Rating: 
Summary: Anasazi and Aztecs and Zombies - Oh, My!
Review: Child and Preston have gotten better with each succeeding novel, and Thunderhead is one of their most recent. At their best, they read rather like adult versions of Jonny Quest: exotic locales, a fair share of mystery, a lot of adventure and intrigue, and just a soupcon of sci-fi or the supernatural.The authorial dynamic duo this time take on the mystery of the disappearance of the Anasazi, and the search for a lost city of gold. Their research is up to date, and their posed solution for the Anasazi's disappearance/demise is quite intriguing. Local color is excellent, and the action superior - Douglas Preston once personally retraced Coronado's journey on horseback, and he does a great job making the reader feel the reality of it. The characters in Thunderhead are what really make it work, though. Bill Smithback, from the Relic books, is much more fully realized here than in his previous appearances. Heroine Nora is as sympathetic as they come: a previous reviewer said Sarah Michelle Gellar would be ideal for the role; they could have gone further, and noticed that the girl who becomes Nora's nemesis could as easily be played by Eliza Dushku, since the dynamic between the two in Thunderhead is a great deal like that of the two antagonistic Slayers in Buffy. The villains of the piece are far from black-hearted ogres, shaded with a very believable moral ambiguity, which is one of the greatest strengths of the book. My only complaint about Thunderhead is that it had to end. I'm given to understand that Nora and Bill are slated to appear in an upcoming C&P book, and that's good, because they started to feel like old friends by the time I was finished riding this long, involving adventure trail with them.
Rating: 
Summary: Is it raining again???
Review: I have read Relic, Riptide and Ice Limit all by the same authors and I enjoyed them all. Maybe I would have enjoyed this one more if it was the first one of them that I read as opposed to the 4th one. I guess after 4 books I got tired of "the biggest rain storm in 50 years" happening to set up the main problem. If you haven't read the other ones I mention read them first and maybe pick this up at the used book store when you run out of stuff to read.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Quest Kicked up with Southwestern Flavor
Review: The successful teaming of Douglas Preston's archaelogical/museum protocol expertise and Lincoln Child's savvy in predicting what the reading public finds exhilirating and belivable, scores big time in this entralling story of an archaelogical team searching for the Coronado's lost city of Quivara in the American Southwest. As in their earlier offerings, "Relic" and its sequel "Reliquary", the author's mesh together an eclectic cast of characters that flirt not only with archetypical evil in the form of a dark quasi-human, supernatural threat to their very lives, but with their own character flaws of greed and lust for immortality. Readers of "Relic" and "Reliquary" will be immensely pleased at the reappearance of journalist Bill Switchback--the quintessential Manhattanite-- riding an efficient albeit comedic horseback through the mesas of Utah's Badlands. The factual accounting of what actually transpires during a painstaking museum/institute field trip interjected with today's scientific data-gathering and technological procedures keeps the reader rooted in reality as the tale unfolds and the discoveries become more fantastic. This novel rates as an ultimate adventure tale, told in the same genre as Jurassic Park--it has the same elements that will entice the imagination as well as enough scientific fact to sway even the most doubting Thomas. I recommend this novel to anyone who mind journeys to Atlantis and Troy...anyone who enjoys a hearty blend of mythology with reality.
Rating:
Summary: Fast-paced and enjoyable, albeit somewhat predictable!
Review: After being somewhat disappointed with "Riptide", I was more than pleased with "Thunderhead" - authors Doug Preston and Lincoln Child's homage to the world of archeology. The authors have returned to the successful formula they used in "Relic" , "Reliquary", and "Mount Dragon" - that being a great plot "hook" to reel the reader quickly into the story along with plenty of action, graphic violence, and great characterization! Archeology professor, Nora Kelly, is stuck in a rut. She's backed into the corner of "publish or perish" that faces many young university faculty members and she really doesn't have anything to offer. That is, until she "receives" a letter from her long-dead father describing the hidden kingdom of the Anasazi Indians - an archelogical dig that could rival Howard Carter's unearthing of the riches of King Tut!
From there, Kelly and her eclectic team embark on an exciting and visually discriptive adventure. Almost every step of the way, mysterious Anasazi "skinwalkers" attempt to foil the teams efforts, even if it means murdering every one of them. If you're a fan of the aforementioned works of Preston and Child's, you won't be disappointed with "Thunderhead". It is a consistent pageturner that my only complaint with was a relatively predictable ending. Predictable, but satisfying, so I guess that makes it all ok.
Rating:
Summary: Definitely not disappointing
Review: I first read RELIC and then went for years before I thought to check about sequels or other books. I was pleased to see a nice selection. THUNDERHEAD caught my eye because of the description so I tried it. And loved it! Great descriptions, wonderful portrayal of characters, and I even got my favorite reporter back unexpectedly. A very interesting idea about the Anasazi too.
Rating:
Summary: 4 1/2 stars
Review: After I read Relic and Reliquary I decided to try Thunderhead. I found it to be as enjoyable as Relic and Reliquary. Nora Kelly received a letter written by her father sixteen years ago, but freshly mailed. In it he speaks of Quivira an Anasazi city that is supposedly filled with gold. He also mentions he is dying of a disease, and this disease will become a crucial part of the plot later on. Nora decides to set up an expedition with the head of her museum, Dr. Goddard. The team members are: Peter Holroyd, Sloane Goddard, Roscoe Swire, Aaron Black, Enrique Aragon, Bonarotti, Bill Smithback (the reporter in the Museum Beast novels) and, of course, Nora herself. So they set off, and eventually reach this city. Then horrible things happen (spoiler) This novel was strongly reminsicent of Relic, but the violence, while graphic, wasn't as bad as in Relic. Characters chane abruptly and horribly at the end. Overall Thunderhead was an excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Put It Down ! ! !
Review: This was one of the best books I've read in a long, long time. It was full of action, history, cultural tradition, mystery and magic. The character development was wonderfully written, and the interactions between the characters will keep you on the edge of your seat and always wondering what will happen next. Don't hesitate to grab this book. You won't be disappointed. It's the *best* of all the books I've read by Douglas and Preston.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I am a fairly new reader to the tandem of Child and Preston. I picked up Riptide from the discount shelf and enjoyed it so much I went back and got Thunderhead which I had seen right next to it. After zipping through both of them I have now purchased Relic (which I am in the middle of and loving), Reliquary and Mount Dragon. Thunderhead was action packed and really drew me into the story. My wife grew up in the Utah area and we spent many weekends out on Lake Powell so I was able to visualize the area and it made me feel like I was right there watching the entire story play out right before my eyes. Fantastic!
Rating:
Summary: Second only to RELIC
Review: I've read all of the books written by the team of Lincoln and Child. And by far RELIC is their best. Thunderhead is right there hanging with RELIC. I could not put Thunderhead down. The characters are ones you can believe and care about. Even old Smithback returns from RELIC to play a large role in Thunderhead. This story mixes south west archaeology with total terror in a way that you will not soon forget. An expedition to find Coronado's legendary Lost City of Gold turns into a fight to survive. Pick up this book and I promise you wont be able to put it down until you read the last line.
Rating:
Summary: Very good...
Review: Good book...not as good as Relic, but a good read nevertheless. It does have historical info re: American Indians that's fascinating and the connection between them and the protaganist(s) is nicely done. All in all, another great book from this duo!
| 
