Rachel Harrison continues to impress me, and the fact that I enjoyed Bad Dolls so much says a lot! Short fiction isn’t typically my format of choice, but after the great time I had with both the author’s novels The Return and Cackle, I thought it worthwhile to give her horror story collection a try when I was offered an early listening copy from Penguin Audio. And I’m so glad I did.
Reply Hazy, Try Again
This first story follows an indecisive young woman who impulsively buys a Magic 8 ball from a flea market. At first, our protagonist treats the whole thing like a joke, posing random advice-seeking questions to the toy just to see the replies she’ll get. Soon though, the ball appears to take on a mind of its own, one that impossibly seems to know more than it should.
As creepy as this all sounds, the story is actually quite light on horror and more focused on human drama, touching upon subjects like work, life, and relationships. The idea behind it is very unique though, and I liked that there was a strong paranormal or uncanny element.
Bachelorette
This was perhaps my favorite story of the collection. “If I’d been told in advance about the blood sacrifice, I would have made up an excuse not to attend the bachelorette party.” Best first line ever! Our main character Natalie is invited to the bachelorette party of her childhood best friend, Haley. The two women have always been close, but ever since Haley moved away for college and made new friends, Natalie has started worrying about them drifting apart. So when one of Haley’s sorority sisters rents a beautiful rustic cottage for the bachelorette weekend, Natalie makes a valiant effort to participate in all the activities and pretend she is enjoying herself for Haley’s sake, even though she feels like an outsider the entire time. Still, even best friends have their limits, and there are definitely lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Many of Rachel Harrison’s stories are centered on female friendships, and this tale was no exception, looking at the evolution of relationships and how people’s lives change over time. Lots of complex feelings explored in this one too, especially the main character’s insecurities and personal fears. Plenty of humor was involved, and the relatability of Natalie’s voice also made this story very easy to get into, helped by the amazing performance of the audiobook narrator.
Goblin
A woman and her friend decide to try out a trendy new app that claims to be able to help them with their dieting goals, except our main character is someone who has recently recovered from an eating disorder. Supposedly, this app works by summoning an adorable little goblin-like mascot to give you encouragement anytime you need a bit of motivation or moral support. Our protagonist thinks there must be something seriously wrong with her app though, since her goblin turns out to be a nasty piece of work.
I struggled a bit with this one, trying to wrap my head around the basic concept. In the end, I liked it, but it’s also the perfect example of a short story that could have greatly benefited from being longer, just so the ideas and the world and the characters could have been more fleshed out.
Bad Dolls
In this story, a woman returns to her hometown following the death of her little sister to be closer to her family. After going through and tidying up the things in the room that she is renting, she finds a mysterious old porcelain doll which no one seems to know to whom it belonged or where it came from.
Out of the offerings in this collection, this tale had the closest feel to a traditional horror story. Dolls have always creeped me out, so this one definitely gave me chills. Like “Goblin”, I think “Bad Dolls” could have been longer, simply because there’s enough content here beyond the horror aspects to warrant a full-length novel, such as the depth of themes involved like family, grief, and sacrifice.
All told though, I highly recommend this collection, whether you’re an existing fan of Rachel Harrison or are completely new to her work. Normally, I wouldn’t suggest starting with an author’s short stories but I’m making an exception with this book because, short as they are, the tales within are a very good reflection of Harrison’s knack for storytelling and her fun twists on horror. Everything she writes is now a must-read for me.
Rachel Harrison continues to impress me, and the fact that I enjoyed Bad Dolls so much says a lot! Short fiction isn’t typically my format of choice, but after the great time I had with both the author’s novels The Return and Cackle, I thought it worthwhile to give her horror story collection a try when I was offered an early listening copy from Penguin Audio. And I’m so glad I did.
Reply Hazy, Try Again
This first story follows an indecisive young woman who impulsively buys a Magic 8 ball from a flea market. At first, our protagonist treats the whole thing like a joke, posing random advice-seeking questions to the toy just to see the replies she’ll get. Soon though, the ball appears to take on a mind of its own, one that impossibly seems to know more than it should.
As creepy as this all sounds, the story is actually quite light on horror and more focused on human drama, touching upon subjects like work, life, and relationships. The idea behind it is very unique though, and I liked that there was a strong paranormal or uncanny element.
Bachelorette
This was perhaps my favorite story of the collection. “If I’d been told in advance about the blood sacrifice, I would have made up an excuse not to attend the bachelorette party.” Best first line ever! Our main character Natalie is invited to the bachelorette party of her childhood best friend, Haley. The two women have always been close, but ever since Haley moved away for college and made new friends, Natalie has started worrying about them drifting apart. So when one of Haley’s sorority sisters rents a beautiful rustic cottage for the bachelorette weekend, Natalie makes a valiant effort to participate in all the activities and pretend she is enjoying herself for Haley’s sake, even though she feels like an outsider the entire time. Still, even best friends have their limits, and there are definitely lines that shouldn’t be crossed.
Many of Rachel Harrison’s stories are centered on female friendships, and this tale was no exception, looking at the evolution of relationships and how people’s lives change over time. Lots of complex feelings explored in this one too, especially the main character’s insecurities and personal fears. Plenty of humor was involved, and the relatability of Natalie’s voice also made this story very easy to get into, helped by the amazing performance of the audiobook narrator.
Goblin
A woman and her friend decide to try out a trendy new app that claims to be able to help them with their dieting goals, except our main character is someone who has recently recovered from an eating disorder. Supposedly, this app works by summoning an adorable little goblin-like mascot to give you encouragement anytime you need a bit of motivation or moral support. Our protagonist thinks there must be something seriously wrong with her app though, since her goblin turns out to be a nasty piece of work.
I struggled a bit with this one, trying to wrap my head around the basic concept. In the end, I liked it, but it’s also the perfect example of a short story that could have greatly benefited from being longer, just so the ideas and the world and the characters could have been more fleshed out.
Bad Dolls
In this story, a woman returns to her hometown following the death of her little sister to be closer to her family. After going through and tidying up the things in the room that she is renting, she finds a mysterious old porcelain doll which no one seems to know to whom it belonged or where it came from.
Out of the offerings in this collection, this tale had the closest feel to a traditional horror story. Dolls have always creeped me out, so this one definitely gave me chills. Like “Goblin”, I think “Bad Dolls” could have been longer, simply because there’s enough content here beyond the horror aspects to warrant a full-length novel, such as the depth of themes involved like family, grief, and sacrifice.
All told though, I highly recommend this collection, whether you’re an existing fan of Rachel Harrison or are completely new to her work. Normally, I wouldn’t suggest starting with an author’s short stories but I’m making an exception with this book because, short as they are, the tales within are a very good reflection of Harrison’s knack for storytelling and her fun twists on horror. Everything she writes is now a must-read for me....more
Although I’m glad I got to finish the Awakened trilogy, it is unfortunate to see the quality go down with each book. To be fair, the authors probably weren’t aiming for anything more than a mindless action-packed thriller, but still, when you compare the first book with Obliteration, the differences between the two are quite telling. Gone is any attempt at creating suspense or atmosphere, as the focus shifts entirely to cramming as much action into as little time possible.
In terms of the plot, Obliteration picks up shortly after the end of The Brink. To get the most out of it, you do have to be caught up with the previous books, so be aware there may be possible spoilers in this review for what came before. As the story begins, our big baddie Albert Van Ness has been stopped and is currently serving time in a high-security prison for his murderous crimes against humanity. It was only thanks to the efforts of Tom Cafferty that millions more did not die in the name of Van Ness’ fanatical crusade against the ancient bloodthirsty creatures that have emerged from their underground nests. The world can finally catch its breath and begin rebuilding, now that it’s safe from both monster attacks and total nuclear annihilation by a madman.
But is it really over? Tom isn’t so sure. He knows there are more creature nests still out there, and he won’t rest until he finds and destroys them all. On his latest mission with his team out in the Nevada desert though, he is shocked to arrive on the scene of a purported creature stronghold to find it completely empty. Realizing too late what it means, Tom races back up to the surface to find the world in chaos. Across the globe, cities are being overrun by the monsters who have emerged from their lairs to launch a coordinated attack all at once, killing everything in their path. Within moments, the United States loses every single one of its major urban centers, including Washington DC. Left with no choice, the President orders Tom to turn to his archnemesis, Albert Van Ness. He may be an evil maniac, but Van Ness has also dedicated his entire life to annihilating these creatures, and if anyone knows what to do now, it would be him.
This was a fun book, perfect for a bit of escapism. And had I not known the authors are capable of so much more, that would have been perfectly fine. Except I have read this series starting from Awakened, and the difference going to this one reminds me of when movies get straight-to-TV sequels. While Obliteration still delivers rapid-fire cinematic action, it does smack of going through the motions. The plot is all flash and no substance, all bloodbath and no subtlety. An army of super-soldiers just appearing out of nowhere? Hey, whatever, it’s not like the audience actually cares about explanations!
Well, except I kind of care. At the very least, I wanted more development of these characters I’ve spent three books following. What we get is pretty shallow at best, though, and it’s even more lacking for the new POVs presented. I’m also disappointed that the atmosphere was a casualty in the trade-off for more action and thrills. Looking back at my review for Awakened, I praised the book for giving me serious flashbacks to the Alien movies, as well as for its claustrophobia-inducing intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. That’s all been thrown to the wayside apparently, and it’s actually been happening since The Brink, sad to say.
Overall, I guess there’s something to be said about the entertainment value in a book like Obliteration, but can’t say I really enjoyed myself all that much. That said, I’m glad I saw this series through to the end, even if I can’t it remaining in my memory too long. It’s a shame, because the first book started out quite strong, but unfortunately the rest of the trilogy just wasn’t able to continue the same levels of interest or momentum.
Audiobook Comments: To his credit, James “Murr” Murray once again did a great job narrating his own book. He’s clearly experienced from his TV work, and being intimately familiar with the story and characters also helped. While I wasn’t too crazy about the book itself, I thought the narration and audio production values were well done.
Although I’m glad I got to finish the Awakened trilogy, it is unfortunate to see the quality go down with each book. To be fair, the authors probably weren’t aiming for anything more than a mindless action-packed thriller, but still, when you compare the first book with Obliteration, the differences between the two are quite telling. Gone is any attempt at creating suspense or atmosphere, as the focus shifts entirely to cramming as much action into as little time possible.
In terms of the plot, Obliteration picks up shortly after the end of The Brink. To get the most out of it, you do have to be caught up with the previous books, so be aware there may be possible spoilers in this review for what came before. As the story begins, our big baddie Albert Van Ness has been stopped and is currently serving time in a high-security prison for his murderous crimes against humanity. It was only thanks to the efforts of Tom Cafferty that millions more did not die in the name of Van Ness’ fanatical crusade against the ancient bloodthirsty creatures that have emerged from their underground nests. The world can finally catch its breath and begin rebuilding, now that it’s safe from both monster attacks and total nuclear annihilation by a madman.
But is it really over? Tom isn’t so sure. He knows there are more creature nests still out there, and he won’t rest until he finds and destroys them all. On his latest mission with his team out in the Nevada desert though, he is shocked to arrive on the scene of a purported creature stronghold to find it completely empty. Realizing too late what it means, Tom races back up to the surface to find the world in chaos. Across the globe, cities are being overrun by the monsters who have emerged from their lairs to launch a coordinated attack all at once, killing everything in their path. Within moments, the United States loses every single one of its major urban centers, including Washington DC. Left with no choice, the President orders Tom to turn to his archnemesis, Albert Van Ness. He may be an evil maniac, but Van Ness has also dedicated his entire life to annihilating these creatures, and if anyone knows what to do now, it would be him.
This was a fun book, perfect for a bit of escapism. And had I not known the authors are capable of so much more, that would have been perfectly fine. Except I have read this series starting from Awakened, and the difference going to this one reminds me of when movies get straight-to-TV sequels. While Obliteration still delivers rapid-fire cinematic action, it does smack of going through the motions. The plot is all flash and no substance, all bloodbath and no subtlety. An army of super-soldiers just appearing out of nowhere? Hey, whatever, it’s not like the audience actually cares about explanations!
Well, except I kind of care. At the very least, I wanted more development of these characters I’ve spent three books following. What we get is pretty shallow at best, though, and it’s even more lacking for the new POVs presented. I’m also disappointed that the atmosphere was a casualty in the trade-off for more action and thrills. Looking back at my review for Awakened, I praised the book for giving me serious flashbacks to the Alien movies, as well as for its claustrophobia-inducing intensity and edge-of-your-seat suspense. That’s all been thrown to the wayside apparently, and it’s actually been happening since The Brink, sad to say.
Overall, I guess there’s something to be said about the entertainment value in a book like Obliteration, but can’t say I really enjoyed myself all that much. That said, I’m glad I saw this series through to the end, even if I can’t it remaining in my memory too long. It’s a shame, because the first book started out quite strong, but unfortunately the rest of the trilogy just wasn’t able to continue the same levels of interest or momentum.
Audiobook Comments: To his credit, James “Murr” Murray once again did a great job narrating his own book. He’s clearly experienced from his TV work, and being intimately familiar with the story and characters also helped. While I wasn’t too crazy about the book itself, I thought the narration and audio production values were well done....more
Children of the Different is the fantasy debut from author S.C. Flynn that has been making some waves around the blogosphere, and I was delighted when I discovered that it was also available in audiobook format. The reality of the busy fall season means these days I find myself with less time to curl up with book; it’s much more likely that I’m bustling around listening to one in my ear, rather than actually sitting down turning the pages. Needless to say I immediately leapt upon the opportunity to review this one, especially since I’ve been curious about it for a while.
The first thing that struck me was the uniqueness of the setting. Post-apocalyptic novels are a big trend these days—especially in the Young Adult genre—but Children of the Different manages to avoid clichés and stand out with its offbeat approach. First, I really like that the book takes place in south-western Australia, in a forest where our protagonists live. Arika and her twin brother Narrah were born after “The Great Madness”, a catastrophic event that happened nineteen years ago, unleashing a brain disease that decimated the earth’s population. Curiously though, many of the survivors were those who had brain diseases or mental conditions from the world before, and came out of the Great Madness miraculously cured. Others, unfortunately, were transformed into cannibalistic zombie-like monsters called “Ferals”.
And now, children born into this new reality are at risk. At the start of their adolescence, all of them must experience a trance called the “The Changing”, a process which sends their consciousness into a dreamscape. At the end of that journey, they either emerge endowed with a special mental power…or they become Feral. After the intro of this book, both Arika and Narrah have come out of their Changings, thankfully with their minds intact, but the things they saw in the Changeland have shaken them, terrified them. A malicious force known as the Echidna, or the anteater, has fixated its attention on the twins. In order to survive, the siblings will have to rely on their newfound powers, and their love for each other, to face and defeat this nebulous new threat.
I’ll admit, because so much of the beginning dealt with the Changing and what our characters experienced in the Changeland, it took me a while to find my bearings and get a feel for this story. I don’t always do well with metaphysical themes in fantasy, and many of the scenes described during the dreamscape sections came dangerously close to being too weird for me to handle.
My initial confusion ebbed, however, once we got past the introduction and into the meat of the story. I liked how the author linked the concept of the Great Madness and the Changing to the post-apocalyptic world, creating a premise which feels at once familiar and but also very fresh. It’s a nice blend of many genres, with themes from both sci-fi and fantasy mingling happily together, and hey, why not throw in some elements from the zombie horror genre as well, or even some survival suspense-thriller?
And no doubt about it, a huge part of the book’s appeal also comes from its atmosphere. I have not been back to Australia in many years, but I still have fond memories of my visit to its cities and wilderness. While the version of Australia in Children of the Different may be a crumbling, lawless place and civilization is virtually nonexistent after the devastation of The Great Madness, S.C. Flynn still retains some of the setting’s charm in the diversity of the landscape, wildlife, and culture of the survivors.
It’s worth noting as well that, even though the book’s description makes no statement whether this is an adult or YA novel, I think it would work well for both audiences. It’s true that this book stars teenage protagonists and has strong coming-of-age vibes, but for readers who are open to those themes, I think this story would have good crossover appeal.
Finally, because I reviewed the audiobook, I just want to end with some comments about the narration. I’m really glad I got to experience the novel in this format, because I the narrator Stephen Briggs was absolutely fantastic. He does amazing accents for the characters, giving readers that extra layer of immersion with his performance. The production team could not have chosen a better reader for this novel, and if you are curious about checking out Children of the Different, I would highly recommend the audio edition.
Children of the Different is the fantasy debut from author S.C. Flynn that has been making some waves around the blogosphere, and I was delighted when I discovered that it was also available in audiobook format. The reality of the busy fall season means these days I find myself with less time to curl up with book; it’s much more likely that I’m bustling around listening to one in my ear, rather than actually sitting down turning the pages. Needless to say I immediately leapt upon the opportunity to review this one, especially since I’ve been curious about it for a while.
The first thing that struck me was the uniqueness of the setting. Post-apocalyptic novels are a big trend these days—especially in the Young Adult genre—but Children of the Different manages to avoid clichés and stand out with its offbeat approach. First, I really like that the book takes place in south-western Australia, in a forest where our protagonists live. Arika and her twin brother Narrah were born after “The Great Madness”, a catastrophic event that happened nineteen years ago, unleashing a brain disease that decimated the earth’s population. Curiously though, many of the survivors were those who had brain diseases or mental conditions from the world before, and came out of the Great Madness miraculously cured. Others, unfortunately, were transformed into cannibalistic zombie-like monsters called “Ferals”.
And now, children born into this new reality are at risk. At the start of their adolescence, all of them must experience a trance called the “The Changing”, a process which sends their consciousness into a dreamscape. At the end of that journey, they either emerge endowed with a special mental power…or they become Feral. After the intro of this book, both Arika and Narrah have come out of their Changings, thankfully with their minds intact, but the things they saw in the Changeland have shaken them, terrified them. A malicious force known as the Echidna, or the anteater, has fixated its attention on the twins. In order to survive, the siblings will have to rely on their newfound powers, and their love for each other, to face and defeat this nebulous new threat.
I’ll admit, because so much of the beginning dealt with the Changing and what our characters experienced in the Changeland, it took me a while to find my bearings and get a feel for this story. I don’t always do well with metaphysical themes in fantasy, and many of the scenes described during the dreamscape sections came dangerously close to being too weird for me to handle.
My initial confusion ebbed, however, once we got past the introduction and into the meat of the story. I liked how the author linked the concept of the Great Madness and the Changing to the post-apocalyptic world, creating a premise which feels at once familiar and but also very fresh. It’s a nice blend of many genres, with themes from both sci-fi and fantasy mingling happily together, and hey, why not throw in some elements from the zombie horror genre as well, or even some survival suspense-thriller?
And no doubt about it, a huge part of the book’s appeal also comes from its atmosphere. I have not been back to Australia in many years, but I still have fond memories of my visit to its cities and wilderness. While the version of Australia in Children of the Different may be a crumbling, lawless place and civilization is virtually nonexistent after the devastation of The Great Madness, S.C. Flynn still retains some of the setting’s charm in the diversity of the landscape, wildlife, and culture of the survivors.
It’s worth noting as well that, even though the book’s description makes no statement whether this is an adult or YA novel, I think it would work well for both audiences. It’s true that this book stars teenage protagonists and has strong coming-of-age vibes, but for readers who are open to those themes, I think this story would have good crossover appeal.
Finally, because I reviewed the audiobook, I just want to end with some comments about the narration. I’m really glad I got to experience the novel in this format, because I the narrator Stephen Briggs was absolutely fantastic. He does amazing accents for the characters, giving readers that extra layer of immersion with his performance. The production team could not have chosen a better reader for this novel, and if you are curious about checking out Children of the Different, I would highly recommend the audio edition....more
I read this one as a treat to myself. Say what you will about Dan Brown, but the man how to write a page-turner, especially in his Robert Langdon series which frequently combines elements of the mystery-thriller genre with interesting ideas about art, history, and science. There’s a lot of entertainment value in his books, and after the stressful month I’ve had (not to mention a string of less-than-satisfactory reads) I decided that I deserved a break with some much needed brain candy. Hence Origin.
