Status
Available
Collection
Publication
Harper (2010), Edition: Illustrated, 528 pages
Description
Pregnant veterinarian Maura Kelly, along with U.S. Marshall Jack Menard, risks everything, including the life of her unborn child, to unravel the mystery of a smuggler's cache of mutated animals, a puzzle that involves fractal intelligence, stem-cell research, and a secret history of the Book of Genesis.
Media reviews
James Rollins’s latest bestseller is a white-knuckled scream ride filled with action and enough imagination to fill a reader’s mind with hair-breadth escapes for hours. Mark off a night to read this one, folks, because you’re gonna be nailed to the pages till you finish the last breath-taking
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page. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member SamSattler
It is difficult to describe a book like "Altar of Eden" without giving away too much of its plot. In simple terms, it can be thought of as a high speed thriller/shoot `em up that combines key elements of "The Island of Dr. Moreau" (H.G. Wells) and "Jurassic Park" (Michael Crichton). As much as I
On the one hand, this is a science-based thriller and author James Rollins provides enough detail about fractal research and DNA manipulation to give his plot a certain degree of credibility. On the other hand, much of the book is filled with endless gun battles and sieges fought by a host of rather stereotypical characters on both sides (especially the Cajun bunch featured so prominently in the story). Rollins knows how to write a good thriller, and he punches all the right buttons in this one, but I have read enough thrillers now that they do not "thrill" me like they used to. What kept me reading this one was a desire to find out exactly what the rogue scientists were trying to achieve and what was going wrong for them.
Dr. Lorna Polk, a veterinarian researcher, is stunned by what she finds in the hold of a boat that washes up on the coast of southern Louisiana after a bad storm. The caged animals there, while recognizable, appear to be throwbacks to an earlier evolutionary period during which they were not only larger than their modern counterparts but displayed physical characteristics long lost in the evolutionary process. What appears to be a baby saber-tooth jaguar is alone in one of the cages and the immediate problem becomes one of finding the baby's gigantic mother before she kills anyone as she moves up the coast in search of food.
Lorna Polk and Jack Menard, the officer she teams up with, do not have to worry about finding the bad guys because those people are coming to them in a desperate attempt to get back their lost animals. This is a story of evil scientists, the amoral exploitation of science for military purposes, corrupt paramilitary organizations, religious fanaticism, and those innocently caught in the crossfire, including the victims produced by genetic research gone bad. Rollins also includes an interwoven bit of back history involving Lorna Polk and Jack Menard to make his characters more sympathetic to the reader and to break up what would otherwise have been an endless series of pitched gun battles. Strangely enough, even with all this back story, the most sympathetic characters in the book are not Lorna Polk and Jack Menard but are, instead, the animals and humans produced by the failed genetic experiments.
As a thriller, "Altar of Eden" is only average but there is enough other stuff going on here to make it worth a look.
Rated at: 3.0
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like "The Island of Dr. Moreau," I dislike "Jurassic Park" so it does not surprise me that I have mixed emotions about "Altar of Eden." On the one hand, this is a science-based thriller and author James Rollins provides enough detail about fractal research and DNA manipulation to give his plot a certain degree of credibility. On the other hand, much of the book is filled with endless gun battles and sieges fought by a host of rather stereotypical characters on both sides (especially the Cajun bunch featured so prominently in the story). Rollins knows how to write a good thriller, and he punches all the right buttons in this one, but I have read enough thrillers now that they do not "thrill" me like they used to. What kept me reading this one was a desire to find out exactly what the rogue scientists were trying to achieve and what was going wrong for them.
Dr. Lorna Polk, a veterinarian researcher, is stunned by what she finds in the hold of a boat that washes up on the coast of southern Louisiana after a bad storm. The caged animals there, while recognizable, appear to be throwbacks to an earlier evolutionary period during which they were not only larger than their modern counterparts but displayed physical characteristics long lost in the evolutionary process. What appears to be a baby saber-tooth jaguar is alone in one of the cages and the immediate problem becomes one of finding the baby's gigantic mother before she kills anyone as she moves up the coast in search of food.
