Fragment

By: Warren Fahy

Narrated by: Robin Atkin Downes

Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's Summary

In this powerhouse of suspense, as brilliantly imagined as Jurassic Park and The Ruins, scientists have made a startling discovery: a fragment of a lost continent, an island with an ecosystem unlike any they've seen before...an ecosystem that could topple ours like a house of cards.

The time is now. The place is the Trident, a long-range research vessel hired by the reality TV show Sealife. Aboard is a cast of ambitious young scientists. With a director dying for drama, tiny Henders Island might be just what the show needs. Until the first scientist sets foot on Henders, and the ultimate test of survival begins.

For when they reach the island's shores, scientists are utterly unprepared for what they find: creatures unlike any ever recorded in natural history. This is not a lost world frozen in time, an island of mutants, or a lab where science has gone mad: this is the Earth as it might have looked after evolving on a separate path for half a billion years.

Soon the scientists will stumble on something more shocking than anything humanity has ever encountered: because among the terrors of Henders Island, one life form defies any scientific theory and must be saved at any cost.

©2009 Warren Fahy (P)2009 Random House

Critic Reviews

"Fahy's imaginative debut puts a fresh spin on the survival-of-prehistoric-beasts theme popularized by Jurassic Park." ( Publishers Weekly)

A Pretty Good Crichtonesque Thriller

If you enjoy reading Michael Crichton or James Rollins thrillers you might enjoy this story about a mysterious island where nature has taken a very strange course. The team of scientists in this case are brought to the island as cast members of a reality show called Sea Life, a kind of cross between a Cousteau expedition and MTV's Real World. Once the scientists get to the island things immediately go horribly wrong! The unique creatures of this island are so aggressive it seems nothing from outside can survive for long. As the Sea Life crew fights for their lives and one producer fights for ratings, back home other scientists debate the value and purpose of humanity, "free will," life spans and reproduction. It is here the author lectures, and as a reader, if you are more interested in the "thriller" and less in the "science," it is here you will find yourself getting frustrated with the pace of the story. Even if you are interested in the science you might get frustrated with the screeching halt the author's lecturing brings to the plot!

The book could have benefited from the author being less science professor and more storyteller. Also, some of the characters didn't quite ring true for me--I had a hard time reconciling the image of a 50 year-old woman with a successful career as a television producer jumping up and down, clapping her hands and saying "pretty please."

Aside from character development, the other thing this author needs to work on is dialog. It's a bit stilted throughout, but overall not too bad. The author really fumbles, though, at the beginning of the last third of the book, especially between the two "love interest" characters.

But despite a few flaws, Fragment is a rip-roaring tale with an interesting premise at its heart. The creatures and the island, with a whiff of Avatar, are vividly drawn -- well enough to cause nightmares and pray that no place like this should ever be found on our planet!

8 of 8 people found this review helpful

I loved this book from start to finish.

ok first and foremost, i am not a book snob, i like my action actiony, and my science science fictiony...if i wanted reality i would watch the news. i loved this book. the critters concepts are fascinating, go to Warren Fahy's website and check out the field guide and get a better idea of the beastary. anyway, if you are a fan of books / movies like Jurassic Park, you will dig this book. enjoy!

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Pretty Good but not Stunning

This is an interesting premise and the story is well told. The author blends the scientific background with the somewhat predictable adventure story. Unfortunately, it does not have the impact that Jurassic Park did, and seems to borrow a little from Michael Crichton.

The descriptions of the creatures on the island are interesting and creative, and the whole alternative development of an ecosystem is credible.

It's a good book if somewhat predictable. If you like Jurassic Park and the Ruins and early novels of James Rollins, this is a pretty good addition to the family. The narrator is very similar in tone and intonation to Scott Brick.

I don't think it's worth 2 credits, but it's certainly worth 1 credit.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

amplified, exciting........

great book, very detailed and laid out perfectly. the author does an excellent job in making this story believable. the history of evolution the author uses in this book is also a commodity that makes this book so admirable.this book does contain SOME horrifying and ghastly material.in which if that's what u like great and if not i still highly recommended this book.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

fast paced monster type

i have always liked the alien evolution idea and this is well researched and while it is not ALIENS but rather alternate evolution on an isolated island here on Earth, it is a rather complete ecosystem he's created. I personally liked that aspect of it the best and even though it devolves into the requisite bloodbath & stereotype race against time it is at least fast paced and with enough of the creature elements that it is enjoyable. it may make a good monster movie but much of the actual scientific basis for the creatures would probably be lost. this could very easily have been an alien planet survival type adventure. and if you check Fahy's website you can see drawings of the creatures. in the book some drawings are included as naturalist type diagrams etc.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

good idea and the beginning, tawdry and cheap end

The first half of the book was very interesting and thrilling, but the second part was poor and I did not like it at all...It was either predictable in parts or tawdry..The author could have wrote it much better...After all I liked the idea very much, it reminds me The Lost World by A.C. Doyle in modern times but even more thrilling, but the end was poor and disappointing.
Another cons are two credit price,and the narrator's voice was terrible. It doesn't suit to this plot...If you like the idea behind this book, buy it, but otherwise if you just looking for a suspense story, don't recommend.
Best,
Milan from Slovakia

6 of 7 people found this review helpful

Good Book

This book was good but wasn't fantastic. I liked all the descriptions but there was to much theory and scientific description. Also I don't need to know the time every minute after minute. Otherwise it was a good book I will probably listen to again in the future.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Loved Reading It, Now A Great Listen

This is a book I have reread three times, because love it that much. After listening to it, I continue to love it. Warren Fahy has created a masterpiece of creativity, intelligent scientific theory, sociological debate, and horror. There is so much involved in this story that it truly stands out within the Sci-Fi genre. It has enough similarities to Jurassic Park to make for an apt comparison, but is unique enough to be viewed separately as well.
Robin Atkin Downes does an excellent job narrating this story. He certainly brings the characters to life with many unique voices and some solid accent work. There were a few too many spots where his inflection was a touch off for me to give it a full 5 star rating, but perhaps I am being harsh because I listen to so much from Ray Porter, Oliver Wyman, Luke Daniels, and other greats. Overall, he gave an excellent performance.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A must for "Science" Science-Fiction lovers

Great story, from beginning to end. I was dissapointed that it seemed to end with little possibility of a sequel. Then I just found out there is a sequel that was just released in March, although not in Audible yet. : (

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A surprisingly good book

Good narrator with a story incorporating a reality show + a bit of Jurassic Park, with a smidgen of Alien, evolutionary theory, good vs. evil men, likeable characters, an ending that makes you hope for a sequel and definitely could be made into a movie. Well done, Mr. Fahy.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful