The Voynich Cipher

By: Russell Blake

When a sacred relic is stolen from its subterranean guarded vault, Dr. Steven Cross, amateur cryptographer, becomes embroiled in a deadly quest to decipher one of history's most enigmatic documents - a 15th century parchment written entirely in unbreakable code; The Voynich Manuscript. Stalked by secret societies, and aided by the daughter of a murdered colleague, a trail of riddles catapults Cross from England to Italy to the Middle East, where a Byzantine web of ancient secrets leads him to a revelation so profound it will change the world order.

Another one of my Amazon Kindle free finds, The Voynich Cipher looked like a decent read and, apparently, I caught it at a perfect time as it's now around $3 for the Kindle version. It pays to check Amazon often and to sort by price.

Now that the commercial is out of the way, this book was a really good read.  Lately, I have been finding myself reading through archaeological novels, and The Voynich Cipher just so happens to be another of that genre - though written from a decidedly different perspective. I normally read books by Christian authors, but I have lately been grabbing anything I can from anywhere I can, just so that I can have a diversion at work. This book fit the bill perfectly. Almost too perfectly. I found that I didn't want to put it down. I actually downloaded Kindle for PC onto my laptop so that I could continue reading this book without having to drain my phone battery.

The Voynich Cipher follows the story of Dr. Steven Cross as he becomes entangled in a mystery, wrapped in danger, and delivered by a stunning beauty. Cross finds himself willingly giving up his business and his life to go off in search of an unknown treasure that can only be found after breaking a code that is unbreakable. Along the way, the fires of romantic passion are rekindled and he must decide if the object of his desire is who she claims to be.

As an aside, this book is the second in a series of books involving Dr. Steven Cross - however, I wasn't aware of that until well after reading The Voynich Cipher. You don't have to read the first one to understand this one, but I am going to be looking for the first one because I really like this character.
Blake really roped me in with this story. The plot is believable, the characters connect with you, and the first few chapters pique your curiosity like no other. I dove in and from the moment I finished the first chapter, I knew I was going to enjoy the ride.
That's not to say that it didn't have it's moments of predictability. I did see some of the twists a chapter or two ahead of time, but it wasn't enough to ruin the story, believability, or enjoyment of the book itself.  There was also some sex scenes and references that I could have done without, but again, it didn't ruin anything for me.

Blake is no amateur, and it shows with his writing style. The Voynich Cipher is well paced and everything from the dialogue to the events that play out have a natural feel. Nothing seems forced.  The only real drawback for me was that, though the history seems to be well researched, it seems that Blake should have dug a little deeper into the Bible for information on one character. If Mr. Blake ever reads this, Jesus didn't have any bones broken or crushed.

All in all, I found The Voynich Cipher to be an excellent read. I would highly recommend this book to just about anyone.

The Scroll

By: Grant R Jeffrey and Alton L Gansky
WaterBrook Publishing

Dr. David Chambers, leading archaeologist, has spent his professional career uncovering the facts in the artifacts. His work sets the standard for biblical research in the Holy Land. But surrounded by the evidence, David has sunk into an abyss of doubt. A painful experience with a seemingly unresponsive God has left him without hope. The Old Testament scriptures that used to fill his mind with wonder now drive him to frustration. His unanswered questions have ripped him from both his academic pursuits and the love of his life, his fiancée, Amber. An old friend and mentor reaches out to David, enticing him with the riches described in the enigmatic Copper Scroll. Losing ground with his peers, his love, and his faith, David Chambers has a choice to make. Will he undertake one final dig to unlock a secret that could alter the course of history? Do the mysteries of the Old Testament hold the key to the political turmoil of the Middle East? In a world where faith has been eclipsed by the allure of doubt, The Scroll offers a different journey: a gripping adventure to find truth worth dying for.

I don't know why I got this book other than a weakness for all things historical. Granted I prefer actual history over novel history, but I digress.  The concept of a "treasure hunt" through Israel was intriguing enough and it piqued my curiosity to try out a new author.  I had no idea just what I was getting myself into.
The tag team of Jeffrey and Gansky provided an escape well worth the time investment.

David Chambers is an archaeologist with a problem: though he won't admit it he's still in love with a woman whose very presence reminds him of a past he'd rather forget. An opportunity arises to embark on a ground-breaking new project, but the rub is that it's in a field that he is trying desperately to remove himself from because he has lost his once vibrant faith.  He decides to accept his role in this new project after a visit from his mentor and father-figure, only to find that the former love of his life is involved in the project as well. Not only that, but so is her new love interest - and the new guy is making his presence, not to mention his intentions, known to everyone. The Scroll follows Chambers as he is forced to face his past and consider that what he has known may not be the entire truth - all the while dealing with new challenges as the Arab-Israeli tensions over Jerusalem mount.
The climax is something you can see coming, but you can hardly believe it when it arrives.

Overall, The Scroll is a fairly well written book. Oddly enough, I found a spelling error or two, but I don't count that against the authors or the story, it was simply bad editing.  The storyline is compelling and it certainly became a page turner once I got into the characters.  Jeffrey and Grant developed a quality main character whose struggle can relate to everyone.  The inner turmoil that he feels is basic to everyone as he copes with death, life, change, and love.  The build up toward the end will keep you turning the page as you come closer and closer to the end, however the set-up for a sequel is predictable, and that was the only downer about the entire novel. I'm sure a sequel can be well written, and I am excited to see it when it comes, but The Scroll is perfect as a stand-alone novel.

All in all, The Scroll is a good book. I would certainly recommend it to anyone that likes to read stories that revolve around Israel or archeology. If you want a laid-back, easy read, you might want to bypass this one.

I was given a copy of The Scroll for free as part of WaterBrook Multnomah's book blogger program. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.