Altar of Eden

Feb 27, 2013 Marvin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: science-fiction

As far as airport novels go, this book was a sleeper...the kind that literally puts you to sleep. That's an odd thing to say about a book that has some of the loudest prose I've ever read, the kind that shouts, shoots, and explodes on every page. But I found it rather dull. I liked the premise and there was a nice amount of science-babble in it. Yet Rollin's cardboard characters with their TV formula problems bored me. This is the first Rollins novel I've read. I know a number of people who like...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I really liked this book! It is a quick read. I picked it up just to take a look and read seven chapters before I put it back down. I highly recommend all of James Rollins books, but "Altar of Eden" is definitely my favorite.

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Jan 13, 2011 Keri rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed, 2011-read, horror-suspense, james-rollins

Lorna is innocently driving to work in Louisiana one morning after a strong storm thinking of how her day is going to go. However, once she gets to work, she finds that she has been told that she is going out to inspect a ship-wrecked boat. What??? She is a vet, what do they need her for? Once she gets there however, she not only has to deal with Jack, a dark and sexy Border Patrol agent from her deep and painful past, she also has to deal with some animals on the ship. Not just any animals mind...more Lorna is innocently driving to work in Louisiana one morning after a strong storm thinking of how her day is going to go. However, once she gets to work, she finds that she has been told that she is going out to inspect a ship-wrecked boat. What??? She is a vet, what do they need her for? Once she gets there however, she not only has to deal with Jack, a dark and sexy Border Patrol agent from her deep and painful past, she also has to deal with some animals on the ship. Not just any animals mind, special animals the kind that creep into your nightmares at night and make you scream. So begins her and Jack's attempt to find out who, what and where about the animals. The only problem is, the owners know full well where the animals are at and have now sent their own animal in order to get them back. As Lorna and Jack enter the race to not only find answers they also have to figure out how to capture the animal that has escaped and headed toward population. Never mind the animal zeroing in on their location, ready to make a capture of its own.

It is not very often I get a warm fuzzy when I finish a horror/suspense book, for this one I did. JR has a way of taking a situation one may hear about in the news and turning it into a heck of a great story. Your heart is in your throat most of the time and I wanted to go check my windows and doors more than once. Not that it matters to these animals. I also love the thread of romance that JR has running through the story. It is light, but more feelings than touching and kissing, but it was sweet and very fitting for the story. Yes, I wanted more of an ending for Lorna and Jack, but after all it was wrote by a man not a woman, so I will take what I can get.

If you don't often read horror suspense, this may be a book to get your feet wet with. I didn't feel that it was overly graphic as much as scary interesting. It is also a standalone and not apart of a series. As good as this book was though, Amazonia still remains my favorite of his and I am jonesing for some Painter Crowe and Gray Pierce. (less)

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Mar 06, 2013 Brian D. rated it 5 of 5 stars

James Rollins' "Altar of Eden" is both an action-packed thriller and a science fiction sensation. Though it's not unusual for the two scenarios to be side by side in a story (think Crichton's Jurassic Park), even in previous Rollins' novels, this one takes extreme action and profound scientific theory to the max.

The story begins in Baghdad, Iraq, and quickly moves to New Orleans and to a deserted fishing trawler discovered after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the region. Lorna Polk, the regional ve...more James Rollins' "Altar of Eden" is both an action-packed thriller and a science fiction sensation. Though it's not unusual for the two scenarios to be side by side in a story (think Crichton's Jurassic Park), even in previous Rollins' novels, this one takes extreme action and profound scientific theory to the max.

The story begins in Baghdad, Iraq, and quickly moves to New Orleans and to a deserted fishing trawler discovered after Hurricane Katrina destroyed the region. Lorna Polk, the regional veterinarian, enters the boat and observes an exhibit of numerous exotic animals, all unusual in appearance and strange in behavior. The odd animals, which are assumed at that time to be recipients of a black-market smuggling ring, also exhibit extreme intelligence with an ability to act and think in synchronization.

Lorna soon discovers that one of the animals escaped from the confines of the trawler, a dangerous saber-toothed jaguar permutation. Border Patrol agent Jack Menard, an acquaintance from a troubled time in Lorna's past, awkwardly enters to assist in the hunt and the investigation. Through unanticipated happenings along the way, Lorna is abducted and brought to an exotic island (Lost Eden Cay) that's home to the clandestine genetic research complex. Jack and his men eventually arrive to rescue her and take the project down, but the perpetrators show no mercy in keeping their work ongoing. Exciting episodes of all-out war transpire next.

While held captive, the chief scientist takes a liking to Lorna and tells her of the scheme and the scientific methods involved. She's then forced to realize the project's unethical and immoral implications, and understands that it's a genetic and biological scenario that goes way beyond what she had originally thought.

Author Rollins explains the subject matter of fractals, viral code, junk DNA, and brain crystals in a very informative and interesting manner. It's certainly a stretch of the mind's eye for sci-fi and medical buffs. But when it comes to the general reader, or those who might have more interest in the action and military aspect of the story, much of the science material can be skimmed. The story will still be fast paced and entertaining.

"Altar of Eden" is a well-rounded story for readers of many genres. A thoroughly enjoyable mystery, sci-fi, fantasy, and action-packed thriller that will someday make a great movie. (less)

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Nov 19, 2012 Matt Schiariti rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. It amazes me how much work James Rollins turns out in such a short period of time and each effort it just fantastic. I didn't even realize this one was coming out so short after The Doomsday Key was released and it's scary how he can write such high quality novels in such short order.

The plot of the book has been summarized by many reviewers before me so I'll spare reiterating what's already been said. What I WILL say though is that this is about as good as thriller/mystery as you're likely...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Randy Daugherty rated it 5 of 5 stars

The story starts at the fall of Baghdad, the zoo and secretive men taking something from a secret room,One man is shot by the other before he himself is attacked by something that followed him out of the depths of the hidden chamber.
The story picks up seven years later and a grounded troller with mysterious cargo. Local Veterinarian Lorna Polk is called in to help with what is found inside.Animals, each deformed in some way, and a kitten, but upon examination, not just a wild cat but one with Sa...more

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Aug 22, 2012 Bogdan rated it 4 of 5 stars

и еще один – пока что последний, так надеюсь (разве что очередная «сигма» появится), потому что передоз бывает и от пустоты, сотрясаемого воздуха. то есть – я совершенно не против такой литературы, даже ее приветствую: по крайней мере, она качественная, продуманная и доведенная до ума (если не до стиля), но этого бывает слишком много.

слишком изобильными оказываются приключения, кочующие из книги в книгу, из сюжета в сюжет. наука безгранична, как и неожиданные ее стороны, издали кажущиеся натянут...more и еще один – пока что последний, так надеюсь (разве что очередная «сигма» появится), потому что передоз бывает и от пустоты, сотрясаемого воздуха. то есть – я совершенно не против такой литературы, даже ее приветствую: по крайней мере, она качественная, продуманная и доведенная до ума (если не до стиля), но этого бывает слишком много.

слишком изобильными оказываются приключения, кочующие из книги в книгу, из сюжета в сюжет. наука безгранична, как и неожиданные ее стороны, издали кажущиеся натянутой выдумкой, а потом оказывающиеся реальностью. но жить и питаться только этим – как-то убого (хотя – повторюсь – это приносит удовольствие). даже в таких «универсамных» произведениях, как у роллинса, где всякая тварь после соития тоскует находит сою полочку и выложенные там рядком продукты в красивых упаковках, даже в таких произведениях есть граница пресыщения, за которой ты уже дочитываешь книгу как нечто опостылевшее и вынужденно делая это только из-за собственной падлючести, чтобы не бросать на полдороги.

на сей раз – в отличие от других романов – территориальный разброс действия не столь велик, все происходит в окрестностях нового орлеана и где-то в условных карибах: там затерялся островок, на котором история приобретает свою завершенность и последний апокалипсис. однако эта «скромность» перемещений компенсируется тем, что внутри и тем, кто внутри: есть такой себе всеамериканский герой, враждующие американские монтекки и капулетти на новый манер (ромео должен был умереть и таки умер, а вот джульетта – какая жалость! – осталась жить, чтобы искать своего счастья с братом ромео), конечно же – героиня, белокурая, страстная и ветеринар к тому же; водятся здесь всякие отбросы, мерзопакостники, злодеи не варьетешного типа, военные, наемники, безумные ученые; но главное – здесь есть попугай, подсчитывающий число «пи», саблезубые ягуары, обезьянки-сиамские близнецы, питоны с конечностями, деградировавшие до гоминидов жертвы экспериментов – а также кайман элвис.. у кого от такого рот не начнет на трехсотой странице рот сводить от зевоты?..

власть над миром – теперь уже с помошью биологического, как водится оружия, вируса, похищенного из тайной лаборатории под багдадским зоопарком. размышления о мысленной связи человека и животного, разум пчелиного роя, экстраполированый на звериные и человеческие популяции, островок эдем, превращающийся в чистое пекло во время взрывов напалмовых бомб, восстание и «изгнание из рая», библейские цитаты в устах руководителя бесчеловечных экспериментов. новоорлеанские плавни, бункеры глубоко под землей, лаборатории.. верчение, кручение, побоища, вирус, терзающий главного героя, признание в любви, опустившись на одно колено.. – продолжать?)
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Aug 19, 2012 Jamee Pritchard rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm a faithful fan of James Rollins, and I've read almost all of his books. I love his style and his imagination. He knows how to engage his readers, giving them not only an entertaining story but also an insightful look into an alternate reality. In Altar of Eden, he didn't disappoint. Though I cannot say I loved every page of the book, I can say that I was thoroughly engrossed in the concept behind the story: genetically manipulated animals for the purpose of creating weapons for war. Man is p...more

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Jun 13, 2012 Jeremy marked it as to-read

Following the fall of Baghdad, two Iraqi boys stumble upon armed men looting the city zoo. The floodgates have been opened for the smuggling of hundreds of exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles to Western nations, but this crime hides a deeper secret. Amid a hail of bullets, a concealed underground weapons lab is ransacked—and something even more horrific is set free.

Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk stumbles upon a fishing trawler shipwrecked on a barrier island. The c

...more

Following the fall of Baghdad, two Iraqi boys stumble upon armed men looting the city zoo. The floodgates have been opened for the smuggling of hundreds of exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles to Western nations, but this crime hides a deeper secret. Amid a hail of bullets, a concealed underground weapons lab is ransacked—and something even more horrific is set free.

Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk stumbles upon a fishing trawler shipwrecked on a barrier island. The crew is missing or dead, but the boat holds a frightening cargo: a caged group of exotic animals, clearly part of a black market smuggling ring.

Yet, something is wrong with these beasts, disturbing deformities that make no sense: a parrot with no feathers, a pair of Capuchin monkeys conjoined at the hip, a jaguar cub with the dentition of a saber-toothed tiger. They also all share one uncanny trait—a disturbingly heightened intelligence.

To uncover the truth about the origin of this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses, Lorna must team up with a man who shares a dark and bloody past with her and is now an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, Jack Menard.

Together, the two must hunt for a beast that escaped the shipwreck while uncovering a mystery tied to fractal science and genetic engineering, all to expose a horrifying secret that traces back to humankind's earliest roots.

But can Lorna stop what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden before it threatens not only the world but also the very foundation of what it means to be human?

Amazon.com Review

Guest Review: Steve Berry on Altar of Eden by James Rollins

I first started to hate James Rollins in 1999. That was when I picked up a paperback original called Subterranean, Rollins' first book. While I was struggling even to write a manuscript, this veterinarian out in California had actually done it and sold the thing. I hated him. Over the next few years, I would wander into a bookstore and discover that the 'vet from Sacramento' had written more stories. I read them all, titles like Ice Hunt, Amazonia, and Excavation and hated him even more. There I was, struggling to get published, and this guy had found the big time.

I finally made it to print in 2003 and, sure enough, who's my chief competition? You got it. James Rollins. The guy creates Sigma Force and writes one New York Times bestseller after another. Titles like Map of Bones, Black Order, The Last Oracle, and The Judas Strain. Amazingly, while this string of Rollins' books flooded bookstores, I managed to eke out some modest success. But every time things started going right, here came that 'vet from California' again with another book.

Occasionally, I'm asked to provide a quote or two for someone else's book. I can't tell you how many times my words of praise languish on the back cover while Rollins' is front and center. Rollins. Rollins. Rollins. That's all I hear. Even on Amazon, in the section titled "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought," ON MY BOOK PAGES, there's always a Rollins cover or two staring back at me from the screen.

And, if things weren't bad enough, the 'vet from California' wrote another series. Some character called Jake Ransom and The Skull King's Shadow. It's not enough Rollins is everywhere in adult fiction (taking up valuable spots on the bestseller lists), now he has to claim a piece of the young adult pie, too. I read that he's going to write more of those things. Apparently, the first one did okay. Like that was a big surprise.

Which brings us to Altar of Eden, Rollins' latest concoction. Here he goes again, not satisfied with a thriller out in the summer, he has to publish another in the winter. Which, by the way, directly competes with me (of course, Rollins doesn't care). This new book has it all. A savvy veterinarian (like that was a stretch), genetic engineering on long extinct animals (which was fascinating, I have to admit), fractal science (whatever that is), biological warfare (in ways you've never seen before), and mach-speed mayhem. The thing is drum-tight in its execution. Does this guy have herbs that stimulate his imagination in some amazing way? I read Altar of Eden in two sittings (yeah, it's that good) and, when finished, I promptly hurled the book across the room. It landed on the shelf where all of Rollins' other tomes stand, each sheathed in plastic, first editions, and, of course, signed (for which he charged me $5.00 a piece, cash. He wouldn't take my check).

'Oh, the humanity.'

I barely bang out a-book-a-year and Rollins writes three.

All of them great.

Like I said, I hate this guy.

Which is too bad, because he's not only a terrific writer but also a close friend.

From Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Rollins (Subterranean) explores the genetic engineering theme popularized by Jurassic Park, if less imaginatively than, say, Warren Fahy did in his 2009 debut, Fragment, in this solid stand-alone thriller. During the looting of the Baghdad zoo in the early days of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, 12-year-old Makeen and his younger brother observe two men, one dressed in a khaki military uniform and the other in a dark suit, remove a large metal briefcase containing embryos from a secret facility at the zoo. About five years later, a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter lands at the New Orleans Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species to take Dr. Lorna Polk, a postgraduate resident, out over the Mississippi Delta to an abandoned trawler. In the boat Polk sees cages filled with bizarre creatures like Siamese twin capuchin monkeys and oversized vampire bats. The science mostly takes a backseat to generic suspense scenes of animal attacks, gunfights, and abduction. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Mar 18, 2012 Davide rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

James Rollins si addentra nei meandri delle potenzialità degli esperimenti scientifici e delle manipolazioni su esseri viventi. La veterinaria Lorna Polk si trova catapultata in una vicenda dagli esiti terrificanti: a New Orleans, all'interno di un peschereccio alla deriva, un gruppo di visionari terroristi lascia le tracce di una sconvolgente manipolazione genetica applicata ad una ventina di animali, collegati tra loro da una misteriosa forza telepatica, derivata dagli studi sui frattali. Quan...more

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Apr 03, 2011 travelgirlut rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 b...more

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Mar 24, 2011 Steven Kent rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: horror, light-reading, science-fiction

The book is titled, Altar of Eden; but for the purposes of this review, I'm going to call it FAKP--short for Fur Ass-Kick Park.

Very much a cross between the Michael Chrichton classic, Jurassic Park and the ground-breaking Peter Benchley novel, Jaws, FAKP tells what happens when a saber tooth jaguar escapes into the bayous of Louisiana.

Not only does this cat have big teeth, it's smart... really smart, I mean, romp Bobby Fischer with three moves in Chess smart. This cat's IQ is higher than all the...more

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Mar 16, 2011 Mitch rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, kill-yourself-first

WHY are people rating this book so highly???

The characters were cardboard cutouts, the plot was obviously manipulated, the scenarios were so unlikely...the story was more like a series of explosions and gunfights loosely linked together until it finally expired. Having survived to the end, I know a lot more about weaponry and am reassured that one-dimensional good guys can only get wounded no matter how many rounds are fired per minute, while no-dimensional bad guys inevitably get something she...more

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Feb 23, 2011 Nicole rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I have mentioned many times that novels with themes of technology and science rock my world and James Rollins is one of my absolute favorite action/adventure authors who incorporates these themes. Normally I'm enraptured by the scientific theories Rollins includes in his novels, but in Altar of Eden I felt I was at times being lectured to about the science rather the than the story evolving from the science (this was even more apparent after comparing Altar of Eden to Awakening by S. J. Bolton,...more

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Feb 06, 2011 Doug rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first glimpse into James Rollins occurred around 2006. I was managing an overstock bookstore at the time—Book Gallery—and a customer came in asking if we had any of Rollins's works. We had two—Amazonia and Ice Hunt—that he already had read, and so I personally picked them up and brought them home to drop on my never ending and ephemerally conceptualized to-read list. Why? Because he had used such phrases as "like Michael Crichton but way more exciting" and "seriously the best novels!" Phrases...more My first glimpse into James Rollins occurred around 2006. I was managing an overstock bookstore at the time—Book Gallery—and a customer came in asking if we had any of Rollins's works. We had two—Amazonia and Ice Hunt—that he already had read, and so I personally picked them up and brought them home to drop on my never ending and ephemerally conceptualized to-read list. Why? Because he had used such phrases as "like Michael Crichton but way more exciting" and "seriously the best novels!" Phrases that are the review equivalent of mixed metaphors, for sure, a hint of an adrenalin junkie's addiction aimed at words and plot; but nevertheless phrases of unwavering praise.

To say Altar of Eden is the Michael Bay equivalent of a novel is perhaps inaccurate, but I think it will suffice. We are talking of a book that includes four primary scenes of pyrotechnics, each roughly a stage up from the last, along with multiple helicopters and gun porn mixed in with those good [with firearms and the ladies] soldiers who somehow put personal ethics in front of the rules but don't end up court-martialled. Toss in some elementary level morality lessons with a heavy handed double-thick icing of Christian iconography at key times, and there you go. What's missing? Well, that's simple, you just need a blonde (redhaired also acceptable) female scientist with an emotional roadblock in her past and a general vacancy next to her heart and a smoldering, swarthy military type man with his own emotional upheaval and a soft inside wrapped around his tough, down-to-business exterior. And he has to save her. Top off the whole thing with bad guys largely described by (a) their disrespect for women and (b) the disregard for the sanctity of motherhood and children and you have a complete package.

To explain, or to at least elaborate, on what I am saying, let's take a look at a scene at an alligator farm early on in the novel. A group of boyscouts are staying over. An escaped genetic experiment is on its way. A scientist from a project designed to preserve endangered species, who is also knowledgeable about big predators, is with a group of special forces types trying to intercept. Except before they get to the farm, two boats are capsized and set fire to the water and woods around it. Now they have to penetrate the flames while avoiding the genetically augmented killing machine. Fastforward past the point where they have accomplished a portion of this. They are bringing in a copter, of course, when a would-be rapist life-long bully and beneficiary of nepotism comes out with an automatic shotgun, trips, and shoots the helicopter carrying good guys out of the air. Leading to another crash. There is more to that scene, but I'll leave it be.

I guess I should give some semblance of a plot. Ok. A boat load of genetic freak animals crashes down south of New Orleans. Some of the animals are rescued by Lorna Polk, the aforementioned blonde scientist with emotional roadblocks past. She brought on board by Jack Menard (soldering 'n swarthy). They find that at least one of the experiments has escaped, a massive killing machine, and start to hunt it (see above alligator farm on flames). By this time, they are in up to their neck and people with deep pockets and a lack of morals (and a total disrespect for the sanctity of motherhood) need them out of the way. All leading to an island-based battle between men with guns, down-home boys from the bayou with guns, not so much evil as just following orders scientists, horribly scarred, women-disrespecting men with bigger guns and explosives, and preternaturally intelligent animals and ape-things. It's nearly too much book for its circa 500 pages, and barely enough actual story to fill a YA adult novel half that size.

But people who want to read this aren't in it for the story, in the way that someone who rereads Howard's End for the third time are picking at the story for subtly missed details. They are in it for the story in the way that every explosion, ever heart-racing glance at a would-be lover, and every boat speeding to save the day is a story in its own right. This is a novel of events, peopled by characters you have met a dozen times before with different names, and building up to a big idea that can be summed up simply as where money meets human hubris. In the midst of this you get speeches about science gone awry and the power of life. And if you thought I was describing Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park, you are getting the point of the "seen before" sentence. Perhaps the single biggest misstep is allowing key points in the book to have some of the worst writing, apparently trying to focus more on the flow behind the words being considered more important the words itself. That, and having the brilliant scientist's eyes go wide as she finds out about fractals, a concept she has apparently never heard of before, and then even wider as a computer draws triangles on a screen.

With all my sarcasm aside, it's a readable book, even if you have to sometimes take the lumps with the gravy. It doesn't take long, and at worst is only truly bad in a half-dozen places and it is good in about as many. With a beer in the other hand a beach in front of you, this might be a great book. Otherwise, maybe think of it is as Fair if what you are after is action and a way to pass the time. If what you are looking for is something more groundbreaking, better paced, and better written, you might need to drop that a peg.(less)

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Jan 31, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars

Lorna Polk, a veterinarian, is working for ACRES (The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species). She is summoned in the middle of the night because a trawler has run aground off the Louisiana coast. Normally this would not be a situation that requjired a veterinarian, except that the trawler contains a very unusual cargo.

Jack Menard, an agent with the U.S. Border Patrol, shows Lorna the blood stained bulkheads (walls) and the absence of any crew members. She is also shown the caged exot...more

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Nov 25, 2010 Chibineko rated it 3 of 5 stars

As a fan of Rollins for years now, I've been waiting eagerly for this book. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't a Sigma novel, but as several fans can vouch- his stand alone books can often be better than his series novels. I have to say, this book is one of his better ones.

The book begins with Lorna, a biologist at a local conservation lab, being called out to a shipwreck for her input on several animals that were stashed inside the boat. At first Lorna assumes that it's a case of illeg...more As a fan of Rollins for years now, I've been waiting eagerly for this book. I was slightly disappointed that it wasn't a Sigma novel, but as several fans can vouch- his stand alone books can often be better than his series novels. I have to say, this book is one of his better ones.

The book begins with Lorna, a biologist at a local conservation lab, being called out to a shipwreck for her input on several animals that were stashed inside the boat. At first Lorna assumes that it's a case of illegal animal smuggling, but the attitude of the border patrolman Jack (the brother of her long dead childhood sweetheart) suggests otherwise. Rather than a smuggling boat, the ship was filled with animals that are far more advanced than they should be... and one of them- a dangerous animal, is missing. Soon Lorna finds herself entangled not only in the hunt for this creature but also in the larger quest to discover who exactly created these creatures.

While I enjoyed this book immensely, I do have to say that the book did have one or two things that made it just short of a perfect read. (A perfect read for me, anyway.) There's a past between Jack & Lorna, but their relationship just seemed a little underdeveloped for me. It almost felt like it could have been left out entirely & had the both of them be strangers to each other. It's not horribly underdeveloped, but I just had a hard time understanding their bond- especially since a good chunk of the novel has them separate from each other. The same thing could also have been said for the mysterious organization that was behind the animals- I just felt like it needed just a teensy bit more development. I got a good sense of all of them, but I just felt like it was missing a little more definition. Because of this, the ending just didn't give me the full out bang that it really should've been. It was a good ending & I was satisfied for the most part, but in the end I can't help but think of a quote from Animal Crossings. "Like more than milk, but not quite a milk shake, know what I mean?"

Now for what I liked about the book. (I promise I'll try to keep the fangirl squealing to a minimum!) I really liked the ideas in the book- the genetics & the idea of a scientist discovering a boat full of strange animals was pretty interesting. I also liked that the book seemed to be divided up into two parts- the hunt for the missing animal as well as the discovery of who exactly is creating these animals. Rollins could easily have sliced the book in half & made two separate stories out of them, but he didn't. The plot runs by so quickly & I was so drawn into the story that I finished it in one night. I barely moved until I'd finished the book! I loved the characters of Lorna & Jack. Besides the issue I listed above, I found them highly likeable characters. I also found the bad guy intriguing, although he seemed to be pretty one dimensional at several parts of the book.

In the end, the book's only flaw is that it just felt like it needed to have a little more added to it- mostly to define several of the characters more. We're given a back story for Lorna & Jack, yet it really just felt like an unnecessary extra. There's already a reason to have Lorna asked to the shipwreck & for a little romance to brew. It's just that their past backstory being the reason for both to happen... it just doesn't fit all that well- it's just a little awkward.

But hey- fans of Rollins will adore this book & new readers should find it interesting enough to want to pick up the rest of his stuff.

(ARC provided by amazon vine)(less)

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Mar 17, 2010 Lura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: library, reviewed

What if people were used as biological warfare. Not IN biological warfare. Used as weapons basically. People as weapons. Scary thought.

Now imagine it's not just people being made into weapons. It's animals, too. Big cats, foxes, monkeys, even birds. Any kind of sentient animal. Only with increased intelligence. Increased to the point of sapience. Scarier thought. Something as vicious as an animal with near-human intelligence? Shudder.

That was exactly what veterinarian Lorna Polk had to face in J...more

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Mar 01, 2010 T. Edmund rated it 1 of 5 stars

Despite injecting biblical quote and reference, this novel fails to reach such proportions. Instead the storyline kinda is an elaborate Lake Placid.

I shouldn’t be quite so harsh, the attempts at good science fiction are noteworthy and perhaps as my undergraduate degree is in genetics I am too sceptical.

The basic storyline is: The government is conducting genetic engineering experiments and creating intelligent monsters. A vet (animal doctor) and a vet (Iraq) team up to stop this evil experimen...more

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Mar 02, 2011 Michelle♥ rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Get to the Chopper!!!! PSSHUEJKFFMG! Gunfire! More Gunfire! The CHOPPER! Yeah, that's my impersonation of Arnold. Ok moving on...

Ok so...this book kept me turning the pages, that's for sure. But was I really all that excited about it? Did I really want to see how things turned out? No, not really.

Yes, this was typical Rollins with mixing DARPA, science, weapons, and a lot of scientific jargon. BUT, and this is a major "but" for me, he incorporated animals into this one WAY too much!

Similar to on...more

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May 09, 2012 Suby rated it 4 of 5 stars

Mr. Rollins is an excellent author. He bases his stories on scientifically proven facts and hypotheses. He researches his locations well. All is fine - but why must there be so much violence in his books. Here the violence involves animals which are 'genetic throwbacks' and also most of the characters some of whom are purely mercenaries. Is it because the readers need such violence to keep their attention span linger longer? I for my part hated the violence but still liked the book because there...more

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Jan 08, 2010 Mickey DeCicco rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: thriller

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 16, 2012 Travis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: technothriller

I've read (almost?) every bookJames Rollins has written, and this one is right up there with his best. I'm not going to say it's my favorite, but it was damn good nonetheless. It's incredibly fast-paced and action filled, with basically no lulls in the story at all - it's a one-shot read, from start to finish. In fact, that's how i read it - all in one night.

Rollins' last handful of novels (i think he's up to 6 or 7) have been part of a lose series called the "Sigma Force" novels, which are enjo...more I've read (almost?) every bookJames Rollins has written, and this one is right up there with his best. I'm not going to say it's my favorite, but it was damn good nonetheless. It's incredibly fast-paced and action filled, with basically no lulls in the story at all - it's a one-shot read, from start to finish. In fact, that's how i read it - all in one night.

Rollins' last handful of novels (i think he's up to 6 or 7) have been part of a lose series called the "Sigma Force" novels, which are enjoyable reads, but i think the general quality of each novel has decreased as the series progresses. Altar of Eden is his first non-Sigma novel in years, and I was REALLY excited to read it - his pre-Sigma Force, standalone thrillers are all so unique and intriguing, and (arguably) much better than the Sigma Force books, and I'd been waiting for another one since the start of that series. It did not disappoint.

The concepts explored here are fairly typical techno-thriller stock: advanced weaponry, cutting-edge and experimental technology, speculative research, and genetic/biological research and engineering. On the genetic front, this novel echoes some themes from Jurassic Park, Oryx and Crake (albeit without the literary sophistication of either), and some of Rollins' own earlier work. Rather than sound cliche, however, Rollins (as always) puts a unique spin on things, and accelerates the plot at a rate that it barely matters anyway. He also avoids getting bogged down in the technical details of the things he's exploring, preferring instead for simple, reader-friendly explanations that still convey a great amount of information without slowing the pace.

I did give this book a couple of eye-rolls, largely because of the underlying romantic subplot that has become disturbingly commonplace in this type of novel. However, it tied into the story enough to not sound contrived, and actually contributed to the development of several characters, so I suppose it's acceptable. The primary antagonist is also fairly stereotypical - maybe not in motive, but definitely in character, especially for Rollins. Barring that, I have no complaints.

This is not really a novel to read if you want significant literary merit, social or cultural importance, or anything like that. But it's FUN. It's EXCITING. And it's TOTALLY worth reading.(less)

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Jul 31, 2012 Sherri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Bad scientists create genetic throwbacks of various animals - birds with lizard-like skin, snakes with legs, humans of the Australopithecus-variety and saber-toothed panthers. All of this genetic creativity in the hopes of creating the ultimate fighting machine - a better soldier.

The animals are discovered by the police as they are being moved from one location to another and a local geneticist veterinarian is brought in to discover what she can about these odd animals. Little does Lorna know th...more

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Oct 07, 2011 Claudia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-book-challenge-150-books, suspense-fiction

Rollins was one of the authors I found as I waited for Dan Brown to write another book. I LOVE this guy...fast paced, almost plausible, with characters I care about.

This one is not about the Sigma Team but the setting of New Orleans and the swamps made up for the loss of my team. Lorna is a vet working to clone endangered animals and is brought in as a consultant to examine some strange 'wrong' animals left abandoned from a supposed animal smuggling ring...Wrong...as parrots with no feathers, a...more

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Jan 11, 2010 Patrick Gibson rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: testosterone

Our favorite veterinarian follow-up writer (he followed-up numerous Cussler novels with ‘Subterranean’ and ‘Sahara;’ and followed-up Dan Brown with ‘Map of Bones’) has now chosen to ride the coattails of Crichton (it’s okay this time, since ‘Next’ wasn’t very good). At least his take on genetic engineering doesn’t include dinosaurs. Although—there is one nasty saber-tooth pussycat keeping the first act moving along. Yes, our theater-challenged author has titled his sections ‘Acts.’ In deference...more Our favorite veterinarian follow-up writer (he followed-up numerous Cussler novels with ‘Subterranean’ and ‘Sahara;’ and followed-up Dan Brown with ‘Map of Bones’) has now chosen to ride the coattails of Crichton (it’s okay this time, since ‘Next’ wasn’t very good). At least his take on genetic engineering doesn’t include dinosaurs. Although—there is one nasty saber-tooth pussycat keeping the first act moving along. Yes, our theater-challenged author has titled his sections ‘Acts.’ In deference to Tennessee Williams I suppose. The third act takes place on a jungle island populated with genetic mutants so guess this is a follow-up to H. G. Wells.

It’s all good. Mix these ideas together and you come up with an adequate techno/SciFi/thriller starring an obligatory macho hero with a past, falling for the weak-yet-dedicated heroine doctor who shares the same past with the hero, only not realizing it until the two are locked into a perilous situation. Hey, it happens to all of us at one time or another. The villain, out of Jurassic Park, is cloning bio-weapons instead of prehistoric critters. He has deep pockets so every state-of-the-art gizmo magically appears at his finger tips and . . . here’s the best part … a secret mysterious fortified island. Oh yah. The testosterone infused hero gets the shit beat out of him numerous times, infected with a killer virus, blown up, dropped from a helicopter, attacked by alligators, burned alive in an exploding truck, and goes without sleep for at least three days. That last part is a killer … what, no sleep? You have got to be kidding. Yet he continually rebounds with no consideration to his wounds (hey, come on, he’s at least got to be a little sore) and saves the day. Over, and over again. And he has every powerful weapon known to man available at his fingertips. It’s a ‘fingertip’ situation all the way around.

I liked it. What can I say? The author writes some pretty laugh-out-loud-when-you’re-not-supposed-too dialogue and has this very annoying habit of pulling out of the story by making author comments. I would like to say to him ‘who the fuck is your editor? Get a new one – like maybe someone who will actually read your book and take the dorky shit out.’

There are a couple great scenes. Putting a group of boy scouts on a sleepover at an alligator farm with some rangy mutants in the middle of a Louisiana Bayou was an excellent set up for some gory moments. Thanks for that one. In this book, the author is at his best when explaining some complicated science or math. When he went off on Fractals it became instantly interesting. But this is a thriller, not a science class. Action of the most absurd kind must ensue. It does. And it’s fun. Kind of like an entire meal of Baskin Robbins—including a little brain freeze.
(less)

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Oct 21, 2011 Jim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

I've been meaning to read one of Mr. Rollins' books for quite a while. They looked like action/adventure without the politics and intrigue of so many other authors. Well, I certainly got what I asked for; with a spunky, independent lead (female!) character; a smattering of science; an assortment of action scenes; a grizzled, scarred bad guy; and a decent narrative.

This particular story involved genetic engineering, exotic animals, and mysterious military implications. The character development w...more

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Mar 21, 2010 Liz rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: james patterson fans

Recommended to Liz by: alison cardone (stepmom)

Shelves: mystery-suspense

This was an interesting book with larger than life animals and hominids living in modern day. A boat unexpectedly is abandoned near an island in the gulf. Aboard are many strange animals, so Lorna (a vet) is called in to assist with the animals and to find out how they came to be what they are. They take the animals back to Lorna's place of work ACRES to care for the animals and to research them as well. These are no ordinary animals, in fact one of them an extremely large saber tooth tiger is l...more

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Apr 28, 2012 Yaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

Capture my attention from the beginning. The genetically modified animals, genetic throwback that brings back those animals that had long been extinct to lives are very interesting.
I like it because it is not all pure fiction, many of the facts are really true and they all make sense. I believe in the genetic throwback, the snake with legs is true. The viral code in junk DNA is true and I also believe i what the author thought of the reason why the junk DNA are still kept for such a long time, w...more

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Aug 02, 2011 Mattias rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have read all of Rollins work and I have to say that this is one of his best so far. The story about genetical engineering on animals and others is very interesting. And as usual you learn something when you read his books like in this case; fractal science which I had no idea what was before I read the book. But Rollins wouldnt be.....well Rollins if he didnt match this with great action and supense sequences. And as usual its hard to put the book down, I read it in 4 days I think. The charac...more

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