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Summary: Puzzling Truthful Lies
Review: I picked up the book Domain at a sale, I had read some on the late Julius Gabriel, but did not have an educated backgroud. When I began reading Domain, I could not put it down. I love the ancient history of the world, so it grasped my heart. I started telling others to read the book, my class and I have all read it. We love it, it is well done and accurate.
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Summary: An intriguing ride.
Review: From the begining this novel grips and and makes you want more. Full of ancient mysteries and sci-fi, Domain is a must read for anyone who likes Indiana Jones.
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Summary: Well-written, enveloping story
Review: Steve Alten sure did his mythological research. In DOMAIN, he presents a tale woven through the tapestry of thousands of years of multi-continental myths and history. Using an intriguing variety of real backdrops shrouded in historical mystery, Alten will have you second-guessing what you think you know about Meso-American architecture and culture. In fact, the connections between actual archeological fact and Alten's fiction were so seamless, I'll probably be mentally sorting it out for some time to come. Michael Crichton has made a career out of blurring fact and fiction, and in DOMAIN, Steve Alten raises the bar.Alten's pacing is quick and the tone is taut from cover to cover. Don't peek at the last few pages, because he's still got plot twists cooking until then! His descriptions of people and settings are vivid, but allow some play within the reader's mind. Character development is sufficient to keep the plot clipping along, though the herione, Dominique, does some things that are not logically explainable (ie: attempting to free a mental patient from an asylum with NO proof of his sanity). That's probably nitpicking, because it isn't so unbelieveable as to derail the story. Mick's character is quite well written and one can feel his anquish as he is forced to make some agonizing, life-altering decisions throughout the book. As if transported into some alternate historic reality, I felt completely enveloped by Alten's tales of creation, human development, and ultimate showdown with Evil. Even though it requires a bit of sci-fi suspension-of-disbelief, it makes some very powerful, compelling (and entertaining) reading. I highly recommend DOMAIN to those who enjoy a bit of sci-fi, a bit of Indiana Jones-style adventure, and a fast-paced story all rolled into one.
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Summary: Spins a tale so well...you can't put the book down...
Review: Steve Alten is a wonderful writer...where he grips the reader in twists and turns that soon becomes a rollercoaster ride till the end of the book...leaving the reader gasping for air and wanting to run out and read another of his books.
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Summary: Better Than Meg
Review: It's nice to see that Alten's writing skills have improved. I read "Meg" and felt it to be a mediocre book, simply written and cliched in plot and dialogue. It's the main reason I skipped "The Trench." "Domain" shows greatly improved writing, characters with depth and a plot that, although a bit out of this world, satisfies. The combination of genres including aliens, South American myth, and apocalyptic war blend pretty well. I am going to check out more of his books as a result of "Domain." I hope that Alten continues to improve. If he does, he will rank up there with Matthew Reilly, James Rollins, and Preston/Child as a writer of great thrillers.
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Summary: The end of everything is coming and the Mayans knew it.
Review: The Mayan calender has an end point (fans of The X-Files will remember the date as the day the aliens will finally invade as revealed in the series finale). The endpoint is approaching and one man may have the key to figuring things out. Our hero is a sane man who has been in a mental institution for 11 years (can he still be sane after that?) He believes that the Mayans were right about an apocalypse happening on Dec. 21, 2012, and that date is fast approaching. He has evidence to support his claim. The book appears to have been well researched in spots and completely lacking in others. The hero is convinced that the great temple of Kukulcan (the famous stepped pyramid at Chichen Itza in Mexico) has something inside of it. Well, anyone who has been there knows the pyramid is hollow and has a smaller temple inside (it is part of the regular tour). How the author missed this while tying together other well-researched history, I will never know. The action escalates as alien artifacts are found and it is discovered that there is a series of alien doomsday devices set to end everything right when the Mayans said. But the action is not quite enough to drag the reader through the rest of the plot and characters. Alten's giant shark books are more fun.
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Summary: A disappointment
Review: I realized after getting near the end of this book that it was an incredible waste of time. Wishy washy characters and several repetitions of stating the obvious made me groan out loud. It's not a bad book, and I did like it until midway through (until the characters really started annoying me), but I wish he would have wrapped it a little tighter and created some believable characters.
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Summary: Excellent read.
Review: There are three science fiction authors whose works I enjoy that can be entertaining while weaving a bit of science and historical fact into a story. They are: Steve Alten, Michael Crichton, and Neal Stephenson. DOMAIN is the third book I've read by Steve Alten. After reading the thrilling deep sea shark stories MEG and the sequel THE TRENCH, I was eager to read another Steve Alten book. DOMAIN did not disappoint me. There are several key plots in DOMAIN that make it a difficult book to put down. A crooked politician, the world on the verge of nuclear war, a hero wrongly imprisoned in a mental institution, a female psych grad student intern (of Mayan heritage), and ancient prophecies of impending doom all tightly woven into a remarkable story. Thanks for the exciting ride, Steve. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Summary: Are We Headed For Doom?
Review: Prior to reading this book I read Walt Becker's Link which presents a lot of the same information about ancient wonders (Stonehedge, the Pyramids, etc.). That book was also similar in telling the tale of man's creation. Like that book, my main problem was distinguishing between what is fact and fiction about the ancient ruins. Both books needed some sort of appendix explaining what was fact. However, this is still a well written, hard to put down tale about the approaching foretold day of the world's destruction. (Link was also great but took the tale in a different direction). One man has spent his whole life trying to solve the riddle of the ancient wonders and find a clue to prevent the coming castastrophy. Only problem is, that he is in a mental institution and considered very dangerous. Is he really a raving loony or man's only hope for salvation? I think the reader can guess the answer to that question beforehand. Still a great read!
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Summary: A Well Researched Novel
Review: It's obvious that the author did a lot of research on the ancient Mayan calendar and other "lost archeology" out there. While some of the research may come across as a bit eye-glazing to the novice at points, it is needed to clarify the story. The story moved quite quickly and smoothly. A fun read. I anxiously await the sequel.
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