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John Brynstone #1
The Radix
For centuries, the Radix existed in rumor and secrecy. Saints whispered its legend. Alchemists craved its power. Armies fought and died to possess it. Five hundred years ago, it vanished from the earth. History's greatest mystery, lost to the ages.
Until now.
The Radix tells the story of a legendary relic thought to possess extraordinary powers. Paleopathologist and elite government agent John Brynstone is the latest in a series of adventurers and researchers who have searched for the Radix. Across continents, Brynstone and his team must unravel riddles and ancient mysteries no one has been able to solve for five centuries.
He's not alone in his quest.
The modern-day descendants of the infamous Borgia family will stop at nothing to wield the power of the Radix. At the same time, another organization has sent a nameless assassin to kill Brynstone before he can steal their prize.
The Radix is packed with historical mysteries, psychological thrills, nonstop-adventure, and international suspense.
Until now.
The Radix tells the story of a legendary relic thought to possess extraordinary powers. Paleopathologist and elite government agent John Brynstone is the latest in a series of adventurers and researchers who have searched for the Radix. Across continents, Brynstone and his team must unravel riddles and ancient mysteries no one has been able to solve for five centuries.
He's not alone in his quest.
The modern-day descendants of the infamous Borgia family will stop at nothing to wield the power of the Radix. At the same time, another organization has sent a nameless assassin to kill Brynstone before he can steal their prize.
The Radix is packed with historical mysteries, psychological thrills, nonstop-adventure, and international suspense.
366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 1, 2021
Reads somewhat like a Da Vinci Code novel. Powerful parties, from big Pharma, to The Knights of Malta, to the head of the National Security Agency, all seek to find and possess the magic formula wielded by Christ himself to cure the sick and raise the dead. They will stop at nothing to obtain it.
A fast paced, short read. Lots of twists and turns, with no way of knowing who will turn out to be the good guys versus the bad. Unlike many books I've read with similar themes, this one doesn't get too lost in a detailed plot where you must take notes to keep up. Rather, it's less taxing, and perfect for leisure.
A fast paced, short read. Lots of twists and turns, with no way of knowing who will turn out to be the good guys versus the bad. Unlike many books I've read with similar themes, this one doesn't get too lost in a detailed plot where you must take notes to keep up. Rather, it's less taxing, and perfect for leisure.
February 16, 2013
Fairly early in the book our hero is chased out of a mountain estate, yet has time to start a helicopter and escape in it. One of his antagonists, who he had just knocked unconscious before fleeing, grabs the helicopter skids and shoots a hole in the gas tank before being safely brushed off by skimming over pine trees. So our hero crashes the helicopter, carefully affording a ski top restaurant, but unfortunately starting an avalanche and cutting the cable to the gondola. Fortunately, only the operator is in the gondola so our hero skis his broken copter down the avalanche, intercepts the gondola, gets himself and the operator safely out and skis the gondola down the avalanche to safety. No worries, no one is hurt by either the crash or the avalanche or the gondola destruction. Fortunately for our hero he has enough money in his wallet to send the grateful gondola operator and his girlfriend back to Australia in exchange for the operators promise to avoid mentioning that he saw him. So the grateful operator gives our hero a lift to his truck which he attempts to drive around Glenwood Canyon to the Eagle airport but wait! Now he's being pursued through the canyon by the other people that had captured him in the mountain estate...
If this is your type of novel, enjoy it!
If this is your type of novel, enjoy it!
June 22, 2010
John Brynstone, an agent for the US Special Collection Service, has been assigned to attain the Radix, an ancient relic with mystical powers. Because of these powers, there are numerous persons and groups vying to possess it.
Billed as a historical mystery, “The Radix” comes across much more as a thriller and you will be hard-pressed to put this book down. This is Brett King’s debut novel which he deftly combines fiction with historical facts and events. He admits in the author’s note at the end of the book that he took liberties with some events, but it doesn’t really matter as we are engrossed in a mix of non-stop action, plot twists, unbreakable codes and secret organizations.
The best part may be that we can look forward to the sequel in early 2011.
Reviewed by Matt McElreath for Suspense Magazine
www.suspensemagazine.com
Billed as a historical mystery, “The Radix” comes across much more as a thriller and you will be hard-pressed to put this book down. This is Brett King’s debut novel which he deftly combines fiction with historical facts and events. He admits in the author’s note at the end of the book that he took liberties with some events, but it doesn’t really matter as we are engrossed in a mix of non-stop action, plot twists, unbreakable codes and secret organizations.
The best part may be that we can look forward to the sequel in early 2011.
Reviewed by Matt McElreath for Suspense Magazine
www.suspensemagazine.com
June 5, 2017
Looking forward to the next novelbin the series.
A great read you will not be disappointed especially if you enjoy your novels sprinkled with interesting historical persons places and events
A great read you will not be disappointed especially if you enjoy your novels sprinkled with interesting historical persons places and events
January 7, 2019
Quick and easy to read with lots of historical fiction artifact finding. The characters were well developed but I still guessed the twists. It ended perfectly for the next book in the series which I will start today.
June 19, 2018
Excellent work of fiction
The Radix is an excellent work of fiction and I was compelled to read it. This work reminds of similar writings like the da Vinci code. Enjoy!
The Radix is an excellent work of fiction and I was compelled to read it. This work reminds of similar writings like the da Vinci code. Enjoy!
September 1, 2018
Raiders of the Lost Ark , The Da Vinci Code , James Bond all rolled into one here . Enjoyable storyline just a bit over the top .
January 13, 2021
Recommended. A decent thriller with a some historical leanings. A few nice twists and I certainly learnt a few things.
June 3, 2010
This book reads like it is ready to go straight to a movie screen. If you like James Bond meets Da Vinci Code than this is the book for you.
There is a twisted who dun-it type plot where everyone is in search of the mythical root from the Tree of Life called the Radix. It is said to make the perfect medicine. More people have reason to want this than are listed in a New York phone book and it is just as difficult to determine good from evil in this book than to find the correct Jane Smith the said phone book.
Wasn't it Spider-Man who taught us that with great power comes great responsibility? Our hero turns out to be John Brynstone a paleopathologist who is as James Bond as they come. And he is assisted by Cori Cassidy a somewhat accident participant who turns out to be significantly qualified for the job. They take on this responsibility for personal reasons but they also never seem to forget that put into the wrong hands this could easily become a tool of evil.
While I found the beginning a little whiplash-like with its rapid timeline, by the middle of the novel the story had found the perfect pace of action, detail, and plot. I love a book that mixes in a decent amount of true history with fiction and the author properly notes at the end where truth ends and fiction took over.
Overall I found this to be a very good read.
There is a twisted who dun-it type plot where everyone is in search of the mythical root from the Tree of Life called the Radix. It is said to make the perfect medicine. More people have reason to want this than are listed in a New York phone book and it is just as difficult to determine good from evil in this book than to find the correct Jane Smith the said phone book.
Wasn't it Spider-Man who taught us that with great power comes great responsibility? Our hero turns out to be John Brynstone a paleopathologist who is as James Bond as they come. And he is assisted by Cori Cassidy a somewhat accident participant who turns out to be significantly qualified for the job. They take on this responsibility for personal reasons but they also never seem to forget that put into the wrong hands this could easily become a tool of evil.
While I found the beginning a little whiplash-like with its rapid timeline, by the middle of the novel the story had found the perfect pace of action, detail, and plot. I love a book that mixes in a decent amount of true history with fiction and the author properly notes at the end where truth ends and fiction took over.
Overall I found this to be a very good read.
January 4, 2016
Although 'The Radix' is a work of fiction, there is an incredible amount of factual history mixed in. Thankfully, Brett King includes a note at the book's end to explain which is which.
John is a true hero, a man's man. His dedication to his family is intense- to a fault. The string of additional heroes & villains is lengthy. Every major religion & myth is discussed to some extent. Brett King is respectful to each. There isn't any complaint there. Even the characters themselves have a P.C. dialogue regarding each. The plot was definitely a unique take on relic hunting.
There is quite a bit of violence including techniques involved in torture. My only complaint with the novel as a whole is the amount of unnecessary info added. Some of the historical background was just too much to the point where I skimmed it. It had no bearing on the outcome. I will agree with popular opinion that it is action-packed; however, the space used for useless facts would've been better as additional action scenes.
Regardless, it is a good book. I'm looking forward to the sequel. I give it 4 stars.
John is a true hero, a man's man. His dedication to his family is intense- to a fault. The string of additional heroes & villains is lengthy. Every major religion & myth is discussed to some extent. Brett King is respectful to each. There isn't any complaint there. Even the characters themselves have a P.C. dialogue regarding each. The plot was definitely a unique take on relic hunting.
There is quite a bit of violence including techniques involved in torture. My only complaint with the novel as a whole is the amount of unnecessary info added. Some of the historical background was just too much to the point where I skimmed it. It had no bearing on the outcome. I will agree with popular opinion that it is action-packed; however, the space used for useless facts would've been better as additional action scenes.
Regardless, it is a good book. I'm looking forward to the sequel. I give it 4 stars.
July 25, 2011
I have some bias toward this book, as it was penned by my uncle-in-law. Putting that aside, it really was a great story. From the start is is packed with suspense, action, and intrigue. Being the work of a psychology professor, there is a good amount of history strewn about, as well as plenty of mind games and twisting plots.
Part of my bias is based on my knowing that the author has been writing this for nearly ten years, and spend a good deal of time trying to break entry into publication. This process started for him right about the time that "The Da Vinci Code" was just hitting the shelves. What this means, is that he was independently writhing this story about the same time that Dan Brown was writing his best-seller. However, it wasn't until summer, 2010 that "The Radix" was released.
I would recommend this work to anyone, especially those with a love of history mingled with imagination.
Part of my bias is based on my knowing that the author has been writing this for nearly ten years, and spend a good deal of time trying to break entry into publication. This process started for him right about the time that "The Da Vinci Code" was just hitting the shelves. What this means, is that he was independently writhing this story about the same time that Dan Brown was writing his best-seller. However, it wasn't until summer, 2010 that "The Radix" was released.
I would recommend this work to anyone, especially those with a love of history mingled with imagination.
January 16, 2015
Radix is an easy read. You can finish it in one sitting. It is about a US Agent, trying to hunt down a relic with supernatural power, the Radix. In his mission, he is going to face many challenges, from his enemies and also his friends. Overall it is a classic thriller-chased Hollywood action.
The good thing about this book is that it doesn't try to exaggerate. It is written simply to entertain, and it does. It does not pretend to be the next great thing (like many other books, and failed). The author said honestly that this book is purely fictional, without any bases at all (unlike Dan Brown who claimed that his fiction is based on fact). So I bow to him for his honesty...
Overall, 3 stars.
The good thing about this book is that it doesn't try to exaggerate. It is written simply to entertain, and it does. It does not pretend to be the next great thing (like many other books, and failed). The author said honestly that this book is purely fictional, without any bases at all (unlike Dan Brown who claimed that his fiction is based on fact). So I bow to him for his honesty...
Overall, 3 stars.
January 16, 2016
WOW!
If I could give it ten stars, I would. Fast paced, action packed thriller, with a mystery that goes back 500 years. The first chapter will grab hold of you, and won't let go. Intelligently written, and thanks to the auto look-up features on Kindle, (worth taking the time to look deeper into certain things) I was able to learn a few things while reading this highly entertaining novel. Best book I've read in a long time. Would love to see this one made into a movie.
If I could give it ten stars, I would. Fast paced, action packed thriller, with a mystery that goes back 500 years. The first chapter will grab hold of you, and won't let go. Intelligently written, and thanks to the auto look-up features on Kindle, (worth taking the time to look deeper into certain things) I was able to learn a few things while reading this highly entertaining novel. Best book I've read in a long time. Would love to see this one made into a movie.
July 12, 2022
A well-written, action-packed, and engaging novel! I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot drew me in and had good momentum. Some bits were a little grandiose but that may be a side effect of the action/adventure genre. I must caution that I do have some bias here as King was one of my favorite professors (and he does sprinkle in some easter eggs for those who know him and his colleagues). That being said, this novel is a fun read, even for those unfamiliar with Brett King.
February 5, 2012
I'm a bit biased because I love the author, as anyone who's taken his class will say. The story is very interesting, the twists are great, and the historical details/inside jokes?(I guess that's what I'll call them) are awesome & hilarious. That said, the actual writing left a little to be desired (though I'd put it roughly on par w/ Dan Brown). 4/5 stars.
June 29, 2012
The Radix was a great action thriller to read from a first-time author. The Radix is a medicinal plant that was thought to have become extinct centuries ago. A difficult mission turns out even more difficult than expected as the **real** purpose has been shrouded in lies. Add in the cross-purposes by other parties, and this is a non-stop adventure. You WILL have trouble putting this book down.
July 11, 2013
very fun read, similar to Dan Brown (mixing fact with fiction, secret societies, crypto scavenger hunts) but not quite as well written. i picked it up for $1 on a Kindle sale and i'm glad that i did. it kept getting better as it went along, really picking up steam at around page 100 or so. the end was left wide open for a sequel, and if he writes one, i'll be reading it.
June 15, 2014
A combination of "James Bond" action and "National Treasure" mystery
The book was pretty well written. A nice mixture of impossible action with treasure seeking clues. There was quite a bit of jumping between characters which could lose you if you don't pay attention. All in all, not bad.
The book was pretty well written. A nice mixture of impossible action with treasure seeking clues. There was quite a bit of jumping between characters which could lose you if you don't pay attention. All in all, not bad.
October 24, 2013
I absolutely love these kinds of books where it involves lost treasures and religious mysteries. If you like Dan Brown books, you will love this one. I think I was some kind of archeologist or code breaker in a former life!
December 13, 2013
Radix
exciting novel.gripping tale.could not put down. would recommend to anyone who liked the Robert Langdon books or Indiana Jones movies .some interesting theories about certain symbol.
exciting novel.gripping tale.could not put down. would recommend to anyone who liked the Robert Langdon books or Indiana Jones movies .some interesting theories about certain symbol.
April 16, 2015
I was very surprise i was going to enjoy this story. The story has actual historical figures in the back story, but with a twist. the story carries itself very well, with a bit of adventure, suspense, and sci fi. I'm looking forward to reading another book by Brett King.
January 3, 2015
Oh, this book! For all its plot twists and turns and mix of fact and fiction, The Radix is a book I am grateful to have stumbled upon. And now, I just HAVE to go visit the Notre Dame. And explore the place for myself. Incredible writing by Brett King.
Read
May 3, 2010Am reading now, can't put it down. A great book.Feels like 8 am right there with them living the story.
January 31, 2012
Good twist of mystery, espionage, historical fiction and religion.
November 15, 2012
Would love to see it as a movie! Written with great detail, my imagination didn't have to work to visualize nor feel the suspense. Great book. Where is book 2?
February 25, 2013
I enjoyed this book! There was lots of action and history. Sometimes the dialog was a bit bogged down by too much information, but it was overall a fun read.
March 27, 2014
Good book
Very good read. I just could not put it down until I got to the end. If you like the Da Vinci Code, you'll like this.
Very good read. I just could not put it down until I got to the end. If you like the Da Vinci Code, you'll like this.
April 16, 2014
This book kept my interest. Well written story line.
February 14, 2015
Way too James Rollins wannabe. it just didn't grab me at all.
Currently reading
July 24, 2011Just read the cover and it looks very promising. I'll keep you posted.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews