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Dark Passage
It began with a rain of frogs. . . .
A strange phenomenon grips the world of today—and yesterday. A shepherd boy appears outside a scientific facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico, babbling in an ancient tongue. At the same time, two thousand years ago, mortal fear grips a queen whose murderous ambitions are boundless, as she entertains her subjects with screams of the dying men in an arena.
In one moment, time is ripped apart . . . .
Brutal jihad terrorists slip through the hole in time, on a mysterious and deadly quest to change the course of history. To stop them, three innocent people, two men and a woman, are sent back on the most exciting mission in history—to unravel a mystery and stop a killer. Back to a time when the people of Israel chaffed under the heel of Roman legions and a brutal queen used sex and murder in a scheme for empire.
Set against the vivid and violent tapestry of modern and ancient Israel, Dark Passage is an unforgettable saga of war, murder, technology, and high adventure.
A strange phenomenon grips the world of today—and yesterday. A shepherd boy appears outside a scientific facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico, babbling in an ancient tongue. At the same time, two thousand years ago, mortal fear grips a queen whose murderous ambitions are boundless, as she entertains her subjects with screams of the dying men in an arena.
In one moment, time is ripped apart . . . .
Brutal jihad terrorists slip through the hole in time, on a mysterious and deadly quest to change the course of history. To stop them, three innocent people, two men and a woman, are sent back on the most exciting mission in history—to unravel a mystery and stop a killer. Back to a time when the people of Israel chaffed under the heel of Roman legions and a brutal queen used sex and murder in a scheme for empire.
Set against the vivid and violent tapestry of modern and ancient Israel, Dark Passage is an unforgettable saga of war, murder, technology, and high adventure.
419 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 11, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
March 7, 2012
The premise was great, and it was certainly hard to put down--until the author started going overboard on exposing the back-story of each character. At the same time, despite the melodramatic back-stories, the characters seem more like archetypes than real characters: the Egotistical Actor, the Heroic Yet Traumatized Soldier, the Saintly Woman Wronged. The dialogue seemed forced. Certain stereotypes about Muslim terrorists, the over-sexed French and emotionally frigid scientists also rubbed me the wrong way, and (as so often) I have a few nits to pick with the historical details. The conclusion felt more like an exercise in narrative structure variation than a satisfying and believable course of events.
All the same, it was better written than much of what's available, and I did enjoy reading it.
All the same, it was better written than much of what's available, and I did enjoy reading it.
April 18, 2025
Historical fantasy novels some times involve science fiction. The author, Junius Podrug has a 'hit & miss' record with this type of novel. While I was not a huge fan of "Frost of Heaven" for numerous reasons, I decided to read another of his books. I will give him one point, he starts off well as he does with this novel, "Dark Passage."
***Warning: There are spoilers contained in my review.***
The hook here is to time travel back to Judea during the Roman Empire. The reader is afforded a view back to ancient Judea during the Roman Empire's occupation and rule by proxy through Herod Antipas. The tale of the violence by King Herod Antipas and his niece/stepdaughter/wife of Philip the Tetrach (Herod's brother & her uncle) Princess ('Queen') Salome (III) in Bethsaida (near the Sea of Galilee) is ongoing when a 'dark storm' with phenomena hits the false kingdom. In current-day New Mexico, scientists at a scientific facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico are testing a synchotron, cyclic particle accelerator that uses varying magnetic fields to keep the particles on a closed path. During their experiment, they create a 'dust devil" (a hole in time) out of which emerges a Middle Eastern shepherd boy named Isaiah Ben Ebed speaking Aramaic, a long-dead language and brandishing a modern-day weapon. This "hole in time" alarms the project leader, Dr. Hakim and his colleague, Dr. Carla Jennings. An excited Dr. Hakim shares his news with his daughter, Fatima. Unfortunately, she is involved with two terrorist brothers with whom she shares the news. In short order, the two and a company of terrorists forcibly storm the facility and enter the open portal which has a counterpart portal in the Middle East. This fatal event allows the gun-toting brothers to travel back to 1st Century Judea and fires a security response by the U.S. government. In response to this, General Scott initiates a governmental response replete with a special tactical unit because the see the 'incident' at Los Alamos as a terrorist attack. The government sees the Zayyads (Jair and Amir), two violent Palestinian brothers as a threat to re-writing history. After questioning the lone surviving terrorist group member who reveals the brothers' plan a decision is made to bring in individuals ideally-suited for a special mission to neutralize the situation that now exists in the past.
