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Memory Reborn
“Walton has brought hard sci-fi roaring back to life.” —WALL STREET JOURNAL
PAST AND FUTURE CLASH in the final book of the globe-spanning paleontology thriller that began with Living Memory. The threat of extinction by killer organism leads to world war as national powers vie to control the powerful technology uncovered in Thailand. Samira and her team are on the run from the United States, even as a Chinese scientist mirrors their discoveries and resists her own government's demands. Will the ancient creatures they found turn the tide and save humanity before it tears itself apart?
PAST AND FUTURE CLASH in the final book of the globe-spanning paleontology thriller that began with Living Memory. The threat of extinction by killer organism leads to world war as national powers vie to control the powerful technology uncovered in Thailand. Samira and her team are on the run from the United States, even as a Chinese scientist mirrors their discoveries and resists her own government's demands. Will the ancient creatures they found turn the tide and save humanity before it tears itself apart?
- GenresScience Fiction
286 pages, Paperback
Published November 28, 2023
13 people want to read
About the author
David Walton
11 books277 followersDavid loves to read science fiction and lives near Philadelphia with his wife and eight children. His latest series, LIVING MEMORY, is a thriller in which paleontologists save the world.
"Walton has brought hard sci-fi roaring back to life."
—The Wall Street Journal
“One of my favorite science fiction writers, Walton consistently delivers exciting thrillers packed with likeable characters and big ideas.”
—Craig DiLouie
"...gives the reader exciting insights into the threats and the promises that are coming our way."
—Vernor Vinge
"Walton has brought hard sci-fi roaring back to life."
—The Wall Street Journal
“One of my favorite science fiction writers, Walton consistently delivers exciting thrillers packed with likeable characters and big ideas.”
—Craig DiLouie
"...gives the reader exciting insights into the threats and the promises that are coming our way."
—Vernor Vinge
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 15, 2023
Imaginative, fun, and a fitting wrap-up to the trilogy
When paleontologists Samira and Kit uncover an exciting dinosaur trove, they expect excitement and challenge, but when their find also includes a form of ancient technology the world no longer has, the challenge expands to international conflict involving the USA, China, and Thailand. These challenges for both the scientists and the governments become even greater with the emergence of an organism that could wipe out the human race. This is the setup for David Walton’s Living Memory thriller, and I will say no more so that you can enjoy the details as the story unfolds.
It will be no spoiler, though, to say that Memory Reborn has the characteristics that always make me eager to read Walton’s work. First of all, there is the realism of the characters. They ALL seem genuine, and their actions and interactions are highly credible, even in highly unusual circumstances. The second element is the thought-provoking insights. Science fiction as a genre is known to be thought-provoking, but in addition to creating a very imaginative situation, Walton makes the reader think about more philosophical topics, like how we communicate and social relationships and their interplay (Am avoiding spoilers by not saying more about this.) .
There is more action in Memory Reborn than in the first two books, and as is typically the case with action there is also a bit more violence and cruelty. The level of such unpleasantness, however, is very modest compared with a lot of contemporary fiction; it is appropriate to the plot; and the ending will leave readers with a sense of satisfaction and a smile. One aspect of the conclusion may strain credulity a bit much for some readers, but it is imaginative and actually quite fitting!
I highly recommend this trilogy but also highly recommend you read the books in order both to get a full understanding and appreciation of the world Walton has created and to avoid spoilers.
Thank you, David Walton, for sending me an advance review copy of your book. I look forward to its publication so that my husband can satisfy his strong curiosity about how the tale will conclude.
When paleontologists Samira and Kit uncover an exciting dinosaur trove, they expect excitement and challenge, but when their find also includes a form of ancient technology the world no longer has, the challenge expands to international conflict involving the USA, China, and Thailand. These challenges for both the scientists and the governments become even greater with the emergence of an organism that could wipe out the human race. This is the setup for David Walton’s Living Memory thriller, and I will say no more so that you can enjoy the details as the story unfolds.
