Destiny

by Alex Archer

Book Overview

An ancient order tied to the Vatican... A blood fortune buried in the caves of France... A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil... Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudan hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny; a brotherhood of monks...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0373621191
• ISBN13: 9780373621194
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Gold Eagle
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 4.2" x 6.6"

Customer Reviews

DestinyDESTINY by Alex Archer is the first book in the new Rogue Angel series launched under the Gol

DESTINY by Alex Archer is the first book in the new Rogue Angel series launched under the Gold Eagle Book imprint. It keeps us reading to the very last page. Heroine Annja Creed is reason enough to keep reading. She is young and smart and good looking; a professional woman who never turns away from challenge. Trained as an archaeologist, she follows a day job to provide funding for the "digs" and the archaeology she loves. The day job is lucrative free lance assignments for the cable show "Chasing History's Monsters" - a job which can lead her into danger . Her current assignment sends her to caves deep in the Cervennes Mountains in southern France in search of La Bete (the beast) and its story and - as it turns out - to sheer, compelling danger. The prologue of DESTINY sets all this in a larger, complex mixture of history with a seamless interweaving of the past with the year 2006 - and also of the wondrous with the fearful , and evil with a magic that becomes believable. To explain this skilled narrative in detail would be to spoil it. Suffice it to say that Annja's very first steps toward unraveling La Bete in the provicial town of Lozere and later in the caves of the Cervennes triggers inexplicable danger. From there things only get more complicated, notwithstanding the fact she is a heroine who makes sound, common sense decisions. There is a religious order of monks with a desperate secret buried out of sight from the world at large; there is hidden treasure and men without scruples engaged in crossfire-action that endangers Annja, themselves, and each other. There is no one Annja can trust. Certainly not the knight who steps forward from history, claiming to be 500 years old and hiding his own secret powers and wicked goals, but acting as a very able man of the present. And certainly not the skeptical, sophisticated editor back in New York City who only wonders if the assignment will be finished quickly. From the very beginning Annja is involved in no-holds-barred danger and action and her adroitness at facing challenges does not solve her myriad troubles. She is resourceful and skilled. So is author, Alex Archer (a.k.a. Mel Odom). His abilities at smooth, engrossing plot work is all the more impressive that each of his characters is well drawn and believable. I had some trouble with the chief villain - Le Sauvage - and his gang. The gang's pure black clothing and their habit of monolithic motorcycle raids along mountain roads more or less on cue threatened to create a flaw in my belief system - but I would dismiss that as sheer personal taste. It never constituted any stall in the fast pace of the story. Nor did even highly believable instances of magic divert the pace. As the book ends we are bound to have questions. Why was Annja chosen for this singular role? What is her relationship to Joan of Arc? Will she try to unravel some of the mystery that surrounds the tragedy of Joan of Arc? And there

WOW! I loved it

Annja Creed is an archeologist with a problem. She is broke. She takes a job as a reporter for a cable TV archeological tabloid show called Chasing Histories Monsters . Her income helps to support her serious archeology work. She is the only person associated with the show that takes the history seriously. She is a professional and is disappointed that the others involved with the show are not. The book starts off in France where she is searching La Bête, a local mythological creature responsible for many deaths in the late 1600s. The book starts off with a great action sequence that introduces her main antagonist for this story, a vicious criminal named LeSauvage, who for his own reasons is searching for the monster. Annja is a scrappe, and has been her entire life. She grew up in a Catholic orphanage in New Orleans. Her life has been a series of tests that have tempered her character into someone that you have to respect. A comparison may be made between her and Lara Croft, but I think that Alex's development of her intellect, drive and passion put her well above the level of the video game vixen. In the course of finding the remains on La Bête, she finds a mysterious medallion which holds the keys to several mysteries. Not only does LeSauvage want it, but so does a secret order of the Catholic church and the mysterious characters, Roux and Garin. Ultimately Roux and Garin are instrumental in Annja gaining the Sword of Joan of Arc. The sword is a focal point for mystical or holy energies that allow Annja to become a hero. Roux is of the opinion that she was chosen by God to be an instrument of change, to defend weak and right the wrongs of the persecuted. The sword definately imbues her with power. She is faster and stronger, a true warrior. I do not want to ruin the book for readers. It is a good read. Alex writes a fast paced book, woven throughout with interesting facts and places. The characters are wonderful, the bad guy is really bad and the hero is pure. I like that. After reading the book, I just have one request. I want more of Garin. His character was the most intriguing of them all.

Lets not drop the ball on this one!

With Rogue Angel: Destiny, we have a new series from the Venerable Company of men's action adventure Gold Eagle. The first novel is an almost 360 degree change from the formula that has been the standard fare for several decades now. Over the years we've seen men's adventure from Gold Eagle, starting with Mack Bolan and its various spin offs (Super Bolan), Stony Man, and so forth. They have delved into the post holocaust genre with the longest running series Deathlands, and its spin off, and vastly superior Outlanders. They've tried their hand at several other series, all of which have gone the way of the Dodo bird. These have delved into different genres such as cyberpunk and time travel, just to name a few. But other than their flagship books, the Bolan series (and the spin offs) and both Deathlands and Outlanders, nothing has remained of all these other potential series. Gold Eagle has even dropped the ball on several, leading to their cancellation. The Destroyer is a perfect example of this. Thus, the birth of the Rogue Angel series. The executives at GE have finally decided to go in a different direction with this brand new series. Instead of blood and guts with an almost homoerotic fixation on firearms and manly men, we have a svelte, strong, intelligent and beautiful heroine as the lead character. Annja Creed may or may not be the embodiment of the long dead Joan of Arc. Who knows, as the series progresses we may or may not find discover the truth. Even though there are quite a few female readers of both Deathlands, Outlanders and the Bolan novels, this should definitely attract more readers from the kinder, gentler gender. A brilliant marketing strategy? Time will tell. Female readers will be far more interested in character development and interaction than the muzzle velocity of various handguns or rifles, not to mention the lack of graphic description or sexual situations that is the mainstay of many of the novels put out by the company. Again, the series takes a major departure from the other fare we've been offered over the decades from GE. The series delves into what appears to be the paranormal. Magic, reincarnation, curses, immortality - just to name a few of the events that were described in this novel. Now, there is no way that the creator of the series (which, incidentally is NOT Mel Odem or Victor Milan), can deny that GE's other long running series - Outlanders, has had a great deal of influence on this new offering. The lead character is female. They deal with exotic locations and delve into the past, bringing life to ancient and forgotten mysteries. Something that we have seen in Outlanders, but in a different form. If handled carefully, I can see this series lasting a long time. Mel Odem did a wonderful job wit the first offering for this new series, and if he keeps up this level of writing, I will be sure to purchase and read his contributions. I will be purchasing the second novel, written by Victor Mila

An Adventurous Ride

Rogue Angel - Destiny is a present day adventure of a young female archaeologist who is in search of the truth about The legend of the Beast of Ge`vaudan for a cable TV show, but also for her own curiosity. She is pursued by many people who they themselves become part of the mystery she tries to uncover. As her journey becomes more difficult, she encounters a strength and sense of responsibility to maintain order between good and evil. She discovers more than she ever bargained for about the past, about unknown mysteries and about herself. Not much is known about Alex Archer, the author. By the way he writes, the reader can tell he enjoys doing his research into the history of archaeology. He weaves his story around factual wonders of the past. This book came out in bookstores July 11, 2006. Most women readers will identify with the heroine, Annja. She is a strong-willed independent woman that is feminine in spite of it. The story has magical qualities that earn it the Science Fiction category. It could very well be a suspense or mystery, because of the hellacious ride from start to finish with barely enough time to breathe. The character, Roux is likable and funny. The story comes to life with great description of the surroundings and the fight scenes. This is the first in a series. Annja believes she is too busy for romance. Although romance was left out of this book, the character is hot and the future holds promise of it. This book is recommended to those that like a story that unfolds before them and feel like they are discovering the mystery along with the characters. It is easy to follow and would be enjoyed by readers of THE DA VINCI CODE and THE EIGHT.