The Tenth Saint

The Sarah Weston Chronicles #1

by D.J. Niko

Cambridge archaeologist Sarah Weston makes an unusual discovery in the ancient Ethiopian mountain kingdom of Aksum—a sealed tomb with inscriptions in an obscure dialect. Along with her colleague, American anthropologist Daniel Madigan, she tries to identify the entombed man and translate the inscriptions. Tracking down clues in Addis Ababa and the monasteries of Lalibela, Sarah and Daniel uncover a codex in the subterranean library revealing the secret of the tomb—a set of prophecies about Earth’s final hours, written by a man hailed by Ethiopian mystics as Coptic Christianity’s 10th saint. Faced with violent opposition and left for dead in the heart of the Simien Mountains, Sarah and Daniel survive to journey to Paris, where they’re given a 14th-century letter describing the catastrophic events that will lead to the planet’s demise. Connecting the two discoveries, Sarah faces a deadly conspiracy to keep the secret buried in order to promote technological advances presently leading toward the prophesied end of the Earth.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Ebooks, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Adventure, Suspense

438 pages, Paperback

First published January 25, 2012

About the author

D.J. Niko is the pseudonym for Daphne Nikolopoulos, a journalist, author, editor, and self-proclaimed modern nomad who has spent the better part of two decades traveling the world. As a former travel writer and zealous adventurer, she has visited remote spots on six continents, many of which have inspired her novels. She has a particular passion for deserts and the nomadic way of life and has spent time among various tribes in Africa and Asia.

The Tenth Saint is her debut novel in The Sarah Weston Chronicles series of archaeological thrillers. It won the Gold Medal for popular fiction in the 2012 Florida Book Awards, a juried competition seeking to identify the best literary works in the state. Next in the series is The Riddle of Solomon (2013) and The Oracle (coming November 2015).

On the historical fiction side, she is author of The Judgment (due out October 2015), which won First Place in Historical Fiction at the 2014 Royal Palm Literary Awards.

Daphne was born and raised in Athens, Greece, and moved to the U.S. when she was in middle school. Though English was not her native language, she became an award-winning writer and influential editor. She is editor in chief of Palm Beach Illustrated, a highly respected regional magazine, and editorial director of Palm Beach Media Group.

She resides in South Florida with her family.

Reviews

[Nenatie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Die Rezi findet ihr auch auf meinem Blog

Inhalt
Die Archäologin Sarah Weston stößt in den Bergen des alten äthiopischen Königreiches von Aksum auf eine geheimnisvolle versigelte Höhle. Es stellt sich heraus, dass es sich um eine Grabkammer des bis dahin unbekannten Zehnten Heiligen handelt. In der Grabkammer befinden sich Inschriften in einem seltsamen Dialekt. Als Sarah und ihr Kollege sich an eine Übersetzung machen stoßen sie auf eine tödliche Prophezeiung. Um das Rätsel zu lösen reist Sarah um die halbe Welt, von Äthiopien und unterirdischen Bibliotheken nach Paris und sogar Texas. Nicht nur sie will die Prophezeiung entschlüsseln, ein mächtiger Gegner setzt alles daran um das Bekanntwerden der Prophezeiung zu verhindern und Sarah und Daniel schweben in großer Gefahr.

Meinung
Der Klappentext klang sehr vielversprechend, irgendwie nach einer Mischung aus Indiana Jones und Tomb Raider und ich musste einfach lesen.

Der Start ist sehr gelungen, ein tolles erstes Kapitel macht neugierig wie es weitergeht. Dann lernt man Sarah Weston kennen, eine taffe Archäologin die endlich wegen ihrer Erfolge bekannt sein will und nicht wegen ihres Vaters. Daniel Madigan, der Kollege der an Sarahs Seite gestellt wird, ist zu Beginn recht undurchschaubar und on die beiden ein Team werden oder nicht ist oft fraglich.

Die Geschichte war durchweg spannend und sehr gut geschrieben. Ich hatte allerdings mit etwas anderem gerechnet, alten Geheimorden und vielen antiken Gräbern. Das gibt es auch, Daphne Niko vermischt die alten Gräber aber geschickt mit der Gegenwart und Zukunft und aus einem archäologischen Thriller wird bald ein sehr rasanter Wissenschaftsthriller. Die Ideen der Geschichte fand ich super, leider war die Geschichte aber auch ab und an vorhersehbar.

Erzählt wird aus zwei Perspektiven, man folgt einem Mann durch die Wüste und Sarah bei ihren Nachforschungen. Die beiden Erzählstränge verknüpfen sich dann zu einem schlüssigen Bild und nach und nach wird dem Leser klar auf was Sarah sich da nun eingelassen hat.

Die beiden Hauptcharaktere sind sehr gelungen. Sarah ist eine taffe Frau die weiß wie sie sich durchsetzen kann und ihren Prinzipien treu bleibt. Gegen Ende war ihr können dann aber fast schon übertrieben, sie konnte einfach alles. Trotzdem war sie durchweg sympathisch.
Daniel ist zuerst undurchschaubar und, wie auch Sarah, muss der Leser sich erstmal ein Bild von ihm bilden. Ich mochte Beide dann doch sehr, sie ergänzen sich super.

4,5 Sterne, aufgrund der Vorhersehbarkeit an manchen Stellen mit der Tendenz zu 4 Sternen.
Eine spannende und rasante Mischung aus Archäologie und Wissenschafts-Thriller der die Protagonisten quer durch die Welt führt.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

PART THRILLER, PART HISTORICAL NOVEL - "The Tenth Saint" is a thriller, as written on the spine, but it is also a thinking person's novel. It is comprised of two separate plots that start to intertwine midway through the book. One taking place in ancient times through deserts, nomadic tribes and the days of early Christianity in Ethiopia, and a modern day quest to unravel a mysterious find that leads the protagonists deep in the bowels of Coptic Christianity's monastic life and the churches of Lalibela in Ethiopia. The protagonists, an archeologist and an anthropologist, become renegades when they are convinced that the knowledge they have uncovered can prevent a planetary disaster. They single handedly try to stop modern advances in technology that they are convinced will lead to disaster.

The story is very good especially if one is willing to believe that improbable things may happen. There are unexpected twists that keep the thrill ride intriguing. The author switches from fast pace to slow pace frequently throughout the book. The fast pace passages are page turners but the slower chapters is where this book shines. The plot is laced with spirituality without being didactic in any way. There are glimpses of nomadic shamans, monastic orthodox christian monks and agnostic scientists.

The writing is mostly transparent but overpolished at times. The characters are multidimensional and well sketched with the possible exception of Daniel whom I find too one-dimensional. The orthodox monk is a jewel, well framed and exploited.

The thrill ride is satisfying and I give it high marks because of its spiritual aspects, the well researched historical passages and the philosophical questions it poses : Is it destiny or free will that guides us ? Can destiny be avoided ? Is absolute devotion the answer ?

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Without doubt, one of the most well-written and well-researched mystery thrillers that I've read in a long time. The story is excellent, and the heroine appeals, but the real strength of The Tenth Saint is in the author's depiction of Ethiopia and Arabia. You can almost feel the desert sand and rock under your feet. I'll be buying and reading the second novel, The Riddle of Solomon, straight away.

[William Baker · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is just plain bad.

Silly plot

Dumb and predictable twists

Lousy dialogue

Big dose of the authors far left politics

All of which makes for a terrible book.

I read a little over half before I started skimming to find out what the predictable ending would be.

[Katie Dooley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was only 266 pages and it still took me a week to read. I am a fast reader and can normally polish off an 800 page book in a couple of days. It seemed almost painfully slow moving for me. I had to keep putting it down and forcing myself to come back to it. There were enough interesting details that it made me want to read through to the end however I kept wishing that they would get to the point faster.

Even more frustrating was the fact that this book is not really suited to read in e-book form. Several pages have a illustrated "picture" of weathered looking pages with print that is in a tiny font, spaced too close together making it unreadable in e-book form. Enlarging the text did not make this illustration any larger and it had key plot revelations. These were words that were supposed to be in another language and were supposed to be difficult to translate so it makes no sense as to why they put the lettering in English and tried so hard to make it appear as if this was the actual ancient text instead of just typing the translation in italics and quotation marks.

I love the premise of the book. After a tip from a local man, a female archeologist in charge of a dig in Ethiopia finds a cave and finds the tomb of the man that the local monks call the 10th saint. The coffin and body are exhumed and she slowly reveals some strange things about this body that leads to unraveling the mystery of his identity and trying to decipher the warning message about the end of the world that he left behind in an unfamiliar language. The saint's body dates back to 1600 but has perfect teeth with dental work made of polymer of unknown material far more advanced than the ones used in dentistry in the book's present day.

The story weaves back and forth in time between the 1600's and modern times showing bits and pieces of the life of the man who we discover is called Gabriel. Through the entire story, entities are trying to do away with the archeologists and are trying to steal the evidence that she finds because they don't want the secrets revealed.

The main character is an archeologist named Sarah who was portrayed as a cold, detached English woman who worked so hard to keep her emotions under control that I found I really didn't care one way or another what happened to her as long as the mystery of the saint was revealed. In fact, I was not fond enough of any of the characters, other then the saint called Gabriel, to care what happened to any of them.

Some of the book was extremely predictable and the way the story dragged along, it made the archeologists seem a little dimwitted for taking so long to figure it all out.

I am glad I read to the end. All of the loose ends were tied together nicely with a nice twist at the end and the mysteries were all revealed.

The moral of the story being that the over population of mankind and our greedy disregard of the environment is stripping the mother earth of her precious resources and causing an imbalance in nature which, if we don't change our ways, will result in the end of the world as we know it.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sarah Weston, a Cambridge archaeologist leading a dig in Ethiopia, stumbles upon a seemingly untouched tomb, she realizes that her find could be historically significant. As Sarah works to uncover the identity of the tomb's occupant, she quickly learns that there are those who will do anything to keep the truth hidden. Determined to carry on with her work in spite of threats, Sarah joins forces with anthropologist and TV personality Daniel Madigan. Working together, Sarah and Daniel learn that the body belonged a man known as Ethiopia's tenth saint, a man whose prophecies describe in detail the earth's final days. But Sarah and Daniel's discoveries continue to place them, and those they associate with, in direct danger. As Sarah and Daniel come to learn more about the tenth saint's prophecies, they realize that much more is at stake then just their professional careers and, potentially, their lives. For if the prophecies hold true, the end of days is near.

The Tenth Saint, the first novel in D.J. Niko's Sarah Weston Chronicles, is a modern-day thriller that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. One of the things I liked best about this novel is that it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre. While the bulk of the narrative focuses on Sarah Weston and her quest (the thriller aspect), certain chapters also flash back in time to the days of the tenth saint. This gives the book a historical flavour. I found the prophet's chapters, while initially slow to get going, every bit as intriguing as those set in the modern-day, especially as the truth of his life is slowly revealed. Sarah Weston is a well-developed character. I admit that I didn't warm to her right away, but by the novel's end she'd won me over. Another strength of this novel is its setting. Most thrillers I've read recently are set in the United States and/or Europe. While parts of this novel are set in these common locations, much of the book takes place in Africa, which is not a typical setting for thrillers. While certain aspects of the narrative are predictable and others not entirely plausible, the suspense is maintained throughout the story. For this reason I found The Tenth Saint difficult to put down, and ended up racing through it in a matter of hours.

Recommended to fans of thrillers, especially those with a historical touch. I'm looking forward to reading The Riddle of Solomon, the next book in D.J. Niko's Sarah Weston Chronicles.

Source: I received a copy of this novel as part of D.J. Niko's Virtual Book Tour in exchange for a fair and honest review. This review first appeared on my blog, Confessions of an Avid Reader.

[Evelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cambridge archaeologist Sarah Weston,the daughter of an Amerian actress and a British lord, wants to make it on her own. She's trying to do that on a dig in Ethopia, looking for the lost city of Aksum when she learns of a tomb covered in obscure writings rumored to belong to the tenth saint of Coptic Christianity--but it is a reality or just myth? Deep inside a cave, Sarah, along with her colleague anthropologist Daniel Madigan, both determined to find the truth, stumble upon ancient, Nostradamus-like writings that warn of future man's destruction of the earth. But someone powerful wants to keep the writings secret and comes after Sarah and Daniel.

Told chapters alternating between the present and the 4th century story of Gabriel, a tall, white man who mysteriously lives in the desert with a tribe of wandering Nomads, this first novel satisfies the reader as an engaging thriller/suspense, but also is a thinking person's book featuring amazing religious detail. I look forward to the next Sarah Weston adventure.

Disclaimer-I was lucky to win a free copy of this book from the author!

[Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Tenth Saint was a winner. The author's rich, descriptive language painted an intriguing story carefully unfolded. Early in the book, I was thirsty for more of Gabriel's story and genuinely shocked as it was revealed. I would have never anticipated the manner in which the plot pivoted, but found it to be a fascinating juxtaposition with the rich history and traditional lifestyle of the Bedouin people portrayed throughout. I knew very little of Coptic Christianity before reading The Tenth Saint -- I love it when fiction can open a window into reality for me.

I heartily recommend the book and am eager to accompany Sarah Weston on her next adventure.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. To feel completely immersed in a novel can be quite rare at times, but D.J. Niko wrote The Tenth Saint quite nicely that gripped me from the very first page. Unlike other novels that have information that you are required to understand to fully the grasp the story, The Tenth Saint doesn't pile the information on heavily. It slowly fleshes out details to let them simmer and allow you to think about it before new information is presented. I especially enjoyed reading Gabriel's parts of the novel. The approach to the end of days was approached in a new way by D.J. Niko, and I can't wait for the next novel to be released.

[Marika Charalambous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also reviewed on my blog: http://www.mysterysequels.com/the-ten...

A very interesting read, a mix of archaeologycal mystery, apocalyptic novel, bit of Indiana Jones adventure, historical novel, and time travel mixed in. And while such a varied mix might just confuse the readers in other books, the author has really pulled it together well.

The book has actually two main parts, the present and the past. The story told from the present is full of action and suspense, while the past is beautiful, lyric and really powerful. It's as if the author was actually there and could report directly from the past.

Now when is the second book in the series coming up?

[Sunsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spannend und actionreich ist dieser Mystery-Thriller. Sehr interessant, und mit einem ernst zu nehmendem Thema, nämlich unserer Erde, die wir Menschen systematisch ausbeuten und in die Knie zwingen. Was, wenn der Untergang kurz bevor steht? Wenn es Menschen gibt, die rechtzeitig Warnungen verbreiten, aber diese ungehört bleiben oder mundtot gemacht werden?

Ich habe gelesen und gehört - zumiest jedoch gelesen und gebe 08/10 Punkte.

http://sunsys-blog.blogspot.de/2016/0...

[Nobassil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eine gute Mischung aus Wissenschaftsthriller und aktuellem Polit- Problem. Nur die Zeitreise war etwas suspekt :)

[Frank Lang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bei Abenteuer-Romanen à la Indiana Jones oder Tomb Raider bekommt man viel Action, ein bisschen Übernatürliches und ein wenig Logik. Eine Mischung, der sich auch die Autorin bedient und die recht funktioniert, ohne gleich zu anspruchslos zu sein (wobei das natürlich je nach Auge des Betrachters anders bewertet werden dürfte). Wie bei solchen Romanen üblich, steckt ein Fünkchen Historie hinter der Hauptgeschichte. Der Roman fußt auf den neun Heiligen, denen die Christianisierung Äthiopiens zugesprochen wird. Der zehnte Heilige ist dann, wenig verwunderlich, das Geheimnis, das die Protagonistin Sarah Weston aufzudecken gedenkt.

Erzählt werden die ersten beiden Drittel aus zwei Perspektiven, in denen dem Leser sich nach und nach das Geheimnis erschließt, bevor im letzten Drittel der Fokus einzig und allein bei der Hauptfigur und dem Finale liegt. Eine Mischung, die ebenso gut zur Geschichte passt wie der lockere Schreibstil der Autorin, den sie gibt sich kaum mit “Nebensächlichkeiten” ab, die das Gesamtbild eines Roman ausschmücken können. Über die jeweiligen Figuren erfährt der Leser somit vergleichsweise wenig und eine Charakterentwicklung findet erwartungsgemäß nur marginal statt.

Fazit

Mir gefallen solche augenscheinlich oberflächlichen Romane, in denen das Abenteuer und die Action im Vordergrund steht und mit ein wenig Ermittlerarbeit aufgelockert wird. Solche Romane sieht die Literaturlandschaft meines Erachtens viel zu wenig, so dass ich ganz froh bin, dass es nicht immer ein Schwergewichte im Sinne der Bücher von Dan Brown sein müssen, um eine lockere Leseunterhaltung geboten zu bekommen.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ich hatte gehofft eine archeologische Abenteuerserie gefunden zu haben. Ich weiss leider nicht was ich vom ersten Buch der Serie halten soll.
Der Hauptcharakter ist ... nicht ganz Archetyp aber auch nicht ganz realistisch. Sie ist teilweise sehr beherrscht und in anderen Momenten zu ihrem Nachteil "absichtlich" nicht. Grundsätzlich wirkt es wie ein unbeständiger, tougher Self-insert.
Es hat immer wieder mühsame Fehler, die die Geschichte unrealistisch machen.
Beispiel:
Eine weltbewanderte Frau "hasst" gerade die britische Presse (nicht tabloids) für ihre dramatische Überzeichnung.
In der zweiten hälfte hatte es medizinische und wissenschaftliche Ungereimtheiten.
Seit wann sich Algenplankton sexuell fortpflanzt ist mir persönlich zum Beispiel nicht bekannt. Dann könnte man das wissenschaftliche Detail einfach weglassen, wenn man es nicht recherchieren will.
Auch störend, vor allem in den ersten Kapiteln, waren die vielen Adjektive. Und das "milchkaffeefarben" als Beschreibung der Haut einer Person. Wenn ein*e Ätiopier*in die Farbe v0n Milchkaffee hätte, würde ich mir Sorgen machen, dass die Person nächstens zusammenbricht.
Alles in allem: meh, Geschichtsidee war an und für sich spannend, auch wenn ich nicht weiss, ob ich Zeitreisen in einer Archeologie Abenteuerserie als toll und stimmig empfinde, gleich im ersten Buch. Der Fokus auf bestimmte aktuellen politischen Themen finde ich zwar gut, aber es wirkt einfach als wären zwei unterschiedliche Bücher zusammengeklebt worden.

[Smimo Do · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cambridge Archäologin Sarah Weston macht eine ungewöhnliche Entdeckung in den Bergen des alten äthiopischen Königreiches von Aksum: ein versiegeltes Grab mit Inschriften in einem obskuren Dialekt.
Sie versucht die Inschrift zu entziffern und die Identität des Mannes zu ermitteln, der dort beigesetzt wurde, dabei entdecken sie und ihr Kollege, der amerikanische Anthropologe Daniel Madigan, ein tödliches Geheimnis.
Mit ihrer Entdeckung kommt Sarah einer weltweiten Verschwörung auf die Schliche und riskiert ihr eigenes Leben auf der Suche nach der ganzen Wahrheit.

Die Geschichte ist zwei geteilt. Es geht nicht nur um Sarah und ihre Forschungsarbeiten sondern es sind immer wieder Kapitel von einem Gabriel dabei. Zum Ende hin weiß man, was die zwei miteinander zu tun haben.

Wer auf Abenteuer Romane steht, dem wird es bestimmt gefallen. Für mich persönlich war es etwas zu wenig Spannung und Nervenkitzel. Dafür war es ein angenehmer Schreibstil, lies sich flüssig lesen.

Wem die Geschichte gefallen hat, es gibt noch zwei weitere Abenteuer von Sarah Weston "Das Rätsel Salomons" und "Das Orakel"

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thriller is a major accomplishment, entertaining and educating. We follow a female archaeologist, mostly at odds with her wealthy father. She prefers the deserts and colleges of her calling. Sarah teams up, at first unwillingly, with a more popularly famous male archaeologist, and learns that few others can be trusted.

We also meet Gabriel, a traveller out of his time and place, in a past century's nomadic Bedouin life, who becomes accepted and revered as a saint. In modern day, Sarah is tracking down his records and bones, in a mountain monastery in Ethiopia, but various interests are determined to stop her.

Each section of the story is deeply described, with regard for traditional lifestyles and beliefs. Then we learn of a modern-day existential threat, if despoliation of our environment gets further out of hand.

I would have been happier if the author didn't keep saying, in narration and through her characters, 'man' and 'mankind' when humanity and human life should be used, especially by a woman. The story may feel a little long, as Gabriel's action necessarily progresses at a camel's pace, but I found it well worth coming back to the read, and the story speeds up greatly near the end.

I was sent an e-ARC by the author to read in my own time, and I chose to write a review. This is an unbiased review.

[Eva Koschmieder · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sad turn
I liked the book in the beginning, setting up the story the author did a great job setting the scene and she jacked up expectations of the book
However, the plot moved along gradually until the fatal plot twist.
There is only one plot more abhorrent than hers and that is the old nazi archaeology thing.
I started reading a great archaeological mystery and then it turned into a story about time traveling! The most boring, ridiculous und unimaginative plot line available!
The book turned into a third rate science fiction novel. Completely disappointing!

[Mary Sc · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, entertaining read, though I had some issues with some of the phrases the author used to describe characters of color. It also suffers from the "white people ruin indigenous cultures/artifacts/etc" that so many archeology books do.

I enjoyed it despite these flaws, and will definitely be looking into finding the sequels to this book. The plot moved fast. The characters were relatable. Overall, worth the time to read it.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ebook has been in my Nook library since 2012 when I downloaded it for free from Barnes and Noble.
I enjoyed the stories of Gabriel and Sarah, and finally realizing how these story lines fit together. I learned a bit more about archeology work in the African country of Ethiopa. It was a fun and entertaining read.

[Sonja Schilhabl · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dies war leider eines der wenigen Bücher welches ich nicht zu Ende gelesen habe.
Ich habs bis Seite 100 versucht, aber es war leider für mich nichts. Ich wollte dieses Buch einfach nicht lesen, und hab jetzt entschieden mich nicht noch länger zu quälen - Einfach nicht mein Buch.

[Deborah Letow · Rating 5 out of 5]

While on an archaeological dig in Ethiopia, Sarah Weston, stumbles on a mystery connecting the future with the past. She and college Daniel Madigan, they risk their lives to solve.
This mystery thriller is well written , kept my attention and had a lot of suprises. This is the first of three.

[Coralyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another author I am delighted to have discovered. On something of a mystery, suspense and detecting path at the moment and this is a good story.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected turn!

Well written page turner, with an unexpected turn. One glaring mistake — they never removed the bindings on their wrists!

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing wasn't very good, and I was hoping for more archaeology and less science fiction.

[Kirsten Ateeq · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gute Unterhaltung! Interessante antike Fakten gemischt mit bedrohlicher Zukunftsvision, ein Buch mit vielen Denkansätzen, aber nicht trocken oder verstaubt.

[Skippy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Boring. Really tried but little archaeology, more time travel mumbo jumbo.

[Koha Mako]

How dt you read these books online or better to go to library

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review also posted at The Owl Review

Rating actually 3.5 stars

This book was a pretty fast read for me. I had to stop towards the end for a bit, but only to catch up on some other books that I needed to finish up.

Overall I really enjoyed this novel. It did get slow in parts, namely the parts devoted to Gabriel's story. I did find it picked up again as soon as the action started, or when another piece to the puzzle was found. The last 50 pages really sped by on this story, as suddenly it all unfolded and I wanted to keep turning the page and find out what was next. It could have been a little faster-moving up until that part, but like I said earlier, that was mostly the chapters that covered what Gabriel was doing.

I loved the premise of this hidden Tenth Saint, and what it meant to history as we know it. I can't help but fall in love with tales that take you into the heart of archaeology and hidden history. Very well-written take on learning from the past and not hiding the horrors that have happened, or that are to come and can be avoided.

The main character, Sarah, was at first such a cold personality. I did find myself warming to her as I learned her history of her detached, calculating, political, English father, and her carefree, movie-star American mother. Normally that would seem sort of silly almost, but for this story, it worked for me. I could see her childhood, and how she came to be where she was.

As an historian, she was fierce, loyal, and true to her cause. As a woman, she was no different. During a dig, she got a tip from a local man about a tomb that was hidden a little ways away from her current dig. Inside, the walls held prophetic cave markings and a body dating from the 1600's, with dental work beyond our present amalgams and abilities. This got me intrigued, and although parts were just slow, I really did want to find out who the heck this saint was, hidden in this tomb.

The romantic start for Sarah was a bit awkward in my opinion, but given her personality, this was probably true to form. As long as historical novels don't turn into "Romancing the Stone" they still work for me. In the end, her relationship with fellow archaeologist, Daniel, makes for a nice balance to the story. His character was a bit flat, and could have used a bit more fleshing out, but otherwise, a nice addition to the cast.

