The Babylon Rite

De: Tom Knox

Narrado por: R.C. Bray

The new high-concept thriller from Tom Knox, which weaves together past and present terrors in an intense page-turner If you dig up hell, you uncover evil! Edinburgh: a famous Templar historian dies mysteriously at the Rosslyn chapel, setting journalist Adam Blackwood on a quest for the truth to the Templar sites of Europe. Meanwhile, in London, several young people from the international party set commit suicide in very bizarre circumstances. Peru: Ten thousand miles away, anthropologist Jess Silverton is digging up the world's most terrifying ancient civilization: the Moche, a people mired in blood ritual and human sacrifice. But it seems that their ancient practices may not be entirely buried and forgotten! The Amazon: Adam and Jess will both be thrown into mortal danger as it emerges that the suicides, the Templars and the sinister rituals of the Moche are all linked by a chilling secret -- the secret that, quite literally, kills.

©2012 Tom Knox (P)2013 Recorded Books

It almost ( but not quite ) gets you there....

Is there anything you would change about this book?

A far better wrap up.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Dissappointment and a vague sense of being taken for an unwanted ride.

What about R.C. Bray’s performance did you like?

Brilliant. His accents and use of inflection ( and occasional singing! ) was outstanding. Moving to the top of my listof performers.

Could you see The Babylon Rite being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

Perhaps SyFy, and only up and comers. Particularly Scottish ones.

Any additional comments?

This outing is highly derivative, and is saved by the performance ( and, to some degree admittedly by the characters themselves.) The story arc peters out at the end, and although it is clearly well researched and presented, it sprawls along rather messily. I enjoyed it for the most part, but have listened to better in this genre. You might enjoy it however.

Unreal... in a GOOD Way!!!

If you could sum up The Babylon Rite in three words, what would they be?

HO, LY, and CRAP!!

This story is all over the place geographically and historically. Imagine Raiders of the Lost Ark, Se7en, The DaVinci Code, and one of Led Zeppelin's mystical/mythical songs all mixed together with ancient Peruvian rituals, organic hallucinogenic drugs, and a who what why and when non-stop race unravel more than one mystery.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Without question.

Great twists.

Have you listened to any of R.C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes - big Bray fan. He really upped his game with this one - try to picture one guy performing a conversation among a Scotswoman, an Australian bloke, two English cops, paranoid elderly witch doctors and more all while using his own voice to narrate. It's pretty astounding not to mention that he never detracts from the story with his accents or delivery.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

MANY times I found my mouth to be in a permanent "O" with my eyes bugged out of my head....

Other times I had to press pause until the laughter died down (Boris Valentine... awesome character - awesome narration!)

Extraordinary

Amazing story very nicely researched. Fascinating narration by RC Bray. Highly recommend to listen to this book.

Trying too hard to be Dan Brown

What was most disappointing about Tom Knox’s story?

This is an overly aggressive plot. Straining to span multiple continents, 4 thousand years, and a half dozen major cultures left too many gaps to make an enjoyable story. There are many graphic scenes. Serial killer novels have less blood, sex and sado-masochistic detail. It was hard to finish.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of R.C. Bray?

Since the main characters have Scottish and Australian brogues, a UK native would've been a better narrator. This one struggled to keep his accents and voices straight.

Amateur writing, pro reader

I'm a sucker for the religious conspiracy genre, but Tom Knox's writing ruined what could have been a really clever approach. I'm down with the uncouth, open to engaging with unlikable characters, but when a DCI looks at a woman bleeding out in a wardrobe and thinks about how pretty she must have been? Then a lead male character listens to a key female character being raped and frets how the rapist was doing it in earshot to torture HIM? Not a single opportunity was lost to describe a female character in terms of her sexual desirability no matter how dire the circumstances.

The only thing that saved this book was RC Bray's performance. As usual, he delivers on pacing, unique character voices, and emotional impact. I suspect my Scottish and Aussie friends might have a word to say about his use of their accents, but at least it was consistent!