The
Crystal Skull ,
by Manda Scott (Read by Susan Duerden)
Like binary code used to program a computer,
the end of the world is linked to a series of numbers
-- 121212, or December 12, 2012. What starts out a literary
quest to decipher the poetry of Cedric Owen, and to
find the relic to which he refers, turns into a life
and death mission to save the world from total annihilation.
Stella Cody is a caver, and when her new husband asks
what she'd like as a wedding present, she says she wants
to explore a cave that no one has ever been in. Coincidentally,
his research of Cedric Owen has pointed him to an unexplored
cave near their university home, so they innocently
begin their exploration. What follows is a fast-paced
journey through 400 hundred years of history, with personalized
predictions and warnings from Nostradamus.
This audio book is really very entertaining.
Ancient Mayan seers determined that the world would
self-destruct at some future date unless certain conditions
were met. They created a blue crystal skull that would
protect against destruction if reunited with similar
crystals at a predetermined time and place. Told in
alternating chapters, the author weaves the 15th-century
actions of Cedric Owen to preserve and hide the skull
with the Stella Cody's ongoing task of deciphering his
writings and sketches to discover his secrets.
Manda Scott introduces enough history of
the periods -- the court of Catherine de'Medici, the
Spanish Inquisition, and the colonization of the New
World -- to provide background and engage the listener
but not so much as to bog down the action with historical
data. Shifting alliances among Stella, her husband,
and their university colleagues and friends keep the
listener guessing," Who can I trust?" until
the startling conclusion. Susan Duerden's narration
conveys the drama and emotions of the two distinct time
periods and the many characters with a pleasing mixture
of suspense and scholarly examination. This book is
a perfect choice for Indiana Jones fans, ancient history
buffs, virtual sleuths, literary history lovers, scientists,
travelers, romantics -- in short, anyone.
Ruth
Mormon
7/23/08
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