Lorna Polk and Jack Menard, the officer she teams up with, do not have to worry about finding the bad guys because those people are coming to them in a desperate attempt to get back their lost animals. This is a story of evil scientists, the amoral exploitation of science for military purposes, corrupt paramilitary organizations, religious fanaticism, and those innocently caught in the crossfire, including the victims produced by genetic research gone bad. Rollins also includes an interwoven bit of back history involving Lorna Polk and Jack Menard to make his characters more sympathetic to the reader and to break up what would otherwise have been an endless series of pitched gun battles. Strangely enough, even with all this back story, the most sympathetic characters in the book are not Lorna Polk and Jack Menard but are, instead, the animals and humans produced by the failed genetic experiments.
As a thriller, "Altar of Eden" is only average but there is enough other stuff going on here to make it worth a look.
Rated at: 3.0
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LibraryThing member JGolomb
Altar of Eden is a fun, exciting and fast read. If you're looking to escape in a tv-movie sort-of-way, then this is a good purchase.
James Rollins writes short and to the point. His characters and plot are somewhat similar - short and to the point. And it's enjoyable. The first half of the book sets
Rollins writes adventure and pseudo-science well. Think Michael Crichton lite. But that's not a bad thing.
The book is full of gun fights and nasty animals attacks, plus the obligatory evil-scientist-explaining-his-nefarious-plot-to-the-protagonist. But it wraps up the story nicely.
If you're looking for something deep, then keep looking. You can stop looking, however, if you're in the market for a rock solid adventure, with mutated jaguars and super-smart hominids.
James Rollins writes short and to the point. His characters and plot are somewhat similar - short and to the point. And it's enjoyable. The first half of the book sets
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the stage for genetically altered animals escape into the Bayou after an attempt to smuggle them into the U.S. goes awry.Rollins writes adventure and pseudo-science well. Think Michael Crichton lite. But that's not a bad thing.
The book is full of gun fights and nasty animals attacks, plus the obligatory evil-scientist-explaining-his-nefarious-plot-to-the-protagonist. But it wraps up the story nicely.
If you're looking for something deep, then keep looking. You can stop looking, however, if you're in the market for a rock solid adventure, with mutated jaguars and super-smart hominids.
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LibraryThing member atdCross
Although not a nail-biter or action-packed - although there are a couple of tense moments - this was rather a good story with a very interesting subplot. Animals are found to somehow be regressing to their prehistoric physical state while, at the same time, increasing in intelligence and with
Yet, someone wants all these animals killed. And when some animals end up caught and held in vetenarian center for as a protected species and testing, those seeking to kill the animals also arrive with a mission to leave no survivors - animal and human.
With all that said, the main characters, Lorna and Jack who are seeking to protect the animals, have a secret between themselves - a secret hidden behind a different story, which everyone thinks is the real story - causing some animosity between members of the team seeking to protect the animals and discover the truth behind how these animals have changed.
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intuitive communication between them.Yet, someone wants all these animals killed. And when some animals end up caught and held in vetenarian center for as a protected species and testing, those seeking to kill the animals also arrive with a mission to leave no survivors - animal and human.
With all that said, the main characters, Lorna and Jack who are seeking to protect the animals, have a secret between themselves - a secret hidden behind a different story, which everyone thinks is the real story - causing some animosity between members of the team seeking to protect the animals and discover the truth behind how these animals have changed.
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LibraryThing member Emidawg
For me this novel had a very "Chrichton" feel to it.
While it was a page turner it was fairly formulaic. "Evil" government contractor performing genetic experiments, one gets loose and chaos ensues. Heroine gets involved, captured, and comerades must rescue her against odds.
Not really my cup of tea
While it was a page turner it was fairly formulaic. "Evil" government contractor performing genetic experiments, one gets loose and chaos ensues. Heroine gets involved, captured, and comerades must rescue her against odds.
Not really my cup of tea
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but it did provide entertainment for a few days. Show Less
LibraryThing member suetu
This is the novel I’ve been waiting for…
I love James Rollins’ SIGMA novels, but after a while, all series start to feel a bit old to me. Like many other readers, I’ve really been hoping for a return to the stand alone thrillers with which he began his career. My wish has been granted with
Some books can be summarized with a single, high-concept sentence. That’s never the case with Rollins, though this book is structured differently and is in many ways simpler than the SIGMA novels. More on that in a moment. The novel opens in the wake of a hurricane. Research veterinarian, Dr. Lorna Polk, is collected from her workplace by a Border Patrol helicopter and ferried out into the Louisiana swamplands. She can’t fathom who has requested her or why she is being brought here. The “who” turns out to be Field Operations Supervisor, Jack Menard, a painful ghost from her past. The “why” is a shipwreck. A shipwreck that looks like a mysterious and nightmarish crime scene, and which holds a most extraordinary living cargo. Her first guess is that they’ve stumbled upon an exotic animal smuggling ring, but as Rollins writes:
“Jack turned and shone his flashlight into the nearest cage. She stared inside—and knew she was wrong about everything.”
James Rollins is great about writing these hooky endings to his chapters. They’re sort of textbook, but irresistible! I know they keep me turning the pages.
I noted the structure of this novel above. The SIGMA novels all contain multiple narrative threads and stories. They’re notably complex thrillers. Altar of Eden has a single narrative thread throughout. It is the story of where this discovery takes Jack and Lorna, and it’s broken into three discrete parts.
Act One encompasses the first third of the novel, and it reminded me of nothing so much as those old creature feature films from the 70’s. You remember the ones? Where the mutant piranhas are heading upstream to the summer camp? That’s just a nostalgic example, there are absolutely no mutant piranha in this novel (though if that’s your cup of tea, definitely check out Rollins’ Amazonia), but SOMETHING has escaped that shipwreck, and it’s stalking the bayou. The hunt is on!
Act Two is the shortest of the three. Here, the protagonists have a chance to catch their breath—for like a minute. It’s a chance for Lorna and her colleagues to strut their scientific stuff. And this is the part that I have to assume other Rollins fans like me love. Every Rollins novel features at least one element of mind-blowing science. My favorite part of this one involved magnetite crystals in the brain, but the fractals were really cool too! There are tantalizing tidbits from any number of scientific disciplines, but don’t worry if you’re not as geeky as me. Rollins doesn’t go too deeply into anything. His explanations are brief, clear, and intriguing. (As always, he has an author’s note at the end to separate fact from fiction. And as always, there’s more fact than you might expect.) Unfortunately for our protagonists, the bad guys that were in the background of Act One come front and center in Act Two.
Act Three is the lengthiest of all. It’s the endgame. Dr. Polk discovers that what she found in the Mississippi Delta was just the tip of the iceberg. I have to admit that I had a few small quibbles with the end of this novel that I can’t discuss without massive spoilers. Nonetheless, those quibbles did not take away from my total enjoyment of this excellent page-turner. I read much of it on an airplane and it kept me compelled for 3,000 miles.
Amusingly, I listened to a large section of this novel on my Kindle while wandering the National Zoo. There are a lot of animals in this novel, so I could read about alligators and monkeys while visiting alligators and monkeys! (Yes, I really AM a huge geek.) I’ve heard former-vet Rollins discuss why he’s never written about a veterinarian before. “Not enough people die,” he always says. Well, he finally found a way to make it work. I’m looking forward to more stand alone adventures!
I love James Rollins’ SIGMA novels, but after a while, all series start to feel a bit old to me. Like many other readers, I’ve really been hoping for a return to the stand alone thrillers with which he began his career. My wish has been granted with
Show More
his latest work, Altar of Eden, and it was everything I could have hoped for.Some books can be summarized with a single, high-concept sentence. That’s never the case with Rollins, though this book is structured differently and is in many ways simpler than the SIGMA novels. More on that in a moment. The novel opens in the wake of a hurricane. Research veterinarian, Dr. Lorna Polk, is collected from her workplace by a Border Patrol helicopter and ferried out into the Louisiana swamplands. She can’t fathom who has requested her or why she is being brought here. The “who” turns out to be Field Operations Supervisor, Jack Menard, a painful ghost from her past. The “why” is a shipwreck. A shipwreck that looks like a mysterious and nightmarish crime scene, and which holds a most extraordinary living cargo. Her first guess is that they’ve stumbled upon an exotic animal smuggling ring, but as Rollins writes:
“Jack turned and shone his flashlight into the nearest cage. She stared inside—and knew she was wrong about everything.”
James Rollins is great about writing these hooky endings to his chapters. They’re sort of textbook, but irresistible! I know they keep me turning the pages.
I noted the structure of this novel above. The SIGMA novels all contain multiple narrative threads and stories. They’re notably complex thrillers. Altar of Eden has a single narrative thread throughout. It is the story of where this discovery takes Jack and Lorna, and it’s broken into three discrete parts.
Act One encompasses the first third of the novel, and it reminded me of nothing so much as those old creature feature films from the 70’s. You remember the ones? Where the mutant piranhas are heading upstream to the summer camp? That’s just a nostalgic example, there are absolutely no mutant piranha in this novel (though if that’s your cup of tea, definitely check out Rollins’ Amazonia), but SOMETHING has escaped that shipwreck, and it’s stalking the bayou. The hunt is on!
Act Two is the shortest of the three. Here, the protagonists have a chance to catch their breath—for like a minute. It’s a chance for Lorna and her colleagues to strut their scientific stuff. And this is the part that I have to assume other Rollins fans like me love. Every Rollins novel features at least one element of mind-blowing science. My favorite part of this one involved magnetite crystals in the brain, but the fractals were really cool too! There are tantalizing tidbits from any number of scientific disciplines, but don’t worry if you’re not as geeky as me. Rollins doesn’t go too deeply into anything. His explanations are brief, clear, and intriguing. (As always, he has an author’s note at the end to separate fact from fiction. And as always, there’s more fact than you might expect.) Unfortunately for our protagonists, the bad guys that were in the background of Act One come front and center in Act Two.
Act Three is the lengthiest of all. It’s the endgame. Dr. Polk discovers that what she found in the Mississippi Delta was just the tip of the iceberg. I have to admit that I had a few small quibbles with the end of this novel that I can’t discuss without massive spoilers. Nonetheless, those quibbles did not take away from my total enjoyment of this excellent page-turner. I read much of it on an airplane and it kept me compelled for 3,000 miles.
Amusingly, I listened to a large section of this novel on my Kindle while wandering the National Zoo. There are a lot of animals in this novel, so I could read about alligators and monkeys while visiting alligators and monkeys! (Yes, I really AM a huge geek.) I’ve heard former-vet Rollins discuss why he’s never written about a veterinarian before. “Not enough people die,” he always says. Well, he finally found a way to make it work. I’m looking forward to more stand alone adventures!
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LibraryThing member elbakerone
Veterinarian Lorna Polk is more than a little surprised when Jack Menard, a man from her past, shows up at her research facility in a border patrol helicopter asking for her help. Whisked off to examine the strange animals aboard an abandoned trawler, Lorna knows something odd is going on. The
From this intriguing start, the novel takes off at a whirlwind pace. First, the adult saber-toothed cat is loose in the Louisiana bayou. Then, it's up to Lorna and Jack to track down the people responsible for transporting the animals and discover the truth behind the strange subjects. Meanwhile, the minds - and hired guns - behind the genetically altered creatures will stop at nothing to recapture the animals and dispose of those who know their secrets.
As a reader, I'm a sucker for a great fast-paced action story; as a scientist, I love a genetic thriller done right. James Rollins' Altar of Eden had it all. I was really impressed at how accurate the concepts of biology were as they entwined into fiction in the story. High-tech science was explained in an every day manner while not coming across as being dumbed-down. Also, Dr. Lorna Polk - a veterinarian like Rollins himself - was a strong and intelligent heroine. She displayed realistic fear and emotion but was also action-oriented and determined at all the right moments. Overall, Altar of Eden was a smart thrill ride from beginning to end.
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conjoined twin monkeys, featherless parrot, and cub of a saber-toothed cat all display heightened intelligence and evidence of genetic alterations. From this intriguing start, the novel takes off at a whirlwind pace. First, the adult saber-toothed cat is loose in the Louisiana bayou. Then, it's up to Lorna and Jack to track down the people responsible for transporting the animals and discover the truth behind the strange subjects. Meanwhile, the minds - and hired guns - behind the genetically altered creatures will stop at nothing to recapture the animals and dispose of those who know their secrets.
As a reader, I'm a sucker for a great fast-paced action story; as a scientist, I love a genetic thriller done right. James Rollins' Altar of Eden had it all. I was really impressed at how accurate the concepts of biology were as they entwined into fiction in the story. High-tech science was explained in an every day manner while not coming across as being dumbed-down. Also, Dr. Lorna Polk - a veterinarian like Rollins himself - was a strong and intelligent heroine. She displayed realistic fear and emotion but was also action-oriented and determined at all the right moments. Overall, Altar of Eden was a smart thrill ride from beginning to end.
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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
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~
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 PegSwaney
research on animals and humans for military- Dr. kidnapped - rescued- island destroyed and mutants formed
LibraryThing member Alaric.Adair
A well constructed thriller using the theme of DNA modification of animals. It shows careful research behind the book. An easy read.
LibraryThing member ladydymondz
Another page turner by Rollins. We are drawn into the world of Dr. Lorna Polk; from scientifically enhanced animals and human test subjects.
LibraryThing member tahi3
Great read. I thought the plot would make a great action movie! This is the first book I have read by this author, so I will be adding him to my must read list
LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Okay... let me be up front about things before I write this review.. I LOVE almost everything James Rollins writes. I REALLY appreciate a book that has solid bites of reality - enough to make you believe that what you're reading really could happen. When I read Rollins, it's always a case of
So... Alter of Eden... a vet, Lorna gets called by a man she knows from her past, to help with a situation involving a beached trawler with some very unusual creatures on board. More disturbing is the fact that the most dangerous of these seems to have escaped. Lorna, Jack, and a team made up of special border patrols and Jack's brothers and friends, track the escaped animal and its cub. What they eventually discover leads to a showdown that would make a fantastic action film. Don't want to give anything away, but I loved the scene where the assailant gets his corneas flash frozen! Very satisfying read...
The only thing I wish is that publishers followed the lead of the music industry and sold explicit and "clean" versions of the books. I work in a middle school (grades 6, 7, 8) and I know there are certain students who would eat this book up and be clamoring for more, but due to the very light sprinkling of profanity, I don't feel comfortable putting it on my shelves. I'd love to, but I just don't need my ESL students coming to me with horror in their eyes as they point out the F*&$^#% words on the pages. So I guess I'll pass it on to my local high school, and just wish that deleting the swear words was an option cause I'd LOVE to book talk this one to my students.
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wanting to read slowly so the book isn't finished too quickly and wanting to devour it fast cause it's just that good... I love the science behind what he writes. Just the other day, my son, who's in his second year of university, said, "Mom, have you ever heard of fractals." Yup, as a matter of fact I have! :-)So... Alter of Eden... a vet, Lorna gets called by a man she knows from her past, to help with a situation involving a beached trawler with some very unusual creatures on board. More disturbing is the fact that the most dangerous of these seems to have escaped. Lorna, Jack, and a team made up of special border patrols and Jack's brothers and friends, track the escaped animal and its cub. What they eventually discover leads to a showdown that would make a fantastic action film. Don't want to give anything away, but I loved the scene where the assailant gets his corneas flash frozen! Very satisfying read...
The only thing I wish is that publishers followed the lead of the music industry and sold explicit and "clean" versions of the books. I work in a middle school (grades 6, 7, 8) and I know there are certain students who would eat this book up and be clamoring for more, but due to the very light sprinkling of profanity, I don't feel comfortable putting it on my shelves. I'd love to, but I just don't need my ESL students coming to me with horror in their eyes as they point out the F*&$^#% words on the pages. So I guess I'll pass it on to my local high school, and just wish that deleting the swear words was an option cause I'd LOVE to book talk this one to my students.
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LibraryThing member GTTexas
Non Sigma thriller, and quite good!
LibraryThing member Altarasabine
Undoubtedly one of the best books that I ever laid in my hands. A brilliant plot full of fast paced adventure. An intricate combination of real world science, put into easy to understand terms and concepts, into a fictional, yet quite possible, world. Enlightens the reader of what is actually
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taking place behind closed doors in the scientific community. Terrifying in its effectiveness of relating the consequences when man messes with the order of nature. Creating monsters that can do more than just haunt our nightmares. Captures humanity not only at its' worst but also at its' best, the parent child bond, true sacrifice, love and redemption. This book will pull your emotions from one extreme to the next. Includes a section at the end of the book that informs the reader of what was fact, what the author fabricated and where to find additional information. Show Less
LibraryThing member psychdoc66
A well written and entertaining scientific thriller. Fast paced and exciting story with well developed main characters. The author explains complex scientific concepts very well.
LibraryThing member pharrm
What a page turner. The scene jumps from the zoo in Bagdad after the US forces invasion to a ship abandoned out the coast of Lousiana bayou country. Inside the ship are some unusual animals that have throwback characteristics. Especially concerning is a missing animals of the "jaguar" family that
Vet LornaPolk is called in to assist in identifing and saving the animals. Upon arrival she meets Jake Menard who saves a violent past with her. They both seek to find the missing animal in the swamps with the help of Jake's bayou family members who are not keen on Dr. Lorna.
