S. Chalmers heads a CIA unit tasked with containing the greatest secret our government has ever kept—and planning for its consequences. He alone knows the full story of the threats that face America. Threats that would terrify us if we knew them. Threats that have shaped our country's past, present, and future. Threats that have become his life's work, requiring all his talents, all his energy, and even the lives of members of his family.
If Chalmers can't save us, nobody can.
Former CIA operative Chase Brandon tells a high-intensity, cosmic tale that will leave readers breathless.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 19, 2012
52 people are currently reading
331 people want to read
About the author
Chase Brandon
1 book6 followersHe is a thirty-five year veteran of the CIA.
For twenty-five years he served in the Agency’s elite Clandestine Service as an undercover, covert operations officer carrying out foreign assignments involving international terrorism, counterinsurgency, global narcotics trafficking and weapons smuggling.
He operated under a range of official and private sector covers, sometimes using alias names and physical disguises, and often collaborating with special operations components of foreign military, security or law enforcement components abroad.
During intermittent assignments at headquarters, he was also an Agency foreign political affairs analyst, Presidential briefer, and an instructor in tactical paramilitary and espionage tradecraft disciplines at secret CIA training camps.
In his last assignment, Mr. Brandon was a senior officer on the CIA Director’s staff, serving as a Public Affairs spokesman and the Agency’s first-ever official liaison to the entertainment and publication industries.
He was given broad latitude in his overt mission to inform and educate the public about the covert side of the CIA, with the obvious caveat that in the process of working with producers, directors, actors and writers to present factual, realistic portrayals of the CIA, no actual classified information about sources and methods of sensitive Agency “tradecraft” or technology could appear on screen or in print.
Within those parameters he provided a decade of technical consultation to many feature films and television series such as The Recruit, Sum of All Fears, The Bourne Identity, Alias, and 24; as well as documentary programs to include the Discovery, Learning and Military channels.
He was also Master of Ceremonies for official CIA public events, official on-camera spokesman for selected televised news stories and other public venue activities.
A broader range of Mr. Brandon’s film credits and technical consultant roles include The Recruit, Sum of All Fears, Enemy of the State, Bad Company, Mission Impossible III, Meet the Parents, In the Company of Spies, The Good Shepherd, Charlie Wilson’s War, Spy Game, The Interpreter and others; and he has been the technical consultant and advisor for television programs including ABC’s acclaimed mini-series The Path to 9-11, as well as other network series such as The Agency, Alias, 24, JAG, The Agency and Air America.
He has made numerous appearances on Discovery, Learning, and History Channels in “host, narrator or commentator” roles; and on PBS, A&E and other documentaries; and he has been interviewed on E-Entertainment, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and other film industry news programs.
A number of major movie DVD “special feature” sections include interviews and expert commentary by Chase Brandon.
Other elements of his writing and acting roles can be found on a separate IMDb search of his name; and a comprehensive number of additional articles about him appear in a Google search of Chase Brandon CIA.
For twenty-five years he served in the Agency’s elite Clandestine Service as an undercover, covert operations officer carrying out foreign assignments involving international terrorism, counterinsurgency, global narcotics trafficking and weapons smuggling.
He operated under a range of official and private sector covers, sometimes using alias names and physical disguises, and often collaborating with special operations components of foreign military, security or law enforcement components abroad.
During intermittent assignments at headquarters, he was also an Agency foreign political affairs analyst, Presidential briefer, and an instructor in tactical paramilitary and espionage tradecraft disciplines at secret CIA training camps.
In his last assignment, Mr. Brandon was a senior officer on the CIA Director’s staff, serving as a Public Affairs spokesman and the Agency’s first-ever official liaison to the entertainment and publication industries.
He was given broad latitude in his overt mission to inform and educate the public about the covert side of the CIA, with the obvious caveat that in the process of working with producers, directors, actors and writers to present factual, realistic portrayals of the CIA, no actual classified information about sources and methods of sensitive Agency “tradecraft” or technology could appear on screen or in print.