I was completely drawn in by this and then curious about the three individuals who are summoned to Los Alamos. The author created three colorful characters and labels them. The Magdalene' is Ste. Marie Gauthier, a courageous and a fallen former nun (and now-agnostic) who who is fluent in several languages (the 'romance ones', Latin & Hebrew), expert in Christian history & Middle Eastern cultures, and experienced incidents of the 'stigmata.' 'The Roman' is John Conway, an egotistical action movie actor, martial arts expert, world traveler, former military and a former CIA operative. "The Wandering Jew' is Captain David Ben-Dor, a heroic and conscientious soldier and architect whose father fought for Israel's freedom and land, and who knows the suspected terrorist brothers. The trio intrigued me and made me care what happens to them after they are brought in by Martin Bornstein, the national security advisor to the President. The trio is trained in the times, customs, weapons use, and clothed in authentic-looking clothing. The young Arab boy nicknamed, Isie provides insight into the Sicarii (assassins) and the (Jewish) Zealots and the Jewish hatred of the proxy royal house of Herod Antipas, Salome, and Philip (Herod Antipas' brother). The trio also is told that they will journey through the time portal into a parallel time. But, they are limited to several days or they will be unable to return.
The author also re-creates a slightly fictionalized divided 1st Century Judea where the Salome and her viziers despise the Romans while seeing the Jewish population as a sleeping force that must be controlled. The news of two strangers with a 'magical' power to kill with a thunderous blast reaches Salome, a plot emerges to gain this power. The level of suspense and threat is magnified because the author's expertise of the period and intermixes fictional and historical characters with ease. Into this hot bed arrive our four travelers bent on stopping the terrorists' evil plan to change history. Their social acclimation and interaction with the Zealots brings a range of dangerous situations while trying to thwart the diabolic plan of the two Zayyad (Jair and Amir) brothers and also avoid suspicion from the Sicarii (extremist Jewish Zealots) and the Romans. The author injection of politics and social morays of the time does slow down the pace of the novel. He also inserts background memories and stories about the main characters that also disrupt the flow of the novel. As their allotted time ticks away, all three face moral and mortal tests. Isie's resourcefulness and bravery aids the trio when the mission is in peril. The approach of Passover marks a point of 'no return' for the team. Yet, the author only hints of moral and spiritual significance of that Passover while spotlighting the evil represented by Salome and her ilk.
The characters are fully fleshed-out and engrossing. Aside from the trio of modern people, the author adds several ancient world characters with important roles in the tale. Ezra and Yoseph, two Zealots with different motivations and private concerns bring help and challenges. Quintus Marcus, a Roman eunuch is a paradox of loyalties. The shadowy and lustful character of Salome was also intriguing. I learned something knew about the pagan and barbaric ruler - In AD 34, she married her cousin Aristobulus of Chalcis and became the queen of Armenia Minor. The strength of this tale is in the unknown meeting the known as two times clash. I did not find anything negative about the tale. While I appreciated the detail that the author gave to the characters, he needs to work on his lengthy insertions of background narratives. They did disrupt the flow and energy of the novel. He had this problem in his first novel and has yet to correct that. Some of the secondary and tertiary characters were two stereotyped and predictable. The dispatching of one main villain came to early in the novel but there plenty of zealots and Islamic fanatics to provide threats and menace. The author inserts two orgies which while socially prevalent seem out of place in this novel. The author seems more interested in evil than good because Jesus is only mentioned in passing while Judas Iscariot is revealed to be a Sicarii and the key to the terrorists' plan. This of stopping a plan to change history by making the villain change his plan. This premise to change scripture - the fate of Jesus Christ is disturbing for me, a Christian but this is fiction. The blasphemous and climactic ending coupled with one character's reducing Jesus to a socio-political rebel is disappointing. Overall, this is a quick-moving thriller that meanders, changes key facts, and dilutes important aspects surrounding the Crucifixion of Jesus. I cannot recommend this book.
