Amazonia

by James Rollins

2003

Status

Available

Publication

Harper (2003), Edition: 1st Harper Paperback, 510 pages

Description

"Gripping...a first-rate nail biter."  --Tampa Tribune   James Rollins--the author of The Doomsday Key, The Last Oracle, The Judas Strain, Black Order, and other pulse-pounding, New York Times bestsellers--carries readers into the heart of darkness in his classic thriller, Amazonia. Lincoln Child, New York Times bestselling co-author (with Douglas Preston) of Cemetery Dance and other Agent Pendergast thrillers, raves, "Amazonia grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go until the very last page is turned."

User reviews

LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
When the mood strikes for a good adventure thriller, a James Rollins book always does the trick. Amazonia was able to carry me away to the jungles of South America, and involve me in an expedition searching for a lost party of scientists. Of course nothing is as it seems and the story includes a
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rival team, an unknown illness, medical research, native Indians and … something else that’s out there in the jungle.

Of course the story is far-fetched and quite unbelievable, but that is exactly why I read these types of books, for pure escapism, if I actually learn a fact or two about South American jungles, well that is an unexpected bonus.

This is adventure with a capital A. A non-stop thriller that takes off like a roller coaster and gives you quite the ride. If you are in the mood for danger, intrigue and thrills, without leaving the comfort of your armchair, I definitely recommend Amazonia.
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LibraryThing member gypsysmom
This was a very gripping read. I really liked the information about plants and animals that can be found in the Amazon basin although it convinced me that it's not a place to venture unless you are very familiar with the hazards associated with them.

Fortunately Nathan Rand, a young researcher, is
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well-versed in the flora and fauna of the rainforest. His father and mother researched the area before him and he grew up in its (somewhat scary) environs. His father disappeared four years before while trying to conduct a census of the Indian tribes and his mother had died before that. Nathan spent years trying to find his father but had never been able to find any trace. When a soldier from the exploration force stumbles out of the forest it is the first clue to what happened to the group. Unfortunately the soldier dies within hours and without being able to disclose any information. However, it is clear something amazing happened to him because he had lost an arm previous to entering the Amazon but when he came out he had both arms. The ability to regenerate limbs piques the interest of the American government and large pharmaceutical companies. A new expedition is put together to follow the soldier's trail and Nathan Rand is part of it.

I thought the violence was a little overdone and the ending was tied up rather too neatly. I also have one small quibble but since it is a big spoiler I would advise not reading the following until after the book has been read.

The soldier who stumbles out of the forest is riddled with tumours and also carries a deadly prion that infects anyone in the vicinity of his body who is young or immune-compromised. It is revealed that the sap from the Yagga tree which is responsible for the healing properties is also the source of the prion. The nuts of the tree contain an antiprion that defeats the disease and at the end of the book it is revealed that a month's treatment with the antiprion totally eradicated the prion. But, if all it took was a month's treatment and the soldier had been in the jungle for over 4 years, why did he succumb to the prion? He must have had well over a month's worth of the antiprion during his stay in the jungle. He should have then been free of the prion. This is never explained as far as I could see.

But, aside from that plot defect, this was a well-crafted novel and I'll look for other James Rollins books.
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LibraryThing member Nuit
It’s wonderful action packed, mystery thriller with many twists and turns, that’s hard to put down. It’s creatively thought out and well written with many scientific facts thrown in and it flows as part of the story. This story is fast paced filled with action, mutated creatures, explosives,
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giant jaguars, violence, betrayal, insects that will eat you alive, a lost tribe, a plague threatening the world, etc. This book held me from the very first page, even the second time when I read it. I'd recommend this book to anyone!
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LibraryThing member laurie_library
Not my style, but read it for a book club. Overall, too, too detailed when decribing scenes.
LibraryThing member ladydymondz
My first read by James Rollins. Reading Amazonia was like running for my life. The excitement, the animals, the people, death all seemed so real, it was terrifying.
definitely a page turner. I was scared yet i couldn't put it down.
LibraryThing member Sink222
Great Action Adventure, could not put down.
LibraryThing member Talbin
Amazonia is another fast-paced thriller from James Rollins. As per usual, he takes some pretty fantastic ideas and brings them together in an exciting, just-maybe plausible book. Nathan Rand's father and his scientific research team disappeared in the Amazon rainforest while researching potential
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botanical cures for disease. But, several years later a US Army Ranger who was part of the mission appears out of the Amazon rainforest - and formerly amputated arm has seemingly regrown. A party is put together to discover what happened to the expedition and recruits ethno-botanist Nathan Rand to join the mission. As the group goes deeper into the rainforest, they begin to discover strange creatures and even stranger myths about a dangerous Indian tribe. Somewhere out there is someone - or something - that can regenerate a human arm . . . and more.

As usual, Rollins does a good job of making the unimaginable almost real. The reader most definitely needs to suspend disbelief when reading a Rollins book, but once the reader has decided to go with the flow, s/he can count on an exciting journey. Definitely not "serious" literature, but Amazonia makes a perfect beach read.
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LibraryThing member Tara714
James Rollins writting seems to gett better and better with every book. I loved this book. It's about a group of people who go into the Amazon looking for answers and a cure that is ravaging the planet. It's a very compelling read and I recomend it to anyone who loves mystery and adventure.
LibraryThing member Dinyo
So far im about a quarter way through and this book is one of the greatest books ive ever read it has action adventure science and a lovable jaguar named tor tor.
LibraryThing member thewere8472
A fun book high lighting the mysteries of the Amazon but not in the normal boring way of some lost tribe, but a tribe with a ancient tree that can heal, even restore limbs - a fun read.
LibraryThing member JoClare
I really love James Rollin's books. I love how he takes a historical tidbit of information and connects it to a slice of science, mixes it all together with a lot of adventure and a dash of romance and voilà!; I'm ready for an enjoyable read~

I also love how he points out the facts and the fiction
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at the end of his stories; more than once I have gotten lost on the internet satisfying my curiosity regarding the history/science he calls to attention there.

I think he does a great job with his protagonists, I find most to be really interesting and fleshed out. Sigma Force is a recurring theme in many of his stories and it adds another layer of interest for me, taking the adventure to the next level.

Rollin's novels are every bit as enjoyable to me as a big screen summer blockbuster; think I'll go get some popcorn~
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LibraryThing member Garridon
It's a high speed thriller with a lot of action. My only complaint is that the Rangers in the story are a little incompetent for what a Ranger should be. And since when are there women Rangers?
LibraryThing member GTTexas
Definitely one of Rollings' most exciting books that I have read. Kept me on the edge of my seat until I finished it!
LibraryThing member KristinaGiovanni
A thrilling adventure, and the perfect beach read! A scientific expedition disappears in the Amazon and several years later, one of the expedition members emerges from the rainforest alive—he went in with one arm missing and came out with both in tact.
LibraryThing member Deankut
James has created a tantalizing tale of Amazonian jungle mystery, packed with plenty of fast paced action, love and a little gore. Maybe a tad more than a little-but never over the top.
LibraryThing member Carol420
Nathan Rand is assigned the task of following his missing father's trail deep in the Amazon. What the team finds is beyond human imagination. I really like James Rollins stand alone books. This one is exceptional.
LibraryThing member bookescapest
This book makes you think a lot deeper than your average book. It hooks you from the preface and keeps you hooked throughout the entire book till the end. Nathan Rand is tasked with going into the Amazon jungle to find clues as to where his father's research team had disappeared to, and to find out
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what the team had found in their research. They are plagued with horrible, unthinkable events along the way as teammates fall to peril in the jungle. This is actually one of my favorite books. Sucked me in and never let go. I love books that I can't put down and you will definitely not want to put this one down.
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LibraryThing member hahansen
Excellent Adventure
LibraryThing member neverstopreading
I'm always amused at those who want popcorn fiction to be Dostoevsky and base their reviews on this. James Rollins is fun reading. His books are like a summer blockbuster. They're supposed to be. There's nothing wrong with that. If you don't like those types of books, that's fine, but don't read
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them and gripe about that it's not Dostoevsky or whatever.

But yes, while Rollins is known for the Sigma Force series, this book is an early stand-alone. It is like his other books: there are secret forces of nature, mysterious plant and animals species, heroic men and animals, and intelligent women who aren't bra burning feminists, and the romance that results in an unplanned pregnancy and willing marriage. If you hate these tropes, move on. If they don't bother you, and you enjoy a good action-adventure story, then read Amazonia and every other Rollins' book you can get.
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LibraryThing member kmmt48
Exciting! Somewhat unbelievable but a real adventure story with all the characteristics of a trek through the dark, shadowy rain forest of the Amazon. I don't usually read these types of stories but this was exciting and quite enjoyable for an enthralling read!
LibraryThing member James_Patrick_Joyce
I was just unable to finish this. Got to page 62 and gave up. At least, for now.

I didn't really buy the action scenes that occurred (python attack, big cat attack/play) and when the main character (father went missing 4 years ago) went child-tantrum, throwing his chair back and screaming "they're
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dead! They're all dead!" because he just found out a highly skilled group will be doing a new search to find out what happened to dad... well... soap operas ain't my thing... and that was a soap opera response.

EDITED TO ADD:
I've been thinking about this and decided to do a more full review, even though I only read 62 pages. Thinks kept bubbling up and I'm hoping that by typing them out, I'll get them out of my head. This read was annoying. I so looked forward to it. The basic idea sounded fun and reminded me of Relic (on which book's page Goodreads recommended this book), a book I truly enjoyed. Obviously, not fun.

A few things that bothered the hell out of me, for a book that wasn't written for NaNoWriMo:
Manny and his Jaguar:
1-The fake hunt, where he's supposedly training the young cat to hunt, so it can be released into the wild and survive on its own. Uh-huh. Because it will help for it to be trained to hunt humans. And to hunt by not hurting the prey. And, when play-hunted by his "pet", he instinctively goes for his knife and whip... of course, he does. All to make it seem like he's in danger. (and I can only assume that he'll bring the cat along with a special forces team that would, in real life, end up tagging the thing with a few dozen bullets).
2-They're going to be seeking the Jaguar People who, in local myths, mate with jaguars and yadda yadda. No doubt Manny will be taken as either a "brother" or a mythical being, because of his close connection to a jaguar. That's not obvious.

Our Hero wonders why a Special Forces team would possibly be needed for an expedition into the Amazon when
A) his father's team disappeared and they're looking for them
B) there are possibilities of armed drug smugglers
C)he was just attacked for ridiculous reasons by a tribe he had been living with because (yes, reallY) he saved the chief's daughter.
Our Hero, in other words, is a clueless knob.

Stereotypical "white doctor in tribal lands doesn't understand magical power of tribal medicine". Even worse, said doctor is working at the local hospital, even though she's only there for a day, preparing for trek into jungle. Why is she working at the hospital? I didn't catch an explanation, but it gave a chance to introduce another character's knowledge of tribal medicine, her lack thereof, and the hero's facility with both cultures. But... she shouldn't have been there.

Yeah... that's a lot of annoying, in 62 pages.
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Language

Original language

English

Original publication date

2002

Physical description

510 p.; 4.19 inches

ISBN

0060002492 / 9780060002497

Barcode

1601706
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