Like many people, I came into Angels and Demons after having read The Da Vinci Code. The striking similarity between the two is really to The Da Vinci Code’s discredit, if anything. But Angles and Demons feels like the imitator because it seems less refined. Basically, Angels and Demons feels like a precursor to The Da Vinci Code – which is fitting, considering that it is.

Angles and Demons is the first of Robert Langdon’s adventures into the dangerous world of art history. This pilot episode presents Langdon, a Harvard symbologist, as he is called to investigate the murder of man by a group claiming to be the Illuminati, which is an ancient satanic cult. Much like The Da Vinci Code, the victim’s daughter is an attractive young lady who’s an expert in her father’s field. In this case, Vittoria Vetra is a scientist familiar with anti-matter technology.

Anti-matter technology becomes the issue at hand when the Illuminati steal an anti-matter bomb and hide it somewhere in the Vatican City, and it’s up to Langdon and Vittoria to unlock the mysteries behind the ancient Illuminati and find the bomb. I needn’t reveal that the time bomb makes its way down to the final seconds, it’s obvious from the start.

The revelation of various secrets regarding the ancient Illuminati, the Vatican, and the masons are all fairly interesting, but they are often roughly presented. Though both are allegedly very intelligent, Robert and Vittoria take turns making fairly obvious discoveries and observations that the other doesn’t understand for some reason, and then explain it out in detail for the reader.

When the two aren’t investigating, it’s high adventure – each nearly die a number of times. Angels and Demons feels very much like Indiana Jones, even more so than The Da Vinci Code did. For all its extra information, the story moves quickly and stays intense.

Throughout the escapades in the Vatican, author Dan Brown maintains a strong discussion of science vs. religion. The crux of the conflict arises because the religious and scientific fields feel threatened by each other and Brown raises some interesting questions on the matter. But nothing dazzling.

Despite some thought provoking content and some page turning events, Angels and Demons doesn’t rise a whole lot above your average paperback thriller.

12/04