(after receiving this book I had a period of ill health, so my review is late.)

Overall I really liked this book. I use the CAWPILE system to rate books, so I will break my review down by section.

Characters - Growth, Arcs, Believability, Enjoyment
6

I enjoyed reading from the perspective of our main character Alex. His reactions to the situation he is put in are believable, well written and I found it easy to feel what he was feeling. He grows throughout the novel, becoming able to cope with events he may not have before. I found his willingness to trust the female sidekick character a little unlikely however, and they seem to have sex kind of out of the blue. She was perhaps my favourite character, and I would have enjoyed reading from her point of view. The remaining cast of characters was not too large, but I found it hard to keep track of who was who, especially as all of the 'bad guys' seemed to have the same sort of tone.

Atmosphere - world building, setting, tone
7

The settings were very well described, especially the parts of the book set in ancient Egypt. I was able to easily picture what the locations looked like and translate these into the modern day settings. The world building for ancient Egypt also felt very good, and gave context and colour to the story. In the modern day scenes the feelings of urgency, frustration, and danger were very well put across.

Writing - language, quotability, descriptions, clarity
4

This was where the book fell down for me. My main gripe was that every woman that was introduced seemed to be immediately rated on a fuckability scale by the main character, and most of the descriptions of women could be boiled down to she was very/quite attractive with (colour) hair and (description of physical attribute). I think that this could be a useful narrative device perhaps in a book about a particularly sexually adventurous protagonist, but reading these descriptions took me out of the story rather than enhancing it.
Otherwise the writing was pretty mediocre, apart from the sections set in ancient Egypt, which I was always looking forward to getting back to - the writing in these parts was rich and alive.

Plot - pacing, subplots, reveals
6

I wish I could rate this section more highly, but I felt that the first third of the book set up something which just wasn't delivered upon. I kept reading because I thought everything would eventually make sense, but my overall feeling towards the end of the book was confusion, despite the ends being sewn up. I think the plot is too convoluted, and the book would have been much better 75-100 pages shorter. I feel like if I had taken notes I might have understood what was happening - but should you have to take notes to follow a book? I regularly read large adult fantasy books and understand what is happening just fine, so I think my confusion is down to the book, not me!
Reveal wise, i think the betrayal in the book is very obvious, and saw it coming.

Intrigue - unputdownability, how much did i want to keep reading
8

The beginning really drew me in, and i kept reading this book even though i was supposed to be reading something else! However as the book progressed I felt my intrigue slipping away, although i did really want to know what would happen to Alex. I'm tempted to read the sequel, and that says to me that I'm invested!

Logic - does everything make sense?
7

Obviously I had a small problem with believability of one of Alex's actions. However, I think otherwise the book does make sense, although it is a bit hand wavey in places about the puzzle solving aspect. Partially I couldn't tell whether things were making sense, because I was confused for most of the book! I didn't have the "ohhhhh now it all makes sense moment" that i usually have at the end of a thriller, so marks off for that.

Enjoyment - how much fun did I have
7.5

This is a fun book undeniably. It drags in some places, but the main character is easy to invest in, and I was excited to keep reading.

AVERAGE 6.5 = 3.5 Stars ( )

To cut it short for me this was the best Dan Brown book not written by Dan Brown I`ve read. Scientist protagonist check, secret societies check, investigating an ancient mystery can shake up the whole world check. My only criticism that the chapters in ancient Egypt felt a bit unnecessary and boring for me. ( )

I recieved this book from the Member Giveaways. The plot is interesting and easy to follow. I would say though that some chapters are short or on a cliffhanger. But overall I would say that it is an interesting storyline and great if you like mystery/thriller books!!

(Note to author: thank you for giving me the opportunity to review this book!!) ( )

I received this book from Librarything. I read this in June and yes, it took me quite a while to write a review. Like all book blogger and reviewers, I am suffering from a chronic difficulty in catching up with my TBR and getting reviews written. Yes, this is the major dilemma of every book blogger.

This is my first time to read a book by this author. What prompted me to review the book was the title. It just simply means a call for adventure and discovering the mysteries of the long-forgotten dead. A map would most definitely lead to something big, like a treasure, an unlikely find, an elusive and powerful artifact or anything else that would surely tickle anyone's sense of mystery and adventure. This was exactly what the book elicited from me when I came upon its title.

True enough, this was an adventure and a foray into uncovering the mystery of Isis. I have read a few books about Egypt, its enigmatic pharaohs and their own mythology but I am still not as familiar with it as with the Greek and Roman mythologies. Egypt is a land of rich culture and astonishing stories. For me, Egypt is an exotic land ripe with mysteries and adventures. So, this story being set and about an Egyptian pharaoh or royalty was surely a treat. This was done with a story within a story.

I felt like Indiana Jones or Lara Croft in this story following the main character Alex from one location in Egypt to the next. Running from his pursuers, staying alive while trying to figure out how to outwit them. I did enjoy reading this book. Its claim that Judaism may have been based on the ancient Egyptian religion is very fascinating. I also enjoyed the part about Yanhamu. I think I could just read his story and this would be all good for me. I agree with one of the reviews that Yani's story was the best part of this book. Totally!

I give this book 4/5 Egyptian ankh. I am looking forward to reading more stories from the same author. I did not give this story a perfect rating even though it is apparent that I liked this story because, I can't seem to recall easily what the story was about. I had to read the synopsis again to refresh my memory. That being said, I know my memory is far from what it was (perks of aging), I still think the best stories often stay with the reader, even after a time. They leave a permanent mark. Being unable to recall the story from the top of my head is where I think the story failed me. It is in no way any indication of the author's talent. As I have said, the author did his job and I can very well remember that I did had a good time reading this but the specifics were a bit lost to me now. And that accounts for the one point less in my rating.

The way the ripples spread made him think of events and consequences: something small, spreading outward and wider, becoming something else, becoming something bigger.
- Murray Bailey, Map of the Dead -

Thanks again Librarything.com for the copy. ( )

I had high hopes for this book based on the subject matter and description but unfortunately for me it just didn't live up to its promise.

The book begins with the murder of a researcher who has apparently stumbled upon something that others would prefer to keep hidden. It is up to her friend and fellow researcher to follow the clues, interpret the symbols, and uncover the mystery, all the while being chased by mysterious pele who intend him harm.

The book is written mainly from the point of view of the friend, Alex, and partly from the point of view of an Egyptian boy. I have to say, I enjoyed the fictional historical perspective parts but found the parts set in modern day to be much less engaging.

The author apologises in the endnotes about the lack of historical information in the book, but I actually felt there was a little too much - less may have allowed for better story and charact development.

*i received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )