Tree of Life by J. F. Penn (ARKANE #11)

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:

The legendary Tree of Life becomes the focal point of a dangerous quest. Morgan and Jake race to find this mythical artifact, believed to grant eternal life, before it falls into the wrong hands. Their journey uncovers hidden truths and challenges their understanding of life and death.

 

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. 

Jake Timber is a seasoned ARKANE agent and Morgan's partner. He's South African and an ex-military officer who has experienced the loss of his entire family.

Martin Klein: head archivist of ARKANE. He's usually more behind the scenes but takes on a more active role in this one.

Aurelia dos Santos Fidalgo: a Brazilian heiress to a mining company. She hates her father's mining business due to the destruction of the forests, and therefore, she searches for the Garden of Eden to restore Mother Nature.

Frik Versfeld: Aurelia's bodyguard and former miner. Has a history with Jake Timber.

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:

• Religious Artifacts
  
• Exotic Locations
• Ancient Secrets
• Religious Themes
• High Stakes
• Secret Agency
  
• The Garden of Eden and Tree of Life
• Secret Brotherhood
• Revenge
• Dark Rituals
• Larger-Than-Life Threat
• Religious Extremists

Entertainment Value:

The book is fast-paced and full of historical facts. Although the pace sometimes slows down a bit, I quite enjoyed the information in this book. We're back to more showing this time around, which I loved!

I loved the locations and the fact that we learned more about Jake and his past. It's always been hinted at him having a painful past and having made some mistakes, so it was fun to get to know him better.

I loved the suspense, and Jake's wit was precious. The secondary characters were compelling. However, Aurelia was a bit annoying at times. She seemed strong and compelling at the beginning, but then, in the last third of the book, she seemed like a completely different person, and it didn't make sense for her character. Not to me, at least. It wasn't convincing.

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 is fine. It fits the genre, but isn't that eye-catching.

 

Would I read this book again?

Yes, I would. I'm already working my way through this series!

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