Ark of Blood by J. F. Penn (ARKANE #3)
Read in January 2025
The ARKANE series by J.F. Penn follows Dr. Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber as they confront supernatural threats rooted in religious artifacts and historical mysteries.
Summary:
Masked assailants murder the curator of Cairo's renowned museum, setting off a chain of events linked to the legendary Ark of the Covenant. With Jake incapacitated, Morgan faces mercenaries and assassins alone, striving to prevent the Ark from becoming a weapon of mass destruction. Her journey reveals the Ark's potential to unlock ancient alchemy, posing a dire threat if it falls into the wrong hands.
Main Characters:
Morgan Sierra is an Oxford psychologist with a background in religion, and ARKANE agent. She's an ex-Israeli military officer who has experienced severe loss in her life.
Natasha El-Behery: an Egyptian assassin.
Dr. Khaled El-Souid: works at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, Egypt. He is Morgan Sierra's partner for this mission.
Martin Klein: ARKANE agent, works mostly at HQ. He's a computer whiz and provides Morgan Sierra with all sorts of assistance.
Avi Kabede: hired Natasha to find the Ark of the Covenant. A skilled hacker.
Father Ben Costanza: works at Blackfriar's in Oxford. He was friends with Morgan Sierra's mother and is her good friend as well. He has connections within the Catholic church and often helps with missions.
There are many others.
World-Building:
Since this is a thriller set in the modern world, there isn't much world-building. However, J. F. Penn does a fantastic job of describing the locations and setting the scene. She includes many historical details and information that make the world, and places come alive on the page.
Themes/Tropes:
- Secret Society
- Powerful Artifacts (the Ark of the Covenant)
- Exotic Locations
- Ancient Secrets
- Religious Themes
- Ritual Sacrifices
- Secret Agency
- Relics of Supernatural Powers
- Dark Rituals
- Revenge
- Conspiracies
Entertainment Value:
The book is very fast-paced, a bit slower than the first two books. I think the info dump, as much as I enjoy the historical facts, was a bit too much and slowed the pace down.
I love Morgan Sierra, but I missed Jake Timber in this book. Khal did sort of make up for it, but it wasn't quite the same. The secondary characters in this book weren't as interesting as those of the first two books.
As a fan of Dan Brown, I was happy to find an indie author with a similar writing style and plot. I devoured this book in less than a day!
Cover Art:
I think the cover art is cool and befitting a thriller.
Would I read this book again?
Yes, I would. I'm already working my way through this series!
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