Ararat (Ben Walker #1) by Christopher Golden

[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?




Mount TBR 2021 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.

1. The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History
2. Polaris
3. How Democracies Die
4. Mikhail Baryshnikov's Stories From My Childhood: Beloved Fairy Tales from the Queen to Cinderella
5. The Fateful Lightning (Civil War: 1861-1865, Western Theater #4)
6. Circling the Sun
7. The Petticoat Men
8. Lily Pond: Four Years with a Family of Beavers
9. Running with the Demon (The Word & The Void #1)
10. The Gentle Giants of Ganymede (Giants #2)
11. Ararat













2021 LJ BOOK BINGO

Comments

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

BTW, I've started Petticoat Men and I love it.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear! It really is a wonderful book.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

I'm reading very slowly to make it last. :D

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

There's no way I could do that! *g*

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

I love that icon.

Well, I've started up with an Egyptology class and that helps.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Sounds like fun. My mother was all into Egyptology. There were museum reproductions of Egyptian gods and Pharaohs all over our living room.

[spikesgirl58.livejournal.com]

Same with mine, I'm afraid. I'm hoping to get to Egypt next year and I need to brush up on my history. I used to know the pharaohs all by order, but it's been a few years.

[aeris444.livejournal.com]

This is the kind of book that could have interested me... but the ending you're describing is a complete no-go for me too :-(

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it had it's good points and not so good points, but was still worth reading until I got to the end. What a let-down!

[doylebaby.livejournal.com]

It sounded interesting, but I'd forgotten you love horror as well as sci-fi. Sorry that it didn't live up to its promise.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Yes, horror is up there as one of my favorite genres, though I know it's not to everyone's taste. This book was so promising, but it was a real disappointment in the end.

[wpadmirer.livejournal.com]

That sounds awful. UGH.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

It was. I have another book by this author, and I'm curious as to how it's going to turn out. Going by his reviews in general, it sounds as if this one might be something of a one off. I hope so.