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Origins #2
Raising the Past
FROM THE ICE. . .
A mammoth, flash frozen in solid ice 10,000 years ago is brought to the surface by a team of scientists. An act of sabotage frees the giant from its icy tomb and reveals the secret held inside.
OUT OF THE MAMMOTH. . .
The body of an ancient woman, cloaked in furs, slides out of the mammoth's belly. But it is not the woman that holds the team's attention...it is the object she is clutching...a device created by an advanced civilization.
THE HUNT IS ON. . .
The device is accidentally activated, summoning forces who seek its destruction. It is the key to mankind's salvation and freedom from the men behind the curtain, pulling the strings and leading humanity towards destruction.
A mammoth, flash frozen in solid ice 10,000 years ago is brought to the surface by a team of scientists. An act of sabotage frees the giant from its icy tomb and reveals the secret held inside.
OUT OF THE MAMMOTH. . .
The body of an ancient woman, cloaked in furs, slides out of the mammoth's belly. But it is not the woman that holds the team's attention...it is the object she is clutching...a device created by an advanced civilization.
THE HUNT IS ON. . .
The device is accidentally activated, summoning forces who seek its destruction. It is the key to mankind's salvation and freedom from the men behind the curtain, pulling the strings and leading humanity towards destruction.
308 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2006
186 people are currently reading
757 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Robinson
164 books2,606 followersJeremy Robinson is the New York Times bestselling author of seventy novels and novellas, including Apocalypse Machine, Island 731, and SecondWorld, as well as the Jack Sigler thriller series and Project Nemesis, the highest selling, original (non-licensed) kaiju novel of all time. He’s known for mixing elements of science, history and mythology, which has earned him the #1 spot in Science Fiction and Action-Adventure, and secured him as the top creature feature author. Many of his novels have been adapted into comic books, optioned for film and TV, and translated into thirteen languages. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three children. Visit him at www.bewareofmonsters.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews
July 8, 2012
This book has some really great reviews at Amazon.com. Based on the 5-star reviews and the premise about excavating a woolly mammoth, I went ahead and purchased the book, hoping it would really be a great adventure yarn -- especially since it was recommended by James Rollins. As I read the book, however, the story for me devolved into a comic-bookish sci-fi story complete with opposing sets of aliens! I believe the author was a comic book writer and I think this is very evident. I did enjoy the setup for the story and the first parts about the mammoth excavation. And the story does have a lot of action but I really can’t recommend it.
August 9, 2014
This was a good story that had the potential of being much better. The plot was well developed but I had to work a little to hard suspend my disbelief in certain areas. But the story moved fast and had some pretty cool action. The premise was imaginative.
January 11, 2024
Another great adventure thriller from the master. Could not put it down!!! Action-packed, fast-paced and kinda scary, this is a winner!
September 3, 2012
Mostly a sci-fi book, "Raising the Past" deals with the discovery of an ancient alien artifact clutched by a prehistoric women found in the belly of a wooly mammoth. Sounds fantastic? Actually, it a solid story driven by good characters, plenty of action, and sufficient number of plot twists.
The book's protagonists, Eve and Eddy, are teamed up again with their usual crew to set upon the raising of the perfectly preserved mammoth. Once the mammoth is pulled from its icy grave, the explorers find that another perfectly preserved body, this time a 40-year old prehistoric woman, has taken shelter inside the hide of the beast. Both bodies appear to be flash frozen and in great shape. It's what the woman is clutching when she falls out of the mammoth that starts the plot into another direction. The device she's holding is certainly not of this world, nor her time period. Our intrepid explorers soon find that the device is more than likely something left behind by ancient aliens.
Robinson does a nice job pulling all of the plot lines together into a story that rumbles along like the SnoCats driven by the crew. I think fans of James Rollins and Matthew Reilly will find "Raising the Past" much to their liking.
The book's protagonists, Eve and Eddy, are teamed up again with their usual crew to set upon the raising of the perfectly preserved mammoth. Once the mammoth is pulled from its icy grave, the explorers find that another perfectly preserved body, this time a 40-year old prehistoric woman, has taken shelter inside the hide of the beast. Both bodies appear to be flash frozen and in great shape. It's what the woman is clutching when she falls out of the mammoth that starts the plot into another direction. The device she's holding is certainly not of this world, nor her time period. Our intrepid explorers soon find that the device is more than likely something left behind by ancient aliens.
Robinson does a nice job pulling all of the plot lines together into a story that rumbles along like the SnoCats driven by the crew. I think fans of James Rollins and Matthew Reilly will find "Raising the Past" much to their liking.
November 7, 2010
The premise of this book, unfortunately, was much more interesting than its actual execution. It was a fun, silly sort of adventure that would have been more entertaining without the video game references and stilted, unrealistic dialogue. The loose ending and the characters' blanket acceptance of all the outlandish actions just felt completely unbelievable. Still, it was overall entertaining enough to keep me reading. If the characters had been more three-dimensional and less stereotypical, and the wildlife had been treated more realistically, then I would have enjoyed this much, much more.
June 9, 2015
Raising the Past is a fast-paced sci-fi thriller the likes of which I've come to expect from Jeremy Robinson. It's got arctic danger, archeological finds, and otherworldly thrills and chills. And a fair amount of action. I was never bored waiting for it to take off. I recommend this book! For others like it, follow up with Island 731 then Project Nemesis, Project Maigo, and Project 731. You'll have a monster of a good time!
April 13, 2012
The premise of this was much better than the story itself. I wasn't really into this book after the first quarter, but still finished it anyhow. It really didn't get much better. I did like the Arctic setting, and the conflicts it provided, but the characters weren't really that well drawn out, and the plot didn't hold my attention. Not Robinson's best at all.
December 27, 2018
An Archeologist/Scientist Team is assembled to uncover a frozen mammoth. Little did they know that this would set off a chase across the frozen landscape running from ones they thought were their enemies to help save the earth. I felt like this was a good story, but a bit contrived in places. The big twist in the end of the novel caught me by surprise. Worth a read.
August 2, 2015
This is my second Jeremy Robinson book and I enjoyed it as much as the first. Jeremy doesn't write high brow literature, but he does write entertaining action backed by intriguing stories.
If you're looking for perfection look elsewhere, if you're looking for a good time give this book a try.
I suspect if Jeremy ever does work on sharpening his craft he will be a force to reckon with.
If you're looking for perfection look elsewhere, if you're looking for a good time give this book a try.
I suspect if Jeremy ever does work on sharpening his craft he will be a force to reckon with.
June 27, 2012
2.5-3 stars.
Had trouble finishing this one, but plowed through to the end.
Enjoyed another arctic adventure more: The Thing.
Had trouble finishing this one, but plowed through to the end.
Enjoyed another arctic adventure more: The Thing.
March 29, 2013
characters are not really well developed, action is really far fetched. If you received a deep cut in your leg from a large animal you probably wouldn't be running and jumping for long if it all.
January 1, 2014
I liked the first part of the novel, but the ending kind of lost it for me. I don't need my alien invasion stories to be about good an evil.
March 7, 2022
Overall 3.5 to 4 stars. Entertaining book with relatable characters (those seeking a more intellectual novel should probably look elsewhere). Some of the banter between Steve and Kevin is classic and I personally found fairly humorous. In addition, the characters of Nicole and Harwood were also entertaining in their own annoying way.
I haven't read a ton of science fiction but I did enjoy that Mr Robinson did not succumb to using a typical alien character that resembled E. T. The concept of the Ferox being able to morph in and out of a human "skin" was pretty cool (though the short offshoot story of the military guy crawling through the ventilation shaft to try to kill the guy in the desert who turned out to be a Ferox was in my opinion unnecessary to the story). I also enjoyed the Aeros alien as well which seemed to thrive in a more oxygen rich environment. Finally, the citadel yielding weaponry to fit all times periods in human existence as any one of the early humanoids could have come across it and been there to rid the planet of evil was also very interesting.
The story was at times very "made for film" but I didn't mind as it moved along at a quick pace and, in the end, who knows what the interaction might be like between humans and aliens when it finally occurs? The thought that two types of aliens might vie to use a "simple-minded" race like humans for their advancement seems not that far-fetched. It did seem a little contrived that all of the bad things in the world were supposedly as a result of the interaction between humans and the Ferox as humans have proven over time to be fairly self destructive but if you rid yourself of the thought that everything must make complete logical sense then you should be entertained by the story.
MAD
I haven't read a ton of science fiction but I did enjoy that Mr Robinson did not succumb to using a typical alien character that resembled E. T. The concept of the Ferox being able to morph in and out of a human "skin" was pretty cool (though the short offshoot story of the military guy crawling through the ventilation shaft to try to kill the guy in the desert who turned out to be a Ferox was in my opinion unnecessary to the story). I also enjoyed the Aeros alien as well which seemed to thrive in a more oxygen rich environment. Finally, the citadel yielding weaponry to fit all times periods in human existence as any one of the early humanoids could have come across it and been there to rid the planet of evil was also very interesting.
The story was at times very "made for film" but I didn't mind as it moved along at a quick pace and, in the end, who knows what the interaction might be like between humans and aliens when it finally occurs? The thought that two types of aliens might vie to use a "simple-minded" race like humans for their advancement seems not that far-fetched. It did seem a little contrived that all of the bad things in the world were supposedly as a result of the interaction between humans and the Ferox as humans have proven over time to be fairly self destructive but if you rid yourself of the thought that everything must make complete logical sense then you should be entertained by the story.
MAD
January 30, 2021
Jeremy Robinson’s novels tend to be pretty good, but every once in awhile (and, unfortunately, a lot more often lately) a book of his strikes out and ends up being a dud.
Raising the Past is one of those duds. Now I know this was only his second novel, and there were a ton of great stories that came after this, so I’m willing to be a bit more understanding and lenient on my review of it, but still, this one was a mess.
In concept, it has its moments. There are times when it feels like an older James Rollins book, thrown together with old school Matt Reilly. With its action packed pace and Arctic setting I caught Robinson’s obvious inspiration from Ice Hunt and Ice Station, respectfully. It’s also classic Robinson in its crazy mash up of genres and plot.
The problem though, is that the plot just isn’t that good. This book was the impetus for one of many of Robinson’s interconnected universes that he thankfully fixed up in his Nemesis saga, however starting out with Raising the Past, you’d never know it could be such an original idea. Somewhere buried amongst the pages of this book is a convoluted alien/demon kind of story that just falls flat too many times. The said aliens/demons don’t make sense and their motivation is very ho-hum and boring. I also found the characters to be uninspired and the way things happen in this one just doesn’t make sense.
I love Robinson (or at least that period of time when everything he wrote was an easy 5 star novel), but Raising the Past is not a good example of what he can accomplish.
Raising the Past is one of those duds. Now I know this was only his second novel, and there were a ton of great stories that came after this, so I’m willing to be a bit more understanding and lenient on my review of it, but still, this one was a mess.
In concept, it has its moments. There are times when it feels like an older James Rollins book, thrown together with old school Matt Reilly. With its action packed pace and Arctic setting I caught Robinson’s obvious inspiration from Ice Hunt and Ice Station, respectfully. It’s also classic Robinson in its crazy mash up of genres and plot.
The problem though, is that the plot just isn’t that good. This book was the impetus for one of many of Robinson’s interconnected universes that he thankfully fixed up in his Nemesis saga, however starting out with Raising the Past, you’d never know it could be such an original idea. Somewhere buried amongst the pages of this book is a convoluted alien/demon kind of story that just falls flat too many times. The said aliens/demons don’t make sense and their motivation is very ho-hum and boring. I also found the characters to be uninspired and the way things happen in this one just doesn’t make sense.
I love Robinson (or at least that period of time when everything he wrote was an easy 5 star novel), but Raising the Past is not a good example of what he can accomplish.
August 3, 2025
Fast, fun, and totally over-the-top (in true Jeremy fashion)
As someone who’s been enjoying Jeremy Robinson’s Origins universe, I had a good feeling going into Raising the Past, and honestly it didn’t disappoint. It’s wild, pulpy, and full of exactly the kind of chaotic, sci-fi-meets-history madness that I read these books for.
