Indiana Jones and the Army of the Dead, by Steve Perry
In Indiana Jones’ latest adventure, he and friend Mac head to a small island in Haiti in search of a legendary black pearl. The pearl is known as the Heart of Darkness, and is said to have magical properties. Hot on their trail are German and Japanese agents, who want the pearl for themselves. But the most dangerous adversary is already on the island, a practitioner of voodoo, able to control bodies of the dead and the living.
This latest novel contains all of the action and adventure that are synonymous with the name Indiana Jones. And, of course, Indy has a love interest in the form of a beautiful guide, who has some secrets of her own. With more than Indy’s usual share of adversaries, the narrative jumps around from group to group. I wish more time would have been spent on Indy and his crew, rather than focusing so much on the Germans, Japanese, and the voodoo priest individually. Besides Indy, the most time is spent on developing the voodoo priest’s character and his simple motivation of a hunger for power. But, not spending enough time with Indiana Jones’ character is probably my only complaint. The story is definitely action-heavy, and plot and character-light. Which, is really what we’ve come to expect from the series.
Indiana Jones fans will enjoy this exciting and fast-paced treasure hunt through the jungle. Perry even included plenty of references to Indy’s previous adventures, some known and unknown. With endless zombies to battle, the suspense is continually built up to the final showdown, where all parties battle to escape and still hold onto the black pearl. I can’t get enough of the archeologist and adventurer, and certainly hope Del Rey continues the Indiana Jones series in novel form.
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