Customer Reviews

Regenesis

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book tells 4 unconnected short stories featuring the same main character, Rahel, employee of "Noah's Ark". I enjoyed the first story, the one about tigers and some sort of animal that takes on the personality of the animals it eats. I didn't realize that the story was over and that it was just one of four short stories. After this one, I started getting irritated by the author's style. At times I didn't understand what was going on. At times, things moved too slowly. I found myself skimming the last two stories, turning pages rapidly, skipping pages. Despite the fact that the tiger story is a good one that held my interest, I don't recommend getting involved in this book. I still don't get what the second story was about. Was it a polar bear or a feline or what? The jellyfish story just didn't seem worth reading, and the feral boy story didn't either.

One of the other reviewers said "Rahel herself is not a terribly sympathetic or dynamic character..." and boy is that an understatement. Rahel is the most unpleasant protagonist I've ever seen and she borders on sociopathic in her actions. She is rude to EVERYONE she meets, bullies and abuses her fellow Ark members (and boss!), assaults or wants to assault (or worse) anyone that draws her ire, and doesn't hesitate to break the law (theft, destruction of property - very expensive property) on a hunch. This was so bad, the story required the addition of ecoterrorists to paint Rahel in a somewhat more positive and sympathetic light. The effect of Rahel's consistently bitter and acerbic personality was so jarring that it pulled me out of the story and left me trying to imagine any foundation or company that would tolerate a field agent like this.

And that's a shame because Ms. Eclar's writing style is clean and otherwise enjoyable. I want to know more about this universe and the actions of Noahs Ark. I want a more in-depth look at the aliens and exotic species and frontier worlds that populate the universe that Rahel travels.

I just don't want to do it with Rahel as my guide.

Judging from the front cover art and the back cover blurb, I had assumed this book would be about HOW people were able to move animals from earth to other planets and thus save them from extinction. This is decidedly not the case. All of the action in this book, which is actually four novellas, takes place after this has happened. Rahel Tovin is sort of a troubleshooter for the organization that keeps track of and studies the animals, Noah's Ark. The four stories follow her on assignments involving Tigers and Jellyfish and two other things that to name would give away major plot points. The world of Regenesis is both interesting and entertaining. Rahel herself is not a terribly sympathetic or dynamic character, but she's still readable and identifiable. I would, however, definitely be interested in reading further about the world of Noah's Ark.

I picked this book up at an outlet (remainderer, is the correct term, I believe) and enjoyed it quite a bit. It's a collection of several short stories which follow a single character through various adventures. The first suffered from a fairly obvious logic flaw (IMO) but was still exciting. I would actually like to see more stories about the same character/universe; I feel they are unfinished, that a few more stories are needed to explain a few things and bring closure to some of the events. Anyway, if you come across a copy, it's worth checking out.

Julia Ecklar does an excellent job capturing the reader's attention, and keeping it. This book is one that you won't want to put down, whether you're an animal lover or not. The adventure, mystery, and suspence in the stories are interwoven perfectly to make for a fantastic journey that you'll never forget.