The Alexander Cipher

Daniel Knox, Book 1

By: Will Adams

Narrated by: David Colacci

Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

Egyptologist Daniel Knox's lifelong fascination with Alexander the Great and his tomb, a fabled wonder of the ancient world, could be the death of him. After construction workers excavating in Alexandria expose a catacomb dating back to ancient times, Knox eagerly sneaks in to scout the cavernous and dusty site. Among the relics he finds clues that may solve one of the world's greatest mysteries: the last resting place of Alexander the Great. An unconquerable warrior king, Alexander was the single most powerful man on the planet and thought to be a god.

Now, nearly 2,500 years later, the discovery of his tomb, seemingly lost forever, is within reach, triggering a deadly hunt for one of the greatest treasures of all time. Knox is not the only seeker; others are after the prize, and they would kill to win it.

In the spirit of the great adventure-thrillers by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Clive Cussler, Raymond Khoury, and Steve Berry, The Alexander Cipher is a rip-roaring ride through history, archaeology, and the great deserts of Egypt.

©2009 Will Adams (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

“A razor-edged thriller that delves deeply into crumbling tombs and ancient secrets. Explosively paced and tautly told.” (James Rollins)

"This is a hugely entertaining thriller, very much in the vein of Matthew Reilly: an adroit mixture of action, character, and history." ( Booklist)

"A plausible, fun heist-thriller that compels the [listener] to wonder, What if?" ( Library Journal)

Okay but hard to follow on tape

This is your run of the mill adventure book set in Egypt. As the name indicates, the characters are searching for the long lost tomb of Alexander the Great. It's pretty much like Indiana Jones with the bad guys chasing the hero, and the hero continually escaping from their clutches. There is some interesting history, but overall the story and the writing are only B average. The one difficult part of listening to the book on tape is that the story is told from many characters' viewpoints, so it is difficult to keep track of who is speaking. The narrator does a decent job, but is still confusing at many points in the story.

I would rate this a fair "mindless" listen, but nothing really special. It did leave me wanting to know more about Alexander as a historical figure and I have added a more biographical novel on him to my wish list.

Entertaining Egypt Mystery

What did you love best about The Alexander Cipher?

Who doesn't enjoy a story including Egypt, archaeology, mystery, suspense, bad guys and a bit of romance?

What did you like best about this story?

The idea of being a fly on the wall as a find of major significance is made.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

He did a good job of narration. I appreciated that he didn't try to sound like a woman when voicing a female character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The characters created by Will Adams seemed to fall clearly in two camps, one which I liked and the other which I thoroughly disliked. As usual, I listen to stories out loud at work but there were quit a few F-bombs in the dialogue so I used headphones for this one.

Any additional comments?

The book was entertaining but with a language warning.

Very strong start to a (hopefully) lengthy series

I chose this author because my library system stated his stories/style were similar to Clive Cussler's. While Mr. Adams' characters are well developed through this story, and the historical and geographical research is quite impressive, Will has more road to travel before he can be accurately compared to Clive Cussler.

That said, the story was VERY enjoyable. The plot and characters were believable and the conclusion pulled all of the loose ends together quite nicely.

David Colacci's narration was stellar! He made the story come alive through his mastery of dialects, making each character's dialog sound unique and genuine.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, strong storylines, and superb narration.

Not the best narrator, but...

Any additional comments?

if you can get use to his cadence - it's a good listen.

An exciting adventure

Egyptologist Daniel Knox is hired by a marine archeologist friend to dive in a newly discovered catacomb discovered at a hotel building site in Alexandra. This leads to a hunt for Alexander the Great's tomb. Lots of action, bit of history of Ptolemy tossed in and information about Alexander the Great. Suspense, humor, chases and good character build up for possible a series. Will Adams has a writing style similar to Clive Cussler. This is an action historical fiction book. I have always enjoyed listening to David Colacci and he does his usual great job narrating the book.

Intrigue and History - a pretty good mix

I liked this one. History, suspense, but not a hard-core thriller. I liked the main character and some of the supporting cast and would like to see them in another story.

A lot of fun

As an amature Ptolemaic archaelogist, I'm a sucker for this kind of book. Along with the Holy
Grail and Ark of the Covenant, Alexander's tomb is one the great lost treasures of the past. The Alexander Cipher although lightweight, is fast paced, well-written and from an historical and archealogical standpoint is pretty much dead on. The author knows ancient and modern Egypt as well, and he uses his knowledge of the country to serve up some unexpected twists. It's a fun way to fill up twelve hours or so, and you pick up some interesting information as well.

Quite an Adventure

What made the experience of listening to The Alexander Cipher the most enjoyable?

I enjoy adventure books that involve archaeology. This is similar to Boyd Morrison series of Tyler Locke thrillers like "The Ark".

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The plot builds slowly and reaches an exciting climax in the last few chapters.

What about David Colacci’s performance did you like?

I enjoyed his voice and he did an excellent job!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When they finally find Alexander the Great's Tomb.

Any additional comments?

I look forward to listening to the next book in the series "The Exodus Quest". I hope that Will Adams will write more books. I would have given it 5 stars if there wasn't some many "F Bombs".

A Rollicking Fun Story.

I always love finding new authors who write great stories. And Will Adams fits that description perfectly. History is full of stories of people searching for Alexander the Great's body and his wealth. Will writes an excellent story that flows well and makes for a great listen. Our hero saves lives, gets the girl, and becomes the hero in the end. Well, not exactly and that is one of the best parts of the story. The ending lays the groundwork for the next story and a definite antagonist.

An excellent narration by David Colacci as well.

Looking forward to the next episode.

needs better chapter breaks

Would you consider the audio edition of The Alexander Cipher to be better than the print version?

Probably not, because in the printed version one would be able to see where one chapter ends and the next begins. When listening to a book, it's vital that the reader (or sound editor? SOMEONE) pause between chapters so the listener can follow the story.
It frequently took me a sentence or two (which I then had to rewind and listen to again) to realize we were in a new scene or chapter - just annoying.