If you enjoy thrillers that explore the origin stories of one or more religions, this is a book for you. Not quite at the level of Dan Brown but it takes you on a very different journey from his books.

This time, we go to Guatemala in search of mystical records that may potentially have drastic effect in the modern world.

The pacing of the story had a few wobbles. The action was in several distinct segments. It sometimes slowed down period.

It's still worth the read if you don't mind exercising a little extra suspension of disbelief.

The reveal at the end was definitely one I've not seen before. Yet, I felt that the ending itself was not handled well. Since this book is marked as the first in a series, I presume it was done so in an attempt to set the stage for the next book. To be clear though, it did not end on a cliffhanger.

Thank you to the author for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A fast paced thriller and thought provoking. It still puzzles me as to how and why two ancient cultures oceans apart managed to build pyramids. By all accounts the Mesoamericans had some very sophisticated methods and life styles, even while practicing some primitive rituals, but these would only be primitive by today’s standards. The story builds around some of these ancient cultures while incorporating modern day technologies and current day criminal activities in the form of a drug cartel, albeit a low key operator. Add in fanatical religion, romance, wilderness exploration and you got all the factors required for a great reading experience. My only criticism is my pet peeve of the use of foreign language. Perhaps this is meant to show the authors knowledge or add a level of authenticity, but for this reader it only adds a level of frustration. I like a smooth flowing read without breaking to look up translations. I consider it a flaw in the overall readability of the story. Even so I give this a five-star rating.

Add one part Mayan myth, Mormon myth, Jewish myth, Charismatic myth, Science myth, with a dash of DEA thrown in and you get a fun archaeology adventure. I would love to give some overview of the plot, but I get a headache just trying to map out and make sense of the plot threads. The very attempt threatened to sap away some of my enjoyment of the book, so I stopped. My recommendation is just read it. It is a great story, and I am strangely looking forward to the second installment.

A remarkable find by Steve Dunn Hanson!

This book has it all. A professor in a wheel chair, a professor recovering from a broken heart, a woman who has a hidden past, a televangelist who has more than one screw loose, a drug lord and his various cohorts, a shaman with murderous intent, a pilot from Romania and more.

The shaman leaks to the televangelist about a great archeologic find. Brother Luke secretly funds the expedition, a team of archeologists and the mysterious woman head into the jungles of Mexico to search for the hidden cave. Disappointed initially, one of the archeologists realizes that he has seen the mountains in the cave drawing before. And we are off on a great adventure!

(And I love how the drug kingpin got his in the end.)

A steady and well-written read. No typos or other distracting errors.

I very much enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more from Steve Dunn Hanson.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.

Love, love, love this book! I was hooked from the first page and could not put it down. The twists and turns to the plot kept me guessing to the very end and I would highly recommend this book.

a very interesting book about Maya culture with an unexspected end

I love archaeology and mystery so the idea of this book intrigued me very much.
A renowned anthropologist is lured back to a Mesoamerica cliff where he found tragedy because of the lure of a possible ancient manuscript that has the potential to change the world.
I found the lead up to the main action a bit slow and I intensely disliked the character of Brother Luke (no one in their right mind would like him) who funds the expedition. I did enjoy the other characters very much and found the research to be well done and very accurate.
All in all, I enjoyed the book and am curious about book two.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.

Luke, the dynamic evangelist, not only believes in the prophesies of Edgar Cayce but in his own secret personal role in them. Nathan Hill, the anthropologist specializing in Mayan culture Luke has enlisted to help discover the truth has only one chance to uncover artifacts that may change the future world-- if they really exist. In the meantime, the DEA has an ongoing investigation that crosses national borders and places undercover agent Audra Chang in danger in two worlds.

Four stars for the execution, three and a half stars for the content.

This book is well edited. The writing style is tight, mature, and professional. The story is well-written, except for minor pacing issues here and there. The setting is detailed and carefully rendered. The characters are interesting, though a little overplayed now and then. The research is obviously very thorough, and the topic of religious prophesy is one Hanson must know very well. Though the religious aspects are not overwhelming, they do exist in ways fundamental to the plot. I found myself wishing that religious beliefs were not so central to such an interesting story, (Indiana Jones found the Arc of the Covenant, but no one thinks of that as a Christian story) but that is just me. It just felt a little forced.

All in all, I enjoyed the book.

