Serpent: A Dane Maddock Adventure

Dane Maddock #13

by David Wood

What lurks in the heart of the jungle?

High in the Andes, Dane Maddock and Bones Bonebrake discover a secret prison cell where a Spanish explorer lived out his final days. The words carved into the wall seem like the ravings of a madman, but they are the key that opens the door to an ancient mystery.

Genres: Adventure, Thriller

306 pages, Paperback

Published November 17, 2020

About the author

David Wood is the USA Today bestselling author of the Dane Maddock Adventures and many other titles and series. He also writes Science Fiction under the pen name Finn Gray and fantasy as David Debord. He is also a book reviewer, podcaster, and a member of International Thriller Writers and The Horror Writers Association. David and his family live in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him online at www.davidwoodweb.com.

Reviews

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Adventure Story

So first and foremost, I don’t like snakes. Now, that being said – this book freaked me out because a lot of it was about snakes, a very very large snake in particular. Now, reading the title of Serpent, that makes sense. It was nothing that I still didn’t fly through and enjoy thoroughly, I just had to say that upfront.

Serpent was one of those books that I just couldn’t put down. I think I finished it in 2 days and in 2 listening sessions. I just put it on and flew through it. Wood’s writing has always done that to me and this series along with its spinoffs are all so darn enjoyable. This one sees the same cast and crew we’re used to just getting back from their last adventure, Contest, and there are some callbacks and I think they mention at least one or two newer people that were introduced more recently – but the best part is that you could pick this book up and read it as a normal adventure book and still enjoy it. Sure, you’d miss some of the camaraderie and the back and forth between Bones and Maddock but the core story is still enjoyable on its own.

The different things that Wood either comes up with or hears about from different cultures and areas make each one of these books so fun and enjoyable. I know that each one is going to feature something absolutely insane and I’m going to love it. This time it had a few things (including a massive twist towards the end) that even throughout I would say out loud to myself “What?”. All of Wood’s stories have that effect on me and I love it.

Overall, Serpent was a blast to listen to. Full of adventure and exotic locales – it was fun and action-packed from beginning to end. Throw in the excellent narration from Jeffrey Kafer and it’s near a perfect book. Especially if you’d read the other books in the series, or happen to like Adventure stories like Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Dirk Pitt. Also, I’m not sure if I’ve called them out before, but these stories also have a modern-day Assassin’s Creed feel to them. They are always fighting against another force for things and it has that same back-and-forth that the AC games have.

[Rabid Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this Maddock and Bones Peruvian jungle adventure that mixes history, mythology, culture, supernatural and adventure. You are quickly drawn into the story by the wild adventure, appealing characters and fun repartee. I love how culture and folklore is woven through the story and, as is normal with this series, Bones’ humour shines through. Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job of narration in the audiobook version, giving each character their own voice and keeping them consistent form book to book. This audiobook is fun and action-packed from beginning to end.

[Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great new book

I love David Wood's Dane and Bones series!The boys are in Peru with great characters,beautiful women and exotic creatures. This is a great read!

[Wade Lilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed my adventure with Dane and Bones
Fast paced, fun and well researched
I felt the end was rushed could’ve used another 20-30
Pages but great otherwise

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being disappointed in the last couple of books in this series I approached this one with a bit of trepidation. I was pleasantly surprised at how much enjoyed the story. It was well paced, had plenty of action and interesting characters. Well, not super interesting or complex but enough so that the book rated 4 stars. The story was fun if not farfetched which was OK as it was just what I was looking for. Pure escapism! The women were strong and didn't need to be rescued at every turn which was another point in the story's favor. In the end, I had only a few minor complaints. A creature breathing mystery mist was straight out of a 60's Japanese monster movie. I guess it was necessary to the story but it did elicit a small eye roll. One character's fate was left unresolved. I'm thinking she will make a return in a future story as there was a bit of a cliffhanger. Finally, Bones smart-assery wore thin very quickly as usual. I realize that is supposed to be his personality but enough is enough. So, will I be checking out the next book in the series? Oh, yeah.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Maddock and Bones Adventure. This is yet another episode in the sprawling universe that is Maddock and Bones, one with at least a few callouts that won't be obvious unless you've read the entire universe of these stories to this point. That noted, it can indeed work reasonably well as an entry point into the series, as most of the callbacks are more tangential than essential. (And the essential ones are explained well, but are slight spoilers for previous books - for those that particularly care about such things.) Overall a fun romp through the Amazon and Inca lore, and very much recommended.

[Jan Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serpent by David Wood is brimming full of action, adventure and vibrant imagery. The author has created wonderful characters in Dane Maddock and Bones. These two guys never fail to deliver a great adventure. Jeffrey Kafer is outstanding bringing them to life with his distinguished voices. I especially loved his "Valley Girl" inflection in one of the supporting characters. This book is both a standalone listen and part of a series. I loved how I could envision so many details, and the subtle humor was great.

[Charles Calvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Great read!

Loved it! Please keep Dane and Bones coming. I have read all the David Woods books in the series and have not been disappointed yet. Great characters and a lot of action and humor.

[Vicky Coughlan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another exciting adventure for Maddock and Bones. This time travelling to machupichu one of my bucket list places then to the Amazon jungle where they faced mythical (?) animals. Always a good read where these 2 are concerned.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

While vacationing, Maddoxk and Bones are drawn into the search for the lost city of the serpent. As the race hots up, they will need to use all there skills to be find the city, but most importantly stay alive.

[John Tanaschovsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Great book great read lots of action kept you interested hard to put down the Dane mad dock adventures are worth reading

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fast fun read of Bones and Maddock in the Amazon

[Jenny Clifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this book Maddock and Bones searches for the entrance to the underworld in the jungle, while fighting giant snakes. It is a little bit weird that I like these books as much as I do, but I think they are a kind of guilty pleasure. Also, they are potato chips books, as in you always want one more. The characters of Maddock and Bones are very, very stereotypical ex navy seals, and somewhat one dimensional. Each book is based on a historical myth, and they are sometimes a little bit repetitive. But the action and adventure is great and very fast paced, and the books are enjoyable.

[Nigel Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

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