Customer Reviews

Amazonia: A Novel

5 star:		(90)
4 star:		(49)
3 star:		(25)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Here you go folks, a book seemingly designed for those with ADD. Extreme action, mutated creatures, explosives, giant jaguars, violence( including dismemberment and head shrinking!), a dash of sex, poison, betrayal, technology on the fritz, insects that will eat you alive, pirahnas that will chase you onto land, giant caimans that will jump into trees, a lost tribe, a plague threatening the world, prehistoric plants, and regenerating body parts!

Whew, that's a lot of stuff going on and James Rollins pulls most of it off without a glitch. The characters are strong enough to make you care, the action is most definitely exciting, the various creatures interesting and nasty enough to shock and awe even the most poised reader. So why not 5 stars? Well...

The ending could have been better, there could have been a little bit more surprise when it comes to the realization of who the "mole" is (that was kinda Scooby Doo-ish), and those who deserved horrible demises get dispatched rather quickly.

However, if you have read Rollins earlier work you most likely won't be dissapointed here. No matter how you look at it this guy is damn fun to read, and his books would make excellent movies. I know I'd buy a ticket, and speaking of buying check out Subterrranean and Excavation, both solid actioners.

No Tor-Tors were harmed in the writing of this review.

When I was a boy (1946), I used to lay in bed and listen to a radio show called "I Love a Mystery". It only lasted for 15 minutes each night but use to scare the hell out of me as Doc, Reggie and Jack took on the mystery and majic of the night. This book had the same effect as each night I would read a few chapters about a team of men and women who were trying to locate a group that disappeared 5 years earlier in the amazon. The thrill of the quest which was followed by non-stop action and a little majic had me turning each page slowly so I won't miss a thing even though I was never sure what would happen next. If you want to take a wild ride with James Rollins down the Amazon never knowing what's aroound the bend as you encounter creatures, old enemies and a whole new world, then put on a reading lamp, turn down the lights and sit back, hang on, and enjoy.

I read all the mystery and thrillers on the market and this is clearly one of the best this year.........

Judging this book by its genre gives it a solid 5. Rollins gets better with each book. There is enough action to keep you up all night, and though some reviewers have not thought the characters were interesting, I disagree. I felt the characterization was excellent, especially for an adventure novel of this type. It bordered on being too gruesome in its torture details...I don't like that...but all in all this book held me spellbound throughout. The ending was totally satisfying too. I heartily recommend it. (And after you've read this one, be SURE to get Sandstorm! It is even better!)

James Rollins is an interesting type of thriller author. A lot of Matthew Reilly fanatics have adopted Rollins as a new favorite, and at first glance it's easy to see why. He writes twisty thrillers with lots of unlikely action, bloodthirsty beasts, and tough heroes. But at the same time, he doesn't quite manage to reach his potential.

I'll start by mentioning his flaws in this novel, and then finishing off with the reason why it is still worth reading. Rollins wants to write a very good action thriller, with three-dimensional characters. But the problem is that he gets stuck in limbo. His action sequences slow down and frequently shudder to a halt as he tries to write descriptive prose, or add some depth to the characters. Now, I am certainly not against either of those practices, but Rollins doesn't really go the whole way on these things either. He gives us just a little bit of depth for each character (depth which more often than not seems generated by some "How to" essay on character conflict, i.e. single parent, early family tragedy, alcoholism, racism, whatever), just enough to make us interested, and then stops.

So that's the problem with his books, or at least most of them. But Amazonia manages to rally for two reasons. One is the sheer pulp fun. This is a guy who has read some Tarzan and Doc Savage in his time. You want head shrinking? You got it. Giant caimans? Right here. What about a tame jaguar? Yep. The giant black cats were a little reminscent of Reilly's "Temple," but not enough to be boring.

But what really saves this book from the haphazard pacing and stunted character development is the hook. The Amazonian plague is really quite intriguing, and the explanation presented is quite possibly one of the best ideas from any thriller in the last couple of years. Really good stuff. So if you like decent adventure thrillers, and don't mind an uneven pace, give "Amazonia" a spin.

This is one heck of an adventure. As far as entertainment is concerned, James Rollins will fulfill your needs.

