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Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase #4
La alianza del Génesis
La arqueóloga Nina Wilde ha descubierto un hallazgo insólito: un asentamiento submarino que existió más de cien mil años antes que cualquier otra cultura conocida. Pero antes de poder sacar conclusiones, su barco es atacado, y sus pruebas robadas. Decididos a resolver el misterio, Nina y su prometido, Eddie Chase, inician un viaje en busca de respuestas. Todos sus pasos son vigilados, sin embargo, por una organización religiosa clandestina, la Alianza del Génesis.
La Alianza, que representa a tres de las religiones más poderosas del mundo, no se detendrá ante nada para mantener el descubrimiento de Nina en secreto ya que, además de que este contradice la mitología de la creación que todos ellos comparten, tal vez quieran reclamar para sí mismos el hallazgo arqueológico más valioso de todos los tiempos.
La Alianza, que representa a tres de las religiones más poderosas del mundo, no se detendrá ante nada para mantener el descubrimiento de Nina en secreto ya que, además de que este contradice la mitología de la creación que todos ellos comparten, tal vez quieran reclamar para sí mismos el hallazgo arqueológico más valioso de todos los tiempos.
408 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
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3093 people want to read
About the author
Andy McDermott
59 books1,250 followersAndy McDermott was born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and now lives in Bournemouth. As a journalist and magazine editor, amongst other titles he edited DVD Review and the iconoclastic film publication Hotdog. Andy is now a full-time writer.
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July 4, 2018
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Este es el cuarto libro en la serie “Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase”, pero es el primero que leo del autor. Los libros son autoconclusivos.
Nina está en una misión exploratoria en el mar de Java, Indonesia, cuando descubre un asentamiento submarino que podría ser anterior a cualquier cultura conocida, de más de cien mil años. Lamentablemente su barco es atacado, la tripulación asesinada y las pruebas robadas.
De vuelta a sus oficinas, donde es la directora interina de la API de la ONU, se encuentra con que en las oficinas un virus letal ha borrado toda la base de datos de las computadoras y que ha sido relevada de su puesto.
Esto les da tiempo libre para ella y Chase puedan tratar de conseguir más pruebas del hallazgo, pero La alianza les sigue los pasos y será una carrera por la supervivencia estilo casi de superhéroes.
La alianza del Génesis es un triunvirato, representado por las 3 principales religiones más poderosas del mundo.
Es un libro lleno de aventuras con el que nunca uno se aburre. Sí un poco exagerado, pero entretenido.
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This is the fourth book in the series "Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase", but it is the first that I read of the author. The books are standalones.
Nina is on an exploratory mission in the Java Sea, Indonesia, when she discovers an underwater settlement that could be prior to any known culture, more than a hundred thousand years old. Unfortunately her ship is attacked, the crew killed and the evidence stolen.
Returning to her offices, where she is the interim director of the API (ONU) she finds that in the offices a lethal virus has erased the entire database of computers and that she has been relieved of her position.
This gives Nina and Chace free time to try to get more evidence of the find, but the Covenant follows their steps and will be a race for the survival style almost of superheroes.
The Covenant of Genesis is a triumvirate, represented by the 3 most powerful religions in the world.
It is a book full of adventures with which you never get bored. Yes a little exaggerated, but entertaining.
Este es el cuarto libro en la serie “Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase”, pero es el primero que leo del autor. Los libros son autoconclusivos.
Nina está en una misión exploratoria en el mar de Java, Indonesia, cuando descubre un asentamiento submarino que podría ser anterior a cualquier cultura conocida, de más de cien mil años. Lamentablemente su barco es atacado, la tripulación asesinada y las pruebas robadas.
De vuelta a sus oficinas, donde es la directora interina de la API de la ONU, se encuentra con que en las oficinas un virus letal ha borrado toda la base de datos de las computadoras y que ha sido relevada de su puesto.
Esto les da tiempo libre para ella y Chase puedan tratar de conseguir más pruebas del hallazgo, pero La alianza les sigue los pasos y será una carrera por la supervivencia estilo casi de superhéroes.
La alianza del Génesis es un triunvirato, representado por las 3 principales religiones más poderosas del mundo.
Es un libro lleno de aventuras con el que nunca uno se aburre. Sí un poco exagerado, pero entretenido.
----
This is the fourth book in the series "Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase", but it is the first that I read of the author. The books are standalones.
Nina is on an exploratory mission in the Java Sea, Indonesia, when she discovers an underwater settlement that could be prior to any known culture, more than a hundred thousand years old. Unfortunately her ship is attacked, the crew killed and the evidence stolen.
Returning to her offices, where she is the interim director of the API (ONU) she finds that in the offices a lethal virus has erased the entire database of computers and that she has been relieved of her position.
This gives Nina and Chace free time to try to get more evidence of the find, but the Covenant follows their steps and will be a race for the survival style almost of superheroes.
The Covenant of Genesis is a triumvirate, represented by the 3 most powerful religions in the world.
It is a book full of adventures with which you never get bored. Yes a little exaggerated, but entertaining.
July 28, 2022
This deals with the real origin of mankind and religious groups trying to keep it a secret. It’s a bit like The Da Vinci Code on steroids. It’s action-packed like the previous books but it’s much more gripping and suspenseful. It also manages to raise some interesting questions along the way. The ending is not only really strong but also very memorable. By far the best book in the whole Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase series. If you only want to read one, read this one.
April 15, 2011
Ah, another thriller involving 14 locations (including the south-west Pacific, New York, Antarctica, Western Australia, Cuba…). Nina and her fiancé Eddie are researching something or other when they get attacked by pirates… and really to disclose any more would ruin the plot. But there’s an ex-wife at Guantanamo Bay, dons at Cambridge, people digging up Western Australia and Antarctica in pursuit of something we’re not quite sure about for quite a long time…
Perhaps the book is best summed up through a conversation I had with my husband:
Me: What I found really implausible about that book was the ending. How can he … *omitted so as not to spoil plot*.
Him: *hearty Scottish chuckle* So you had no problem with the *****, the ancient religions coming up with a *****, this crazy archaeologist surviving *****, ***** and *****, never mind the discovery of *****, the fact that the American President then *****, that they escaped from the ****** and then that ***** turns out to be ******, just the bit with the waterfall is unrealistic?
Me: Hmmm. True.
Perhaps the book is best summed up through a conversation I had with my husband:
Me: What I found really implausible about that book was the ending. How can he … *omitted so as not to spoil plot*.
Him: *hearty Scottish chuckle* So you had no problem with the *****, the ancient religions coming up with a *****, this crazy archaeologist surviving *****, ***** and *****, never mind the discovery of *****, the fact that the American President then *****, that they escaped from the ****** and then that ***** turns out to be ******, just the bit with the waterfall is unrealistic?
Me: Hmmm. True.
October 22, 2011
I hated this book, however I couldn't put it down either. Why I hated it: the dialogue was just so-so. The author tried for witty banter, or so I assume, but I have read much better. What really got me was the amazing, incredible things that happened in the space of one novel to the main character, the unbelievable timing of happenings and that this character not only makes this archaelogical find of the millenia, but references other novels in which each of those she made other finds of the millenia and saved the world. Why I couldn't put it down: I couldn't wait to see how many ridiculous situations were developed. I gave the book to my brother and told him it was the best/bad book I had ever read. He loved it. Go figure. :/ After 6 months, I have decided to give this author another shot.
November 17, 2012
There's a feeling Andy McDermott was waiting two books to tell this story, and in a way The Covenant of Genesis feels like the first true sequel to The Hunt For Atlantis - the two books in the middle side-stories without the scope of that first novel, but Covenant gets right back to the same level of epic canvas and character development. I wouldn't say its quite as good a tale as Atlantis, but it's very close - a genuinely interesting McGuffin at its heart which the plot builds excellently towards. It's not without its faults, but on the whole it's a rollicking read.
Thankfully McDermott now has the childish squabbling of Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase out the way, allowing him to focus less on their burgeoning relationship and far more on the narrative around them - and here with Nina's role in the IHA under threat and Chase having to face both losing and finding against his ex-wife Sophia, both are logical roadblocks externally to throw at these characters. As a result it feels personal in a way Atlantis did, the search for the Garden of Eden driven by several catalysts, and it's a stroke of genius to throw Sophia into the mix as a 'good guy', allowing for plenty of snide remarks and internal tension along the way. McDermott gets back much more into Tomb Raider territory here - ancient dives in Indonesia, ancient cities under Antarctica and, of course, the mythical Garden mean less time is spent in James Bond territory, and that's not necessarily a bad thing here. It adds more wonder to the piece, and while your jaw may not drop at the Genesis revelations (Assassins Creed has covered much the same myth), they're entertaining when wrapped up in the conspiracy element of the Covenant and the corrupt US forces, allowing McDermott to really channel Reichenbach Falls for part of his climax.
Shame parts are wonky then. Far too many characters fill this, antagonists mainly, meaning only really Sophia comes across as anything resembling an interesting 'bad guy'. All the stuff with President Dalton is utterly daft too and hard to swallow even with the fantastic writing of these books. Yet overall, it just gets a four-star for being very entertaining fluff and nonsense, with two leads who remain incredibly fun and likeable. Switch off your brain and thoroughly enjoy.
Thankfully McDermott now has the childish squabbling of Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase out the way, allowing him to focus less on their burgeoning relationship and far more on the narrative around them - and here with Nina's role in the IHA under threat and Chase having to face both losing and finding against his ex-wife Sophia, both are logical roadblocks externally to throw at these characters. As a result it feels personal in a way Atlantis did, the search for the Garden of Eden driven by several catalysts, and it's a stroke of genius to throw Sophia into the mix as a 'good guy', allowing for plenty of snide remarks and internal tension along the way. McDermott gets back much more into Tomb Raider territory here - ancient dives in Indonesia, ancient cities under Antarctica and, of course, the mythical Garden mean less time is spent in James Bond territory, and that's not necessarily a bad thing here. It adds more wonder to the piece, and while your jaw may not drop at the Genesis revelations (Assassins Creed has covered much the same myth), they're entertaining when wrapped up in the conspiracy element of the Covenant and the corrupt US forces, allowing McDermott to really channel Reichenbach Falls for part of his climax.
