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

captivating

Wow very intriguing, captivating, story. Enjoyed story and theme, creative plot and theory. I will listen again and I do not do that often.

I love James Rollins!

This is one of his earlier books and he gets better over time. I particularly like how he always ends with what's "fact or fiction " it definitely makes it more interesting. I can't say I really cared for the narration. The narrator was too fast, not allowing time to digest what you heard. Sometimes I couldn't even understand her. This is why I would rather read.

A good James Rollins book

The premise that the book is based on is interesting. It also helped to have the author's comments and explanations at the end. It's definitely worth the download and time!

Loved It

You can't beat Rollin's for a great roller coaster of a story. He takes you on a journey of man's experimental obsession with animals, the devastating effects, between the animals and mankind. The lesson's learnt. He is a great story teller will have you on the edge of your seat. The narration is OK.

Awed yet again

I love this book so much! Every twist and turn has you on the edge of your seat! The narrator is also a natural for this book. She expresses each emotion and character so well.

Gripping Story

I loved it. Well researched book with human emotions. Everything I expected and even more

mediocre

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author but this one not so much

Not Rollin's Best

This book reads like a bad movie on the SYFI Network

Good story!

Great story! I wasn’t used to James Rollins being narrated by a female so that took a little bit to get used to. Paula did an overall good job, but her accents were a little difficult...not many non-Cajuns can do the accent well. But she gets an A for effort! Overall I would recommend this to anyone!

Very Enjoyable

This was the first audiobook I listened to after the dissapointing "The Lost Symbol" and my second ever female narrated book.

I will give Paula Christensen a 3.5 star for her crisp voice, engaging narration and not so bad attempt at the Cajun accent. Despite there being more male characters than female, I was able to follow all characters with little to no confusion.

This books seems to have a two part story, which I would classify as "The Hunt" and "The survival". Its adventurous, action packed, and scientific. This book is more like a 3.5 than a 3.

I also recommed the "Enhanced" audio version!!!!!