gilda_elise

When a newly engaged couple climbs Mount Ararat in Turkey, an avalanche forces them to seek shelter inside a massive cave uncovered by the snow fall. The cave is actually an ancient, buried ship that many quickly come to believe is really Noah’s Ark. When a team of scholars, archaeologists, and filmmakers make it inside the ark for the first time, they discover an elaborate coffin in its recesses. The artifact tempts their professional curiosity; so they break it open. Inside, they find an ugly, misshapen cadaver—not the holy man that they expected, a hideous creature with horns. A massive blizzard blows in, trapping them in that cave thousands of meters up the side of a remote mountain…but they are not alone.

I wish I could have given this book a higher rating, because it did draw my interest. There was some good character development; I really liked some of the characters, and totally disliked some others, though some others I couldn’t keep apart. I thought it delivered on the horror, big time. As the saying goes, it kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a few slow spots, but, still, totally creepy.

But then came the ending. Talk about a total letdown. It was one of those no-win scenarios, where all that went before didn’t mean a thing. One of those endings that you expect whenever the devil is involved. Except I didn’t realize that that also covered demons. I suppose the writer thought it was clever, to add something at the end that was totally unexpected. Except that it undid everything he’d written before. What is the point of putting characters through a horrific trial, and then end the story with it all being undone?

And what happens next? You’re left with a “the earth is doomed” scenario, but not as to what’s going to be done about it. The other characters are in for a huge surprise, especially the one that shows up in future books. How does that work?