I’ll begin by saying I’ve read all the Robert Langdon books and enjoyed most of them, so I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into when I started this. Our favorite professor of symbology is back, this time all dressed up for an important evening at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement by a former student named Edmond Kirsch. In the two decades since Langdon had first taught him, Kirsch has become a billionaire celebrity, making a name for himself as a genius inventor and futurist who specializes in using technology to accurately predict the path the world would follow. Now the world is holding its breath to see what he will say next. In the years leading up to this night at the Guggenheim, Langdon only knows that Kirsch had been working on something big—a reveal that the futurist claims would alter the face of religion and science forever by answering the two most fundamental questions about human existence: Where do we come from? And where are we going?
On the entire planet, there are only a handful of people who are aware of the full details behind Kirsch’s mysterious presentation. However, a shadowy organization has caught wind of the earth-shattering information Kirsch plans on sharing with the world, and they will go to any lengths to shut him down. When the night inevitably devolves into chaos, Langdon suddenly finds himself partnered up with the smart and beautiful Ambra Vidal, a museum director who was helping Kirsch orchestrate his high-profile event. As the only two people who can salvage the evening’s plans, they find themselves fleeing to Barcelona following a trail of clues that would ultimately unlock the secret of Kirsch’s big discovery, meanwhile dodging police and agents from the Spanish Royal Palace who are trying to bring them in for questioning.
In other words, this story follows the classic Dan Brown formula, and if you’ve read the previous Robert Langdon novels, nothing here will really surprise you. Still, I’m enjoying the series’ shift towards themes of futurism and cutting edge technology while still remaining close to its roots of art, religion, and history, which were some of the central topics in the earlier books like Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. In Origin, however, some plot aspects even venture into the edges of science fiction, albeit the kind that deals with more current (or near-future) technology and ideas. Blending together the modern and the not-so-modern, Brown takes readers on another gripping adventure, this time delving into the age-old debate of Religion vs. Science, but there’s no agenda-pushing of any kind here, just a straight-up mystery-thriller built around the theme.
My favorite thing about Origin though, was the setting. This being a Robert Langdon book, you just know there will be a lot of famous historical landmarks and details about the architects and artists involved in the plot. Most of this story takes place in Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. There’s so much history here, and so many amazing places to see. Anyone who has ever been to La Sagrada Familia for example can tell you there’s nothing else quite like climbing to the top of the towers and looking down at the staircase spiraling down into the abyss, and I was so thrilled when I found out that a large chunk of the story involved Gaudi’s famous church. Here’s one thing I can say about Dan Brown—even though he can sometimes go a bit overboard with his info-dumping, he is also fantastic with using descriptions to bring out the true splendor and magnificence of a place.
The other thing Brown knows how to do really well is write an unputdownable book. Sure, few would describe his writing as elegant or his storytelling as original, not to mention the plot was a bit predictable and I think he might overplayed the climax and ending. Still, none of this changes the fact that Origin was just plain fun. On a pure enjoyment level, I would even say I had a better time with this than a lot of books that could be described as more “literary” or “innovative”. Brain candy was what I wanted and brain candy was what I got. Certainly if you’re a fan of Dan Brown and his Robert Langdon stories, I would recommend this one, and readers who like fast-paced thrillers may want to check it out as well.
Audiobook Comments: They chose a good narrator in Paul Michael, who apparently read for the previous books as well. He’s good at accents, which is important for a story like this which involves characters from all over the world. I was impressed with his ability to vary his voices and the way he brought the story to life. This is the first time I’ve listened to a Robert Langdon novel in audio, but I would probably go with this format again if Brown writes another one and they continue to keep the same narrator.
I read this one as a treat to myself. Say what you will about Dan Brown, but the man how to write a page-turner, especially in his Robert Langdon series which frequently combines elements of the mystery-thriller genre with interesting ideas about art, history, and science. There’s a lot of entertainment value in his books, and after the stressful month I’ve had (not to mention a string of less-than-satisfactory reads) I decided that I deserved a break with some much needed brain candy. Hence Origin.
I’ll begin by saying I’ve read all the Robert Langdon books and enjoyed most of them, so I had a pretty good idea what I was getting into when I started this. Our favorite professor of symbology is back, this time all dressed up for an important evening at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao to attend a major announcement by a former student named Edmond Kirsch. In the two decades since Langdon had first taught him, Kirsch has become a billionaire celebrity, making a name for himself as a genius inventor and futurist who specializes in using technology to accurately predict the path the world would follow. Now the world is holding its breath to see what he will say next. In the years leading up to this night at the Guggenheim, Langdon only knows that Kirsch had been working on something big—a reveal that the futurist claims would alter the face of religion and science forever by answering the two most fundamental questions about human existence: Where do we come from? And where are we going?
On the entire planet, there are only a handful of people who are aware of the full details behind Kirsch’s mysterious presentation. However, a shadowy organization has caught wind of the earth-shattering information Kirsch plans on sharing with the world, and they will go to any lengths to shut him down. When the night inevitably devolves into chaos, Langdon suddenly finds himself partnered up with the smart and beautiful Ambra Vidal, a museum director who was helping Kirsch orchestrate his high-profile event. As the only two people who can salvage the evening’s plans, they find themselves fleeing to Barcelona following a trail of clues that would ultimately unlock the secret of Kirsch’s big discovery, meanwhile dodging police and agents from the Spanish Royal Palace who are trying to bring them in for questioning.
In other words, this story follows the classic Dan Brown formula, and if you’ve read the previous Robert Langdon novels, nothing here will really surprise you. Still, I’m enjoying the series’ shift towards themes of futurism and cutting edge technology while still remaining close to its roots of art, religion, and history, which were some of the central topics in the earlier books like Angels & Demons and The Da Vinci Code. In Origin, however, some plot aspects even venture into the edges of science fiction, albeit the kind that deals with more current (or near-future) technology and ideas. Blending together the modern and the not-so-modern, Brown takes readers on another gripping adventure, this time delving into the age-old debate of Religion vs. Science, but there’s no agenda-pushing of any kind here, just a straight-up mystery-thriller built around the theme.
My favorite thing about Origin though, was the setting. This being a Robert Langdon book, you just know there will be a lot of famous historical landmarks and details about the architects and artists involved in the plot. Most of this story takes place in Barcelona, one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit. There’s so much history here, and so many amazing places to see. Anyone who has ever been to La Sagrada Familia for example can tell you there’s nothing else quite like climbing to the top of the towers and looking down at the staircase spiraling down into the abyss, and I was so thrilled when I found out that a large chunk of the story involved Gaudi’s famous church. Here’s one thing I can say about Dan Brown—even though he can sometimes go a bit overboard with his info-dumping, he is also fantastic with using descriptions to bring out the true splendor and magnificence of a place.
The other thing Brown knows how to do really well is write an unputdownable book. Sure, few would describe his writing as elegant or his storytelling as original, not to mention the plot was a bit predictable and I think he might overplayed the climax and ending. Still, none of this changes the fact that Origin was just plain fun. On a pure enjoyment level, I would even say I had a better time with this than a lot of books that could be described as more “literary” or “innovative”. Brain candy was what I wanted and brain candy was what I got. Certainly if you’re a fan of Dan Brown and his Robert Langdon stories, I would recommend this one, and readers who like fast-paced thrillers may want to check it out as well.
Audiobook Comments: They chose a good narrator in Paul Michael, who apparently read for the previous books as well. He’s good at accents, which is important for a story like this which involves characters from all over the world. I was impressed with his ability to vary his voices and the way he brought the story to life. This is the first time I’ve listened to a Robert Langdon novel in audio, but I would probably go with this format again if Brown writes another one and they continue to keep the same narrator....more
Loading...
