Disclosure: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Niklas Phoenix left the Galactic Institute of Historic Preservation on acrimonious terms and took up treasure hunting with his brothers. The Institute has found him, though, and makes him an offer he can�Ûªt refuse: an expedition to Earth, with Nera Darc also going. Nik has a fascination with Darc he can‰Ûªt get rid of, and he distrusts the Institute enough to join up to see what they are up to. Nera has always found Nik rare and intriguing, but their rivalry and the remnants of her own issues have kept them apart. Finally working together on the expedition, they have the luxury to decide what they mean to each other. But first, they have to survive zombies, giant mutant cats, acid-spitting plants, and internal sabotage.
I loved our protagonists, separately and together. Niklas is, as Nera says, a good man. The two have been tangling since the beginning of the series, and I do recommend reading the first three Phoenix Adventures books before this one for a little more background on them. Niklas makes a great Indiana Jones, scholar and adventurer, and his respect for Nera is evident even while dirty things are happening. I was a little worried Nera‰Ûªs character would get watered down from what I read in earlier books, but Nera Darc continues to be the baddest treasure hunter in the galaxy, with human issues that she‰Ûªs somewhat dealt with, like most of us. She‰Ûªs not completely trapped by her past but it does give her hangups. The way she falls for Nik and opens up to him feels natural, and her protectiveness (while trusting his competence and letting him stand on his own) made me feel all warm and cozy. They make an excellent team.
The villains, however, are shallow. Their motives are believable but not complex, and I believe there are actual villainous cackles (one of those memories that‰Ûªs too good to check). It‰Ûªs a sharp contrast to the well-developed protagonists.
The action is filmic. Chase scenes, booby traps, sword and gun fights, gladiator rings, it can make your head spin. With all that, I still somehow have a good idea as to the sequence of events. It‰Ûªs more coherent than the majority of action movies I‰Ûªm familiar with. Everything is consistent and ties together nicely.
It‰Ûªs also fun to see the radioactive world Hackett has built, abounding with monsters, mutants, treasures, and environmental hazards. The horrors are vivid and scary. The ruins of my beloved New York City got me thinking, ‰ÛÏCould we really do this to ourselves someday?‰Û We also make stops in savage Mexico and Peru, and I was always curious to see what the team would discover next! I am very burned out on zombies, though. These are well-done and not garden-variety, but they‰Ûªre still zombies. ( )