A while ago I did a QS article about the “Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase” literary franchise, which is one of my all-time favorite book series. It’s simply unbelievable and consistently incredible how a series like this can go on for so long and yet remain so well-written, exciting, and surprising. In celebration of this awesome series (and to tide me off until the next installment is released in August), I’m going to go ahead and explore my 10 favorite entries into this series. If I can convince even a single person to give the “Nina Wilde & Eddie Chase” books a look, then I’ve done my job!
10) The Valhalla Prophecy – Book Nine
The Valhalla Prophecy has the monumental task of continuing the series onto what I affectionately dub “Phase Two”, as the previous installment closed off “Phase One” with a nice bow. While it can be tempting to look down on this book based solely on not living up to the unreachable heights of the immediate previous entry, Valhalla Prophecy is still a solidly entertaining adventure from start to finish. It explores corners of the world that our intrepid heroes haven’t touched yet, and it is significantly buoyed by an amazing evocative sequence of periodic flashbacks interspersed in the narrative.
9) The Midas Legacy – Book Twelve
One of the earlier books in the series attempted the “revolving door of villains” gimmick to middling success, but Midas Legacy really hits the nail on the head with that concept. With our heroes and the reader unable to decipher who is friend and who is foe, we’re treated to an exciting tale with some hefty action scenes that stand out memorably. I like the added family drama that this narrative covers, and I adore the extremely-long but constantly tense and exciting final climactic set piece, involving a truck convoy chase into a plane hijacking into an aerial dogfight.
8) The Pyramid of Doom – Book Five
Though the central villainous scheme of this book is arguably somewhat derivative of a previous villain’s evil plot, this is still a fresh jolt of excitement for a series that was just beginning to slightly feel samey. Introducing a new character to hook readers in with a fresh perspective, we’re presented with Macy Sharif, who goes on to be one of the main characters moving forward. She’s great, and so are the action sequences and mystery solving shenanigans. I especially enjoy the hero-vs-villain race to see who can reach the desert tomb first, and the cathartic ending scenes.
7) King Solomon’s Curse – Book Thirteen
This is easily the single most focused entry in the series with regards to scope, which is a refreshing twist on the established formula. Instead of a globe-trotting chase, the book takes place 50% at ancient jungle ruins, and then 50% in another location (which I won’t spoil due to the shocking and exceptionally tense “Bourne” style twist for the novel’s second half). A lot of the character work is great in this novel, especially with a few prominent minor characters and the main villain. I also really like the extra emphasis on family drama that “Phase Two” of this book series brings to the table.
6) The Secret of Excalibur – Book Three
The book with the action scene that I still remember the most vividly, despite coming so early in the franchise. This is the first entry in the series to truly establish itself as a one-of-a-kind ensemble globe-trotting adventure. We’ve got returning characters in fresh new roles, a slowly-growing B-plot threat that will take more shape in “Phase One” as the series progresses, some tragic losses, a few unexpected twists, and (as previously eluded to) some stellar action scenes against some genuinely despicable villains. This is also the first part of the series to being slowly building up a cohesive mythos about the ancient world its characters are unearthing.
5) The Tomb of Hercules – Book Two
The book that proved that this series had true legs to stand on, and wouldn’t just be some sort of one-hit-wonder. This book hits all of the highlights expected of the series, while also introducing a few new series-mainstay characters and worldbuilding ideas. Nina and Eddie’s relationship deepens, and the constant twists in the plot keep you on your toes. The opening action sequence is great and surprisingly long and tense, and the unexpected final fight is still a standout moment for the series.
Also, this book introduces Sophia, who is unequivocally the “Opal Koboi” of this book series, and also my favorite character. So, it gets bonus points for that!
4) The Spear of Atlantis – Book Fourteen
My absolute favorite of the “Phase Two” books that I have read so far, Spear of Atlantis really gets a lot of credit from me for giving Nina such an extensive solo plot line. This book contains the most set pieces, action moments, and mystery solving that Nina has ever had to tackle solo, and it’s great. Equally great is Eddie and his motley crew of familiar faces also trying to handle things on their end. I love the villain twist that makes it really hard to guess who’s actually pulling the strings, and the final climactic confrontation on an out-of-control cruise liner is brilliant.
3) The Covenant of Genesis – Book Four
This book goes a long way in humanizing its antagonists, presenting a surprising amount of chapters from their perspective. As a lifelong lover of villains, I absolutely adore that about this book. On top of this, we have yet another exciting entry in the series packed with unforgettable action and stakes, mixed in with some really evocative settings and a deeply defined mythos that will go on to make a huge impact further in the series. It’s also fun seeing Nina and Eddie have to work alongside former foes to handle a bigger threat.
And, it cannot be understated enough that this book also has Sophia in it. So, you know, bonus points and all that!
2) Return to Atlantis – Book Eight
The climactic finale of “Phase One” of this series, wrapping up character arcs and plot threads seven books in the making. Fittingly, Atlantis is once again the focal backdrop of the story, bringing a sort of cathartic cyclical end to this arc. The first half is quite tense, with Nina and Eddie split-up and on opposite sides of a conspiracy that threatens to tear apart the civilized world at the seams. There’s plenty of double-crossing, surprise twists and reveals, and action and drama galore. Some old foes return for one last battle for the fate of the world, and the crazy finale is of epic proportions. All of the payoffs in this novel really flex author Andy McDermott’s writing chops.
Also (and you’ll never see this coming), Sophia is in this book, elevating an already great story into nearly the highest spot of praise this list can give.
1) The Hunt for Atlantis – Book One
For as much as I love the previous book on this list (and every book in this series, of course), there’s a certain degree of nostalgia that I can’t ignore. Rest assured, Hunt for Atlantis is absolutely incredible and definitely worthy of this spot, but my memories of reading this book years before I even knew about the rest of the series have cemented it firmly in the #1 spot.
I can’t stress enough how uncannily this series and its writing mirrors my own. In essence, every single book in this series feels as if it was written by me and for me. There’s hardly a thing I would change were I to somehow be able to rewrite these books myself. Everything from the characters and their arcs, to the villains and their evil plots, to the action scenes and their high-stakes fighting is pitch-perfect and exactly what I both want to read and seek to include in my own writing. I’ve genuinely never found another book series that matches with me quite as well as this, and it’s almost scary!
If you’re interested in giving this series a try, I promise that you won’t regret reading them all. But, if you only have time for one, then Hunt for Atlantis will not disappoint!
But hey, that’s just my opinion!
The Contrarian Corner 