Book Review: 12.21.12

12.21.12
Killian McRae

Release Date: December 19, 2010

Book Description:
The only way to save the future is to decode the past. The only way to decode the past is to save the future.

Archaeologist Sheppard Smyth has staked his career and the honorable memory of his wife and partner on proving his widely panned theory: Cleopatra VII, the last sovereign pharaoh of Egypt, was not a victim of suicide as history suggests, but of a well-concealed murder. When a statue of the doomed Queen is unearthed in a pre-Columbian excavation site in Mexico, Shep rushes to investigate and, hopefully, find the proof that has evaded him for so long. The statue, however, is only the first clue suggesting a mysterious connection between Mesopotamia and Mesoamerica, and possibly - beyond. Suddenly thrust into the heated rivalry between sexy and enigmatic antiquities thief Victoria Kent and the infamous Russian mafioso Dmitri Kronastia, Shep finds himself a common pawn played by forces working to see out a quest older than the pyramids and cloaked in the Mayan Doomsday prophecy of 12.21.12.

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Review:
This egalley was generously provided by the author, Killian McRae. Below is my fair and honest review.

Mild spoilers ahead!

Such a great, fast-paced read! And, I’m not saying it lightly as I don’t find too many books that are able to get my attention from the start. Instead, I often find myself needing to ease into the book, but Killian McRae had me hooked from the get-go. It was such a whirlwind of a story, that I don’t even know where to start, but if Stargate and Lara Croft had a love child; it would be called 12.21.12. I rushed through the pages only to find myself saddened by the fact it was already over. But even good things must come to an end… or do they?

“’ Beware the end of the world,’” she returned without pause as she turned from the scene. “It’s silly really. The people in these parts of Mexico are still close to their traditions. And this whole Mayan calendar thing. Maybe you’ve heard of it, 12.21.12?” 12.21.12 (Kindle Locations 288-290).



Sheppard Smyth, a tenured professor at a prominent university, has become almost obsessed with proving his theory of Cleopatra’s murder, which in turn, practically ruined his career. So, when an old colleague called to offer a consulting job on a dig in Mexico, where, of all places, they discovered Cleo’s statuette, Shep immediately hopped on the first flight from Boston, unbeknownst to him that he was about to uncover more than he bargained.

Enter – Victoria Kent, a woman of many talents, and even more identities. Gorgeous, enigmatic Victoria, with her feline-like, sparkling blue-green eyes had Shep wondering from the start and for good reason. As the cloud of mysteries always thickened wherever she was concerned.

“Victoria Kent had a history that included being an ancient world tourist, an Egyptian goddess, an Israeli special forces officer, an international black market antiques dealer, a college friend of his wife’s, and half-alien. That she was also a prominent luminary in the area of Near Eastern archaeology? It was no more a shock than finding out your straight-laced best led a secret life as a Rocky Horror Picture Show fan.” 12.21.12 (Kindle Locations 3660-3663).
  
And so the hunt for discoveries had begun. In a chase across the continents, racing against the looming end of the world, with surprising revelations of alien life and presence, intertwined stories of ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses, Shep, Victoria and company set the course for the novel. Will they succeed and what will be revealed were the constant question-companions.

The writing, the story, the characters, its fast-paced nature, and the ability of not taking itself too serious have definitely made it an entertaining read. Perhaps the ending was a tad too sweet, or somewhat unbelievable, but it is fiction after all, so why not? I cannot say enough good things, and don’t wish to give too many details away, so you’ll just have to check it out! It's good, I promise, and for those of you, closeted Star Wars fans even Darth Vader and R2D2 get a quick mention, and so does Dan Brown, albeit a sarcastic one.

“[…] after The Da Vinci Code, they all thought there was actually something to this shit. Victoria swore that if she ever came face to face with Dan Brown, she was going to give him a piece of her mind and the side of her hand. 12.21.12 (Kindle Locations 2015-2017).

Happy reading!