BOOK REVIEW: The Atlantis Gene (The Origin Mystery #1) by A.G. Riddle

The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

THE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL TIME… 
THE HISTORY OF HUMAN ORIGINS… 
WILL BE REVEALED.

70,000 years ago, the human race almost went extinct.
We survived, but no one knows how. 
Until now.
The countdown to the next stage of human evolution is about to begin, and humanity may not survive this time.

A first time novel from who I think is a very promising author. Riddle's bio says that he's been in the computer business for a while and this helps his writing, in that this fact lent a credibility to the descriptions of the computer/cyber sort of stuff in the story. The story is really a combination of techno-thriller and hard science fiction which, I have to say, worked well. I read some reviews before I chose to read this, and none of them really put me off so I gave the book a go. I totally disagree with some reviewers who say it's badly written, I finished it with no trouble at all. Yes, the author could fine tune the writing a little, but for a first time effort it's fine. Bloody good, in fact.
The first half of the book trots along at a good pace and then really picks up in the second half and I mean REALLY picks up! If I had to offer any criticism then it would be here, the pace seemed to get away a bit, and the story was padded with a bit too much extra action stuff that maybe wasn't really necessary to the overall plot. I'm not a huge fan of the short and sharp chapter style that Riddle uses, a bit like Dan Brown, and a little annoying. However, the plot is really cool and lots of fun and just my cup of tea. I really liked the connection with the Nazis and The Bell and the Tibetan mystics, etc. having read a bit about this previously. The Atlantis myth and mystery never seems to get old for me and The Atlantis Gene adds another good story and another interesting hypothesis to the 'genre'. The story finishes abruptly and I assume that the second book pick right up here.
Overall a great effort that's not without it's faults but is otherwise a fine book and hopefully the beginning of a successful career as an author for AG Riddle.

View all my reviews