Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Unavailable
    The Crystal Skull
    Unavailable
    The Crystal Skull
    Unavailable
    The Crystal Skull
    Audiobook (abridged)6 hours

    The Crystal Skull

    Written by Manda Scott

    Narrated by Susan Duerden

    3/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    In a spellbinding blend of history, myth, and science, bestselling novelist Manda Scott unleashes a thriller that sweeps from the secrets of the Mayans to the court of a sixteenth-century queen to a shattering end-times prophecy.

    "    It's a lump of rock, Stella; nothing more. No stone is worth dying for."

    Except it's not just a lump of rock. It's a blue crystal skull made by the Maya to save the world from ruin; a sapphire so perfect, so powerful that for centuries men have killed to own or destroy it.

    Ancient prophecies say that if the thirteen skulls already in existence are not reunited, the world will end on December 21, 2012. Cedric Owen, the skull's last Keeper, died so that it might keep its secret for the next four centuries. Now Stella Cody has found it, and someone has already tried to kill her. Like Owen, she's being hunted-but by whom?

    Desperate to unravel the mystery of the crystal skull, Stella must decode Cedric Owen's coded writings, sketches and ciphers no scholar has been able to unravel. What she discovers is astounding: a shocking secret prophecy…and the staggering puzzle of four terrifying creatures, thirteen precious stones, and what will happen if Cedric Owen's crystal skull falls into the wrong hands. But time is against Stella. She has only days-hours-left to uncover the only secret that may yet save the world.

    12.21.12
    The date is set. Time is running out.
    The end of the world starts now.




    From the Hardcover edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 15, 2008
    ISBN9780739329047
    Unavailable
    The Crystal Skull

    Related to The Crystal Skull

    Related audiobooks

    Suspense For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      OF MIST & MYTH

      Feb 4, 2021

      OF MIST & MYTH
      10 min read

    • Article

      Myths And Monsters

      Dec 22, 2020

      Myths And Monsters
      4 min read

    • Article

      Unsettling Discovery

      Feb 16, 2024

      Unsettling Discovery
      2 min read

    • Article

      The Sword Of Swords

      Nov 23, 2022

      (Birlinn, £22) THE perfect sword—the highest expression of the blacksmith’s art—is arguably a pattern-welded, 7th-century blade of iron and steel, buried three centuries later at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland. After 1,000 years, the rusted blade

      5 min read

    • Article

      MAGIC, WITCHES & WEIRDNESS

      May 18, 2023

      MAGIC, WITCHES & WEIRDNESS
      5 min read

    • Article

      Draughts Throughout History

      Nov 17, 2022

      Draughts Throughout History
      2 min read

    • Article

      Follow Your (white) Hart

      Sep 20, 2023

      Follow Your (white) Hart
      3 min read

    • Article

      WEEKLY Entertainment

      Apr 16, 2023

      For decades, RSAs were not only a place where veterans could seek refuge from the challenges of daily life, but for many small towns they were a community hub. These days, they are seen as relics of the past and either find themselves on the brink of

      2 min read

    • Article

      Weird Museums of Europe

      Sep 3, 2019

      Be prepared to have your belief in the basic goodness of humanity tested. The exhibits at the Torture Museum are mind-blowing and stomach-churning. Here are the tools public authority used to exercise its power over people in the most gruesome ways.

      2 min read

    • Article

      The Bone Chests Unlocking The Secrets Of The Anglo-saxons

      Nov 15, 2023

      ‘We may ask ourselves why we are so concerned with finding and identifying the bones of the distant dead,’ Cat Jarman wrote of her new book. Given the limits of even modern forensic archeology, it is a fair point,’ Dan Jones rejoined in the Times, ‘b

      1 min read

    • Article

      The Moon Is Full of Money

      Jul 18, 2019

      I was slung in my favorite deck chair, drink in hand, having a gawk at the night sky. Andromeda, Pisces ... I trawled the constellations, mind abandoned, still aware in some curve at the back of my brain that the world is coming apart at the seams an

      14 min read

    • Article

      The Moon Is Full of Money

      Sep 7, 2017

      I was slung in my favorite deck chair, drink in hand, having a gawk at the night sky. Andromeda, Pisces ... I trawled the constellations, mind abandoned, still aware in some curve at the back of my brain that the world is coming apart at the seams an

      14 min read

    • Article

      The Library

      Aug 21, 2020

      The Well of the Heads: Historical Tales of the Scottish Clans BY STUART MCHARDY You may be tempted by our feature on Robert the Bruce’s rise to kingship (page 38) to dive deeper into the complexities of Scottish clans. Well, this is the book for you.

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Testament to Survival

      Sep 1, 2020

      A Testament to Survival
      7 min read

    • Article

      I AIN’T AFRAID Of No Ghost!

      Jan 19, 2021

      I AIN’T AFRAID Of No Ghost!
      4 min read

    • Article

      Revisiting The Mysterious World Of Arthur C Clarke

      Sep 9, 2021

      Over the course of 13 short episodes first broadcast in 1980, The Mysterious World of Arthur C Clarke took teatime viewers of ITV through the case files of the celebrated science fiction writer – also solemnly identified as the “inventor of the commu

      13 min read

    • Article

      Pushing Boundaries

      Oct 2, 2023

      Walter Isaacson has written biographies of former Apple boss Steve Jobs, gene editing pioneer Jennifer Doudna and Albert Einstein. Now, he’s taken on one of the biggest and most divisive personalities of our time. ELON MUSK (Simon & Schuster) is a mo

      4 min read

    • Article

      Pick Of The Week

      Nov 3, 2022

      Pick Of The Week
      1 min read

    • Article

      Editorial

      Dec 1, 2022

      Welcome to our special Christmas issue, a sumptuous feast of forteana to get you safely through the festivities. Our cover story, courtesy of regular contributor SD Tucker, strikes a seasonal note and addresses the perennial question: toys – harmless

      2 min read

    • Article

      A Magical Mystery Tour

      Aug 20, 2021

      A Magical Mystery Tour
      4 min read

    • Article

      Also Out

      Sep 7, 2022

      There are plenty more books we couldn’t fit in, starting with a pair of riffs on Greek mythology. Claire North’s ITHACA (8 September, Orbit) centres on Penelope, wife of Odysseus. Years after her husband sailed to war with Troy, speculation is mounti

      1 min read

    • Article

      UTTERLY Monstrous

      Aug 4, 2020

      UTTERLY Monstrous
      4 min read

    • Article

      Commonplace Book

      Sep 1, 2020

      We should build parks that students from afar Would choose to starve in, rather than go home … We must have many Lincoln-hearted men. —Vachel Lindsay, “On the Building of Springfield,” 1912 When the researchers posed as pedestrians waiting to cross

      3 min read

    • Article

      What Lies Beneath

      Jul 30, 2018

      What Lies Beneath
      4 min read

    Reviews for The Crystal Skull

    3/5

    101 ratings20 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      A good story, told well. Not quite a-thrill-a-minute, but plenty to keep me turning pages - in fact I read most of it in one day. The narrative switches back and forth between the late 1500's and 'present day,' neatly threading the two halves of the story together. A satisfyingly exciting climax without being too crazy.
    • 2/5
      Pearl Ruled...too little to keep me turning pages after p50, and too much else I want to read.
    • 4/5
      I didn't enjoy this book though I am a big fan of Manda Scott and I did not quite finish it. I don't like fantasy or science fiction very much and this was just too much for me. It is nevertheless very well written and I can see it could be the basis for a very exciting movie.
    • 5/5
      I really shouldn't have read a book that begins with a hair raising account of a caving expedition the week before I was booked on a cave tour. But I did and I was captivated from the first page by this book. I constantly turned a few pages ahead to find out what would happen next and hated to put the book down to go to bed at night. It's an exciting read that put vivid images in my mind of the places, people and the action. The book moves well from present day to the 16th century and captures the essence of both. Even though I knew that many of the places and people were fictional I could still believe in them as I read. I wasn't familiar with crystal skulls or Mayan legends and beliefs about the End Times so the premise of the book was totally new to me and I enjoyed learning about both. I loved the mix of fantasy and history and would recommend this novel unreservedly.
    • 3/5
      An entertaining read that could be compared with Kate Mosse, Da Vinci and others. If you enjoyed them, you are likely to enjoy this. Certainly not new or particularly sophicated writing, but a good page-turner. A mix of modern day and Elizabethan story, that is about the myth of the crystal skulls and the ancient Mayans. Found it all a bit predictable unfortunately - there were no surprises. Personally I would have preferred either a few more unexpected twists to keep me on my toes, or for more detail on the ancient/historical content of the book. It was just a little bit light on both. Entertaining all the same.
    • 3/5
      Although I couldnt give this new novel five stars, I must say it really is an excellent and entertaining read. The idea of using the Crystal Skulls was different than most of the later Da Vinci Code/Art & Archaeology action thrillers we've seen in the past few years. Scott's writing skills are superb and creative. I do think that I loved the historical part of the book better than the chapters that take place in the present and almost want to say that most of those chapters would not have been missed. The characters of Owen and Aquilar in the past are creative, with depth and sensitivity. Readers will love their adventures and deep loyal friendship. However, the characters of Kit and Stella in the present are very lifeless and immature. I thought for a couple that had just been married they were pretty passionless to the point of coldness and hurtful, especially after Kit's accident. My only negative view on the story, and the reason I couldnt favor it with five stars, was the ending. For all the lead up in both past and present, for all the rich detail telling us throughout the story of what would happen if and when the group of skulls came together...the ending was lame. It was too quick, not thought out and anticlimactic. It was an ending that was too subtle with no feeling of the impending doom or catastrophic event we heard of throughout the entire book. It wasnt a bad ending, but it could have been much better. I see that a couple of reviewers on the UK Amazon site agreed with me. But all and all I would highly recommend this book, I enjoyed it immensely and look forward to more of this style of novel from the author in the future. I think her talent lies in historical fiction and maybe she should keep herself within that genre. The one thing I was very glad to see though, was that there were no sections filled with the over-the-top unrealistic action scenes that are so ridiculous and hard to swallow, like in some of Matt Reilly's and James Rollins later works. There are no superhero's here performing James Bond-like feats. This was more serious and a better story because of it. Bravo Manda Scott, this was entertaining.
    • 2/5
      I have enjoyed Manda Scott's books in the past and her writing is very good. She has a good way of building suspense and her settings are described very well. However, the love story was quite unbelievable. Yes, this is a science-fiction fantasy, so you can't take it too seriously, but the interaction between characters was sometimes stilted. A quick read with no baggage.
    • 4/5
      personally enjoyed The Crystal Skull. I found it page turning, easy flowing, easy to go back and forth in time, intriguing, descriptive of places and vivid descriptions of the characters. (These are notes I wrote as I read this book.) I have a degree in Anthropology, have studied and taught about the modern Maya at the Science Museum of Minnesota. I have visited the sites in Mexico and Central America. I have been to Stonehenge and Avebury in England. I read about the Crystal Skull years ago and after seeing it on the History channel, I got interested again. Anyone interested in the Maya might want to read the book "Incidents of Travel in the Yucatan" by American John Lloyd Stephens and British Frederick Catherwood who did the illustrations for the books. I used this book when I was teaching.I look forward to reading other books by Manda Scott.
    • 4/5
