Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx by Max McCoy
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.45 You Save: $4.54 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of Indiana Jones and the Secret of the Sphinx
Book Review: Action, Adventure, and Magic?
Summary: 4 Stars
In the final title in Bantam's popular Indiana Jones series, Indy travels to China, India, Egypt, and places beyond. The novel has a typical prologue sequence that has very little to do with the real story except to get Indy into danger and illustrate how brave he is. The main objects that Indy seeks in THE SECRET OF THE SPHINX are the Omega Book (aka Book of Life) and the Staff of Aaron. Indy's joined on this adventure by Faye Maskelyne and her teenage daughter, Mystery, a traveling pair of magicians traveling around the globe searching for Faye's missing husband. Eventually, the meet up with Sallah in Cairo and discover a secret chamber in the Great Sphinx. Of course, this wouldn't be an Indiana Jones story without bad guys chasing Indy and the main bad guys in this tale are the Imperial Japanese who chase Indy and crew from one continent to the next.
Not only is this the last of the Bantam series of Indiana Jones books, but it's also the concluding part of the multi-book sequence concerning a crystal skull. In the last chapter of the book, Indy returns to the temple in South America where INDIANA JONES AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE began and returns the crystal skull.
I enjoyed reading INDIANA JONES AND THE SECRET OF THE SPHINX. Of the four Indiana Jones novels by Max McCoy (those are the only Indy novels I've read so far), this was my second favorite, behind INDIANA JONES AND THE DINOSAUR EGGS. The story has a great action sequence near the beginning with Indy escaping from a Japanese prison, but it kind of goes downhill after that. It's pretty much a rehash of things that have happened before, except elements have been changed around, e.g. Japanese instead of Nazis as villains, the Staff of Aaron instead of the Ark of the Covenant, etc. I realize that in a serial action story like Indiana Jones, there's going to be a bit of repetitiveness. However, things fall on the side of too much we've seen before instead of the side of originality. Also, though I'm glad to see the conclusion of the crystal skull subplot, I felt that the conclusion was a bit too mystical. Kudos to having Marcus Brody and Sallah involved in the plot, though Sallah feels more like a gag instead of a character.
Indiana Jones fans will probably enjoy the story (I did-even though I was taken back by the magic stuff a bit) as well as casual readers who enjoy action stories.
Book Review: China to Egypt
Summary: 4 Stars
In this last installment of the IJ series written in the 1990s, Indiana Jones, circa 1934, has travelled to China to enter an old Chinese tomb. After a run in with some Imperial Japanese soldiers, Indy makes his escape from Manchuria with the aid of Faye Maskelyne and her teenage daughter Mystery. The two are magicians that have been looking for Faye's missing husband. The adventure finds the trio shipwrecked from a typhoon and moving across Asia towards Iraq on the spur of the moment lead that Faye's hsuband was seeking the Staff of Aaron and the Omega Book. After the trek to Iraq, they head for Cairo to meet up with Sallah and to secretly dig into a chamber found at the Sphinx. Of course, they're not alone as the revenge seeking Japanese chase them across the continent.
As an Indiana Jones story, this one is the most movie adventure like. There are problems in the book you have to get over like the author's inability to use contractions to form believable dialogue. Also this entry seems to contradict earlier books in Indy claiming to have never been married but previous books say he was and his wife died. There are some plot holes but nearly every serial adventure line has them in abundance. The last chapter regarding the Crystal Skull was odd and I found it sloppy and unnecassary other than to close the ongoing book-to-book subplot of the object. Overall, it was a quick story to read, I had fun with it, and I felt it fit in with the religious themes of the first three movies.
Book Review: Great Bok, Wish it Were a Movie
Summary: 4 Stars
This is te first bok I've read by Max McCoy. I didn't even realize it was a part of a series (other than being an Indiana Jones bok, obviously) until he was talking about his old girlfriend and I realized this was supposed to be familiar ground to the reader. Undaunted, I soared ahead, enthralled by the adventure. I enjoyed the bok up until the last twenty or so pages, when it becomes glaringly necessary to have followed McCoy's series in order to appreciate what's going on. I wouldn't have minded this, had the cover said something like "Fouth Installment in this Series" or something. Then, that time-travel thing came out of left field. I hope the earlier boks in the series give some sort of justification for that, although from reading the reviews here, it seems doubtful. That's why this bok didn't get 5 stars from me. Other than that, the bok is great. The pacing, dialogue, flavor, action, and scenes/locations are right out of an Indy movie. So far, only other book by McCoy I have is "Philosopher's Stone." Sounds like I ned to pick up a couple more before reading any further...Book Review: Indy Does It Again
Summary: 4 Stars
GREAT BOOK! If not for Max McCoy I'd have to wait untill Indy 4 to see the world's greatest advent- urer taking care of fascits and charming the ladies on his neverending quest for fortune and glory. Indy's adventures before the movies are just as exciting and action-packed.McCoy's books have all the classic action and humor hardcore Indy fans like me live for. This was the 4th one I've read and while not as good as Philosopher's Stone, Hollow Earth and Dinosaur Eggs was still a dynamite Indy adventure. Any Indy fan has a winner with any of the McCoy novels. Only one suggestion: write a book with Indy's dad! "Only the pennitent man shall pass..." In closing, Indy is the man forever! If you disgaree, remember what Indy told Belloq in RAIDERS- " Hahaha, sonuva..."Book Review: Good, but it's no Philosopher's Stone.
Summary: 4 Stars
The book had a great beginning, and I like the tie-in to Dinosaur Eggs, with the dagger. After that, the book slows a bit, then picks up when they begin searching for the staff of Aaron, which is one of my favorite artifacts in the books(the alicorn included). The Omega book is a very interesting find, but one is disapointed when (yet again) Indy and co. leave without the artifact that they have been searching for. This has happened HOW many times now?! I mean, the golden scroll, Noah's Ark, the Alicorn, the philosopher's stone, the holy grail, the list goes on and on. It's getting depressing. Sorry, I seem to have strayed a bit. To finish, McCoy is my favorite auther and it saddens me that this is his final book. Why couldn't he write six, like MacGreggor?!