In the year 1645, a the helm of the pirate ship, Tempest, Captain Nigel Hawthorne recklessly leads his crew into uncharted territories and lands on an unknown island far south of mainland China. There he plans to hide away a stolen chinese fortune temporarily, not realizing that the island's deadly inhabitants intend on making the treasure, and Hawthorne's crew, permanent additions... Three hundred and sixty years later, multi-millionaire Sukiman Ahmad, the anonymous financier for a left-wing guerilla faction known as the Barisan Hizbullah, discovers Hawthorne's long-lost secret. Intent on securing the priceless fortune for his organization's cause, Ahmad orders his first in command, General Damar Sali, to take the tiny island of Komodo by force and to hold the local inhabitants and tourists hostage in order to bide the time needed to hunt for the ancient treasure that is hidden there. But the terrorists get more than they bargained for when several of the tourists unwittingly evade capture and discover that Sukiman Ahmad has something much more sinister planned for the island than just a treasure hunt... As the tourists flee for their lives, an American SEAL team is planning an invasion and the guerillas are taking steps to ensure that failure of the mission is not an option. And all the while Komodo's ancient inhabitants have been lurking in the shadows, some say since the time of the dinosaurs, unwilling to be innocent bystanders... Hidden Treasure and Intrigue Combine for Good Summer Reading by Terry McNamee of the Lincoln Post Express Fans of adventure stories are in for a treat this summer with the release of a novel by Beamsville writer Richard Rizun. Ora is a tale in the tradition of H.G.Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, mixing fast-paced action with plenty of thrills and more than a few grisly deaths. In the end, the hero triumphs, and all is right with the world, but the journey is a precarious one filled with dangers from all sides. The story begins in the 17th century with the theft of an incredible Chinese treasure by pirates. When the pirates are in danger of being unable to escape safely with their loot, they go ashore on an uncharted island in what is now Indonesia to unload their cargo and then sneak away from some Chinese war ships that are in hot pursuit. But they soon discover they are not alone on the island, which is the home of the world's largest population of Komodo Dragons, or Ora. They succeed in hiding the treasure, but things go downhill from there for everyone but the dragons, who find that sailors make a tasty change from their regular diet. Flash forward to 2010. Komodo Island is a managed tourist attraction, with the giant beasts being fed regularly so tourists can come and watch them. But Indonesia is being threatened by terrorists who want to take over the government. They think they know where the ancient treasure is, and they forcibly take over Komodo Island to get it. Add a stolen nuclear bomb, a group of tourists (including three resourceful children), a brave, one-legged tour guide, a tough female scientist who is studying the dragons, and the great lizards themselves, who have not been fed in quite some time and are getting considerably irritated by the lack of room service, and you have a situation ready to explode. Although much of the tale is somewhat predictable, it's a good, exciting read. But the startling twist at the end should catch you by surprise. The prose gets a little flowery on occasion, especially near the beginning, and there are a few factual errors. But if you are willing to overlook these very minor flaws, this is a book that will keep you turning the page to see who gets captured, shot or eaten next and how the good guys get out of each increasingly terrifying situation. While the action can be a bit gory (we are talking about giant, meat-eating carnivores, after all), the