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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
This is a very complex story full of Mayan artifacts, time travel, giant panther beasts, and a professional team of adventure seekers. The lore was my favorite part but the story felt like it had no heart. Cliffhanger at the end though so I may venture into book 2.
This was a first-read free book. The book is scheduled for publication
Initially, this seemed to be a run-of-the-mill thriller. All the expected ingredients are there; covert government agencies, executives with questionable motives, the millionaire industrialist with a villainous drive, the reclusive tough guy hero with a misunderstood past, the professor and his assistant who are in over their heads, double-crossing insiders, etc. After the set-up in the first part of the book though, things really get interesting. I won't divulge any of the details, but it is a good story about an Amazon expedition that goes a bit haywire. The group is on a quest for a treasure that could change the world, but meets resistance from a variety of enemies. The story is a combination of adventure thriller, horror and sci-fi, and it's well written, with nicely developed details of archeology, Mayan history, bio-tech, etc. I'm looking forward to the sequel, which is apparently in the works.
Initially, this seemed to be a run-of-the-mill thriller. All the expected ingredients are there; covert government agencies, executives with questionable motives, the millionaire industrialist with a villainous drive, the reclusive tough guy hero with a misunderstood past, the professor and his assistant who are in over their heads, double-crossing insiders, etc. After the set-up in the first part of the book though, things really get interesting. I won't divulge any of the details, but it is a good story about an Amazon expedition that goes a bit haywire. The group is on a quest for a treasure that could change the world, but meets resistance from a variety of enemies. The story is a combination of adventure thriller, horror and sci-fi, and it's well written, with nicely developed details of archeology, Mayan history, bio-tech, etc. I'm looking forward to the sequel, which is apparently in the works.
A fun, interesting read! The story lost a star for me with the time traveling aspect of the plot though - it seemed a little odd for the genre and didn't feel fully developed by the end. Still, the book was enjoyable.
Black Rain is the debut novel for author Graham Brown. After reading the introductory notes and a few pages, I expected the work to be a copy of some of today’s popular secret society thrillers similar in style to Dan Brown or Steve Berry. After a few chapters, however, the author begins to develop his own voice.
Like any good thriller, plot drives the story. Danielle Laidlaw is an up-and-coming agent for the NRI, National Research Institute, which appears to be a “black op” version of the real NSA. She is unexpectedly handed the lead position on a secret “exploratory” mission into the Amazon looking for a lost Mayan tribe. The development dragged until the first action scene at the docks. It is in these action sequences where Brown truly shines. Combining a quick pace and just the right imagery, Brown creates an almost cinematic experience for his reader.
Brown’s notion of the NRI is quite timely. Their charter to gather, or steal, technological advances to ensure that America retains its world power status leads to the Amazon expedition. Their discoveries could lead to America’s complete energy independence through cold fusion which would allow for an economic boom and a disassociation from countries that have not been our best allies. The entire expedition crumbles, however, through deception, manipulation and fraud.
The novel was moving along quite well until Brown went down the path of aliens or time travelers. The author immediately lost credibility and the rest of the book was difficult to finish. I knew having a story-line related to Mayan mythology and not mentioning December 2012 was too good to be true. Brown ends with a tired cliché of a Mayan artifact counting down to that date being locked away in some secret location.
I really enjoyed the novel up to this plot redirection. Brown’s pacing and descriptive language will serve him well if he continues to author action and adventure works. This author shows great promise but I hope he’ll attempt to develop more original themes for future endeavors. I’d rate this book 2.5 out of 5 for content but 4 out of 5 for the writer’s style and craftsmanship.
Like any good thriller, plot drives the story. Danielle Laidlaw is an up-and-coming agent for the NRI, National Research Institute, which appears to be a “black op” version of the real NSA. She is unexpectedly handed the lead position on a secret “exploratory” mission into the Amazon looking for a lost Mayan tribe. The development dragged until the first action scene at the docks. It is in these action sequences where Brown truly shines. Combining a quick pace and just the right imagery, Brown creates an almost cinematic experience for his reader.
Brown’s notion of the NRI is quite timely. Their charter to gather, or steal, technological advances to ensure that America retains its world power status leads to the Amazon expedition. Their discoveries could lead to America’s complete energy independence through cold fusion which would allow for an economic boom and a disassociation from countries that have not been our best allies. The entire expedition crumbles, however, through deception, manipulation and fraud.
The novel was moving along quite well until Brown went down the path of aliens or time travelers. The author immediately lost credibility and the rest of the book was difficult to finish. I knew having a story-line related to Mayan mythology and not mentioning December 2012 was too good to be true. Brown ends with a tired cliché of a Mayan artifact counting down to that date being locked away in some secret location.
I really enjoyed the novel up to this plot redirection. Brown’s pacing and descriptive language will serve him well if he continues to author action and adventure works. This author shows great promise but I hope he’ll attempt to develop more original themes for future endeavors. I’d rate this book 2.5 out of 5 for content but 4 out of 5 for the writer’s style and craftsmanship.
I picked up this book after hearing the author speak at the Tucson Festival of Books a couple weekends ago. I am not normally the type to pick up "thrillers" but I enjoyed the talk and so I decided to broaden my reading horizons.
The story was well developed and the characters were well rounded. As Graham Brown discussed in his talk, the whole idea of pure evil bad guys isn't to his taste and that resonated in the development. There were the good guys with some bad traits and the bad guys with some good traits.
I loved the unique story line of putting Mayans in the Amazon and the discoveries that the characters learned with the audience learning at the same time was great, added a few startling twists.
Initially Danielle's character came off a bit over-done but as the story progressed so did her character which in thinking about it after finishing the novel, I like how she developed and I like that at first she seemed too, almost cliche. It made for her development to be that much more well-done.
Now I wish that I had bought the second book to follow up because I want to know what happens next in the lives of these characters.
The story was well developed and the characters were well rounded. As Graham Brown discussed in his talk, the whole idea of pure evil bad guys isn't to his taste and that resonated in the development. There were the good guys with some bad traits and the bad guys with some good traits.
I loved the unique story line of putting Mayans in the Amazon and the discoveries that the characters learned with the audience learning at the same time was great, added a few startling twists.
Initially Danielle's character came off a bit over-done but as the story progressed so did her character which in thinking about it after finishing the novel, I like how she developed and I like that at first she seemed too, almost cliche. It made for her development to be that much more well-done.
Now I wish that I had bought the second book to follow up because I want to know what happens next in the lives of these characters.
I put this on my sci-fi shelf so to speak but that is a bit of a stretch. It just barely touches on the ideas of Sci-fi. However, it's a fun book and well written. I enjoyed the pacing which added plenty of tension to the tale. The story really does have a mix of Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park to it. The characters are likable thought they are all a little shallowly drawn. Instead of focusing on the characters it seemed like Graham Brown spent his efforts on creating a believable scenario for the characters to attempt to survive.
I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Black Sun. The primary characters are sure to be back. While they don't have a lot of depth they are still relatable and people whom the reader would pull for.
I look forward to reading the second book in the series, Black Sun. The primary characters are sure to be back. While they don't have a lot of depth they are still relatable and people whom the reader would pull for.
I received this book on a goodreads giveaway. I set about reading it as soon as I could, so that I could review it. I am so glad that I received this book, one reason is because it sounded so good and I know that my husband will enjoy it too. The title tells the tale this book is a thriller.
It is about Danielle Laidlaw an operative for a CIA type organization called the NRI. Danielle is in Brazil with her partner and mentor Arnold Moore until he is called away by their employer. At which point she is left to run the assignment on her own. She is there to find a mysterious power source that could change how we use energy. Danielle builds her crew starting with a ex-CIA helicopter pilot named Hawker. Hawker proves to be an invaluable member of her crew. She also recruits a linguist, a professor, an assistant for him, porters, and some guards. I am sure I missed some characters that were minor so that is why.
After a crazy situation with a ships crew that Arnold Moore had set up, and Danielle was lucky enough to have Hawker with her to help her. Soon they were on the Amazon with a new group of characters added to the mix including Verhoven who also is an invaluable member to the crew. As they travel the Amazon and in the jungle the story unfolds and Danielle wasn't completely honest with her crew. There are hostile natives who want the "black plague" out of their jungle. They have all of the modern things like gps and computers. It all escalates to a fevered pitch.
All I can say is read it, read it, read it. I want to go on but I do not want to put spoilers in there I want you to read it. It is supposed to come out on January, 2010, get it and read it. I look very forward to the sequel, I will be reading it.
It is about Danielle Laidlaw an operative for a CIA type organization called the NRI. Danielle is in Brazil with her partner and mentor Arnold Moore until he is called away by their employer. At which point she is left to run the assignment on her own. She is there to find a mysterious power source that could change how we use energy. Danielle builds her crew starting with a ex-CIA helicopter pilot named Hawker. Hawker proves to be an invaluable member of her crew. She also recruits a linguist, a professor, an assistant for him, porters, and some guards. I am sure I missed some characters that were minor so that is why.
After a crazy situation with a ships crew that Arnold Moore had set up, and Danielle was lucky enough to have Hawker with her to help her. Soon they were on the Amazon with a new group of characters added to the mix including Verhoven who also is an invaluable member to the crew. As they travel the Amazon and in the jungle the story unfolds and Danielle wasn't completely honest with her crew. There are hostile natives who want the "black plague" out of their jungle. They have all of the modern things like gps and computers. It all escalates to a fevered pitch.
All I can say is read it, read it, read it. I want to go on but I do not want to put spoilers in there I want you to read it. It is supposed to come out on January, 2010, get it and read it. I look very forward to the sequel, I will be reading it.
I would have liked to have finished this book, but the author couldn't think of adjectives except for using the f word many times. His other book was not like that. I would think that an author who works with words every day could come up with better language to use,after all there is a whole dictionary full of words to use that are not offensive.
I love discovering new talent, especially in the genres I love to read. "Black Rain" is the first published book by Graham Brown and is written as an adventure/thriller novel with elements of science fiction and horror.
Right off the bat I'll say this is one very good book. It reads like an Indiana Jones adventure but in the present day and with some good solid speculative science weaved into the plot. If you are familiar with novels by James Rollins or Mathew Reilly then you'll have a good idea of the style...sort of like reading a movie. In a nutshell, the novel is about a covert government agency that is launched on a quest to find an ancient Mayan temple in the heart of the Amazon. But what they find there is a huge mystery and more action/adventure than I've read in a long time.
The scenes and characters are presented clearly, so clearly that you can "see" the movie unfolding in your mind. And the plot is heavy on the action, especially the second half. The first half builds up the mystery of just what is going on here, establishes the main characters and allows us to see what is motivating the competing groups looking for the temple. Intrigue abounds and it really keeps you turning the pages. And the second half just explodes with action. Very well done.
I was so impressed by this novel that I've added the name Graham Brown to my "Best Little-Known Authors" list on my blog. I daresay he won't be unknown for long as my copy of the book says he is working on a sequel to "Black Rain" and I can't wait to read it. If his work is marketed well, he could be the next "big thing" in this genre.
Right off the bat I'll say this is one very good book. It reads like an Indiana Jones adventure but in the present day and with some good solid speculative science weaved into the plot. If you are familiar with novels by James Rollins or Mathew Reilly then you'll have a good idea of the style...sort of like reading a movie. In a nutshell, the novel is about a covert government agency that is launched on a quest to find an ancient Mayan temple in the heart of the Amazon. But what they find there is a huge mystery and more action/adventure than I've read in a long time.
The scenes and characters are presented clearly, so clearly that you can "see" the movie unfolding in your mind. And the plot is heavy on the action, especially the second half. The first half builds up the mystery of just what is going on here, establishes the main characters and allows us to see what is motivating the competing groups looking for the temple. Intrigue abounds and it really keeps you turning the pages. And the second half just explodes with action. Very well done.
I was so impressed by this novel that I've added the name Graham Brown to my "Best Little-Known Authors" list on my blog. I daresay he won't be unknown for long as my copy of the book says he is working on a sequel to "Black Rain" and I can't wait to read it. If his work is marketed well, he could be the next "big thing" in this genre.