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Origins #1
Origins
A group of archaeologists make new discoveries about Egypt's past. Recorded history of the Great Pyramid, Sphinx, even Moses and the slave exodus to the Promised Land are drawn into question as they unravel the mysteries they find. A man in a psychiatric hospital may be the key to it all. the patient believes he is of another world and locked in a high stakes conflict with the mysterious species Alpha that has spanned the course of human history since ancient Egypt. Is he crazy, or is it crazy to ignore him?
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2012
237 people are currently reading
1378 people want to read
About the author
Mark Henrikson
11 books89 followersMark Henrikson grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis Missouri and attended the University of Missouri, Columbia where he earned a bachelors degree in Finance and Economics in 1998. He later earned his Masters of Business Administration from Lindenwood University.
Mark's love of story telling began at a young age while listening to imaginative, and often times scary, bedtime stories by his father. His respect for the written word was reinforced by the attentive eye of his mother who taught English for many years at St. Charles High School.
Mark has been happily married since 2000 and is the proud father of two children. He works as a financial analyst and uses his fiction writing as a creative outlet from the rather sterile profession he none the less enjoys.
His Origins novel series began as a two page plot write-up his older brother decided was not going anywhere. With his permission, Mark used that synopsis as back story for the main character in the Origins series and allowed his creativity to take over from there.
Mark's love of story telling began at a young age while listening to imaginative, and often times scary, bedtime stories by his father. His respect for the written word was reinforced by the attentive eye of his mother who taught English for many years at St. Charles High School.
Mark has been happily married since 2000 and is the proud father of two children. He works as a financial analyst and uses his fiction writing as a creative outlet from the rather sterile profession he none the less enjoys.
His Origins novel series began as a two page plot write-up his older brother decided was not going anywhere. With his permission, Mark used that synopsis as back story for the main character in the Origins series and allowed his creativity to take over from there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 110 reviews
November 5, 2012
I wasn’t going to review my own work until I saw another author go into why they wrote their novel rather than a true review and thought that was a pretty fun idea. So here it goes.
Growing up, outside of playing a disgusting amount of sports, my real passions were history and science fiction. I always found a connection while standing in a place where something profound once occurred like a civil war battlefield or the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a good Star Wars or Star Trek movie?
When I chose to dedicate my free time to writing I needed to find a way to fuse those two passions together. I started toying with the idea that some shadowy element was working behind the scenes to influence humanities most profound moments. About this time my older brother had written a brief plot outline of some space opera type story with intergalactic war and so on. He wasn’t going to do anything with it but I thought it made a great back story for a crew of aliens who crash land on Earth. Then they start pulling on some puppet strings to influence human development so they could eventually go home. Thank goodness he let me run with it.
I knew right away I didn’t want to tell just a plain vanilla sequential story. I wanted the added complexity of reading about where things stand in the present, hinting at events in the past and then incorporate flashbacks to the time period in question. I think it accomplished the added complexity but still kept it a fairly light read.
The solution I came up with was to feature a psychiatric patient revealing to his therapist about his adventures in the past while modern day archeologists and NSA agents make discoveries that make you think the patient might not be crazy after all. Maybe he really is an alien, or maybe he has a personal vendetta against the NSA.
One last thing I wanted to accomplish was to tell a sci-fi story that kept the futuristic gadgets and technobable jargon to a minimum. Three or four chapters toward the beginning needed to be sci-fi heavy, but the rest I honestly consider to be more like historical fiction with the only sci-fi element being the potential of alien involvement in human history.
Hopefully the end product has accomplished my goal, which is ultimately an entertaining read. I would love to hear some honest feedback on the book, and I can handle constructive criticism too. Just remember the constructive part.
Mark Henrikson
Growing up, outside of playing a disgusting amount of sports, my real passions were history and science fiction. I always found a connection while standing in a place where something profound once occurred like a civil war battlefield or the Roman Forum and Colosseum. Plus, who doesn’t enjoy a good Star Wars or Star Trek movie?
When I chose to dedicate my free time to writing I needed to find a way to fuse those two passions together. I started toying with the idea that some shadowy element was working behind the scenes to influence humanities most profound moments. About this time my older brother had written a brief plot outline of some space opera type story with intergalactic war and so on. He wasn’t going to do anything with it but I thought it made a great back story for a crew of aliens who crash land on Earth. Then they start pulling on some puppet strings to influence human development so they could eventually go home. Thank goodness he let me run with it.
I knew right away I didn’t want to tell just a plain vanilla sequential story. I wanted the added complexity of reading about where things stand in the present, hinting at events in the past and then incorporate flashbacks to the time period in question. I think it accomplished the added complexity but still kept it a fairly light read.
The solution I came up with was to feature a psychiatric patient revealing to his therapist about his adventures in the past while modern day archeologists and NSA agents make discoveries that make you think the patient might not be crazy after all. Maybe he really is an alien, or maybe he has a personal vendetta against the NSA.
One last thing I wanted to accomplish was to tell a sci-fi story that kept the futuristic gadgets and technobable jargon to a minimum. Three or four chapters toward the beginning needed to be sci-fi heavy, but the rest I honestly consider to be more like historical fiction with the only sci-fi element being the potential of alien involvement in human history.
Hopefully the end product has accomplished my goal, which is ultimately an entertaining read. I would love to hear some honest feedback on the book, and I can handle constructive criticism too. Just remember the constructive part.
Mark Henrikson
May 25, 2024
New author for me .. Well Written and kept me interested good links between sci-fi and historical folklore. Looking forward to book 2 hope it continues on the same path.
February 4, 2013
Origins was the best science fiction book of 2012 for me. This author captured my attention from the very beginning of the book and I didn't put it down until it was finished. As I have said on another site, this author is going places! Was counting down the days until the second book came out, and now I do wish he would hurry up and get the 3rd one out!
If you are hardcore religious then you might take issue with the Moses vs. Mosa and a few other 'biblical' moments in the book. If you are open minded and love a story for its creativity, then this is the science fiction/historical fiction book for you.
Buy, read, enjoy! I certainly did, and have recommended it to many and all have loved it!
This and the books that follow should be made into a movie(s)! It would be one I would go to see vs. the remakes they are putting out these days due to what seems lack of creativity.
If you are hardcore religious then you might take issue with the Moses vs. Mosa and a few other 'biblical' moments in the book. If you are open minded and love a story for its creativity, then this is the science fiction/historical fiction book for you.
Buy, read, enjoy! I certainly did, and have recommended it to many and all have loved it!
This and the books that follow should be made into a movie(s)! It would be one I would go to see vs. the remakes they are putting out these days due to what seems lack of creativity.
May 23, 2017
I didn't actually know what the term "space opera" meant exactly until I started reading this, and then I said to myself, I'll be that's what this is, albeit one where a lot of the action takes place on Earth. Re-imaginings of the Bible stories are dime a dozen, if quality is not a big concern of yours. I think this one rises above the rest, and will be interested to see how further episodes in the series either maintain or fail this initial praise. It was a fun read, purely entertainment of course, so my expectations are adjusted accordingly, and I will share just one thing that was a negative for me, the author's use of the vernacular when in space and the communication was just between non-humans, and when in ancient Egypt. I did think on the fact that the story is being told in the present day by someone who was witness to it all, but in the end, it didn't justify it to me. I tend to think of it as a limitation on an author's part, since this does happen fairly frequently. He or she has created inventive story lines, fantastic technologies, believable aliens and yet, the dialogue for the most part could take in the lunchroom at my office. But I will try another....
August 7, 2024
Interesting take on the pyramids' creation and other historical events. I love this sci-fi history mash up!
February 26, 2015
I am a big fan of the History Channel series Ancient Aliens. I don't believe it all, but I find it fun and interesting. So when you read the blurb for this book below, you will see why I had to read it. It hits upon everything the show is about in a fictionalized fashion. How fun is that?
This is book one of a series which focuses on a man named Hastelloy who claims to be 10,000 years old and from another solar system. Much of the book is Hastelloy telling his story to a psychiatrist, but there are also a few other points of view, namely Mark who is an NSA operative trying to thwart a space probe, and Professor Russell who has discovered a secret hidden chamber under the Sphinx in Egypt.
Hastelloy and his team have crash landed on Earth 5000 years ago during a battle with another alien species, the Alpha. The Alpha have also crash landed on Earth. They just happen to land in Egypt during the building of the Great Pyramid.
This story had a lot of potential. The author tied in the biblical story of Moses as well as intrigue in modern times to lead us on a merry chase that only as the book ended did we begin to understand how it all tied together. Clever that.
Will I read the next book in the series? I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but it spent more time in the past than I would have liked. I was more intrigued by the "now" part of the story. From what little I've read about the other books in the series, it appears they follow the same formula and will lead us through some key periods in history. That's not quite what I was hoping for, so I probably won't, but if you are a huge history fan I think this would be right up your alley.
Slight pet peeve too. This author doesn't seem to know the difference between "clinched" and "clenched". If one more person in this book "clinched" their fists I think I might have killed him.
But that is a very minor issue and doesn't have any impact on the fascinating story this author has told.
This is book one of a series which focuses on a man named Hastelloy who claims to be 10,000 years old and from another solar system. Much of the book is Hastelloy telling his story to a psychiatrist, but there are also a few other points of view, namely Mark who is an NSA operative trying to thwart a space probe, and Professor Russell who has discovered a secret hidden chamber under the Sphinx in Egypt.
Hastelloy and his team have crash landed on Earth 5000 years ago during a battle with another alien species, the Alpha. The Alpha have also crash landed on Earth. They just happen to land in Egypt during the building of the Great Pyramid.
This story had a lot of potential. The author tied in the biblical story of Moses as well as intrigue in modern times to lead us on a merry chase that only as the book ended did we begin to understand how it all tied together. Clever that.
Will I read the next book in the series? I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but it spent more time in the past than I would have liked. I was more intrigued by the "now" part of the story. From what little I've read about the other books in the series, it appears they follow the same formula and will lead us through some key periods in history. That's not quite what I was hoping for, so I probably won't, but if you are a huge history fan I think this would be right up your alley.
Slight pet peeve too. This author doesn't seem to know the difference between "clinched" and "clenched". If one more person in this book "clinched" their fists I think I might have killed him.
But that is a very minor issue and doesn't have any impact on the fascinating story this author has told.
July 17, 2014
I would give this 2.5 stars if Goodreads had a half star. Since that wasn't an option I rounded up to three.
What I liked: the story was a spin on a well-known historical event. The idea of aliens being involved in the building of the pyramids is not new, but it was an interesting take on the idea. I was less enamored of the re telling of the religious story because of my personal beliefs, but what I did like about that story was the explanation of the plagues, it was interesting and without doing a single moment of research into it, the explanation at least sounds plausible and for that I commend the author, it was excellent. The archeological team and their discovery was great. The Nexus concept was good, I really liked that.
What I didn't like: There were three different stories here, which I liked, but while the Hallestoy thread took center stage and rightly so, it felt like the other two threads were trying to build up to a climax but just didn't get enough attention for the reader to get invested in their stories. That's unfortunate, I personally would have liked a more balanced story among the three threads and get to know the rest of the characters more; Alex, for example, I would like to get to know.
For the author: the book would be an easier read if the punctuation was cleaned up a bit. Missing commas and missing quotation marks in some places made it less polished than you were probably aiming for.
What I liked: the story was a spin on a well-known historical event. The idea of aliens being involved in the building of the pyramids is not new, but it was an interesting take on the idea. I was less enamored of the re telling of the religious story because of my personal beliefs, but what I did like about that story was the explanation of the plagues, it was interesting and without doing a single moment of research into it, the explanation at least sounds plausible and for that I commend the author, it was excellent. The archeological team and their discovery was great. The Nexus concept was good, I really liked that.
What I didn't like: There were three different stories here, which I liked, but while the Hallestoy thread took center stage and rightly so, it felt like the other two threads were trying to build up to a climax but just didn't get enough attention for the reader to get invested in their stories. That's unfortunate, I personally would have liked a more balanced story among the three threads and get to know the rest of the characters more; Alex, for example, I would like to get to know.
For the author: the book would be an easier read if the punctuation was cleaned up a bit. Missing commas and missing quotation marks in some places made it less polished than you were probably aiming for.
March 6, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It is a combination of genres that will keep you reading in anticipation of "what will happen next"!! Egyptian archaeology, sci-fi technology and aliens tied into the book of Exodus, historical fiction ( at its best) and tied into our very own times.
I'm wondering how an author can jump from 3 time periods and keep everything in order! Does the author write each time period to completion and then shuffle chapters as playing cards are shuffled?? And why is the word 'surreal' used so often by all new writers? I am tired of seeing that word and this book had it twice in 2 pages ( there, I've said it-- I won't mention it again!! :-}}
Highly recommend ORIGINS and I give it 5 stars. I am now 'fixin' to start the 2nd book.
I'm wondering how an author can jump from 3 time periods and keep everything in order! Does the author write each time period to completion and then shuffle chapters as playing cards are shuffled?? And why is the word 'surreal' used so often by all new writers? I am tired of seeing that word and this book had it twice in 2 pages ( there, I've said it-- I won't mention it again!! :-}}
Highly recommend ORIGINS and I give it 5 stars. I am now 'fixin' to start the 2nd book.
July 22, 2018
Well written and easy reading. I really enjoyed the story and I knew enough not to take any of the history seriously because time periods were mixed together. What difference does it make if two elements are a thousand of years different. The biggest mess is the story of Mosa. I know authors like to have a strong female character but hinting at and practically saying that this is a real historical character and so changing the gender might have worked if not for changing the order of events and locations (I am not talking about the sea) to make it work doesn't. I enjoyed reading it and will read other works by this author because it was entertaining.
June 3, 2015
Intriguing plot
The author did a remarkable job weaving three varied story lines into one great book. He pulled from the very distant past near the center of the Galaxy, led the story through ancient Egypt and finally to the present.
I'm pleased to see there are more books in this series. While I do acknowledge that I found some parts difficult to follow as he moves from one timeline to another, it all comes together in the end.
I am looking forward to reading the next volume.
The author did a remarkable job weaving three varied story lines into one great book. He pulled from the very distant past near the center of the Galaxy, led the story through ancient Egypt and finally to the present.
I'm pleased to see there are more books in this series. While I do acknowledge that I found some parts difficult to follow as he moves from one timeline to another, it all comes together in the end.
I am looking forward to reading the next volume.
February 2, 2014
A good read
The story line is good and leaves the reader questioning how the 3 lines will pull together. But the language (vocabulary) needs to be different for each time period and race. The author uses modern phrases to describe ancient or alien events. Create some words in the alien language that can be understood in context.
The story line is good and leaves the reader questioning how the 3 lines will pull together. But the language (vocabulary) needs to be different for each time period and race. The author uses modern phrases to describe ancient or alien events. Create some words in the alien language that can be understood in context.
July 13, 2014
A very fun and imaginative story. This originality was refreshing. A small quibble is the author's use of modern expressions in ancient times. But this in no way detracted from an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to the second book!
January 1, 2015
Fun Story
The flip American slang language the alien people used made the whole thing less enjoyable and believable. When I was 12 I would have given the book 4 stars
The flip American slang language the alien people used made the whole thing less enjoyable and believable. When I was 12 I would have given the book 4 stars
September 10, 2017
The story is actually quite entertaining but the author has a pathological dislike of the past perfect tense. By the end of the book, I was screaming HAD! You've missed the word HAD out yet again! To be fair, I think the author gets it because the brief extract from the next book in the series had more examples of past perfect tense than the whole of this book.
On the plus side, I read it to the end despite any misgivings about writing style. If you can tolerate incorrect grammar, the story is worth persevering with.
On the plus side, I read it to the end despite any misgivings about writing style. If you can tolerate incorrect grammar, the story is worth persevering with.
July 15, 2024
An outstanding beginning!
This story grabs you. It’s an intriguing premise and a phenomenal twist on the typical.
This is the author’s first foray into the field so I don’t mind saying that the quality of the writing is not quite on par with the quality of the story.
Nothing specific leaps out, but if I didn’t know this was his first book I would have likely guessed as much. There’s just something that’s not quite all there, something underdeveloped or not quite at full maturity, but I also have no reason to believe he won’t rise to meet the promise of his premise and all it deserves, and I fully intend to follow this series through its end!
So well done,sir in catching me by surprise.
This story grabs you. It’s an intriguing premise and a phenomenal twist on the typical.
This is the author’s first foray into the field so I don’t mind saying that the quality of the writing is not quite on par with the quality of the story.
Nothing specific leaps out, but if I didn’t know this was his first book I would have likely guessed as much. There’s just something that’s not quite all there, something underdeveloped or not quite at full maturity, but I also have no reason to believe he won’t rise to meet the promise of his premise and all it deserves, and I fully intend to follow this series through its end!
So well done,sir in catching me by surprise.
January 20, 2018
I am a long-time fan of science fiction. I have had a subscription to Analog since I was about 16 and I hate to say that was 56 years ago. Just recently let the subscription lapse because I was so far behind in my reading. Then comes along this book that combines the science fiction of aliens landing on our planet reliving the book of Exodus in ways you can't imagine without reading this book and traversing thousands of years to the present. Good read.
May 6, 2020
Mosa...
I told myself to take a chance on this book and I am so glad I did. I didn't really connect with the other two story lines in the book, but Hastelloy's was awesome. His story is very believable and Mosa's depiction was brilliant. Women were possessions and viewed as property to exchange. The ending was good and not much of a cliffhanger if you choose not to continue reading the next book.
I told myself to take a chance on this book and I am so glad I did. I didn't really connect with the other two story lines in the book, but Hastelloy's was awesome. His story is very believable and Mosa's depiction was brilliant. Women were possessions and viewed as property to exchange. The ending was good and not much of a cliffhanger if you choose not to continue reading the next book.
January 20, 2017
Well written
Great first book by Mr. Hendrickson. Very interesting premise. Characters were smart. Some of the references were odd though, like a "baseball slide" in ancient Egypt. Of course, maybe the Novi brought baseball with them...
Great first book by Mr. Hendrickson. Very interesting premise. Characters were smart. Some of the references were odd though, like a "baseball slide" in ancient Egypt. Of course, maybe the Novi brought baseball with them...
March 10, 2017
Very good
Smooth transitions between the ages , the fight scenes tend to drag on for me but I still think they're well written.
Smooth transitions between the ages , the fight scenes tend to drag on for me but I still think they're well written.
August 19, 2017
Super book. A fantasy twist on the Exodus. If this first book is any indication it's going to be a great series.
August 25, 2017
Interesting novelization of a commonly discussed conspiracy theory.
November 24, 2017
Outstanding
This was Absolutely amazing! To say I wasn't impressed is an understatement! I was unable to put this book down!!!
This was Absolutely amazing! To say I wasn't impressed is an understatement! I was unable to put this book down!!!
January 27, 2018
That is a great read. Funny, with full and sympathetic characters. An interesting interpretation of history that feels true. It is hard to take a break from reading it!
July 18, 2019
Different...
Though your story was DIFFERENT, I enjoyed how you entwined the various stories of history to create this tale. Looking forward to the other books in the series.
Though your story was DIFFERENT, I enjoyed how you entwined the various stories of history to create this tale. Looking forward to the other books in the series.
June 7, 2024
Rarely do I fail to complete a book; I keep hoping that things will get better. But I could only get 2/3 of the way through this one. It had a promising premise and initial plot line, but the problems finally overwhelmed my hope.
All of the lead characters were self-righteously obnoxious. Three of them were bullies who were willing to sacrifice anyone and everything that got in the way of their goals. Another was a professional who thought the rules only applied to him when they furthered his professional reputation. Another professional spent their time looking for holes they could poke in another's story rather than really listening to them.
All the supporting characters/characterizations were flat. For example, one woman, after being rescued became completely subservient to her rescuer. Two others almost magically became fluent in a foreign language after just a relatively few hours of listening to conversations. There was nothing to make me want to engage with any of them.
The final straw was when one of the lead characters violated their sacred oath of non-interference and created a new religion by rewriting the biblical exodus story. Not only would this be insulting to true believers, but he based it on a volcano that happened to conveniently erupt halfway around the world. All the other things like plagues and pestilence that happened in the story we know resulted from this one event. Any discrepancies between his story and the biblical account are explained away as thousands of years of history being unkind to the real people and events that happened. Now he has insulted the intelligence of much of the rest of the world.
All of the lead characters were self-righteously obnoxious. Three of them were bullies who were willing to sacrifice anyone and everything that got in the way of their goals. Another was a professional who thought the rules only applied to him when they furthered his professional reputation. Another professional spent their time looking for holes they could poke in another's story rather than really listening to them.
All the supporting characters/characterizations were flat. For example, one woman, after being rescued became completely subservient to her rescuer. Two others almost magically became fluent in a foreign language after just a relatively few hours of listening to conversations. There was nothing to make me want to engage with any of them.
The final straw was when one of the lead characters violated their sacred oath of non-interference and created a new religion by rewriting the biblical exodus story. Not only would this be insulting to true believers, but he based it on a volcano that happened to conveniently erupt halfway around the world. All the other things like plagues and pestilence that happened in the story we know resulted from this one event. Any discrepancies between his story and the biblical account are explained away as thousands of years of history being unkind to the real people and events that happened. Now he has insulted the intelligence of much of the rest of the world.
November 24, 2014
This is a rather fun ancient-alien adventure/historical fiction that tie some ‘miracles’ into the tale of technology. If you are big on the Bible, at least the literal interpretation and probably just the regular kind, you may want to pass on reading this book.
I was surprised to see this was Henrikson’s debut novel. It reads well and has good characters, action and dialogue. The book spans 4000 years with ancient Egypt handling most of the heavy lifting (pun intended). There are three storylines:
1) An alien crew crashes on Earth as does their enemy. Pyramids, Sphynx, slaves, Gods and humanity play out. The Plaques and more also thread into the timeline.
2) A NSA agent is trying to protect secrets and the world.
3) A mental patient spins his tale to a psychiatrist.
The end brings some fun crossroads with the three storylines and leaves you looking for more. That said, the story ends with a real conclusion – it just leave wide open the publication of more books.
I did find myself skimming through sections in ancient Egypt and think overall the book could have been shorter and still quite good. I am interested in continuing the journey.
Read November 2014: Kindle Freebie.
I was surprised to see this was Henrikson’s debut novel. It reads well and has good characters, action and dialogue. The book spans 4000 years with ancient Egypt handling most of the heavy lifting (pun intended). There are three storylines:
1) An alien crew crashes on Earth as does their enemy. Pyramids, Sphynx, slaves, Gods and humanity play out. The Plaques and more also thread into the timeline.
2) A NSA agent is trying to protect secrets and the world.
3) A mental patient spins his tale to a psychiatrist.
The end brings some fun crossroads with the three storylines and leaves you looking for more. That said, the story ends with a real conclusion – it just leave wide open the publication of more books.
I did find myself skimming through sections in ancient Egypt and think overall the book could have been shorter and still quite good. I am interested in continuing the journey.
Read November 2014: Kindle Freebie.
December 6, 2016
Overall rating: 2.5-3 stars
First book in a series, with the premise that two alien spacecraft crashed on Earth during the time of ancient Egypt, and the surviving crew of each craft have altered and advanced human history ever since, all in the name of returning to their home worlds. This first book follows three principal 'threads': the discourses of the captain of one of the craft describing his crew's adventures in Egypt at the time of the building of the great pyramid and Sphinx, as told during a counseling session with a modern-day psychiatrist; the saga of an aggressive NSA agent intent on keeping the knowledge of aliens-on-Earth from being revealed; and an archaeologist attempting to discover secrets hidden within the Sphinx. The tale of the alien captain forms the bulk of the book; I felt the other two threads were not that well integrated (although they may play out better in the subsequent books in the series). As other reviewers on Amazon have pointed out, the use of modern jargon by the aliens was a bit disconcerting to me. Even though it is not a terribly long book, I felt it 'dragged out' a bit too much. Overall, it was a mildly entertaining read, but has not motivated me enough to commit to reading the next book.
First book in a series, with the premise that two alien spacecraft crashed on Earth during the time of ancient Egypt, and the surviving crew of each craft have altered and advanced human history ever since, all in the name of returning to their home worlds. This first book follows three principal 'threads': the discourses of the captain of one of the craft describing his crew's adventures in Egypt at the time of the building of the great pyramid and Sphinx, as told during a counseling session with a modern-day psychiatrist; the saga of an aggressive NSA agent intent on keeping the knowledge of aliens-on-Earth from being revealed; and an archaeologist attempting to discover secrets hidden within the Sphinx. The tale of the alien captain forms the bulk of the book; I felt the other two threads were not that well integrated (although they may play out better in the subsequent books in the series). As other reviewers on Amazon have pointed out, the use of modern jargon by the aliens was a bit disconcerting to me. Even though it is not a terribly long book, I felt it 'dragged out' a bit too much. Overall, it was a mildly entertaining read, but has not motivated me enough to commit to reading the next book.
March 9, 2015
This is the first book in the series, and it describes how two alien species, at war with each other, wind up crashing on Earth and become involved in ancient Egypt. It really has three parts, one where Hastelloy is telling the story to a psychiatrist about how these two species become involved in Egyptian history during the building of the pyramids, another where the NSA is trying to stop a NASA satellite from its mission, and the third about archaeologists who have found new features in the old Egyptian structures.
Of course this is science fiction, but it's interesting to me how these alien cultures revise what happened in Egypt and during the Exodus.
I always have expected books to have good spelling and good grammar, and it seems that an awful lot of commas have been omitted in this book. The story is still interesting, but I can't help but be put off by sentences where commas should be used. Oh well, what can I say?
I liked the book. I intend to read more in this series. Maybe I can train myself to ignore the missing commas!
Of course this is science fiction, but it's interesting to me how these alien cultures revise what happened in Egypt and during the Exodus.
I always have expected books to have good spelling and good grammar, and it seems that an awful lot of commas have been omitted in this book. The story is still interesting, but I can't help but be put off by sentences where commas should be used. Oh well, what can I say?
I liked the book. I intend to read more in this series. Maybe I can train myself to ignore the missing commas!
July 28, 2013
It was okay. The author jumps a lot between different stories and time period, with no warning or indication. It often takes a few pages to figure out exactly what's going on and where this particular story line was the last time you left it. This really gave the novel the feeling of going nowhere. Every time a story line would start to build or draw the reader in, the author switched to another character or time period and would start the build up all over again. There is no resolution or payoff.
I also did not enjoy the religious aspects. In the last third there is quite a bit of religion and it really comes across as proselytizing. I found it out of place and distracting.
I will not be reading the next in the series.
I also did not enjoy the religious aspects. In the last third there is quite a bit of religion and it really comes across as proselytizing. I found it out of place and distracting.
I will not be reading the next in the series.
March 11, 2015
I think the author is onto something very entertaining here. The way he weaves Biblical events into his narrative so smoothly is intriguing. I hope he is sending this one out to publishers because with some polish, it could be a popular series.
Which brings me to the three star. This first book could do with some major editing. The place in time was confusing because the dialogue was the same in Egypt as in the modern day US. Often times the dialogue was weak and clichéd. I felt it needed a more authentic feel to the ancient history scenes in mannerisms, dress and speech.
I didn't like the name of the protagonist, it sounds too much like bad breath. Nevertheless, well done Mr. Henrikson keep on writing.
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