BLEAK PLOT RHYTHM - SCIENCE OUT OF ORDER
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James Rollins is not a bad writer. By now I must have given a try to most of his books - and discovered the same weaknesses to almost all of them: he aims too high for his writing wingspan; his suspense is constantly peaking so that, when the big moments do come, they fail to convey the climaxing feeling; and his science gets weaker and weaker.
MICHAEL CRICHTON used to be able to both educate on cutting-edge scientific theories and yarn a good story at the same time (not with his latest couple of novels I am afraid though). James Rollins probably gets impressed by new concepts, feels they could help the credibility of his fiction - and then does not know how to use them properly.
I remember in SANDSTORM, he used bucky-balls (60-carbon atoms spherical crystals) to enclose ancient...anti-matter - and then used it, all in all, to..propel a boat across a subterranean lake and cause a couple of minor explosions.
BLACK ORDER suffers from similar shortcomings: there is one narrative peak after the other and this never lets the story unfold; and he scrapes up quantum effects on evolution only to create a bunch of superhumans and enlarged animals.
By the way, to anyone who has studied even one semester of Evolutionary Biology, the concept of...de-evolution is a B-Movie gimmick: evolution can only move forward (yes, even if the resulting organism seems more "primitive"). Even if it were a possibility, it would probably need more than ...a few days - say, a few MILLION years.
I am willing to suspend my disbelief when reading a work of fiction: after all, good fiction does not have to be real. This, however, sticks out too much to ignore.
Give one of his other books a try instead. AMAZONIA was good and ICEHUNT even better.
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What an incredible book
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What an incredible book. Once you start reading it, you won't be able to set it down. I even got yelled at by my boss for reading the book on company time. I've read it 4 times and each time is like the first time. There is alot of information to process so get ready be blown away. It's awsome. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.
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Cheese!!!!
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Cheddar, Wensleydale, Lymeswold, Caerphilly, Cheshire, Leicester, White Stilton, Double Gloucester, blue vein...
Quite possibly the cheesiest novel you'll ever read! The story tries its best to sweep you along, and at the beginning it does, but the glaringly trite cheesiness of the writing will ultimately have you putting the book down and heading for the fridge for something to go with the cheese.
Definitely aimed at teens.
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The king or the thriller writers!
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There are very few authors whose books I have to go buy the day they come out, but James Rollins is one of those authors (Patterson used to be but no more). I fell in love with this author two years ago when I started reading my husband's copy of "Sandstorm," I was hooked from the first page. With "Black Order" Rollins has taken the action, suspense, and non stop thrills up another notch. I wont go over all the plot details as that has already been done enough here, plus it just ruins the surprises (be careful of some of the other reviews, I think they give too much away). In this one Rollins brings back Sigma force led by Painter Crowe and Grayson Pierce, then mixes the descendants of Heinrich Himmler, quantum mechanics, theories of evolution and intelligent design, and in includes a dash of spirituality for a wildly fun read. This may seem like a stretch but he makes it all work! The twists and turns will keep you guessing while the heart pounding action will keep you turning the pages! Fans of Cussler, Crichton, and Dan Brown should all enjoy this book. And I also have to recommend "Tourist in the Yucatan," a thriller adventure that has become a cult classic!
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Fantastic read for a trip
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The Black Order by James Rollins took me by surprise. I hadn't read any other book by this author before and decided to buy it and read it on my holidays to Europe. What a fantastic book full of suspence, mystery, surprise,...literally made you hold your breath in case you miss something.
Very good story line (although of course fiction!!). Time will pass by pleasantly.
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