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Rogue Angel #29
False Horizon: Rogue Angel, Book 29
A small Nepali man melts into shadows. A cutthroat crime lord is looking for a miraculous cure. And a map to an impossible dream and a mythic paradise is pointing the way.
Archaeologist Annja Creed is in Katmandu, awash in its scents, sounds and liveliness. But this is no sightseeing trip. An old friend is in possession of a map that leads to a place that lies outside our world. But the map is known to one other--a vicious man who has Annja and her companions right where he wants them. Her hand forced, Annja sets out in search of the fabled Shangri-La--an expedition of danger and subversion.
And her journey will end only with triumph...or tragedy.
270 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 1, 2011
9 people are currently reading
458 people want to read
About the author
Alex Archer
99 books237 followersA house name for the Rogue Angel series, published by the Harlequin Publishing's Gold Eagle division.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.
The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 5, 2011
This is one of the better Rogue Angel books of the last while.
Mike, a friend of Annja's, calls on her when he acquires a map, supposedly showing the location of Shangri-La. Garin, her old adversary/ally hires a local man, Tuk, to follow her and keep her safe. Mike, on the other hand, borrowed the money from a local criminal who is also interested in Shagri-La for his own reasons.
The title, a play on the classic novel Lost Horizon, should give you a hint of what happens after the plane they are flying is shot down with a missile.
For once, no one does anything stupid, just to advance the plot. The villains are truly villainous, and their goals are wild beyond belief, but in a way that makes perfect sense in this universe.
My only problem is, it's clear that Annja's possession of the sword is becoming better and better known, which could be a problem in the long run.
Mike, a friend of Annja's, calls on her when he acquires a map, supposedly showing the location of Shangri-La. Garin, her old adversary/ally hires a local man, Tuk, to follow her and keep her safe. Mike, on the other hand, borrowed the money from a local criminal who is also interested in Shagri-La for his own reasons.
The title, a play on the classic novel Lost Horizon, should give you a hint of what happens after the plane they are flying is shot down with a missile.
For once, no one does anything stupid, just to advance the plot. The villains are truly villainous, and their goals are wild beyond belief, but in a way that makes perfect sense in this universe.
My only problem is, it's clear that Annja's possession of the sword is becoming better and better known, which could be a problem in the long run.
December 12, 2012
Dear LORD, that was awful writing.
August 17, 2019
4 stars.
This one makes much better sense overall. I particularly liked Tuk, Annja's secret protector. And totally different to his actions in The Dragon's Mark, Garin swoops in to save the day. I do like this version of Garin much better.
This one makes much better sense overall. I particularly liked Tuk, Annja's secret protector. And totally different to his actions in The Dragon's Mark, Garin swoops in to save the day. I do like this version of Garin much better.
February 17, 2018
When I started reading this series, I just thought these were adventure stories. I like adventure stories, especially when the lead character is a woman. There are so few of those. It's almost as if adventures were the solo property of men. I have come to understand that these are urban fantasy. Urban because Annja lives in our world. She is an archeologist. She works on cable television. Fantasy because she wields Joan of Arc's sword and fights on the side of Good. In this adventure she looks for Shanghai-La with a pair of companions who travel with her for their own reasons. She finds herself being used as a piece of fancy set dressing to disguise a spy verses spy drama set over a nuclear waste disposal site set up in secret. There are bad people in droves, all with their own plans for the site and the future, none of them for the betterment of the world. Annja and her sword, who's existence is becoming more and more known, right the wrongs, defeat the bad actors and saves the day. I enjoyed this book.
January 29, 2025
I like this series for the fun archaeology adventures and the sci-fi that they tie in. Thankfully this one had little of the forced romance that some of this series contains. It also sets up a follow-up book nicely instead of being the usual stand alone book in a series.
March 10, 2020
Easy read. 3.5 stars . Not reading this book in the series order did not affect my enjoyment of the story. I was able to easily follow the story arcs.
February 9, 2012
*Rating* 3.0
*Genre* Fantasy/Science Fiction
*Review*
please feel free to follow my reviews here--->http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/
False Horizon (Rogue Angel #29) continues the adventures of Annja Creed who is a world-traveling archaeologist with a penchant for adventure, lost cities, mysterious codes and puzzles, and shadowy history that was never recorded. Heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword, Annja finds herself drawn into the webs of darkest villainy with lives on the line. Annya is also co-host of Chasing History's Monsters, and no, she does not drop her top to get ratings!
Professor Mike Tingley is the head of the Ancient Religious Department at Charlesgate University and a good friend of Annya's since they went to college together. Mike calls Annya and asks her to come to Nepal (Katmandu) to help search for the legendary city of Shangri-La made famous by James Hilton’s book The Lost Horizon.
It seems that he may have discovered a map to the actual location and wants Annya as part of the adventure and its discovery. Mike’s search for the city of Shangri-La has been his one true obsession like Annya has with finding out more about why Joan of Arc's sword found its way to her capable hands instead of someone else.
In yet another storyline, a mysterious man, (later identified as Garin), hires a Nepalese man named Tuk to maintain a constant vigil on Annya and to let him know if anyone tries to harm her in any way. Tuk is a man of many abilities, including the ability to work with various intelligence agencies without getting himself killed in the process. Tuk is also an orphan like Annya which binds them together as friends for the foreseeable future.
*I find myself actually liking and appreciating Garin’s foresight in hiring someone to watch over Annya. I also found it intriguing knowing that he has wanted to break the sword into so many pieces in order to keep his immortality in check. Yet, when Annya is in trouble and threatened with taking the sword away from her by killing her and forcing her to give it away; he gets really protective of her and comes rushing in to help her.*
Annya is pretty much clueless about what is happening around her until she stumbles upon a Chinese conspiracy and nuclear dumping ground that they have created to be their own brand of Shangri-La. By then, she has to deal with an assassin named Hsu-Xiao, or the Black Pole and a megalomaniac (Vanya) who wants to take over China, nuke Taiwan, and take Joan of Arc’s sword away from Annya so that she can cut down her enemies with.
Vanya, and certain parts of the Chinese Intelligence community, have placed a rather large bounty on Annya’s head because they realize just how truly dangerous she is with the sword. It seems that they pretty much know everything there is to know about Annya past, including why the sword found her in the first place; something that is still left unanswered after 29 books in the series.
The Chinese also firmly believe that they can take possession of the sword as long as they kill Annya first and then have her “Will” it away to another person as she is taking her last breath. The likelihood of that happening is more in the line of the Chinese actually making something that is not cheap or stolen from other countries like the USA and Russia.
Nothing is as it seems in this story. Mike is a professor, yet, he is also so much more including a big fat liar who dragged Annya into the middle of danger where she ends up getting tore up and beaten down by not one super villainess, but two.
The one thing I do appreciate about this series is the underlying way the various authors of this series incorporate fantasy and science fiction into their storylines. Shangri-La has been one of those places like Atlantis, that has always fascinated me, and wanted to learn more about.
*Genre* Fantasy/Science Fiction
*Review*
please feel free to follow my reviews here--->http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/
False Horizon (Rogue Angel #29) continues the adventures of Annja Creed who is a world-traveling archaeologist with a penchant for adventure, lost cities, mysterious codes and puzzles, and shadowy history that was never recorded. Heir to Joan of Arc's mystic sword, Annja finds herself drawn into the webs of darkest villainy with lives on the line. Annya is also co-host of Chasing History's Monsters, and no, she does not drop her top to get ratings!
Professor Mike Tingley is the head of the Ancient Religious Department at Charlesgate University and a good friend of Annya's since they went to college together. Mike calls Annya and asks her to come to Nepal (Katmandu) to help search for the legendary city of Shangri-La made famous by James Hilton’s book The Lost Horizon.
It seems that he may have discovered a map to the actual location and wants Annya as part of the adventure and its discovery. Mike’s search for the city of Shangri-La has been his one true obsession like Annya has with finding out more about why Joan of Arc's sword found its way to her capable hands instead of someone else.
In yet another storyline, a mysterious man, (later identified as Garin), hires a Nepalese man named Tuk to maintain a constant vigil on Annya and to let him know if anyone tries to harm her in any way. Tuk is a man of many abilities, including the ability to work with various intelligence agencies without getting himself killed in the process. Tuk is also an orphan like Annya which binds them together as friends for the foreseeable future.
*I find myself actually liking and appreciating Garin’s foresight in hiring someone to watch over Annya. I also found it intriguing knowing that he has wanted to break the sword into so many pieces in order to keep his immortality in check. Yet, when Annya is in trouble and threatened with taking the sword away from her by killing her and forcing her to give it away; he gets really protective of her and comes rushing in to help her.*
Annya is pretty much clueless about what is happening around her until she stumbles upon a Chinese conspiracy and nuclear dumping ground that they have created to be their own brand of Shangri-La. By then, she has to deal with an assassin named Hsu-Xiao, or the Black Pole and a megalomaniac (Vanya) who wants to take over China, nuke Taiwan, and take Joan of Arc’s sword away from Annya so that she can cut down her enemies with.
Vanya, and certain parts of the Chinese Intelligence community, have placed a rather large bounty on Annya’s head because they realize just how truly dangerous she is with the sword. It seems that they pretty much know everything there is to know about Annya past, including why the sword found her in the first place; something that is still left unanswered after 29 books in the series.
The Chinese also firmly believe that they can take possession of the sword as long as they kill Annya first and then have her “Will” it away to another person as she is taking her last breath. The likelihood of that happening is more in the line of the Chinese actually making something that is not cheap or stolen from other countries like the USA and Russia.
Nothing is as it seems in this story. Mike is a professor, yet, he is also so much more including a big fat liar who dragged Annya into the middle of danger where she ends up getting tore up and beaten down by not one super villainess, but two.
The one thing I do appreciate about this series is the underlying way the various authors of this series incorporate fantasy and science fiction into their storylines. Shangri-La has been one of those places like Atlantis, that has always fascinated me, and wanted to learn more about.
October 20, 2011
Twenty-ninth in the Rogue Angel urban fantasy series revolving around an archeologist who "inherited" the broadsword of Joan of Arc.
The Story
A mysterious stranger shows up in Katmandu, Nepal to hire Tuk, a local man with a reputation for stellar stealth. He's willing to pay Tuk well above the usual to shadow Annja and ensure her safety. A skill Tuk displays when he sneaks into Tsing's penthouse and almost encounters Hsu Xiao when Annja and Mike are forced to meet with Tsing.
Previously, Annja has met up with fellow archeologist and friend, Mike Tingley, in Katmandu to search for Shangri-La. Only, it seems that Mike borrowed $50 grand from a local mobster, Tsing, to buy the "necessary" map. Now, Tsing is changing the rules of the loan.
To survive, Annja and Mike must find Shangri-La, a venture close to Mike's heart; it seems that Tuk also might find his heart's desire on this trip as well.
The Characters
Annja Creed is an orphan and an archeologist with a Fate. After discovering the pieces of Joan of Arc's sword, her touch reassembled those pieces and now the broadsword of Joan of Arc is always with Annja. It seems that Fate wants Annja to right wrongs.
Professor Mike Tingley is head of the Ancient Religions department at Charlesgate University. An old friend of Annja's, he's asked her to join him on a search for Shangri-La, an obsession for Mike since he was a kid.
Tuk is an orphan with no memory of his parents; he has survived by not being seen. His services had been in high demand by various intelligence agencies until using electronic gadgets became too easy at which point Tuk is reduced to accepting work from drug smugglers and criminals. Garin is quite mysterious in this one. He shows up long enough to hire Tuk to keep an eye on Annja, keep her safe. No Roux.
