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kerryfriesen's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
michellefleming33's review against another edition
3.0
Can I give it 2.5 stars?
I know that this is an earlier version of Rollins' writing and I knew that going into it. But still, I expected more...
There was so much going on in this book, yet it took forever to get anywhere and then the ending just wrapped it up in a pretty bow.
I was intrigued to find out what happened and then when I did find out, I was disappointed.
***SPOILERS***
Some whacked out tree from the prehistoric times still thrived, enslaved people, animals, and plants to its sweet healing nectar, and it made a big hupla of devastating deaths all around.
I was truly sad when Manny died. I liked how Rollins kept Tor-Tor alive though. I grew attached to that cat.
***End Spoilers!!***
There were a LOT of characters in this book. And I feel like some of them were not given the credit that they deserved. It took 300 pages for them to even get there and then the last chapter wrapped everything up in THREE PAGES! The epilogue drove me nuts!!! (Pun intended.)
I don't know. Not my favorite of Rollins, and the only reason I snatched it from the library was because it was one of his early pieces and people were raving about how his newer books are no where near as good as his first ones. I'm going to disagree on that one. I love the Sigma Force novels. I feel more attached to ALL of the characters no matter how small of a role they have. This was a beast of a book too. Like I said so much time was taken to just get there and then when they did the description of this huge white barked tree was not as vivid as all the travesties they have to go through. I wanted to know more about the people who lived there, how they practiced normal daily activities, more about this mysterious sap, it cure all for all diseases. I wanted to know more about what happened to Gerald Clark, and Nate's dad. Why weren't we allowed to read more from his journal?? And how the hell did solar panels get on that roof of that log cabin?? And we never found out the "true" meaning of that blue hand print! I already knew who the traitor was well before the whole explosion. I was sick of hearing about caimans and I really wanted Tshui to die more violently. Is that bad of me? And that tree was just f-ed up scary. No thank you. Do not go to this place in the Amazon. Leave it alone people!!!
I know that this is an earlier version of Rollins' writing and I knew that going into it. But still, I expected more...
There was so much going on in this book, yet it took forever to get anywhere and then the ending just wrapped it up in a pretty bow.
I was intrigued to find out what happened and then when I did find out, I was disappointed.
***SPOILERS***
Some whacked out tree from the prehistoric times still thrived, enslaved people, animals, and plants to its sweet healing nectar, and it made a big hupla of devastating deaths all around.
I was truly sad when Manny died. I liked how Rollins kept Tor-Tor alive though. I grew attached to that cat.
***End Spoilers!!***
There were a LOT of characters in this book. And I feel like some of them were not given the credit that they deserved. It took 300 pages for them to even get there and then the last chapter wrapped everything up in THREE PAGES! The epilogue drove me nuts!!! (Pun intended.)
I don't know. Not my favorite of Rollins, and the only reason I snatched it from the library was because it was one of his early pieces and people were raving about how his newer books are no where near as good as his first ones. I'm going to disagree on that one. I love the Sigma Force novels. I feel more attached to ALL of the characters no matter how small of a role they have. This was a beast of a book too. Like I said so much time was taken to just get there and then when they did the description of this huge white barked tree was not as vivid as all the travesties they have to go through. I wanted to know more about the people who lived there, how they practiced normal daily activities, more about this mysterious sap, it cure all for all diseases. I wanted to know more about what happened to Gerald Clark, and Nate's dad. Why weren't we allowed to read more from his journal?? And how the hell did solar panels get on that roof of that log cabin?? And we never found out the "true" meaning of that blue hand print! I already knew who the traitor was well before the whole explosion. I was sick of hearing about caimans and I really wanted Tshui to die more violently. Is that bad of me? And that tree was just f-ed up scary. No thank you. Do not go to this place in the Amazon. Leave it alone people!!!
jamieh2024's review against another edition
3.0
A great tale of adventure and intrigue set in the Amazon Basin. This was an Indiana Jones type adventure and I must say it kept me glued to it the entire time. I would recommend it for fans of adventure stories but others may enjoy it as well. Think along the lines of the Preston and Child Books and you're in the right sub-genre.
breckenridge's review against another edition
2.0
This book made me mad. The Yagga concept was super cool, cool enough to make up for the completely generic rest of the plot. Being based in the Amazon obviously you can only be doing an expedition into the uncharted areas for the magic jungle medicine where a previous expedition was lost and you're accosted by hostile tribes and a competing mercenary team. I could have forgiven all the lack of originality cause it could have been a fun read but it wasn't. Most of the characters are lifeless, so lifeless I can't even remember their names or how many there were and I've finished the book less than 10 minutes ago.
The main female character is generic. Hardworking single mom researcher runs off to the Amazon, trips walking through the jungle and spends the evening pining about how the main man had a firm grip when he caught her then rubs jungle neosporin on her little cut, they talk a little, she gets lost in a dark hallway while being probably held hostage by the tribe the spent the rest of the book trying to kill them and accidently goes into main man's room so obviously they MUST have sex....cause that's realistic.....
Long review short...there was one super cool idea, a very generic plot that could have been fun but wasn't, the characters were either as lively and unique as cardboard or they were stupid and super tropey. Or in the case of the 2nd main female character they were the animalistic, dangerous, eternally naked, has to have some body part described for the millionth time every time she walks across a room, sex object. Seriously. This was just lazy writing. The whole 2 stars are for the Yagga concept alone, the rest of the book doesn't get a single star.
The main female character is generic. Hardworking single mom researcher runs off to the Amazon, trips walking through the jungle and spends the evening pining about how the main man had a firm grip when he caught her then rubs jungle neosporin on her little cut, they talk a little, she gets lost in a dark hallway while being probably held hostage by the tribe the spent the rest of the book trying to kill them and accidently goes into main man's room so obviously they MUST have sex....cause that's realistic.....
Long review short...there was one super cool idea, a very generic plot that could have been fun but wasn't, the characters were either as lively and unique as cardboard or they were stupid and super tropey. Or in the case of the 2nd main female character they were the animalistic, dangerous, eternally naked, has to have some body part described for the millionth time every time she walks across a room, sex object. Seriously. This was just lazy writing. The whole 2 stars are for the Yagga concept alone, the rest of the book doesn't get a single star.
raggedyman1342's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
kiloxxo's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
brandonatwood's review against another edition
3.0
There were large sections that were really enjoyable. Reminded me of parts of the Ender’s universe with some biological sci-fi that was pretty interesting. But it’s impossible to overlook the white savior storyline, especially when that white savior destroys everything he was trying to save in the first place. Certain plot points just became too far fetched to give this anything above three stars.
novelesque_life's review against another edition
4.0
4 STARS
"he Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest — a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing... and came out with both intact.
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father... toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated... an ancient, unspoken terror — a power beyond human imagining — that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of..." (From Amazon)
My first novel by James Rollins and it will definitely not be my last - and it hasn't. This novel has every thing you could want - suspense, thriller, adventure, supernatural and great storytelling. I reread this novel twice more - one was with a group read on Shelfari.
Read in 2003, 2009 and 2013.
"he Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest — a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing... and came out with both intact.
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father... toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated... an ancient, unspoken terror — a power beyond human imagining — that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of..." (From Amazon)
My first novel by James Rollins and it will definitely not be my last - and it hasn't. This novel has every thing you could want - suspense, thriller, adventure, supernatural and great storytelling. I reread this novel twice more - one was with a group read on Shelfari.
Read in 2003, 2009 and 2013.