I finished a book last night. It was my 20th book of 2019. I am still behind on my reading goal for the year, but I think I’ve gained some ground. If I keep up my current pace of reading, I might be able to catch up by the end of the year.
The Pandora Box by Christopher Golden; Grade: B-
An archaeological team on an underground dig discovers a hidden room containing an ancient jar. Inscriptions in and around the room suggest that the jar is the origin of the Pandora myth. Believing that the jar could contain a disease (or worse, some sort of paranormal malice), a special team is dispatched to deal with the threat (i.e., make sure the jar ends up in their hands and not the “wrong” hands). As the wrong hands (jihadis armed to the teeth) try to take the prize from the outside, something horrific is happening on the inside, and there is no way out.
I wanted to like this book, and I did initially. It had a bold start. The author created a tense, dark atmosphere and some interesting, likeable characters, and that was enough for the story to coast on for a time. But it wasn’t quite enough to see it to the end. The story got bogged down in violence and grossness, and with nowhere for its characters to go, deus ex machina was called upon to bring it to a close.