Finally, the hot-babe archaeologist gets her literary due in Alex Archer’s ROGUE ANGEL: DESTINY. Annja Creed is a young, camera-friendly explorer who works for a cable series called CHASING HISTORY’S MONSTERS. In France researching a segment on a mythic werewolf-type creature named La Bête, she unknowingly stumbles upon something much greater, yet infinitely more dangerous.
Namely, a centuries-old sword reputed to be that of Joan of Arc. It should go without saying that several criminally bent factions are willing to kill for it, but Archer throws in an unusual twist with Annja somehow able to will the sword to disappear and reappear in her hands. She is both aided and pursued by immortal men who were present when Joan of Arc went up in flames, and even they’re not clued in to the sword’s real power or all the secrets it houses.
This is the start of a new series – with SOLOMON’S JAR and THE SPIDER’S STONE to follow in two-month intervals – and one that works because the female protagonist is so strong. She’s brainy, she’s beautiful and she knows kung fu – like a grad-school version of ELEKTRA. As highly skilled as she is moraled, Annja is instantly likable, making DESTINY an appealing, action-packed read.
The finale doesn’t quite punch as hard as I would have liked, but at least the story offers closure while also serving as a springboard for the sequels. Grossly mislabeled as science fiction on the spine, this is a thriller through and through, with just a shade of fantasy. DESTINY sports foreign locales, robed assassins, coded messages, motorcycle chases, treasure hunters – all elements which help make this adventure trés enjoyable. –Rod Lott
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