Book #3
Black Order: A Sigma Force Novel [Book III]
Released On: Jun 27, 2006

In Copenhagen…a suspicious bookstore fire propels Commander Gray Pierce on a relentless hunt across four continents – and into a terrifying mystery surrounding horrific experiments once performed in a now-abandoned laboratory buried in a hollowed-out mountain in Poland.

In the mountains of Nepal…in a remote monastery, Buddhist monks inexplicably turn to cannibalism and torture – while Painter Crowe, director of Sigma Force, begins to show signs of the same baffling, mind-destroying malady…and Lisa Cummings, a dedicated American doctor, becomes the target of a brutal, clandestine assassin.

Now only Gray Pierce and Sigma Force can save a world suddenly in terrible jeopardy. Because a new order is on the rise – an annihilating nightmare growing at the heart of the greatest mystery of all: the origin of life.

Share This:
Share
International Editions: Browse

Bibliography [View, Print and Download the James Rollins Bibliography]

NOTE: The purchase of an eBook reader is not required to read books. For more information, click here.

Critical Acclaim

  • The globetrotting adventurers of Sigma Force, that elite American special-ops team, return in this high-powered thriller. The story begins cryptically. In Nepal, a strange plague has struck a remote Himalayan monastery, and a Nazi swastika is found on a cave wall. In Denmark, someone is buying up rare historical documents connected to Victorian scientists (for instance, Charles Darwin's family Bible), and the purchaser is desperate enough to kill for his prizes.

    In South Africa, a mythological beast is apparently alive and well and preying on wildlife. The author interweaves these stories, following the Sigma Force team members as they risk their lives to get to the heart of one of humankind's greatest mysteries: the origins of life itself.

    Rollins keeps getting better with every novel, and his fast-paced thrillers are feasts for the imagination. Why Hollywood hasn't snapped his books up yet is a mystery, but it's doubtful any big-screen version could capture the author's gung-ho enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity. If you like all-stops-out, high-concept adventure, this one's for you.

    David Pitt, Booklist

FAQ

  • Q. As a man of science with deeply-rooted spiritual beliefs, how did you grapple with the faith vs. science controversy that is woven into the very core of this novel?
    A. I was raised Roman Catholic and attended Catholic school until my high school years. While fundament ... Read More
  • Q. Black Order is partially set in Germany and Map of Bones starts in Cologne. You sound familiar with these places and you seem to know Cologne quite well. Have you ever been there?
    A. Yes. I was an exchange student in Germany during high school. I spent a summer in southern Germany ( ... Read More
  • Q. Breakneck thrillers are traditionally snapped up by male readers - but you have a huge female following. Women have been gobbling up your every word since your publishing debut a decade ago. In one man's humble opinion - what's the appeal?
    A. For decades, the male action hero has dominated the domain of adventure thrillers. The role of women ... Read More
  • Q. Do you anticipate any debates arising in response to the controversial theories of Evolution andCreationism (and your personal take on Intelligent Design) set forth in Black Order?
    A. I heard rumblings from several colleagues in the field of evolutionary biology (one of my studies in ... Read More
  • Q. How may scientists respond to the concept of prayer-influenced evolution?
    A. I hope with an open mind. When it comes to scientific progress, debate is healthy for the generation ... Read More
  • Q. In layman's terms, describe your theory of Darwinism vs. Quantum evolution.
    A. From my research into both sides of the debate, I came across a unique theory: one advocating how th ... Read More
  • Q. In this era of new enemies, why...Nazis?
    A. This came about from an article about developing quantum computers. Only lately - in the past decade ... Read More
  • Q. In your Author's Note: Truth or Fiction, at the end of Black Order, you question, "Where are we headed?" So...where are we headed?
    A. I don't think progress can ever be truly stopped - it is as inexorable as evolution itself. As I men ... Read More
  • Q. Speaking of characters, Gray Pierce's unwanted sidekick Fiona developed into an engaging character in Black Order. Will we see more of her in future Sigma novels?
    A. If you recall, one of the main characters in Black Order is Lisa Cummings, who you first met in Deep ... Read More
  • Q. The Sigma Force novels offer fast-paced action adventure to the reader. How did you come up with your very own mixture of military-action, adventure, and mystery?
    A. I think it goes back to my pulp roots. Those old scientific adventures blended mystery, cutting-edge ... Read More
  • Q. There's a lot of violence in the Sigma books. Please don't get me wrong here, that is something that draws the reader to the books, but is the violence justified?
    A. It's hard to write adventure without some violence. And yes, sometimes it does take fire to fight a ... Read More
  • Q. Why are scientists - and why is society - so obsessed with the idea of a master race (as with the Sonnekönige or "super men" profiled in Black Order)?
    A. I think this goes back to the debate about evolution. We don't understand it fully - and what we don ... Read More
  • Q. You've dedicated much of your career to the health, healing and well-being of animals. How do you, as a veterinarian, feel about the genetic experimentation that is one of the foundations of Black Order's plot?
    A. Well, with my background as a veterinarian and animal advocate, that's probably not difficult to gue ... Read More

Media

  • Which Order to Read Sigma Force Books
  • Black Order Book Trailer
  • Black Order Cover Story
  • Amazon
    Amazon, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, is the global leader in e-commerce. Since Jeff Bezos started...More Info
  • Kindle
    Amazon, a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, Washington, is the global leader in e-commerce. Since Jeff Bezos started...More Info
  • Barnes & Noble
    Barnes & Noble.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE un...More Info
  • Nook
    Barnes & Noble.com is a wholly owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, Inc., a publicly traded company listed on the NYSE un...More Info
  • Books-A-Million
    Founded in 1917 as a street corner newsstand in Florence, Alabama, Books-A-Million, Inc. has grown to become the premier...More Info
  • Google Play
    Google Play Books (formerly Google eBooks) is a cross-platform ebook application offered by Google. Users can purchase a...More Info
  • iBookstore
    No matter how many books you stack on your bookshelves, you can carry them all with you. iBooks features over 2 million ...More Info
  • IndieBound
    IndieBound is a community-oriented movement begun by the independent bookseller members of the American Booksellers Asso...More Info
  • Kobo
    Inspired by a "Read Freely" philosophy and a passion for innovation, Kobo is one of the world's fastest-growing eReading...More Info
  • The Poisoned Pen
    The Poisoned Pen, Founded in 1989, is an independent bookstore specializing in fiction. Discover current and classic wor...More Info
  • HarperCollins
    HarperCollins Publishers is one of the world's leading English-language publishers. Headquartered in New York, the compa...More Info
  • HarperCollins [International]
    The HarperCollins International Sales group is dedicated to bringing HarperCollins U.S. books to readers all over the wo...More Info
x