FRAGMENT by Warren Fahy, 2009.
I just finished this last night. A fast moving adventure suspense thriller similar to the novels of Michael Crichton. Paper thin characters, but lots of action and violence. Plot concerns an unexplored island in the South Pacific where the ecological system has developed completely and evolved undisturbed for millions of years. The island is remote and only has one way in--and of course, humans eventually discover it. First up is the cast and crew of a TV reality show called "SeaLife", with horrendously bloody results. Next in are the U.S. government and navy, with boatloads of scientists and state of the art equipment. What they find are nightmarish creatures and "plants" that exist in an "everything is food" environment, where all have evolved into animals with many and very startling characteristics and parts--multiple limbs and eyes and brains, abilities to mate in the womb and give birth continuously, are always in motion, and everything eats everything--including each other. When it is realized that these creatures have no natural enemies and no introduced predators can control them and the risk of their escape is too great, it is decided that the island must be destroyed. Meanwhile, it is discovered that salt water repels the attacks of the animals, earthquakes begin, fissures open, and the island is thrown into more chaos. Then, a benign, intelligent life form is found, and it becomes a race against time by a small group of people to save this creature at all costs before the island habitat is totally destroyed. Read this for the excitement and creativeness, I enjoyed the whole environment in chaos thing with weird animals and plants, good page turner with plenty of suspense, but a bit of a letdown toward the end. A really fast read, though.
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventure. Show all posts
Monday, September 6, 2010
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
ANGELOLOGY by Danielle Trussoni, 2010.
When I read several reviews of this, I was really interested: intriguing premise, some history, a quest, action, and interesting characters. And while I did enjoy the story, unfortunately, it felt as though the pace was off. The whole middle section, which was a flashback, seemed somewhat slow and heavy. The last third of the book was very enjoyable; however, the ending left me a bit dissatisfied. In a nutshell, the novel concerns the Nephilim (offspring of angels and humans, mentioned in Genesis) and angelologists (scholars who study and track angels), and the ancient (and continuing) conflicts between them. For the Nephilim are not very nice--they are beautiful, powerful, monstrous creatures whose total desire is to subvert humans to evil and encourage war and oppression. They have infiltrated high levels of society and are deadly, but their power is weakening due to a mysterious debilitating condition they aren't able to cure, and this has led them to search for Orpheus' lyre, an instrument that is supposed to possess unimaginable power, and the angelologists are in all-out battle mode to stop them. The main character, Sister Evangeline of the St. Rose Convent, a young woman with many questions about her past, is drawn into this situation by a researcher who is unknowingly working for one of the Nephilim. As the story unfolds and Evangeline discovers more about her past and realizes what her role in the current events really is, the pressure is on and the situation crucial. I found the writing and pacing be rather uneven in spots, very smooth and exciting in parts but slow in much of it. I liked the story on the whole, but perhaps it would have been better if it had been more tightly written and faster paced.
When I read several reviews of this, I was really interested: intriguing premise, some history, a quest, action, and interesting characters. And while I did enjoy the story, unfortunately, it felt as though the pace was off. The whole middle section, which was a flashback, seemed somewhat slow and heavy. The last third of the book was very enjoyable; however, the ending left me a bit dissatisfied. In a nutshell, the novel concerns the Nephilim (offspring of angels and humans, mentioned in Genesis) and angelologists (scholars who study and track angels), and the ancient (and continuing) conflicts between them. For the Nephilim are not very nice--they are beautiful, powerful, monstrous creatures whose total desire is to subvert humans to evil and encourage war and oppression. They have infiltrated high levels of society and are deadly, but their power is weakening due to a mysterious debilitating condition they aren't able to cure, and this has led them to search for Orpheus' lyre, an instrument that is supposed to possess unimaginable power, and the angelologists are in all-out battle mode to stop them. The main character, Sister Evangeline of the St. Rose Convent, a young woman with many questions about her past, is drawn into this situation by a researcher who is unknowingly working for one of the Nephilim. As the story unfolds and Evangeline discovers more about her past and realizes what her role in the current events really is, the pressure is on and the situation crucial. I found the writing and pacing be rather uneven in spots, very smooth and exciting in parts but slow in much of it. I liked the story on the whole, but perhaps it would have been better if it had been more tightly written and faster paced.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
ARK OF FIRE by C.M. Palov, 2009.
Finished this up last night; good read that kept me turning pages. Story concerns a young and beautiful photographer, Edie Miller, who witnesses a murder and the theft of an important artifact called the Stones of Fire. She is hunted down herself but saved by a tall and blond former British Secret Service agent/scholar/author named Caedmon Aisquith, who of course becomes involved with the girl as well as the crime. They discover that a fanatical organization has stolen the aforementioned artifact and are tracking down the companion piece--the famed Ark of the Covenant, with the express purpose of bringing about Armageddon. Clues fall into place, leading them across continents, the body count is high, and time is running out. Definitely feels like a Dan Brown/James Bond/Indiana Jones sort of adventure. Knowing that, it's a fun and fast read, a good book to take along to the airport, beach or on a vacation.
Finished this up last night; good read that kept me turning pages. Story concerns a young and beautiful photographer, Edie Miller, who witnesses a murder and the theft of an important artifact called the Stones of Fire. She is hunted down herself but saved by a tall and blond former British Secret Service agent/scholar/author named Caedmon Aisquith, who of course becomes involved with the girl as well as the crime. They discover that a fanatical organization has stolen the aforementioned artifact and are tracking down the companion piece--the famed Ark of the Covenant, with the express purpose of bringing about Armageddon. Clues fall into place, leading them across continents, the body count is high, and time is running out. Definitely feels like a Dan Brown/James Bond/Indiana Jones sort of adventure. Knowing that, it's a fun and fast read, a good book to take along to the airport, beach or on a vacation.
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