The bad guys include Tsing and his henchmen and Guge, Vanya, and her pet assassin, Hsu Xiao.
My Take
It's a story of coincidence and conflict with more subterfuge than usual with Chinese and American spies all over the place in a hide-and-seek for an illegal project even as the overthrow of the Chinese government is plotted.
Annja almost found out about her family background but the price demanded was too high. Garin continues to intrigue as he blows hot and cold.
The Cover
Anna is ready to swing into action with her broadsword out, the mountains and a burning plane in the background. The title is hint enough as she and Mike are looking for James Hilton's Lost Horizon.
The Story
A mysterious stranger shows up in Katmandu, Nepal to hire Tuk, a local man with a reputation for stellar stealth. He's willing to pay Tuk well above the usual to shadow Annja and ensure her safety. A skill Tuk displays when he sneaks into Tsing's penthouse and almost encounters Hsu Xiao when Annja and Mike are forced to meet with Tsing.
Previously, Annja has met up with fellow archeologist and friend, Mike Tingley, in Katmandu to search for Shangri-La. Only, it seems that Mike borrowed $50 grand from a local mobster, Tsing, to buy the "necessary" map. Now, Tsing is changing the rules of the loan.
To survive, Annja and Mike must find Shangri-La, a venture close to Mike's heart; it seems that Tuk also might find his heart's desire on this trip as well.
The Characters
Annja Creed is an orphan and an archeologist with a Fate. After discovering the pieces of Joan of Arc's sword, her touch reassembled those pieces and now the broadsword of Joan of Arc is always with Annja. It seems that Fate wants Annja to right wrongs.
Professor Mike Tingley is head of the Ancient Religions department at Charlesgate University. An old friend of Annja's, he's asked her to join him on a search for Shangri-La, an obsession for Mike since he was a kid.
Tuk is an orphan with no memory of his parents; he has survived by not being seen. His services had been in high demand by various intelligence agencies until using electronic gadgets became too easy at which point Tuk is reduced to accepting work from drug smugglers and criminals. Garin is quite mysterious in this one. He shows up long enough to hire Tuk to keep an eye on Annja, keep her safe. No Roux.
The bad guys include Tsing and his henchmen and Guge, Vanya, and her pet assassin, Hsu Xiao.
My Take
It's a story of coincidence and conflict with more subterfuge than usual with Chinese and American spies all over the place in a hide-and-seek for an illegal project even as the overthrow of the Chinese government is plotted.
Annja almost found out about her family background but the price demanded was too high. Garin continues to intrigue as he blows hot and cold.
The Cover
Anna is ready to swing into action with her broadsword out, the mountains and a burning plane in the background. The title is hint enough as she and Mike are looking for James Hilton's Lost Horizon.
Read
November 17, 2015I really love these books. I love the action. I realize they are fiction but for the most part everything is believable. The only thing that makes me think twice about them is how much the main character gets the ever lovin' stuffins beat out of her all the freaking time. Now she is supposedly trained in all kinds of martial arts stuff and supposedly connected to Joan of Arc..... I kinda would think she wouldn't get so beat up. I mean the lucky punches and the sort I can accept but I feel like it is ME fighting (which trust me would so not be good) as much as she gets whupped.
Read
January 6, 2021"sometimes people don't care how much you love something. if it doesn't look or sound like something they want to hear, you may as well be the village idiot."
"the thing about the universe is that it doesn't succumb to the desires of the likes of us. it simply is. and the things we wish to change are the very things that often must happen."
"the thing about the universe is that it doesn't succumb to the desires of the likes of us. it simply is. and the things we wish to change are the very things that often must happen."
December 4, 2015
This was a great story. I listened to the audio presentation. It was like listening to a radio program. It had a whole group. It was action packed, fast paced, with sounds and music. It was the first time for me to listen to such a thing.
April 29, 2012
I love this series. And I enjoyed this one as much as any of them.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews