Forbidden City

Rogue Angel #5

by Alex Archer (pseudonym), Mel Odom

A stunning artifact holds the key to an untapped power of global destruction...

While working on a dig in the California wilderness, archaeologist-adventurer Annja Creed uncovers evidence of a tragedy that's linked to Chinese miners during the days of the Gold Rush. A sudden attack on the site by shadow figures drives Annja to find the connection to a mysterious buried city in China. Lured by legends of gold, betrayal and the vengeance of a Han Dynasty overlord, Annja travels on the Orient Express, battling avaricious treasure hunters and a modern-day descendant of an ancient league of assassins. Her adversaries will stop at nothing to stake their claim on the fabled lost city, where a Han leader's dark past promises doom for those who dare to reveal its evil power.

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Action, Mystery

349 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 2007

About the author

A house name for the Rogue Angel series, published by the Harlequin Publishing's Gold Eagle division.

The first eight novels were written by Victor Milan and Mel Odom. New writers joining the series starting with book nine include Jon Merz and Joseph Nassise.

Reviews

[Maria Dimitrova · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wondered when Rogue Angel will tackle some Chinese mystery :D With its rich mythology to draw from the Far East is a favourite playground for uf writers.

I enjoyed the story about the lost city of thieves but what really grabbed me was the cast of new characters. I adored Kelly and her father, even though the latter had very little page time. I would have liked to learn more about the flashback that started of the story and those fox spirits they kept talking about. In Annja's world it's possible that they exist.

Garin and Rue's appearances was another highlight. I always like it when the old man shows up. It's always interesting to see how the dynamic of the relationship between Annja and Rue changes. For most of the book I wanted to kill Garin but something tells me he might be redeemable. And that we haven't seen the last of him. I'm really curious as to what the favour Rue now owns him will end up being :)

Much like the previous instalments Forbidden City is fast paced and action oriented. A bit shorter it took me less than a day from start to finish and it got my blood pumping with some pretty intense action sequences. I know I'm repeating myself but I just can restrain myself from pointing out that with it's light themes (well light compared to some of the other uf I tend to read) this is an excellent series to get into during the summer months.

[Starfire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly standard Annja Croft/Lara Creed fare - fun, but ultimately a bit like eating junk food in terms of substance, and great when I feel like switching my brain off.

Like many of the other reviewers, I really liked Kelly Swan as the super-CIA-assassin-cum-ninja (the ninja hypothesis, people, the ninja hypothesis!) and hope she turns up again in later books.

Plus, the complex relationship between Annja, Roux and Garin is always fun to explore.

In the end though, the series is what it is - light, entertaining archaeological adventures that read like Tomb Raider movies in novel format.

Which, hey, works just fine for me :-)

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, so I hadn't realized how long had passed since I finished listening to this and having my computer back so as to do a review. Whooops.

So... it was enjoyable. Nothing really special with this one that I can recall, but it kept me entertained, and I didn't dislike it.

I will of course listen to the next one as the productions are really well done.

This was actually the first book where I realized that they are written by different authors like an anthology series featuring the same character as opposed to just being a very prolific series by a single author.

[Paraphrodite · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

Another treasure hunt, this time in China, with lots of "Indiana Jones" traps. Another baddie and his minions using Annja to help them find the hidden city where the treasure is rumoured to be.

We are introduced to another interesting character, Kelly Swan, an ex-CIA trained assassin out to avenge her father's death and with a connection to the hidden city. I hope we get to see more of her in the next books.

Roux and Garin are both present. Roux is after some jade statue whilst Garin teamed up with the bad guy. The relationships between the three of them are so complicated and interesting and I just can't figure the guys out yet, so I'm still invested...

[Mrs. S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books in the series. The historical aspect of the Chinese culture alone makes this an enjoyable book. The plots for the Rogue Angel series are routine, but what sets each apart are the historical and mythical aspects of the books. I am not going to go into details of the plot since others have done this so well. In Forbidden City, a new character is introduced, Kelly, a Chinese woman with some deep issues and a kick butt personality of her own. Great new character and I hope she will be around again. You would think that with so many plots and interlocking storylines, the book would get convoluted, but Archer handles them with ease without me ever feeling lost.

I know I am not alone in thinking these books would make a great movie series. A woman who can hold her own, fight like a fiend and still have compassion and caring for others. WOW!

I know I've found a gem of a book when I start turning down pages so I can investigate the information contained within the book i.e. Emperor Qin's death, City of Sand, RazorClaws gang, Chinese history in American/California gold-mining towns. If a book is fiction, based on real historical events, it make me want to find out more. I think an author who stokes curiousity in the reader enough to motivate them to research further is considered a success in my book. Almost all of the Rogue Angel books have this effect on me.

Update - Just found Alex Archer is a pseudonym used by the publisher, but the books are written by various authors. This explains why so many of the books are uneven and made me wonder why Annja's personality and actions seemed in variance to the original book.

Definitely would recommend this book.

[Mary X · Rating 4 out of 5]

These make excellent audiobooks for long car rides. A little violent for little kids but my teenage daughter loves them when we take a road trip. And because they're shorter, they're really good for day trips. You don't have to worry about it taking months to get through a 20 disc book because you only listen in the car.

[Ann Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Me · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate these books, or comment on them. I mean, here I sit, in my office at home, and I have books from such urban fantasy authors such as Nancy Collins and Cherie Priest and Stacia Kane (and a whole mess of others) all around me and then I have...the Rogue Angel series.

For mind candy, these books aren't too bad.

Ok.

Written in the cheesiest man-fiction (a just made that term up) possible...the books, like this book, are fast reads, short on description, the reader doesn't have to do much thinking, but what's odd for man-fiction, the protagonist isn't some sort of bikini-armor wearing sword swinging trollop, but a respectable force on her own.

This one takes us for a romp from California to New York and to China, all the while trying to find some old dude's treasure and a powerful artifact that...dang it...I wanted to know more about. I mean...so there are so many plot devices that could be explored here...so many...okay..."why are there ancient artifacts..." that...dang it, tell me more!

harumph

Guess I'll read the next one.

The bad guys are still made out of cardboard, though.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another satisfying entry in this great escape-reading series! As with all the books, written by one of a stable of Gold Eagle authors under the nom de plume Alex Archer, in this case Mel Odom. Odom wrote a good number of these, many of the early ones.
Here, Annja Creed ventures out to California to help someone hike into the wilderness to locate the remains of an old Gold Rush mining camp. Her client hopes to find remains from his Chinese ancestor, one of those drawn to the gold fields in hopes of finding a fortune. Like many, he found death instead. Her client, Huangfu Cao, believes that his ancestor had a family heirloom which he hopes to recover. They find it, but just as quickly lose it to a band of Chinese mercenaries. Annja is sufficiently intrigued by the heirloom and the forgotten knowledge it portends to travel to China and attempt to recover it. She is quickly joined by her mentor Roux, and things move quickly once the story gets off the ground.
Great stuff, I look forward to the next.

[Josette Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found these books quite a few years ago. Way before there were fifty something books. I am glad I found them again. I really love the artifacts and archeological history as well as the supernatural twist. It is more difficult to find the older versions. But I will find them. Aanja is like Lara Croft. Only better. She finds interesting items and then has to research them. Also thrown in is the fact she wields the Joan Of Arc sword at will. What could be better?

[Ruby Ridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the best in the series but not the worst either, kinda interesting historically but the action was to a large extent farmed out to the supporting characters. Lot of loose ends.
The series is easy reading which is sometimes exactly what you need everything does not need to be a learning experience!

[Zee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've decided I like the books in this series best that have the bad boy - Garrin - in them. Fast-paced, thrill ride to the end, my ONLY irk in the book - and this is why it's 4 stars, rather than 5, is we never find out WHAT it was or WHAT it would do!

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The endings always feel a bit rushed in these books, but overall they’re very enjoyable and I’m invested in Annja’s life. I’m glad they’re are so many of these because I have too much time on my hands and I’m determined to read all of the Annja Creed books

[Eadrinor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this installment for the sake that it was less gory than previous, but overall the plot was a bit lackluster.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best cast of characters so far for this series! I really enjoyed this book!

[Becky Uthe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Q

[Paschalis]

elibrary

[Ralph Carlson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining read.

[Winston Crutchfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another stellar Graphic Audio adaptation. This book I think marks the real beginning of the series, where Annja's relationship with Roux and Garin becomes less adversarial and begins to evolve into something complex. Love the mystery, love the action, love Annja Creed. This is a great example of the series, even if it's a little heavier on the action with less time for Annja to shine than most of the books.

[Keziah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant addition to the Rogue Angel series. I liked the character of Kelly as another strong female perfectly able to take care of herself. Establishing that although Annja is special, she is not the only woman in the world able to take on the boys and win. I also adored the interaction between Garin, Roux and Annja. All of whom are bound together and do actually care about each other, but also bound and determined not to trust each other. In particular Garin's attitude to Roux was quite interesting.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The adventures of Annya Creed continue in Forbidden City. Except for the cover, which makes absolutely no sense at all, the book was a pretty good read. I especially love the fact that the team of writers that put this story together, added a fiesty and appealing new character to the mix in Kelly Suen aka Kelly Swan. Kelly is a CIA trained assassin who returns to China only to find her father murdered, and a piece of the puzzle left behind for her to search out a mysterious lost treasure. I guess I will have to continue reading the series to see if she is once again added to the story line.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like adventure stories with a bit of magic thrown in, then you will enjoy the Rogue Angel series by Alex Archer. Annja Creed is the new holder of the sword, Joan of Arc's sword. With it comes special abilities that come in handy in her career as an archeologist. When she is searching for a client's ancestor in the gold camps of California, she discovers a priceless artifact that leads to the City of Thieves.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is by far my favorite of the series. The chinese history and folklore was very interesting. I liked how the story switched to different characters every chapter. I definitely like when Mel Odom is the author for this series. I feel like he understands Annja more and her relationship with Roux and Garin. In the other novels they are hardly brought into the story. Annja and Roux relationship has really grown in this book. I hope the other novels stick to this format.

[Alice Segura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series by Alex Archer is historically interesting and takes you on a tour of world sites. Whether one believes in Joan of Arc or the magic of her sword, the whole set is what to read when you don't know what you want to read. Certainly some of them are better than others, but on the whole I savor them and read them for a treat. I would recommend to start with the first book so that you can acquaint yourself with the characters, long lived immortals, plus on mortal.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great. The action was riveting. Taking place first in the California gold rush town, where Annja is betrayed by the person she helping find a family heirloom. Then in the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.
There are new characters introduced, as well as Roux and Garin who continue to pop up on occasion.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very much a Tomb Raider type of feel to this book. The main character, Anya, is definitely worht the read. She istough, smart, and relateble. Archer does a good job of drawing you in and balancing the action/adventure with slower moments developing the characters. Even though I am new to this series I did not feel lost at all. A good fun read.

[Cleo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am saving 5 stars for spectacular so 4 is great. I love this series about the Rogue Angel - well written and a scenario that would make good movie material. An smart female archeologist, (real world) two fantasy realistic guys (who have lieved 500 years) - a fantasy sword from Joan of Arc - and some realistic suspenceful scenarios - a mix of things I like to read.

[Janice · Rating 3 out of 5]

As expected and pretty much standard for the series. Though we never find out what the ancient artifact is supposed to allow the bad guy to DO if they get it. Felt like a small lack of effort on the part of the writer. But since these books are primarily about the journey and not what might happen if the journey ends in the wrong place, not a great loss.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the adventure of hunting for a lost city, battling the bad buys, and the subtle, conflicting hints of possible romances. It gives me a kick how Annja always manages to surprise the enemy. I also think we might have accumulated a new character...

[Mandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good books still, but I am finding that I have a tendency to skip over a fair amount of boringly dry details in the middle of these books. (Though if you're into archaeology or history..you'd love these books I think)