Black Sun - Graham Brown

In the heart of the Amazon, NRI operative Danielle Laidlaw makes an incredible discovery: a translucent Mayan stone generating massive waves of energy while counting down toward the infamous apocalyptic date: December 21, 2012. And somewhere, there are three more just like it.

What power will be unleashed if all four stones come together? Who created them—and who has them now? Using a cryptic Mayan map and a prophecy that points to the end of the world, Danielle and her team race toward answers. But one staggering question remains: Were these artifacts meant to save us—or to destroy us once and for all?

(Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Title: Black Sun

Author: Graham Brown

Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller

Publisher: Bantam

Publication Date: August 31, 2010

Source: Received from publicist. Many thanks to Dana from Kaye Publicity for sending me this book for review. I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review. 

My rating: 4/5 

Ever since the discovery of a powerful Mayan stone several years ago, in Black Rain, Danielle has been consumed by the need to find the remaining three stones. She also is hoping to find some answers in her race against time as the stones are counting down to December 21, 2012. With the stones revealed, and their energy unleashed, will they destroy the world, or save it? 

Black Sun follows the discovery of a Mayan prophecy and stone in Black Rain. Danielle, Hawker, and Professor McCarter all come together again in this thrilling installment as they are on an apocalyptic treasure hunt for the remaining Mayan stones. They aren't the only ones looking to find the stones though, and they will have to move quickly to evade certain death if captured by any of the other parties pursuing the stones. With adversaries hailing from China and Russia, and in-fighting within the American government, this book is riddled with action, and  intrigue. The characters have their own demons to confront as well, and this makes for a well-rounded read. 

I have to confess that I have not read Black Rain yet, but I look forward to reading it, as I thoroughly enjoyed the fast pace used in Black Sun. The setting is also one that I think many have a veiled interest in, and Brown creates a plausible scenario for such an event. He backs up his work with a scientific approach that validates the characters need to unveil the stones, be it for the salvation or destruction of the world. 

All in all, a well-rounded story. I absolutely love reading thrillers and fully became immersed in the quest that Danielle and her team were on. I absolutely fell in love with the addition of Yuri to the team, and can't stress how much I loved his character. With a completely liberal outlook on events in world history, Brown has created an engaging, high-octane, and compelling read. I look forward to reading more about these characters in the future as I hope this isn't the last we'll see of them. Fans of Matthew Reilly or James Rollins are sure to enjoy Brown's work.