Rogue Angel: Destiny

by Alex Archer

Worldwide, July 2006, 346 pp. Mass Market paperback, $6.50

Rogue Angel: Solomon’s Jar

by Alex Archer

Worldwide, Sept. 2006, 346 pp. Mass Market Paperback, $6.50

These two books are the beginning of a bi-monthly series of novels about the bearer of Joan of Arc’s Sword who defends the world from evil in our time. She is Annja Creed, an archaeologist and explorer. When she touched the fragmented Sword of Joan it immediately became whole and vanished, but she found she could recall it at need from whatever realm it vanished to.

Destiny: Annja was in Lozere France researching the Legend of The Beast of Gevaudan for a TV program called Chasing History’s Monsters. Unknown to her there existed a Brotherhood whose sole purpose was to keep the Church’s involvement and guilt in the matter safely buried even if they had to bury the occasional archaeologist.

She was led to the final fragment of the Sword by a mysterious Frenchman named Roux while fleeing from the Brotherhood of the Silent Rain and a criminal named Lesauvage. Roux and his apprentice Garin had been assembling the other fragments for centuries.

She must come to grips with her new Destiny while trying to stay alive and defeat some serious Evil. She succeeds and we move on to:

Solomon’s Jar: Annja was looking at alt.archaeolog.esoterica and found a reference to a brass jar fitting the description of the Jar in which Solomon imprisoned the Demons he used to build the Temple. She set out to investigate and so did others who wished personal power. Thus Annja and the Sword of Joan were again embarked on the defense of the World from serious evil. She has to contain the Evil and not let the Cultists or the religious Zealots gain the power of the Jar.

Both novels are quick reads with lots of action and interesting characters. The continuing characters are of particular interest. One is almost tempted to associate Roux with a much earlier Wizard and a much more famous Sword. Garin is morally ambivalent and quite interesting. The various villains are well drawn and delightful. Annja is interesting. She does not find the image of herself as the Bearer of The Sword and Defender of The Good an easy one to bear. The books are fun. I look forward to Rouge Angel: The Spider Stone due out in November. – Gary Swaty