It will be no spoiler, though, to say that Memory Reborn has the characteristics that always make me eager to read Walton’s work. First of all, there is the realism of the characters. They ALL seem genuine, and their actions and interactions are highly credible, even in highly unusual circumstances. The second element is the thought-provoking insights. Science fiction as a genre is known to be thought-provoking, but in addition to creating a very imaginative situation, Walton makes the reader think about more philosophical topics, like how we communicate and social relationships and their interplay (Am avoiding spoilers by not saying more about this.) .
There is more action in Memory Reborn than in the first two books, and as is typically the case with action there is also a bit more violence and cruelty. The level of such unpleasantness, however, is very modest compared with a lot of contemporary fiction; it is appropriate to the plot; and the ending will leave readers with a sense of satisfaction and a smile. One aspect of the conclusion may strain credulity a bit much for some readers, but it is imaginative and actually quite fitting!
I highly recommend this trilogy but also highly recommend you read the books in order both to get a full understanding and appreciation of the world Walton has created and to avoid spoilers.
Thank you, David Walton, for sending me an advance review copy of your book. I look forward to its publication so that my husband can satisfy his strong curiosity about how the tale will conclude.
December 29, 2023
The nitty-gritty: David Walton's thrilling sci-fi dinosaur-centric series concludes with plenty of action and surprises.
David Walton’s exciting trilogy has come to an end, and this was such a fun reading experience. If you love science fiction books with an emphasis on the “science,” combined with high stakes and thrilling action, then you might be the perfect reader for this series. Memory Reborn wraps things up nicely with some heartfelt moments and plenty of food for thought.
Do be aware that there will be spoilers for the first two books in the series!
The story begins soon after the conclusion of Deadly Memory. Our characters are scattered all over the world, dealing with the unfolding events caused by the extraordinary appearance of two maniraptors, brought back to life after they were able to “save” themselves from the asteroid that struck Earth 66,000,000 years ago. Now several factions are vying for control over the dinosaurs, each with their own agenda. Samira and her friends are still hiding out on the ranch in Oregon with Prey, one of the maniraptors, and although the location is private, Samira knows it is only a matter of time before the authorities come after them.
We also meet Li Ling, a young Chinese scientist who has just been hired by a prestigious genetics company in the remote area of Yunnan. Li Ling is determined to prove her worth to her boss, but one day she’s horrified to discover that the female maniraptor they're studying is being tortured so that she’ll secrete a particular chemical. As we learned in the first two books, this chemical has been turned into a dangerous weapon, where people can be controlled by its scent. Li Ling forms a connection with the dinosaur, named Rain, and makes a plan to help her escape.
Meanwhile, the deadly Julian virus is spreading. With the help of Prey, Samira makes a startling discovery that could change the course of the disease, but in order to pursue it, she needs to get Prey to Thailand, the location of the dig site where Prey’s remains were discovered. But the Chinese will do anything to steal him back for themselves, and time is running out.
Walton has upped the stakes in this installment with lots of nail-biting chase scenes and plenty of danger, spanning the United States, China and Thailand, giving the story an epic, international flavor. The cast of characters is fairly large and varied, but the author deftly jumps from character to character with ease. I also loved that we get the perspectives of Rain and Prey, who are caught up in events they can barely understand at first. And yet their intelligence allows them to quickly figure out what’s going on: the Chinese want to enslave them and harvest the memory chemical they secrete. Luckily, the dinos have some amazing allies who are committed to helping them escape the clutches of the Chinese. The maniraptors are truly the stars of the show, with their uncanny ability to cure illness and even influence how people behave.
Which brings me to the science. David Walton’s books always feel authentic when it comes to scientific details, and this book is no exception. The idea that dinosaurs could be revived from fossilized remains is incredible to begin with, but Walton takes things a step further by giving his dinos the ability to communicate via scent and even make changes to their DNA. I won’t go into detail because of spoilers, but I was in awe of what they could do, especially when it came to the Julian virus.
There are a few scenes involving the dinosaurs that came across as a bit silly, though. At times they felt almost human, like when Prey is forced onto an airplane by the Chinese. The fact that Prey can communicate with speech also felt far fetched to me, although I understand that communication was necessary for the plot to move forward. I will say it was pretty easy to suspend my disbelief despite some of the silliness, simply because the story was so entertaining.
The resolution to the Julian virus was not at all what I was expecting, so kudos to the author for surprising me! I thought it was a weird but very cool idea that solved the problem in a unique way, and I do love when authors take chances like this.
I’m very glad I had the chance to read the Living Memory trilogy. This was such a fun combination of science fiction and paleontology, with engaging characters, political intrigue and a good dose of social commentary added for good measure. Don’t miss it!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
David Walton’s exciting trilogy has come to an end, and this was such a fun reading experience. If you love science fiction books with an emphasis on the “science,” combined with high stakes and thrilling action, then you might be the perfect reader for this series. Memory Reborn wraps things up nicely with some heartfelt moments and plenty of food for thought.
Do be aware that there will be spoilers for the first two books in the series!
The story begins soon after the conclusion of Deadly Memory. Our characters are scattered all over the world, dealing with the unfolding events caused by the extraordinary appearance of two maniraptors, brought back to life after they were able to “save” themselves from the asteroid that struck Earth 66,000,000 years ago. Now several factions are vying for control over the dinosaurs, each with their own agenda. Samira and her friends are still hiding out on the ranch in Oregon with Prey, one of the maniraptors, and although the location is private, Samira knows it is only a matter of time before the authorities come after them.
We also meet Li Ling, a young Chinese scientist who has just been hired by a prestigious genetics company in the remote area of Yunnan. Li Ling is determined to prove her worth to her boss, but one day she’s horrified to discover that the female maniraptor they're studying is being tortured so that she’ll secrete a particular chemical. As we learned in the first two books, this chemical has been turned into a dangerous weapon, where people can be controlled by its scent. Li Ling forms a connection with the dinosaur, named Rain, and makes a plan to help her escape.
Meanwhile, the deadly Julian virus is spreading. With the help of Prey, Samira makes a startling discovery that could change the course of the disease, but in order to pursue it, she needs to get Prey to Thailand, the location of the dig site where Prey’s remains were discovered. But the Chinese will do anything to steal him back for themselves, and time is running out.
Walton has upped the stakes in this installment with lots of nail-biting chase scenes and plenty of danger, spanning the United States, China and Thailand, giving the story an epic, international flavor. The cast of characters is fairly large and varied, but the author deftly jumps from character to character with ease. I also loved that we get the perspectives of Rain and Prey, who are caught up in events they can barely understand at first. And yet their intelligence allows them to quickly figure out what’s going on: the Chinese want to enslave them and harvest the memory chemical they secrete. Luckily, the dinos have some amazing allies who are committed to helping them escape the clutches of the Chinese. The maniraptors are truly the stars of the show, with their uncanny ability to cure illness and even influence how people behave.
Which brings me to the science. David Walton’s books always feel authentic when it comes to scientific details, and this book is no exception. The idea that dinosaurs could be revived from fossilized remains is incredible to begin with, but Walton takes things a step further by giving his dinos the ability to communicate via scent and even make changes to their DNA. I won’t go into detail because of spoilers, but I was in awe of what they could do, especially when it came to the Julian virus.
There are a few scenes involving the dinosaurs that came across as a bit silly, though. At times they felt almost human, like when Prey is forced onto an airplane by the Chinese. The fact that Prey can communicate with speech also felt far fetched to me, although I understand that communication was necessary for the plot to move forward. I will say it was pretty easy to suspend my disbelief despite some of the silliness, simply because the story was so entertaining.
The resolution to the Julian virus was not at all what I was expecting, so kudos to the author for surprising me! I thought it was a weird but very cool idea that solved the problem in a unique way, and I do love when authors take chances like this.
I’m very glad I had the chance to read the Living Memory trilogy. This was such a fun combination of science fiction and paleontology, with engaging characters, political intrigue and a good dose of social commentary added for good measure. Don’t miss it!
