I absolutely loved The Expected One and anticipated feeling the same about this book. I enjoyed this book VERY MUCH and the message it conveyed was still very powerful but it didn't blow me away the way the first book did. I think I wanted more of the Mary Magdalene story and this book is about the gospel as written by Jesus. All of the modern day characters appear in the book although their storylines aren't as extensive as in the first book. Secret societies (present day and historical) also remain a big part of the story. This book is well worth reading because it's thought provoking while still being entertaining. The flashback story was my favorite part and I couldn't wait to get back to that part of the storyline. However, some parts of the flashbacks had flashbacks within it and at times it got somewhat confusing as to who the characters were. Looking forward to reading the next in the series The Poet Prince.