I found the blend of contemporary and historical perspectives very engaging. The characters were diverse and sufficiently complex to be believable. I found myself reading the book and then thinking about both the story and the characters when I had to take a break, engaging me thoroughly. The plot was varied and the settings, which were very familiar to me, were well presented. I found the pace and events moved at a believable pace. For me the biggest challenge was pausing as the author described some of the technical aspects of contemporary archaeology and the use of electronics. I was more eager to find out what was going to happen, since each interlude seemed to break the flow and pace of the story. The dialogue was refreshingly 'ordinary', but that I mean it wasn't strained by super witty comments or strange soliloquies.
Overall it was a great read and looking forward to future volumes.

I liked parts of this book but found it a bit slow going. There was quite a bit of detail that detracted from the overall enjoyment of the book for me. I really had to be disciplined to keep reading through the first quarter of the book. However I was rewarded when Nathan (the protagonist) arrived on the scene. I did love the interaction between Nathan and his co-worker Hyrum. And I absolutely loved the parts where the characters were on the dig. The action there was fabulous and kept me on the edge of my seat. Then it got slow again but picked up at the press conference at the end of the book. Thanks Mr. Hanson for allowing me to read this book.

If you read only one archaeological thriller this year, make "Sealed Up" the one. Fascinating and very original plot, lots of twists and turns, plenty of action, lots of support information and a cast of very believable and yet unique characters. I anxiously await reading the further adventures in this series, "The Course of Fate." Superb read!!

I received this book for free for my honest opinion.

I requested this book as I am very interested in the Mayan people and all archeological ruins. I am very glad I was granted this book to read. I really enjoyed it. I am not usually a fan of religious fiction, but enjoyed the journey Mr Hanson took me on.

The main characters, Luke, Audra, Nathan and Hyrum, were great. I liked seeing their owns views of the events as they happened as well as the list of sub characters. I loved travelling through Mexico with Mr Hanson, I liked the dynamics of the characters and their interactions with one another.

I was a little surprised at the outcome but the wrap-up conference was a great way to answer some of the questions that arose when I was reading the book.

Book of of three, sealed up takes place in Mexico. A shaman has begun the search for lost books . Luke Melvin clinton is an evangelist whose mission Power tin the lamb is also located in Mexico. Luke is Kish, the shaman, contacts Luke to have Nathan Hill, a professor of ancient Mayan, to come help locate the lost books.
DEA, drug loads, Edgar Cayce all play roles in the search and discovery. The plot will remind many of the many adventure books written to find lost treasure. A good read and this reviewer looks forward to Book 2.

I'm so glad I got to read this book! It's very, very good! There appears to be a good bit of deep thought and research put into this story and it shows. I simply adore the Christian themes, I wish I had known sooner that this would have that. I would have snatched a copy up sooner!

This book is a race to find a treasure, with several groups involved. A mass TV-Tellavangalist is one of them. Other players are a drug lord, an archeologist that I liked. Then there is the Myan, basically a mystic or witch doctor. The book they seek, is an interesting one, not to mention the rest of what is going on! It's very in depth.

My copy came from Net Galley. I was not required to leave a review. I do so because I want to, and I got a copy of my own afterwards! My thoughts and my opinions are my very own.

Great adventure that starts a little slow, but that's only to give us background. Bad guys abound, delusional televangelist and a great team of heroes. Very enjoyable read.

"SEALED UP reads like a historical novel except the events haven't happened ... yet. The plot twists keep you riveted, and the great word pictures make you feel you are there. This page turner with its plots and subplots holds together because of Hanson's substantial research, his word-smithing facility, and his feel for just the right phrase and pacing. The noteworthy characters all converge in one thrilling, suspenseful, deadly, and even romantic search for sealed up chronicles. The author's attention to detail brings each character to life, draws the reader into the action, and creates a highly believable story

This was awesome! It was a page turner from the get go. You can tell that Hanson did his research. His storytelling is masterful. This story is reminiscent of Indiana Jones. Very easy to read. Just wait until you get to the ending!!!

I really enjoyed reading this book - it was a diversion from my usual reads and as a result, for me , it was refreshingly different.
The novel combines adventure, with conspiracy, ancient prophecies, organised and ancient religion, drug cartels and many many twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming.
The characters were rich and well written, focusing on their personalities, with just a brief view of their physical appearance, which I liked.
I believe this is the first of a series, which hopefully will address some of the unanswered questions at the end of the novel (what happened to the people on the plane? Where is Luke? to mention just two).
I will certainly be recommending this novel to family and friends.
The only improvement I would suggest, is that it could stand a further edit. It was perhaps a little long- but that is a minor point for what I consider to be a thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable novel