Big thanks to the author for providing a review copy.
December 25, 2023
I’ve got a present for any of you that love a good read: David Walton’s “Memory Reborn” book is a finely crafted conclusion to his superb “Living Memory” dinosaur trilogy! It’s more intriguing that any of the Jurassic books, and would make a fantastic series of movies, if any of you filmmakers are looking for a completely original story, instead of rehashing the same tired remakes, over and over again. I really wondered how David was going to complete the story arc that left us wanting more at the end of “Deadly Memory” and delivered in style!
December 16, 2023
Dinosaurs, scientists, global implications and warfare, disease, oh my! "Memory Reborn" absolutely delivers a thrilling conclusion to this wonderful trilogy by Walton. Obviously you need to read the first two books, so go do so before reading this one, but each of these books is a 5 star read for me. I loved this series.
December 4, 2023
Brilliant to read, although it's a slight shame that the title of the book gives so much away. I loved every turning point, the end of chapter 10 got me, and the whole story and indeed the series was very much worthwhile.
September 1, 2024
What a fantastic finish to an amazing series! This is my favorite (so far) of David Walton’s books.
February 22, 2024
David Walton’s Memory Trilogy is a captivating sci-fi thriller that keeps you guessing through all three books.
I first read Walton’s Genius Plague two years ago and was amazed at the pacing and creativity of Walton’s stripped-down approach to storytelling. Walton’s characters come art you fully formed, and are never carbon copies from other stories or Walton’s previous works. He seems to thrive on world-building, and introducing his characters is the foundation for his story, a promising sign for the reader.
But once the story gets started, which takes barely a page into first book, Living Memory, it does not let up. Wisely, Walton introduces characters bit by bit, and only in service to the story, which finds a well-meaning set of friends and diverse, but experienced, archeologists intertwining their stories with global politics, medicine, and military authorities.
But the core of the story depends on a captivating idea: that smell has the potential to convey more, and more complex, information than spoken or written language, and does so more efficiently. The science behind this fiction is really intriguing, and makes some particularly mind-bending plot devices (and key characters) all the more captivating, heroic, and interesting.
Walton also continually turns your expectations on their collective ear. You expect certain things to resolve, but they don’t always do so. In this, Walton reflects the realities of life. Stories and events usually resolve in some satisfactory fashion, but the people who participate in those stories, often as not, fail to change at all as a result. In particular, I found myself rooting for some kind of awakening for certain characters that in some cases never materialized. But this oversight really only served to keep the characters interesting to the very end.
You will find Walton’s Memory Trilogy to be a quick, captivating, and thrilling read, and I highly recommend it.
I first read Walton’s Genius Plague two years ago and was amazed at the pacing and creativity of Walton’s stripped-down approach to storytelling. Walton’s characters come art you fully formed, and are never carbon copies from other stories or Walton’s previous works. He seems to thrive on world-building, and introducing his characters is the foundation for his story, a promising sign for the reader.
But once the story gets started, which takes barely a page into first book, Living Memory, it does not let up. Wisely, Walton introduces characters bit by bit, and only in service to the story, which finds a well-meaning set of friends and diverse, but experienced, archeologists intertwining their stories with global politics, medicine, and military authorities.
But the core of the story depends on a captivating idea: that smell has the potential to convey more, and more complex, information than spoken or written language, and does so more efficiently. The science behind this fiction is really intriguing, and makes some particularly mind-bending plot devices (and key characters) all the more captivating, heroic, and interesting.
Walton also continually turns your expectations on their collective ear. You expect certain things to resolve, but they don’t always do so. In this, Walton reflects the realities of life. Stories and events usually resolve in some satisfactory fashion, but the people who participate in those stories, often as not, fail to change at all as a result. In particular, I found myself rooting for some kind of awakening for certain characters that in some cases never materialized. But this oversight really only served to keep the characters interesting to the very end.
You will find Walton’s Memory Trilogy to be a quick, captivating, and thrilling read, and I highly recommend it.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews