The Lucifer Code by Charles Brokaw

Book Details
The Lucifer Code by Charles Brokaw
Hardcover, 368 Pages
2010, Forge Books
ISBN: 9780765320933
Series: Book 2 of Dr. Thomas Lourds

Synopsis

AN ANCIENT MANUSCRIPT HAS REMAINED CONCEALED FOR CENTURIES -- WITHIN ITS PAGES LIES THE KEY TO THE MOST UNHOLY SECRET KNOWN TO MANKIND.

A sacred brotherhood has sworn, generation after generation, to protect this terrifying truth from those who would use it to unleash doomsday upon mankind.

When the unthinkable happens, and the holy scroll is uncovered, the race is on to reveal the true meaning of the cryptic language. Only one man, Dr. Thomas Lourds, the world's foremost scholar of ancient languages, who we first met in the bestselling novel The Atlantis Code, can safely decipher this most deadly scripture.

Lourds soon becomes the bait in the most lethal manhunt -- knowing he must confront the true face of evil if the world is to be saved...

Review
The Lucifer Code is the second book to feature Dr. Thomas Lourds, but the first one I've read. Thomas is rather famous, between being the foremost expert in languages, discovering the lost city of Atlantis and penning a popular novel that make the ladies swoon. Each of these accomplishments goes hand-in-hand with different sides of Thomas's personality. He's a highly educated, intelligent and knows it. He's got a lust for adventure. And he's a ladies man who fancy's himself quite attractive to the opposite sex, especially those much younger than himself.

Sounds like Indiana Jones to me, except Thomas lacks self-defense abilities and has no real instinct of self-preservation when faced with danger. Where Indy would whip the gun from the bad guy's hand, Thomas just kind of sits there waiting to be shot -- or saved by a much more impressive woman. Thomas is not exactly a womanizer, but feels as though he must take all carnal opportunities presented to him. He's visiting a former lover, currently sleeping with her (a lot) and yet jumps right into bed with a pretty young thing. When the former lover catches them, he expects her to be okay with it, because that's just who he is. Thomas's way with women will likely impress some and offend others.

The adventure starts off quickly and proceeds at a jaunty pace. Lots of shooting and explosions occupy the first chapters of the book. The pace slows once Thomas is tasked with deciphering an ancient coded language. The translations lead him on a race to save the world against the ultimate evil. The believability of this premise will depend on your religious beliefs. Personally, I found it to be a wildly entertaining ride, as long as I didn't try to see it as possible.

The Dr. Thomas Lourds series has been and will continue to be compared to the Robert Langdon series by Dan Brown. An academic racing to solve an ancient mystery that effects the world today could easily be the description of The Da Vinci Code or The Lucifer Code. The difference is that the Da Vinci Code felt like it had a much higher probability of actually happening in the real world, even for religious skeptics. The Lucifer Code felt more supernatural towards the end.

Dr. Thomas Lourds isn't quite Indiana Jones or Robert Langdon. He's less likable that either as far as I'm concerned. The Lucifer Code is an exciting book that will appeal to fans of intelligently written adventure mysteries, as long as they don't mind rolling their eyes at the main character from time to time.

Rating

Links

Charles Brokaw's
Website