Ruins is the fourth X-Files novel written by Kevin J. Anderson. It follows Mulder and Scully going to the Mayan city of Xitaclan to look for missing American archaeologists. They bring along one of the missing archaeologist’s fathers, but the ancient site proves to be something that neither of them expected. The book is an entertaining read, but I can’t say that I would recommend it to just anybody. The story is fleshed out fine, but there’s nothing about it that makes it an extraordinary book. The beginning of the book is a bit slow-paced and does not pick up much until the action scenes toward the end. Many parts of it are also very stereotypical. The natives of Mexico are portrayed as uncivilized and boorish. Other than the stereotypical portrayals, this book is a decent afternoon read and can be finished in a handful of sittings. The main audience I would recommend it to are people who enjoy The X-Files television show and its other books.
