| Title | : | The Crescent Dunes |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 284 |
| Publication | : | First published September 23, 2010 |
From the shifting sands near one remote village a temple is being unearthed, attracting the attention of an American visitor. He possesses a few items not typically part of a traveler’s inventory, along with a very useful imagination and the dangerous habit of straying far from the well-beaten tourist track.
The ancient Egyptians pursued eternal life, but along the trade routes and river they once plied, a different kind of pursuit is about to begin—one that can very easily lead to death.
The Crescent Dunes Reviews
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Crescent Dunes takes place in modern Egypt along the upper Nile. The story revolves around a mysterious Martin Colbrook. The story line is ambiguous leaving the reader to determine where the story may go. I found the story line very slow in developing and did not become apparent until the latter stage of the book. The writing style is very detailed and sometimes drags on. The style kept me wondering where the story was going. I was sufficiently intrigued to continue reading.
The Egyptian climate, culture, clothing, and environment were well described and interesting. I felt the extreme diligence given to the mundane details interestingly written but perhaps at the expense of the story. I wonder if the author felt a need to wrap up the story because the speed of the story line dramatically increased during the last 20% of the novel.
This is a decent read but not highly recommended unless you have an interest in Egypt. That being said, I would read other books by this author. -
Steven Barclay does a good job in this book writing an exciting plot. The descriptions of Egypt and Egyptologists was done very well. The plot is well paced and I enjoyed the characters written in the book very much. Barclay does a good job of making an intelligent protagonist in the story. His villains are fun also. There were times when I could not put the book down because I wanted to know what would happen next. I enjoyed how the main character got out of tricky situations. I enjoyed some of the minor characters as much as the main character.
The one thing I did not enjoy as much was the mystery. When I was 80% through the book, I still had no idea what was going on. I did not understand even who the main character was or why he had gone to Egypt at all. Even at the very end I was still not completely sure. Despite this the book was still an enjoyable read. I'd read future books by Barclay. -
The Crescent Dunes by Steven Barclay is an Egyptian adventure story. It centers around Martin Colbrook, a rather mysterious man who travels to Egypt with an ulterior motive; his motive for being in Egypt, however, is not articulated until the very end of the book. Colbrook gives various people different reasons for being in Egypt, which leaves the reader not knowing what to believe, particularly as each reason is completely plausible! Colbrook gets caught up in several different tricky situations as he travels Egypt, following people for his own reasons. I must admit to having difficulty following the very convoluted plot while trying to work out what Colbrook was doing in Egypt in the first place, but in the end it all became clear and tied together nicely. As an added bonus, the sights, scenery, people, sounds and smells of Egypt are described vividly and in much detail, which was a real pleasure.
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One of the main objectives of a book is to stimulate our imagination. Steven Barclay does this for us, right down to the minutest detail. He does it well, too well. There is nothing left for the reader to do but read. Midway through the story the plot appears, then everything comes rushing together in the last chapter. Hardcore action fans will be sorely disappointed. Armchair travelers will enjoy the detailed descriptions.
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I was looking forward to reading this, not only because of the genre but also location. Unfortunately I felt the author was overly descriptive at the expense of story line during the first half, however it did improve in pace and intrigue in the second half. It was interesting enough to keep me reading and did become quite exciting as the story progressed, but I was unable to connect emotionally with either location or characters. Therefore for me it was an OK read.
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Lost treasure illegally obtained, archeological digs, and modern technology provide the background for espionage. The plot moves a lot with innuendos, chase scenes, death-defying escapes. Barclay paints a vibrant picture of Egypt that brings the scenery to life.
