Books: Deception Point by Dan Brown

There’s not much more to say about the fourth Dan Brown book I have read. Deception Point follows right along with the rest. Some fast action, some twisted facts, some plot twists, and a good read overall. I would rank Deception Point third, ahead of Digital Fortress but behind the big two. The story is a little more interesting, a little more complex, and more thought-provoking.

Deception Point also has another advantage: it deals with a much more interesting political situation. We get to look at NASA and relations with the White House, with Brown’s typical techno-friendly spin. The ending was fairly predictable, although that might have been because Brown is predictable in general and I discovered that in the other three books.

Unfortunately, Brown has only written four books, and I have now read all of them. I am not sure where to turn next. I will definitely look forward to his next offering, The Solomon Key which is coming soon and deals with the Masons. Meanwhile, I will have to find another fast-action author to read.

Book: Digital Fortress by Dan Brown

It’s official. I am a Dan Brown junkie. In the last six months, I have read Angels and Demons, The DaVinci Code, and Digital Fortress. Unfortunately, there’s only one more to go, Deception Point, as well as the to-be-published The Solomon Key.

Digital Fortress, while not on the level of other two books, is quite an interesting read. As always, the story takes place in a short timeframe, leading to quick, intense action. More interesting is the idea of multiple perspectives, where Brown takes us inside just about every character, including the main villain.

The codes in Digital Fortress weren’t terribly complex – I knew both the elevator code and the kill code many pages before they were revealed – but the action is king here. Brown really puts you inside the action and at the end, you just can’t put the book down. The book wasn’t as thought-provoking as either of Brown’s books featuring Robert Langdom, but the pace never slowed. I am happy to have read Digital Fortress.

The biggest payoff of following Dan Brown has definitely been watching the DaVinci Code movie. I finally saw the visualization of a book in which I lived for a few weeks. While that movie left a little to be desired, I was glad to see the ways in which Brown (or more specifically, director Ron Howard) agreed and disagreed with my own visualizations. I am excited for the Angels and Demons movie, and I think The Bourne Identity will be a book I read soon. I read all the Bourne books and then watch the movies. Seems like that’s an interesting way to go.

Books: The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury

As I mentioned, I’ve been on a Templar kick lately, mostly sparked by The DaVinci Code. Well, I just finished The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury. The book follows two heroes, Sean Reilly (no, not the guy I used to work with) and Tess Chaykin. He’s an FBI agent and she’s an archaeologist, and together they try to discover a secret from ages ago.

Kind of like DaVinci Code, eh? In fact, the tagline reads For those who think Dan Brown doesn’t write fast enough. Bah. The book is pretty good, but certainly couldn’t drag me like either of the two Brown books I’ve read. I really can’t get too attached to Reilly, Tess, or any of the other characters in the book. The story is interesting and thought-provoking, and it’s well-written, but there is a reason Dan Brown is so popular. His books are simply better.

There was one thing in this book I really liked. Some chapters take place in history, back in the 13th century when the secrets were first hidden. Khoury does a good job of telling you just enough in those chapters to connect the dots from the modern-day parts.

Overall, this is a good read, but falls far short of the lofty compliments on the cover.

Movie: Kingdom of Heaven

Still on the Templar kick after reading DaVinci Code, I am reading a book called The Last Templar and just watched Kingdom of Heaven, a 2005 Ridley Scott film starring Orlando Bloom. Bloom plays Balian, a medieval blacksmith-turned-Templar Knight who helps defend Jerusalem.

First and foremost, this was far from a Templar movie. Though the knights wore Templar gear, there was no discussion about the Templar secrets or even a connection with the Papacy. It was simply guys with crosses defending a city from foreigners who spoke with a different accent and carried a different flag. That fine – it’s enough of a plot for a good action movie.

Bloom was quite good in his role, but the plot moved far too slowly and lasted too long to really appreciate. There were too many secondary characters to figure out who each one was and what their purpose was. Liam Neeson (Qui-Gon from Star Wars Episode I) was good as Balian’s father. No one else stood out.

The movie did feature a dramatic battle scene at the end, really getting inside what war must have been like in the 12th century. The catapults built for the production were impressive, and the scenes trying to take down the city walls were quite realistic.

This was simply an action movie and could have been set in any era. If that’s your thing, you’ll probably enjoy Bloom’s performance a bit. But it won’t make you think nearly as much as it could have.

Books: The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

Dan Brown has cemented himself as my favorite author. I have read plenty of action thrillers in my life, but nothing quite like this. As I read The DaVinci Code, I could not put the book down. I stayed up late at night reading, and spent every possible moment thinking about the plot. Fortunately, I was stuck in LaGuardia Airport last weekend and was able to finish the book.

To be honest, I liked Brown’s Angels and Demons better than The DaVinci Code, for several reasons. The first is the relationship to the Pope. The Papacy is one of the most interesting pieces of history I have ever studied. Since so much has been written about that topic, we are able to go back in time with much more definition and clarity. I can place myself back almost 2000 years and still have a pretty accurate idea of what happened.

Also, the Angels and Demons has some beautiful symmetry. Even the death scenes are symmetrical and symbolic. Even though I knew how most of the book would play out (until near the end, of course – no one could see that coming), I found myself trying to picture the events before they happened. Brown’s descriptions exceeded my expectations each time.

The DaVinci Code is a more popular book, and I look forward to seeing the movie. While the codes in the cryptex were fairly easy to decipher (and much more interesting that the art in A&D), the plot remained interesting and exciting. I felt much more attached to DaVinci Code’s Sophie than I did to A&D’s Vittoria.

I can’t seem to get enough of Dan Brown. In addition to the DaVinci Code movie, I am excited for my next Brown book, which will probably be Digital Fortress. For years, people have been raving about these books, and I let them pass by. I am glad I have picked up on it, finally.