***Warning: There are spoilers contained in my review.***
The hook here is to time travel back to Judea during the Roman Empire. The reader is afforded a view back to ancient Judea during the Roman Empire's occupation and rule by proxy through Herod Antipas. The tale of the violence by King Herod Antipas and his niece/stepdaughter/wife of Philip the Tetrach (Herod's brother & her uncle) Princess ('Queen') Salome (III) in Bethsaida (near the Sea of Galilee) is ongoing when a 'dark storm' with phenomena hits the false kingdom. In current-day New Mexico, scientists at a scientific facility at Los Alamos, New Mexico are testing a synchotron, cyclic particle accelerator that uses varying magnetic fields to keep the particles on a closed path. During their experiment, they create a 'dust devil" (a hole in time) out of which emerges a Middle Eastern shepherd boy named Isaiah Ben Ebed speaking Aramaic, a long-dead language and brandishing a modern-day weapon. This "hole in time" alarms the project leader, Dr. Hakim and his colleague, Dr. Carla Jennings. An excited Dr. Hakim shares his news with his daughter, Fatima. Unfortunately, she is involved with two terrorist brothers with whom she shares the news. In short order, the two and a company of terrorists forcibly storm the facility and enter the open portal which has a counterpart portal in the Middle East. This fatal event allows the gun-toting brothers to travel back to 1st Century Judea and fires a security response by the U.S. government. In response to this, General Scott initiates a governmental response replete with a special tactical unit because the see the 'incident' at Los Alamos as a terrorist attack. The government sees the Zayyads (Jair and Amir), two violent Palestinian brothers as a threat to re-writing history. After questioning the lone surviving terrorist group member who reveals the brothers' plan a decision is made to bring in individuals ideally-suited for a special mission to neutralize the situation that now exists in the past.
I was completely drawn in by this and then curious about the three individuals who are summoned to Los Alamos. The author created three colorful characters and labels them. The Magdalene' is Ste. Marie Gauthier, a courageous and a fallen former nun (and now-agnostic) who who is fluent in several languages (the 'romance ones', Latin & Hebrew), expert in Christian history & Middle Eastern cultures, and experienced incidents of the 'stigmata.' 'The Roman' is John Conway, an egotistical action movie actor, martial arts expert, world traveler, former military and a former CIA operative. "The Wandering Jew' is Captain David Ben-Dor, a heroic and conscientious soldier and architect whose father fought for Israel's freedom and land, and who knows the suspected terrorist brothers. The trio intrigued me and made me care what happens to them after they are brought in by Martin Bornstein, the national security advisor to the President. The trio is trained in the times, customs, weapons use, and clothed in authentic-looking clothing. The young Arab boy nicknamed, Isie provides insight into the Sicarii (assassins) and the (Jewish) Zealots and the Jewish hatred of the proxy royal house of Herod Antipas, Salome, and Philip (Herod Antipas' brother). The trio also is told that they will journey through the time portal into a parallel time. But, they are limited to several days or they will be unable to return.
The author also re-creates a slightly fictionalized divided 1st Century Judea where the Salome and her viziers despise the Romans while seeing the Jewish population as a sleeping force that must be controlled. The news of two strangers with a 'magical' power to kill with a thunderous blast reaches Salome, a plot emerges to gain this power. The level of suspense and threat is magnified because the author's expertise of the period and intermixes fictional and historical characters with ease. Into this hot bed arrive our four travelers bent on stopping the terrorists' evil plan to change history. Their social acclimation and interaction with the Zealots brings a range of dangerous situations while trying to thwart the diabolic plan of the two Zayyad (Jair and Amir) brothers and also avoid suspicion from the Sicarii (extremist Jewish Zealots) and the Romans. The author injection of politics and social morays of the time does slow down the pace of the novel. He also inserts background memories and stories about the main characters that also disrupt the flow of the novel. As their allotted time ticks away, all three face moral and mortal tests. Isie's resourcefulness and bravery aids the trio when the mission is in peril. The approach of Passover marks a point of 'no return' for the team. Yet, the author only hints of moral and spiritual significance of that Passover while spotlighting the evil represented by Salome and her ilk.
The characters are fully fleshed-out and engrossing. Aside from the trio of modern people, the author adds several ancient world characters with important roles in the tale. Ezra and Yoseph, two Zealots with different motivations and private concerns bring help and challenges. Quintus Marcus, a Roman eunuch is a paradox of loyalties. The shadowy and lustful character of Salome was also intriguing. I learned something knew about the pagan and barbaric ruler - In AD 34, she married her cousin Aristobulus of Chalcis and became the queen of Armenia Minor. The strength of this tale is in the unknown meeting the known as two times clash. I did not find anything negative about the tale. While I appreciated the detail that the author gave to the characters, he needs to work on his lengthy insertions of background narratives. They did disrupt the flow and energy of the novel. He had this problem in his first novel and has yet to correct that. Some of the secondary and tertiary characters were two stereotyped and predictable. The dispatching of one main villain came to early in the novel but there plenty of zealots and Islamic fanatics to provide threats and menace. The author inserts two orgies which while socially prevalent seem out of place in this novel. The author seems more interested in evil than good because Jesus is only mentioned in passing while Judas Iscariot is revealed to be a Sicarii and the key to the terrorists' plan. This of stopping a plan to change history by making the villain change his plan. This premise to change scripture - the fate of Jesus Christ is disturbing for me, a Christian but this is fiction. The blasphemous and climactic ending coupled with one character's reducing Jesus to a socio-political rebel is disappointing. Overall, this is a quick-moving thriller that meanders, changes key facts, and dilutes important aspects surrounding the Crucifixion of Jesus. I cannot recommend this book.
February 10, 2021
I remember finding this one at the library when I was younger. It has a great plot and I did not know what I was getting into until I couldn't put this one down.
November 20, 2014
I’m a lifelong fan of time travel stories and I hate to admit I couldn’t get even a hundred pages into this overwritten yawner, but there it is. Islamic terrorists (all bad guys are “terrorists” since 2001) have gone back through a hole in time (or something) to take the crucifixion of Jesus out of the Christianity equation by killing him first. Leaving aside how such an act would also adversely affect the invention and spread of Islam seven centuries later (never discussed) and the assumption that the crucifixion even ever took place (prove it), Podrug shows himself ignorant of more than half a century of time travel fiction and the Big Questions that have been asked in the genre and the answers that have been attempted. Plus the characters are laughable, especially the three purported heroes: A self-centered movie actor who used to be both a Navy SEAL and a CIA field agent (no way he’d pass the psych screening); an ex-nun who now ministers to prostitutes in Marseilles by dressing sexy, and who speaks fluent Aramaic and displays the stigmata as well (must leave a lot of stains on those slinky outfits); and an Israeli engineer who went to prison for blowing up his own bridges (or something), which only shows Podrug has read The Fountainhead. I’m told Salome is a major character later on, but I didn’t get that far. Save your time.
July 14, 2008
A review of "Dark Passage" — 1 year ago
I really enjoyed the book…right up until the last few pages. The end made little sense to me for two reasons. 1. In the end, the main character’s decision to help keep things as they were seemed misguided to me, given the repercussions and 2. If someone’s not divine, why maintain their legacy anyhow, especially at such cost? (I’m intentionally trying to be vague—I’m trying not to ruin the book for people who haven’t read it.)
The Jewish history was magnificent, but I wondered if the author hadn’t done a bit too little research on Christian history.
I really enjoyed the book…right up until the last few pages. The end made little sense to me for two reasons. 1. In the end, the main character’s decision to help keep things as they were seemed misguided to me, given the repercussions and 2. If someone’s not divine, why maintain their legacy anyhow, especially at such cost? (I’m intentionally trying to be vague—I’m trying not to ruin the book for people who haven’t read it.)
The Jewish history was magnificent, but I wondered if the author hadn’t done a bit too little research on Christian history.
June 5, 2015
It had some interesting historical details regarding people and places unfamiliar to most people and there was some suspense in places but the narrative often waxed overly pedantic, and I'm certain that theoretical physicists could quarrel with the central theme. Loose ends were left dangling. The ending was sort of a surprise, but also seemed weak. There was just too much of the implausible I would say, but overall and in general not a bad read.
December 28, 2011
The premise of the story was intriguing, and the ending of the story I liked, but a lot of the inbetween fluff got on my nerves and took away from the story itself. There was a lot of background given on the individual characters that started to bore me, and a few sex scenes inserted into the story seemed forced and unnecessary.
September 15, 2010
This was one of those books where I read it simply to hate no the author. The dialogue was absolutely awful - from a bad b-movie from the 30s. The story was interesting, although very predictable and needed more science.
February 23, 2010
- i love love this book and finished it within three hours while writing a paper in the process! read it and enjoy!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews