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Tepui: The Last Expedition
FIRST PLACE WINNER in the prestigious PNWA competition. -- Tepui is an “intelligent, cutting edge” tale of adventure, terror, and forbidden love. -- "Easily, one of the best books I have read this year." In 1559, forty-nine Spaniards exploring a tributary of the Orinoco River reached a sheer-sided, cloud-capped mountain called Tepui Zupay. When they tried to climb it, all but six were slaughtered by Amazons. Or so claimed Friar Sylvestre, the expedition's chronicler. But Sylvestre made many bizarre rivers of blood, plants that lead to gold ...Jerry Pace, a burn-scarred botanist struggling for tenure at UCLA, thinks the friar was delusional. Jerry's best friend, the historian who just acquired Sylvestre's journal, disagrees. He plans to retrace the expedition's footsteps, and wants Jerry to come with him. Jerry refuses, until he spots a stain between the journal's pages--a stain that could only have been left by a plant that died out with the dinosaurs. Now he has to find that plant.But the Venezuelan wilderness does not forgive intruders. Battered and broken, they reach a remote Catholic orphanage where the old prioress warns of death awaiting any who would venture farther. But an exotic Indian girl leads them on, through piranha-infested rivers and jungles teaming with poisonous plants, to Tepui Zupay--the forbidden mountain no outsider has set eyes on since the Spaniards met their doom.This is a story about life's surprises--the challenges, risks--and how they transform us. It is also a tale of Beauty and the Beast.-- "ONE OF THE BEST ADVENTURES I'VE BEEN ON SINCE 'INDIANA JONES!' ... The writing is addicting, scenery sublime and the characters fully alive ... I can't stop visualizing some of the incredible scenes and probably never will." --Amazon Customer-- "THE STORY WILL ENGULF YOU ... I like great mysteries and action packed novels that make me think. TEPUI did this." --Amazon Customer
390 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 20, 2015
471 people are currently reading
148 people want to read
About the author
John Oehler
7 books20 followersI began life as an exploration geologist. My work took me to about fifty countries and introduced me to cultures, people, and settings that provide inspiration for my novels. Besides challenging situations, I love science, history, the arts, and animals, all of which figure in my stories.
Since retiring from full-time geology in 2000, I have completed three novels. All have won awards.
APHRODESIA, published in October 2012, is a mystery/suspense story centered on fragrances and focused on one particular perfume that turns out to be a powerful aphrodisiac, so powerful it drives some people to kill their lovers in a fit of insatiable lust. APHRODESIA has received excellent reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Amazon customers. Here is a link to the Amazon page for both paperback and Kindle versions: http://www.amazon.com/Aphrodesia-Nove...
PAPYRUS, an adventure/thriller set to be published in 2013, tells the story of an African woman who, while working on her PhD thesis in the Cairo Museum, discovers hidden writing on a papyrus written by Queen Tiye to her youngest son, Tutankhamun. The secret text shatters conventional wisdom and launches her on a quest to find Tiye’s tomb. PAPYRUS reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel competition.
TEPUI, an adventure/thriller scheduled for publication in late 2013, follows a burn-scarred botanist who, guided by a 16th-Century Spanish manuscript, treks into the remote highlands of Venezuela in search of a plant thought to have died out with the dinosaurs. What he finds should have been left unfound. TEPUI won 1st Place at the 2004 Pacific Northwest Writers conference.
I am fortunate to be a member of two fine critique groups. And I’m happy to share what I have learned with other writers.
Since retiring from full-time geology in 2000, I have completed three novels. All have won awards.
APHRODESIA, published in October 2012, is a mystery/suspense story centered on fragrances and focused on one particular perfume that turns out to be a powerful aphrodisiac, so powerful it drives some people to kill their lovers in a fit of insatiable lust. APHRODESIA has received excellent reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Amazon customers. Here is a link to the Amazon page for both paperback and Kindle versions: http://www.amazon.com/Aphrodesia-Nove...
PAPYRUS, an adventure/thriller set to be published in 2013, tells the story of an African woman who, while working on her PhD thesis in the Cairo Museum, discovers hidden writing on a papyrus written by Queen Tiye to her youngest son, Tutankhamun. The secret text shatters conventional wisdom and launches her on a quest to find Tiye’s tomb. PAPYRUS reached the semi-finals of the 2009 Amazon Breakthrough Novel competition.
TEPUI, an adventure/thriller scheduled for publication in late 2013, follows a burn-scarred botanist who, guided by a 16th-Century Spanish manuscript, treks into the remote highlands of Venezuela in search of a plant thought to have died out with the dinosaurs. What he finds should have been left unfound. TEPUI won 1st Place at the 2004 Pacific Northwest Writers conference.
