Serpentauria: Ark of Extinction [Kindle Edition]

Erik Shein (Author), Dennis Lowery (Author)

Book Description

About the Book: The first in a series of family adventures packed with thrills, science and fantasy. Sara Tsvetkov is not a typical 11 year old girl, and her mom and dad are not the typical run-of-the-mill parents in modern suburbia. They lead a team dedicated to saving and protecting animals, and discovering how to use nature to find cures for many deadly diseases that ravage mankind. Added in is the Tsvetkov's quest to save the world's endangered animals and bring once-extinct species back to life using recovered DNA and cutting-edge cloning techniques. A diary and medallion given to Sara's mother Marina by her grandmother compels them to make a startling discovery in Peru. It solidifies belief in the power of her legacy and the importance of working with nature to solve many of the problems faced by mankind. This discovery, and Marina's work with and love of snakes, lead Sara's father to exploring the use of natural venoms in the development of cancer-fighting medicines. That secret research into a cancer cure draws the unwanted interest of others. All want to steal the research and its byproduct, a fast-acting super-toxin with no antidote that makes its victims appear to have died by snakebite. The truth about Sara's family and their work is revealed as we find that their secret facility concealed inside a South American mountain hides far more than anyone can imagine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an entertaining and engaging story..." -Neil Buchanan, Starburst Magazine

There's an innocence to Serpentauria that proves hard to resist. It is at once an entertaining and engaging story full of intrigue and betrayal, but there's also a powerful message about species extinction that's difficult to ignore. Serpentauria serves as an excellent gateway for children into the problems facing nature and also manages to remain a fine adventure to boot.

From the Author

I want to stress this is a work of fiction and we have played with source myths and legends to fold them into a story that while we hope is entertaining--also contains something we believe strongly in and hope will resonate with all who read this book. We need to cherish and protect our world's living treasures--animals and plant life. We have lost so many and so much through ignorance (which is understandable, to a degree) and greed (which is unconscionable). We must do better and eliminate both.
 
The illustrations in this book, by William Watts of Windward Design, are actual prototype planning drawings for the construction of a real place and facilities. Since these are actual large-scale drawings readers are not going to be able to read the small print and some of the legends on some of the pictures. We invite you to go to either the ArkWatch or Adducent websites (to see larger color versions of these drawings.
 
Our plan is to build a real Serpentauria; a special place where best practices are used to protect animals and educate people about conservancy and the study of nature. Answers to some of our most challenging health issues can be found in nature. Studies and research that largely go unknown to most of the world are making tremendous strides in this--we just need to do more.
 
The ArkWatch Academy mission you'll read about at the end of this book is real. It is something we believe in and will work to manifest and promote to the world. There is magic in all of us: humans, animals and plants. We just need to believe and nurture it for all to share in the wonders our world contains.
 
Certain ideas presented here about Paleo-DNA, the genetic material of extinct animals, were first articulated by Charles Pellegrino, based on the research from of George O. Poinar Jr. and Roberta Hess, who formed the Extinct DNA Study Group in Berkeley, California.
 
Again, this book is entirely fiction and the views expressed herein are our own.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• File Size: 995 KB
• Print Length: 234 pages
• Publisher: Escrire (an Adducent imprint) (December 8, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006JTO8PO
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #532,529 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Adventure Awaits the Daring Reader! January 6, 2012

By Bruce A. Sarte

Format:Kindle Edition

Serpentauria. The name alone grabs your attention and makes you think... What's that? The answer isn't easy and it isn't simple but when reading Serpentauria: Ark of Extinction you feel like you are part of that world. 11 year old Sara Tsvetkov's mission to help save and preserve the world's endangered species and her families special role in protecting wildlife is a whirlwind adventure that readers of every age will enjoy.

The author does a fantastic job of interweaving fact with fiction and injecting just the right amount of mystical imagery and ideas to not only keep the reader guessing, but to keep the pages turning!

As the author of the Young Adult novel, Towering Pines, I love reading fiction that is geared for the younger reader but doesn't treat them like children - Serpenrauria does that and more. This book has all the pieces to be the next big thing in young adult popular culture, and it puts them together nicely.

Highly recommend!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Serpentauria: Ark Of Extinction December 22, 2011

By Pamela Brightman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I was looking for a book to give to my young nephew for a holiday gift and purchased this one. I decided to read it and found that I couldn't put the book down. It is not only educational, it's inspirational and so very magical. I decided to keep the copy and ordered another one to give to my nephew. I really enjoy children's literature and I must say that this book is the best I've read in quite awhile. It would appeal to all age groups and as an adult, I enjoyed it very much. I highly recommend this book that is excellently written and is about a very critical subject, that of extinction and the pursuit of prevention plus surprises galore throughout. Excellent and Highly Recommended ! I would rate it higher than 5 Stars if I could ! I look forward to the up coming motion picture based on this book and also the series of this adventure to follow. I really enjoyed this book !

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!!!! March 20, 2012

By lilbic

Format:Kindle Edition

Serpentauria: Ark of Extinction is a thrilling ride though the life and adventure of a little girl, Sarah, who has a heart of gold and a love for animals. I bought this book based on the incredible reviews, and I can say that I was not disappointed whatsoever. The story was unique and I don't find many books these days that are written so well, so detailed, yet easy to follow and easy to read. It captured my attention from the prologue and kept me entertained to the last page! I borrowed the book out to my cousin and he loved it, and asked for his own copy to read it again! As everyone else has said, this movie is going to be amazing! I can't wait! I can't wait to read more from these authors either. Wonderful job, you've gained two more fans!