The puzzle of the animals DNA, and what it means takes the reader on a running journey across the Carribean to a fantastic island called "Eden".
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has left a small sickly cub behind.Vet LornaPolk is called in to assist in identifing and saving the animals. Upon arrival she meets Jake Menard who saves a violent past with her. They both seek to find the missing animal in the swamps with the help of Jake's bayou family members who are not keen on Dr. Lorna.
The puzzle of the animals DNA, and what it means takes the reader on a running journey across the Carribean to a fantastic island called "Eden".
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LibraryThing member TomWheaton
This was a complete change from the last few books by this author involving the Sigma Force. He said that he has always wanted to write a book with a veterinarian as the main character. Well, this is not your ordinary vet story! I really enjoyed this book and it turned into a real page-turner. The
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storyline is a bit far-fetched but, I enjoyed it anyway. Show Less
LibraryThing member Zare
Interesting but rather short read. I like novels in which good guys [again who does not :)] win but this one seems a little bit rushed which is a shame because story is very interesting.
There is no .... no tension for the lead characters. You know from the first page how the story will unfold,
Entertaining read.
There is no .... no tension for the lead characters. You know from the first page how the story will unfold,
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moment something unexpected happens you can pretty well predict how that problem will be solved .... But I was stunned how efficient is the border patrol from the south of the USA :) man, either they have some pretty bad neighbors or armed forces need to look into the law enforcement community for the recruits :)Entertaining read.
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LibraryThing member techeditor
ALTAR OF EDEN by James Rollins is a science thriller. And it's a good one. That's because the science is based on reality even while the story is fiction.
Do you remember back when the war in Iraq began, and animals at the Baghdad Zoo escaped and suffered? That's where ALTAR OF EDEN begins. It seems
The book continues in New Orleans. Apparently, someone is genetically altering animals. Who? Why? And to what ends will they go to keep their project secret? The Border Patrol and a veterinarian at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (a real facility) star in this mystery post-Hurricane Katrina. Their discoveries about animal intelligence are real as are the hunting habits of jaguars and so much of the science discussed.
Maybe the most important scientific fact Rollins presents in this book is the bond between humans and animals. This is one of the themes throughout the book, especially in Parts 2 and 3. This bond is proven fact, although this story takes the bonding to fictitious places and stretches it.
Rollins is a veterinarian. But he writes thrillers, not animal stories. Still, I hope to find more animal science in his other books. Sciencethrillers.com says that they are even better than ALTAR OF EDEN. So I look forward to checking them out.
Thank you, sciencethrillers.com, for sending ALTAR OF EDEN to me.
Do you remember back when the war in Iraq began, and animals at the Baghdad Zoo escaped and suffered? That's where ALTAR OF EDEN begins. It seems
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that something is going on there, something hidden. Rollins only hints, and other readers can surmise what they want, but my immediate suspicion was the suspicion at the time: biological warfare.The book continues in New Orleans. Apparently, someone is genetically altering animals. Who? Why? And to what ends will they go to keep their project secret? The Border Patrol and a veterinarian at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (a real facility) star in this mystery post-Hurricane Katrina. Their discoveries about animal intelligence are real as are the hunting habits of jaguars and so much of the science discussed.
Maybe the most important scientific fact Rollins presents in this book is the bond between humans and animals. This is one of the themes throughout the book, especially in Parts 2 and 3. This bond is proven fact, although this story takes the bonding to fictitious places and stretches it.
Rollins is a veterinarian. But he writes thrillers, not animal stories. Still, I hope to find more animal science in his other books. Sciencethrillers.com says that they are even better than ALTAR OF EDEN. So I look forward to checking them out.
Thank you, sciencethrillers.com, for sending ALTAR OF EDEN to me.
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LibraryThing member coachtim30
While "Altar of Eden" isn't on the same level of interest and/or quality for this reviewer as the earliest novels (i.e. "Amazonia", "Ice Hunt", and "Subterranean") written by author James Rollins, his fans will enjoy this imaginative and action-filled book, nonetheless.
The novel creates an
The book is hindered somewhat by some wooden characters, but the sheer magnitude of action keeps "Altar of Eden" moving toward a satisfying conclusion. NOTE: this is not a Sigma Force adventure which this reader found especially appealing. 3 and 1/2 stars.
The novel creates an
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interesting plot that's connected to reality in a few ways (which Rollins carefully points out at the end of the book). The premise revolves around experimentation on animals and humans in order to create the "perfect army". Rollins does a credible job of encouraging the reader to buy into the fantastic plot. The main characters, veterinarian Lorna Polk and US Border Patrol agent Jack Menard stumble on to the scheme and spend the bulk of the book attempting to stop the plan before it comes into fruition. Rollins, like his fellow thriller compatriot, Matthew Reilly, knows how to keep the plot moving, impresses the reader with a bunch of exotic weaponry, while continually pouring on the action throughout the book. The book is hindered somewhat by some wooden characters, but the sheer magnitude of action keeps "Altar of Eden" moving toward a satisfying conclusion. NOTE: this is not a Sigma Force adventure which this reader found especially appealing. 3 and 1/2 stars.
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LibraryThing member gdill
Rednecks from the swamp collide with brilliant scientists gone mad.
I really pushed myself to finish this book. The first half of the story was excellent; quite compelling and adventurous. Mutant saber-toothed tiger on the loose, protecting its young and devouring unsuspecting people. The second
Not Rollins best work, but certainly not his worst either. Two-stars for his unique creativity. But, too lengthy of a story that inevitably loses its momentum to warrant a higher rating.
I really pushed myself to finish this book. The first half of the story was excellent; quite compelling and adventurous. Mutant saber-toothed tiger on the loose, protecting its young and devouring unsuspecting people. The second
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half of the story gets lost in a bunch of gunfights and explosives on some obscure island in the Caribbean.Not Rollins best work, but certainly not his worst either. Two-stars for his unique creativity. But, too lengthy of a story that inevitably loses its momentum to warrant a higher rating.
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LibraryThing member cmeilink
I enjoy books that have one foot planted in reality and the other in the "this could potentially happen" camp.
Altar of Eden begins with the bombing of a zoo in Baghdad that houses a secretive facility beneath it--a laboratory undergoing genetic research.
The destruction of the zoo creates a need to
When the trawler carrying the animals runs aground freeing some of the animals on a small island, Dr. Lorna Polk, a veterinarian from The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, becomes involved in the hunt to find the animals--animals unlike anything she has ever encountered before. This hunt brings her back into contact with Jack Menard, the older brother of a boy she dated and who his family blamed for his death.
The animals seems to be a throwback to the modern species and are able to communicate and act with a hive mentality, the result of a new type of warfare being engineered by a company working on a defense project.
The insight into some of the victims of these trials is excellent. The story held my interest, and I finished the book in two days.
I recommend this book.
Altar of Eden begins with the bombing of a zoo in Baghdad that houses a secretive facility beneath it--a laboratory undergoing genetic research.
The destruction of the zoo creates a need to
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transfer the surviving laboratory animals in order for the research to continue.When the trawler carrying the animals runs aground freeing some of the animals on a small island, Dr. Lorna Polk, a veterinarian from The Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, becomes involved in the hunt to find the animals--animals unlike anything she has ever encountered before. This hunt brings her back into contact with Jack Menard, the older brother of a boy she dated and who his family blamed for his death.
The animals seems to be a throwback to the modern species and are able to communicate and act with a hive mentality, the result of a new type of warfare being engineered by a company working on a defense project.
The insight into some of the victims of these trials is excellent. The story held my interest, and I finished the book in two days.
I recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member utbw42
Starts out great, but then the story and characters don't develop into what could have been an outstanding novel. Still made for an enjoyable read, but I couldn't help feeling when I was finished that this book could have been so much more.
LibraryThing member ChristineEllei
Despite flashbacks to Jurassic Park and science (fractal science and biological warfare production) that was a little over my head this book was an enjoyable read. Veterinarian Dr. Laura Polk is picked up by helicopter and taken to a trawler on the Mississippi where strange mutations of animals
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have been found. After the discovery, the trawler mysteriously explodes and the chase is on. James Rollins draws on his veterinary and science background to bring a believable tale of genetic experimentation, a stereotypical mad scientist, plausible experiment fallout and a “tied up in a red bow ending”. Show Less
LibraryThing member pickupf
A rollicking good yarn. Easy read.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
Physical description
7.5 inches