Serpent

A Dane Maddock Adventure (Dane Maddock Adventures, Book 13)

By: David Wood

Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer

Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

What lurks in the heart of the jungle?

High in the Andes, Dane Maddock and Bones Bonebrake discover a secret prison cell where a Spanish explorer lived out his final days. The words carved into the wall seem like the ravings of a madman, but they are the key that opens the door to an ancient mystery.

Hidden somewhere in the depths of the Peruvian Amazon is the Inca’s lost City of the Serpent, the gateway to the underworld. Boundless treasure and unimaginable power lie in wait for those who are clever enough to follow the clues left by the mysterious Cloud People. But Maddock and Bones are not the only ones searching for the city, and to get there, they must brave the perils of the jungle and the deadly guardians of the underworld as they come face to face with the giant serpent of the Amazon.

Classic adventure for the modern listener! Fans of Indiana Jones, Dirk Pitt, and National Treasure will love the Dane Maddock adventures!

©2020 David Wood (P)2021 Gryphonwood Press

Sort of liked

I liked the book somewhat but it’s just getting really crazy out there. I loved when they stuck with the biblical mystery stuff better.

Yes! Another Great Maddock Tale

I always enjoy when the Dane and Bones adventure in jungles. This one beat out Quest, which is one of my favorites. I especially liked the way Dane's new love interest is part of the tale, and doesn't slow things down (like when he and Bones go off to seek the treasure--and their encounters with Yacumama).

As always, Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job bringing Dane and Bone's adventure to life, with its twists and surprises.

Bones & Maddock!

Serpent by David Wood is brimming full of action, adventure and vibrant imagery. The author has created wonderful characters in Dane Maddock and Bones. These two guys never fail to deliver a great adventure. Jeffrey Kafer is outstanding bringing them to life with his distinguished voices. I especially loved his "Valley Girl" inflection in one of the supporting characters. This book is both a standalone listen and part of a series. I loved how I could envision so many details, and the subtle humor was great.

A fun read

Action, adventure, and history plus the banter between the main characters makes for an enjoyable read.

Another Excellent Adventure Story

So first and foremost, I don't like snakes. Now, that being said - this book freaked me out because a lot of it was about snakes, a very very large snake in particular. Now, reading the title of Serpent, that makes sense. It was nothing that I still didn't fly through and enjoy thoroughly, I just had to say that upfront.

Serpent was one of those books that I just couldn't put down. I think I finished it in 2 days and in 2 listening sessions. I just put it on and flew through it. Wood's writing has always done that to me and this series along with its spinoffs are all so darn enjoyable. This one sees the same cast and crew we're used to just getting back from their last adventure, Contest, and there are some callbacks and I think they mention at least one or two newer people that were introduced more recently - but the best part is that you could pick this book up and read it as a normal adventure book and still enjoy it. Sure, you'd miss some of the camaraderie and the back and forth between Bones and Maddock but the core story is still enjoyable on its own.

The different things that Wood either comes up with or hears about from different cultures and areas make each one of these books so fun and enjoyable. I know that each one is going to feature something absolutely insane and I'm going to love it. This time it had a few things (including a massive twist towards the end) that even throughout I would say out loud to myself "What?". All of Wood's stories have that effect on me and I love it.

Overall, Serpent was a blast to listen to. Full of adventure and exotic locales - it was fun and action-packed from beginning to end. Throw in the excellent narration from Jeffrey Kafer and it's near a perfect book. Especially if you'd read the other books in the series, or happen to like Adventure stories like Indiana Jones, National Treasure, and Dirk Pitt. Also, I'm not sure if I've called them out before, but these stories also have a modern-day Assassin's Creed feel to them. They are always fighting against another force for things and it has that same back-and-forth that the AC games have.

another fun adventure

If adventure has a name it must be Indiana...eerrr oops. Just kidding, but I couldn't help thinking about Indiana Jones as I listened to this one. Of course I'll admit most adventure novels that even touch on anything archeological make me think of Indy, but this one with one especially, what with the giant snakes (among other giant creatures) and all. Serpent is another fun entry in David Wood's long running series, with Maddock and Bones back for another wild adventure. It's fast paced and action packed, everything you've come to expect from the series. I'm honestly surprised Netflix or one of the other streaming services hasn't optioned the series yet. As always, Jeffrey Kafer does a fantastic job with the narration bringing all the action to life. Now the wait for the next one begins.

Fun & action packed

I enjoyed this Maddock and Bones Peruvian jungle adventure that mixes history, mythology, culture, supernatural and adventure. You are quickly drawn into the story by the wild adventure, appealing characters, fun repartee and great narration. I love how culture and folklore is woven through the story and, as is normal with this series, Bones’ humour shines through. Jeffrey Kafer does an excellent job of narration, giving each character their own voice and keeping them consistent form book to book. This audiobook is fun and action-packed from beginning to end.