I Read & Ranked All Of Dan Brown’s Books!

Hi all!

I am back with another book ranking! These are some of my most popular posts. You can check out the others I’ve written here. If you’re not familiar with Dan Brown, surely you have heard of a famous film called The Da Vinci Code? It was based on his best-seller by the same name. This author is known for his adventurous novels full of clues, puzzles and ciphers. The majority of his stories follow Harvard Professor, Robert Langdon, an expert in symbology and religious iconography. However, he has written some stand-alone books too. FYI, I’m not going to mention Wild Symphony, as it is a children’s story. Without further ado – from my most to least favourite – here is a ranking of his works!

1.) Angels & Demons

In first place, we have Angels & Demons, which I believe is Dan Brown’s best novel. When Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon, discovers the resurgence of an ancient brotherhood known as the Illuminati, he flies to Rome to warn the Vatican – the Illuminati’s most hated enemy. Joining forces with a beautiful Italian scientist named Vittoria Vetra, Langdon embarks on a frantic hunt through sealed crypts, dangerous catacombs and deserted cathedrals toward the long-forgotten Illuminati lair – a secret area that contains the only hope for Vatican salvation. This book gave me serious Fifth Element vibes with the altars of fire, air, earth and water. You can do a specific guided tour in Italy of all the locations mentioned by the author. It was such a thrilling and exciting read with a twist I didn’t see coming. If you enjoyed The Da Vinci Code, please check this one out. The film adaptation with Tom Hanks was excellent too.

2.) Inferno

In second place, we have Inferno. I rated it highly because I feel a very personal connection to this story. In 2017, I travelled to Florence and visited most of the landmarks mentioned in the book. It was quite an exciting trip. I also believe this is the only novel of Dan’s to contain subtle horror elements. It’s much darker in tone than the rest of his works. Robert Langdon is back and this time, he follows a trail of clues tied to Dante, the great medieval poet. When he wakes up in an Italian hospital with amnesia, Robert teams up with Sienna Brooks, a doctor he hopes will help recover his memories. Together, they race across Europe and against the clock, to stop a madman from unleashing a virus that could wipe out half of the world’s population. I’ve always been fascinated by Dante’s Divine Comedy (I even tried reading it myself once) so I was overjoyed that Dan penned this one.

3.) The Da Vinci Code 

If you’re outraged that The Da Vinci Code is third on my list, I apologise! I really enjoyed it but preferred the other two a tiny bit more. While in Paris on business, Harvard symbologist, Robert Langdon, receives an urgent late-night call, informing him that the elderly curator of the Louvre has been murdered inside the museum. Near the body, the police discover a baffling cipher. Solving the enigmatic riddle, Langdon is stunned to learn it leads to a trail of clues hidden in the actual works of da Vinci. He joins forces with a gifted French cryptologist, Sophie Neveu, only to realise the late curator sacrificed his life to protect the location of a vastly important religious relic, hidden for centuries. It’s an excellent story that teaches readers about art history in an enjoyable, palatable way. I absolutely recommend it.

4.) The Lost Symbol

I listened to The Lost Symbol on audiobook and really enjoyed it. I have not watched the television series yet, but I might in the future. Let me know if it is worth checking out. Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object (artfully encoded with five symbols) is discovered within the building, as an invitation of sorts. When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon is brutally kidnapped, he realizes his only hope of saving him is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads. Robert is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and a single, inconceivable truth. This story gave me Red Dragon vibes. The villain was an interesting character with a God complex. Don’t sleep on it!

5.) Digital Fortress 

Digital Fortress is one of Dan’s stand-alone novels – not featuring Robert Langdon. When the NSA’s most classified technological wonder – an invincible code-breaking machine – encounters a mysterious code it cannot break, the agency calls in its head cryptographer, Susan Fletcher, a brilliant and beautiful mathematician. What she uncovers sends shock waves through the corridors of power. The NSA is being held hostage…not by guns or bombs, but by a code so ingeniously complex that if released, will cripple U.S. Intelligence. I’ll admit, I was skeptical about this one. I didn’t think the author could keep my interest if the story didn’t follow his typical format with Langdon at the wheel, but I was really impressed. This was one tension-building, high-stakes story that I couldn’t put down! Very underrated.

6.) Origin 

In second last place, we have Dan Brown’s latest novel: Origin. Robert Langdon arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum in Spain to attend a major announcement – the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever.” However, the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and the host’s precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling whilst facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director. Together, they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock the host’s secret. Just to clarify, Dan has never written a bad book. I haven’t disliked any of his works, but Origin didn’t wow me as much as the others listed above. It was much more religious in nature and for that reason, I had trouble connecting to it.

7.) Deception Point 

Last but certainly not least, we have Deception Point, Dan’s other stand-alone novel. When a new NASA satellite spots evidence of an astonishingly rare object buried deep in the Arctic ice, the floundering space agency proclaims a much-needed victory that has profound implications for U.S. space policy and the impending presidential election. With the Oval Office in the balance, the President dispatches White House Intelligence analyst, Rachel Sexton, to the Milne Ice Shelf, to verify the authenticity of the find. Accompanied by a team of experts, Rachel uncovers the unthinkable evidence of scientific trickery – a bold deception that threatens to plunge the world into controversy. Once again, I enjoyed this story but not as much compared to the rest. It was very political, which isn’t usually my thing. However, it still managed to intrigue and hold my attention. I liked Rachel as a gutsy female protagonist.

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank his books? Let me know down below! I hope he releases another one soon…

Peace & Love xoxo