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Ava Curzon Trilogy #1
The Sword of Moses
The gripping and bestselling first volume in The Ava Curzon Trilogy that will keep you hooked until the very end
Dr Ava Curzon is Lara Croft meets Evelyn Salt - the first real challenger to Dan Brown's Robert Langdon.
"Rollercoaster crypto-thriller … a ride that thrills and educates … move over Lara Croft!" (Daily Express - Five Star - Pick of the Week)
"ONE OF THE TOP 5 RELIGIOUS THRILLERS OF ALL TIME" (BestThrillers.com)
When former MI6 agent turned archaeologist Dr Ava Curzon is engaged by American intelligence to track down an African militia claiming to hold the Ark of the Covenant, she is plunged into a world where nothing is what it seems.
Her breakneck descent into the shadowy realm of dark biblical magic hurls her across continents and into the opaque worlds of the Knights Templar, freemasons, occultists, and extremist neo-Nazis, pushing her mentally and physically to the limits.
As the plot twists and turns across the centuries, she requires all her skills to solve a trail of ancient clues leading her inexorably towards a terrifying ritual. Taking centre stage, she faces the ultimate battle against an age-old evil she must stop at all costs. For readers of Dan Brown and Kate Mosse, comes THE SWORD OF MOSES, an extraordinary and gripping adventure.
794 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 14, 2013
237 people are currently reading
1146 people want to read
About the author
Dominic Selwood
11 books80 followersDominic Selwood is a bestselling author, journalist and historian.
His latest bestselling book, Punctuation Without Tears, is out now. 'A powerful little book: sure-footed, simple, feisty, funny, and profoundly helpful' ***** (The Independent)
Dominic is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Sword of Moses, 'a rollercoaster crypto-thriller, a ride that thrills and educates’ (Daily Express), voted one of the top five religious thrillers of all time (BestThrillers.com). The sequel The Apocalypse Fire was described as ‘the best of James Bond and the Da Vinci Code rolled into one’ (Soldier Magazine).
He is also the author of two history books: the international #1 bestselling Spies, Sadists and Sorcerers: The History You Weren’t Taught at School and Knights Of The Cloister.
His writing guide Punctuation Without Tears: Punctuate Confidently – In Minutes! has been described as ‘simple, feisty, funny and profoundly helpful’ (The Independent) and is being used widely in schools in the UK and USA. He has also written two short ghost stories The Voivod and Suffer The Children.
He writes on history for the Daily Telegraph and other newspapers and magazines, and regularly appears on TV and radio discussing history. He lives in London.
His latest bestselling book, Punctuation Without Tears, is out now. 'A powerful little book: sure-footed, simple, feisty, funny, and profoundly helpful' ***** (The Independent)
Dominic is the author of the international #1 bestseller The Sword of Moses, 'a rollercoaster crypto-thriller, a ride that thrills and educates’ (Daily Express), voted one of the top five religious thrillers of all time (BestThrillers.com). The sequel The Apocalypse Fire was described as ‘the best of James Bond and the Da Vinci Code rolled into one’ (Soldier Magazine).
He is also the author of two history books: the international #1 bestselling Spies, Sadists and Sorcerers: The History You Weren’t Taught at School and Knights Of The Cloister.
His writing guide Punctuation Without Tears: Punctuate Confidently – In Minutes! has been described as ‘simple, feisty, funny and profoundly helpful’ (The Independent) and is being used widely in schools in the UK and USA. He has also written two short ghost stories The Voivod and Suffer The Children.
He writes on history for the Daily Telegraph and other newspapers and magazines, and regularly appears on TV and radio discussing history. He lives in London.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
November 20, 2013
As soon as I began reading Dominic Selwood's The Sword of Moses, the first violent scene told me it would be hard to put down. A capable main character kept me engaged while controversial historical enigmas kept me intrigued. The author's seamless blend of historical fact and tantalizing fiction had me mesmerized and consuming the chapters non-stop. This was a very exciting read and worth picking up.
Dr. Ava Curzon thinks the world of her father and followed in his footsteps. They share the same love of archeology, even if his interest was observing occult-political movements in history and her specialty is the archeology of the Bible's Old Testament. They share the same steeliness of character, which was why Ava followed her father into working for British Intelligence's MI6. But when Ava's father was murdered and all she and her family could get was it happened 'in His Majesty's Service', Ava left MI6 and severed all ties with them, concentrating just on archeology and recovering artifacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq. Ava was dragged back into the world she walked away from when Congolese militia brutally killed an Ethiopian monk guarding the Ark of the Covenant, triggering a chain of events that put Ava in the path of Russian black market dealers, the Massad, U.S. and British Intelligence, the ancient brotherhood of Freemasons, the Knights Templar, and extremist Neo-Nazis. Ava relentlessly pursues the Ark, because finding the Ark might lead her to a former Nazi SS named Malchus - the man who she believes murdered her father.
The Sword of Moses hooked me in as a reader through a great story premise and a great main character. Historic facts on the Ark of the Covenant are obscured by the illogical emotions that Christians and Christian Fundamentalists have for stories of the Bible, the explosive political symbolism of a war-torn Middle East, and a true paucity of actual documents and supporting artifacts. The premise of taking the actual Ark out of hiding and into the modern socio-political climate caused all sorts of political and cultural prejudices to bubble forth and made for many options on how the plot would thicken. Throwing into the mix organizations with historic mystique - the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, and Nazis who weren't the garden variety White Supremacist bigots - escalated the suspense. Adding the possibility of an Alistair Crowley-esque practice of black magic compelled me to read through and see if something dire yet magical happened. At this point I was completely into the intricate plot, so the well done integration of historic data with literary license made me see everything as provocative fact - icing on the cake that kept me fully in the story and easily suspended my disbelief.
I also enjoyed Dr. Ava Curzon's character - she carved her own niche among the intrepid archeologists of pop culture and media. She doesn't have the vast resources and near-invulnerability of Lara Croft, but she has the same steely determination. She has the can-do nature of an Indiana Jones or an Allan Quatermain, but showed more care and regard - and an almost geek-like fan love - for the archeological artifacts she witnessed. Her MI6 background is not as polished or superhero-like as James Bond or Elektra Assassin - she is fallible, as they rarely are. It made for a character who risked a lot and pushed the envelope so much that she just as easily fell into damsel-in-distress situations without lessening her skills in 'taking care of herself'. She ended up knocked out, bound, gagged, or compromised in many ways, but never in a formulaic manner - it helped me accept her authenticity and made me want to see how she could get out of the latest mess she was in.
Between Dr. Curzon herself and the convoluted predicament she found herself in, The Sword of Moses will pique many readers' interest. I wish Dominic Selwood a wide circulation and vast readership so many more enjoy this excellent tale. Highly recommended.
Dr. Ava Curzon thinks the world of her father and followed in his footsteps. They share the same love of archeology, even if his interest was observing occult-political movements in history and her specialty is the archeology of the Bible's Old Testament. They share the same steeliness of character, which was why Ava followed her father into working for British Intelligence's MI6. But when Ava's father was murdered and all she and her family could get was it happened 'in His Majesty's Service', Ava left MI6 and severed all ties with them, concentrating just on archeology and recovering artifacts looted from the National Museum of Iraq. Ava was dragged back into the world she walked away from when Congolese militia brutally killed an Ethiopian monk guarding the Ark of the Covenant, triggering a chain of events that put Ava in the path of Russian black market dealers, the Massad, U.S. and British Intelligence, the ancient brotherhood of Freemasons, the Knights Templar, and extremist Neo-Nazis. Ava relentlessly pursues the Ark, because finding the Ark might lead her to a former Nazi SS named Malchus - the man who she believes murdered her father.
The Sword of Moses hooked me in as a reader through a great story premise and a great main character. Historic facts on the Ark of the Covenant are obscured by the illogical emotions that Christians and Christian Fundamentalists have for stories of the Bible, the explosive political symbolism of a war-torn Middle East, and a true paucity of actual documents and supporting artifacts. The premise of taking the actual Ark out of hiding and into the modern socio-political climate caused all sorts of political and cultural prejudices to bubble forth and made for many options on how the plot would thicken. Throwing into the mix organizations with historic mystique - the Freemasons, the Knights Templar, and Nazis who weren't the garden variety White Supremacist bigots - escalated the suspense. Adding the possibility of an Alistair Crowley-esque practice of black magic compelled me to read through and see if something dire yet magical happened. At this point I was completely into the intricate plot, so the well done integration of historic data with literary license made me see everything as provocative fact - icing on the cake that kept me fully in the story and easily suspended my disbelief.
I also enjoyed Dr. Ava Curzon's character - she carved her own niche among the intrepid archeologists of pop culture and media. She doesn't have the vast resources and near-invulnerability of Lara Croft, but she has the same steely determination. She has the can-do nature of an Indiana Jones or an Allan Quatermain, but showed more care and regard - and an almost geek-like fan love - for the archeological artifacts she witnessed. Her MI6 background is not as polished or superhero-like as James Bond or Elektra Assassin - she is fallible, as they rarely are. It made for a character who risked a lot and pushed the envelope so much that she just as easily fell into damsel-in-distress situations without lessening her skills in 'taking care of herself'. She ended up knocked out, bound, gagged, or compromised in many ways, but never in a formulaic manner - it helped me accept her authenticity and made me want to see how she could get out of the latest mess she was in.
Between Dr. Curzon herself and the convoluted predicament she found herself in, The Sword of Moses will pique many readers' interest. I wish Dominic Selwood a wide circulation and vast readership so many more enjoy this excellent tale. Highly recommended.
October 19, 2014
Oh my goodness!!!! This book is absolutely fantastic, fanbloodytastic. I had this book downloaded on my Kindle for a few months, and never really thought much about it, till I thought I would give it a go. I'm so glad I did.
The book took me over 6 weeks to read, which is unusual for me, but just having started a new job and reading is the last thing I do at night to relax me before I go to sleep. I have been that tired that even though I was determined to read the book, I was actually falling asleep as I was reading it, this it why it took such a long time to get through. The book was not boring in any shape or form, I was just so tired.
The book ticks all the boxes for me, and then some. It has history, adventure, love, intrigue and murder. I could not put this book down, it was fantastic. The way it has been wrote is amazing too. The writer keeps you glued to the very end. The history in it is amazing and has been very thoroughly researched by Dominic Selwood.
The Ark of the Covenant is in it, The Spear of Destiny, which is the one that a Roman Solider had shoved in Jesus's side to make sure he has died when he was crucified. The biblical proportions of this book were the ones that held me fast to it.
I could go on and on about how amazing and fantastic and so so well written this book is, but I don't think there would be enough space. I so so loved this book for just about everything that was in it. This is going to be in my top ten list of books, it may even come in an number one.
Thank you so so much Dominic Selwood for the most amazing book I have read since The Da Vinci Code. To be honest its got much more going for it than The Da Vinci Code.
The book took me over 6 weeks to read, which is unusual for me, but just having started a new job and reading is the last thing I do at night to relax me before I go to sleep. I have been that tired that even though I was determined to read the book, I was actually falling asleep as I was reading it, this it why it took such a long time to get through. The book was not boring in any shape or form, I was just so tired.
The book ticks all the boxes for me, and then some. It has history, adventure, love, intrigue and murder. I could not put this book down, it was fantastic. The way it has been wrote is amazing too. The writer keeps you glued to the very end. The history in it is amazing and has been very thoroughly researched by Dominic Selwood.
The Ark of the Covenant is in it, The Spear of Destiny, which is the one that a Roman Solider had shoved in Jesus's side to make sure he has died when he was crucified. The biblical proportions of this book were the ones that held me fast to it.
I could go on and on about how amazing and fantastic and so so well written this book is, but I don't think there would be enough space. I so so loved this book for just about everything that was in it. This is going to be in my top ten list of books, it may even come in an number one.
Thank you so so much Dominic Selwood for the most amazing book I have read since The Da Vinci Code. To be honest its got much more going for it than The Da Vinci Code.
March 28, 2024
This massive tome is a classic example of contemporary political-cum-techno thriller based on biblical concepts and myths. It's complex enough to satisfy the jaded readers, without being too convoluted. The arch-villains here and there and the heroic battles are rather formulaic I'm afraid. But otherwise it's a very good way to pass time.
September 13, 2017
"Das Gottessiegel" ist der erste Band einer Trilogie um Ava Curzon, eine renommierte Archäologin, die zuvor beim Geheimdienst gearbeitet hat. Als die vermeintliche Bundeslade auftaucht, wird sie um eine Überprüfung der Echtheit gebeten - doch was zunächst als sensationeller, aber ungefährlicher Auftrag beginnt, gerät rasch außer Kontrolle und wird zu einem lebensgefährlichen Wettlauf, einer Suche nach dem mysteriösen Artefakt und der Erkenntnis, dass hinter all dem noch viel mehr steckt, als auf den ersten Blick ersichtlich war.
Die Handlung spielt in nicht einmal zwei Wochen und in dieser Zeit passiert den Charakteren einiges. Dazu wird immer unklarer, wer alles verwickelt ist und wem Ava überhaupt vertrauen kann; sie gerät oft in brenzlige Situationen und wird immer tiefer in etwas hineingezogen, das sie nicht durchschauen kann. Die Gegenspieler sind auf jeden Fall zu allem bereit und das übermittelt ein echtes Gefühl der Bedrohung. Die Spannung, die durch diese brisante Lage entsteht, wird allerdings ein wenig ausgebremst. Da Curzon Archäologin ist und somit über Fachwissen verfügt, welches dem Laien erklärt werden muss, vor allem, da es für den Fortgang der Geschichte von großer Bedeutung ist, gibt es einige Szenen, in denen sie unbeteiligten Personen eine historische Entwicklung oder die Hintergründe einer Entdeckung erläutert. Ich fand diese Informationen sehr interessant, wobei ich mir vorstellen kann, dass es vielen Lesern anders gehen wird, und sie regen meiner Meinung nach dazu an, selbst weiterführende Recherchen anzustellen. Dennoch muss ich sagen, dass die Geschichte dadurch an Dringlichkeit verloren hat, da die dramatischen Ereignisse so beinahe sekundär und 'unterbrochen' wurden. "Das Gottessiegel" ist nicht langweilig oder langatmig, doch hundertprozentig gepackt hat das Buch mich bis auf die letzten Kapitel nicht.
Die Figuren sind im Großen und Ganzen gut ausgearbeitet; gerade die Protagonistin war mir sympathisch und ich mochte, dass sie sich zwar zur Wehr setzen kann, es jedoch möglich ist, sie zu überrumpeln. Sie ist qualifiziert, macht aber Fehler, sprich: sie ist nicht perfekt, sondern ein Charakter mit Stärken und Schwächen. Die Kapitel, die sich mit ihr befassten, haben mich definitiv am meisten interessiert, obwohl die Einblicke in das Vorgehen und die Motivation ihres Gegenspielers auch informativ waren.
Fazit:
"Das Gottessiegel" ist ein Buch, in dem Fakt und Fiktion gut miteinander verknüpft sind; die Charaktere sind glaubwürdig, die Handlung ist interessant, wenn auch nicht vollständig fesselnd, und ich bin neugierig auf das nächste Abenteuer der Protagonistin.
3,5/5 Sternen
____________________________
Herzlichen Dank an den Verlag, der mir das Buch über Netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt hat.
Die Handlung spielt in nicht einmal zwei Wochen und in dieser Zeit passiert den Charakteren einiges. Dazu wird immer unklarer, wer alles verwickelt ist und wem Ava überhaupt vertrauen kann; sie gerät oft in brenzlige Situationen und wird immer tiefer in etwas hineingezogen, das sie nicht durchschauen kann. Die Gegenspieler sind auf jeden Fall zu allem bereit und das übermittelt ein echtes Gefühl der Bedrohung. Die Spannung, die durch diese brisante Lage entsteht, wird allerdings ein wenig ausgebremst. Da Curzon Archäologin ist und somit über Fachwissen verfügt, welches dem Laien erklärt werden muss, vor allem, da es für den Fortgang der Geschichte von großer Bedeutung ist, gibt es einige Szenen, in denen sie unbeteiligten Personen eine historische Entwicklung oder die Hintergründe einer Entdeckung erläutert. Ich fand diese Informationen sehr interessant, wobei ich mir vorstellen kann, dass es vielen Lesern anders gehen wird, und sie regen meiner Meinung nach dazu an, selbst weiterführende Recherchen anzustellen. Dennoch muss ich sagen, dass die Geschichte dadurch an Dringlichkeit verloren hat, da die dramatischen Ereignisse so beinahe sekundär und 'unterbrochen' wurden. "Das Gottessiegel" ist nicht langweilig oder langatmig, doch hundertprozentig gepackt hat das Buch mich bis auf die letzten Kapitel nicht.
Die Figuren sind im Großen und Ganzen gut ausgearbeitet; gerade die Protagonistin war mir sympathisch und ich mochte, dass sie sich zwar zur Wehr setzen kann, es jedoch möglich ist, sie zu überrumpeln. Sie ist qualifiziert, macht aber Fehler, sprich: sie ist nicht perfekt, sondern ein Charakter mit Stärken und Schwächen. Die Kapitel, die sich mit ihr befassten, haben mich definitiv am meisten interessiert, obwohl die Einblicke in das Vorgehen und die Motivation ihres Gegenspielers auch informativ waren.
Fazit:
"Das Gottessiegel" ist ein Buch, in dem Fakt und Fiktion gut miteinander verknüpft sind; die Charaktere sind glaubwürdig, die Handlung ist interessant, wenn auch nicht vollständig fesselnd, und ich bin neugierig auf das nächste Abenteuer der Protagonistin.
3,5/5 Sternen
____________________________
Herzlichen Dank an den Verlag, der mir das Buch über Netgalley zur Verfügung gestellt hat.
June 28, 2014
The Sword of Moses is one of those rare books that pulls you from the 1st sentence and doesn't let go. It is full of action, really bad bad guys, a determined protagonist and a fantastic mix of fiction, occult, Nazis, Knights Templars,Freemasons, Mossad, religious history and archaeology.
Dr. Ava Curzon is former member of the British M16 turned archaeologist working in Iraq trying to recover lost art from the museum. Her reason for leaving M16 was the unexplained death of her father. All she was ever told was he died in the service of his majesty, That wasn't enough. Ava always knew there was more to his death and felt that it had something to do with his interest in political moves with an occult overtone.
Ava gets pulled back into the spy zone with the death of a monk guarding the Ark of the Covenant. Behind the theft of the Ark as well as the Sword and Menorah and books is Malchus who is as evil and evil gets. He needs all of these religious items to call upon Yahweh to force Yahweh to do his will.
Helping Ava to stop Malchus is Major Ferguson who works for M16. They go undercover as they no longer know who to trust. Everyone claiming to be friends is not always so.
Dominic Selwood covered a great deal of material and did it well. He created a novel long enough to do just to the development of the story line and all the different facets that were involved. Well worth the read.
