The Doomsday Key

THE DOOMSDAY KEY
By James Rollins
Harper Collins
May 25, 2010
Mass Market Paperback
ISBN-10: 006123141X
ISBN-13: 978-0061231414
560 pages
$9.99

Back in the middle ages, King Edward in England sent one of his trusted advisors to take a census of
those within his boundaries for the purpose of discovering all the taxable income. This was knows as
Domesday Book. Oddly, a few areas that were visited were listed as “wasted”. Why? What did wasted
mean? Why would any area be listed as that?

Also listed in the book was the prophesy listing all the future popes until the end of time. Each was
properly named and described in the book. Unfortunately, the book has been misplaced or hidden.
What other secrets do the book hold?

Sigma (the good guys) and The Guild (the bad guys) are racing to discover the secrets in The Domesday
Book and the two follow no rules in keeping the other from discovering what is in the book. Added to
that are challenges of today such as overpopulation and world hunger.

This Indiana Jones like adventure, combines the old with the present day, and logically connects polar
bears, plagues, saints, Merlin, peat bogs, prophesies, the Black Madonna, the declining population of
the bumblebees, and more into an enthralling novel.

THE DOOMSDAY KEY is the sixth novel revolving around Sigma, and uses characters and
relationships from the previous novels, but masterly continues with the characters whether or not
people have read the previous books.

Fortunately, after completing the novel, the author allows the reader a glimpse of the real world with
details concerning the novel on what is truth and what is fiction. With “the truth being stranger than
fiction”, this leaves you with a little uneasiness at how close the novel could turn into reality.

Although slow at the beginning, I thoroughly enjoyed safely reading the book while allowing the
characters into the dangerous situations. I was not pleased with Mr. Rollins’ choice of who had to die.
Even with this, I am anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

Teri Davis June 13, 2010