I am fortunate to be a member of two fine critique groups. And I’m happy to share what I have learned with other writers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
July 7, 2016
If you liked the adventure stories of Arthur Conan Doyle—read some of those again instead of this. While solidly pressed out of the Clive Cussler mold, at least the main (male) character is not devastatingly handsome (facial and scalp scars from a horrific fire)—even though he gets the girl: a virgin who is secretly an Amazon warrior living in a jungle convent(!). Tepui has a promising start, but then the silly plot takes over and the characters became a confusing, random mess. I have a high tolerance for pulp fiction, but making it to the end of this novel was a struggle. And I LIKE this kind of storytelling. Each character, on this jungle trek, has their own agenda: a prehistoric plant, a different plant, gold, and of course: a lost city of gold encrusted Amazon women. All the standard clichés are here…poison darts, attacking leopards, cascading waterfalls designed for humans to fall off, piranha, injuries requiring mysterious healing plants, ancient maps with cryptic clues, a villain with a rusty knife who is relentless in his pursuit of the hero, and marauding dinosaurs. Okay, there are no dinosaurs—but there should have been. Even though the dialogue is trite and predictable, the novel, over all, is well written. If the ideas had been a little more imaginative and original, this would be an adventure worth taking.
March 31, 2017
An enjoyable adventure tale, where two professors head into the amazon each with their own goals for their careers and research. Anika, who organized the expedition and recruited the two professors has her own agenda for heading into the amazon, and was less than honest about her reasons.
Selena who ends up as the guide through the amazon is a very interesting character, and I found myself constantly wanting to know more about her, and her tribe.
A story filled with deceit, mystery, sex and revenge.
Selena who ends up as the guide through the amazon is a very interesting character, and I found myself constantly wanting to know more about her, and her tribe.
A story filled with deceit, mystery, sex and revenge.
January 30, 2023
The story will engulf you
I like great mysteries and action packed novels that make me think.
Tepui did this.
Oehler has created a great cast of characters and enables you, the reader, to follow them on the search for two rain forest plants.
One is for healing & resolving pain. The other marks gold deposits in their natural form.
There are ongoing twists and turns to the story line. But we know ‘good’ people protect this natural areas.
What happens is thought provoking.
You’ll enjoy this book!
I like great mysteries and action packed novels that make me think.
Tepui did this.
Oehler has created a great cast of characters and enables you, the reader, to follow them on the search for two rain forest plants.
One is for healing & resolving pain. The other marks gold deposits in their natural form.
There are ongoing twists and turns to the story line. But we know ‘good’ people protect this natural areas.
What happens is thought provoking.
You’ll enjoy this book!
March 26, 2019
Tepui: The last expedition
I read this book because I have always found Delhi's to be fascinating , they are truly islands in the sky, not only in geographic isolation, but biological as well. They are also probably one of the only extant places on earth still largely unexplored by man.
This book grabs you by the shirttails and never lets go until the end! I will look for the other titles by the author.
I read this book because I have always found Delhi's to be fascinating , they are truly islands in the sky, not only in geographic isolation, but biological as well. They are also probably one of the only extant places on earth still largely unexplored by man.
This book grabs you by the shirttails and never lets go until the end! I will look for the other titles by the author.
May 30, 2016
Neat!
Not sure what I expected or hoped for when I decided to give this book a try but I was not disappointed! Believable characters and excellent descriptions brought the story to life. I liked it so much I'm about to buy Papyrus by the same author and read that next!
Not sure what I expected or hoped for when I decided to give this book a try but I was not disappointed! Believable characters and excellent descriptions brought the story to life. I liked it so much I'm about to buy Papyrus by the same author and read that next!
November 18, 2016
Good story even if you have to suspend disbelief so much due to all the injuries sustained and still the hero was able to keep going forward . I just kept turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. Nice one John!
December 15, 2020
Started out good and about halfway through I lost interest. Stupid storyline. Just goes to show a book may win awards doesn't mean its any good.
Read
December 2, 2023Abandon disbelief all ye who enter here!!
I slogged through to the bitter end in spite of continuous descriptions of assorted feats of physical impossibilities, survivals of impossible threats and human relationships without the vaguest sense of reality.
This is a FANTASY populated with near-humans with smatterings of reality threaded throughout.
Example: An explorer - deep in the Amazonian jungle - rips a four-inch flap of flesh almost off of his calf. The wound is cauterized - with heated rocks yet - and a salve made of vegetable matter is applied. No more than two days later, he is not only “up and about” but also capable of continuing a physically challenging hike further into the jungle. And it gets worse!
I don’t know why - other than sheer stubbornness - I continued past the one-quarter or one-third mark - but I pushed on to the impossible conclusion. My last thoughts were, “That’s never going to work out!!”
