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travelgirlut's review against another edition
2.0
Is it possible for a book to have too much action? If so, this one qualifies. I wasn't even a quarter of the way through and I was thinking I was getting close to the end because there was so much going on all over the place. The point of view switches so often that it's hard to stay focused on the storyline. The characters are very transparent. Right from the beginning the heroine is attracted to the manly scent of our hero, even though they are out hunting feral cats in the bayou. The little bits of "our relationship is growing even though we are experiencing all this chaos" is not very believable or realistic. Rollins characters are never terribly deep, but these are his weakest of the ones I've read so far.
Also, his books usually have some fun science thrown in with the action, and this one did too, but this book relied heavily on the action sequences with the science as kind of a side blurb. I prefer the science to be up front with the action. I kept putting this book down out of a conflict between of boredom and over action. My least favorite of his books thus far.
Also, his books usually have some fun science thrown in with the action, and this one did too, but this book relied heavily on the action sequences with the science as kind of a side blurb. I prefer the science to be up front with the action. I kept putting this book down out of a conflict between of boredom and over action. My least favorite of his books thus far.
colls's review against another edition
3.0
This was one of the free eBooks for the nook on B&N and was an enjoyable enough read for a couple of flights.
James Rollins writes books that remind me of an Indiana Jones adventure. Is that a genre? This one involves scientists on an island (queue the Jurrassic Park theme) who are mucking about with DNA/RNA and all sorts of scientific technobabble.
The protagnoist was going to be the woman scientist/vet, but somehow along the line it became all about Jack and his misunderstood youth, war hero record and manly fire power that saved them all from destruction.
Oh, wait. The woman saved them all from destruction because... well, I don't want to spoil you.
James Rollins writes books that remind me of an Indiana Jones adventure. Is that a genre? This one involves scientists on an island (queue the Jurrassic Park theme) who are mucking about with DNA/RNA and all sorts of scientific technobabble.
The protagnoist was going to be the woman scientist/vet, but somehow along the line it became all about Jack and his misunderstood youth, war hero record and manly fire power that saved them all from destruction.
Oh, wait. The woman saved them all from destruction because... well, I don't want to spoil you.
jgolomb's review against another edition
3.0
Altar of Eden is a fun, exciting and fast read. If you're looking to escape in a tv-movie sort-of-way, then this is a good purchase.
James Rollins writes short and to the point. His characters and plot are somewhat similar - short and to the point. And it's enjoyable. The first half of the book sets the stage for genetically altered animals escape into the Bayou after an attempt to smuggle them into the U.S. goes awry.
Rollins writes adventure and pseudo-science well. Think Michael Crichton lite. But that's not a bad thing.
The book is full of gun fights and nasty animals attacks, plus the obligatory evil-scientist-explaining-his-nefarious-plot-to-the-protagonist. But it wraps up the story nicely.
If you're looking for something deep, then keep looking. You can stop looking, however, if you're in the market for a rock solid adventure, with mutated jaguars and super-smart hominids.
James Rollins writes short and to the point. His characters and plot are somewhat similar - short and to the point. And it's enjoyable. The first half of the book sets the stage for genetically altered animals escape into the Bayou after an attempt to smuggle them into the U.S. goes awry.
Rollins writes adventure and pseudo-science well. Think Michael Crichton lite. But that's not a bad thing.
The book is full of gun fights and nasty animals attacks, plus the obligatory evil-scientist-explaining-his-nefarious-plot-to-the-protagonist. But it wraps up the story nicely.
If you're looking for something deep, then keep looking. You can stop looking, however, if you're in the market for a rock solid adventure, with mutated jaguars and super-smart hominids.
drey72's review against another edition
4.0
I've been meaning to pick up Altar of Eden for a while now. No, seriously--especially when it was making the rounds early in the year. But, with my TBR pile what it is, I just never got around to it. Until James Rollins said "yes" to being my Featured Author for May (yay me!).
So. What did I think? A very quick summary: I've got a new author to add to my favorites list.
The action is frenetic, with things happening (almost) quicker than you can read about them. I loved the characters--they're so very real, and the interaction between Lorna and Jack is pretty dang believable. The bad guy was pretty predictable for a bad guy, and that's ok. Sometimes you need your villain to be a teeny bit predictable.
The detail in this book shows the level of research that went into it. Of course, I'm not a former veterinarian, so I wouldn't know if James Rollins was pulling a leg or two... But I'll go ahead and say he wasn't. There's plenty of scientific jargon scattered liberally throughout, and the Frankenstein-ish creatures that populate Altar of Eden are literally out of this world.
Thriller fans will love this. There's plenty of action to keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can. I know I wished I read faster, to get to the end as soon as I could. I'm adding the rest of James' books to my want-to-read list. But don't take my word for it, go check it out for yourself!
So. What did I think? A very quick summary: I've got a new author to add to my favorites list.
The action is frenetic, with things happening (almost) quicker than you can read about them. I loved the characters--they're so very real, and the interaction between Lorna and Jack is pretty dang believable. The bad guy was pretty predictable for a bad guy, and that's ok. Sometimes you need your villain to be a teeny bit predictable.
The detail in this book shows the level of research that went into it. Of course, I'm not a former veterinarian, so I wouldn't know if James Rollins was pulling a leg or two... But I'll go ahead and say he wasn't. There's plenty of scientific jargon scattered liberally throughout, and the Frankenstein-ish creatures that populate Altar of Eden are literally out of this world.
Thriller fans will love this. There's plenty of action to keep you turning the pages as quickly as you can. I know I wished I read faster, to get to the end as soon as I could. I'm adding the rest of James' books to my want-to-read list. But don't take my word for it, go check it out for yourself!
jaxboiler's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun and different kind of story. Nothing like a little genetic engineering that goes wrong to get a story moving. The action was fun and it kept me entertained which is all I ever want from a book.
utbw42's review against another edition
3.0
Starts out great, but then the story and characters don't develop into what could have been an outstanding novel. Still made for an enjoyable read, but I couldn't help feeling when I was finished that this book could have been so much more.