3 out of 4 stars
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The Vilcabamba Prophecy (A Nick Randall Novel) by Robert Rapoza is an exciting, action-packed thriller centered around an ancient prophecy whose provenance dates back to prehistory and reaches deep within the jungles of the Amazon. Nick Randall and his daughter Sam, both archaeologists, are part of this prophecy. This story is about how they work with the Capanhauco, a tribe whose origins are lost in the mists of antiquity, to fulfill the prophecy of the restoration of a people long forgotten.
An anonymous benefactor sends Dr. Nick Randall on an expedition into the jungle to locate an underground city and retrieve an artifact that has been lost in legend since antiquity. He and his two graduate assistants, Phil and Mike, are separated from their group and disappear. Vice President of Academic Affairs for the University of Lima, Dr. Francisco Andrade, flies Samantha in to hunt for her missing father. Sam leaves the university with a translator and a couple of local men to guide them to the Capanhuaco, the tribe that was aiding her father in his search for the underground city, Paititi. Before they can find the underground cave where Nick was last known to be, they are attacked and the guides are killed. Sam and the translator are captured by mercenaries and imprisoned in a compound hidden in the jungle. Meanwhile, Nick is injured and lost deep within the legendary mountain. He is found and captured by another faction. The two opposing factions are hunting for Paititi and the artifacts that legend says has immense power. During a skirmish between the two groups, Sam and Nick escape their captors and find each other. The Capanhuaco rescue Phil from the mercenaries and reunite him with Nick and Sam. Together they continue to search for the relics to fulfill the prophecy and at the same time, fight to keep the world safe from a power-driven ego-maniac.
This was a fast paced, action filled novel. There was always a sense of urgency with the fighting of the two factions and the fight against the clock. I loved how the author created the storyline; delving into ancient archaeological sites and creating stories from their artifacts. It reminded me of a James Rollins or a Micheal Crichton novel, both of which I am very fond of.
One of the things that was very disappointing for me was the lack of descriptions. I would have loved, for instance, to have had more in-depth details of the underground city, Paititi. Also, the descriptions of the two compounds were pretty generic as were pretty much all the other locations. I feel like more details would have enhanced the story by giving the reader a better glimpse of what the characters were seeing and experiencing. Also, the source of power could have been elaborated on a little more. Again, it was a little generic and ephemeral.
All in all, I found the book to be entertaining and enjoyable. I recommend it to those who love to read action packed adventure novels. Despite the fact this book is part of a group of "Nick Randall Novels", it is a great standalone. With all things considered, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Although it is a good read, the vague story world made it go from great to good. The author could have worked on his story world a little more and had a fantastic book.
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The Vilcabamba Prophecy
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