Julie's Review: Black Sun

Summary: In the heart of the Amazon, NRI operative Danielle Laidlaw makes an incredible discovery: a translucent Mayan stone generating massive waves of energy while counting down toward the infamous apocalyptic date: December 21, 2012. And somewhere, there are three more just like it. What power will be unleashed if all four stones come together? Who created them—and who has them now? Using a cryptic Mayan map and a prophecy that points to the end of the world, Danielle and her team race toward answers. But one staggering question remains: Were these artifacts meant to save us—or to destroy us once and for all? ~amazon.com

Review: Want to read about the end of civilization? Yeah, me either but Graham Brown hooked me with  Black Rain a few months ago, so I knew Black Sun was going to make in on my TBR list. This one takes off 2 years from where Black Rain ended. Do you need to read Black Rain to get Black Sun; not really, but I definitely thinks it helps to understand the characters and their history together. Black Sun is an action packed thriller from the start.

The NRI has been studying the stone they found in the Amazon for 2 years and has determined that there are at least 2-3 more stones similar out in the world somewhere. Danielle Laidlaw and Professor McCarter are on a mission to find it and they do but not without some issues. Professor McCarter falls and almost dies and Danielle is kidnapped by a Chinese Mafioso. This is where we are re-introduced to Hawker. Let me tell you, I was happy to see him. Of course, not only is the Chinese Mafioso after them but they've got the Russians after them as well.

This time around the players know what they are getting into and each for different reasons. Danielle wants to finish what she started, McCarter wants to complete the puzzle that is the Mayan Culture, and Hawker wants to protect Danielle. They each are striving for their own truth.

Mr. Brown does an excellent job of pulling the story together and of explaining the scientific components in layman's terms. For me this was helpful as science wasn't my strongest subject. The resolution that he writes about in the book left me extremely satisfied. Saying that, I would love to see this NRI team back for another adventure. The world might have been saved from this disaster but there's always another one looming.

I'm not one for Doomsday books or prophecies, they freak me out but Mr. Brown writes it in a way that is enlightening instead of scary. That greatly pleased me because it was fresh. The truth of the matter is that no one really knows what the Mayan calendar truly means but of course there are plenty of theories.

So, do I think the world will go dark on 12/21/2012? No, but if it does, we certainly won't know it. Plus, weren't we all supposed to be sent back to the 1800s on 1/1/2000?

Final Take: 4/5