Rating: 
Summary: Illumnati vs Vatican -- Not as good as Deception Point
Review: I bought this book for two reasons, I enjoyed Deception Point and I like Illuminati stories. If you have read Deception Point, you will be familiar with the basic flow of the book, main character gets whisked off to investigate strange happening and a 24-hour whirlwind of activity begins.In this book, Robert Langdon is said character. He has been summoned to a Swiss research facility to help investigate a murder that implicates the mysterious organization known as the Illuminati. Langdon happens to be an expert. Science and history are bent to the breaking point as we learn that a large quantity of anti-matter has been created and it has been stolen. It turns up in the Vatican. Supposedly the Illuminati are behind the plot and they are planning to wipe out their old foes the Catholic Church. But there is a Conclave going on to appoint a new Pope and the favorites have been kidnaped from the Vatican itself. Langdon must unravel the secrets of the Illuminati if they are to save the Cardinals and the Vatican. Langdon has a mere four hours to accomplish what he has been unable to do in twenty years. But he does anyway. Typical Brown subplots and major twists guarantee to final answers until the final page or two. I had a lot of trouble with the inaccurate science, the Captain of the Swiss Guard who will not take a threat seriously, and Langdon's ability to figure out what is going on. A romance plot line is added so that Langdon can have someone else point out the not-so-obvious once in a while. Still, it is a gripping book that keeps the reader hooked if only to see how things turn out (even if you can't believe it). As for the bit about what was done "without sin", Brown seems to be unfamiliar with both the procedure and the Church's stand on one of the steps. Deception Point is much better.
Rating:
Summary: Unsatisfying ending
Review: The book is interesting, fast paced but has a very unsatisfying and inprobable ending. I am asking myself: "Do you realy expect me to believe that?"
Rating:
Summary: Angels??
Review: I read Angels and Demons and found the first 90% excellent -- but then the author lost me. The ending seemed so contrived and convoluted, I really skimmed the last 15 pages -- it just did not make sense. I gave the book to a friend who offered me The DaVinci Code in return, I told her maybe in Sept I will be ready to cope with it. His website was not that good.
Rating: 
Summary: A 3.9 on a point scale of 5-Fun and Fast
Review: I enjoyed Angels and Demons. I appreciate Dan Brown's take on the international thriller genre: a combination of religious history, contemporary issues and fast paced action. I purchased this book after I read the DaVinci Code, which I loved. This book is not as good as that one: clearly Brown matured as a writer in both plot development and his style of prose. However, I still found this book a fun and fast read. Brown again educates the reader on an historical religious sect: this time it is the Illuminati. Brown also uses exciting international settings-Switzerland and Rome-as backdrops. He has the same hero (a swashbuckling Harvard professor) and a beautiful, intelligent female sidekick. I would recommend this book for those who enjoyed the DaVinci Code, though I would caution the reader not to expect the same level of entertainment. I also would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys the thriller genre. I would not recommend this book for individuals with strong religious beliefs who would prefer not to be challenged in this arena.
Rating:
Summary: Fast paced adventure but with poor realism
Review: Dan Brown is a good storyteller if you approach his books without an overly critical eye at the research and plot. Very fast paced, and will most certainly keep you turning the pages. However, you might be turning those pages wondering just how much more ridiculous the story is going to be. Robert Langdon, a Harvard professor specializing in symbolism, having been faxed a gruesome picture of a murder scene with an Illuminati symbol; is then rushed to CREN, the largest physics lab in the world, to view the symbol. From here Robert encounters this horrible murder scene, and there the story blasts off leading Robert, and the victims adopted daughter Victoria to Rome. In Rome they move forward trying to piece together this ancient puzzle of the Illuminati to find the killer and stop the destruction of the Catholic Church on the eve of Conclave. Sounds interesting right, well it does make for an interesting idea, however I believe Dan makes his characters out to be just to super-hero like for me. I doubt that a Harvard professor and a brilliant and sexy yoga-master scientist could single handedly solve the puzzle of the Illuminati path of Illumination, all in the time frame Dan puts it in. If you expect the action to carry even a hint of realism you might want to check this out at the library first before buying it. Dan's research on the Illuminati is sound, but doesn't offer anything spell bounding in regards to revelations about the Illuminati. It's the standard story offered up in history books galore about a group of scientists that was persecuted by the Church, who has a diabolical plan to one day destroy the Church's hold on humanity. New World Order brought forth by this secret society that infiltrates all major political, media and business positions of power. To the reader that has no previous knowledge about the Illuminati, this book might reveal some interesting information; someone else though who has even hit a web-page or two will see nothing other than the "official" story. Another quick note on research, it has some shortcomings on things which are not Illuminati related, such as his references to Yoga and Buddhist philosophy. I mean if the guy flew to the Vatican, had an audience with the Pope; he could at least get a couple of facts about Yoga and Buddhism correct. Nit picking aside, the book will keep you going. If you have read Digital Fortress or perhaps other Dan Brown novels, you will enjoy this one. Beware though if you don't enjoy learning about the Illuminati, the Catholic Church's corruption, and other bits of related information because they are everywhere in this book. The book made me feel like I was in the "brotherhood", being able to extract the factual information from a fictional story. And that I think makes this book fun to read.
Rating:
Summary: Faaaar-fetched melodrama. But thanks for trying, Dan.
Review: Kudos to Dan Brown for the supreme intelligence he's brought to the international intrigue genre. The info on the Vatican, the various Italian artists discussed and the Illuminati is unbelievably fascinating (to me, at least), and Brown is an expert puzzle-maker. But the plotting is ridiculously convoluted and, by the end, completely without plausability. (Are we actually supposed to believe that all this happens in one day? And most of it in four hours? Come on!!) Too bad. Brown is a good writer (the reader is never bored; far from it), but he's bitten off far more than he can chew here. And truth to tell, for all his intelligence, the hero's a real dud. What the voluptuous Italian heroine sees in him is a mystery.
Rating: 
Summary: Fast and furious!
Review: It's just entertaining. The reviews below praise this book better. All I can add is that this writer seems to be very good at keeping a lot of different sub-plots going at the same time and yet tying them together at the end. I know nothing of Catholic theology, the Vatican, Rome or anti-matter: but this book sure makes it interesting. A thriller with a brain...praise the lord.
Rating:
Summary: A pope, a map, a cross, a city & a few conCERNs...
Review: I concur with reviewers who felt this was a somewhat flawed book but fun to read. His "Da Vinci Code" and "Digital Fortress" are also entertaining. Rather than cover other reviewers' complaints about "bent" language and strange science, my interest is in the layout of Rome as pivotal to the plot. As a lover of science/fiction, I am prepared to allow "imaginary science," including CERN-designed batteries strong enough to contain a chaotically oscillating plasma, in order to set up a story line. My conCERN is that the Map of Rome at the beginning of the book is significantly "bent," a feature recognized by Brown as he has his protagonist Langdon try to rescue deductions about a verse of clues by Galileo Galilei. Langdon decides that the axes of the resulting asymmetric diamond/kite are what he wants, rather than the oddly shaped "kite" formed by the sites named in the story. But on the actual layout of Rome, these axes do not match the needed orientation, so the map artist drew them so they did match (this did some really odd things to the roads around Piazza Navona). Mr. Brown gives the idea that his books are carefully researched, in part because Robert Langdon is a Harvard art historian of international standing and in part because the stories are rich in detail. I would have given this book 4 stars, but the map of its central premise "bends" the structure of Rome to match the story. Disappointing, because it would have been fun to go to Rome with the book in hand as a "tour guide." Without revealing more plot details than is necessary, let me say that there is a symmetrical Illuminatus-like "diamond" in Rome, just not the one Brown describes as "deduced" by the character Langdon. The Illuminatus "Diamond" I describe below has axes oriented parallel to those of St. Peter's Basilica: map it out for yourself, if you are interested. This "diamond" is consistent with Brown's/Galileo's (conveniently washed away) clues. I give the clue line numbers only here: if you want the exact clues with their significance to the plot, buy the book. Line One (EARTH):
An earthly chapel at Santa Maria d. Popolo with a "death in flight" motif whose designer was an Illuminatus.
Line Two (WATER):
Santa Maria d. Angeli: redesigned from Roman baths by Michaelangelo with a floor plan that includes an equal armed cross and a holy water font by a Bernini student. It also has a meridian (path of light) that was used to regulate time in Rome.
Line Three (AIR):
Along the Meridian (path of light) to St. Peter's Square and a certain sculpture.
Line Four (FIRE):
There is an angel on a panel of the cypress door at Santa Sabina. Ancient Santa Sabina is a station church on Ash Wednesday, when ashes are distributed. The Earth-Air-Fire-Water sequence (Santa Maria d. Popolo to Saint Peter's to Santa Sabina to Santa Maria d. Angeli)) takes you around the "diamond" to the left, ending at the Lair of the Illuminati along the meridian (path of light). Check this out on a map: the orientation of this "diamond" fits with Brown's final brand of the Illuminatus, has two of his locations and requires no distortion of the map of Rome. And the garden around a certain "castle" is an incomplete 5 pointed star on the "real" map of Rome, not as pentagonal as drawn on Brown's map. However, the significance of "5" is the same. One could also play some math games with the "diamond I have suggested. By the way, there is a compass in Saint Peter's square... And if historical novels with careful scholarly footnotes are to your taste, I recommend "Gospel" by Barnhart.
Rating:
Summary: Fun and Clever Plot
Review: This book's premise is imaginative and clever--the Illuminati seem to have been resurrected and have the Vatican in their sights! The main character is charmingly human and vulnerable. And the plot keeps turning and twisting enough to keep you guessing. Also, if you have been to Rome, you will enjoy how the author works all the main sight-seeing landmarks into the plot. Although some of the dialog seems a little clunky to me, and perhaps some of the plot twists have holes if you look too closely, my advice is to suspend disbelief and go along for the ride! You'll find it a fun, quick read.
Rating:
Summary: Exploding Page Turner
Review: I never read a Dan Brown book until I read his best selling thriller "The Da Vinci Code". The can't-put-it-down page turner captivated my literary senses, and played with intriguing, fun themes. Naturally, I went to the first book in which the character of Robert Langdon appeared, and found it to be equally compelling, if somewhat over-the-top in some parts. Robert Langdon is introduced as a symbologist, who's awakened early in the morning by a phone call and subsequently, a very disturbing fax. His adventures thus begin, and literally do not stop until the next day.
What lies between those two points provides an enjoyable, challenging story that is compelling, imaginative, and thrilling. Brown's style is rich with philosophical bantering, provided by his characters at prime moments in the action when they are given "breathers" to discuss certain developments. This allows the reader to feel as if he's learning something as the story spins around him. However, Brown's style is also somewhat shallow and lacking a true depth into his characters. He basically sets up the characters very quickly, and away they go. But this lack of depth didn't bother me. I didn't read this book to get inspired by insightful characters. I read this book to get involved with a mind blowing thriller that I couldn't put down, and Brown delivers on every page. However, unlike "The Da Vinci Code", there were times that the events in this book seemed somewhat incredibly fantastical and unbelievable. Fortunately, it wasn't too often, so I let them go. Angels and Demons provides many pages of good reading fun, with a few incredible devious twists thrown in. You won't want it to end.
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