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Rossler Foundation #1
The 10th Cycle
Book #1 from the: Rossler Foundation Mystery Series
🎧Run Time = 14 hours & 35 minutes
Ancient secrets. Modern threats. Can the truth about human history be revealed?
When journalist Daniel Rossler and researcher Dr. Sarah Clarke stumble upon a fascinating secret encoded within the Great Pyramid of Giza, they become entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens to unravel the very fabric of our understanding of the past.
As Daniel and Sarah delve deeper into the enigmatic truth hidden within the ancient structure, they face a gauntlet of challenges, from the skepticism of the academic community to the malevolent intentions of the mysterious Orion Society.
With powerful forces, including the CIA, the Marines, the Mossad, and even the President of the United States, all vying for control of the truth, the duo must navigate a treacherous landscape where danger lurks around every corner.
"The Tenth Cycle" is a fast-paced, thought-provoking adventure that will keep you guessing until the very end. As the first installment in J.C. Ryan's Rossler Foundation Mystery Series, this technothriller is perfect for fans of international mystery, crime, and conspiracy.
Get ready to question everything you thought you knew about human history as you embark on this unforgettable journey.
🎧Run Time = 14 hours & 35 minutes
In the Great Pyramid of Giza, journalist Daniel Rossler and researcher Dr. Sarah Clarke find a secret — one that involves the mysterious Orion Society and threatens to tear down the fabric of reality. As the CIA, the marines, and more get tangled up in the web, can Daniel and Sarah uncover the truth before it’s too late?
Ancient secrets. Modern threats. Can the truth about human history be revealed?
When journalist Daniel Rossler and researcher Dr. Sarah Clarke stumble upon a fascinating secret encoded within the Great Pyramid of Giza, they become entangled in a web of intrigue that threatens to unravel the very fabric of our understanding of the past.
As Daniel and Sarah delve deeper into the enigmatic truth hidden within the ancient structure, they face a gauntlet of challenges, from the skepticism of the academic community to the malevolent intentions of the mysterious Orion Society.
With powerful forces, including the CIA, the Marines, the Mossad, and even the President of the United States, all vying for control of the truth, the duo must navigate a treacherous landscape where danger lurks around every corner.
"The Tenth Cycle" is a fast-paced, thought-provoking adventure that will keep you guessing until the very end. As the first installment in J.C. Ryan's Rossler Foundation Mystery Series, this technothriller is perfect for fans of international mystery, crime, and conspiracy.
Get ready to question everything you thought you knew about human history as you embark on this unforgettable journey.
491 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2014
1561 people are currently reading
1035 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Ryan
48 books149 followersJ C Ryan writes spellbinding mystery suspense thrillers with an archaeological backdrop.
He has been a combat and intelligence officer in the military, practicing lawyer and information technology project manager.
He holds a military as well as a law degree and is married with two daughters and two dogs.
JC currently makes his home on the Gold Coast of Australia.
He has been a combat and intelligence officer in the military, practicing lawyer and information technology project manager.
He holds a military as well as a law degree and is married with two daughters and two dogs.
JC currently makes his home on the Gold Coast of Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 155 reviews
July 12, 2014
Makes one appreciate good writing.
July 27, 2020
Fast paced thriller/mystery
The mystery and the action was excellent. Especially how they had unlocked the ancient mystery and how they put in the effort to arrive at the end. The Pyramid mystery at the end was a very good twist.
However the romance between the main characters felt a little too perfect for belief.
But overall the mystery and the thrill, kept me hooked till the very end. Liked it.
The mystery and the action was excellent. Especially how they had unlocked the ancient mystery and how they put in the effort to arrive at the end. The Pyramid mystery at the end was a very good twist.
However the romance between the main characters felt a little too perfect for belief.
But overall the mystery and the thrill, kept me hooked till the very end. Liked it.
June 1, 2014
This book began as a 4 but about 3/4 through became wordy to the point where I was skimming. I have the second book but I think it'll be a while before I begin reading it.
October 1, 2020
I liked the premise of the story but it was overly wordy for me. I just didn't feel pulled into the story the way most thrillers do.
February 25, 2015
The plot moves along at a rapid pace that will keep any Brown fan happy. A new shadowy organization that has been manipulating human events for hundreds of years is introduced and I have to say it is refreshing to not have yet another version of the Illuminati as the antagonist. Mr. Ryan's characters are compelling enough to keep you entertained throughout the novel. In short; fast paced, good mystery, fun characters, neat twist on the Pyramid theme, decent love story, good mystery.
I have a kindle version and did not see this cover until writing my review on Goodreads but I have to say if I say that first I may not have tried the book much to my disappointment.
One down point for me was the romance. The dialogue between Sarah and Daniel for the first half of the book felt clunky and strained almost like it was included as an after thought. On the plus side the love scenes were reminiscent of an 40's fade to black Hollywood love scene. Since I was looking for a mystery/action adventure novel this was perfect. If I want something steamy I'll get a romance novel. Another knock is that the romance between Sinclair and Martha seemed a little out of place.
If you are like me and read a lot of mystery then you will probably spot some of the twist coming miles away. Even though I could see them coming I still enjoyed the journey. All in all a good read.
I have a kindle version and did not see this cover until writing my review on Goodreads but I have to say if I say that first I may not have tried the book much to my disappointment.
One down point for me was the romance. The dialogue between Sarah and Daniel for the first half of the book felt clunky and strained almost like it was included as an after thought. On the plus side the love scenes were reminiscent of an 40's fade to black Hollywood love scene. Since I was looking for a mystery/action adventure novel this was perfect. If I want something steamy I'll get a romance novel. Another knock is that the romance between Sinclair and Martha seemed a little out of place.
If you are like me and read a lot of mystery then you will probably spot some of the twist coming miles away. Even though I could see them coming I still enjoyed the journey. All in all a good read.
September 1, 2018
I rarely write an actual review but this book had such potential that was wasted by a poorly written and unnecessary love story. Very disappointed that such a great concept was ruined.
February 1, 2025
The 10th Cycle by J.C. Ryan is the first book in the Rossler Foundation series. New York Times reporter Daniel Rossler is researching the history of the Great Pyramid of Giza which is purported to hold coded information to previous, more advanced civilisations and teams up with researcher Dr. Sarah Clarke, computer whiz Raj and mathematician Dr. Mark Simms. When Mark Simms is murdered, they realise that a powerful organisation is also after their research which could have world changing implications and they need to protect themselves and their families. Interesting but very complex and a rather slow start. I found the romance between David and Sarah rather fast and unbelievable. The paced picked up a little in the second half but the whole thing sounded quite unbelievable. I liked Raj the best of all the characters. He seemed the most sensible despite all his conspiracy beliefs. As they say, just because you are paranoid, doesn't mean that people are not watching and out to get you. The bad guys seemed rather inept and disorganised. An interesting book but unbelievable and a lot of the explanations took away from the fun. It was okay but I'm not sure if I would read any more in the series.
October 28, 2017
*****Definitely a Supurb Adventure/Hidden Heritage Series
J. C. Ryan, who has already demonstrated his mastery as a writer of adventure/thriller novels, has created a truly supurb thriller as up-to-date as any science available today. In his fast-paced story, a small rag-tag group of friends (mostly geniuses of one sort or another) attempt to find and decode any messages the builders of the Great Pyramid may have tried to pass on. Just as Ryan includes in this impressive story, scholars and dingbat have been looking for such messages for centuries (if not millennia). Ryan utilizes some of the recent theories as a jumping off point and creates a fictional account from there. (And NO, it does not include ancient aliens)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES!
J. C. Ryan, who has already demonstrated his mastery as a writer of adventure/thriller novels, has created a truly supurb thriller as up-to-date as any science available today. In his fast-paced story, a small rag-tag group of friends (mostly geniuses of one sort or another) attempt to find and decode any messages the builders of the Great Pyramid may have tried to pass on. Just as Ryan includes in this impressive story, scholars and dingbat have been looking for such messages for centuries (if not millennia). Ryan utilizes some of the recent theories as a jumping off point and creates a fictional account from there. (And NO, it does not include ancient aliens)
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS BOTH AN INDIVIDUAL BOOK AND AS A SERIES!
September 17, 2017
Part one of a Box set follows a NYT reporter and an archeology professor as they follow up on the reporters discovery that the pyramid at Giza was built much earlier that current belief and was built as a repository of the knowledge of a previous cavitation (the 10th in a repeating cycle) that was destroyed in an unknown world changing disaster. Fighting government interference and the plots of an ancient and unknown group they persevere in their discovery and translations. A good tale, but I wish the author and/or his editor has learned and used the correct forms of lay, laid etc. (just a pet peeve of mine). Working on the next in the series now.
September 27, 2014
Just because you're paranoid...
Despite a grammatical error here and there, and a repeated misquoting of common colloquialism, this is a great, exciting read and a grand kick-off to what promises to be a great, fun series. The story builds at a good pace and comes to an end that left this reader wanting more.
JC Ryan is self-published, but this book is much more polished than almost any of the self-published ebooks I've encountered previously.
Just to get the petty, but annoying (to me) misquoted colloquialism out of the way, it is properly phrased in the title of this review. Mr. Ryan has a habit of beginning it: "Just because you're NOT paranoid..." The use of "not" negates the point of the phrase. (So, sue me, I have a roomful of nits I've picked over my 60 years of literacy ;-p).
Believe me this fast paced thriller is chock full of people who ARE after our heroes, including people who are just not whom they seem to be. That's as close as I have ever come to including a "spoiler in any of my reviews. Realize as you read, "Trust No One" was never more applicable.
The plot grabs any reader with a sense of history and/or archaeology immediately. The archaeology columnist for The New York Times discovers that there is a way to break/decipher the "message" long thought by some to be present in The Great Pyramid of Giza. He pursues the lead to gratifying, yet life-threatening results. Unbeknownst to him, certain "secret societies" have long been trying to crack this code. One, The Orion Society, composed of members of the most wealthy families in the world, and said to possibly predate the Common Era, is most ruthless in pursuit of what they believe is theirs by right. This society is said to control most of the wealth and many of governments of the world. So, there is something for conspiracy enthusiasts helping to "drive" the story. There is also great satisfaction for those, scientists and otherwise, who believe that the Great Pyramid could not possibly have been built by the Egyptians and is likely far older than it is estimated to be.
Ryan is good at spinning his tale and creates memorable, well-developed characters along the way. It is clear that his writing persona is sort of "Star Trek" Federation altruistic, which this reader found quite gratifying.
I give a strong "thumbs up" to anyone considering reading this book. Lots of action, surprises and twists and turns await you.
Despite a grammatical error here and there, and a repeated misquoting of common colloquialism, this is a great, exciting read and a grand kick-off to what promises to be a great, fun series. The story builds at a good pace and comes to an end that left this reader wanting more.
JC Ryan is self-published, but this book is much more polished than almost any of the self-published ebooks I've encountered previously.
Just to get the petty, but annoying (to me) misquoted colloquialism out of the way, it is properly phrased in the title of this review. Mr. Ryan has a habit of beginning it: "Just because you're NOT paranoid..." The use of "not" negates the point of the phrase. (So, sue me, I have a roomful of nits I've picked over my 60 years of literacy ;-p).
Believe me this fast paced thriller is chock full of people who ARE after our heroes, including people who are just not whom they seem to be. That's as close as I have ever come to including a "spoiler in any of my reviews. Realize as you read, "Trust No One" was never more applicable.
The plot grabs any reader with a sense of history and/or archaeology immediately. The archaeology columnist for The New York Times discovers that there is a way to break/decipher the "message" long thought by some to be present in The Great Pyramid of Giza. He pursues the lead to gratifying, yet life-threatening results. Unbeknownst to him, certain "secret societies" have long been trying to crack this code. One, The Orion Society, composed of members of the most wealthy families in the world, and said to possibly predate the Common Era, is most ruthless in pursuit of what they believe is theirs by right. This society is said to control most of the wealth and many of governments of the world. So, there is something for conspiracy enthusiasts helping to "drive" the story. There is also great satisfaction for those, scientists and otherwise, who believe that the Great Pyramid could not possibly have been built by the Egyptians and is likely far older than it is estimated to be.
Ryan is good at spinning his tale and creates memorable, well-developed characters along the way. It is clear that his writing persona is sort of "Star Trek" Federation altruistic, which this reader found quite gratifying.
I give a strong "thumbs up" to anyone considering reading this book. Lots of action, surprises and twists and turns await you.
June 29, 2014
I LOVE story ideas that involve unlocking ancient mysteries! But this theme has become so popular that the storylines have become redundant. (Understandably so - with so many ideas already out there, how can anyone come up with something new?) Well, let me tell you that JR Ryan has somehow managed it! This book was an awesome read and I will be eagerly awaiting each new book in the series.
Not only was the story idea creative, but how they figured out the mystery was very believable - they didn't stumble across the answer all wrapped up with a nice little bow around it, nor was it something so obvious it should have been figured out many years before.
And I enjoyed the realistic pacing (the mystery isn't solved in just a few weeks) and how much real, time consuming effort everyone had to make in order to figure out the mystery. The protagonist had to actively track down the specialists needed to decipher the mystery of the pyramids and everyone involved was integral to the solution.
The only problem with this book (and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) was the saccharine sweetness of the romance - it was a bit nauseating. But the strength of the story heavily outweighed this small detraction and I heartily recommend this book!
I just wish the cover didn't look so horribly cheap with the smarmy couple on the front! It makes the book look like it belongs in the chick lit category -- which it most definitely is NOT. This could have definitly discouraged some people from buying the book and I hope it will eventually be changed to better match the high quality writing and exciting adventure of the story.
Not only was the story idea creative, but how they figured out the mystery was very believable - they didn't stumble across the answer all wrapped up with a nice little bow around it, nor was it something so obvious it should have been figured out many years before.
And I enjoyed the realistic pacing (the mystery isn't solved in just a few weeks) and how much real, time consuming effort everyone had to make in order to figure out the mystery. The protagonist had to actively track down the specialists needed to decipher the mystery of the pyramids and everyone involved was integral to the solution.
The only problem with this book (and why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) was the saccharine sweetness of the romance - it was a bit nauseating. But the strength of the story heavily outweighed this small detraction and I heartily recommend this book!