If you’re into what I call “ultra-fabricated fantasy”, you may enjoy this one.
I slogged through to the bitter end in spite of continuous descriptions of assorted feats of physical impossibilities, survivals of impossible threats and human relationships without the vaguest sense of reality.
This is a FANTASY populated with near-humans with smatterings of reality threaded throughout.
Example: An explorer - deep in the Amazonian jungle - rips a four-inch flap of flesh almost off of his calf. The wound is cauterized - with heated rocks yet - and a salve made of vegetable matter is applied. No more than two days later, he is not only “up and about” but also capable of continuing a physically challenging hike further into the jungle. And it gets worse!
I don’t know why - other than sheer stubbornness - I continued past the one-quarter or one-third mark - but I pushed on to the impossible conclusion. My last thoughts were, “That’s never going to work out!!”
If you’re into what I call “ultra-fabricated fantasy”, you may enjoy this one.
November 11, 2019
DNF
Having been hiking in the rainforest, the idea that a group with no experience would just head to the Amazon and start treking, on their OWN, for DAYS with no other plan is insane. AND they immediately throw away their water purifier because they don't need it. I know this is magic explorer fiction but a little common sense people! Not finishing the book, assuming they are too stupid to live and all die horribly. Reminds me of the movie Anaconda, but worse.
Having been hiking in the rainforest, the idea that a group with no experience would just head to the Amazon and start treking, on their OWN, for DAYS with no other plan is insane. AND they immediately throw away their water purifier because they don't need it. I know this is magic explorer fiction but a little common sense people! Not finishing the book, assuming they are too stupid to live and all die horribly. Reminds me of the movie Anaconda, but worse.
November 4, 2016
Growing up I was a big fan of Tarzan movies and really any jungle movie. This book reminded me of that love and of the fascination I had. The idea of going into a dense jungle on your own is beyond my imagination. The trek to find the route described in an ancient journal is filled with danger, greed, and beauty. An excellent book.
February 16, 2019
This is a modern version of the Lost World. The Conan Doyle book gets 5 stars. Not this one. This book is readable but has several irrelevant chapters that could be cropped out and many non-credible situations that could have been avoided. How come an orphanage in the middle of nowhere? Where to do the children come from? And so on.
May 5, 2019
Lost world
Great story! Held my interest from the first sentence. Had to put the book down twice, but only because I had to - and I resented my time away from it. I kept thinking what a great movie this story would make! Better than The Lost World or Green Mansions! Definitely a good read!
Great story! Held my interest from the first sentence. Had to put the book down twice, but only because I had to - and I resented my time away from it. I kept thinking what a great movie this story would make! Better than The Lost World or Green Mansions! Definitely a good read!
November 20, 2019
This was an excellent suspense novel as well as a great expedition story. The writing was detailed enough to really feel the impact of the jungle and how they managed to survive during the expedition although some of the action was a bit far fetched, almost super hero in nature. It was a very enjoyable read.
December 14, 2019
This started out well with the promise of a great adventure retracing the footsteps of old Spanish explorers in the jungles of Venezuela. It also promised the discovery of a plant species thought to have gone extinct millions of years ago. In the end, it turned out to be a cheesy story that I found to be a bit over the top.
January 24, 2020
Captivating read
Fascinating read that really opened my eyes to incredible possibilities. I have always been interested in travel and other cultures and this one hit all of the right buttons! As described, I am a cold reader. It would be delightful to read a short story, even a full length novel to continue this story... I really loved this book!
Fascinating read that really opened my eyes to incredible possibilities. I have always been interested in travel and other cultures and this one hit all of the right buttons! As described, I am a cold reader. It would be delightful to read a short story, even a full length novel to continue this story... I really loved this book!
May 11, 2020
Great story, great characters.
Any novel that is whiten with great characters and keeps you wanting to read the next chapter as soon as you finish the previous one, gets my attention. This book succeeds in all those categories - it's a thriller that just keeps you wanting to carry on until the end.
In my opinion a great book to enjoy and relax with.
Any novel that is whiten with great characters and keeps you wanting to read the next chapter as soon as you finish the previous one, gets my attention. This book succeeds in all those categories - it's a thriller that just keeps you wanting to carry on until the end.
In my opinion a great book to enjoy and relax with.
December 2, 2020
This was a wild ride of an adventure! Stretch your imagination to believe in Amazons and Incans living in the jungle wilds of Venezuela. Throw in a couple of bad characters to add more stress for the good guys, and beautiful scenery. The author has stirred up a good brew here, based on some factual research and his own travels. I'll go looking for more titles by him.
May 15, 2021
If you like adventure in the wilds in the Amazon you would like this. It has great antagonists that you hope get killed off, questionable characters and those, that hopefully, will rise into legendary heroism. Of course, this is fiction. Great subplots, Amazons and exotic settings. It was a lot of fun and great adventure.
July 20, 2021
Unexpectedly edgy :/
On the edgy side for an adventure book. Would not recommend. The Spanish largely checks out but there was way too much skin in the descriptions of people for me. Nothing too graphic but definitely PG13. :( If you’re looking for an adventure book, this probably isn’t the one.
On the edgy side for an adventure book. Would not recommend. The Spanish largely checks out but there was way too much skin in the descriptions of people for me. Nothing too graphic but definitely PG13. :( If you’re looking for an adventure book, this probably isn’t the one.
October 30, 2021
Tepui the Last Expedition has a lot going for it. An beautiful setting in Venezuela, interesting characters, and initially a good story line. Near the end, it started to lose me. It just seemed to get a little ridiculous. I want to read another book by John Oehler as I feel he has vast knowledge of the subject matter he is writing about. I really appreciated seeing a map in a novel.
December 12, 2021
Amazons, gold, Incas and El Dirado
A botanist and a historian embark on an expedition after reading a journal that chronicals a much earlier expedition in Venezuela. The allure of a plant not seen in hundreds of years and the opportunity to document an area almost unknown to humankind leads to an adventure few would believe let alone survive.
Page turner at its best..
A botanist and a historian embark on an expedition after reading a journal that chronicals a much earlier expedition in Venezuela. The allure of a plant not seen in hundreds of years and the opportunity to document an area almost unknown to humankind leads to an adventure few would believe let alone survive.
Page turner at its best..
Read
June 18, 2022Disappointing
I thought this story had potential in the beginning. It started fairly strong, but quickly became so ridiculous that I couldn't finish it. Totally amateurish, the writing reminded me of something a kid would write. Sorry, I don't like writing bad reviews, but I also don't like wasting my time.
I thought this story had potential in the beginning. It started fairly strong, but quickly became so ridiculous that I couldn't finish it. Totally amateurish, the writing reminded me of something a kid would write. Sorry, I don't like writing bad reviews, but I also don't like wasting my time.
December 22, 2022
Predictable but adventurous is the best description. The book contains a love story, a hardship past, a plot of greed, a little murder, and a dangerous trek through the jungle. The underlying question is: could two dominating cultures, weakened by war, unite to form an entirely new societal order?
October 13, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel—three travelers with different motives set out on an adventure in the jungles of Venezuela. The characters have internal and external conflicts as the trip progresses. The action is lively. I felt as though I was in the jungle with them.
Don't pass on this book if you like a good Jungle thriller.
Don't pass on this book if you like a good Jungle thriller.
January 1, 2024
A Good as an Indiana Jones Movie!
A historian so involved in history that he can't be practical, A scientist who lost the love of his life and is obsessed with his work, A crazy female obsessed with a quest, and a real Amazon warrior; what else is needed for a great adventure. The plot thickens, the escape improbable, and the good guy gets the right girl in the end.
A historian so involved in history that he can't be practical, A scientist who lost the love of his life and is obsessed with his work, A crazy female obsessed with a quest, and a real Amazon warrior; what else is needed for a great adventure. The plot thickens, the escape improbable, and the good guy gets the right girl in the end.
December 30, 2019
What the Amazon may be hiding
Intriguing concept regarding yet undiscovered riches, botanicals, and the migration of peoples in the Amazon. The research involving medicinal plants was well used, and the plot had enough twists to keep it moving.
Intriguing concept regarding yet undiscovered riches, botanicals, and the migration of peoples in the Amazon. The research involving medicinal plants was well used, and the plot had enough twists to keep it moving.
February 8, 2020
An exciting adventure
An exciting adventure with interesting twists and turns. The descriptions of the various places where vet vivid. You could almost smell the orchids and hear the birds and monkeys.
An exciting adventure with interesting twists and turns. The descriptions of the various places where vet vivid. You could almost smell the orchids and hear the birds and monkeys.
February 13, 2020
Exciting, suspenseful, creative
The above says it all. Not my usual genre but glad I found it. Great from start to finish. A real treat and now I have a new author to follow.
The above says it all. Not my usual genre but glad I found it. Great from start to finish. A real treat and now I have a new author to follow.
July 9, 2020
Fascinating
I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I am going to have to do some housework before I start Ex Librus because I have a feeling it will be another cant put down read. Fabulous.
I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I am going to have to do some housework before I start Ex Librus because I have a feeling it will be another cant put down read. Fabulous.
December 30, 2021
As many have said , this book started with great promise . Lost its way half way through . Couldn’t wait for it to be finished . Had to finish it to confirm what I knew was coming . Predictable and the second half written like a chick flick .
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews