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In his “Jake Ransom” series of novels, James Rollins uses Jake Ransom as his featured character. The series debuted in 2009 with the first title called Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow. The series restrains itself to the thriller genre.
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Order of Jake Ransom Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx | 2010 | Description / Buy |
James Rollins grew up as a big fan of the books of Jules Verne and H.G. Well as well as the comic adventures of characters like The Shadow and The Avenger. He’s also cited the Doc savage pulp magaze stories of the 30s and 40s as a major influence. Even as a young boy, Rollins decided that he wanted to grow up to be a writer.
Rollins went to college at the University of Missouri where he studied veterinary medicine, graduating and starting his own successful veterinary practice. He would run his own business for twenty years before focusing full time on writing. However, he still volunteers his time and his veterinary skills spaying and neutering cats.
The international best selling Sigma Force series is perhaps what he is best know for. The SIGMA Force is a fictional division of the US DARPA program in which soldiers have elite military skills and specialized scientific knowledge. The group (or Force) often partakes in courter-terrorism missions and covert operations. The series has 14 books as of 2018 and a movie has been in development based on the series.
Rollins decided to try his hand at writing for a younger audience with the Jake Rawson series. The books have a big hit among younger readers and the first book received the Parent’s Choice Gold award. The prestigious award is given to books that stimulate children’s imaginations and insprie creativity as well as entertain and teach with flair. Sounds like a Jake Rawson book.
Jake Ransom is the last born in a family of two. He is the son of a couple of archeologists who never return from an artifact finding journey. Jake, an 8th grader, gets an invite in the company of his sister to view the Mayan treasures at the British Museum.
The series kicks off when a mysterious envelope arrives that sends both Jake Ransom and his sister Kady on a mysterious journey in a strange world. The two under the guidance of an artifact that was discovered by their parents during a one-way expedition, find themselves among long lost civilizations. This ancient world that is crawling with dinosaurs seems to hold the key to finding their parents.
JAKE RANSOM AWARDS:
The Jake Ransom series, a product of New York Times best-selling author, James Rollins, has won a couple of awards. Among the top prizes, is the Parent’s Choice Gold Award to the first title in the novel series, Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow.
BEST JAKE RANSOM BOOKS:
These are two of the best novels in the Jake Ransom series yet. The first title in the novel series, which goes by the name Jake Ransom and the Skull King’s Shadow tops the two. This book has gone to win awards like the Parent’s Choice Gold Award. This novel picks up when Jake and his sister Kady find themselves in Calypsos a land inhabited by dinosaurs. The duo is soon to realize that not only are they in a strange land but also that they have to fight off or in this case run from velociraptors that reign the skies. Before landing in Calypsos, Jake and Kady had been invited to the British Museum to view artifacts that had been discovered by their parents. As would be expected of an 8th grader, Jake goes about playing with the artifacts and ends up causing an explosion that leads them to Calypsos. The story revolves around the attempt by the teens to save this new world from the return of a banished king, the Skull King. Jake uses his father’s watch for clues into this world.
The runner-up in the series is the second title, Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx. This title kicks off after Jake and Kady barely escape Calypsos with their souls intact. The two enlist in self-defence classes to better their survival skill set which would come in handy during their next endeavors. Outside parties soon get wind of their endeavors and attempt to get their piece of the cake. Suspicious as ever, the duo finds themselves pursuing an Egyptian exhibit that is about to go on display in New York. In a validation of suspicion, they find a lock among the artifacts in the exhibit that matches their key. Unlike the previous trip to ancient Maya,
Jake finds himself in a hot desert, mysteriously with his friends from the previous adventure in Calypsos. The bloodthirsty velociraptors and the Skull King do not skip the desert party. The crew finds themselves a new enemy in Princess Nefertiti’s tribe of hunters. However, the author throws in another twist; the Skull King attacks the Princess’ tribe as well; he wants something that Jake has. The story now centers on Jake working against a time constraint to outwit Kalverum Rex and consequently stop the Skull King from getting access to the prize which will grant him power over the Howling Sphinx.
OTHER BOOK SERIES YOU MAY LIKE:
Fans of the Jake Ransom series find their love of a good read reciprocated by the “Sigma Force” novels series written by James Rollins. They cover a secret government agency known as the Sigma Force. The agency’s role is to keep dangerous scientific discoveries out of reach of the enemies. The “Order of the Sanguines” series is another favorite which is co-authored by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell and tells of a miraculous book known as the Blood Gospel. A trio of investigators finds the book in Masada after an earthquake reveals a grave hidden deep in the mountain.
What Is The Next Book in The Jake Ransom Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Jake Ransom Series. The newest book is Jake Ransom and the Howling Sphinx and was released on January, 1st 2010.