Combining his extensive knowledge of geology, mining and technology with
relentless action sequences and exotic locales, Du Brul's latest (after
River of Ruin) is 496 pages of nonstop, over-the-top adventure. Protagonist
Dr. Philip Mercer, a wealthy geologist, "sometime" consultant and field
agent for the times "when the worlds of science and terror collide," is
charged with overseeing the installation of a temporary nuclear waste
holding tank at Nevada's infamous Area 51. But after Mercer is nearly
killed by assassins while on a Vegas furlough and then inexplicably saved
by the stunningly beautiful Tisa Nguyen, he learns of a secret group called
the Order. Headquartered in a Tibetan monastery, the Order can supposedly
predict disastrous world events using an ancient machine, but a faction of
the Order with sinister plans for world domination now jeopardizes the
planet's survival. As Mercer barely escapes each near-death situation,
well-drawn secondary characters-like his one-legged, hard-drinking 80-year-
old best friend, Harry-help ground this adrenaline-drenched tale. Though
not as suave as James Bond or as scrappy as Indiana Jones, smart, resilient
Mercer is a savvy adventure hero for the new millennium.

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