I solid, tense thriller with a large cast, and interesting plot. I admire the author's imagination and talent, and felt engaged most of the book. I didn't read the previous book, but I don't think that was a problem in this case. Overall a good read.

I really appreciate the ARC for review!.

The Pandora Room is an intriguing thriller that will draw you in and keep you reading until the final page!!

Christopher Golden is crafting some masterful reads. From the avalanche of terror in Ararat to the claustrophobic chills of The Pandora Room, he's become a giant of modern Lovecraftian horror. The Pandora Room excels at capturing the terror of the unknown. It is also one of those books that leaves you wishing someone would make a faithful film adaptation of it. The added bonus of having some characters from his great Ararat novel was a welcomed surprise. This is simply another terrific thriller from a gifted writer. #ThePandoraRoom #ChristopherGolden #NetGalley

Overall I enjoyed it - it was fairly engaging and the story line was pretty intriguing.
Without giving any spoilers, I will just say that I found it somewhat lacking in the description at times - my mind's eye couldn't "see" or imagine the archeological site very well.
There were so very many characters, half of whom were not fleshed out enough to care about them or, in some cases, even remember them when they showed up again 2 chapters later. I didn't find myself getting ...involved, or attached, to most of the (MANY MANY) characters, which tends to dampen my enjoyment in a book. I don't have to LIKE them, but I was really meh. Some (like Steven) didn't even need to be in the book at all.
The action scenes for me were just okay - some of them seemed like an unfinished thought and the characters' reactions seemed off sometimes - I couldn't relate to them. And some of the things (like the story of the Locri) seemed extraneous and frankly I had to re-read the same paragraphs several times just to try and understand what the heck was actually the point.
Some of it was format (which I know will be corrected), but there were parts that were just jumbled and a little confusing and I found myself skimming and speed reading, which I don't like to do on ARCs.
With a good hard edit by a top notch editor, I probably would add a star.

Review Copy

I've been waiting for THE PANDORA ROOM to be released for months. I realized upon finishing ARARAT that there would be more to come, but it wasn't until I started hearing about Pandora that I began checking with regularity.

I love Greco/Roman mythology. The myth surrounding Pandora's Box combined with Christopher Golden's writing skill excited me to no end. This could be an outstanding read.

THE PANDORA ROOM brings characters from ARARAT into a new adventure, but is a completely stand alone novel. You do not need to read ARARAT first in order to enjoy TPR. Of course, you will probably want to...

PANDORA takes place in the middle east. There is much more war, califate and less archaeology than I would have preferred. Because of the fighting involved the book seemed longer to me than it really was. With that said, Golden's writing was top notch and kept me reading long into the night. Did I figure out where the twists and turns went? Ha!

See if you can.

A new set of twists on an adventure thriller theme. What happens when an archeological team finds a buried ancient treasure? What terrible forces have they unwittingly unleashed? What ancient terror from the deeps is now stomping through our world ? It may not be Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, but it’s a story in the tradition. Here, an archeological team in Kurdistan has found that ancient treasure - that taste of hell known as Pandora’s box 📦- although in this case it’s a jar. As the Jihadist terrorists rage above ground, the team deals with ghosts, diseases, and all manner of possession. A truly great concept, but a little rough in the execution in that the reader often had difficulty In differentiating the characters and becoming invested in their story.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this action-packed ARC in return for an honest review.

I enjoy adventures where there is a sense of danger, including ones based on mythology and the supernatural. I had problems with the large cast of characters. Many of the people named only existed to become victims, and so wasn’t moved by their illnesses or deaths of characters I never got to know. There were too many factions involved in either guarding or retrieving the relic, either for what they considered good purposes or for villainous intent. I felt I was only beginning to empathize with the main characters late in the book when they started to stand out as individuals.

There was much heroism and acts of self-sacrifice amidst incredible terror. With so much intense, deadly action and horror, I found little time for me to build up an emotional connection or a feeling of suspense and a sense of dread.

Despite my reservations, I feel many readers will become involved in this terrific action thriller. I commend the author for his incredible imagination in developing the plot. I would like to see the main characters again in a following book, preferably without such a huge supporting cast.

The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden – 5 Stars
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250192103

The Pandora Room has all the elements of a scary horror adventure. The setting is a dark claustrophobic cave system where a deadly plague with evil phantoms leaks from a jar. Seeking the jar are nasty ISIS replacement soldiers who want to use it as a weapon. And what’s a tale without ancient mythology as background? There are characters that heroically fight to protect the jar and survive against overwhelming odds.

This is the second book with Ben Walker as the main character, but is fine as a stand-alone novel. The relationship between Ben and Kim introduced in the first book is sufficiently covered in this book.

There is tension throughout. Overused comments like “wild ride” and “can’t put down” come to mind to describe its intensity – and all both true. I have not read anything by Christopher Golden in a few years, but will return to read Arafat and other books I have missed.

Reviewer: Nancy

I’ve just finished The Pandora Room, and I’m going to sleep with the lights on. I didn’t realize this is the same author who wrote Ararat,which is also a terrific book.
Dr. Sophie Durand and her crew have been excavating an underground city, dubbed the Beneath Project, when they find a hidden room that leads to a chamber filled with warnings. If they’ve translated correctly they have discovered Pandora’s Box, which is actually a jar. Kim and Walker, both in Ararat, as well as a disease specialist are sent there to recover and transport the jar back to the U.N. As the project is attacked by local jihads, a scientist tries to flee , grabbing and cracking the jar which exposes them to the plague carried within.
The plagues of Pandora’s Box include a disease that rivals Ebola, as well as terrifying ghostly evil spirits. As more and more of the scientists and crew are infected, and the terroists are breaching their entrance, the main characters try to escape with the jar, so it can’t fall into the wrong hands. But they too are fighting the curse, and everything seems against them.
A wonderfully written suspense novel that excites from the first page to the satisfying conclusion. I highly recommend, and I’m going to put Christopher Golden’s books on auto order, so we never miss a one.

Golden trades in the frozen wasteland he constructed in Ararat for the desert of Iraq for a hunt for one of the greatest biblical mysteries. Mythology states that while Pandora had a box, or jar that held the world’s miseries, her sister had a jar that contained the blessings of the gods. When archaeologist Sophie Durand and companion Ben Walker uncover a chamber in Iraq that seems to back up the legend, the excitement is palpable. But there are others who want the jar Sophie has found, some believe it is full of blessings, but others want the jar so they can unleash what is sure to be the beginning of the end for mankind. Nobody writes these creepy, claustrophobic stories better than Golden, if his name is on the cover of a book, I drop whatever else I am reading so I can descend into his world of unsurpassed madness and mayhem