Jake Ransom and his sister Katherine 'Kady' Ransom are left orphaned when their archaeologist parents disappear during an expedition in New Mexico. Three years later, a letter inviting the siblings to open an exhibit at the British Museum, in their parent’s honour, begins an incredible adventure when the Ransom’s are catapulted into the city of Calypsos, a place where Roman, Mayan and Viking civilizations (amongst others)appear to live simultaneously united by their fear of a banished rogue alchemist known only as The Skull King.

New York Times Bestselling author James Rollins is perhaps better known for adult adventure yarns as The Judas Strain, Amazonia and the movie adaptation of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. With his new protagonist, Jake Ransom Rollins ventures into the post-Potter hiatus by crafting an entertaining adventure that draws from many reference points; be that the fantastic elements of Jules Verne (Journey to the Centre of the Earth) HG Wells (The Time Machine) and touches of b-movie classics such as The Land that Time Forgot, Valley of Gwangi and She. But amid the fantastic are elements of speculative fiction. The fate of ancient civilizations; depictions of dinosaurs and the melding of legend and myth are all explored here, packaged with an intriguing sense of mystery.

There is clear reference to the Indiana Jones movies, but it is no less ingenious because of this. The author keeps the action and intrigue coming with fast paced narrative, whilst creating characters that have the reader embroiled in their welfare from the outset.

The first in the Jake Ransom series, The Skull King's Shadow may, ironically, be a challenger for Indy's archaeological crown in the months ahead. Excellent, rousing stuff!

Dave Jeffery