The Adventures of the 19XX—Shining Skull 1936
The third book in the Adventures of the 19XX finds the intrepid members of the 19XX organization on their way to Tibet to stop the dastardly Shining Skull and the Order of the Black Faun. The Shining Skull is hell-bent on finding Shangri La and is happy to turn the entire country to civil war to do so. With the members of the 19XX split into two groups, thanks to a plane crash, it’s going to take all their ingenuity to stop the Shining Skull. Having two converging plotlines helps to ratchet up the tension, particularly in the exhilarating final chapter. Handily mixing elements of Buddhism, Christianity, science fiction, fantasy, and actual characters from history, Martinez has crafted a story both informative and highly entertaining from an oft-neglected decade. The lush illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. Enough background is provided that this can be read and enjoyed as a stand-alone book, but readers will surely want to go back and read the previous two installments anyway.
Reviewed by
Allyce Amidon
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. No fee was paid by the publisher for this review. Foreword Reviews only recommends books that we love. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
