Adventures of Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase

An interesting series of techno-thrillers is the Nina Wilde and Eddie Chase novels from British author Andy McDermott. Every techno series has some kind of hook or theme, and this series’s theme is lost civilizations of the past.

So far, the series is composed of:

• “The Hunt for Atlantis”
• “The Tomb of Hercules”
• “The Secret of Excalibur “
• “The Covenant of Genesis”
• “The Pyramid of Doom”
• “The Sacred Vault”
• “The Empire of Gold”
• “Return to Atlantis”
• “The Valhalla Prophecy”
• “Kingdom of Darkness” (not yet published)

I only recently got “The Valhalla Prophecy,” so I will focus on the first eight novels, which closes out secondary storylines. So I recommend you read the series in order because these elements build on each other, as well as changes in the lives of the main characters and their associates. As “The Valhalla Prophecy” seems to open a new “chapter” in the lives of the main characters, it’s appropriate that I deal with that one and subsequent novels in a future posting.

We meet Nina Wilde in the first book. She is a young archaeologist whose parents had died under mysterious circumstances in a hunt for Atlantis. Yes, the lost continent.

Nina has a medallion which contains a piece of Orichalcum, a mythical metal of Atlantis. She is now on the hunt for the lost continent, and is helped by Eddie Chase, a former SAS soldier who acts as her guardian. Needless to say, Nina finds Atlantis! In the wake of this discovery, a new UN agency is created to protect the secrets of Atlantis, the International Heritage Agency. The IHA aims to protect such finds for the security of the world, as many of them have deadly consequences.

In the series, there are certain elements that show up. One is an ancient deathtrap that Nina and Eddie must overcome to get to their goal. As Nina is pretty much an orphan, another big element is we met members of Eddie’s family and circle of associates. This includes people like Eddie’s beloved grandmother, his sister, jerk of a father, and evil ex-wife. But also associates like his old mentor in the SAS, and a network of ex-girlfriends and contacts around the world. Many will show up in future works. And Nina and Eddie fall in love and will later be married.

The second novel has them searching for the real tomb of Hercules. The third deals with Excalibur, which we learn can tap into “earth energy,” and various governments (like the U.S. and Russia) want it as a possible super-weapon.

“The Covenant of Genesis” deals with the real origin of mankind. We learn that a prior sapient race actually created humans, but a secret society of Catholics, Muslims, and Jews, work to keep it a secret. By any means. “The Pyramid of Doom” takes them to Egypt, where they search for a lost pyramid and the secret of Thoth. “The Sacred Vault” is set in India, where another lost civilization is found. “The Empire of Gold” is in South America, with the hunt for El Dorado.

“Return to Atlantis” closes out the Atlantis subplots that had been shown in prior works. And has Nina and Eddie getting married.

As noted I just read “The Valhalla Prophecy,” and it starts a new chapter in their lives. So I will cover it in a future posting.

Overall I’ve enjoyed the series. It’s fun, action-packed, with some interesting ideas taken from those who believe in ancient and lost civilizations. It’s interesting that even with the IHA, many times Nina and Eddie have to rely on their own wits and Eddie’s network of associates to get them out of trouble, instead of having a huge organization behind them like other heroes in techno thrillers. If you like series from authors like Jack Du Brul and Clive Cussler, check this one out.