It's a great book for a debut author, but it is also a NY Times Best Seller, which comes along with a certain approach to writing and style. I'm not always fond of those books, but aside from the slower parts, and some predictability, the ending was excellent reading for me. It was fast-paced, had some interesting turns and twists, and it tied together very well. Overall, a good read and I will look for more stories from DJ Niko in the future.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The arid, unforgiving desert of Ethiopia plays host to the majority of D.J Niko’s thrilling novel. The Tenth Saint follows the work of Sarah Weston, an Oxford trained archeologist too independent for her own good. While on a dig, Sarah uncovers a tomb filled with perplexing finds. A tall, white man with good and advanced dentistry dating to the 4th century? An obscure dialect carved into the walls? Sarah, driven by a wish to learn and share the past, dives into an archeological mystery that will threaten her life, her career, and question the impossible.

D.J Niko’s first book in the Sarah Weston series narrates a fascinating tale that had me guessing at numerous answers to the question – who is Gabriel? Niko’s narrative style of alternating story lines allows the reader to slowly piece together the truth along with Sarah. While Niko had me questioning what morsel of evidence about the tomb would show itself next, there was the predictable love story. Every adventure needs some romance, I guess.

At the beginning of the book, I considered The Tenth Saint a story of a female Indiana Jones. My thoughts were confirmed and chastised, on page 294, when Sarah reads an article about her discoveries with a tinge of disgust. “The article described Sarah…and Daniel…less like scientists and more like Indiana Jones types willing to risk life and limb to uncover hidden treasure.” I read this as Niko’s method of reminding the reader that her characters are more than adventurous figures; they are archeologists striving to reveal the truth of the tenth saint.

Besides Niko’s skill at character development and intriguing narrative style, she illustrates history and ancient places beautifully. For instance, the description of a stone church in Aksum reveals Niko’s intimate knowledge of the time and places about which she writes. “The structure was almost Byzantine with its clay-tiled dome roof crowned by a simple wooden cross…The church interior was divided into small chambers, each decorated with murals of saints and the Christ, their eyes gleaming in the soft yellow light of the candelabra.” Her experience traveling the world and time with tribes of Africa and Asia comes through as she writes with authority about places most of us only dream of visiting.

The Tenth Saint is a thrilling story about the past, present, and future and the lengths people will go to to ensure the outcome they desire. I remained captured by the story of The Tenth Saint from the first to last page. I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in history and religion, yearning for a pick-me-up adventure. The Tenth Saint is particularly good for students needing a rest after midterms or finals. Also, stay tuned. The next installment of the Sarah Weston series, The Riddle of Solomon, is supposed to come out this year.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Tenth Saint by D.J. Niko will take you on an adventure and will surely have you turning the pages quickly as it did me. The Tenth Saint is the first in the Sarah Weston Chronicles and I’ve actually done things a little backwards this time as I read the second in the series before this one but it made no difference. The Tenth Saint had me enthralled from the first pages to the last and I have to say that this series has me hooked. I love the characters and the fast paced story line with plenty of action!

The Tenth Saint finds archaeologist Sarah Weston in Ethiopia where she discovers an ancient tomb with unusual inscriptions on it. The tomb is said to belong to the tenth saint of Coptic Christianity and as Sarah delves into the case she finds that the remains of this rumored saint are odd and seemingly impossible as he is found to have fillings in his teeth that are unlike anything ever seen before leaving Sarah mystified. Sarah, along with Daniel Madigan who is anthropologist, set out to decipher these inscriptions and what they ultimately learn has the power to terrify them. They tell of the eventual destruction of the earth and man’s role in causing it to happen. As with any discovery Sarah wants to share it but quickly learns that there are some very powerful people that do not want to see these inscriptions come to light and they do will anything to make sure that they don’t. Soon enough Sarah and Daniel are putting their lives in danger and they can only hope to make it out alive.

I really like both Sarah and Daniel. Sarah is a very strong female character. She comes from privilege but has chosen to not live her life that way much to her father’s chagrin. I love that she falls head first into any situation, dangerous or not, in order to do what she believes is right. Daniel just seems to be a really great guy and together he and Sarah make a great team. Between the two of them they always manage to find trouble and then have to risk life and limb to get themselves out of it.

On another note I love D.J. Niko’s novels for the historical elements. I find it fascinating to learn all the information she includes on religion and ancient artifacts or writings. You can definitely tell that she loves what she writes about and meticulously researches all elements to bring them together in a fictional story that has you on the edge of your seat as it unfolds. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend The Tenth Saint or the Sarah Weston Chronicles to readers who enjoy historical fiction with a little mystery and adventure added in!