Spear of Destiny, ARKANE Thriller #13, Ebook

I enjoyed the various archives filled with books of every kind from various time periods. Gabriel was an interesting character, even if the circumstances of his conception are vile (as are all things Nazi-related). The various locations Morgan and Jake travel to are vivid in their descriptions, making one feel like one is there – as it is with all books in this series. The political unrest and zealotry felt genuine for our time. And there’s lots of action and adventure. Yet, something felt missing. I can’t put my finger on it, though. Maybe, despite all the great visuals (I mean, Morgan and Gabriel see demon hordes ready to possess the angry mob rallying in D.C. and spill blood) and Morgan’s niece in peril, the depth of emotion wasn’t there, pulling one fiercely along.

A fast-paced action adventure with a hint of the supernatural at the core, with parallels between Nazi Germany and modern-day USA.

*I received an ARC from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Trigger warnings: ritual rape hinted at, demonic possession, Nazis, grooming, blood curses, torture.

Spear of Destiny (ARKANE Book 13), my twenty-third read from author J.F. Penn. Captivating, with well-developed characters coupled with an outstanding suspense storyline with intricately woven twists & turns. Penn, as always, does a good job with her character development; you can like and/or hate these characters. I'll be reading more by this author as I get more of her books. "I received a Kindle copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review."(RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).

JF Penn has nailed it again. Morgan and Jake are chasing the parts of the alleged spear that pierced the side of Christ and has great power. Others are also searching for the same relic pieces and have already taken one piece from them. The historical facts and descriptions of the various places in Vienna, Lhasa, and other places are well researched. A great fictional story interwoven with historical events and places.

Nothing is ever simple for Morgan Sierra and Jake Timber. After their last mission where they faced a horrible demon which attacked Morgan, leaving her with a horrible curse, even though the demon was destroyed, Morgan has felt since that time like she is carrying the curse within her. Just when Morgan begins to research the curse, she is informed that her niece Gemma is dying from a malady with no known cause or cure. When Morgan realizes that her niece’s condition may be caused by the curse, she and Jake are sent on a mission to recover the Spear of Destiny stolen from a museum in Vienna. This relic has a very mysterious history, and is considered to garner incredible powers for both incredible curative uses or for extreme evil. As they begin their hunt, they find they are competing with a very elite military squad which appears to be after the same relic. Once again they find they are running for their lives, staying just ahead of an army which serves a power mad wanna-be dictator. What’s even more peculiar, the military squad leader seems to have very extraordinary capabilities that seem to connect with Morgan. It is again the mystery of the curse? As Morgan and Jake travel the work chasing clues, from a museum basement full of Nazi memorabilia, to a magnificent castle in Nuremberg, to a secret library in a Tibetian temple, to the underground in the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, time is running out for Gemma and to keep the power of the Spear from being unleashed, and not for good. As with all the other stories written by this author, the stories are extremely well researched and excellently written. At the end of each story is a explanation of the author’s research and how it is applied to the story. As usually, these stories are highly recommended, either individually or the entire series.

Morgan and Jake are pulled into a new quest to piece together a powerful spear and save the world. Plenty of twists and turns make this a great adventure.