Shame parts are wonky then. Far too many characters fill this, antagonists mainly, meaning only really Sophia comes across as anything resembling an interesting 'bad guy'. All the stuff with President Dalton is utterly daft too and hard to swallow even with the fantastic writing of these books. Yet overall, it just gets a four-star for being very entertaining fluff and nonsense, with two leads who remain incredibly fun and likeable. Switch off your brain and thoroughly enjoy.
August 26, 2013
The Covenant Of Genesis is the fourth Nina Wilde story by Andy McDermott and the third one I've read. I think it is the best one so far. There was action aplenty with enough mystery and history and double crosses mixed in to keep it interesting and relevant. To me it was a bit of Indiana Jones meets Shane 'Scarecrow' Schofield (particularly the Antarctic sequence), two of my favourite characters. McDermott's writing style has settled down in this book making for a great page turner. That I haven't read the third book in the series yet didn't seem to matter as well. I would recommend this book to any action thriller readers.
March 30, 2010
rubbish
May 25, 2010
Exciting, but basically just one "car chase" after another.
September 2, 2025
The Covenant of Genesis – A Thrilling, Easy Ride
Sometimes, after reading something heavy or intense, you just need a good old-fashioned adventure—and The Covenant of Genesis delivers exactly that. Eddie and Nina’s globe-trotting escapades, filled with high-stakes chases, ancient mysteries, and secret civilizations, make for a fast-paced, entertaining read.
This isn’t a book trying to reinvent the wheel or become a literary masterpiece. It knows what it is: pure, page-turning fun. It kept me smiling, engaged, and often on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for an action-packed story that’s easy to dive into and hard to put down, this one’s a great pick.
Sometimes, after reading something heavy or intense, you just need a good old-fashioned adventure—and The Covenant of Genesis delivers exactly that. Eddie and Nina’s globe-trotting escapades, filled with high-stakes chases, ancient mysteries, and secret civilizations, make for a fast-paced, entertaining read.
This isn’t a book trying to reinvent the wheel or become a literary masterpiece. It knows what it is: pure, page-turning fun. It kept me smiling, engaged, and often on the edge of my seat. If you're looking for an action-packed story that’s easy to dive into and hard to put down, this one’s a great pick.
October 13, 2017
awesome as ever
September 15, 2020
This is definitely one of my favorites of the series so far. I can't wait until the next book.
November 4, 2022
The action/adventure stuff is so good it almost makes up for the terrible dialogue.
August 20, 2025
Reread. It's the fourth in the Chase / Wilde series and just a solid archaeological adventurey caper with a pretty fascinating central plotline. It's never going to win any literary awards but I love it.
April 11, 2013
The Covenant of Genesis’ first hint at its content is its wonderfully colourful cover. 4th in the series following Dr Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase in their archaeological endeavours across the world, pulling you deeper than you thought possible, into both archaeological theory and fact along the way. You don’t necessarily have to have read the first three novels in the series, as The Covenant of Genesis is a brilliant read in its own right. But in order to fully appreciate the complexity and depth of the character development, I strongly recommend you read the series in chronological order.
Overall it is a consistent, well written piece of work. It is also extremely well paced throughout. The action sets your heart rate up to thump through the adrenalin fuelled chapters, but McDermott also allows the reader to rest, digest and keep up with the turn of events at regular enough intervals; so that the gunfire may have ceased but you’ve got more than enough motivation to keep reading as the plot thickens, evolving at every turn of a page. The novel is action packed to the brim, but appears to be consistently well researched. In particular it is littered with punchy witticisms, adding both to the events in the plot as well as the reader’s understanding of the characters. Despite the pace, there was the odd occasion when I wished I could skip forward to the answer. The little details in between enhance the bigger picture, but the downfall of good writing is sometimes you just can’t wait.
McDermott offers his readers some truly brilliant scenes, but he also creates fantastic plot twists that are both incredulous but entirely believable at the same time- always keeping the reader fully immersed and engaged in the story.
For the severely squeamish reader beware of descriptive paragraphs throughout those chapters, which detail blood and the deaths of various Covenant members amongst others. I found myself physically flinching at the breaking of bones. But this level of detail is a testament and credit to McDermott, as he shows that gore and death can accentuate a novel. In the chapters of The Covenant of Genesis, the reader is confronted with multiple deaths throughout, and the imaginative mishaps are not used sparingly. That being said it does read as excessive, death orientated or overly aggressive, and therefore it does not detract from the character’s mission or the overall plot.
The initial concept for this novel is in fact very simple, and is one that I’m sure many other author’s has used, adopted and adapted. But this level of adaptation from this concept is sincerely new to me as a reader. The clearly researched but also imaginative descriptions of each location from Antarctica to Sudan are eloquent, consistent and believable- you can see the landscape in your mind as the events unfold.
The ending may be far from what a sympathetic reader might want. But none the less it left me wondering what would come next for Nina and Eddie, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment in The Cult of Osiris.
Overall it is a consistent, well written piece of work. It is also extremely well paced throughout. The action sets your heart rate up to thump through the adrenalin fuelled chapters, but McDermott also allows the reader to rest, digest and keep up with the turn of events at regular enough intervals; so that the gunfire may have ceased but you’ve got more than enough motivation to keep reading as the plot thickens, evolving at every turn of a page. The novel is action packed to the brim, but appears to be consistently well researched. In particular it is littered with punchy witticisms, adding both to the events in the plot as well as the reader’s understanding of the characters. Despite the pace, there was the odd occasion when I wished I could skip forward to the answer. The little details in between enhance the bigger picture, but the downfall of good writing is sometimes you just can’t wait.
McDermott offers his readers some truly brilliant scenes, but he also creates fantastic plot twists that are both incredulous but entirely believable at the same time- always keeping the reader fully immersed and engaged in the story.
For the severely squeamish reader beware of descriptive paragraphs throughout those chapters, which detail blood and the deaths of various Covenant members amongst others. I found myself physically flinching at the breaking of bones. But this level of detail is a testament and credit to McDermott, as he shows that gore and death can accentuate a novel. In the chapters of The Covenant of Genesis, the reader is confronted with multiple deaths throughout, and the imaginative mishaps are not used sparingly. That being said it does read as excessive, death orientated or overly aggressive, and therefore it does not detract from the character’s mission or the overall plot.
The initial concept for this novel is in fact very simple, and is one that I’m sure many other author’s has used, adopted and adapted. But this level of adaptation from this concept is sincerely new to me as a reader. The clearly researched but also imaginative descriptions of each location from Antarctica to Sudan are eloquent, consistent and believable- you can see the landscape in your mind as the events unfold.
The ending may be far from what a sympathetic reader might want. But none the less it left me wondering what would come next for Nina and Eddie, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment in The Cult of Osiris.
May 19, 2013
It’s true, I love me some fantasy/sci-fi, but some times, once in a while, I have to put on my adventure boots and have a wicked good time being a nerdy history buff, blowing things up, and globe trotting in search of lost treasures. Well, fictitiously at least. Because that’s what this series does to me. It makes me feel like I’m right there in the action, getting to do and see things that you can really only dream about. And yeah, there’s plenty of gratuitous violence in the series, but more than that there’s some real intelligence, and that’s why all of these books, including this one, fall into the buy now category.
What I really liked about this book is that Nina and Eddie are starting to do things on their own, things outside their comfort zone. For the first few books we really had them working as a team all the time, as if they couldn’t function apart. And when they were apart, they were only doing what they knew how to do, which made for a bit of boring reading at times. But now, starting with this book, we have Nina starting to kick some major ass. She doesn’t need Eddie there 24/7 to pull her ass out of the fire. She’s a strong, capable woman and I love that. Likewise, Eddie is usually the stereotypical brute force, and kind of the butt of the joke when it comes to archeological sense. But this time around we got him doing some real puzzle solving on his own, proving he’s not some dumb jock. He’s got a brain and he has been taking notes.
I also actually really liked the inclusion of Sophia, which is odd, because I really hated her the first time around. But now it seems more like because Eddie and Nina are more established and solid as both characters and in the romantic sense, Sophia is the good kind of friction. She’s witty and sassy and kind of fun, in that diabolical, double crossing, terrorist kind of way. She and Nina had great chemistry. She and Eddie had great chemistry.
And as always, the plot of this book was amazing. The author NEVER disappoints on this front. The plot was well thought through, with good pacing, a good deal of fun environments, and cleverness that I really liked. I was worried we’d get super political, or even thriller-ish with the plot, considering the president was involved, and that’s not what I want from these books, but it only ever touched on that, and never went wholly there.
I was pretty amazed how fast I blew through this book, all in one settling, without getting bored or distracted. I think that only goes to show that this is probably our author’s strongest showing yet, and he’s taken the main arc to new and interesting places I can’t wait to get to. I already have the next book in the series and I’m ready to get reading it.
What I really liked about this book is that Nina and Eddie are starting to do things on their own, things outside their comfort zone. For the first few books we really had them working as a team all the time, as if they couldn’t function apart. And when they were apart, they were only doing what they knew how to do, which made for a bit of boring reading at times. But now, starting with this book, we have Nina starting to kick some major ass. She doesn’t need Eddie there 24/7 to pull her ass out of the fire. She’s a strong, capable woman and I love that. Likewise, Eddie is usually the stereotypical brute force, and kind of the butt of the joke when it comes to archeological sense. But this time around we got him doing some real puzzle solving on his own, proving he’s not some dumb jock. He’s got a brain and he has been taking notes.
I also actually really liked the inclusion of Sophia, which is odd, because I really hated her the first time around. But now it seems more like because Eddie and Nina are more established and solid as both characters and in the romantic sense, Sophia is the good kind of friction. She’s witty and sassy and kind of fun, in that diabolical, double crossing, terrorist kind of way. She and Nina had great chemistry. She and Eddie had great chemistry.
And as always, the plot of this book was amazing. The author NEVER disappoints on this front. The plot was well thought through, with good pacing, a good deal of fun environments, and cleverness that I really liked. I was worried we’d get super political, or even thriller-ish with the plot, considering the president was involved, and that’s not what I want from these books, but it only ever touched on that, and never went wholly there.
I was pretty amazed how fast I blew through this book, all in one settling, without getting bored or distracted. I think that only goes to show that this is probably our author’s strongest showing yet, and he’s taken the main arc to new and interesting places I can’t wait to get to. I already have the next book in the series and I’m ready to get reading it.
October 29, 2010
This volume finds Nina in some hot water. Not only was she attacked at the scene of another huge discovery, but all of the evidence from the scene was seemingly destroyed. She was also hoping to become the director of her group but has discovered that one of her biggest rivals has been given the position instead. Now she's been suspended without pay as she faces an inquiry into her past actions. Meanwhile Eddie has to go to Guantanamo Bay (where his ex-Sophia was jailed shortly after the events in `The Tomb of Hercules') & collect his now deceased wife's belongings. After the discovery of a memory card containing the only remaining clues to another undiscovered treasure, Nina & Eddie figure that they've got nothing to lose.
All things considered, a lot goes on in this book. Not only do you have the reemergence of a threat, but you also have President Dalton beginning his attempts to get the revenge that he'd promised previously in the series. On top of all of that, the historical treasure du jour promises to be something of biblical proportions. All in all, it should make for a spectacular read. I just didn't get into this one as much as I did the previous ones for some reason. I'm starting to think that it might be partially because this is pretty much the same formula as the previous novels.
Luckily a bit of the dynamic is changing. I liked that Nina is actually starting to be called out on some of her actions in the previous books via her rival & throughout the book. Yes, Nina is the good guy, but she also causes quite a bit of collateral damage in the form of coworker deaths. At some point over four books it kind of needs to be addressed in some form since it is such a change from her initial state. This book had a very transitional feel to it- I have a feeling that I'll find some things being different in the next book because of the events in this one- and those changes will make for an interesting new direction!
Bottom line- I really liked this book. It's not the strongest of McDermott's books so far, but it's still highly enjoyable. If you've liked his previous books, you'll like this one. I just recommend that any new readers start from the beginning as this book finds many previous plot lines coming to fruition.
All things considered, a lot goes on in this book. Not only do you have the reemergence of a threat, but you also have President Dalton beginning his attempts to get the revenge that he'd promised previously in the series. On top of all of that, the historical treasure du jour promises to be something of biblical proportions. All in all, it should make for a spectacular read. I just didn't get into this one as much as I did the previous ones for some reason. I'm starting to think that it might be partially because this is pretty much the same formula as the previous novels.
Luckily a bit of the dynamic is changing. I liked that Nina is actually starting to be called out on some of her actions in the previous books via her rival & throughout the book. Yes, Nina is the good guy, but she also causes quite a bit of collateral damage in the form of coworker deaths. At some point over four books it kind of needs to be addressed in some form since it is such a change from her initial state. This book had a very transitional feel to it- I have a feeling that I'll find some things being different in the next book because of the events in this one- and those changes will make for an interesting new direction!
Bottom line- I really liked this book. It's not the strongest of McDermott's books so far, but it's still highly enjoyable. If you've liked his previous books, you'll like this one. I just recommend that any new readers start from the beginning as this book finds many previous plot lines coming to fruition.
April 25, 2014
I have actually been wanting to read this installment in the Nina Wilde/Eddie Chase series since my first taste of the series back when The Cult of Osiris, or Pyramid of Doom as the copy was called in the US, came out in stores. Since Nina is basically considered a quack in her line of work at the beginning of the fifth book, it intrigued me as to what may have caused her fall from grace. So I was very happy to finally, since starting from the beginning of the series, get to read this fourth book.
I love McDermott's work. Yeah I may complain about too much action sometimes and not enough puzzles to solve regarding each individual treasure of history that the characters are attempting to find, but all in all I am very happy with what this particular author has brought to the action/adventure/treasure-hunting/thriller genre. This book however, bypassed all of the ones in this series that I have read so far, and even ranks higher on my list than The Pyramid of Doom, which I mainly picked up back in 2010 or 2011 I believe because it had to do with Egypt and the Pyramids. This book brings to light so many different questions about religion and it also brings up some very good points to think on, e.g. How religion plays such a huge part in a lot of people's lives and how they would be affected if told their God or Gods were based on a civilization which predated humanity.
While I do not condone bad guys destroying things, I could actually see the point of keeping the information and possible evidence found by Nina and Eddie hidden from the world. The implications that it would cause if put out in the open suddenly could be astronomical and bring quite a bit of destruction in its wake.
If I wasn't hooked before on this series, this amazing fourth book has officially made me so. I am so excited to continue Nina and Eddie's adventures in the novels already out and any possible future novels that this author decides to write.
I love McDermott's work. Yeah I may complain about too much action sometimes and not enough puzzles to solve regarding each individual treasure of history that the characters are attempting to find, but all in all I am very happy with what this particular author has brought to the action/adventure/treasure-hunting/thriller genre. This book however, bypassed all of the ones in this series that I have read so far, and even ranks higher on my list than The Pyramid of Doom, which I mainly picked up back in 2010 or 2011 I believe because it had to do with Egypt and the Pyramids. This book brings to light so many different questions about religion and it also brings up some very good points to think on, e.g. How religion plays such a huge part in a lot of people's lives and how they would be affected if told their God or Gods were based on a civilization which predated humanity.
While I do not condone bad guys destroying things, I could actually see the point of keeping the information and possible evidence found by Nina and Eddie hidden from the world. The implications that it would cause if put out in the open suddenly could be astronomical and bring quite a bit of destruction in its wake.
If I wasn't hooked before on this series, this amazing fourth book has officially made me so. I am so excited to continue Nina and Eddie's adventures in the novels already out and any possible future novels that this author decides to write.
July 29, 2011
This one was a tad slower than some of Andy McDermott's earlier books but it was still worth every penny I paid for it. This time, Eddie and Nina are zipping all around the world looking for the Garden of Eden. And Eddie's terrorist ex-wife Sophia is back fresh off her escape from Guantanamo Bay. Nina isn't too thrilled and neither is Eddie but they reluctantly bring her along on the adventure. For awhile, she almost seems likeable. McDermott's books are somewhat formulaic because there's always some legend to chase and some cult group with visions of grandeur following their evey step. Formulaic or not, it works. His books are hard to put down and I'm out of breath at the end of each one. This one was no different.
September 18, 2012
Finally Andy Mcdermott gets back to what makes his books so amazing!
I must admit that the second and third books in the series left me feeling disappointed and discouraged due to the change in direction that this series had taken, but The Covenant of Genesis was able to get them back and track and what a reward for not giving up on this series. This addition to the Wilde/Chase series once again returns to the history and archaeology being at the fore front of the novels instead of the personal drama like the last two books, which lead to a faster paced more interesting novel. Overall this was another great addition to the series that once again used the perfect blend of myth, history and imagination. A must read!
I must admit that the second and third books in the series left me feeling disappointed and discouraged due to the change in direction that this series had taken, but The Covenant of Genesis was able to get them back and track and what a reward for not giving up on this series. This addition to the Wilde/Chase series once again returns to the history and archaeology being at the fore front of the novels instead of the personal drama like the last two books, which lead to a faster paced more interesting novel. Overall this was another great addition to the series that once again used the perfect blend of myth, history and imagination. A must read!
August 25, 2022
I've always enjoyed these series of books, (probably being an Indiana Jones fan) and I like the characters Nina and Eddie. While fun, it doesn't reinvent the wheel; while fans of the previous books will be pleased, ones who aren’t won't be drawn to it. The plot was good and paced well; the only criticism is the ending seemed a bit off, with Eddie's return. Otherwise and worthwhile addition to the series.
October 19, 2010
The only imagery I liked in this book was the moving statues ... This author does not write for the intelligent reader, he writes with the hollywood blockbuster in mind. A betrayal of instrumentality.
July 16, 2011
This is McDermott's fourth book and an improvement over the last. He has broken out of the template of his first three books slightly. This is an enjoyable read to help pass the time on a plane and nothing more.
August 5, 2010
For some reason this one just didn't do it for me. Too many idiotic decisions and blackmailing and double agents. Just an overload of action.
January 23, 2016
Action packed, crazy antics, wonderful historical possibilities, the dynamic duo again, how-the-heck-did-they-survive-that type of book. Predictable, fast-paced and overall enjoyable.
March 10, 2020
I've read so many of these thrillers involving a race to find a hidden treasure that could change the world and rival organizations willing to kill to keep these treasures hidden or use them as a weapon that I'm beginning to wonder if some of this is based in some truth. It sounds ridiculous, but how is it that so many authors use this template for their stories? Is it because ancient civilizations are so intriguing to us modern day people or are there really clandestine organizations out there keeping the discovery of Atlantis, Excalibur, the Garden of Eden, etc. quiet? Who knows? It's fun to speculate and this book just adds to that fun.
This is the fourth book Andy McDermott's that I've read. I wasn't crazy about the previous novel, but this one I liked a great deal. It moves really fast, has intriguing ideas, dastardly villains, and lots of narrow escapes. However, this book is also super violent. So many people are shot in the head, decapitated, crushed, stabbed, and killed in many other ways. Just a warning.
This novel is about a Covenant of the three major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) who ruthlessly kill those who discover any remains of an ancient civilization that spread around the world. This civilization challenges all notions about the origins of man in such a profound way that the Covenant willingly destroys any evidence of their existence. Crossing the Covenant's path are Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase who set off to discover the Garden of Eden. Nina and Eddie are thrown through the ringer in this novel, and in their exploits are joined by a surprise companion who I will not reveal.
I enjoyed the pace of this novel a great deal. It's fascinating to think about the things McDermott puts forth and it's fun to think about "What if?" A huge improvement from the previous book in this series.
This is the fourth book Andy McDermott's that I've read. I wasn't crazy about the previous novel, but this one I liked a great deal. It moves really fast, has intriguing ideas, dastardly villains, and lots of narrow escapes. However, this book is also super violent. So many people are shot in the head, decapitated, crushed, stabbed, and killed in many other ways. Just a warning.
This novel is about a Covenant of the three major world religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam) who ruthlessly kill those who discover any remains of an ancient civilization that spread around the world. This civilization challenges all notions about the origins of man in such a profound way that the Covenant willingly destroys any evidence of their existence. Crossing the Covenant's path are Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase who set off to discover the Garden of Eden. Nina and Eddie are thrown through the ringer in this novel, and in their exploits are joined by a surprise companion who I will not reveal.
I enjoyed the pace of this novel a great deal. It's fascinating to think about the things McDermott puts forth and it's fun to think about "What if?" A huge improvement from the previous book in this series.
September 4, 2018
So stupid!!!
I want to love these books but there's 3 things standing in my way:
1 - Each book sticks so closely to the same formula that they are little more than carbon copies of each other with only small details swapped out. Which leads to...
2 - No one learns from there mistakes. How many times can they deliberately walk into a situation under prepared, or get captured and escape, or lead people who want to blow up a world treasure directly to that treasure, or take a weapon of mass distribution to the people who want to use it for bad reasons? These scenarios aren't just repeated from book to book, but often within the same book!
3 - The author wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants Nina and Eddie to find world changing things but he doesn't want to have to go through the effort of actually allowing that world to change and having to write a more complex story next time. Knowing this you know going into every book that it doesn't matter what they discover or what events are put into motion, nothing will change by the end. This leaves the reader asking a question no author should want their readers to ask... Why bother?
I really like Nina and Eddie's characters, I like the research that has gone into the stories and I like how these books are written from a style and competency point of view. It's just a shame that the above three points are letting it down.
I'll stick with it for another book and see if anything looks up. There's 4 star potential in these books, but right now I'm not holding my breath.
I want to love these books but there's 3 things standing in my way:
1 - Each book sticks so closely to the same formula that they are little more than carbon copies of each other with only small details swapped out. Which leads to...
2 - No one learns from there mistakes. How many times can they deliberately walk into a situation under prepared, or get captured and escape, or lead people who want to blow up a world treasure directly to that treasure, or take a weapon of mass distribution to the people who want to use it for bad reasons? These scenarios aren't just repeated from book to book, but often within the same book!
3 - The author wants to have his cake and eat it too. He wants Nina and Eddie to find world changing things but he doesn't want to have to go through the effort of actually allowing that world to change and having to write a more complex story next time. Knowing this you know going into every book that it doesn't matter what they discover or what events are put into motion, nothing will change by the end. This leaves the reader asking a question no author should want their readers to ask... Why bother?
I really like Nina and Eddie's characters, I like the research that has gone into the stories and I like how these books are written from a style and competency point of view. It's just a shame that the above three points are letting it down.
I'll stick with it for another book and see if anything looks up. There's 4 star potential in these books, but right now I'm not holding my breath.
September 25, 2019
Off we go into into another preposterous, yet completely gripping action-adventure featuring our heroes Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase. Throw out all semblance of reality and just go with the flow.
I've read nearly all the books in the series and I am always looking for more. This one is the last book before Eddie and Nina get married and they're off to find the Garden of Eden. And, of course, they do. Yet, there are representatives from the major faiths who have formed some secret alliance (Who knew that Christians, Jews, and Muslims could get along so well and see eye to eye on everything!) who are out to keep the secret hidden. Because, you see, there was a species that populated the earth before Homo-Sapiens.
Here we have another Wilde/Chase bang 'em up/shoot 'em up adventure featuring archaeology, hidden mysteries, and politics all at once. I lap these books up. I've read nearly all of them. The ones I'm missing are the next ones. And by the next ones, I don't mean Book 5. I've read it. I mean the next ones that are published.
For fans of this dynamic duo - you should be satisfied. OK, Nina is kind of annoying and a little self-centered in this one. And we also have Eddie's ex-terrorist wife Sophia from "The Tomb of Hercules" rearing her now blonde mug who remarkably got out of Guantanamo Bay and has a secret video of her doing the President of USA. But Eddie still spits out some amusing zingers when he talks.
Yup, over the top - but I can't get enough of this stuff. I keep reading all of Andy McDermott's books.
I've read nearly all the books in the series and I am always looking for more. This one is the last book before Eddie and Nina get married and they're off to find the Garden of Eden. And, of course, they do. Yet, there are representatives from the major faiths who have formed some secret alliance (Who knew that Christians, Jews, and Muslims could get along so well and see eye to eye on everything!) who are out to keep the secret hidden. Because, you see, there was a species that populated the earth before Homo-Sapiens.
Here we have another Wilde/Chase bang 'em up/shoot 'em up adventure featuring archaeology, hidden mysteries, and politics all at once. I lap these books up. I've read nearly all of them. The ones I'm missing are the next ones. And by the next ones, I don't mean Book 5. I've read it. I mean the next ones that are published.
For fans of this dynamic duo - you should be satisfied. OK, Nina is kind of annoying and a little self-centered in this one. And we also have Eddie's ex-terrorist wife Sophia from "The Tomb of Hercules" rearing her now blonde mug who remarkably got out of Guantanamo Bay and has a secret video of her doing the President of USA. But Eddie still spits out some amusing zingers when he talks.
Yup, over the top - but I can't get enough of this stuff. I keep reading all of Andy McDermott's books.
October 28, 2022
The name's Bond, Indiana Bond?
I really can't decide if Andy McDermott is trying to write James Bond novels, or Indiana Jones movies. They're somewhere in between both, and The Covenant of Genesis is a good example. This is an easy read, but like so many of these type of books from various authors, they read like a movie - quick scene changes, cliff hanger scene endings, harkening back to earlier story plotlines that seemed irrelevant at the time but important in the denouement. There's even the ever present spectre (hah!) of a recurring enemy - I won't say more on that for fear of spoilers.
Anyway, like the previous three books, The Covenant of Genesis is a quick read. Ideal for a beach, a vacation, or reading with a glass of beer - it's not a wine or whiskey kind of book :-)
McDermott's prose has improved over the previous books, I suspect that by the time we get to book 16 (!) that he'll be up there with Shakespeare; well, maybe not, but each book in this series does show improvements in grammar, plotting, and timing, so I'll be interested to see where it goes.
There are times where McDermott's knowledge of the intricacies of every weapon, military vehicle, or armed service tactics are a little distracting, but it's done in an amusing way via the character of Eddie Crane, an ex-SAS soldier. Mind you, I'm not so sure his exclamation of "Buggeration and F**kery" at every problem he encounters is entirely authentic... :-)
Anyway, a not unenjoyable read. Okay, on to the next one, and let's see what McDermott can do to Egypt.
I really can't decide if Andy McDermott is trying to write James Bond novels, or Indiana Jones movies. They're somewhere in between both, and The Covenant of Genesis is a good example. This is an easy read, but like so many of these type of books from various authors, they read like a movie - quick scene changes, cliff hanger scene endings, harkening back to earlier story plotlines that seemed irrelevant at the time but important in the denouement. There's even the ever present spectre (hah!) of a recurring enemy - I won't say more on that for fear of spoilers.
Anyway, like the previous three books, The Covenant of Genesis is a quick read. Ideal for a beach, a vacation, or reading with a glass of beer - it's not a wine or whiskey kind of book :-)
McDermott's prose has improved over the previous books, I suspect that by the time we get to book 16 (!) that he'll be up there with Shakespeare; well, maybe not, but each book in this series does show improvements in grammar, plotting, and timing, so I'll be interested to see where it goes.
There are times where McDermott's knowledge of the intricacies of every weapon, military vehicle, or armed service tactics are a little distracting, but it's done in an amusing way via the character of Eddie Crane, an ex-SAS soldier. Mind you, I'm not so sure his exclamation of "Buggeration and F**kery" at every problem he encounters is entirely authentic... :-)
Anyway, a not unenjoyable read. Okay, on to the next one, and let's see what McDermott can do to Egypt.
May 29, 2018
This is a series I enjoy when I just want silly, over-the-top fun entertainment. I see the negative reviews for this series, but personally, I think as long as you approach these characters and the adventures they go on for what they are - sheer fictional entertainment - then these are enjoyable reads.
This book wasn't my favourite of the series, mainly because I don't care about religion and that was the focus of the quest in this one. Still it had plenty of my favourite part of this series, which is Eddie and his hilariously sarcastic sense of humour! I absolutely love Eddie, and the way he is written by the author tickles me to no end.
This is a formula series, and if you read more than one, you know exactly what you will be getting: lots of exotic locations, tons of drama and suspense, really bad "bad guys" and really good, likable "good guys" [namely Eddie] some type of historical/archaeological quest and plenty of near-death escapes.
Basically, this is an Indiana Jones movie but in a book. If that sounds like fun to you, then you will probably like this series. I know that I definitely like the series, especially when real life is more stressful and complicated that I prefer. These books are easy-reads and don't demand anything from me other than to go along for the ride while they entertain me and make me laugh.
This book wasn't my favourite of the series, mainly because I don't care about religion and that was the focus of the quest in this one. Still it had plenty of my favourite part of this series, which is Eddie and his hilariously sarcastic sense of humour! I absolutely love Eddie, and the way he is written by the author tickles me to no end.
This is a formula series, and if you read more than one, you know exactly what you will be getting: lots of exotic locations, tons of drama and suspense, really bad "bad guys" and really good, likable "good guys" [namely Eddie] some type of historical/archaeological quest and plenty of near-death escapes.
Basically, this is an Indiana Jones movie but in a book. If that sounds like fun to you, then you will probably like this series. I know that I definitely like the series, especially when real life is more stressful and complicated that I prefer. These books are easy-reads and don't demand anything from me other than to go along for the ride while they entertain me and make me laugh.
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