Altar of Eden

A Novel

By: James Rollins

Narrated by: Paula Christensen

Length: 11 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

A master at combining heart-stopping suspense and scientific intrigue, New York Times best-selling author James Rollins returns with a thrilling adventure like no other--a shocking story of cruel genetic experiments done in the name of national security and, most disturbing of all, tied to a secret history of the Book of Genesis.

Following the fall of Baghdad, two Iraqi boys stumble upon armed men looting the city zoo, opening the floodgates for the smuggling of hundreds of exotic birds, mammals, and reptiles to Western nations. But this crime hides a deeper secret. Amid a hail of bullets, an underground secret weapons lab is ransacked--and something even more horrific is set free. Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk stumbles upon a fishing trawler shipwrecked on a barrier island. The crew is missing or dead, but the boat holds a frightening cargo: a caged group of exotic animals, clearly part of a black market smuggling ring. Yet, something is wrong with these beasts, disturbing deformities that make no sense: a parrot with no feathers, a pair of Capuchin monkeys conjoined at the hip, a jaguar cub with the dentition of a saber-tooth tiger. They also all share one uncanny trait--a disturbingly heightened intelligence.

To uncover the truth about the origin of this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses, Lorna must team up with a man who shares a dark and bloody past with her, now an agent of the U.S. Border Patrol, Jack Menard. Together, the two must hunt for a beast that escaped the shipwreck while uncovering a mystery tied to fractal science and genetic engineering, all to expose a horrifying secret that traces back to mankind's earliest roots. But can Lorna stop what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden before it threatens not only the world, but also the very foundation of what it means to be human?

©2010 Jim Czajkowski (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

lots of twists and turns

I really enjoy a good book, using technologies, real life examples, places, and things. good story line. the narrator was irritating, with different tones noted from her starting and stopping the flow, plus there were two or three sentences that had been boogered up, again with starting and stopping the recording. the story line was good.

Fast paced and excellent narration

I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this book!! Excellent narration and engaging story. Thank you!

Good story...terrible narration

What did you like best about Altar of Eden? What did you like least?

The story was interesting and well-written, but the narration was pretty poor -- to the extent that it was distracting.

Would you be willing to try another one of Paula Christensen’s performances?

No. If a narrator is going to attempt to recreate regional accents, he or she should do them properly (or not do them at all). The book is set largely in Louisiana, but most of the character sounded like they were from Appalachia rather than from Louisiana.

Eden has been altered!

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I spent a few months trying to decide whether to purchase this book or to let be one of Rollins books that just slide by due to the mixed reviews. I was again put off listening to the narrator, but finally gave in and purchased the book. While it as difficult listening past the voice of the narrator, I did enjoy the story line. If not for the narrator I would listen to it again.

What did you like best about this story?

Living in Acadiana I enjoyed the setting of the story being in my back yard so to speak. I also enjoyed the authors wonderful embellishment on reality. It is fascinating to explore in a fictional setting what our so called junk DNA can lead and fractals as well. Being an animal lover as well, I like how he explored the animal human bond. Anyone who has had a pet knows they know more and understand more that what they are given credit for.

Would you be willing to try another one of Paula Christensen’s performances?

She is probably one of the worst possible choices for reading this book. One would think that if a narrator would attempt a Cajun it would not sound Scottish. A little research into the local pronunciation of words would have made her reading less distracting as well. There were many points where the tension of the scene was just lost because of her delivery. With the authors professed love of the swamp and New Orleans, she certainly did him a disservice. I will definitely try to avoid her performances in the future!

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

This would make an exciting movie and I definitely would see it.

Any additional comments?

Get past the narration and just enjoy the book. It could have been fleshed out a bit in places, but it is a relaxing listen.

Good Book!

This is one of the many books that my hubby and I listen to while driving from Wyoming to Utah! We have enjoyed the 3-4 books that we have read by Mr Rollins.
Rollins has a very scientific mind and some of his description can be a bit insightful and maybe more than I really need but for someone (like my hubby) who has that type of scientific mind, it is GREAT!
We have enjoyed the creative spin that Rollins puts on his books and when reading them the time passes quickly!
Enjoy!

Great for commuting!

And enjoyable although formulaic read.
Great for listening during long commutes. Enjoyed the characters as they remind me of my own roots in Louisiana.

VERY EXCITING AND FAST MOVING

Would you listen to Altar of Eden again? Why?

YES I WILL. FOUND IT TO BE THOUGHT PROVOKING.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Altar of Eden?

THE ATTACK OF THE TIGER.

Which character – as performed by Paula Christensen – was your favorite?

ALL MAJOR CHARACTORS WERE FILLED OUT AND SEEMED TO BE INPORTANT TO THE STORY.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

NO

Any additional comments?

VERY GOOD LISTENING. READ VERY WELL

performance

the story kept me interested. the chartors were played well by the narranator. no dull moments in the story.

It was pretty good, but not great...

I struggled a little with the narrarators different accents...there were too many all at once.

Decent story, bad accents

Overall narration good but her accents are annoying, particularly the Cajun ones that aren't consistent. It really detracted from the story for me.