Altar of Eden - James Rollins

Altar of Eden

By James Rollins

  • Release Date: 2009-12-29
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 312 Ratings

Description

“Every James Rollins delivers mach-speed mayhem, throat-clutching suspense, high-style adventure, and a terrific story told terrifically.” —Steve Berry, author of The Warsaw Protocol

Combining science, history, and breakneck suspense—and a secret tied to the Book of Genesis—Altar of Eden is sure to satisfy every James Rollins fan while winning over a slew of new converts.

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?

Reviews

  • Altar of Eden

    5
    By Kona O'Reilly
    Great read and an exciting book
  • Teetering on the edge

    4
    By karenindixie
    What’s not to love? Main characters traumatized by past events and pulled together by a potential world threat! Rollins always delivers the goods, telling almost believable tales with just that right amount of character-driven angst and hardship. Ever teetering on the edge of complete hogwash! I especially enjoyed the creature descriptions. Science and science-fiction so well achieved!
  • Great Fun

    5
    By Ohyeahfun
    This was a lot of fun to read. Jurassic Park story line with a lot more violence but an outstanding cast of characters keeps you reading to the end.
  • Yep...

    5
    By vertskis
    The Rollins formula is one of my faves. Predictable and perfect page turning fun.
  • AMAZING!

    5
    By shellyyyy
    i love this novel. it is one of my favorites.
  • Decent

    3
    By Bevin Rae
    Not Rollins' best but still good
  • Good read

    5
    By BigBadBob2
    I felt that it was typical Rollins, telling us an adventure and teaching us at the same time. The genetic throwbacks in this book make you think both spiritiously and scienticicly. A very good stand alone novel.
  • Another great Rollin's novel

    4
    By Buddhalover
    History, science and adventure are what Rollins always ingeniously combines to create his works. It is mysteries of history combined with breakthroughs in science and a story line that weaves it all together so that you literally read the book in one sitting. Having said all that Alter of Eden actually falls short of this norm. The science is interesting but little detail is given and only a brief introduction and information is given. The history is likewise lacking. However this book certainly doesn't lack adventure! I give it four stars because I miss the in depth science and history that Rollins normally focuses on. However the story line and characters are what this book is all about. in short, this book is an amazingly crafted novel that tells a story incorporating not only interesting characters and plot, but also cutting edge science. If you are a Rollins fan though, you might miss the high emphasis on science and history that Rollins normally focuses on.

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