Within those parameters he provided a decade of technical consultation to many feature films and television series such as The Recruit, Sum of All Fears, The Bourne Identity, Alias, and 24; as well as documentary programs to include the Discovery, Learning and Military channels.
He was also Master of Ceremonies for official CIA public events, official on-camera spokesman for selected televised news stories and other public venue activities.
A broader range of Mr. Brandon’s film credits and technical consultant roles include The Recruit, Sum of All Fears, Enemy of the State, Bad Company, Mission Impossible III, Meet the Parents, In the Company of Spies, The Good Shepherd, Charlie Wilson’s War, Spy Game, The Interpreter and others; and he has been the technical consultant and advisor for television programs including ABC’s acclaimed mini-series The Path to 9-11, as well as other network series such as The Agency, Alias, 24, JAG, The Agency and Air America.
He has made numerous appearances on Discovery, Learning, and History Channels in “host, narrator or commentator” roles; and on PBS, A&E and other documentaries; and he has been interviewed on E-Entertainment, Access Hollywood, Entertainment Tonight and other film industry news programs.
A number of major movie DVD “special feature” sections include interviews and expert commentary by Chase Brandon.
Other elements of his writing and acting roles can be found on a separate IMDb search of his name; and a comprehensive number of additional articles about him appear in a Google search of Chase Brandon CIA.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
August 23, 2013
Book Info: Genre: Cross-Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy Conspiracy Thriller Reading Level: Adult
My Thoughts: I’ve had a bit of bad luck lately with books, and despite my earlier enthusiasm for this book, I went into it with more than a little trepidation, worried I’d find another book with characters that I either couldn’t connect with (and therefore put me to sleep), or perhaps were Too Stupid To Live.
Well, there were no real problems with the characters, other than the fact that the story was so overarching it sort of overwhelmed the characters. Seriously, this is an enormous story, spanning over 100 years, dealing with interdimensional begins, aliens,
extended lifespans, savants, etc. But I simply could not get into the story. Pages and pages of technical details, explanations of top-secret plans and propaganda … on and on and on it drug.
There were also some technical errors – for instance, 1916 was World War 1, and there was not yet any such thing as a Nazi. It’s possible that this is changed in the final copy, I should point out, because I do have an uncorrected proof here. The Germans were commonly called “Huns” or “Boche” at the time. However, the author is constantly having them called “Kraut” or “Fritz” (which is primarily a Russian thing, so why are all the Brits – who should have called them “Gerry” – using this term?), which were more from the 2nd World War. Also, to be really, really picky, Great White Sharks are coastal animals; one would probably not be found out in the middle of the Atlantic. Additionally, Autism was not named until 1910, at which point Chalmers would have been 20 years old; there is no way he could have had a conversation with his father while a young child about the differences between autism and savantism, nor could he have had a fear of being autistic. He could have feared having those sorts of symptoms, but he couldn’t have called it autism, because it wasn’t yet called that. I mean, all this within the first 100 pages! But it would not hurt authors to do a little research before using elements in a book, just to make sure they have their facts straight.
Sadly, this was yet another book I simply could not finish. A simple Google/Wiki search could have confirmed some of the "facts" used in the story, and it was just driving me crazy. However, if a reader likes very detailed, technical books, extremely intricate plots, and can overcome the tendency to find fault with all the inaccuracies, they might like it. I’m giving it a 3-star rating because, even though I couldn’t finish it, I think there will probably be plenty of people who will like this high-concept, science-fiction/fantasy conspiracy thriller. It just was not for me.
Disclosure: I received a free paperback proof (uncorrected ARC) from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A fifteen-foot-tall steel sculpture stands in the courtyard of the Central Intelligence Agency, emblazoned with a message that no one can decipher. The three-inch-high letters on the sculpture form a coded message that is central to the survival of mankind – a message hidden in plain sight, displayed in a public space, with the full text available to anyone who has an internet connection.
Actual CIA sculpture
One man knows exactly what the statue's message says--because he created it.
