Blood and Treasure by Ryan Pote

Action/adventure is usually not my genre but this story has an ex-military superstar, former special ops pilot and current treasure hunter Ethan Cain, whose injuries (mental, physical, emotional) show just how strong he is to keep on going despite all he's endured to recover from his physical injuries. Several agencies would hesitate to bring him on now that he's developed " No Apparent Fear of Death" because of all the trauma he's been through in the past. No matter, Ethan has done something much better in his eyes, he's gone freelance as a treasure hunter and he loves what he is doing. He's got some great people working with him, people he trusts, people he'd give his life for, and he's living the best life he can live, for the most part. His love life has an on/off aspect to it but Ethan knows it's his fault, that he's too dedicated to his work, despite all the risks to his life.

When a space capsule falls into the ocean near where Ethan is working he is the one to open the capsule and save the person inside of it. There is a female astronaut inside the capsule and it seems she is the only survivor of a slaughter on the now destroyed International Space Station. A whole slew of people want this woman and they also want the latest treasure that Ethan has discovered. The body count is high with this one, things move very fast, and I sometimes had trouble keeping up with the whats, whys and wherefores but that's me, I don't think fast enough for action adventures.

I'd like to see these characters again (the ones that survive, of course). Ethan is a very likeable leader and he's surrounded by people who have his back. There is room for more with this world and maybe Ethan can get his love life back on again, if he plays his cards right.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC.

Blood and Treasure is the story of a massacre at the US Space Station, with only one survivor who escaped into a space capsule that broke off from the main unit. Off the coast of Mozambique, treasure hunter Ethan Cain is trawling the ocean when he uncovers said space capsule with a woman inside. When she comes to she does not want to contact NASA. How is she the only survivor and what is she hiding?

I tried quite a few times to get into this story but I just couldn't. I felt like the action was all over the place and it was not fluid between the concurrent storylines with one being much more interesting than the other.

One thing that really bothered me about the writing was the author's need to detail each piece of equipment, using the proper name. If it was once or twice I don't think it would have bothered me as much, but it very much took me out of the story, like he was saying, "look how knowledgeable I am on this subject." All in all it's not a bad story, just not the one for me. For that reason I'm giving it 2.75 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

4.5 stars, rounded up for NetGalley

My quick takes:
- 4.5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
- Language 🤐 moderate
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 none
- Content 🤔 graphic killing and violence, torture, death, abuse

What 👏🏼 a 👏🏼 debut 👏🏼 Blood and Treasure hits you with action and never lets off the gas. I was instantly consumed in the plot and the book was hard to put down.

There are multiple points of view, different locations around the globe (and off the globe 👀), and an underdog feel to the ex military male main character. I will say, his past is STILL shrouded in mystery and I’m very intrigued to learn more about Ethan Cain and get some good character development in the coming books!

I thoroughly enjoyed the different religious aspects woven throughout the book, I have a religious studies minor and always love seeing common threads alongside the stark differences in religion. The multifaceted, religion-based treasure hunting was a fun added detail throughout the plot.

While the storyline leans heavily into the action/adventure side of the thriller genre, I really enjoyed that there was an aspect of military and political intelligence as well. I’m very intrigued to see where this series goes and planning to read the next books!

If you like Dan Brown, Joel C. Rosenberg, National Treasure, this one’s for you. Thank you to the author and Berkley Publishing for a copy of the book to read and review. #bloodandtreasure #netgalley

This was a fast paced story that drew me in right away. The character development was fantastic - I really connected with all the characters. This was a quick read too. I'm always leery when faith and religious belief are interwoven into books, but the author did a good job here so that even those that don't believe in that kind of thing will still enjoy this one. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller fan and any fan of authors like Dan Brown.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for this arc. #BloodandTreasure #NetGalley

It was such a captivating read! From the very first sentence, you’re immersed in the story through the author’s vivid descriptions. I’m not sure what else to say without giving away any plot details. But I can say one thing: if you’re a fan of adventure stories in the spirit of Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, and The Mummy, you’ll likely enjoy this book.

The author took storytelling very seriously, and you can tell they put a lot of time into the details. The author took storytelling very seriously and paid great attention to detail.

I wouldn’t be surprised if someone bought the rights and turned this story into a movie.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a voracious reader and enjoy the thriller genre. Military, action/adventure, archeological, and stories set outdoors are my favorites. Well, Blood and Treasure hits them all. The author, Ryan Pote, is a former military helicopter pilot and his scenes involving flying make you feel like you are in the plane. As some of the early reviews have noted, this book is a little Indiana Jones, Clive Cussler, Jack Carr all combined in one book. The main character, Ethan Cain, is a flawed individual, who at times, seems to have a death wish. However, he is a man who people have faith in and in turn will do the right thing. This debut novel is fantastic and one of the most enjoyable that I have read this year. Pick it up when it is released later this summer, you won't be disappointed!!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley publishing group for the ARC!

The plot keeps you on edge, making you care about the characters.

The book has many different tropes, including adventure, espionage, fantasy, and teamwork, which I love.

The story is constantly moving and is easy to read.

Vivid descriptions give a sense of immersion in the plot.

It's immediately clear that the author knows what they're writing about.

However, I personally don't like when belief is involved in thrillers, so all those moments felt dull to me.

At times, it reminded me a bit of the atmosphere in Dan Brown's books.

The themes of faith, different cultures, and technology intertwine with a race for ancient relics.

• NASA
• Treasure hunters
• The Old Testament

⭐️3,5/5

🪂🛩🗺🪬

I have just finished my read of an ARC of Ryan Pote's "Blood and Treasure" (the ARC was graciously provided to me by the publisher, the Berkley Publishing Group), The text is a good example of how hybrid genre works often manifest themselves, especially as adventure novels. This one, like quite a number in the field is highly reminiscent of the late Clive Cussler's work. The action combines elements of espionage, technofiction, history, and of course action. While in this reader's view, it really isn't quite as polished as much as Cussler's late work, on the other hand, neither is it as formulaic as Cussler tends to be. One can see the influence of recent Hollywood interest in the Arc of the Covenant, Space Exploration and a spate of works involving Special Forces Operations. The action lacks the smooth transitions often found in works of this type, but it is generally well written and mildly entertaining. I have not read any of the author's other works but that did not significantly degrade my appreciation of this novel"s plot or development. On a scale of 1 to 1o, it is kind of in the middle of the pack, but it is a creditable work that shows a lot of potential