I just wish the cover didn't look so horribly cheap with the smarmy couple on the front! It makes the book look like it belongs in the chick lit category -- which it most definitely is NOT. This could have definitly discouraged some people from buying the book and I hope it will eventually be changed to better match the high quality writing and exciting adventure of the story.
August 12, 2018
2-1/2 stars because, although I enjoyed the complexities of the research and science as well as the intrigue, the dialogue was so stilted and bizarre ("Victorian" mannerisms was even invoked in the book a couple times) that it all failed to mesh in a way that made sense. The dialogue between Daniel and Sarah, specifically, sounded like a pair of pre-teen girls playacting love scenes... "Know that I love you, my darling!" "As do I, my dear!"! *chaste peck on cheek because old folks are looking on 💋* Seriously, they're having sex, yet speaking to each other like people who have lived outside modern society their whole lives? WTF?
In all, fast-paced and exciting here and there, but seemed longer than it needed to be, and the strange choice of dialogue was off-putting. I get the sense the author has no clue how to write romance, and should've left that part out or call in an expert.
As the big villains clearly aren't dealt with, I assume there's at least one sequel, which I won't be reading.
In all, fast-paced and exciting here and there, but seemed longer than it needed to be, and the strange choice of dialogue was off-putting. I get the sense the author has no clue how to write romance, and should've left that part out or call in an expert.
As the big villains clearly aren't dealt with, I assume there's at least one sequel, which I won't be reading.
February 24, 2021
Fascinating theories all woven together. The mystery of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Someone figures out that the stones themselves reveal the amassed knowledge of the Tenth Cycle of humans on the planet using Fibonacci numbers and a skip sequence. Each cycle is 26,000 years, ending in a cataclysm. This first in a series is about how a group of scientists manage to keep the knowledge from being in the hands of any one government. Okay, so that part was unbelievable.
The science is wonderful, the plotting really good, the writing itself ... well, it might have been better with a really good editor.
The science is wonderful, the plotting really good, the writing itself ... well, it might have been better with a really good editor.
August 30, 2018
I enjoyed this book, even if I didn't always understand the science and mathematics involved. The premise and concept were interesting. I always wondered if particular facts stated by one of the characters were true or not. (you can't slip a piece of paper between the blocks of the Great Pyramid? )Main "lovebirds" sure fell in love REALLY fast...
I knew this was a series and I must have enjoyed it because I was disappointed when it ended and a bit miffed that I couldn't find out what happened without buying the series. But, then again that's the point of a series...
DSJ
I knew this was a series and I must have enjoyed it because I was disappointed when it ended and a bit miffed that I couldn't find out what happened without buying the series. But, then again that's the point of a series...
DSJ
May 21, 2014
This is a first novel? Really?
No way. It's too good. This is a highly polished action/conspiracy tale that is simply amazing. The characters are nicely developed, the plot is great, and the subject matter is fascinating. Nice little pilot twists combined with action scenes keep it interesting from cover to cover. Very minimal errors in spelling, syntax and grammar were found, but nothing that detracted from the book. This is a great ride. Sit back and enjoy it!
No way. It's too good. This is a highly polished action/conspiracy tale that is simply amazing. The characters are nicely developed, the plot is great, and the subject matter is fascinating. Nice little pilot twists combined with action scenes keep it interesting from cover to cover. Very minimal errors in spelling, syntax and grammar were found, but nothing that detracted from the book. This is a great ride. Sit back and enjoy it!
October 20, 2018
Cool concept
Hated the trite comments the characters made to each other. I don’t know when this was written but it had such a fifties feel to it. The women were talked to and described in such a denigrating manner. Wish the author had stuck to the main story and skipped the attempts at personalizing it. I want to read the next one but not with all the creepy conversations about feelings.
Hated the trite comments the characters made to each other. I don’t know when this was written but it had such a fifties feel to it. The women were talked to and described in such a denigrating manner. Wish the author had stuck to the main story and skipped the attempts at personalizing it. I want to read the next one but not with all the creepy conversations about feelings.
January 8, 2023
Interesting concept poorly executed. It seems like for every disaster scenario they main characters had a convenient get out,a super intelligent IT guy, or a secret agent uncle, a father who developed an anti surveillance device that no one could crack. I skimmed from about 20% to see if it got better I am confused as to how this has so many positive review but it takes all sorts
June 7, 2014
I loved the science, history and theme of the book so I give it 4.5 stars. I thought the romance in the book a bit much (I don't care for romance novels) or I would have given it 5 stars. I will definitely read the next in the series and write a reminder for the third novel that is due in July.
September 4, 2014
Good story line but I had difficulty slogging through all the lovey dovey stuff with Daniel and Sarah. Still the premise is good so I'll likely read the others in the series.
August 18, 2017
( Format : audio )
"Now let's go change the world."
A book in three parts - an investigation started by a journalist looking for a story series about the building of the Great Pyramid which blossoms into something so much more; a love story; a 'thriller' aspect of nefarious persons determined to halt the discoveries getting out into the world.
The investigation: quite fascinating and wide ranging, incorporating myth and legend, astrology, archaeology, mathematics, statistics, computer coding and linguistics. This part was, mostly, well done and if not totally convincing in it's entirety, was certainly plausible and thought provoking.
The romance. I think 'awful' sums it up succinctly.
The opposition: well, I guess it would have been rather a dull fictional story without something to spice it up, but the whole was poorly done and the main baddies were almost risible. The centuries old Orion organisation, super rich and powerful, yet totally secret seemed just that little bit too outlandish, incompetent (and known to so many!), it did not ring true.
Add in the poor characterisations and flat writing and this was a book I was seriously losing the will to finish by the time I was two thirds of the way through despite the good narration by William Gensburger. His voice was warm, well paced and modulated, and his protagonists were slightly differentiated in conversation. But given the often poor exchanges, especially during the growing romance scenes, even he must have found this hard work. There was also the annoying "End of chapter ..." stated after each section before the more usual continuing 'Chapter ...' followed by the heading, that further broke concentration. His delivery of the textual exploration of each new discovery, though, was excellent, read more like a factual document and so assisting the believability of the theories as they evolved.
So, a really interesting idea but badly presented. A book half the length, omitting the uninspiring romantic attempts, would have been at least twice as good. I received my copy of The Tenth Cycle as a complimentary copy from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. With much to enjoy and ponder, I am sorry that the book as a whole did not live up to it's obvious promise.
"Now let's go change the world."
A book in three parts - an investigation started by a journalist looking for a story series about the building of the Great Pyramid which blossoms into something so much more; a love story; a 'thriller' aspect of nefarious persons determined to halt the discoveries getting out into the world.
The investigation: quite fascinating and wide ranging, incorporating myth and legend, astrology, archaeology, mathematics, statistics, computer coding and linguistics. This part was, mostly, well done and if not totally convincing in it's entirety, was certainly plausible and thought provoking.
The romance. I think 'awful' sums it up succinctly.
The opposition: well, I guess it would have been rather a dull fictional story without something to spice it up, but the whole was poorly done and the main baddies were almost risible. The centuries old Orion organisation, super rich and powerful, yet totally secret seemed just that little bit too outlandish, incompetent (and known to so many!), it did not ring true.
Add in the poor characterisations and flat writing and this was a book I was seriously losing the will to finish by the time I was two thirds of the way through despite the good narration by William Gensburger. His voice was warm, well paced and modulated, and his protagonists were slightly differentiated in conversation. But given the often poor exchanges, especially during the growing romance scenes, even he must have found this hard work. There was also the annoying "End of chapter ..." stated after each section before the more usual continuing 'Chapter ...' followed by the heading, that further broke concentration. His delivery of the textual exploration of each new discovery, though, was excellent, read more like a factual document and so assisting the believability of the theories as they evolved.
So, a really interesting idea but badly presented. A book half the length, omitting the uninspiring romantic attempts, would have been at least twice as good. I received my copy of The Tenth Cycle as a complimentary copy from the rights holder, via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. With much to enjoy and ponder, I am sorry that the book as a whole did not live up to it's obvious promise.
July 30, 2020
The 10th Cycle (Rossler Foundation #1) by J.C. Ryan
This book is based on the precession of the equinoxes, which means that the equinoxes rotate around and each cycle is about 26,000 years. Accordingly, this has been used to theorize that the world might end at the end of a cycle.
Within that premise, imagine if the civilization that came before ours left a set of information to warn us not to repeat the cycle of destruction. Our heroes, Daniel Rossler - a N. Y. Times archaeology correspondent - and Dr. Sarah Clarke - a professor of archaeology in Providence, R. I. - search for clues in the great pyramid of Giza. They recruit Rajan (Raj) Sankaran - the N. Y. Times computer analyst and two linguists - first Mark Simms, and later, Sinclair O'Reilly in their quest.
What follows is a fast-paced thriller that involves the CIA, CIA moles, and an international society called the Orion Society - which is both ruthless and extremely powerful. As Daniel and Sarah discover the Great Pyramid secrets contained in a Mathematical language that follows the Fibonacci numbers and intensive mathematics - the universal language - they must fight people who are trying to kill them, not knowing who they can trust. Before it's done, they could all lose their lives.
Narrated from a universal third-person point of view, the characters are linear and not well developed. Female characters are not treated as well as the male ones. The writer likes to change the point of view between paragraphs. sometimes not being clear as to who's telling the story. The story is linear and most of it is unrealistic. The dialogue was almost 'forced.' I was never in suspense and cared little for the characters. I found myself sometimes skipping because I was more interested in the history behind the pyramid than in the people. That said, it was a fun, easy read, and I did enjoy it. Even though this is the first of a series, the book stands for itself.
I got it because it was a free book but I don't think I will be reading the sequels.
This book is based on the precession of the equinoxes, which means that the equinoxes rotate around and each cycle is about 26,000 years. Accordingly, this has been used to theorize that the world might end at the end of a cycle.
Within that premise, imagine if the civilization that came before ours left a set of information to warn us not to repeat the cycle of destruction. Our heroes, Daniel Rossler - a N. Y. Times archaeology correspondent - and Dr. Sarah Clarke - a professor of archaeology in Providence, R. I. - search for clues in the great pyramid of Giza. They recruit Rajan (Raj) Sankaran - the N. Y. Times computer analyst and two linguists - first Mark Simms, and later, Sinclair O'Reilly in their quest.
What follows is a fast-paced thriller that involves the CIA, CIA moles, and an international society called the Orion Society - which is both ruthless and extremely powerful. As Daniel and Sarah discover the Great Pyramid secrets contained in a Mathematical language that follows the Fibonacci numbers and intensive mathematics - the universal language - they must fight people who are trying to kill them, not knowing who they can trust. Before it's done, they could all lose their lives.
Narrated from a universal third-person point of view, the characters are linear and not well developed. Female characters are not treated as well as the male ones. The writer likes to change the point of view between paragraphs. sometimes not being clear as to who's telling the story. The story is linear and most of it is unrealistic. The dialogue was almost 'forced.' I was never in suspense and cared little for the characters. I found myself sometimes skipping because I was more interested in the history behind the pyramid than in the people. That said, it was a fun, easy read, and I did enjoy it. Even though this is the first of a series, the book stands for itself.
I got it because it was a free book but I don't think I will be reading the sequels.
October 7, 2020
For the entire second half of this book, I debated with myself whether or not to continue with the series.
I decided to continue to series, but I may not finish it.
Here's the thing-I love the story and the concept behind the series. However...the writing is horrendous. The characters are not well developed. They're a little flat, and very odd and unrealistic in their relationships. I wish sooooo much that Ryan had not felt the need to romantically tie the two main characters. The parts of the book that centered on their relationship were the worst. The writing jumps around a lot and just briefly glosses over things that should have been fully developed or just left out. It's just bad.
But that is a testament to how engrossed I am in the story-the very fact that despite the terrible writing, I read the book all the way through and have decided to continue the series.
Here's the deal: every 26,000 years, civilization is wiped off the face of the earth and a new cycle of civilization begins. Towards the end of the 10th cycle, the leaders decide to leave their knowledge for future cycles. However, they want to ensure that the future civilization progresses enough on their own first, so the knowledge must be deeply encoded. How is it encoded? In the Great Pyramid of Giza, naturally. I know, I know, don't roll your eyes, but I love this stuff. I was seriously hooked and just ignored the poor writing. The storyline is the only reason I didn't rate this book 1 star.
So...I don't really recommend this book, but I will continue the series. Why not?
I decided to continue to series, but I may not finish it.
Here's the thing-I love the story and the concept behind the series. However...the writing is horrendous. The characters are not well developed. They're a little flat, and very odd and unrealistic in their relationships. I wish sooooo much that Ryan had not felt the need to romantically tie the two main characters. The parts of the book that centered on their relationship were the worst. The writing jumps around a lot and just briefly glosses over things that should have been fully developed or just left out. It's just bad.
But that is a testament to how engrossed I am in the story-the very fact that despite the terrible writing, I read the book all the way through and have decided to continue the series.
Here's the deal: every 26,000 years, civilization is wiped off the face of the earth and a new cycle of civilization begins. Towards the end of the 10th cycle, the leaders decide to leave their knowledge for future cycles. However, they want to ensure that the future civilization progresses enough on their own first, so the knowledge must be deeply encoded. How is it encoded? In the Great Pyramid of Giza, naturally. I know, I know, don't roll your eyes, but I love this stuff. I was seriously hooked and just ignored the poor writing. The storyline is the only reason I didn't rate this book 1 star.
So...I don't really recommend this book, but I will continue the series. Why not?
November 29, 2024
This story had so much potential!! It ultimately fell flat for me though, for several reasons.
The premise is super interesting, but the character dialogue and romance writing was unbelievable at best and nauseatingly cheesy at worst. The pace also seemed off; the action and wrap-up scenes especially felt rushed. So many things at the end were frustrating/disappointing. For starters, the story had this big bad secret society that went so far as to order/commit multiple murders and kidnappings for the first three quarters of the book, and then they just completely disappear? Their storyline just stops being told, and the main characters simply conclude that, since they created a non-profit and made a public press release, that they're just no longer in danger? Are we really given to assume that this secret society just up and gave up, only to disappear into the sunset? Totally naive of the main characters to assume and unbelievable writing on the part of the author. I get that he set up for this story to continue, as it looks like he goes on to write several books in the series, but I still left feeling thoroughly disappointed at what's ultimately discovered.
From eye rolling through cheesy romance and weird dialogue, to wanting to pin down the main characters to talk some sense into them, this book was exhausting to get through... Only to finally reach such an anticlimactic ending.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
The premise is super interesting, but the character dialogue and romance writing was unbelievable at best and nauseatingly cheesy at worst. The pace also seemed off; the action and wrap-up scenes especially felt rushed. So many things at the end were frustrating/disappointing. For starters, the story had this big bad secret society that went so far as to order/commit multiple murders and kidnappings for the first three quarters of the book, and then they just completely disappear? Their storyline just stops being told, and the main characters simply conclude that, since they created a non-profit and made a public press release, that they're just no longer in danger? Are we really given to assume that this secret society just up and gave up, only to disappear into the sunset? Totally naive of the main characters to assume and unbelievable writing on the part of the author. I get that he set up for this story to continue, as it looks like he goes on to write several books in the series, but I still left feeling thoroughly disappointed at what's ultimately discovered.
From eye rolling through cheesy romance and weird dialogue, to wanting to pin down the main characters to talk some sense into them, this book was exhausting to get through... Only to finally reach such an anticlimactic ending.
I wouldn't recommend this book.
May 1, 2018
I gave it five stars because it held my interest to the end; enough to make me want to see where the story would wind up. The ending was a bit of a disappointment and made me believe that this novel was really just a lead-in to a barrage of sequels that would be sure to follow.
The story has a standard "the ancient Egyptians couldn't possibly have built the Great Pyramid (way too difficult!), so it must have been built by aliens from another galaxy" plotline. There's the requisite "Ancient Secret Society" that really runs the world (though no one seems to know it), intent on learning or preserving all the secrets the Pyramid has to offer; a naive hero (and, of course, a heroine) who has no idea of the trouble his investigations are getting him into; the usual mysterious deaths, CIA shenanigans, miraculous escapes from murderous kidnappers, an occasional deus ex machina to save the day,....about what you'd expect from this particular genre. But, the author is a pretty good writer and, as I mentioned above, he's able to to hold your interest in the story from beginning to end. Oh, and it turns out that aliens aren't involved. So, there'll be sequels for sure.
Not too heavy, not too slow or fast. I think you'll enjoy it. (BTW, if you're not familiar with Fibonacci sequences, you might want to Google the term beforehand.)
The story has a standard "the ancient Egyptians couldn't possibly have built the Great Pyramid (way too difficult!), so it must have been built by aliens from another galaxy" plotline. There's the requisite "Ancient Secret Society" that really runs the world (though no one seems to know it), intent on learning or preserving all the secrets the Pyramid has to offer; a naive hero (and, of course, a heroine) who has no idea of the trouble his investigations are getting him into; the usual mysterious deaths, CIA shenanigans, miraculous escapes from murderous kidnappers, an occasional deus ex machina to save the day,....about what you'd expect from this particular genre. But, the author is a pretty good writer and, as I mentioned above, he's able to to hold your interest in the story from beginning to end. Oh, and it turns out that aliens aren't involved. So, there'll be sequels for sure.
Not too heavy, not too slow or fast. I think you'll enjoy it. (BTW, if you're not familiar with Fibonacci sequences, you might want to Google the term beforehand.)
July 4, 2025
I’ll start off by prefacing - maybe it’s my own fault for how disappointed I was by this book. I created certain expectations going into this. I was expecting some Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, National Treasure, Mission Impossible type energy and I got absolutely none of that.
Most of what I knew at the 20% mark remained unchanged for the entirety of the book. I was incredibly let down because there was so much potential. There was no big reveal, no twists, no character growth. It was just a ton of technical and mathematical jargon and time jumps of characters traveling back and forth between a number of cities. They didn’t even actually go to the goddamn pyramid - just plugged data into a computer about it.
I almost DNFd this multiple times but I held out in hopes that something wild would happen and it never did.
And another thing - I say this as nicely as possible - but this book was so obviously written by an old man. And it’s just not for me. This book tragically failed the Bechdel Test. The FMC was a complete Mary Sue who was just so perfectly perfect and beautiful that it was annoying. Her intelligence as a scientist herself was only ever made relevant because it helped the MMC and the other smart men around her.
Most of what I knew at the 20% mark remained unchanged for the entirety of the book. I was incredibly let down because there was so much potential. There was no big reveal, no twists, no character growth. It was just a ton of technical and mathematical jargon and time jumps of characters traveling back and forth between a number of cities. They didn’t even actually go to the goddamn pyramid - just plugged data into a computer about it.
I almost DNFd this multiple times but I held out in hopes that something wild would happen and it never did.
And another thing - I say this as nicely as possible - but this book was so obviously written by an old man. And it’s just not for me. This book tragically failed the Bechdel Test. The FMC was a complete Mary Sue who was just so perfectly perfect and beautiful that it was annoying. Her intelligence as a scientist herself was only ever made relevant because it helped the MMC and the other smart men around her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2017
I read book 2 a few weeks ago and loved it so I've been looking forward to getting to this book, and I was not disappointed. Book 2 had quite a few spoilers in it for this book, so if you plan to read the series I recommend doing so in order.
Even knowing approximately how the book would end I still found myself unable to stop listening and finished the book in 1 day. The writing is excellent and tension and suspense had me 'on the edge of my seat'. I went through a whole range of emotions while listening I'm told my face was very expressive and was asked several times what was so amusing.
I highly recommend both this book and the next one in the series, I've already got book 3 on my reading list for this month.
The narration was excellent, clear character voices and a compelling delivery.
There were a few errors where mistakes made while recording the narration hadn't been removed but these were short, only a few seconds each.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Even knowing approximately how the book would end I still found myself unable to stop listening and finished the book in 1 day. The writing is excellent and tension and suspense had me 'on the edge of my seat'. I went through a whole range of emotions while listening I'm told my face was very expressive and was asked several times what was so amusing.
I highly recommend both this book and the next one in the series, I've already got book 3 on my reading list for this month.
The narration was excellent, clear character voices and a compelling delivery.
There were a few errors where mistakes made while recording the narration hadn't been removed but these were short, only a few seconds each.
I received a free copy of this book from the author and/or narrator and/or publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2017
This book was a fun read and the series has a ton of potential. It could have been a 5 star book with some more editing to focus it down more. While I appreciate the story of soul mates (I'm fortunate enough to have found mine!), even for me the love story was a bit overwrought. We get it, Daniel really loves Sarah, I don't need every detail of how awesome she is all throughout the book... I also found the character names of the Orion Society to be a bit silly. I understand the author was trying to make them unique and ancient sounding, but they just ended up jumping me out of the story when I tried to figure out how to pronounce some of them. But, even with these criticisms, I found the overall story to be interesting and in the vein of the Bob Mayer Area 51 books where the pyramids hold more than we ever thought. I'm looking forward to the next one since I love all things Antarctica.
January 22, 2023
Fascinating plot, but the writing gets messy
It’s an intriguing story with a good plot line, that’s for sure! I do plan to read the sequel and see what happens with Daniel, Sarah, and friends.
That said, the writing gets sloppy about two-thirds of the way through the book — it’s missing dialogue, character development, emotion, and smooth transitions, and reads more like a first draft than a polished work. (And poor Sushma, I was sad to see her disappear without a thought! As she sat in on the main characters’ meetings early in the book and knew so many of their secrets, she at least deserved a mention when the Rosslerites took off for Israel.) I wish the author had spent another year to perfect the story rather than bringing it to publication so soon.
It’s an intriguing story with a good plot line, that’s for sure! I do plan to read the sequel and see what happens with Daniel, Sarah, and friends.
That said, the writing gets sloppy about two-thirds of the way through the book — it’s missing dialogue, character development, emotion, and smooth transitions, and reads more like a first draft than a polished work. (And poor Sushma, I was sad to see her disappear without a thought! As she sat in on the main characters’ meetings early in the book and knew so many of their secrets, she at least deserved a mention when the Rosslerites took off for Israel.) I wish the author had spent another year to perfect the story rather than bringing it to publication so soon.
May 5, 2020
Good read not only exciting but thought provoking.
I really enjoyed reading the book. The plot was complex and required your attention. It is not something you can do a reading in one sit down without missing something. Some areas were common with other adventure stories with hero and heroine being involved in hazardous situations. The amount of amorous events seemed somewhat counterproductive to the story. While there is no graphic details, I read enough about white teddies to last for awhile. If the blatant Romance writing weren't included I would have rated it a Five.
I really enjoyed reading the book. The plot was complex and required your attention. It is not something you can do a reading in one sit down without missing something. Some areas were common with other adventure stories with hero and heroine being involved in hazardous situations. The amount of amorous events seemed somewhat counterproductive to the story. While there is no graphic details, I read enough about white teddies to last for awhile. If the blatant Romance writing weren't included I would have rated it a Five.
December 1, 2017
Audible:I don't see a whole lot of archeology going on in this book.I'm not sure I will finish it.The narrator is pretty bad.William Andre Gensburger sometimes has a decent accent ,ten he goes back to his reading with no inflection or feeling.It is hard to listen to.It also is very 'HOORAH" men are great,brothers stand together,etc.There is one woman whe doesn't stand out at all.The story is good,even with the detractors.“I was given this free review copy audiobook and have voluntarily left this review."
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