Dr. Ava Curzon is former member of the British M16 turned archaeologist working in Iraq trying to recover lost art from the museum. Her reason for leaving M16 was the unexplained death of her father. All she was ever told was he died in the service of his majesty, That wasn't enough. Ava always knew there was more to his death and felt that it had something to do with his interest in political moves with an occult overtone.
Ava gets pulled back into the spy zone with the death of a monk guarding the Ark of the Covenant. Behind the theft of the Ark as well as the Sword and Menorah and books is Malchus who is as evil and evil gets. He needs all of these religious items to call upon Yahweh to force Yahweh to do his will.
Helping Ava to stop Malchus is Major Ferguson who works for M16. They go undercover as they no longer know who to trust. Everyone claiming to be friends is not always so.
Dominic Selwood covered a great deal of material and did it well. He created a novel long enough to do just to the development of the story line and all the different facets that were involved. Well worth the read.
April 11, 2018
If this is one of the first books of this genres you read, or if you REALLY adore this genre, than the odds are that you will like it. It has what promises: action and mystery, with a good structured plot, and a cocktail of, well, everything: neo-Nazis, tension Orient/Occident, betrayals, Freemasons, Judaic-Christian mythology, secret organizations, long lost treasures, codes, etc, etc.
In my 'reader's frame', however, this book is an 'it was ok'. First of all, because of the exposition. I know and understand the great amount of information the author has to give for the reader to comprehend what is going on with the plot in this kind of book. Nevertheless, that's only one more reason to be careful in the way that is done, and, essentially, to consider exactly what kind of information is crucial, and what is no more than feathers to the pillow. Otherwise, not only it becomes too much for the reader to receive and remember, it also becomes a bit boring.
The second reason is that this book is basically like the others of the same genre. The line the plot follows is the same, the characters are the same type, and even the writing made use of cliches more often than it should. In other words, it does not stand out. And that, I think, was the bigger problem.
In my 'reader's frame', however, this book is an 'it was ok'. First of all, because of the exposition. I know and understand the great amount of information the author has to give for the reader to comprehend what is going on with the plot in this kind of book. Nevertheless, that's only one more reason to be careful in the way that is done, and, essentially, to consider exactly what kind of information is crucial, and what is no more than feathers to the pillow. Otherwise, not only it becomes too much for the reader to receive and remember, it also becomes a bit boring.
The second reason is that this book is basically like the others of the same genre. The line the plot follows is the same, the characters are the same type, and even the writing made use of cliches more often than it should. In other words, it does not stand out. And that, I think, was the bigger problem.
August 18, 2017
A huge tome of a book, over 1800 pages on my e reader and every page was an exciting turner. A search for the ark of the covenant, said to contain the Hebrew treasures from their trek in the desert and an in depth history of the parties interested in finding it. There are neo nazis who think it will give them the start of the fourth reich, The Jewish nation who believe it is the foundation of their history, the Templar knights who were charged with its safety over the centuries even after the organization was banned and then there are the archeologists and museum people who want to put the artifact on display to the public. A fab read and crammed full of facts and information That is truly astounding.
April 5, 2014
What a let down. Firstly, over 700 pages in length. The dedicates too much of this book to providing a tourist and historical guide. Much as Dan Brown did with his 5th and latest.
it hints at the occult, but does not expand. The story is ok.
This book flatters to decieve. Because I was stubborn, I finished it. At the end, I regretted this decision. Anti-climatic.
Don't waste your time.
it hints at the occult, but does not expand. The story is ok.
This book flatters to decieve. Because I was stubborn, I finished it. At the end, I regretted this decision. Anti-climatic.
Don't waste your time.
July 14, 2017
Utterly preposterous, semi-enjoyable and far too long.
July 4, 2020
Inizialmente, pensavo di esseremi imbattuto in un libro senz'anima. Le prime pagine scorrevano lente e ho più volte interrotto la lettura.
Per fortuna, ogni volta che compro un libro, mi impongo di leggerlo fino alla fine. E ho scoperto un libro intrigante.
Le prime 150 pagine le ho lette in un anno, dedicandomi ad altri libri che credevo più interessanti, mentre le restanti 600 in cinque giorni. Basta questo per far capire quanto sia stato difficile far decollare la lettura ma, una volta in volo, mi sono ritrovato in una storia degna dei migliori filn hollywoodiani.
La trama è complessa, ma tenuta in piedi da una scrittura eccellente - peccato per la traduzione a tratti scarsetta. Certi collegamenti fatti da Ava sono molto tirati e campati un pò per aria ma, alla fine, la storia è talmente coinvolgente e ben congegnata che il lettore ignora la vocina della regione e si lascia trasportare dalle parole.
La protagonista è molto simpatica e ci si affeziona, così come Ferguson, il suo compagno d'avventure.
Insomma, un libro che sono contento di aver letto ma che consiglio solamente a chi ha voglia di intraprendere una lunga lettura.
Per fortuna, ogni volta che compro un libro, mi impongo di leggerlo fino alla fine. E ho scoperto un libro intrigante.
Le prime 150 pagine le ho lette in un anno, dedicandomi ad altri libri che credevo più interessanti, mentre le restanti 600 in cinque giorni. Basta questo per far capire quanto sia stato difficile far decollare la lettura ma, una volta in volo, mi sono ritrovato in una storia degna dei migliori filn hollywoodiani.
La trama è complessa, ma tenuta in piedi da una scrittura eccellente - peccato per la traduzione a tratti scarsetta. Certi collegamenti fatti da Ava sono molto tirati e campati un pò per aria ma, alla fine, la storia è talmente coinvolgente e ben congegnata che il lettore ignora la vocina della regione e si lascia trasportare dalle parole.
La protagonista è molto simpatica e ci si affeziona, così come Ferguson, il suo compagno d'avventure.
Insomma, un libro che sono contento di aver letto ma che consiglio solamente a chi ha voglia di intraprendere una lunga lettura.
October 16, 2017
I bought this book quite a while ago and had forgotten Id got it until scrolling through my kindle in search of something new and from a new author to me and re-found this - it is an excellent read very long some have said too long but I'm undecided. It is full of fascinating facts and the Knights Templar, Ark of the Covenant, the Occult and other things. The heroine is well developed character with a few interesting traits and the other characters are also well developed. All in all it is a well researched and well written book and Im looking forward to getting started with the next instalment.
March 12, 2020
Great story
Well researched, well plotted and, of course an exciting read. There are many twists and turns in this, which keeps you engaged. It is a big book, but quickly became absorbed into the narrative. It covers the world's most elusive artifact and the possible connections between the Templar Knights, neo Nazis and a malevolent character seeking to harness the alleged power to return the world to the chaos, danger and evil of Nazi ideology. Impressed with our heroine's ability to escape numerous dangerous situations! It's a good read, with lots of historical and biblical themes - right up my street.
Well researched, well plotted and, of course an exciting read. There are many twists and turns in this, which keeps you engaged. It is a big book, but quickly became absorbed into the narrative. It covers the world's most elusive artifact and the possible connections between the Templar Knights, neo Nazis and a malevolent character seeking to harness the alleged power to return the world to the chaos, danger and evil of Nazi ideology. Impressed with our heroine's ability to escape numerous dangerous situations! It's a good read, with lots of historical and biblical themes - right up my street.
January 30, 2025
Haven't managed to finish this book, but what I've read seemed really good. There's an awful lot of information in the narrative to assimilate. I may well return to this book in the future, as the writing style is good. My trouble is that I have a lovely lot of books that I had for Christmas and I want to read them all at once.
The Sword of Moses isn't going anywhere. It will have shelf room for some time to come.
The Sword of Moses isn't going anywhere. It will have shelf room for some time to come.
December 1, 2025
I give the book four stars because I enjoyed it a lot. It is Da Vinci Code-like in many ways, including not being great literature, but I had fun reading it. Full of action, ancient lore, menace, bit of implausibility, paradoxically poor choices by brilliant characters, based on enough real historical material to keep it very interesting for those fascinated by medieval and ancient things as I am. It kept me turning pages.
August 27, 2017
The Sword of Moses
As I have a pHD in Archaeology, I was afraid this novel would be typical of the genre; all thrills, chills and very unrealistic practices. However, I was pleased to see sound research and conceivable conjectures, along with truly well-rounded characters and an engaging plot. Very well done.
As I have a pHD in Archaeology, I was afraid this novel would be typical of the genre; all thrills, chills and very unrealistic practices. However, I was pleased to see sound research and conceivable conjectures, along with truly well-rounded characters and an engaging plot. Very well done.
February 4, 2022
Trama molto avvincente, personaggi ben descritti, mi è piaciuto molto, difficile smettere di leggere. Tolgo una stella perché la traduzione, seppur piuttosto scorrevole, è davvero piena zeppa di frasi rese in modo eccessivamente letterale (se c'è fumo, c'è fuoco, "avere" una conversazione e moltissime altre).
Alcune parti un po' (tanto) forti.
Alcune parti un po' (tanto) forti.
September 23, 2017
Ok read. Not really a fan of heroes that are always brilliant and survive against all odds. The biblical historical aspect of the story line kept me reading. I thought the ending was sloppy and of course our hero will continue to save the day in the future.
June 4, 2023
The author mixed all of conspiracy theories known to him in one pot adding a good measure of clichés and impressions of places he had visited as a tourist. Mostly trivial. To say the truth, however, I did not have patience for more that 15% of the epub edition.
Read
January 12, 2026As this series has not been completed I am soft dnf'ing. If the author decides to finish the last book, I'll definitely pick it back up but I don't want to spend my time on a book that has no conclusion.
August 20, 2017
Excellent the authors knowledge on biblical and Chirch history makes this a great read.
August 20, 2017
A no-put-down till done. Exciting, characters were believable and fascinating, plot was ingenious. Luved every part of it. Even though it was a long story, I just couldn't stop reading.
September 15, 2017
An exciting ride for your mind
As a fun to read political thriller, as well as a source of academic thought and cultural study, this is a great read.
As a fun to read political thriller, as well as a source of academic thought and cultural study, this is a great read.
September 27, 2017
This book was 400 pages too long. I only ended up finishing it because of a book club challenge where you got more points for a book you DNF. No plans to read the next one!
October 4, 2017
Great read
I love a long novel. Characters are interesting. And I learned some historical facts woven through the story. My favorite
I love a long novel. Characters are interesting. And I learned some historical facts woven through the story. My favorite
November 7, 2017
Really enjoyed this story plot and the book was well written, although it was long. Look forward to reading the next in the trilogy.
December 27, 2017
Engaging
Well written, fun and most of all splendidly vivid. An excellent read with memorable characters who many will be eager to join in their next adventure. Bravo!
Well written, fun and most of all splendidly vivid. An excellent read with memorable characters who many will be eager to join in their next adventure. Bravo!
June 13, 2018
A great thriller about the Ark of the covenant. Ava Curzon's finds the truth about the ark and it's safe location.
September 4, 2018
Some cultural knowledge to be gleamed from a simply flimsy plot. Not my cup of tea.
March 18, 2019
Great story. Terrible plot. I was willing to give four stars, right up until:
***** SPOILERS AHEAD *****
the antique Roman spear in the head part
***** SPOILERS AHEAD *****
the antique Roman spear in the head part
January 11, 2021
It was long. 937 pages. Having said that, it was worth it. The story was intriguing and full of rich history.
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