Rare Earth a Rare Find

Unfortunately, I haven't been reading too much lately.  That time thing, you know?  But had I known how exciting Rare Earth was going to be, I would have made time, put away lesser books weeks ago and jumped right in.

Suspense, action and adventure are not my usual fiction choices, but the premise of the book was  intriguing, so I knew it would be an interesting read.

Davis Bunn, the author and co-author of many books, has written an intricate, action packed adventure centered in Kenya. Greed and corruption are at the center of the story as people from the U.S., China and Kenya strive to steal the riches Africa has to offer.  Rare Earth refers to certain elements valuable to high-tech industries that companies and countries would do anything to monopolize.

The story's hero, Marc Royce, is sent by the U.S. government to covertly discover what ties a series of seemingly separate events together.  Who is behind the events?  Who can be trusted?  What is really at stake?  How are people from China, Israel, Kenya and the U.S. connected to the strange evacuations of people from refugee camps in Kenya?  All of these occurrences are showcased against a volcanic eruption that has driven thousands from their homes and surprisingly joined together tribal enemies.

Royce would give Chuck Norris a run for his money in terms of awesomeness, but I think the book is more a story of many heroes, everyday people who love their country enough to fight large-scale corruption, knowing that their lives are at risk doing so.

An intense, fast-moving story, Rare Earth is the type of thought-provoking book that appeals to lovers of good fiction.



Rare Earth by Davis Bunn
Bethany House Publishers, 2012
Suspense, 363 pages
Bethany House Publishers provided a free copy of Rare Earth for review. The opinions stated are my own.