I supppose a cover promising another Da Vinci Code, one of the worse written most overrated, derivative books to sell in quantity in recent years, was a warning. But, like a fool, I went ahead and started reading. What I found was turgid, boring,at times virtually unreadable prose, a plot that should have been fast and exciting but was, in fact, slow and barely a page turner.
The newish genre of 'historical conspiracy in the present day with occult undertones' has many better examples to enjoy than this appalling load of tosh. A best-seller? By what criterion? Among the authors other books? Do yourself a favour...avoid like the plague!
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Have just finished reading Adept, and found it a quick and absorbing read. To compare it to the Da Vinci Code which I thoroughly enjoyed is wrong. Adept is pure fantasy wrapped in the occult and should be read as such. The Da Vinci Code story is not beyond the realms of possibility, whereas Adept is so way out that I defy anyone to believe in it. It is a work of fantasy and as such is a very good one. As a page turner all the elements came together. I really look forward to reading Robert Finn's second book in the series 'Ex Machina'.
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After a sometimes flat start, Adept picked up, and while there were times when I found the descriptions of mannerisms and the way people were speaking to be a little too "tell" rather than "show", I'm glad I stuck with the book. It's an entertaining read overall (despite the rug pulling right at the end that stopped the protagonists from defeating their nemesis all on their own).
If you're on the fence about whether to try it, I'd say give it a go - and for those people who are giving it one star and saying it's the worst book you've ever read? Well, I direct your attention to "Seven Ancient Wonders" by Matthew Reilly - that truly is the benchmark for such a claim, not Adept.
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Like other reviewers, after being attracted by the theme as promised on the cover, I only carried on with this book to see if it could possibly get worse.
The author has no sense of pace, character development, plot or anything else that makes a thriller worthwhile. Long passages of dialogue go nowhere and the final clash scene is a cheat with a brand new character imported without notice to bring about a resolution.
When, many years ago, I worked in publishing and had to explain to friends how awful some of the books in the slush were, they thought I was exaggerating for effect.
Now, thanks to Snowbooks, everyone can see what happens when a bunch of consultants and retailers (that's there background) forget that publishers require editors.
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I thought this was a very readable rainy day book.
I did find the first couple of chapters a little uninspiring and was almost put off. But by about chapter 3/4 it begins to pick up pace. I think the author has delivered a well written and imaginative thriller with two great lead characters. I thought the ending was very clever, a real twist in the tale that isn't actually delivered on the page but implictly hinted at to the reader.
If you liked Dan Brown's books then definitely give this a go. Robert Finn doesn't send his characters off on a whistle stop tour around the world like Dan Brown. He relies on the content of the story to deliver the pace and most of the action is centred in Britain. But this doesn't mean the book isn't as addictive or exciting. It's every bit as good.
I will read the follow-up novel. I think Robert Finn shows real promise.
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