Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.19 AVERAGE
3.19 AVERAGE
This is everything you would expect from a book with Gillian Anderson's name written all over it. The best way I can think of to describe it is that it's basically like one of those inconclusive and vaguely mystical episodes of 'The X-Files' where you get the sense that Scully and Mulder have tapped into some ancient conspiracy but the writers are so bad at keeping track of season-long narrative arcs that they never go back to it and it's never resolved in a satisfying way. Very fast-paced and easy to read, and I appreciate the effort to be all global and topical with the inclusion of so many characters with non-Anglo names as well as UN peacekeeping crises.
There's heaps more to this book that makes me desperate to read the next one, but I feel kind of cheated by the new-agey explanations and the unconvincing deus ex machina crap that gets pulled at the end by the protagonist. Getting very 'chosen one' vibes and not in a good way. Very standard sci-fi thriller that's engrossing enough, I guess, but feels a bit undercooked. Keen to see how the next one develops. It's trashy and readable enough to be thoroughly enjoyable despite its shortcomings (like a Matthew Reilly book, only less shit), and I can totally see it adapted for television or something - in fact, the pacing makes it feels more like a book adaptation of a movie.
There's heaps more to this book that makes me desperate to read the next one, but I feel kind of cheated by the new-agey explanations and the unconvincing deus ex machina crap that gets pulled at the end by the protagonist. Getting very 'chosen one' vibes and not in a good way. Very standard sci-fi thriller that's engrossing enough, I guess, but feels a bit undercooked. Keen to see how the next one develops. It's trashy and readable enough to be thoroughly enjoyable despite its shortcomings (like a Matthew Reilly book, only less shit), and I can totally see it adapted for television or something - in fact, the pacing makes it feels more like a book adaptation of a movie.
I absolutely loved this book. It felt like coming home to read something science-fiction that was written by Gillian Anderson (And Jeff of course!). It was also pretty freaky at times. Read 15 chapters before bed, and was too freaked out to go to the basement to get my clothes out of the dryer! I finished it in the morning with coffee and toast (Not as scary in the daylight :P). I can't wait to read more!
What a stupid book. Waste of time and had to force myself to finish.
Listened to audiobook.
It’s clear the authors worked hard creating this intricate story. I personally found it hard to connect with. The characters were loosely connected through a complex web and life threatening supernatural risks.
It’s clear the authors worked hard creating this intricate story. I personally found it hard to connect with. The characters were loosely connected through a complex web and life threatening supernatural risks.
http://jennsbookblog.blogspot.com/2015/12/a-vision-of-fire-by-gillian-anderson.html
I was so confused for a while. It got too weird--cheesy--but, I kept reading, so it's got that going for it.
The first half of this book was the definition of "okay" - the plot was okay, the characters were okay, etc, etc. I was enjoying it but was never enthused by what I was reading.
The second half of this book fell down the alternative history rabbit hole. It's a place I've spent time in and had no real wish to linger. I finished the book but it was a chore and I won't be reading the sequel.
The second half of this book fell down the alternative history rabbit hole. It's a place I've spent time in and had no real wish to linger. I finished the book but it was a chore and I won't be reading the sequel.
Child psychologist and single mom of a hearing-impaired son is the center of the story, Dr. Caitlin O’Hara. She is more or less believable as a caring scientist forced to accept increasingly unlikely explanations, but she’s somewhat two-dimensional, doesn’t have much of a history, and isn’t very well fleshed out. You get a hint that there’s something in her background that predisposes her to the otherworldly aspects affecting the other characters of this book, but it’s never narrated which is a disappointment since I found it hard to believe that the character would so easily strap herself to the “transpersonality” dimensions (I think it was called that).
The background of Dr. O’Hara would have added a lot to make the visions and O’Hara’s involvement in the “beyond space and time” world believable. Let’s face it, most readers are picturing Agent Scully as Dr. O’Hara. She’s a driven, smart, intelligent, rational professional character that Ms. Anderson played, and we fans loved, for so many years. But there was very little development, and the lack of depth for Dr. O’Hara brought down the storyline. The main character was not an anchor for the plotline for readers to connect with. She’s suddenly having these self-induced trips to an ancient world and tapping into unseen spiritual energies (after one conversation with a Hindu priest and an encounter with a Voodoo shaman lady) to change the past thus “saving the future.” Not really something readers can connect with because it just sort of happens. There is not a lot of exploring of this “supernatural power” beforehand. On a plane, she telepathically connects with one of her patients. Then she takes on a gigantic group of souls and breaks them apart using her mind and by tapping into a cornerstone she offhandedly notices in the ancient city. Dr. O’Hara seems to take an X-Files season 7 leap in terms of believing the weird while she’s still in season 1. And while I do not mind this type of leap, the transitions to it were poor.
I love plotlines about ancient secrets no one's discovered. For this story, its Galderkhaan. And while I found the book to be a page turner, there were too many disconnecting elements all at once, and the story never really resolved itself. I kept thinking, “this is going to be really cool when it all wraps up,” but it never truly wraps up. The connection between the Vikings and Mongolians never believably came to fruition. And in terms of the ancient city: sounds awesome, however, the plot did not spend enough time in it to explain the “soul snatching” elements of the book. Why were these people stealing souls? What is the problem with their method of joining together? Why is an ancient Antarctic society affecting people in the Northern Hemisphere? Oh wait… there was this artifact a shadowy society called “the Group” stole in the prologue. Well, this feels more like a backstory that intrudes on the main characters’ plot. There needed to be more connections with both plot threads. I get that the souls are connected to the element, etc., however, elements did not connect. Why does the artifact melt a guy’s brains? What is the artifact made of?
The epilogue hits you like a slap the face which when it ends makes you yell in frustration… THAT’S WHERE YOU END IT? The epilogue really should have been worked in earlier in the story. Then there would have been a modern-day search for this ancient lost society while Dr. O’Hara is dealing with the psychological effects. That would have lent a lot of time to explore this other society and its beliefs – writing opportunity lost!
Questions not answered: (1) How did Caitlin know to do what she did? and (2) Why did it work? Actually, lots of “whys?” were not answered (a few mentioned above). And while I like exploring the mysteries of ancient civilizations, I am not a fan of explaining these mysteries away via alien intervention. I certainly hope there is more to it than that in book 2. I will probably read book 2. I want to discover more of this ancient world and its connection to the present. However, I expect a lot more answers and character development. This book should have been longer especially in terms of the main character’s backstory.
This book is very similar to The Atlantis Gene (The Origin Mystery #1), however, that book connects the dots a lot better while also leaving you anticipating book 2.
Lastly, why does everyone only drink Jasmine tea? There are so many more flavors of tea out there! But everyone from all different cultures seems to only drink the Jasmine variety.
The background of Dr. O’Hara would have added a lot to make the visions and O’Hara’s involvement in the “beyond space and time” world believable. Let’s face it, most readers are picturing Agent Scully as Dr. O’Hara. She’s a driven, smart, intelligent, rational professional character that Ms. Anderson played, and we fans loved, for so many years. But there was very little development, and the lack of depth for Dr. O’Hara brought down the storyline. The main character was not an anchor for the plotline for readers to connect with. She’s suddenly having these self-induced trips to an ancient world and tapping into unseen spiritual energies (after one conversation with a Hindu priest and an encounter with a Voodoo shaman lady) to change the past thus “saving the future.” Not really something readers can connect with because it just sort of happens. There is not a lot of exploring of this “supernatural power” beforehand. On a plane, she telepathically connects with one of her patients. Then she takes on a gigantic group of souls and breaks them apart using her mind and by tapping into a cornerstone she offhandedly notices in the ancient city. Dr. O’Hara seems to take an X-Files season 7 leap in terms of believing the weird while she’s still in season 1. And while I do not mind this type of leap, the transitions to it were poor.
I love plotlines about ancient secrets no one's discovered. For this story, its Galderkhaan. And while I found the book to be a page turner, there were too many disconnecting elements all at once, and the story never really resolved itself. I kept thinking, “this is going to be really cool when it all wraps up,” but it never truly wraps up. The connection between the Vikings and Mongolians never believably came to fruition. And in terms of the ancient city: sounds awesome, however, the plot did not spend enough time in it to explain the “soul snatching” elements of the book. Why were these people stealing souls? What is the problem with their method of joining together? Why is an ancient Antarctic society affecting people in the Northern Hemisphere? Oh wait… there was this artifact a shadowy society called “the Group” stole in the prologue. Well, this feels more like a backstory that intrudes on the main characters’ plot. There needed to be more connections with both plot threads. I get that the souls are connected to the element, etc., however, elements did not connect. Why does the artifact melt a guy’s brains? What is the artifact made of?
The epilogue hits you like a slap the face which when it ends makes you yell in frustration… THAT’S WHERE YOU END IT? The epilogue really should have been worked in earlier in the story. Then there would have been a modern-day search for this ancient lost society while Dr. O’Hara is dealing with the psychological effects. That would have lent a lot of time to explore this other society and its beliefs – writing opportunity lost!
Questions not answered: (1) How did Caitlin know to do what she did? and (2) Why did it work? Actually, lots of “whys?” were not answered (a few mentioned above). And while I like exploring the mysteries of ancient civilizations, I am not a fan of explaining these mysteries away via alien intervention. I certainly hope there is more to it than that in book 2. I will probably read book 2. I want to discover more of this ancient world and its connection to the present. However, I expect a lot more answers and character development. This book should have been longer especially in terms of the main character’s backstory.
This book is very similar to The Atlantis Gene (The Origin Mystery #1), however, that book connects the dots a lot better while also leaving you anticipating book 2.
Lastly, why does everyone only drink Jasmine tea? There are so many more flavors of tea out there! But everyone from all different cultures seems to only drink the Jasmine variety.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated