I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway and I have to say it is one of the best books I've read. Here was my reaction to this book after completing it: "Oh-My-Gosh-My-Mind-Has-Just-Been-Hacked-And-Entertained-In-A-Way-I-Thought-Was-Impossible!!!" Well let me tell you, dear readers, it was totally possible. Today's book, I would recommend to anyone! Most of all---to Indiana Jones fans or those who like NY underground, or adventurers and people who find history interesting.
What I'm Listening To:
New York City, 1976: Heavily-armed, masked men hijack a subway train...and its deadly cargo.
New York City, Present: An expedition vanishes while conducting a top-secret operation deep underground.
A Shattered Man With Nothing To Lose...
To locate his missing friend, former urban archaeologist Cyclone Reed must piece together his shattered life and return to the one place on earth he truly fears...Manhattan.
A Lost World Full Of Danger...
Soon, he's storming through flooded subway tunnels, discovering a lost laboratory, battling a mysterious man-eating beast, and scaling a mountainous skyscraper. But as he plunges deeper into strange and murky legends surrounding a piece of forgotten technology, he begins to untangle a staggering conspiracy.
A Shocking Secret That Will Rock The Earth!
More than sixty years ago, a Nazi physicist created a weapon capable of setting the world aflame. Now, a diabolical industrialist plans to finish the job. At stake is the future of a nation...millions of innocent lives...and one man's final chance at redemption.
Book Cover: This has to be one of the coolest book covers I've ever seen. The burnt/torn parchment border is amazing, the skull and cross-picks are eye catching, and the bold lettered all-CAPS title is definitely attractive. I like the shadow and mystery produced with the two characters on the front running down the tracks. 5 Stars for Cover Design.
Cyclone Reed: The perfect protagonist for this type of story. He is strong and smart but still imperfect and prone to feelings of failure. There really isn't a physical description of Cyclone. This has its merits since each reader can pick features they like most about people and apply them in this novel to create the image of their own Cy. The thing I really liked about Cyclone was his wit. It was awesome how he managed to keep his smart tongue going in the face of evil. Definitely well-written.
Beverly Ginger: I really love Beverly. She is a great character that manages to keep a dash of mystery amidst all the craziness that surrounds her and Cyclone. Right when I thought I had her character figured out to a 'T,' things changed on me and I was thrown for a loop.
Diane Blair: Diane is a star archaeologist who has a history with Cyclone Reed, although due to circumstances, it ended up coming to an abrupt close. I kinda consider Diane as just being an extra. She's that girl that always manages to get in the way. I didn't really like her, but I don't hate her. She's just a mediocre girl who was tossed into the mix. Due to her strict archaeological thinking, she has a distaste for treasure hunters...which ends up being ironic since that's exactly what Cyclone has become. Diane gummed up the works and I felt that the relationship between her and Cyclone was very underdeveloped. It could have been left out and I honestly don't think it would have changed too much.
Ryan Standish: Some characters I love...some I hate...this is one case where I am kinda neutral. Standish is a pretty bad guy, but he has been manipulated a lot. He was taken advantage of and severely misinformed. But at the same time, I don't really feel bad for him. He's just one of those characters...not much more I can say for him than that.
Jack Chase: This guy is the exact villain that this story needed. He is perfect in every villainy aspect. All his life, he has been fighting for an unjust cause. Hes lost just about every last bit of sanity going after a weapon of mass destruction. He lies, he cons people and does everything in his power to get what he wants. All of which is necessary to complete a good antagonist. I hate him so much, but that's the key. The villains are the characters you LOVE to HATE. Definitely well-developed.
This book is the perfect blend of so many things. I'll give you the recipe:
What I'm Listening To:
- Bullets by Creed
- Signs by Creed
Chaos
Author: David Meyer
Genre: Adventure
Year: 2011
Synopsis:
New York City, 1976: Heavily-armed, masked men hijack a subway train...and its deadly cargo.
New York City, Present: An expedition vanishes while conducting a top-secret operation deep underground.
A Shattered Man With Nothing To Lose...
To locate his missing friend, former urban archaeologist Cyclone Reed must piece together his shattered life and return to the one place on earth he truly fears...Manhattan.A Lost World Full Of Danger...
Soon, he's storming through flooded subway tunnels, discovering a lost laboratory, battling a mysterious man-eating beast, and scaling a mountainous skyscraper. But as he plunges deeper into strange and murky legends surrounding a piece of forgotten technology, he begins to untangle a staggering conspiracy.
A Shocking Secret That Will Rock The Earth!
More than sixty years ago, a Nazi physicist created a weapon capable of setting the world aflame. Now, a diabolical industrialist plans to finish the job. At stake is the future of a nation...millions of innocent lives...and one man's final chance at redemption.
Review:
I have a lot to cover in this review, so
let's start with the cover.
Book Cover: This has to be one of the coolest book covers I've ever seen. The burnt/torn parchment border is amazing, the skull and cross-picks are eye catching, and the bold lettered all-CAPS title is definitely attractive. I like the shadow and mystery produced with the two characters on the front running down the tracks. 5 Stars for Cover Design.
Next, let's get a little profile of each
character, shall we?
Cyclone Reed: The perfect protagonist for this type of story. He is strong and smart but still imperfect and prone to feelings of failure. There really isn't a physical description of Cyclone. This has its merits since each reader can pick features they like most about people and apply them in this novel to create the image of their own Cy. The thing I really liked about Cyclone was his wit. It was awesome how he managed to keep his smart tongue going in the face of evil. Definitely well-written.
Beverly Ginger: I really love Beverly. She is a great character that manages to keep a dash of mystery amidst all the craziness that surrounds her and Cyclone. Right when I thought I had her character figured out to a 'T,' things changed on me and I was thrown for a loop.
Diane Blair: Diane is a star archaeologist who has a history with Cyclone Reed, although due to circumstances, it ended up coming to an abrupt close. I kinda consider Diane as just being an extra. She's that girl that always manages to get in the way. I didn't really like her, but I don't hate her. She's just a mediocre girl who was tossed into the mix. Due to her strict archaeological thinking, she has a distaste for treasure hunters...which ends up being ironic since that's exactly what Cyclone has become. Diane gummed up the works and I felt that the relationship between her and Cyclone was very underdeveloped. It could have been left out and I honestly don't think it would have changed too much.
Ryan Standish: Some characters I love...some I hate...this is one case where I am kinda neutral. Standish is a pretty bad guy, but he has been manipulated a lot. He was taken advantage of and severely misinformed. But at the same time, I don't really feel bad for him. He's just one of those characters...not much more I can say for him than that.
Jack Chase: This guy is the exact villain that this story needed. He is perfect in every villainy aspect. All his life, he has been fighting for an unjust cause. Hes lost just about every last bit of sanity going after a weapon of mass destruction. He lies, he cons people and does everything in his power to get what he wants. All of which is necessary to complete a good antagonist. I hate him so much, but that's the key. The villains are the characters you LOVE to HATE. Definitely well-developed.
Let's move on to the plot
really quick.
This book is the perfect blend of so many things. I'll give you the recipe:
1 cup full of Indiana Jones blended with Tomb Raider
A pinch of Gregor the Overlander and Pyrates (Adult Style)
A dash of Michael Crichton's typical technothriller
100% original David Meyer brilliance
(This book is full of originality and provides feelings of each of the mentioned above involving science, underground NY and adventure)
I really loved this book. It took me on a roller coaster adventure. Each chapter left me wanting more. It was written so well, it was like having a movie playing in my mind. This book was gripping. It kept a steady pace, but whipped around a few unseen curves that kept the story moving forward. I laughed in joy, whimpered in angst, and smiled through it all. There really aren't enough words to do this book credit.
Time to wrap this review up!
Amazing book...I wanna read it all over again, but can't because I have a bunch of other books to read. It kept me going for hours and I really didn't want it to end...but I still wanted to know what happened. Contradictory feelings really bite. I want to read more of Cyclone Reed. I'm really hoping for a sequel. I will definitely read whatever book Mr. Meyer has published next. Chaos is a definite revisit. I give it a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯✯✯.
All right, this review has come to an end.
Please join us for our next installment soon! 😁
This must be a really good book as you have never waivered on how good it is and you always get excited when talking about what a good read it was. I'll definitely have to read it. :O) ---pvalencia
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