Customer Reviews

Second Eden

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I took the opportunity to read Second Eden based on a recomendation from a friend. I started on July 4 weekend and finished before the weekend was over. I could not put this book down. I was almost sorry the story ended but it was a great way to start my summer.

I love science fiction and this story has so many interesting elements to it. This fast paced thriller takes you all over the world and there are twists and turns everywhere.

This is a very well writen book. Hopefully Mr. Austin will help me start my next summer off with another one of his great stories.

I, like most of you, read the description and some of the reviews and said, "I have to check this out!" Well, I did check it out and was very disappointed. Although it isn't 'bad' it isn't good either. I'll do this in convenient list form.

1. It was way too long. It had no reason to be so long.

2. Certain characters were pointless to the story.

3. Annoying dialogue. Why did I hate the characters I was supposed to like, and like the characters I was supposed to hate?

4. Boring. It tried to be a nonstop action fest, but all it did was confuse me on locations and characters.

The only good thing is the message of the book, I guess. You get this towards the last 1\4th of the book. Even the end was far too long. I am not a person who dislikes long books, I don't care how long a book is if it's entertaining and tells a good story, but this just didn't do it. Be cautious if you buy this.

Austin has penned an intriguing and creative title in "Second Eden," a story of spiritual revelation told through the eyes of a scientist and a tough-guy caught in a web of deception and intrigue involving a government cover-up and a healthy bit of science-fiction involving aliens, creation, afterlife and the Apocalypse.

I recommend this be on your beach reading list as it's a pretty short read (took me barely three hours), just don't expect the end-all of thrillers. The premise was clever, but when dealing with something this far-fetched and philosophical, it helps to have at least a cursory foundation in the real world, which this book lacks. Austin would have done well to better research the inner-workings of the US Government in order to create a more plausable Clancy-esque setup. Clancy's tales are so successful because they ground the reader in such meticulous research, assuaging the reader's disbelief and letting the reader fall into the world. Austin's problem is though the turning point and ultimate conclusion of the book are very satisfying, the journey there feels a bit clumsy at times, in no small part due to this lack of realism.

Another gripe is the characterization--the characters are paper-thin and the dialogue leaves much to be desired; the reference to Bogart and Ingrid between the male and female protagonists was cute at first, but after Molly saying "My Bogie!" for the 80th time, it tends to get a little annoying.

Pay little heed to these gripes, though; the metapoints of spirituality and truth are satisfying and cleverly presented, and if you can abide the unreality in it all, it's a fun little read. Pick it up and see for yourself.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Can't say I've read a book better suited for the big screen in my life. Second Eden combines adenture, drama and romance beginning in our Nations Capitol, then moving to the middle east, and eventually, out of this world!

While reading Austins book, I couldn't help but thinking of screen stars that would best portray his characters. Maybe because I'm in my mid fifties, Harrison Ford and Jamie Lee Curtis
came to mind, but there were visions of supporting actors and actress's as well. I guess that will have to be left to your imagination. Hope to see this on the Big Screen someday. Enjoy!

by, DaVinciCodeBreaker

Not many books grab me from the first sentence, but this one did. I knew right away this would be delicious and it was. I found myself rushing home to continue reading. This book shows that the author has a wealth of knowledge in many areas. It reminded me of the DaVinci Code in some ways. Except for the sadistic snake scenes, it was all very exciting. It would make a great movie. I recommend it highly.

Second Eden is an extremely engrossing and satisfying read. I had just read The DaVinci Code last year and I wouldn't hesitate to match the two. His take on the Apocalypse and his creation of the Reconciliation Project are plausible and cause for consideration. The best thing about his intelligent writing is that it makes for a really enjoyable reading experience, and I read everything I can get my hands on. I am so impressed that I knew the author some few decades ago and that he is evidently fulfilling a long-awaited dream by writing a terrific story.

If you liked The Da Vinci Code you will love Second Eden. Austin is a great storyteller - he brings you into the story at the start and you come along for the ride. You will go around the world with this book. I found it interesting that although the book was written in 2004 it speaks of issues happening in the world today. I still get chills thinking about it! I can't wait for his next book.

Second Eden is a genuinely good read. Despite it being only his first book, Austin has written a polished story worthy of veteran novelists that successfully combines the action and adventure elements of Clive Cussler with the mystery and suspense of Dan Brown.

>>It is said that what makes a great story is mystery, suspense and surprise. Well, Second Eden has all three-in spades.

At heart, this book is a thriller in the tradition of Michael Crichton, filled with interesting scientific ideas and conjectures but also loaded with action. Because it involves the search for life on Mars, Israeli-Palestinian conflicts and the ultimate act of terrorism, it is also quite timely. It could be the final scenario in the war on terror-but God, I hope not!

As a sort of counter-weight to the concrete actions in the here-and-now are implications for all world religions. In this respect, I'm sure the author will ruffle a lot of feathers. But let's admit a truth that becomes more obvious with every headline we read: religion is at the root of many-if not most--of mankind's conflicts. Beliefs are just that-beliefs! Not the hard, evidence-based scientific laws that have given us airplanes, TV and cell phones. And if you're honest, when it comes to beliefs, as long as they are not destructive like Islam, is one any better than another? What the book says about this seems to me to be an attempt at religious reconciliation. In any event, you can take this or leave it. The story as sci-fi thriller remains intact.

So, depending on how you view your own spiritual nature, I'd say this is either the greatest beach book ever or a new Celestine Prophecy or both; it depends on what you bring to the book. I thought it was a great!<<

Carlton W. Austin has created an engrossing tale of intrigue in his fictional thriller, "Second Eden". Although not a big reader of this type of fiction, I enjoyed the book immensely with its unexpected plot twists and gripping action adventure. It is the interaction between the two lead characters from vastly different backgrounds and beliefs, and their mutual journey, that really compells the reader. Caught up in the whirlwind of a major scientific and political discovery, they are each confronted with new realities and personal values as they struggle to protect their future.

"Second Eden" deals with many contemporary issues, such as space exploration, genetic manipulation of the human species and extra-terrestrial life. It also encompasses the age-old discussion of science versus spirituality. Through all of these things, we are drawn into the complex world of a future that, somehow, does not seem too far away.

Anne Lenehan
Author, "Story: The Way of Water"
- the biography of astronaut Story Musgrave.