The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) by James Rollins (MOBI)

Description

From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a thrilling short story that delves deep beneath the city of Paris to a dark necropolis, where the only means for escape is…The Skeleton Key.

Seichan is ripped out of the Sigma series for an adventure all her own—but can she survive? The beautiful and elusive assassin wakes in a hotel in Paris with a deadly electronic collar fastened to her throat. Joined by a boy who is similarly threatened, she must rescue the son of a hated enemy, who has fallen under the sway of the nefarious leader of an apocalyptic cult. To survive, she must venture into the dark world beneath the City of Lights, into the infamous catacombs of Paris. Caught between two enemies, she must fight for her life…while time ticks down toward a fiery apocalypse. But in the dark, surrounded by the moldering bones of the dead, even success does not equal survival. In the end, the only true hope for the world lies in a stunning act of betrayal.

Included with this short story is a sneak peek at the first 70 pages of The Devil Colony, where a clue unlocked by The Skeleton Key will play a key role.

User’s Reviews

Review “Terrible secrets, the sweep of history, an epic canvas, breathless action…nobody–and I mean nobody–does this stuff better than Rollins.” (Lee Child on The Devil Colony) From the Author About James RollinsJAMES ROLLINS is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. Known for unveiling unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets, Rollins’ knack for breakneck pacing and stunning originality has been hailed by critics and embraced by scores of millions of readers around the world.The Critics RaveThe New York Times says that his “roguish charm comes from his efforts to persuade readers the story is credible [through] real-life sources for his novel’s science, history and geography.” Rollins’ rare blend of action, suspense, and knowledge was also mentioned by the Huffington Post, which stated that “After Crichton passed away in 2008 he clearly passed the baton to James Rollins, who like Crichton, is a renaissance man.”NPR calls his work “adventurous and enormously engrossing…” and the New York Journal of Books had this to say: “If you’re a fan of smart, entertaining adventure fiction, this is your summer beach read writ large….All the science, all the history, and all the locations are masterfully intertwined. The characters are multi-dimensional. And the story is, well, a corker.”The Story Teller’s StoryAs a boy immersed in the scientific adventures of Doc Savage, the wonders of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, and pulps such as The Shadow, The Spider, and The Avenger, James Rollins decided he wanted to be a writer. He honed his storytelling skills early, spinning elaborate tales that were often at the heart of pranks played on his brothers and sisters.Before he would set heroes and villains on harrowing adventures, Rollins embarked on a career in veterinary medicine, graduating from the University of Missouri and establishing a successful veterinary practice. This hands-on knowledge of medicine and science helps shape the research and scientific speculation that set James Rollins books apart.Explosive Page-Turning AdventuresThe exotic locales of James Rollins novels have emerged as a hybrid between imagination, research, and his extensive travels throughout the United States and Europe, as well as New Zealand, the South Pacific, China, Southeast Asia, Africa, Australia, and South America. Recent jaunts include book tours and stops across the country and several European nations to give talks, seminars, and media interviews.In recent years, much of James’ travel has involved meeting readers in small and large groups, at writing and fan conferences, and even aboard seagoing “seminars.” James’ mentoring and coaching skills have made him a sought after writing instructor and guest speaker for workshops, symposia, conventions, and other forums throughout the country.James Rollins is the author of nine thrillers in the bestselling Sigma Force series (Sandstorm, Map of Bones, Black Order, The Judas Strain, The Last Oracle, The Doomsday Key, The Devil Colony, Bloodline, and The Eye of God); six individual adventure thrillers; and the Jake Ransom middle grade series (Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow, Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx.)

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Seichan awakens with a knife at her throat. She’s in a strange bed, in an unknown room, and the muffled voices beyond the door are speaking French. Seichan has “no home, no country. She had been recruited to discover the true puppet masters of the Guild.”She had been drugged and could still feel the effects. Her Sauer pistol was still in its shoulder holster. Her fingers searched and found a pin sized keyhole under her right ear. The Place Vendome was outside, so logically, she had to be inside the Paris Ritz Hotel.She soon learns that Renny MacLeod, a skinny eighteen year old, wearing a stainless steel collar is in the bathroom. Beautiful, elusive assassin, Seichan ventures into the infamous catacombs of Paris. Surrounded by moldering bones of the dead and dust of the centuries, she must fight for survival.International thrillers are the daily manna of James Rollins. Fast action thrills, key-punch delivery and abundant historical facts pepper The Skeleton Key. A short read, but when we have skeletons stacked like firewood, who needs any more?

⭐ Okay, I gotta admit I’m loving the short stories that are coming out of the whole ebook phenomenon. The newest one I just finished is from a longtime favorite author, and it’s part of his ongoing Sigma Force series.To sum up Sigma Force, it’s basically soldier scientists. And it reminds me a lot of the old Doc Savage pulp series, which, as it turns out, is purely intentional because Rollins was a big fan of those stories as well.”The Skeleton Key” is a standalone story about one of the series’ chief villainesses. Think Catwoman to Batman here, because Seichan is attacted to one of the main Sigma Force characters. Seichan is a gifted assassin, trained to be one of the world’s best. But she has betrayed her bosses and her life is forfeit. She’s currently on the run.This short story really shows its pulp roots when Seichan wakes up in a hotel room with a bomb locked around her neck. In short order, she’s given instructions by a powerful man to find his son down in the Catacombs beneath Paris. She doesn’t have a choice, and she’s given a young man as a guide, a confirmed cataphile (urban explorer who spends all of his free time climbing through the Catacombs).Already at a breakneck pace, the story continues to accelerate. That’s a staple of a Rollins adventure tale: things happen quickly, and they generally happen big.Also as usual, Rollins throws in several interesting tidbits of history, geography, and science. I was surprised at how much he could get into this story in so few pages (although well worth the 99 cents it costs at Amazon). And he blends action and setting so well that you hardly notice the background information he inserts into the story.The story is a little predictable, of course. An action story at this length doesn’t have much time for twists and turns. Seichan appears masterful and competent, so any readers not familiar with her can easily become a cheering section. And the pacing is so quick that you’ll be nailed to the chair till you get it finished.The story leads directly into Rollins’ next book, The Devil Colony, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

⭐ I had stopped reading novels by Rollins for some time but a cheap download to read a short story caught my interest. It was nice to see Seichan featured in this story. The story begins with a clever conceit — Seichan is tripped up while trying to uncover some secrets of her former employer, the Guild, and wakes up with an explosive device, a choke collar, around her neck. In her hotel bathroom, she finds a young man with a similar device around his neck. Together they have to race through the catacombs of Paris to save the son of an enemy to Seichan. The young man has been “enlisted” to help because of his knowledge of the catacombs. They have only a few short hours to accomplish their mission or BOOM!Story is fast paced but not much in the way of any surprises until the very end. Quick read and enjoyable. You also get a sneak peek at The Devil Colony and apparently something Seichan uncovers in The Skeleton Key figures in The Devil Colony. It is too bad that the sneak preview of The Devil Colony is longer than this short story. Would have been nice to flesh it out a little more, add a little more intrigue, and keep Seichan front and center. Fans of Rollins will enjoy this story. Just wish it could have been longer.

⭐ This is a well done precursor to The Devil Colony, one featuring no Sigma, no Gray, no Painter…Just Seichan and a small supporting cast. I have to admit that after the last several novels I found myself getting a bit burned out on the Sigma Force novels but this Seichan solo adventure is short and sweet and very entertaining.As usual Rollins mixes geographical and historical facts in with his high octane fiction. It’s always interesting to see his footnotes as to what’s real and what isn’t and he doesn’t leave that out in this short and sweet adventure.I read this AFTER reading the Devil Colony but even so it was fun to see Seichan on her own and see what exactly she got up to prior to the events that unfold in The Devil Colony. Kudos to Rollins for giving the fans a story revolving completely around this complex and intriguing character. Definitely leaves you wanting more Seichan!

⭐ I love this series. The writing flows well and always keeps you engaged. I love that he explains where his material comes from and what is real and what he has put his twist on. I highly recommend this series.

⭐ An excellent story featuring Seichan, a former Guild assassain first encountered in the James Rollins Sigma novels. She is a superb choice for a spin off story and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t want to give any spoilers, so a brief synopsis is that the reader will follow her into the catacombs of Paris where she must seek and free the son of an enemy in order to save her life and obtain information she seeks on members of the Guild.By virtue of the inclusion of an excerpt from The Devil Colony, it is obvious that the story is also a great lead in for that novel. Fans of James Rollins shouldn’t be disappointed with the story and if this is the first of his work that is read, new fans will most likely be made.

⭐ I fully admit a healthy interest in Seichan. Heck, she fascinates me. So when James Rollins tweeted that a new ebook short would feature her, I knew I’d love it. The story did not disappoint! While Mr. Rollins shines in huge adventure epics, he proves he can write a tightly plotted short as well. This short sucked me in and I’m so thrilled he offered it as a launch for Devil Colony!The story starts out in Seichan’s POV and I feel that throughout, the reader has gotten to know her better. We see how she operates, both in the good and very calculating. Paris is a co-star in this story, especially the famed catacombs, and the minor character shines. Mr. Rollins knows how to bring even the most minor characters to vibrant life.Bring on Devil Colony!

⭐ I feel a little like I got scammed. I bought the book thinking it was a short story with an ending. But instead it seems to me that it was a vehicle for the author to try and trap the reader into feeling the need to purchase a much more expensive book. The Skeleton Key does not have an ending . Instead the story is a prelude to another book. To find out how the story ends one must purchase The Devil Colony which at the time of this review is $9.99. So, I feel that I purchased a trailer. I think this fact should have been put in the book’s description.

⭐ I read the Devil’s Colony in mid-August and loved the book but wondered about the backstory of the some of the characters. So, even though the characters in those were fleshed out very well, I still had to get to “know” them. And get to know Seichan, I did! The Skeleton Key provides the background for how Seichan came to be in possession of the drawings she gives to Painter Crowe and Sigma in the Devil’s Colony. Even though this is a short story, there is also a main independant story that is all about Seichan; her life as an operative with no home, the shady people she deals with and some of the reasons why she works with Sigma. It’s a good quick read as a standalone or to provide more character background.

⭐ Good story. With the tie in to Painter Crow it became another great one! Love all the Sigma Group stories. When is the next one?

Keywords

Free Download The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) in MOBI format
The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) MOBI Free Download
Download The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) 2011 MOBI Free
The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) 2011 MOBI Free Download
Download The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series) MOBI
Free Download Ebook The Skeleton Key: A Short Story Exclusive (Sigma Force Series)