Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx
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Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx (Jake Ransom #2)

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4.04 of 5 stars 4.04  ·  rating details  ·  162 ratings  ·  49 reviews
When Connecticut middle-schooler Jake and his older sister Kady are transported back to Pangaea, the strange world of lost civilizations, they must find the truth behind the mythic Fire Opal Eye in order to survive.
Hardcover, 369 pages
Published April 14th 2010 by Harper
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Community Reviews

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Charlyn  Trussell
Charlyn Trussell rated it 4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Grades 4 and up
Very disturbing events lead Jake to believe others are seeking his father's watch, the item found in book one as Jake and his sister Kady tried to locate their missing parents. The opening of an Egyptian exhibit seems to beckon the siblings and they attend, hoping to once again travel to Calypsos to continue their search for their parents. They travel, but not to Calypsos; they land in a hot desert where they meet others they had befriended in Calypsos. Shortly after their arrival and an atta...more
Lea
Whew, what a ride!

When I first stated reading this, I hadn't read the first book, Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow. I found it confusing, and kind of didn't want to even read it after that. But I'd won it on GoodReads (thanks!), so I felt responsible for finishing and reviewing it.

Well!!

I am so happy I stuck with this! (I bought the first book and read it, so this one made a LOT more sense after that!) This should seriously be made into a movie -- I...more
Sheila
Sheila rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: first-reads
I have read many of James Rollins books and have loved them....I do find them a little hard to get into at first but once I have read about 10 pages I am hooked and can't put it down. Now this is the first book of Mr. Rollins that I have read that is for teens and I must say that the book had me hooked from page one. LOL. I have enjoyed the story line very much. This is the second book in this series and to let you know how much I enjoyed the story I have gone out and purchased the first b...more
Cheryl Carpinello
As with "Jake Ransom and the Skull King," Rollins builds the excitement of “Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx” in tandem with the setting of the story. I love anything remotely Egyptian, and this was no exception.

Young readers easily identify with Jake and his sister Kady, and many have probably experienced the sibling rivalry of these two. But despite that, Rollins’ characters find common ground to work together to find their parents. In the middle of this quest, the two f...more
Kate Harding
What to say, what to say. It's no secret I'm a huge fan of both James Rollins and YA literature and this book marries those two things, so it should be a winner. In some aspects it certainly is. I love the ways Rollins takes actual parts of history and science and weaves them into a story with his own theories and creations. This book is the second in a series and I love the basic plot of the tale - Jake and his sister Kady get sucked into an ancient lost part of Pangea, their parents are missin...more
Randy
Randy rated it 5 of 5 stars
James Rollins is building an interesting world in this young adult series. Even an old "young adult" like myself loves this stuff.

Jake and Tandy Ransom are the children of two archaeologists who disappeared three years before, presumed murdered by bandits while on a dig. The two kids always hoped differently and learn they were probably right.

They get drawn back in time through a Mayan pyramid to the super continent of Pangea and a valley called Calypsos where they...more
Marla
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Truitti
I call this either my respirator book or my asthma book. I got into it so much that I gasped off and on all through the book when exciting things happened. I rarely gasp when I read because my mind is usually spinning. But the Howling Sphinx was so good, I hated to see it end. I know this is youth fiction or maybe even teenage fiction, but I love it just the same. MORE MORE MORE James Rollins. When is the next adventure coming out !!
Michelle Grogan
Just as exciting and adventure filled as the first in this series with a promise of more to come! I like how James Rollins, author of the Sigma Force novels, writing about black ops operations, mixing science, religion and history, made the transition to young adult writing so successfully. The tone and voice are so very much different from his adult novels that sometimes I forget that I am reading a book by James Rollins.

Jake Ransom and his sister Kady are on yet another adventure th...more
Janet
I received this as giveaway book. So far, I am enjoying this book.

I really enjoyed reading about the adventure of Jake and his sister, Katy, in Pangaea where they connected with their friends Pindor, Marika and Bachuuk. In this book, they must discover the truth behind the the mysterious wall of swirling sand. Will they discover the secret before it is too late? Was a really good book.
Mihir
Mihir rated it 4 of 5 stars

A fun-filled book by James Rollins as he returns to the world of Jake Ransom. The sequel delivers much of the same from the first book and adds to the mystery of the Skull king. After last time Jake and his gang are sent to a place with Egyptian roots and evil ensues as a pawn of the Skull King is also hell bent on retrieving an object.

More to come in the FBC review.
Carol
Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: fantasy, youth
Cool beginning, with a nice review of the previous book in the series worked into the first of this story. The action begins right away and continues throughout. Even though it's a story for young people I always enjoy James Rollins and his archeological and historical ties to his stories. I enjoy reading more about the characters as they develop. Lots of fun!
Bruce
Bruce rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: absolutely everyone
Absolutely fabulous tale! I picked it up this morning and a few hours later, I had devoured it all. A nice quick-paced adventure that just keeps the action coming and the pages flying. I'll be going out to get the first book now, and after I consume that one, I'll end up agonizing until the next is released. This is a must-read for all ages.
Jason Golomb
My 7-year-old and I enjoyed the first Jake Ransom book and sowere looking forward to James Rollins' follow up. The books are very similar...the plot line continues in "Howling Sphinx" from where "Skull King's Shadow" left off more or less.

The book is full of fantasy, dinosaurs and magic...plenty to ignite the imagination of young boys. I did, however, find the story a bit meandering and hard to follow in places and felt that I had to summarize and recap certain even...more
Ed
Ed rated it 4 of 5 stars
This series shows Rollins' usual combination of fact and history with a fictitious story that uses the facts as its base, only this time, in a story accessible to younger readers. This series is not just entertaining for the younger reader; it is a very good read for all ages. Can't wait for the next one.
Heather
Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2011
Fine, but not exceptional. Occasionally the pacing was uneven, and the author tended to give too many details in the middle of a chase. The time twists are interesting, but not unique. Still, I think there will be adventure fans who enjoy the story. Ba'achuk is still the best character of the bunch. And probably the smartest, too!
Cindy
Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Jessi, and Shawn and his boys, and Jonathan.
Shelves: first-reads
I loved it. It was fast moving and got me hooked right from the beginning. I liked all the twists and turns that kept me wondering right up until the end. And I loved the wisling...my vote is for Hissler. It was nice seeing charactors from the previous book, like meeting old friends. I'm looking forward to the next trip to Pangaea. As usual, I don't want to spoil it for others so I'm keeping this short. I will be recommending this to all of the people I know who love adventures.
Jenny
Enjoyed the second one in this series...but now have to wait for the next one to be published. Hate that! I enjoy the mix of fact and fantasy...the historical basis mixed in with time travel and other fantastical elements. These YA aren't quite the same page turners as his adult novels that I've read, but still great reads.
Pam
Pam rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2011-books-read
I just won a copy of this thru First Reads!

I, like others, hadn't read the first book before diving into this one with my 12 year old son. Parts were a bit confusing in the beginning, but David and I decided we want to go back and read the first book in this series.

David and I love these kind of adventures where we are taking on a thrill ride through history, though the story takes place present day. Lots of chills and thrills, twists and turns which is what makes it exc...more
Alisa
Alisa rated it 4 of 5 stars
This is book 2 of a series, but can work very well as a stand alone. This starts with a bang. Really, it does. A car running into a building bang. Fast paced and interesting. A fun ride of a book. The hero is very loyal and believable in his actions, while the villain is wonderfully mysterious and threatening. The groundwork is laid for future adventures with Jake and Kady Ransom as they try to save a world, escape from torture and slavery, defeat the bad guys and find their parents. Defi...more
Ashish
Ashish rated it 4 of 5 stars
I take away one star. The book is fantastically written exploring the complex and mind bending concept of time travel but portions of the book simply slow down...but never to a dead crawl!
Robert
Robert rated it 3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: Anyone
I received my advance copy of Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx through a giveaway on Goodreads.com.
I usually don't read young adult fiction, but I have read both of the Jake Ransom books because I like the author.
Even though the main characters in this book are people in their teens, it wasn't written to that level.
The action kept up at an enjoyable rate.
I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.
Dana
Dana rated it 4 of 5 stars
Like the Harry Potter series, this series starts out uncomplicated and "simple" in its view on life. This second book is starting to get darker and more complicated. It is much richer than the first story.
John
John rated it 5 of 5 stars
Fun and interesting story, with likeable characters. I found it an enjoyable read, that will be shared with my children.
bb
bb rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: first-reads
I loved the what-if explanations for the lost cultures! If you believe that there must be some truth behind the city of Atlantis or if you've been wondering what happened to the rich cultures of the ancient Egyptians and Mayans, then you must follow Jake and his friends in their adventures.

I gave this a 4-star, because (1) I think the author could have written the sibling's relationship stronger, and (2) he could have given Kady more of a role, which would demonstrate the strength o...more
Haley
Haley rated it 5 of 5 stars
This was an amazing book!!! I love this series and i'm jumping off the walls excited for the next one!
Sarah
A decent sequel that continues a story without being too repetitive or dull.
Rena
Rena marked it as to-read
I won this book from First Reads Giveaway. Thanks. Looks good. Can’t wait to read it.
Evelyn
Anyone who considered me erudite has now been proven wrong. Action-adventure children's books - gotta love them. You've got all the stock characters - relatable everyboy main character Jake, annoying older sister Kady, comic relief Pindor, love interest Marika, et al. But they do manage to move outside of being mere placards, not enough so that they're very deep characters, but enough to lend the story some substance. Nefertiti was somewhat annoying, but she shaped up in the end. I'm looking for...more
Michaelynn
A fun, children's fantasy series by James Rollins. I can see my son really enjoying these books.
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Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx 3 7 Sep 08, 2011 09:20am  
Goodreads Librarians: wrong page numbers 2 15 Aug 25, 2011 11:17pm  
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx (ebook)
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx. by James Rollins (Paperback)
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx (Kindle Edition)
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx (Downloadable Audio)
Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx (Paperback)

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James Rollins is a thriller writer like no other. He unveils the unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets that drive the destiny of mankind from behind the scenes. And he does it on a 200 mile an hour roller coaster ride that will leave you shattered, scared, and breathless.

James Rollins is the author of seven thrillers in the bestselling Sigma Force series (Sand

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More about James Rollins...
Map of Bones (Sigma Force #2) The Judas Strain (Sigma Force #4) Sandstorm (Sigma Force #1) Black Order (Sigma Force #3) The Last Oracle (Sigma Force #5)

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