Rating: 
Summary: The Mighty Tor-Tor
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Adventure, Fast Pace, Some Interesting Science
Review: I had never heard of James Rollins until a friend recommended this book. After taking a few glances on the cover and in the book, I decided to try it out. The book has elements of adventure, horror, and science fiction. I have read several fiction books over the past year with major authors that have disappointed because of slow pace, silly science, or just very poor writing. What a refreshing change this one was! The chemistry of different plants at the start of major sections provides a foreshadowing of what might happen next. The adventure of discovery makes you wish you were there and then the threats (small & large) of the Amazon make you glad you weren't. Some of my favorite authors are Crichton, Dan Brown, and Ludlum. The only books that I would put in the same class as Amazonia are Jurassic Park (Crichton) for its science/adventure and the Da Vinci Code (Brown) for its art history/adventure. If you liked either of these books, then Amazonia would probably be something you enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This book is pretty good for what it is. Yes, the writing is at times sub-par (my favorite line comes on page 27, with the helicopters that looks like "wasps... camouflaged wasps." The ellipsis and italics are the author's, not mine. The characterization never hops out of the archetypal niches (the weasly, apathetic-towards-nature capitalist, the damaged yet strong hero and his equally damaged and equally strong heroine, the mousy asian doctor, the wise Indian professor), but it's never jaw droppingly awful. And once the plot gets rolling, it's a nice ride. The final explanation is as well-thought out and creative as it is over-reaching and implausible. The author packs in as much far-fetched explanation as he can to fill in his fair share of "suspension of disbelief", but the seams are about to burst. The biggest problem is the revelation of the "traitor"-- so predictable it's appalling. Didn't he learn from Agatha Christie? But that's one of a few small cracks in an otherwise sturdy book. Yes, I'd take George Eliot or William Faulkner any day, but James Rollins is just fine when your mind needs a rest without completely turning itself off. I'd recommend this best for people in car trips or waiting at an airport.
Rating:
Summary: A great adventure story!!
Review: This is one of Mr. Rollins' best books so far, reminiscent of the non-stop action in his first book, "Subterranean". It is far better than "Deep Fathom" with more hair raising situations and unbelievable escapes. Characterzation takes a back seat to plot development and action sequences, but taken just as a thrilling adventure it is suberb. Mr. Rollins' style reminds me a lot of the writing of Alister McLean, another author who could spin a great, albeit sometimes unbelievable yarn. Not being an expert on the Amazon rain forest, I cannot attest to the validity of the flora and fauna theories described in the book, but whether factual or not they contribute greatly to the mood of the story. My only complaints are that the ending seems a bit contrived and some of the characters were unnecessarly killed off. It is violent, but not as graphic as lot of novels with similar story lines. And there is of course the requisite romantic interests, although it does not play a significant role in the story line. All in all a great read. I look forward to Mr. Rollins' next book.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting to the last page!
Review: If you loved SUBTERRANEAN, you're going to love AMAZONIA. Having a personal tendency to rank books by my favorite authors, this one ranks head to head with Rollins' first thrill ride SUBTERRANEAN. The concept and plot of this novel are both captivating and unusual thus making a suspenseful and exciting story to read. Add to that the gigantic man eating crocs, land lubber piranhas and giant black panthers (my own personal faves), you're set for a rollercoaster ride. You'll find that
the action doesn't slow down and the characters drive the plot to its triumphant conclusion. The worse thing about reading this book was the feeling of "what am I going to read now to top that?" after I finished it! The prologue alone was enough to hook me. Highly recommended. Rollins easily leaves his peers in the action/adventure genre behind him in the dust with this new novel.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhere in here a great premise is lurking
Review: Take a deep breath before you start this one because you'll be moving so fast with setback after injury after disaster after catastrophe that you may forget to suck in enough oxygen to take you through to the end. The premise-- that there are many things in the Amazon jungle both wonderful and terrible we haven't discovered yet-- is sound. The writing is a bit trite and cliche ridden, and the characters are pretty much either disposable redshirts or Hero/Love Interest (with a couple of entirely too predictable and one-dimensional villians thrown in.) It all gets somewhat gory, what with hackings and various animal life chompings when plants aren't doing their part to make jungle travel miserable. We don't really get an inkling why multiple native villages seem to thrive when Army Rangers cannot go more than a mile or two without an unfortunate encounter with a caiman or big ants or something. Rather than horrific, the absurdity begins to be laughable after awhile. I, for one, was rooting for the giant caimans. However, I salute the author's supposition regarding the scientific possibility posed at the end. I wish, instead of a somewhat moralistic and ultimately destructive culmination (with the untidy bits all hastily snipped off and tucked in afterwards), Rollins had actually explored the premise his characters discovered. Granted, it would have required character development and a deeper knowledge of biological, palontological and chemical science (and possibly less knowledge of military hardware) but I think it would have made this into a brilliant book instead of an eye-rolling summer read.
Rating:
Summary: Jurassic Park Without the Cages
Review: This book is about action, plain and simple. I was greatly reminded of Jurassic Park in the sense that there were fantastic animals and they were lethal. You never knew where death would be found (lake, plants, cats, fish, etc.) Yes most folks in this book die pretty gruesomely to prove the point that the JUNGLE IS DANGEROUS. Oh sure the army rangers are tough, but they just don't get it. This isn't a hiking excursion. THE JUNGLE IS DANGEROUS. Yes I guarantee you will never even want to see a map of the Amazon you'll be so scared. As far as the storyline goes, it's ridiculous. I told you, this book is about action and not much else. It's teeth, claws, guns, fire and buckets o' blood. If you liked Jurassic Park and you're looking for a fun adventure that won't weigh you down with too much serious drama then this book is for you. But know this, this story is strictly meant to entertain. Don't ask it for anymore than that. And tell your friends if you truly care about them that THE JUNGLE IS DANGEROUS!!
Rating:
Summary: good popcorn book
Review: Take this book for what it is. It's a by the numbers action/adventure story. It you can get past that and suspend your disbelief (especially when it comes to Tor-Tor) you'll really enjoy this tale of non-stop jungle adventure. There is plenty of action, violence, and gore. I listened to the book on cassette and the reader does a great job of using different voices, expression, and inflection. It would make a great popcorn movie.
Rating:
Summary: Satisfying action-packed thriller!
Review: I bought this book because of Amazon's recommendation if I liked Douglas Preston/Child books I would enjoy James Rollins. Absolutely! This book was great - action, mutated godzilla-sized jungle creatures, explosions, dismemberment, head shrinking, a dash of kinky sex, poison darts, treachery, greed, medical science, lost tribes, plague threatening the world, prehistoric plants, and regenerating body parts! Whew, to name a few. (...)
Rating:
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This book is pretty good for what it is. Yes, the writing is at times sub-par (my favorite line comes on page 27, with the helicopters that looks like "wasps... <i>camouflaged</i> wasps." The ellipsis and italics are the author's, not mine. The characterization never hops out of the archetypal niches (the weasly, apathetic-towards-nature capitalist, the damaged yet strong hero and his equally damaged and equally strong heroine, the mousy asian doctor, the wise Indian professor), but it's never jaw droppingly awful. And once the plot gets rolling, it's a nice ride. The final explanation is as well-thought out and creative as it is over-reaching and implausible. The author packs in as much far-fetched explanation as he can to fill in his fair share of "suspension of disbelief", but the seams are about to burst. The biggest problem is the revelation of the "traitor"-- so predictable it's appalling. Didn't he learn from Agatha Christie? But that's one of a few small cracks in an otherwise sturdy book. Yes, I'd take George Eliot or William Faulkner any day, but James Rollins is just fine when your mind needs a rest without completely turning itself off. I'd recommend this best for people in car trips or waiting at an airport.
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