Dr. Jonathan S. Chalmers heads a CIA unit tasked with containing the greatest secret our government has ever kept – and planning for its consequences. He alone knows the full story of the threats that face America. Threats that would terrify us if we knew them. Threats that have shaped our country's past, present, and future. Threats that have become his life's work, requiring all his talents, all his energy, and even the lives of members of his family.
If Chalmers can't save us, nobody can.
My Thoughts: I’ve had a bit of bad luck lately with books, and despite my earlier enthusiasm for this book, I went into it with more than a little trepidation, worried I’d find another book with characters that I either couldn’t connect with (and therefore put me to sleep), or perhaps were Too Stupid To Live.
Well, there were no real problems with the characters, other than the fact that the story was so overarching it sort of overwhelmed the characters. Seriously, this is an enormous story, spanning over 100 years, dealing with interdimensional begins, aliens,
extended lifespans, savants, etc. But I simply could not get into the story. Pages and pages of technical details, explanations of top-secret plans and propaganda … on and on and on it drug.
There were also some technical errors – for instance, 1916 was World War 1, and there was not yet any such thing as a Nazi. It’s possible that this is changed in the final copy, I should point out, because I do have an uncorrected proof here. The Germans were commonly called “Huns” or “Boche” at the time. However, the author is constantly having them called “Kraut” or “Fritz” (which is primarily a Russian thing, so why are all the Brits – who should have called them “Gerry” – using this term?), which were more from the 2nd World War. Also, to be really, really picky, Great White Sharks are coastal animals; one would probably not be found out in the middle of the Atlantic. Additionally, Autism was not named until 1910, at which point Chalmers would have been 20 years old; there is no way he could have had a conversation with his father while a young child about the differences between autism and savantism, nor could he have had a fear of being autistic. He could have feared having those sorts of symptoms, but he couldn’t have called it autism, because it wasn’t yet called that. I mean, all this within the first 100 pages! But it would not hurt authors to do a little research before using elements in a book, just to make sure they have their facts straight.
Sadly, this was yet another book I simply could not finish. A simple Google/Wiki search could have confirmed some of the "facts" used in the story, and it was just driving me crazy. However, if a reader likes very detailed, technical books, extremely intricate plots, and can overcome the tendency to find fault with all the inaccuracies, they might like it. I’m giving it a 3-star rating because, even though I couldn’t finish it, I think there will probably be plenty of people who will like this high-concept, science-fiction/fantasy conspiracy thriller. It just was not for me.
Disclosure: I received a free paperback proof (uncorrected ARC) from the Amazon Vine program in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: A fifteen-foot-tall steel sculpture stands in the courtyard of the Central Intelligence Agency, emblazoned with a message that no one can decipher. The three-inch-high letters on the sculpture form a coded message that is central to the survival of mankind – a message hidden in plain sight, displayed in a public space, with the full text available to anyone who has an internet connection.
Actual CIA sculpture
One man knows exactly what the statue's message says--because he created it.
Dr. Jonathan S. Chalmers heads a CIA unit tasked with containing the greatest secret our government has ever kept – and planning for its consequences. He alone knows the full story of the threats that face America. Threats that would terrify us if we knew them. Threats that have shaped our country's past, present, and future. Threats that have become his life's work, requiring all his talents, all his energy, and even the lives of members of his family.
If Chalmers can't save us, nobody can.
June 14, 2025
A former CIA deep insider possessing impressive scientific and technological brilliance, has created one of the most tedious novels I've ever read. The only reason I stuck with it was because of the promise of its gigantic themes: the founding and fate of the universe (no kidding), the fate of humanity, a near death experience, the significance of UFO's, the role of clandestine forces - like the CIA - in our lives. How can any author tackle themes so enormous and still manage to bore the hell out of the reader? Lack of basic writing skills, for one thing - no lyricism, no simplicity, no juice, no color, just turgid, labored, bloodless sentences, some so full of ''official'' abbreviations - DSO, EUG, CCI, ? - as to be simply skipped over with annoyance. What could have been a heartful, exciting, inspiring story in this author's hands becomes a dreary read to slog through.
In short, you might not want to bother.
richflandersmusic.com
richflanders.substack.com
In short, you might not want to bother.
richflandersmusic.com
richflanders.substack.com
March 1, 2014
A friend of mine once said, "Life is too short to read a book you are not enjoying". I shoulda quit while I was ahead, but the promise of the synopsis kept me going.
The Cryptos Conundrum could be the weirdest, most disjointed book I have ever read. I confess to skiping a couple of chapters towards the end, and feel I missed nothing of the story. The author, Chase Brandon, is a former CIA operative. The book has been vetted by the CIA to ensure that no official secrets are revealed to the incredibly dense and easily manipulated public which it is meant to serve.
The best part of the book was about the founding of the OSS and it's development into the beginnings of today's CIA. Many of these characters are real and have their place in the history of the making and running of the CIA.
Then the weird stuff starts. Our hero, Dr. Jonathan S. Chalmers, is a savant. On steroids. During WWI, he has a close encounter of the third kind and is endowed with further abilities that will allow him to provide incredible insights, current and future, to the leaders of the free world. WWII brings more information from the unknown source and Dr. Chalmers' destiny is unveiled. He and he alone knows of the impending apocalypse(s) that are destined for planet Earth. Most of his activities and planning while in the service of the OSS and the CIA are in preparation for Doomsday.
The conundrum is that he does not know when catastrophe will occur. As Dr. Chalmers works tirelessly to prepare Earth for it's future, he is also working on a means of passing this information on to his heirs in order that they and their descendents can carry on his mission.
The solution is a sculpture installed on the grounds of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. A code is encrypted into the sculpture that will reveal Dr. Chalmers' plan to save the world. This part of the story is true. For more information and photos regarding the sculpture, google "cia sculpture" and you will find many references. I found the Wipikedia article very informative. Further information can be had in the many groups and chat rooms that are dedicated to decoding the sculpture's message.
I have no idea of how to classify this book. Spy thriller? Science fiction? Fantasy? A combination of several genres? Historical fantasy? The several threads central to the story never come together to reveal the intent of the author. I don't mind questions at the end of a book. I believe questions lead to further exploration of the elements of the story. However, The Cryptos Conundrum leaves too many questions and this reader asking what was the intent of the author in writing this book.
The Cryptos Conundrum could be the weirdest, most disjointed book I have ever read. I confess to skiping a couple of chapters towards the end, and feel I missed nothing of the story. The author, Chase Brandon, is a former CIA operative. The book has been vetted by the CIA to ensure that no official secrets are revealed to the incredibly dense and easily manipulated public which it is meant to serve.
The best part of the book was about the founding of the OSS and it's development into the beginnings of today's CIA. Many of these characters are real and have their place in the history of the making and running of the CIA.
Then the weird stuff starts. Our hero, Dr. Jonathan S. Chalmers, is a savant. On steroids. During WWI, he has a close encounter of the third kind and is endowed with further abilities that will allow him to provide incredible insights, current and future, to the leaders of the free world. WWII brings more information from the unknown source and Dr. Chalmers' destiny is unveiled. He and he alone knows of the impending apocalypse(s) that are destined for planet Earth. Most of his activities and planning while in the service of the OSS and the CIA are in preparation for Doomsday.
The conundrum is that he does not know when catastrophe will occur. As Dr. Chalmers works tirelessly to prepare Earth for it's future, he is also working on a means of passing this information on to his heirs in order that they and their descendents can carry on his mission.
The solution is a sculpture installed on the grounds of CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. A code is encrypted into the sculpture that will reveal Dr. Chalmers' plan to save the world. This part of the story is true. For more information and photos regarding the sculpture, google "cia sculpture" and you will find many references. I found the Wipikedia article very informative. Further information can be had in the many groups and chat rooms that are dedicated to decoding the sculpture's message.
I have no idea of how to classify this book. Spy thriller? Science fiction? Fantasy? A combination of several genres? Historical fantasy? The several threads central to the story never come together to reveal the intent of the author. I don't mind questions at the end of a book. I believe questions lead to further exploration of the elements of the story. However, The Cryptos Conundrum leaves too many questions and this reader asking what was the intent of the author in writing this book.
April 9, 2014
Jonathan Chalmers fell on his head at age four. The resulting brain injury turned him into a savant who could read fifty pages per minute in multiple texts and instantly recognize complicated mathematical patterns. In 1918 he is inexplicably rescued, wounded, from the trenches of Verdun by a group of quasi-spiritual, quasi-extraterrestrial beings who make him whole and instill his brain with some arcane cosmic knowledge. This experience apparently also retards the aging process. As a result of his youthful appearance he is able to again enlist in the army at the outbreak of World War II but he is quickly snatched from basic training and recruited by the OSS which segues into the CIA after the war. This coincidentally is around the time of the incident at Roswell so Chalmers finds himself in charge of the alien bodies which resemble H.R. Giger’s alien from the movie of the same name rather than the cute little gray guys with big heads we are used to associating with Roswell.
The above only describes a fraction of this epic length adventure into the bizarre life of a charter member of the CIA who behind the scenes is responsible for the protection of everything and everyone. It is in a word, weird. At times it is painful. There are numerous anachronisms and much verbal gymnastics. I would like to see the editor tarred and feathered for allowing the phrase, “Chalmers knew...” to be used forty-three times. Seriously, it annoyed me so much I counted. That ignores all the cases of, “He knew...” and when the point of view shifts to the aliens—yes, even the aliens get a viewpoint—we are made to suffer with, “The alien knew...” The aliens’ names are corny distortions of English words and part of the alien dialog is first given in nonsensical characters before it is translated for us. I read the whole thing and never stopped asking myself why.
In fairness it has its moments of clever situations and intriguing hypotheses. Having said all this, I probably should give some thought to the fact that the author is a retired CIA spook who surely knows how to get even.
The above only describes a fraction of this epic length adventure into the bizarre life of a charter member of the CIA who behind the scenes is responsible for the protection of everything and everyone. It is in a word, weird. At times it is painful. There are numerous anachronisms and much verbal gymnastics. I would like to see the editor tarred and feathered for allowing the phrase, “Chalmers knew...” to be used forty-three times. Seriously, it annoyed me so much I counted. That ignores all the cases of, “He knew...” and when the point of view shifts to the aliens—yes, even the aliens get a viewpoint—we are made to suffer with, “The alien knew...” The aliens’ names are corny distortions of English words and part of the alien dialog is first given in nonsensical characters before it is translated for us. I read the whole thing and never stopped asking myself why.
In fairness it has its moments of clever situations and intriguing hypotheses. Having said all this, I probably should give some thought to the fact that the author is a retired CIA spook who surely knows how to get even.
January 25, 2021
I think that anyone interested in the ufo 🛸 topic has to read this book, I listened to the interview on coast to coast with chase Brandon and he said some enigmatic and tantalizing things, “read between the lines”. Plus he mentioned the Roswell box 📦. Very interesting!!!!
December 27, 2021
I bought this book used and on sale, so I only spent a dollar on it; I still paid too much. This book is racist, sexist, ableist, and all around terrible. It’s also unbelievably poorly researched and full of plot holes barely papered over with deus ex machina. I was expecting a spy thriller about a real mystery. What I got was an overblown mishmash of bad science fiction and Christian fiction. The book follows a magical Jesus surrogate who’s also a perfect scientist and a brave soldier who secretly drives all of modern American policy with divine vision, thus proving that America is the best country in the world and protected by god himself. The very few female characters are all killed off screen or abandon all of their Ivy League degrees and high powered careers to become doting wives and mothers. Every non white character is a racist stereotype villain or a minor bodyguard who dies in heroic protection of the god king they aren’t smart rich to understand. The main character is, and I quote, like a thousand times smarter than James Bond, but still manages to bring about the destruction of the entire world (except for the best and richest Americans of course) because he wanted to control everything himself but it’s played off as amazing and heroic, like every terrible, xenophobic decision he makes. Seriously - do yourself a favor and skip this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2022
I started reading and couldn’t put it down despite a heavy work week. The content and historical references are epic and poignant. Politically astute and foreshadowing of recent years although published in 2012.
The story is driven by its scope vs deep character development, and if drilled down as such could’ve spanned several novels.
It’s only negative twist is that less politically educated may not connect all of the dots or relevance of the content. That being said, it’s riveting.
If you enjoy history (with room for creative narrative), conspiracies, and modern day epics? You’ll love it.
Brandon has outdone himself.
The story is driven by its scope vs deep character development, and if drilled down as such could’ve spanned several novels.
It’s only negative twist is that less politically educated may not connect all of the dots or relevance of the content. That being said, it’s riveting.
If you enjoy history (with room for creative narrative), conspiracies, and modern day epics? You’ll love it.
Brandon has outdone himself.
August 7, 2021
The book was copyrighted in 2012 and yet it looks like Chase Brandon has been traveling in time and setting the stage for a good vs. evil showdown. There are many startling entries in his story that today look to be more fact base and less like fiction. I am not saying this book is no-longer fiction but I also think this author leaves me scratching my head in wonder. The older I get, the less I believe in coincidence and yet this author has penned a story with more than it's share of these moments.
May 15, 2020
An absolutely fascinating read, I couldn't put it down. Mr. Brandon covers several genre`s and does them all well and makes them readable for everyone. Hard to believe it's his first novel. Thank you Chase Brandon.
August 13, 2020
Good story. God Bless.
Kryptos is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. Someday it will be solved. Time will tell because its hidden in plain site.
Kryptos is a conundrum wrapped in an enigma. Someday it will be solved. Time will tell because its hidden in plain site.
January 20, 2025
Worth the read but also a bit crazy. This author is known for tom Clancy type secret agent stuff. This is pretty outlandish. It's chaotically fast paced and packed with UFOs, monsters and some spirituality. It's definitely a western biased perspective and the amorality of the main character isn't very commented on. The ideas are interesting but also a little emotionless. A solid, weird sci Fi overall.
January 1, 2018
UNC+
Interesting ploy to weave all important historical events around an individual who lives two lifetimes plus.
Interesting ploy to weave all important historical events around an individual who lives two lifetimes plus.
April 12, 2023
Fun read with a ton of inside baseball nuggets and nods to UFO interested readers
May 14, 2025
Enjoyable read!
I like the timing and action of the book. I was totally engaged. I recommend this book for sci-fi thinkers who like having the minds expanded!
I like the timing and action of the book. I was totally engaged. I recommend this book for sci-fi thinkers who like having the minds expanded!
June 11, 2013
This is written by a former CIA employee. There is a disclaimer at the beginning that reads, "This material has been reviewed by the CIA to prevent disclosure of classified information." According to the jacket description, it's about the (real) mysterious sculpture that sits in the CIA's headquarters which has mysterious writing on it no one has been able to decrypt.
All of this sounds intriguing.
It's not.
That blurb at the front should've read, "This has been reviewed by the CIA and determined you shouldn't read it, because it's a boring-ass wish-fulfillment story about an analytical superman connected to aliens who may be angels and/or gods and who have ridiculous names."
I know a former CIA agent who worked for the agency for more than 4 decades. He'd laugh at this book.
All of this sounds intriguing.
It's not.
That blurb at the front should've read, "This has been reviewed by the CIA and determined you shouldn't read it, because it's a boring-ass wish-fulfillment story about an analytical superman connected to aliens who may be angels and/or gods and who have ridiculous names."
I know a former CIA agent who worked for the agency for more than 4 decades. He'd laugh at this book.
October 2, 2013
Sorry, I could not get into this novel. The first few chapters where the location was the trenches of France in the first world war did make the story interesting, BUT when it dived off into the supranational beings trying to 'teach' the main character about life mysteries of existence and got to be too much spoiling what started out being a good beginning. Stopped reading at 60 pages (which is not usually my reading habit as I try to give every novel the benefit of the doubt and will try to finish it no matter what). Not recommended for being 'too out there'. The 'book' is going into the paper recycling bin. What a waste of paper.
March 8, 2019
It took me months to get through this book. The premise started off really well but it got way too bogged down in technical details and historical events that did not seem to be related to the story most of the time. It got better towards the end as the story headed towards a conclusion, but even then it went too far. Had the story ended with the next generation it would have been acceptable but it just kept going. I got semi-excited when there started to be a spiritual aspect to the storyline but that came late in the book and more of a right turn than a real plot point. I finished it only because I started it; could have been so much better had it been more limited is scope.
January 6, 2013
This book is not what I expected; however, it is an expansive look at the origins, purpose, and future of humanity itself. The final climactic epilogue mirrors thoughts I have expressed only to very close friends. The book covers nearly 100 years of history in an exciting, grand, expansive view from a single, long-lived protagonist who caught a glimpse of something outside of this world during World War I that provided him purpose for the rest of his life. This book will not be what you expect, but it will not allow you to stop reading until the final words are contemplated!
July 30, 2013
Having worked with a group of cryptologists to decrypt the real Kryptos sculpture, I picked up this book when it caught my eye. The description promised a "factional" book that delved into the Kryptos sculpture and the hidden messages that it contained. However, the book was some weird combination of SciFi, history, and adventure that didn't meld well. Even little things - like the names for the deity-like overseers of worlds, were clumsy variants of numbers ("Won", "Tha'ree", "Fiva", etc).
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unfortunately.
I wouldn't recommend this to anyone unfortunately.
July 30, 2012
i only enter giveaways for books i actually want to read. having won this book i truly wanted it to be fabulous so my review would reflect my appreciation for this gift. but it was way above my pay grade! i struggled to get thru it because it read more like a homework assignment rather than an engaging novel. there were moments when i wanted to get back to reading this book but they were very limited. finished it only because i felt it was my obligation "in the spirit of the giveaway".
September 20, 2015
Life is too short. 60 pages in and I put it down. Dialogue that flips between leaden, boring, and highly unlikely. Character development -- not that I could find. Writing style... I felt like I was reading a report instead of a novel. As for the plot.... well, I don't know what his point was going to be, but I think he chose the wrong vehicle. All this plus historical inaccuracies (Nazis in 1916?). Thousands of good books out there. This isn't one of them.
October 31, 2014
Ahh...huh. Hum. At a loss for words here. What a bizarre book. Makes you think, I'll say that for it. Probably about four completely different books wrapped into one. I give the author credit for some really unique ideas, but, wow, this is pretty far out stuff. Can't say I'd recommend it, but it is a challenge. Whoa.
July 29, 2012
Not bad, not great, but given that the author is ex-CIA and one of the themes of the book is how the protagonist has encouraged government, at times, to hide things in plain sight...it makes me wonder how close to the mark some of the fiction in this book actually is.
August 1, 2012
I was very disappointed with this book as it seems to lose itself in an orgy of an otherworld overview. While this is not a bad thing, the writing style is not engaging enough to make you want take the book somewhere and read it from start to finish
October 19, 2012
I didn't finish it. This is possibly the worst book I've ever started. I finish what I start but I see no point in following that tradition. I'm not going to rate it either. I don't know if that effects the average. I hope so.
March 30, 2013
The book jacket did not describe the plot accurately. I thought it was groping to be a spy thriller but it was a sci if novel instead, and a dopey one at that. Glad I didn't buy this book and only picked it up at the library.
Read
April 9, 2013Well that was without a doubt the weirdest book I've read in a while. It was all over the place. CIA, Aliens, nuclear war, god... Pretty cool though. It made sense toward the end. I will check out other books by CB.
May 22, 2013
Pretty good sci-fi although somewhat drawn out. Ex CIA writer who leveraged real events to help pace the story. Roswell, multiple alien races and conspiracy theory all in one -what's not to like if you like the genre at all.
May 2, 2012
Most interesting and clever attempt to solve the puzzle. Anyone who enjoys puzzles will find themselves involved. Kept me going for hours. Writer has clear style.
Currently reading
May 4, 2012Definitely will read and review.
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