Advantages: Exciting, Educational, Fast Paced
Disadvantages: It keeps you hooked, meaning you can't do other things

...Having read Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code', I decided that I had to read his other books, and I started with Angels and Demons. Dan Brown uses the same basic story structure as in The Da Vinci Code, but it is of course about a completely different subject, although religion does play a very important part. As with The Da Vinci Code, the book is filled with useful facts, and Dan Brown's website contains some additional information for those interested. The story starts in CERN, Geneva, and progresses on to the Vatican. Dan Brown explains the connections (or not) between religion and science, and presents some interesting views on the links which I hadn't thought of before. Admittedly nothing can be proven about God etc., but this book does contain interpretations which differ from the usual stories. The research that went... Read review

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Advantages: Fluent, Rivetting read
Disadvantages: Hard for children to read or understand

...Dan Brown, is a great author. He has written the best-selling book, The Da Vinci Code, and all the books he has written are more than worth paying for. I tried reading this book when I was a bit younger, and I found it hard to understand, and I got too confused. This got me annoyed as I had heard so many good things about the book, and I put the book down and left it for some time. I went back to it a several months later, and honestly, from the moment I picked it up, I could not put it down (I actually lost quite a lot of sleep over it!). It is a remarkable novel written by an inspiring author. I am interested in the genre of the book, and I enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, so I knew what to expect. Dan Brown started it off so well, leaving the reader in the dark to begin with, not letting them know too much information. Then as the plot... Read review

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Advantages: Story, scientific content and narration
Disadvantages: climax

...Needless to say, my liking for Dan Brown's works was sparked through his "The Da Vinci Code". With my great interest in theological and scientific works, I quickly developed great appreciation for Brown's novels because of the care he takes in microscopic details during his narration. Many had expected that his next novels would be based on theological controversies but surprisingly, Dan Brown comes up with a complete different theme… US politics interwoven with NASA, global warming and earthly mysteries.. "Deception point" is the product. I bought it at the airport as a read through a trans-Atlantic flight and I must say the book did not disappoint me. What is great about this novel is the pace at which it hops between mysterious proceedings in Washington and the happenings in Arctic ice. But never do you feel that the geological... Read review

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Advantages: Fast, Can't Put Down, Loads Of Twists.......Brilliant
Disadvantages: Lots of details - could confuse people

...I read this book whilst on holiday this year and it really is one of those books which you can not put down, so after finshing it within my first week I had nothing else to read for the rest of the hoiday, as I wasn't expecting it to be that good! This is my first Dan Brown book I have read as I was told that it was best to read this before I read the Da Vinci Code - also by Dan Brown. This book does have a bit of a slow start but you shouldn't be put off by this as it helps to explain key factors needed to understadn the rest of the plot. The book does go into a little depth about physics - luckily I had done physics at A Level, and visited CERN - a Physics Laboratory - so I easily understood it, but for someone who was new to it, I think it could have been a little bit confusing to understand some things. However Dan Brown does try... Read review

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Advantages: Riveting, well-written, academic
Disadvantages: Disappointing ending.

...Dan Brown has proved himself an incredible author with his best-selling the Da Vinci Code, a book which I'm sure will encourage readers to tackle the rest of his works. Angels and Demons certainly doesn't disappoint - until the very last page. An incredible novel which is impossible to put down, Angels and Demons takes the reader on a breath-taking journey with symbologist Robert Langdon and scientist Vittoria Vetra, as they investigate murders and make ground-breaking scientific and spiritual discoveries, in order to save the Catholic church - and, indeed, the world - from a modern-day weapon of mass destruction unwittingly created by Vetra herself. Like the Da Vinci Code, the book is full of historical, scientific, and spiritual information that encourages the reader to learn more about the topics involved. With its central theme... Read review

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Advantages: Our hero is no gun slinging immortal cliche
Disadvantages: none

...meaning on the clues left here. The pair then depart on a quest to solve riddle after riddle taking them closer and closer to the meaning, their travels lead them too England and Scotland before the end. The secret will leave you with bruises on your chin where it hit the ground so hard. Dan Brown's short and structured chapters will leave you stunned and picking up the reading pace to get back to the previous part. The story talks about the paths of 3 different people, Firstly there is Robert and Sophie who are being Chased by the deadly assassin known as Silas. Silas is a member of a Catholic sect called Opus Dei. They are also being chased by the French Police. Throughout the story we hear how Robert and Sophie dodge and skip past both opposing parties. As this Story unfolds you will find yourself checking Mr Browns Work and Researching... Read review

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Advantages: Terrific page turner
Disadvantages: Tenuous claims to a basis on fact

...Dan Brown's 'The Da Vinci Code' is a cracking good read and no mistake. It is a page-turner of the highest order and I went through it in about two evenings. It is a hard book to put down. But it does have its short-comings. Brown alludes to various facts that the book is supposedly based upon and these are tenuous to say the least. As something of a student of religious history I can see the (very) remote basis in fact of some of his stuff, but then he takes great leaps and bounds and turns the smallest element of truth into his own interpretation of how he would like things to be. There is nothing strictly wrong with that - it is romanticism at its best - but I think he has tried to pass the smallest fact off as something much more than it really is and it is this that lets the novel down for me. The approach has, however, worked... Read review

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Advantages: Amazing storyline, breathtaking conspiracies - totally believable!
Disadvantages: Can lose interest in a few chapters - but it always gets better.

...Wow! This book has to be one of the best books i've ever read. Dan Brown is a true genious. His book has caused global outrage and i love every minute of it. Dan Brown sets his story in Paris and follows a number of conspiracy theories linking back to an ancient brotherhood, with past members including the controversial artist, Leonardo Da Vinci and Sir Isaac Newton - the man whose whole life of scientific discovery was inspired by an apple falling on his head. An ancient brotherhood, The Priory of Sion, becomes in danger after a man assassinates the four leading members. Robert Langdon is called in to help interpret some messages left by a murdered curator, however rather unfortunately the message mentions his name and Langdon becomes the number one murder suspect. With the help of Sophie Neveux the pair are on the run from... Read review

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Advantages: A tense, gripping page turner from a master of the art
Disadvantages: Somewhat predictable and characters typical of the author - not a major departure

...Like most of you, I came to Dan Brown through the Da Vinci Code. As someone who is naturally interested in books on religion and history, I was fascinated by the whole phenomenon and the ideas it sparked and quickly followed up my initial read with Angels and Demons. I was a trifle surprised therefore, when I came to Deception Point, the third of the Dan Brown oeuvre to attract my attention, to discover it differed from the previous two in a major way. Out goes the mystery based in religion and the inner workings of the Catholic Church, and in instead comes the US Presidential Election, NASA and a mystery based high above the Arctic circle. The basis of Brown's appeal however remains reassuringly intact. As usual he opens with a bang - the unexplained death of a geologist and his sled dogs. We cut quickly to Washington... Read review

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Advantages: Interesting historical details, decent story
Disadvantages: Long, not very imaginative, a bit cheesy

..."Eat your heart out, Dan Brown, this is the real thing!" exclaims a caption from a Val McDermid on the cover of Kate Mosse's 'Labyrinth.' - So the cover boasts, but is this really the case? Is Mosse's retelling of the Grail story better than Brown's? Will she score a multimillion dollar franchise off of this book? Read on for more information. ----- Plot overview: Set in medieval Provence, in the town of Carcassonne, 'Labyrinth' is another Grail mystery, revolving around a young girl named Alais, who must guard the precious secret of the Holy Grail from its enemies who would seek to destroy it. Fast-forward 800 years, and Alice Tanner, visiting France to sort out the affairs of a late relative, is assisting her friend Shelagh on an archaelogical dig. She stumbles upon an ancient grave, and the story begins... ------ Opinion... Read review

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