      2012 So the Mayans believed is when the end of the 5th Age will happen, but more than that, there is also the possibility that the human race will cease to be, unless...So glad there is an "unless"! This book is an adventure against the clock. Stella Cody must find out the history of the 13 crystal skulls mentioned in the Dresden Codex in order for us humans and perhaps the world itself to have a chance.Dr Cody, whilst on a caving trip, finds a crystal skull that has been hidden since the time of Elizabeth I. We follow her as she attempts to decipher journals, maps and old tales in order to find the time, date and location that the artefact must be placed into the earth. We travel from 2007 back to the 16th century through the medium of the diaries of Cedric Owen the last keeper of the skull. Of course all the time Stella's attempts are hampered by the fact that someone is trying to stop her from finding the truth, murderously so.This was a good, solid story, well written and researched. The voices of the two main characters, 21st Century Stella and 16th Century Cedric are separate and distinct from each other, which is no mean feat. Perhaps the colourful and dangerous 1500s was slightly more believable and enjoyable than the lacklustre 2000s. After all how could 2007 compete with notable characters such as Nostradamus, Catherine de Medici, Sir Francis Walsingham the Spymaster and Fernandez de Aguilar (last is fictional and I'll leave it up to you to discover who he is and what he does).Yet it was still a good adventure mystery, with the whodunits not becoming completely clear until the last few chapters of the book. This was an enjoyable and easy read for me.
    • 3/5
      Hmm, a strange book which seemed at times to be trying to be the next "Da Vinci Code" and other times trying to be it's own book. Liked the crystal skulls and the the 16th century parts, but not so keen on the modern aspects.
    • 4/5
      This was the first Early Review book I snagged, and was excited to get it. But I was already reading another very long book, so it had to be put in the 'time out' pile for a little while. When I finally got to it, I wasn't disappointed. I've never reviewed a book before, so here goes.The Crystal Skull is an enjoyable combination of fantasy, myth and history. The story goes back and forth between the 16th Century and present day England and France. A young caver and her husband find the crystal skull, whose history they already know, and the adventure starts from there. It's a process of finding out what the skull represents, where it's supposed to go, and for what purpose. Along the way we meet Nostradamus, are confronted with attempted murder, murder, and much intrigue and surprising twists. The story was believable, and the only thing that bothered me was that it was never fully explained how our heroine was related to the skull.It was a fairly quick read, and I enjoyed Manda Scott's writing style. I think I would read more of her writing.(Added 8/25/08) I came to find out there really is a Crystal Skull legend. I've bought The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls, by Chris Morton and Ceri Louise Thomas. It sounds fascinating, but I can't read it until I finish up all my ER reading. Once I read it, I should post a review.
    • 4/5
      Stella's wedding gift from her husband, Kit, is to go spelunking in a cave that no one else has seen. Kit has done extensive research on the crystal skulls and believes he has found Cedric Owen's cave where the skull has been buried for hundreds of years. While in the cave, Stella sees a blue light and finds the crystal skull. Men have killed to own one of the 13 crystal skulls. They contact some of their associates to help them decipher the codes about the skull. The author has woven Cedric Owen's history into the current story of Kit and Stella. There is enough historical information to keep the reader's interest, but the author has held off the suspense and intrigue until the end of the book. I didn't really care much about Kit as his character seemed whiney. Stella was interesting, but I didn't even find myself concerned about her relative safety while possessing the skull. Fernandez de Aguilar is a fascinating character, as well as Cedric Owen. I found the story a little tedious about a third of the way into the book, then found I couldn't put it down.
    • 3/5
      I was really excited to receive this book through Librarything's Early Reviewer program. The day after the book arrived I began reading it. I do have to admit that my nervousness about writing a review may have clouded my enjoyment of the book.This book is about a crystal skull referred to as a heart-stone, two of it's keepers (one past, one present), and possible Armageddon. It is also about the struggle between those who seek with all their souls to do the right thing and those individuals that succumb to the failings of humankind such as greed and a lust for power. It is about reconciling science with the mystical and following your path despite the difficulties.Overall, I'd say The Crystal Skull by Manda Scott was a good read. The history was fascinating, though I can't vouch for it's accuracy. I found that Manda Scott was able to marry the practical and the mystical very convincingly. The characters are startlingly vivid, especially Fernandez De Aguiler. Character relations were believable and well fleshed out. I also found that most of the scene-setting descriptions were the perfect depth - no tedious goings on about each tree and hill. One criticism I feel I must point out is that a lot of the situations seemed a bit too convenient. The story bounces between past and present. I find no fault with the chapters dealing with the past, in fact they were my favorite. However, in the present things happened much too easily. People were easy to locate, meetings were always possible. Things were unbelievably punctual and reliable. I wouldn't say that it detracted from the story at all, it was just a personal pet peeve. I imagine that most books with an element of mystery and discovery have their own "well, isn't that convenient" moments as well.All in all, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes history with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. If I were to generalize, I would group The Crystal Skull with books such as The Historian by Elizabth Kostova and Labyrinth by Kate Mosse for their past/present switching and enthralling history as well as books like Angels and Demons by Dan Brown, The Romanov Prophecy by Steve Berry, and The Lucifer Gospel by Paul Christopher for their similarly suspenseful history-mystery themes.
    • 3/5
      This book, my first venture into the work of Manda Scott, perplexes me. The characters were flat, the story somewhat predictable, the denouement not quite satisfying yet I pushed on through it. At times the action was compeling and kept me glued to the page: this seems to be one of those books that one does not feel compelled to read for long spurts at a time, yet feels compelled to finish. Looking at it from that perspective, the book maintained my interest, if not always my enthusiasm!
    • 3/5
      I thought the discription of the book sounded very good but after reading it, I found the story to be kind of flat. I felt that the story was incomplete. It was an interesting concept to write a book about but there were just too many holes in the story for me to enjoy it.
    • 3/5
      It was supposed to be the perfect honeymoon, or at least to Stella and her new husband Kit, instead of the usual wine, flowers, and expensive Hawaiian getaway that most newlyweds enjoy, they decide to go caving in hopes of solving a 16th century riddle that leads to the treasure of a blue crystal skull. They do find it, but at a price. Kit's life hangs in the balance, someone is after them, and the existence of the whole world hangs in the balance. The novel alternates between the 21st and the 16th centuries following Dr. Stella Cody in the modern day era and Cedric Owen, a Scottish doctor and college founder who dabbles in the mysticism surrounding the Elizabethan era along with famous men such as Nostradamos and Dees. The premise of the book I found was very interesting, especially with the Mayan Armageddon at 2012 which one rarely if ever hears about. The writing felt a bit rushed in many of the modern chapters but tended to drag a bit in the past. I am not sure if Scott meant this, although it would be a great comparison with the fact that in this day we are very rushed. It took me a while to get into this book but overall it was a very interesting and enjoyable read. I found the illustrations in the book to be very interesting and I kept going back to them as I read in case they might hold clues to the continuing plot.
    • 5/5
      This fictional story is about a prophecy of the end of the world and specifically the mystery of the crystal skulls in saving it. The story takes place mainly in England and Zama, New Spain (Tulum, Mexico). It is about two specific caretakers of the blue crystal skull-- one from the 16th century (Cedric Owen) and the other from the 21st century (Stella Cody) and how they discover the prophecy and their parts in it.The story easily held my interest with just the right amount of suspense and intriguing historical details, weaving between 16th & 21st centuries. Manda Scott did a wonderful job with the characters, as they were well developed and believable.Overall, I very much enjoyed reading this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was pondering it. I would definitely recommend "The Crystal Skull" for a gratifying read.
    • 4/5
      This book was enjoyable but it had some kinks that needed to be worked out, but I enjoyed it to the end.
    • 4/5
      The Crystal Skull by Manda Scott is rare kind of a read. It is both thought provoking and an action packed page turner. Ms. Scott’s most recent tome keeps the reader’s expectations taut for both sets of characters in two different time periods. Each ‘duo’ struggles with their destinies, their duties, and how both of those are bound up in and bound by the strength of their love. The author shows a deft hand at drawing the reader into the depths and struggles of the protagonists’ love relationships without even a tinge of over sentimentality, or, even really Romance with a capital R. She just as skillfully shows us some theories, some backgrounds and conjecture about the mysteries of the crystal skulls without the text coming off as another Whack-a-Doo Crackpot treatise. The Crystal Skull is a most highly recommended read if you have ever wondered about the end times, or whether we are the first iteration of humankind on this planet, or if the rational scientific view has the ability to see and encompass the full knowledge of our existence.
    • 5/5
      This is my first review of a book received through Librarything’s Early Reviewer Program. The Crystal Skull is a well-written, exciting book. It kept up my interest throughout and was consistent and logical in its entirety. The surprises, twists and turns were both unpredictable yet not far-fetched. Once I started the book, I found it difficult to put it down’ when I had to put it down, I was looking forward to start up again. The plot and characters were well described by the other reviewers, so I won’t bore you all with similar information. However, the book was novel in several ways. The introduction of Mayan mythology and the concept of the crystal skull were new to me. The historical aspects of the book were informative and entertaining. The one aspect I had trouble with is that everyone that the major characters came in contact with knew about the crystal skull and its significance. Other than that, I enjoyed the way the 2 storylines intermingled throughout the book. The bouncing back and forth across time provided the reader updates and revealing new twists to hold the readers attention without becoming too burdensome. If you like historical fiction, with a flair for mystery, this is a book for you.