Atlantis

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I was searching through the Sci-Fi section for a good "Alien Race vs. Human Race" plotline and happened to run across this book. I wasn't too sure about the whole Atlantis / Bermuda Triangle combination, but after reading the teaser on the back of the book, I decided that I'd give it a try.

I'm glad I did. It's probably one of the most well-written books I've read within the last year. Greg Donegan provides the reader with excellent character development from our main character, Eric Dane, to the more enigmatic characters such as Foreman. He also provides a fast-paced reading experience from page 1 until you close the book. When I first sat down and began reading, I found that I was so incredibly engrossed that I hadn't noticed that I had already read 75 pages. The action scenes are described with excellent detail as well, but not so much that it becomes difficult to understand. I also enjoyed how Donegan seamlessly incorporated various "history lessons" into the book regarding the mythical city of Atlantis and other paranormal topics.

Overall this book comes together as a great piece of writing and a compelling, fast-paced read. However, be warned that if you think the Bermuda Triangle topic has been done to death in Sci-Fi, it might not be the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Simply the Worst
Review: It's difficult to describe just how amazingly bad this book was. I can't complain too bitterly since at least I bought it used, but that two bucks would still have been better spent on cotton balls or a bag of Doritos.

The whole Bermuda Triangle thing has been done to death, so I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece, and despite my meager expectations I was still dazed at the sheer banality of this piece of work.

Long story short, things get off to an interesting start but descend immediately into a maelstrom of overwrought characters, ridiculous coincidences, scenarios forced with the subtlety of a cudgel and a stunningly barefaced application of deus ex machina to bring the storyline to a merciful end.

At first, the number of stellar reviews on this website seemed fishy, but then I remembered that this book's author seems to have a penchant for using alternate pseudonyms to write laudatory reviews of his very own work-so I kind of can't help but wonder whether that doesn't explain all the glowing praise here for such a horrifically awful book.

Do yourself a favor and take a big old pass on this one.

Rating:
Summary: Not What I Expected
Review: I bought this book based on the customer rating it's received on Amazon.com. That's th first time I've been steered wrong. I was looking for a good book that combined current mysteries (like the Bermuda Triangle) with Sci Fi and alternate explanations for these mysteries. The connection the book tries to tie to The Bermuda Triangle is very weak. The mystery surrounding it was not built up well at all, and in my opinion, Donegan set up the plot very poorly.

You kind of spend the entire book wondering what's going on, only to get to the end and wonder where the rest of the book is. If you're prepared to read this as a series and follow up with the other books, it might be worth it, but the main problem is that the book abruptly ends with nothing really tied up. Even other novels that are part of a series try to finsh the novel with some bit of settlement, however the last page of this book could easily be the end of a chapter. And the plot was not enough to convince me to follow up with the series.

Rating:
Summary: Great Book
Review: I was searching through the Sci-Fi section for a good "Alien Race vs. Human Race" plotline and happened to run across this book. I wasn't too sure about the whole Atlantis / Bermuda Triangle combination, but after reading the teaser on the back of the book, I decided that I'd give it a try.

I'm glad I did. It's probably one of the most well-written books I've read within the last year. Greg Donegan provides the reader with excellent character development from our main character, Eric Dane, to the more enigmatic characters such as Foreman. He also provides a fast-paced reading experience from page 1 until you close the book. When I first sat down and began reading, I found that I was so incredibly engrossed that I hadn't noticed that I had already read 75 pages. The action scenes are described with excellent detail as well, but not so much that it becomes difficult to understand. I also enjoyed how Donegan seamlessly incorporated various "history lessons" into the book regarding the mythical city of Atlantis and other paranormal topics.

Overall this book comes together as a great piece of writing and a compelling, fast-paced read. However, be warned that if you think the Bermuda Triangle topic has been done to death in Sci-Fi, it might not be the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Tom Clancy meets Stephen King.
Review: Enjoy high-tech military thrillers? Love mist covered cities in the middle of an Asian jungle? Do CIA agents, unknown enemies and unsolved myteries make you happy? THIS is the book for you. Most of the time I don't bother with books that deal with disappearing aircraft, long lost civilizations and the Bermuda Triangle, but Mr. Greg Donegan is able to put it together in such a way that I needed to finish the book. Donegan is a good author and I plan to find the rest of the books within this series.

Rating:
Summary: Draws you in!
Review: When I first started reading this book, I wasn't so sure about it. But the more I read, the more I wanted to read. It isn't what I normally read, but I was hooked. After I read this one (the first) I ordered the other 3 and read them all. I just finished the fourth and am now purchasing several of his other books (The Rock, Area 51) until the 5th in this series comes out. If you like science fiction and thrillers, you will love this.

Rating:
Summary: Real page-turner!
Review: I picked up this book at an airport bookstore and meant to kill some time on the flight. It turned out that I just couldn't stop!The plot of the story coincides with Graham Hancock's "Heaven's Mirror" (non-fiction, but great read too). It ties several ancient mysteries (Atlantis, Angkor-Wat, Bermuda Triangle etc) together and put a sci-fi action spin to it. In some ways, it's like X-Files meet Stargate.

Rating:
Summary: A blast!
Review: Ok, after looking at Jeff Nymans' review below, I concede there may be some inconsistencies in the book. I wasn't aware of them until I read Jeff's review, but he seems to know what he is talking about. However, to be honest...I just don't care. If the time frames are off, or there are some cities that just haven't existed, well...it is a book of "fiction" after all. I can see how this may bother someone who has studied and is knowledgeable about 1,000 yr old Southeast Asian History...that just wouldn't be me :-). Jeff is also right about the author using his other pen names to praise the book. I don't mind that either I guess. Sorta like an actor doing a TV commercial for his own show.

I had a great time reading this book. When I wasn't reading it, I was thinking about when I could be. If you have read the authors (under a different name) Area 51 series...this is remarkably alike. Different enough to make it worth reading, but definetly has a more-than-strong resemblence to the other series. Of course, I love the Area 51 books also.

In this book, the weird anomolies in areas such as the Bermuda Triangle, Devils Sea off Japan, areas in Russia and Southeast Asia...are actually "gates" to other dimensions or worlds. We're not sure yet. There is a war going on in those other worlds/dimensions...and it is spilling out of these gates, into our world. This war has been going on for a very, very long time. Encompassing much of the history of our world, including the legend of Atlantis. There are good, and bad guys in that other world/dimension. The good guys are trying to help us, the bad guys are trying to kill us. We just don't know who they are yet. Many surprising twists.

If there are inconsistencies in this book, I was turning pages so fast I couldn't see them. That is usually a good sign for me. Most "sci-fi" I have read, you can always find some things that can stretch your beleif system...or that you know is just not possible. When a book doesn't hold my interest, those inconsistencies really become apparant and really annoy me. Probably why I have more to say in a bad review than a good one. My good reviews tend to be..."wow, great book, I flew through it". My bad reviews tend to be more specific..."I hated this book because of x and y, and this and that."

Great book, I flew through it :-)

SF

Rating:
Summary: Couldn't put it down
Review: I was practically up all night one weekend reading Atlantis. The same happened with the Bermuda Triangle and Devil's Sea. I can't wait for the fourth book in the series.

Rating:
Summary: Not bad at all
Review: While I have to agree with much of Jeff Nyman's critique, I think he underrates the appeal of the novel as a whole. I, personally, find it difficult to acquire "great" fiction these days (having read most of what's available in the genres I find appealing) but Donegan's book has several attributes that induced me to actually shell out the green. I have not yet progressed to the sequels, so this applies only to Atlantis. I found the plot to be entertaining and engaging and did not mind the discrepancies quite so much as Jeff. I do rather wish the characters had been fleshed out better as I enjoy dicovering all the quirks that make up an individual. Dane has great potential as a truly fascinating man, but Donegan gives him, in my opinionl, a pretty short shrift. Otherwise, the book is a good read, tantalizing in its vagueness, suspensefull, and has enough action leavened with contemplation to make it a keeper to those habitual bookrats such as me. If you are looking for something intersting to chew on, this is it. If you want something to make your brain sigh in digestive content, then I would suggest looking elsewhere. On possibility is Donegan's alterego, Robert Dogherty, whose Area 51 books I found to be much tighter and, as compared only to Atlantis, much scopier and meaty.