ARTIFACT

A Daredevils Club Adventure

by:

Kevin J. Anderson, Janet Berliner,

Matthew J. Costello, F. Paul Wilson

a FORGE book (Tom Doherty Associates)

First Edition: May, 2003; first printing

CONDITION:  former library copy, with protective plastic jacket over book jacket; usual library markings; pages are nice and well-bound.  I am going to call it GOOD.

Deep in a tomblike cavern along the ocean floor lies a secret that has remained hidden from humanity. Until now. . .

An Oilstar drilling rig off the coast of Venezuela in the Dragon's Mouth channel has pierced an underwater cavern and brings to the surface four stones unlike anything on this earth.

The Daredevils embark on an adventure that takes them along the coast of Venezuela, from stealth jungle raids to deep-sea dives, from the haunts of Latin American power brokers to the camp of eco-terrorists. A fast-paced, thrill-a-minute hunt challenges the loyalties of the daredevils, as they become pawns in a deadly game of deceit and betrayal. After all the adrenaline rushes and spilt blood, the remaining members of the Daredevils Club gather once again on the following New Year's Eve, this time in Las Vegas, for one final confrontation, as Frik slips the five stones into place. . . as the unthinkable is created.

Commentaries on line:

Great story about some mysterious stones that lie deep in the ocean, and the race to connect them. Some great characters, and it's hard to tell it was written by four people.

Daredevils battle among themselves for control of an object of unlimited power.

In a world where we are constantly told to lower our expectations and accept the "vanilla" that our world is trying to become, it is an absolutely OUTSTANDING moment when well crafted, brilliantly executed adventure returns to our lives. ARTIFACT is that rare book, written by WRITERS (as opposed to creative typists) that engages, challenges, and entertains us at the maximum level possible. Consistently interesting, it is a novel you want to keep reading, and will become your constant companion at lunch, on trains, planes, and in every spare moment!

I agree with the quote from Clive Cussler on the book's jacket, "A page-turner with enough spellbinding intrigue to last until the authors' next tale." The story was fast; the characters and settings were

fascinating. The authors hooked me and didn't let me go until the end. I don't know what more someone could look for in a thriller.

ARTIFACT is a fast-paced, action thriller that never slows down as the story line moves faster than the speed of light.