Book Review: The Mountain Place of Knowledge, an Action Thriller by Marshall Chamberlain

The Bottom Line: A winning blend of adventure, archeology, and sci-fi that is tailor-made for James Rollins fans and all thriller lovers.

[easyazon_image add_to_cart=”default” align=”left” asin=”1493554352″ cloaking=”default” height=”500″ localization=”default” locale=”US” nofollow=”default” new_window=”default” src=”//ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nTl0XEjoL.jpg” tag=”bestthricom-20″ width=”333″]Could the most powerful technology the world has ever known be held within an ancient Mayan site?

That’s the question facing Calvin Stanvich, Curator of the Belize Museum of Natural History. When Calvin discovers that the diary of a Mayan sorceress turns out to be an ancient codex, he shares his secret with a vacationing United Nations official, whom he leads on an expedition to find a mysterious mountain.

Led by the diary, in an impossibly primordial oak tree, they discover a control panel to Trinium, the Place of Knowledge—a secret entrance to the interior of the mountain. But who are the robed, gray-skinned beings depicted on the domed surfaces inside? The answer may lie in the translations of scrolls, constructed of mysterious alien metal, recently uncovered in the pyramid ruins of Caracol, an ancient Mayan City State.

The events in Belize attract the attention of the U.S., the United Nations, and the Chinese, all of whom believe possible technology discoveries might be threats to world security.

Enter Dr. John Henry Morgan, an ex-Marine and world-renowned geologist. Morgan is retained by the UN and directed to Belize as an official representative. His first order of business is to investigate the accidental death of the United Nations official that had accompanied Calvin Stanvich on the mountain expedition. Soon after arriving, however, he realizes that the scope of the investigation has gone far beyond the death of one man.

The Mountain Place of Knowledge features all the conventions archeological thriller fans have come to depend on, including warring scientists, high stakes, and meddling governments. What distinguishes the book from others in the genre is a unique blend of earth sciences, adventure, and science fiction. In all, this is a promising first entry in Chamberlain’s Ancestor Series that should be met with open arms by avid thriller fans.

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Bella Wright

Bella Wright blogs about books, film and media.

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