Nathan Rand is the main protagonist. He has lost both his mother and father to the dangerous Amazon. The government would like his help in finding the trail his father took four years ago. It seems a member of his father's original team has shown up alive after four years, but lives just long enough to say a few words to a shaman in a small Amazonian village. He also had a real arm in place of one that was amputated several years earlier. There is something out there that could change the world. Nathan's team includes Army Rangers as well as a group of scientists. The obstacles encountered will leave no man unscarred.

I just love stories like this. High adventure in the vain of Indiana Jones. The writing was so vivid it was like watching the big screen. It has fantasy with sci-fi, it has horror and mutations, and it covers the sciences from archeology to biology to evolution. Jaguars, anacondas, black caimans, piranhas, black ants, and one of the most vicious creatures, a woman called Tshui, are all part of the dangers (at least the normal dangers).

You'll enjoy this escape to the dangerous Amazon.

Highly recommended.

first of all, this is one of the most action packed books ive ever read. theres really not many parts where the action lets up. its a story about Nate Rand, whos father disappeared into the amazon jungle on an expidition. 4 years later, however, one of the members of the expidition, who went into the jungle with only one arm, stumbles out, both arms intact, but ravanged by cancers. the man carried some kind of disease which is quickly trasmitted to the surrounding area, and to the U.S. Nate then puts his own expidition together to go find a cure to the plague, but also to find out what happened to his father.

the plot is fairly believeable, it starts getting a little far fetched at the end though. its PACKED with action, mystery, betrayal, romance and even a little bit of comedy. the characters are great and i got pretty angry when my favorite was cut off. the facts are good, i dont know a lot about the amazon rainforest, but it all sounded good to me. the monsters (yes theres monsters) are creative and they have facts/reasons to back them up, so as to keep them believable.

OVERALL- if you are looking for a good, action packed read, with suspense and mystery (and MONSTERS!!!) this is certainly for you. i know ill be reading the rest of Rollins's novels as well.

This was my first Rollins novel and I thought it was one of the best action/adventure books I've ever read. Aside from being action packed, it was also very suspenseful. You had no idea what was going to happen next. You kept thinking that the group of bad guys might get them only to have them run into some unknown danger from the depths of the jungle. The constant action and suspense keeps you glued to this book.Also aside from the non-stop action there are also several subplots like the fact that a sickness is plaguing the world and the romance between Nate and Kelly, and the fact that the leader of the men that want to kill Nate already has his own problems with the Rand family. There is enough intrigue and action in this book to keep readers very interested.

This is Rollins' best book thus far. All the elements that were present in his earlier books are present here, and in a much more advanced form. The characterizations are sharp, the action fast and furious without being deadened by long-winded explanations of the weaponry, the story crystal-clear, and the science accurate and intriguing.

While much of the story is similar to Excavation, Rollins has moved the action to the Amazon river basin in South America, and the natural wonders of the rain forest climate easily top the wonders of subterranean Earth. The plants and animals talked about in this book are indigenous to the rain forest, and while we learn about the habitat the education comes as a result of a fast-paced taut tale.

An excellent read, and one you shouldn't expect to be able to put down.

Amazonia by James Rollins is one incredible book. It grabbed me from the start and the action and intrigue didn't stop until the end. Just when you think you know whats going on, there's another twist. This book is entertaining and a definite page turner. You will want to read it in one sitting. Good luck trying to put it down. This book is incredibly well researched. Anything that seems almost unbelievable in the story is so well described and explained that it becomes very believable. I don't want to give away the story but it is an adventure from beginning to end! Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of Amazonia for yourself and while you're at it, pick up Excavation, Subterranean and Deep Fathom. You will not be disappointed!

This is the first book that I've read by James Rollins and it will not be the last. I'm not going to bother summarizing the plat for you. that's what the book jacket is for. This ia an adventure story set in the Amazon jungle. The character's are fairly well developed. The story just flys! After about the first two pages you wont be able to put it down until it's finished. My only complaint is that some o the things in the book seem pretty far-fetched, even for this time of book. Pirhanas that come out of the water onto land?? As far as new authors go, Rollins ranks just below Jack DuBrul and just above Matthew Reilly. Amazonia is well worth the money, like I said it will keep you turning the pages.