The Atlantis Code

By: Charles Brokaw

Narrated by: Erik Davies

Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's Summary

A thrill-seeking Harvard linguistics professor and an ultrasecret branch of the Catholic Church go head-to-head in a race to uncover the secrets of the lost city of Atlantis. The ruins of the technologically-advanced, eerily-enigmatic ancient civilization promise their discoverer fame, fortune, and power... but hold earth-shattering secrets about the origin of man.

While world-famous linguist and archaeologist, Thomas Lourds, is shooting a film that dramatizes his flamboyant life and scientific achievements, satellites spot impossibly ancient ruins along the Spanish coast. Lourds knows exactly what it means: the Lost Continent of Atlantis has been found. The race is on, and Lourds' challengers will do anything to get there first.

Whoever controls the Lost Continent will control the world.

©2009 Charles Brokow (P)2009 Random House

Jonathan Davis better than Erik Davies

Any additional comments?

This was an excellent, well-developed storyline. However, having made the mistake of listening to The Temple Mount Code out of sequence, I was more than a little disappointed in Erik Davies' performance. While he did a good job of diferentiating the characters, Jonathan Davis has Thomas Lourds down pat. Highly recommend this book.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Worked for me!

Taken from the Preston/Child/Berry school of thriller, this has lots of action, a twisting plot and outstanding narration. Listeners who appreciate this school of action thriller will not be dissappointed.

11 of 12 people found this review helpful

Narration ruined the story

Well, the story was predictable, but would have been enjoyable if not for the awful narration. I concur with other reviewers the accents are terrible, and the narrator has a flat delivery. What a shame.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

The Atlantis Code

There is nothing I enjoy better than a book that is based in enough reality as to be plausible, and yet incorporate such creativity and imagination as to completely suspend one's belief. I loved it.

10 of 11 people found this review helpful

Not a Thomas Lourdes fan.

The publisher’s summary seems to promise an exciting adventure. The plot line, as described, could be engaging. However, the characters are hollow, the chase is contrived, and the book is way too long.

Thomas Lourdes seems spineless. He is an expert on ancient languages. He is asked to translate a previously unknown language. He falls into a mystery. He falls into a race to solve it. He falls into bed with each of the female characters without really pursuing them. He seems more like a bystander than the take-charge adventurer that I expected.

The female characters are trite and insufferable. One is an arrogant, conniving, blond, British media host. The other is a brusk, Russian policewoman intent on revenging the death of her sister. Needless to say they don’t get along with each other and their attempts to move the investigation along are often at cross purposes.

Lastly, there is a cameraman running along with the searchers. After one media representative is tortured and killed, the group is being chased and shot at, and it is urgent to get to Atlantis quickly, why is a cameraman necessary?

Unlocking the clues seems to come easy in spite of all of the factions trying to stop Lourdes. Why would people that had been guarding secrets for generations just give them up?

Finally, it was a real challenge to finish the book. I usually pay pretty close attention and even replay portions when I think I have missed something. This was so slow and so long that I paid bills, answered the phone, took short power naps, and didn’t seem to miss anything. I found myself hoping that the wrath of God would put an end to it. (One very possible ending for the story.)

The narration is adequate. There are so many different nationalities and accents that I am sure that this reading was a challenge.

9 of 10 people found this review helpful

Very Interesting book

Would you consider the audio edition of The Atlantis Code to be better than the print version?

I did not read the printed version

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, the plot keep me on the edge of my seat. You never knew who was going to be on the good side or bad side of the church.

Which character – as performed by Erik Davies – was your favorite?

Lesslie

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

When the C. Church got involved. It not to far off the history of the church if you really think about it. I could see the church doing this.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful

Idiot Characters; Bad Narration

I drive two hours a day and I get books to listen to while on the way to/from work. This one had me yelling at it almost from page 1. The narration has half the characters sounding like cartoon mobsters and the other half sounding like Count Dracula meets Natasha from Bullwinkle. I kept hoping one would say "moose and squirrel", which would at least have given me a laugh. Also, the characters are supposedly halfway intelligent and resourceful, but they prove, over and over and over again, that they are not. And, granted the book is male adventure fantasy, but do the women have to be so irrational for an idiot man who may or may not be good looking depending on if you like David Beckham? Clumsy storytelling and an unbelievable plot further aided by clumsy narration. Avoid. It's not a good thing when you are only listening in hopes that all of the main characters are killed.

10 of 14 people found this review helpful

narration in need

The central character in this book is a linguist, but the narration is full of mispronunciations and cartoon russian and italian accents.
An obscure but central culture in the book , Yoruba, has not been researched for pronouncing names or places-Oludumare(O-LU'-DU-MA'-RAY), Obatala(O-BA'-TA-LA), Ile Ifa(EE'-LAY EE'-FA)
also Trastevere(TRAS-TE'- VER- EE)a section of Rome.
In the Russians' accents I am reminded of Bullwinkle-Boris and Natasha.
And do educated english speaking Italians really add an 'a' after every syllable?

8 of 13 people found this review helpful

Will make a good action movie

He did a fantatic job on male voices. Women's were a bit scary. Also, its a bit of a stretch to learn God provided a bound book at the Gsrden of Eden, but Moses got stone tablets.

Decent book

Would you try another book from Charles Brokaw and/or Erik Davies?

I think that Erik Davies did a fairly good job pulling off the different voices for the Characters.

Has The Atlantis Code turned you off from other books in this genre?

No

Any additional comments?

This book is very similar in story line to Dan Browns book's but was not done well. It's a good read if you are not comparing the too or just want something about Atlantis. The female characters really got on my nerves. It seamed the only thing the write thought the women good for was a good roll in the sack as both women had to sleep with the Thomas.