JoeyPinkney.com Book Review
“The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber”
by Linda Cadose
5 of 5 Stars
“The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber,” by Linda Cadose, is geared towards middle-schoolers. To that effect, this book did its job very well. The pacing was quick and easy to follow. The author presented technical and factual information in a way that was easy to digest, very intriguing, and most of all, not forced. “The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber” is sure to be a great read for any age group.
The story follows Dr. Cliff Post, an American archaeologist, who receives an invitation from his friend, Dr. Khalid Saad, to explore a hidden chamber in the right paw of the Great Sphinx. This new discovery naturally becomes the center of attention from many different entities including government bodies and a rival archaeologist, Dr. Hosnee Sadat.
After navigating through the necessary red tape, Dr. Saad is given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore the mysterious chamber under the Great Sphinx. Drs. Saad and Post delve deep within the catacombs and find many artifacts, including 13 crystal skulls. These relics are sent to Cairo University, and the researchers there discovered that the skulls interact with each other in a way that they form a supercomputer.
During Dr. Post’s extended stay in Egypt, his girlfriend, Lisa, and her son, Matt, come and spend some quality time with him in Egypt. Dr. Saad’s wife, Subira, works for the Tourism Bureau and is more than happy to show Lisa and Matt the beautiful and interesting sites that Cairo has to offer.
Dr. Hosnee Sadat is the perfect antagonist. He constantly tries to thwart the efforts of Drs. Post and Saad while simultaneously attempting to secure all of the recognition for himself that comes with finding this new chamber. Dr. Sadat hides his unscrupulous ways under the guise of patriotism. He is not the smartest bad guy, but I give him credit for being persistent.
“The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber” is well-paced and action-packed up to the very end. In a reasonable amount of pages, this book weaves facts about ancient Egyptian culture and civilization with the fictional story of the characters that will make you enjoy everything the book has to offer. The author does a great job using dialogue to communicate some very interesting facts about the Ancient Egyptians without making you feel like you’re reading an encyclopedia.
Cultural diversity is a strong part of this novel in a way that is refreshing. Many times, I have read novels that pit one culture against the other. That was not the case with “The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber.” Drs. Post and Saad are true friends, even though they have different backgrounds. You don’t get the idea that Dr. Sadat is selfish because of his nationality. It is made clear that Dr. Sadat is the exception to the rule, as all of the other Egyptian characters show pride and integrity in themselves, their work and their country.
There are other aspects of life that are present in “The Crystal Skulls in the Hidden Chamber” that flesh out the story without weighing it down or taking away from the overall plot. For example, Dr. Post deals with, in his life outside of archaeology, marriage, a step-son and patriotism to America. I enjoyed the familial aspect that both Drs. Post and Saad brought to this story.
http://facebook.com/LindaACadose
http://twitter.com/LindaACadose
[include file=current-advertisers.html]