Rating: 
Summary: Awesome Read!!
Review: First of all, I have to say GET THIS BOOK! With the risk of sounding un-professional, it is so cool!! This book was given to me for a present, and three days later I was just finishing one of the only stories that rivals Jurassic Park and The Lost World. Like both of these novels, this book would be a great movie. But enough about that, just the book alone was fantastic! The reader can easily imagine the scenes that are practically painted on the page. Kudos to Mr Rovin, I hope you do more like this! While it is at first painted for the reader to take sides with the characters out to save the creatures, it can become complicated. However, as an animal lover, I have to say that the animals' actions are very realistic. This is one that I recommend with one caution: don't make any plans for the weekend!! And keep a light on!
Rating: 
Summary: Should have been called "Lametalis"
Review: I can honestly say that this was one of the worst books I've ever read. Cookie Cutter characters, Cookie Cutter plot, really no redeemable qualities at all. Rovin seems to have absolutely no command of any literary tricks of the trade, and pounds us over the head again and again with his "save the cute little killing-machine Sabre Tooths" message. Honestly, the book is just plain laughable, twice as bad as Steve Alten's "Meg," and almost, ALMOST as bad as Peter Benchley's "White Shark." Forget the giant cats, this book will maul your senses dull. Stay away at all costs.
Rating: 
Summary: very disappointing, could have been much better
Review: I found the whole idea of a saber tooth cat somehow being revived & raising havoc on present day people to be intriguing, which was why I bought the book. But I had some real problems with the story, for one thing the idea of one cat somehow surviving, might be plausible although far-fetched, but a whole pride, wtih cubs? Please. It was ridiculous. I also didn't think the reporter & Jim Grand had much going for them. She was stupid & reckless & the idea of traipsing through those caves after the cats unarmed was just plain stupid. I couldn't beleive that Jim Grand was trying to find ways to save the cats after they were savagely attacking & dragging people off for dinner. Would you really want to save them? I sympathized more with the sheriff & his efforts to try & protect people than that other guy. I also felt the characters were pretty shallow. All in all, I really wouldn't recommend it. I finished it, but was pretty disgusted by the end. His other book, Vespers was OK, but I don't think I will look for anymore by him.
Rating: 
Summary: Fang you very much
Review: I liked this book, but I am easy to please in matters of extinct beasts. Fatalis compares favorably with another recent prehistoric beast adventure that is high on my list: Dinosaur Wars, by Thomas Hopp. Both books bring back ancient creatures to wreak havoc in modern times, and both do so in effective, scary ways.The sabertooths are beastly beasts. That is, they provide quite a bit of story drama by munching people from time to time. However, I agree with others who have found their thawed-out-from-ice origins to be rather cheesy and old fashioned. Compare Dinosaur Wars where the origins of the resuscitated beasts are highly original and therefore as believable as Jurassic Park’s now discredited cloning trick. Sexism is subtly felt in this book. The heroine, Hannah Hughes, starts out naked in a shower. She is referred to by first name while the hero Jim Grand is referred to by his last name. No biggie, but there’s a distinct bias in favor of the guy. The romantic couple of Dinosaur Wars are introduced fully clothed and both referred to by their first names, Kit and Chase. They go through their adventure together as equals and each has a role to play in the final resolution of the novel. Refreshing. Though I have griped a bit, I really did enjoy Fatalis.
Rating: 
Summary: A bit long in the tooth...
Review: I searched for this title after learning it was to be made into a feature film... I admit it. I [like] rampaging creature features and novels. It appears the film project has been indefinitely postponed, and perhaps this isn't such a bad thing. Taking advantage of the quite familiar plot machination of extinct creatures finding new life in modern times, Rovin uses the equally familiar surroundings of Southern California as a backdrop for unthawed saber-toothed cats running about doing what massive predators do best. Invariably, these types of stories involve "the most successful hunter the planet has ever known." This seemingly exclusive designation might be getting a bit crowded now. The story behind the cats' arrival borders on ludicrous, as does a fair amount of their carnage. They can't hold a candle to Grand, however. The manner in which he repeatedly (and lovingly) thwarts them with the equivilent of a large stick, while the heavily-armed folks about him are torn to shreds, stretches credibility to the breaking point. Luckily, as with the other two leads, his character is more stereotype than flesh and blood. All three spend more time seething for principle's sake than paying attention. Luckily, the cats have no such foibles. While the humans pontificate, they're busy disemboweling the populace.
Rating:
Summary: It's Cheese, Gromit! Cheese!
Review: If I may paraphrase the claymation character Wallace: "Cheese, Gromit! This novel is made completely out of cheese." It's easy to see how the novel "Fatalis" may have been optioned for a film. Certainly all the ingredients are in place: The rugged and handsome widower Professor. The plucky, attractive and independently wealthy newspaper reporter. The Napoleon-esque, Viet Nam veteran sheriff. The noble and introspective Native American mentor. And let's not forget the stars themselves, the thawed out, toothy, super-intelligent pussy cats. "Fatalis" is a novel that is written for a long wait in an airport terminal and/or a flight stuck out on the tarmac. The chapters are extremely short. Some less than two and a half pages. The characters are two dimensional, and the dialogue is at times preachy. The sabertooths (or is that saberteeth?) come and go as they please; both on land and at sea. People get gobbled up without so much as a fight. Another reviewer made a very astute comment. It's absolutely amazing how fully armed police-officers and national guardsmen are taken down in a matter of nano-seconds. Meanwhile, in various points throughout the story, our hero Prof. Grand, manages to elude becoming Meow Mix by using a stick, a stone and handmade prehistoric noisemaker. Fans of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 will no doubt throw out one-liners as they read this novel. I know I did. It's cheese from beginning to end. And it's not even Wensleydale! All that was missing from the novel's climax was the obligatory . . . . THE END ??? to complete the cheesy monster movie feel. 2-1/2 stars for the Sabertooth Cats. I was rooting for them throughout the novel.
Rating:
Summary: It's Cheese, Gromit! Cheese!
Review: If I may paraphrase the claymation character Wallace: "Cheese, Gromit! This novel is made completely out of cheese." It's easy to see how the novel "Fatalis" may have been optioned for a film. Certainly all the ingredients are in place: The rugged and handsome widower Professor. The plucky, attractive and independently wealthy newspaper reporter. The Napoleon-esque, Viet Nam veteran sheriff. The noble and introspective Native American mentor. And let's not forget the stars themselves, the thawed out, toothy, super-intelligent pussy cats. "Fatalis" is a novel that is written for a long wait in an airport terminal and/or a flight stuck out on the tarmac. The chapters are extremely short. Some less than two and a half pages. The characters are two dimensional, and the dialogue is at times preachy. The sabertooths (or is that saberteeth?) come and go as they please; both on land and at sea. People get gobbled up without so much as a fight. Another reviewer made a very astute comment. It's absolutely amazing how fully armed police-officers and national guardsmen are taken down in a matter of nano-seconds. Meanwhile, in various points throughout the story, our hero Prof. Grand, manages to elude becoming Meow Mix by using a stick, a stone and handmade prehistoric noisemaker. Fans of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 will no doubt throw out one-liners as they read this novel. I know I did. It's cheese from beginning to end. And it's not even Wensleydale! All that was missing from the novel's climax was the obligatory . . . . THE END ??? to complete the cheesy monster movie feel. 2-1/2 stars for the Sabertooth Cats. I was rooting for them throughout the novel.
Rating:
Summary: An exciting, smart, page-turner
Review: Jeff Rovin's Fatalis masterfully reinvigorates and elevates the suspense/horror genre with intelligent, witty writing and believable, human characters and relationships. The "monsters" here are as fascinating (and as sympathetic) as any you're likely to encounter between covers, and you'll learn some history (Rovin has clearly done plenty of research!) and encounter genuinely lyrical nature writing along the way. There's also action galore, and some diabolically delicious (and gory) set pieces. A great summer read that should make an incredibly cool movie. Warning: Fatalis will keep you up reading all night.
Rating:
Summary: "Good Clash of the Prehistoric and the Present"
Review: My kind of story. Prehistoric beasts running loose in the present day. Well done story by Jeff Rovin. The saber-tooth cats were totally bad. They made the velociraptors from "Jurassic Park" look like cute, fluffy bunnies. The storyline proceeded well. Not a lot of down time or unnecessary scenes. Nice job on the main characters. Grand is smart and tough, but is still dealing with the death of his beloved wife. The presence of saber-tooths in Santa Barbara infuses him with a renewed sense of purpose. I did find it irritating that at some points he seemed to put more of a value on the animals than the people they were killing, even when the body count really started to climb. That put him in conflict with Sheriff Malcolm Gearhart. While in Grand's eyes, Gearhart is a grandstanding bully, once you get into the Sheriff's POV, you understand where he's coming from considering his experiences in Vietnam and LAPD. Then there's reporter Hannah Hughes, who teams up with Grand to get to the bottom of the saber-tooth story. A relentless and headstrong woman who adds a lot to the book. Some very good action scenes when the saber-tooths make their attacks, especially at the climax in downtown LA.
Rating:
Summary: Fatalis Fails
Review: Rovin focuses way too much on saving the Sabertooth tiger. He is far less concerned with human life and the loss of life in this book is very high. He also has done the typical stereotype with the Vietnam veteran. I suppose that eventually people like him will have to start betraying the Vietnam veteran in a nursing home causing destruction. Fatalis is a good read for an adolescent. Some of the scenarios are extremely unrealistic. As an adult, I found it rather disappointing.
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