Order of the Sanguines Books In Order

Publication Order of Order Of The Sanguines Books

The Order of the Sanguine is a series of fantasy suspense thriller novels written by James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell. The books follow the exploits of an archeologist and her colleagues as they attempt to keep the apocalypse at bay.

+The Story
James Rollins was already well known for his explosive action-oriented stories when the Order of the Sanguines series was first published. James’s books always featured larger than life heroes fighting villains and conspiracies that threatened to destroy the world.

So the Order of the Sanguines series wasn’t particularly groundbreaking for the author. That being said, the books were definitely experimental in their decision to delve into religion and politics, not to mention horror and fantasy.

The Order of the Sanguines kicks things off with ‘The Blood Gospel’, the first book in the series and the name of a secret Tome that Christ is said to have written and within which was supposedly contained a dangerous secret.

Rhun Korza, Jordan Stone, and Erin Granger do not walk in the same circles. Erin is an archeologist. Stone is a sergeant and Korza is a priest. And under normal circumstances, they would probably never cross paths.

But the events that ‘The Blood Gospel’ details are anything but normal. It begins with an earthquake in Masada, Israel. Hundreds of lives are lost but an amazing discovery is also made: an ancient tomb in a mountain.

Erin, Stone, and Korza are each called upon to investigate because of their respective talents. Korza is a Vatican representative whose job it is to determine whether or not the contents of the tomb are relevant to the Catholic faith.

Erin, brilliant but disillusioned, only cares about the mummified remains of a girl who was crucified. It falls on the shoulders of Jordan Stone, a soldier, to protect them.

All three investigators thought they were on the verge of making a discovery whose ramifications would change perceptions of the Christian faith and history as a whole.

But then the tomb came under a brutal assault, and Erin and her colleagues realized that they had stumbled upon a conspiracy of far bigger importance. Their foes were on the hunt for a book that Christ himself had supposedly written and within which were contained the secrets of his miracles.

Erin’s determination to get to the book and the truth forces their foe to reveal his true colors. Rather than a rogue organization looking to profit from ancient artifacts, Erin has drawn the ire of an ancient evil.

It isn’t enough for Erin to satisfy her scholarly curiosity. She must put her life on the line to save the world as she knows it.

‘The Blood Gospel’ kick-starts a conflict between Erin and her opponents that continues through the sequel (Innocent Blood) and finally ends with the final novel in the trilogy (Blood Infernal).

In other words, all the Order of the Sanguines novels are closely connected. Each book picks up either immediately or a few days and weeks after the previous one ended. And each book always builds upon plot threads that its predecessor introduced, this as it asks a few new questions of its own that future installments are expected to answer.

As such, the Order of the Sanguines series must be read in order. The books have been compared to Dan Brown’s Da Vinci series. However, the James Rollins novels proceed at a far greater pace.

Where Dan Brown litters his books with breathers during which he either expounds upon complicated subjects or presents philosophical hurdles for his readers to ponder, James Rollins’ series is one continuous roller coaster.

There is little in the way of breathing room. The story frequently drags its protagonists all over the world and backward through time. Sitting at the center of the series is the eternal struggle between the Strigoi, ancient vampires corrupted by evil, and the order of the Sanguines, a Vatican sect that counts some redeemed Strigoi among its members.

While the Strigoi wish to destroy the world, the Sanguines have vowed to save it. James Rollins touches upon many controversial Christian topics. He tries to explain away many of the traditions that persist in Catholicism, such as the reason why members wear crosses and why priests are encouraged to remain celibate.

The books do not shy away from the violence and the horror. James Rollins’ vampires are monsters in every sense of the word.

There are readers who appreciate the author’s take on the vampire myth, not to mention the way he weaves them into Christianity. There are also those readers who hate the emphasis James puts on the Christian faith.

+The Author
James Rollins is a bestselling author and veterinarian that writes action, adventure, and techno-thrillers.

James was inspired to write by books and characters like ‘Doc Savage’ when he was a child. His spelunking and scuba diving exploits have informed many of the fictional worlds he creates.

Rebecca Cantrell is a bestselling award-winning American author that writes historical mysteries.

+The Blood Gospel
When an earthquake in Israel kills hundreds and reveals a hidden tomb, an archeologist, a sergeant, and a priest are sent to investigate. Erin, Stone, and Korza are given little time to get their bearings before the site is attacked by an ancient evil looking to acquire a secret text that Christ supposedly wrote.

Erin and her new colleagues must traverse the world and look through the annals of history to discover the truth of the Blood Gospel in the hopes that they can stop the apocalypse.

+Innocent Blood
Erin didn’t believe that she had completely escaped the world of the Sanguines, an ancient sect founded on the blood of Christ. And that fact was quickly proven true by a vicious attack on a ranch that forced Erin back into her previous conflict with an evil that is determined to see the world destroyed.

Father Rhun Korza and Sergeant Stone have also returned. This time they must protect a young boy who might be an angel in human form. The enemy also wants this boy. They think that he could be the key to bringing about the apocalypse.

If Erin wants to stop them, she must first understand Christ’s first true miracle.