The story kicks off with a discovery buried in Arctic ice (frozen bodies, of course), and from there it snowballs into a full-blown race against extinction involving ancient secrets, Nazi tech, submarines, and more action than a Michael Bay movie marathon. The pace? Absolutely nonstop. And if you're into bold, cinematic storytelling that doesn’t slow down for even a second, this is your kind of book.
That said, the breakneck speed is also what held it back a bit for me. The plot is packed to the brim with twists and high-stakes moments, but it rarely lets the reader sit with any of it. I would’ve loved a bit more depth emotionally, especially to make the stakes feel real, not just big.
The characters are fun (a little larger-than-life), and the connections to The Didymus Contingency gave the story a nice sense of continuity in the Origins series. I’m definitely invested in the bigger universe Robinson is building, even if this one felt a little more like a wild ride than a deeply grounded story.
Overall: a fast, entertaining read with plenty of wow moments. Not my favorite in the series, but if you know what you’re signing up for, it totally delivers.
As someone who’s been enjoying Jeremy Robinson’s Origins universe, I had a good feeling going into Raising the Past, and honestly it didn’t disappoint. It’s wild, pulpy, and full of exactly the kind of chaotic, sci-fi-meets-history madness that I read these books for.
The story kicks off with a discovery buried in Arctic ice (frozen bodies, of course), and from there it snowballs into a full-blown race against extinction involving ancient secrets, Nazi tech, submarines, and more action than a Michael Bay movie marathon. The pace? Absolutely nonstop. And if you're into bold, cinematic storytelling that doesn’t slow down for even a second, this is your kind of book.
That said, the breakneck speed is also what held it back a bit for me. The plot is packed to the brim with twists and high-stakes moments, but it rarely lets the reader sit with any of it. I would’ve loved a bit more depth emotionally, especially to make the stakes feel real, not just big.
The characters are fun (a little larger-than-life), and the connections to The Didymus Contingency gave the story a nice sense of continuity in the Origins series. I’m definitely invested in the bigger universe Robinson is building, even if this one felt a little more like a wild ride than a deeply grounded story.
Overall: a fast, entertaining read with plenty of wow moments. Not my favorite in the series, but if you know what you’re signing up for, it totally delivers.
June 14, 2021
What begins as an archaeological adventure thriller soon evolves into a much bigger story with bigger implications.
A fully intact wooly mammoth is discovered frozen in the Canadian arctic. As it is excavated, astonishment reigns when a woman is found within the mammoth's stomach. But the mystery continues, as the archeologists discover the object the woman clutches in her hands...
I've read reviews where people were disappointed with the quick change of things after the discover, and I suppose II can understand their misgivings. I, for one, welcomed the much bigger story that evolves and the further implications in further books to come.
This is a straight-forward action adventure. The action scenes were really well done, and could easily be translated to the big/small screen. Character dynamics were also great, and the protagonist's objectives were strong.
The bigger mysteries that emerge, which I won't spoil here, have the potential to fall apart in future books, but for what is being set up here in this book I'd say the foundations were quite strong. I wasn't incredibly impressed with Robinson's previous (and first published) book Didymus Contingency, but Raising The Past is leaps and bounds a better book and the author's craft improving is evident here.
Check it out.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
A fully intact wooly mammoth is discovered frozen in the Canadian arctic. As it is excavated, astonishment reigns when a woman is found within the mammoth's stomach. But the mystery continues, as the archeologists discover the object the woman clutches in her hands...
I've read reviews where people were disappointed with the quick change of things after the discover, and I suppose II can understand their misgivings. I, for one, welcomed the much bigger story that evolves and the further implications in further books to come.
This is a straight-forward action adventure. The action scenes were really well done, and could easily be translated to the big/small screen. Character dynamics were also great, and the protagonist's objectives were strong.
The bigger mysteries that emerge, which I won't spoil here, have the potential to fall apart in future books, but for what is being set up here in this book I'd say the foundations were quite strong. I wasn't incredibly impressed with Robinson's previous (and first published) book Didymus Contingency, but Raising The Past is leaps and bounds a better book and the author's craft improving is evident here.
Check it out.
Join the RK King readers' list for an exclusive FREE short story, plus inside info, musings, promos and more: RK King Writes
January 12, 2019
This book was on the very edges of what I normally read, but I like adventure/thrillers about science. Not a whole lot of science going on here but it was definitely thrilling! The fast-paced action was well-written...Robinson is very good at both describing the scene and moving the action through it. He also wrote interesting likable characters, even if they were standard stock characters you’d find in this type of book. What impressed me was that the gratuitous romance plotline which I usually find so tedious...so unnecessary...actually added an extra bit of frisson to the whole thing. Eddy and Eves weird little pas de deux was rather charming.
As soon as the plotline included alien crap, I shifted mental gears and was able to enjoy the story...as I said, I don’t normally brook that level of nonsense.
Overall, the fact that I raced through this, reluctant to put it down several times, speaks well of it!
This seems to be part of a series although I don’t really understand how. The description of Origins 4 sounded good and I’ll probably read that. But Origins 3 didn’t seem to be a continuation of this one. Puzzling but oh well.
As soon as the plotline included alien crap, I shifted mental gears and was able to enjoy the story...as I said, I don’t normally brook that level of nonsense.
Overall, the fact that I raced through this, reluctant to put it down several times, speaks well of it!
This seems to be part of a series although I don’t really understand how. The description of Origins 4 sounded good and I’ll probably read that. But Origins 3 didn’t seem to be a continuation of this one. Puzzling but oh well.
April 3, 2022
This review is for the audiobook version of Raising the Past by Jeremy Robinson and narrated by Jeffrey Kafer.
Raising the Past is book 2 in the series and I definitely feel like I missed out not having read the first book, but I never felt lost and still managed to enjoy the ride.
Spoiler alert*********
What starts out as a Jurassic Park-like expedition to excavate a fully intact wooly mammoth to extract its DNA quickly devolves into something completely different. Raising the Past is equal parts survival horror and pseudo-religious sci-fi.
With more twists and turns than a dog takes before laying down, Robinson forces the reader to question whether humanity would choose between an angelic future without free will or one inspired by demons in liberty.
Jeffrey Kafer, as always, proved a talented and dependable narrator.
Raising the Past isn’t my favorite book by Robinson, he’s gotten much better since he wrote this, but I had fun on this ride and will likely continue with the series.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Raising the Past is book 2 in the series and I definitely feel like I missed out not having read the first book, but I never felt lost and still managed to enjoy the ride.
Spoiler alert*********
What starts out as a Jurassic Park-like expedition to excavate a fully intact wooly mammoth to extract its DNA quickly devolves into something completely different. Raising the Past is equal parts survival horror and pseudo-religious sci-fi.
With more twists and turns than a dog takes before laying down, Robinson forces the reader to question whether humanity would choose between an angelic future without free will or one inspired by demons in liberty.
Jeffrey Kafer, as always, proved a talented and dependable narrator.
Raising the Past isn’t my favorite book by Robinson, he’s gotten much better since he wrote this, but I had fun on this ride and will likely continue with the series.
I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2022
This sci-fi story starts out well and the concept of alien races was interesting but it was a bit too implausible at times for my liking. It wasn’t the premise of the story but rather the little things, like being wet and half clothed in arctic condition and not only surviving but not even seeming to feel the cold. This story has lots of fast paced action, archeological finds, a huge bear and waring aliens for the team to contend with. The narrator of the audiobook, Jeffrey Kafer, does a good job of driving the story forward and makes it easy to distinguish the characters. It was an imaginative premise that had potential but the improbable feats and the somewhat uninspiring protagonist detracted somewhat from overall story for me.
October 31, 2022
Loved the narration of Jeffrey Kafer
A fully intact woolly mammoth is discovered frozen in the Canadian arctic. When it is excavated, a woman is found within the mammoth's stomach, the archaeologists discover the object the woman clutches in her hands.
Eve and Eddy are teamed up again with their usual crew to set upon the raising of the perfectly preserved mammoth and now a perfectly formed woman. The device she's holding is certainly not of this world, nor her time period.
Brilliant action.
A fully intact woolly mammoth is discovered frozen in the Canadian arctic. When it is excavated, a woman is found within the mammoth's stomach, the archaeologists discover the object the woman clutches in her hands.
Eve and Eddy are teamed up again with their usual crew to set upon the raising of the perfectly preserved mammoth and now a perfectly formed woman. The device she's holding is certainly not of this world, nor her time period.
Brilliant action.
January 8, 2019
One Robinsons earliest books. It's part of what is called the Origins series which probably relates more to his starting writing as based on the descriptions the three books involved sound like they have little relationship. This one has plenty of cliches and tired dialogue but pounds ever through to its conclusion which leaves a sequel opening, or if you wish an unfinished ending since there hasn't been a sequel, for one to consider.
August 30, 2021
Arctic sci fi romp
An expedition to the Arctic to uncover a wooly mammoth uncovers more in the form of a futuristic artifact that leads the scientists and film crew on a dangerous mission across the icy expanses and into unknown dangers.
I enjoyed this sci fi thriller but didn't realize that it's part of a series of books. I rate it at 3 1/2 stars but am not interested enough to read the rest of the books in the series.
An expedition to the Arctic to uncover a wooly mammoth uncovers more in the form of a futuristic artifact that leads the scientists and film crew on a dangerous mission across the icy expanses and into unknown dangers.
I enjoyed this sci fi thriller but didn't realize that it's part of a series of books. I rate it at 3 1/2 stars but am not interested enough to read the rest of the books in the series.
April 14, 2022
Wow!This was a suspense filled story!A whole Mammoth is found in the ice and a team is trying to bring it to light.Things go worng,things that should not be with a frozen mammoth.An ancient woman,aliens...what more do you need? Jeffrey Kafer,of course!He is the best narrator to drive your si fi story home.I liked it.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
July 20, 2020
Jumps on this as a link to the Nemesis series. I have enjoyed Jeremy Robinson's books to far and this one did not let me down.
Well but together story involving a team of scientists uncovering a discovery that leads to more than they were expecting. I can almost see the link to Nemesis.
Robinson;s use of banter in his story telling makes the journey fun. Let's keep him writing
Well but together story involving a team of scientists uncovering a discovery that leads to more than they were expecting. I can almost see the link to Nemesis.
Robinson;s use of banter in his story telling makes the journey fun. Let's keep him writing
August 11, 2018
Fantastic fun
I started reading this after finishing book 3 of the Nemesis saga and read that this book is a sort of prequel. Great book full action and adventure and a really good plot, you could far worse than giving this a try
I started reading this after finishing book 3 of the Nemesis saga and read that this book is a sort of prequel. Great book full action and adventure and a really good plot, you could far worse than giving this a try
January 18, 2019
Great book!
I really enjoyed this book and I’ll read the series if the some of the same characters continue on. This author is definitely growing on me. Whether he’s writing horror, adventure, survival, suspense or all of the above he’s on his game.
I really enjoyed this book and I’ll read the series if the some of the same characters continue on. This author is definitely growing on me. Whether he’s writing horror, adventure, survival, suspense or all of the above he’s on his game.
September 3, 2019
Fast moving
This book was a well thought out, fast moving and exciting read. It was hard to put down and when I did, I couldn't wait to pick it up again.
Looking forward to the next book.
This book was a well thought out, fast moving and exciting read. It was hard to put down and when I did, I couldn't wait to pick it up again.
Looking forward to the next book.
January 20, 2021
A fun action filled read.
Another great JR book. I had no idea it built into the Nemesis Saga. Tons of action, fast paced but still makes you think and a great surprise twist. I highly recommend any and all of Jeremy's books.
Another great JR book. I had no idea it built into the Nemesis Saga. Tons of action, fast paced but still makes you think and a great surprise twist. I highly recommend any and all of Jeremy's books.
April 3, 2025
Great story
Liked the story line of survival and the character dynamic of life and death struggles. Definitely a read for Jeremy Robinson kaiju series and gives a little background of alien races.
Liked the story line of survival and the character dynamic of life and death struggles. Definitely a read for Jeremy Robinson kaiju series and gives a little background of alien races.
November 11, 2017
We aren't alone!
This book really held my interest,I couldn't put it down! What starts out as a recovery of an intact mamouth,turns into a race to save mankind.try it!
This book really held my interest,I couldn't put it down! What starts out as a recovery of an intact mamouth,turns into a race to save mankind.try it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 88 reviews