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The Babel Trilogy #1
The Fire Seekers
The time of our immortality is at hand.
An undeciphered language in Crete. A rash of mysterious disappearances, from Bolivia to Japan. An ancient warning at the ruins of Babel. And a new spiritual leader, who claims that human history as we understand it is about to come to an end.
Seventeen-year-old Daniel Calder’s world falls apart when a freak accident brings personal tragedy—and he discovers there’s a link between the accident and a wildly successful new cult, the Seraphim. Catapulted into a violent struggle for humanity’s past and future, he’s not even sure who the enemy is, or if he’s battling a phantom that doesn’t exist. But as Daniel puts his life on the line, he is forced to conclude that our very survival as a species will depend on who, and what, we choose to believe.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2014
596 people are currently reading
4081 people want to read
About the author
Richard Farr
6 books89 followersI grew up in England's West Country - one of the world's leading producers of strange names for small villages. I now live in Seattle - the only American city with exactly the same climate.
When I'm not reading, writing, mentoring students and adults (richardfarr.net), or staring out of the window, I enjoy running, hiking and sea kayaking.
When I'm not reading, writing, mentoring students and adults (richardfarr.net), or staring out of the window, I enjoy running, hiking and sea kayaking.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
January 3, 2016
Why hello there! Let me introduce myself. My name is Daniel Calder, and I am the protagonist of The Fire Seekers. A book about people disappearing and some religious stuff, but mostly about me, a 6'3 guy son of Professor William Hayden Calder, head of linguistics at University of Washington (you-dub if you're cool like me). He is adored by women, wears Ray-Bans and looks like a movie star. My mom is named Iona, glamorous, smart and an expert mountain climber. She created a genetic encryption company and then sold, making her worth about half a billion dollars.
I am no where near as intelligent as they are, but I'm good looking and I get to be home schooled in sailing rather than English, but still how do I live up to them? My life is awful.
My best friend is Rosko, a athlete-god and code geek. When we aren't philosophizing, we are discussing the IQ of girls we like, much like other boys our age.
Like my friend Morag who learned arithmetic at two, at seven college level reading, and at fifteen was publishing papers on linguistic anthropology and who likes to complain about how brilliant she is. She can handle a gun, is athletic and did I mention pretty?
Or Pandora, a PhD in marine biology who is also of course, a blonde bombshell, who can take a harpoon in the back like a champ.
Her eyes are like pools of molten milk chocolate. She has a halo of wavy golden hair, and cheekbones like cliffs I could fall to my death from.
As you can see I am also an amazing poet.
So yeah everyone around me is rich, intelligent and super good looking AND athletic! And yet I have a rocky relationship with my father so you should totally feel bad for me.
In the Fire Seekers, you will get to see me, Daniel Calder scale mountains, sail, scuba dive, and cook amazing foods, such as my magherita pizza with lemon zest or my pepper-crusted wild salmon. You could say I have a pretty incredible palate and I am an amazing Chef.
**beep**
Oops that was the potato that I was microwaving. I'm starved.
Like I was saying my culinary skills are the likes of Gordon Ramsay. I can't eat Domino's Pizza because my taste is too refined.
I also know karate, how to fly a helicopter and am the clear hero in this book. When my smart friends get into trouble I will rescue them! After I decide what I'm having for breakfast of course. Priorities!
Hey wait where are you going? There are 300 more pages of my accomplishments. I am not finished!
DID I MENTION WE WERE RICH? We have a card made of real titanium that has no limit and is only for those who can afford monthly bills larger than you will ever dream of. It is called the Centurion Card and its black! I KNOW YOU ARE IMPRESSED!
I'm a young better looking Robert Langdon!
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
I am no where near as intelligent as they are, but I'm good looking and I get to be home schooled in sailing rather than English, but still how do I live up to them? My life is awful.
My best friend is Rosko, a athlete-god and code geek. When we aren't philosophizing, we are discussing the IQ of girls we like, much like other boys our age.
Like my friend Morag who learned arithmetic at two, at seven college level reading, and at fifteen was publishing papers on linguistic anthropology and who likes to complain about how brilliant she is. She can handle a gun, is athletic and did I mention pretty?
Or Pandora, a PhD in marine biology who is also of course, a blonde bombshell, who can take a harpoon in the back like a champ.
Her eyes are like pools of molten milk chocolate. She has a halo of wavy golden hair, and cheekbones like cliffs I could fall to my death from.
As you can see I am also an amazing poet.
So yeah everyone around me is rich, intelligent and super good looking AND athletic! And yet I have a rocky relationship with my father so you should totally feel bad for me.
In the Fire Seekers, you will get to see me, Daniel Calder scale mountains, sail, scuba dive, and cook amazing foods, such as my magherita pizza with lemon zest or my pepper-crusted wild salmon. You could say I have a pretty incredible palate and I am an amazing Chef.
**beep**
Oops that was the potato that I was microwaving. I'm starved.
Like I was saying my culinary skills are the likes of Gordon Ramsay. I can't eat Domino's Pizza because my taste is too refined.
I also know karate, how to fly a helicopter and am the clear hero in this book. When my smart friends get into trouble I will rescue them! After I decide what I'm having for breakfast of course. Priorities!
Hey wait where are you going? There are 300 more pages of my accomplishments. I am not finished!
DID I MENTION WE WERE RICH? We have a card made of real titanium that has no limit and is only for those who can afford monthly bills larger than you will ever dream of. It is called the Centurion Card and its black! I KNOW YOU ARE IMPRESSED!
I'm a young better looking Robert Langdon!
Cross posted at Kaora's Corner.
November 6, 2014
I was really surprised by this novel. It has the academic mystery of The Da Vinci Code without all the cheesy "race to beat the bad guy" feel of a bad thriller. It is still a very engrossing page turner, but the action is interspersed with a hint of the supernatural, and (in my opinion) is much more tasteful. Farr is excellent at building a sense of dread in his writing that slowly builds, and at one point I had to put the novel down when I was reading it at night because I literally had the chills. He makes the supernatural elements of the story seem so real, both in the way he describes the actual events and the way people react to them.
Because of the cover and the fact that this story is labeled as YA, I was expecting a much different book but was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. This is another of those novels that despite its labeling does not read like a YA novel or seem to have any YA themes, so I would recommend this story for anyone looking for an archeologists version of the Da Vinci Code that happens to have a pinch of Ancient Aliens thrown in (minus the guy with crazy hair). I really don't want to go into much more detail about the story because the mystery is the best part, but it is incredible. Read it!
Because of the cover and the fact that this story is labeled as YA, I was expecting a much different book but was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. This is another of those novels that despite its labeling does not read like a YA novel or seem to have any YA themes, so I would recommend this story for anyone looking for an archeologists version of the Da Vinci Code that happens to have a pinch of Ancient Aliens thrown in (minus the guy with crazy hair). I really don't want to go into much more detail about the story because the mystery is the best part, but it is incredible. Read it!
November 18, 2014
Buddy Read with Kaora
This is me not writing a review for this book.
DNF at 31%
Just can't do it. It was work trying to read this one and understand it, as well as not feel stupid, like the MC makes you feel, for not understanding anything he says.
I give up!
Read Kaora's Review. She said it best!
This is me not writing a review for this book.
DNF at 31%
Just can't do it. It was work trying to read this one and understand it, as well as not feel stupid, like the MC makes you feel, for not understanding anything he says.
I give up!
Read Kaora's Review. She said it best!
October 14, 2014
I feel dirty having read this. It's too terrible to even expound on why, groaning under the weight of its own cliches, each one more laughable than the next... because of course, what underachieving teenager ISN'T a master chef, diver, AND helicopter pilot?
October 9, 2014
I really don't get the hype for this book. It struck me as very "I'm just writing this hoping to pick up a movie deal". If some poor schmuck does decide to try to make it a movie they've got a lot of work ahead of them to make it worth watching. For the first half of the book we're stuck with Daniel who feels like something may or may not be happening. He's pretty out of the loop on whats going on, therefore we are too. Finally about half way through the story starts to pick up, as does the absolute nonsense. Daniel and his friend Rosko, who were both in critical care only days before, Rosko almost being at deaths door, are suddenly fine and fighting/running from bad guys like they do it every day. Their "race around the world" is full of nonsensical choices and stupid mistakes. There's multiple reveals and "twists" that might be shocking if they made even a tiny bit of sense. I made the mistake of reading the whole book, hoping it would get better, but really it just got worse. Overall I feel like the story had potential to be really good, but it was executed so SO poorly it's not worth the read.
October 15, 2014
I have read this book, all xxx pages of it and the 15 or so pages of explanations/definitions the author added at the end, and I'm not sure what the story was about. Is this an EOW lead-in, is it about some undeciphered archaeological texts, or is it the musings of a dyslexic seventeen year old who is an accomplished rock climber and helicopter pilot? Most of the story is told in the first person, but, when all is said and done, who is that person?
October 19, 2014
Besides what others have so succintly said before me, I'd like to add that this is a Dan-Brown-wannabe effort. What's worse, though, is that whilst shaking my head at the cascade of improbabilities, I was never invested enough to care whether or not questions were answered. Probably because the question was never fully, clearly articulated. And another "teenagers save the world" effort marketed to adults. Of course, the adults are all stupid and arrogant or naive but brilliant or brilliant and drop-dead sexy. Who signed off on this for publication?
October 22, 2014
This book was just not very good. I'll go into more details in the spoilers but for a non-spoiler review, the villains'' whole evil plan, the thing that makes the entire book happen, doesn't make any sense. Nothing about their plan is evil. They're just doing evil things because... it makes the plot go on? And the whole mystery the book is solving, never gets solved. By the end of the book you're like "Why did any of this happen? And what was the ending?"
November 19, 2020
Richard Farrin "Tulenetsijät" (Otava, 2015) alkaa kohtalaisen kiinnostavana trillerinä, jossa seitsemäntoistavuotias nuorukainen joutuu tekemisiin salaperäisen uskonlahkon ja sen karismaattisen johtajan kanssa. Historia, uskonnot, ideologiat, arkeologia ja kielitiede näyttelevät tarinassa merkittävää roolia. Peruspalikat ovat siis kohdallaan.
Lukiessani huomasin hetkittäin miettiväni, että mahtaakohan tämä ylöstempauksineen mennä uskonnollisen jännityskirjallisuuden genreen Tim LaHayen ja kumppaneiden joukkoon, mutta ei sittenkään. Lopputulos on jonkinlainen sekoitus Dan Brownia ja James Bondia. Vaikutusvaltaiset ja äärimmäisen rikkaat tahot punovat juoniaan, kun päähenkilöt sinkoilevat maailmoja syleilevien mysteerien perässä Seattlesta Tulimaahan ja Kreikan saaristosta Ararat-vuoren rinteille.
No, mitäpä tästä sanoisi? Ei tämä ollut ainakaan helpoin mahdollinen nuortenkirja ollut, ja saatoin pudota itsekin välillä kärryiltä kuka oikein oli kuka - mikä voi toki johtua siitäkin, että jossakin vaiheessa lakkasin välittämästä. Mielenkiintoista kyllä, romanttinen sivujuonne puuttuu kokonaan, vaikka sellaiselle olisi ehkä ollut tilausta.
Loppuratkaisu ei ollut kovin ihmeellinen ja homma meni muutenkin vähän turhan kosmiseksi minun makuuni. Myös päähenkilön kaikkivoipaisuus tuppasi ärsyttämään: kaikki onnistuu häneltä ihan tuosta vaan, olipa kyse gourmetpitsan valmistamisesta tai helikopterilla lentämisestä.
Valitan, ei jatkoon!
(Lisäys vuonna 2020: Sarjan suomentaminen jätettiin meillä kahteen ensimmäiseen osaan.)
Lukiessani huomasin hetkittäin miettiväni, että mahtaakohan tämä ylöstempauksineen mennä uskonnollisen jännityskirjallisuuden genreen Tim LaHayen ja kumppaneiden joukkoon, mutta ei sittenkään. Lopputulos on jonkinlainen sekoitus Dan Brownia ja James Bondia. Vaikutusvaltaiset ja äärimmäisen rikkaat tahot punovat juoniaan, kun päähenkilöt sinkoilevat maailmoja syleilevien mysteerien perässä Seattlesta Tulimaahan ja Kreikan saaristosta Ararat-vuoren rinteille.
No, mitäpä tästä sanoisi? Ei tämä ollut ainakaan helpoin mahdollinen nuortenkirja ollut, ja saatoin pudota itsekin välillä kärryiltä kuka oikein oli kuka - mikä voi toki johtua siitäkin, että jossakin vaiheessa lakkasin välittämästä. Mielenkiintoista kyllä, romanttinen sivujuonne puuttuu kokonaan, vaikka sellaiselle olisi ehkä ollut tilausta.
Loppuratkaisu ei ollut kovin ihmeellinen ja homma meni muutenkin vähän turhan kosmiseksi minun makuuni. Myös päähenkilön kaikkivoipaisuus tuppasi ärsyttämään: kaikki onnistuu häneltä ihan tuosta vaan, olipa kyse gourmetpitsan valmistamisesta tai helikopterilla lentämisestä.
Valitan, ei jatkoon!
(Lisäys vuonna 2020: Sarjan suomentaminen jätettiin meillä kahteen ensimmäiseen osaan.)
November 20, 2014
While inventive, interesting and bound to make you think, The Fire Seekers was slow going for me. With it's mish mash of scientific, mathematical and sometimes religious talk, it took awhile to get into the story, grasp exactly what the plot was and really feel like I had a handle on the storyline.
This often dragged and then would pick up with some new theory or discovery, only to lag again shortly after.
Without the very complex index in the back of the book, I think one would be completely lost and confused.
It was evident from the first page that the author was building a story with a slightly darker tone to it, one interspersed with a paranormal aspect. Lots of foreshadowing and hints on what was to come left you thinking and eager to know more.
While I never completely connected with the story nor with the main character Daniel, I was able to appreciate the intricate work and time the author put into the world building, artifacts, and cultures that were introduced throughout the story.
While the story wasn't plausible it did have just enough believability to truly make it interesting and thought provoking and while this might not have been something I would have picked up on my own, I am glad I took the time to read it even if it wasn't exactly for me.
This often dragged and then would pick up with some new theory or discovery, only to lag again shortly after.
Without the very complex index in the back of the book, I think one would be completely lost and confused.
It was evident from the first page that the author was building a story with a slightly darker tone to it, one interspersed with a paranormal aspect. Lots of foreshadowing and hints on what was to come left you thinking and eager to know more.
While I never completely connected with the story nor with the main character Daniel, I was able to appreciate the intricate work and time the author put into the world building, artifacts, and cultures that were introduced throughout the story.
While the story wasn't plausible it did have just enough believability to truly make it interesting and thought provoking and while this might not have been something I would have picked up on my own, I am glad I took the time to read it even if it wasn't exactly for me.
October 7, 2014
I really enjoyed this book quite a bit... until I got to the end. While I have no problems with how the book ended, in terms of narrative flow or even the "how". I had much more of an issue with having the Villain monologue in order to explain everything that the reader has not been told up until that point. It feels like the author didn't quite have a way to have for the main characters to come to the complete picture themselves (or really much of a picture at all, frankly), so the villain spends many pages explaining the what and the how.
The final reveal just didn't really seem to have a pay off for me at all, as the characters were never truly defined in a way that made the reveal feel significant.
However, even despite a lackluster ending, this book has some very compelling main characters, and a plot that kept me so engaged that I just couldn't put the book down.
The final reveal just didn't really seem to have a pay off for me at all, as the characters were never truly defined in a way that made the reveal feel significant.
However, even despite a lackluster ending, this book has some very compelling main characters, and a plot that kept me so engaged that I just couldn't put the book down.
November 9, 2024
4.8⭐️ kesti nyt kauemmi lukee tää ku tein samal annotations mut CALL TH POLICE en oo enää samanikänen ku nää hahmot😢😢
November 8, 2014
*It's actually zero stars (I did not finish)
First, let just say that…
I’m not proud to be giving a book zero stars because writing takes a lot time and effort. I really wanted to like this book but there were so many things wrong with it that I just couldn’t go on.
The Protagonist
Daniel is one of the most annoying protagonists I’ve read all year. He’s very stiff, his mind is quite boring (how is that even possible?), and he does the most unrealistic things ever. He’s a homeschooled kid who goes bungee jumping in the summer, and rock climbing in the winter. (Don’t forget he’s also a master chef and one of the greatest martial artists.) I mean, even if you’re super rich (which he conveniently is), I’m sure some of the things he does are virtually impossible at his age.
That’s all I have to say about “the protagonist.”
The Antagonists
I’m not entirely sure, but I think the antagonist in this book is a new religion founded by Julius Quinn that believes in burning the texts of other faiths, the Architects, and some other crap like that. They eventually become the most powerful religion in the world and do whatever they want.
The Supporting Characters
The “supporting” characters weren’t very supportive, either. Daniel’s mom is a super-rich mogul who has accomplished more than even the best athletes in the world ever will, while his dad is an expert on almost every dead language.
I can’t say that I cared about any of them—even when his mom died in a freak accident a few chapters into the book.
The Plot/ Writing
When I first read the blurb, I had SUCH high hopes for this book. But I was quickly let down. The book was a boring jumble of words told from the perspective of an equally boring guy. The story wasn’t engaging, the descriptions were boring, and the dialogue was flat. I felt like I was forcing myself to go on and I ended up skipping pages at a point just to see if things would get more interesting.
Mr. Farr used a lot of archaeological evidence in the book, which was good, but then it got to a point where I felt like I was reading an essay instead of a story.
The Theme
I doubt there was a theme, and if there was, I never got to find out what it was since I didn’t finish the book.
The Negatives
Everything listed above and more. One thing that irritated me the most in this book is the blatant disrespect of religions. To the main characters, religious people are just a bunch of lunatics worshipping dead guys. I understand that the MCs aren’t religious, and that was fine with me. But if you go on mentioning how much you hate religion every two pages, that gets annoying and just makes me want to stop reading.
I can’t recommend a book that I hated, but maybe you’ll love it.
First, let just say that…
I’m not proud to be giving a book zero stars because writing takes a lot time and effort. I really wanted to like this book but there were so many things wrong with it that I just couldn’t go on.
The Protagonist
Daniel is one of the most annoying protagonists I’ve read all year. He’s very stiff, his mind is quite boring (how is that even possible?), and he does the most unrealistic things ever. He’s a homeschooled kid who goes bungee jumping in the summer, and rock climbing in the winter. (Don’t forget he’s also a master chef and one of the greatest martial artists.) I mean, even if you’re super rich (which he conveniently is), I’m sure some of the things he does are virtually impossible at his age.
That’s all I have to say about “the protagonist.”
The Antagonists
I’m not entirely sure, but I think the antagonist in this book is a new religion founded by Julius Quinn that believes in burning the texts of other faiths, the Architects, and some other crap like that. They eventually become the most powerful religion in the world and do whatever they want.
The Supporting Characters
The “supporting” characters weren’t very supportive, either. Daniel’s mom is a super-rich mogul who has accomplished more than even the best athletes in the world ever will, while his dad is an expert on almost every dead language.
I can’t say that I cared about any of them—even when his mom died in a freak accident a few chapters into the book.
The Plot/ Writing
When I first read the blurb, I had SUCH high hopes for this book. But I was quickly let down. The book was a boring jumble of words told from the perspective of an equally boring guy. The story wasn’t engaging, the descriptions were boring, and the dialogue was flat. I felt like I was forcing myself to go on and I ended up skipping pages at a point just to see if things would get more interesting.
Mr. Farr used a lot of archaeological evidence in the book, which was good, but then it got to a point where I felt like I was reading an essay instead of a story.
The Theme
I doubt there was a theme, and if there was, I never got to find out what it was since I didn’t finish the book.
The Negatives
Everything listed above and more. One thing that irritated me the most in this book is the blatant disrespect of religions. To the main characters, religious people are just a bunch of lunatics worshipping dead guys. I understand that the MCs aren’t religious, and that was fine with me. But if you go on mentioning how much you hate religion every two pages, that gets annoying and just makes me want to stop reading.
I can’t recommend a book that I hated, but maybe you’ll love it.
October 4, 2014
The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr is the first book in the planned Babel Trilogy. Full of adventure, excitement and action, this mystery thriller about our mythology and destiny witnesses a seventeen-year-old boy being thrown into an international game of survival and intrigue after his father discovered a secret. The secret pertains to the origin of human language and the non-human who Architects who created it.
An atheist and a genius, Bill Caler is the father of Daniel. When Bill announces that the inexplicable "Phaistos language" is proof of the existence of an unknown civilization, people labeled him of being a heretic. Bill's claim is strongly opposed, many by people with vested interests. It is vehemently opposed Julius Quinn who recently founded a fast growing worldwide religion. According to Quinn, the Phaistos language is unlike anything the world has ever known before.
With his father at the center of a major worldwide controversy, Daniel should be concerned but he isn’t. His nonchalant attitude turns to great alarm when a series of events unfold. The death of his mother in a freak accident is followed by the discovery of an ancient warning at the ruins of Babel tower. And more alarmingly, people from all over the world started starting with any reason. Things turn to a head when Daniel's dad, Bill, disappears as he was working on a Phaistos clue in Rome. When Daniel attempts to save his father he stumbles on something more sinister than anything he has heard or seen before. The world may witness its worst ever catastrophe if Quinn is not stopped.
Richard Farr crafted a stupefying mystery thriller is deeply rooted in mythology. Partly drawing inspiration from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, the story with a liberal dose of imagination and facts explored what really happened at the Tower of Babel? The Fire Seekers is about the Architects who came down to us as the source of all our myths and religions, the source of civilization, and possibly the source of our very humanity. Well-conceived and brilliantly written, this is one book you won’t want to miss.
An atheist and a genius, Bill Caler is the father of Daniel. When Bill announces that the inexplicable "Phaistos language" is proof of the existence of an unknown civilization, people labeled him of being a heretic. Bill's claim is strongly opposed, many by people with vested interests. It is vehemently opposed Julius Quinn who recently founded a fast growing worldwide religion. According to Quinn, the Phaistos language is unlike anything the world has ever known before.
With his father at the center of a major worldwide controversy, Daniel should be concerned but he isn’t. His nonchalant attitude turns to great alarm when a series of events unfold. The death of his mother in a freak accident is followed by the discovery of an ancient warning at the ruins of Babel tower. And more alarmingly, people from all over the world started starting with any reason. Things turn to a head when Daniel's dad, Bill, disappears as he was working on a Phaistos clue in Rome. When Daniel attempts to save his father he stumbles on something more sinister than anything he has heard or seen before. The world may witness its worst ever catastrophe if Quinn is not stopped.
Richard Farr crafted a stupefying mystery thriller is deeply rooted in mythology. Partly drawing inspiration from the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, the story with a liberal dose of imagination and facts explored what really happened at the Tower of Babel? The Fire Seekers is about the Architects who came down to us as the source of all our myths and religions, the source of civilization, and possibly the source of our very humanity. Well-conceived and brilliantly written, this is one book you won’t want to miss.
October 27, 2014
The first thing I have to say is that Richard Farr is a better writer than I am, or probably will ever be. I can aspire to putting a book together like this, and I guess that will be sufficient.
The Fire Seekers is a rare book that defies categorization. Is it Christian fiction? Science fiction? Mystery? Suspense?
The characterization is impeccable, the dialogue is funny yet believable, and the plotting is tremendous.
But what makes this book so special for me is the surprise. I was kept guessing all the way along. And during the entire 256 pages, until the end, I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. That is significant to me, a writer who all too often stops reading a book because I know what’s going to happen.
The other thing that blew me away is how much detail there was, and how apparently knowledgeable the author is. I am talking expertise in cooking, anthropology, archeology, modern and ancient languages, physics and medicine. The author is either brilliant or spent a great deal of time doing research. Probably both. He also includes extensive end notes for those who are interested in where he got his ideas.
But that’s not to say the book is perfect. I would feel like I am cheating you if I didn’t point out at least one or two minor mistakes. The biggest thing was plausibility. One of the major characters suffers four broken ribs, a broken back, and a broken leg, but in what seems like no time, he is out and running from bad guys before you know it. The other issue was the prologue, which was one long running exposition to set of the rest of the book.
I recommend this book. Highly.
The Fire Seekers is a rare book that defies categorization. Is it Christian fiction? Science fiction? Mystery? Suspense?
The characterization is impeccable, the dialogue is funny yet believable, and the plotting is tremendous.
But what makes this book so special for me is the surprise. I was kept guessing all the way along. And during the entire 256 pages, until the end, I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next. That is significant to me, a writer who all too often stops reading a book because I know what’s going to happen.
The other thing that blew me away is how much detail there was, and how apparently knowledgeable the author is. I am talking expertise in cooking, anthropology, archeology, modern and ancient languages, physics and medicine. The author is either brilliant or spent a great deal of time doing research. Probably both. He also includes extensive end notes for those who are interested in where he got his ideas.
But that’s not to say the book is perfect. I would feel like I am cheating you if I didn’t point out at least one or two minor mistakes. The biggest thing was plausibility. One of the major characters suffers four broken ribs, a broken back, and a broken leg, but in what seems like no time, he is out and running from bad guys before you know it. The other issue was the prologue, which was one long running exposition to set of the rest of the book.
I recommend this book. Highly.
October 13, 2014
Well paced, well thought-out, and highly entertaining. The protagonist has a highly unlikely skill set, but nevertheless has an inferiority complex because his parents and all of his friends are geniuses. He still manages to be likeable, though, and despite being a young adult the novel didn't feel too typically "young adult" with the genre's associated angst and love triangles. Would've been a solid 4 star, except the ending felt a little rushed--easily the weakest part, when the big reveals about what's been going on should have hit with maximum impact, and instead it felt more like the plot just collapsed under its own weight. Plenty of unanswered questions remain for the sequels, but it seemed like some things were deliberately pared out of the ending in a way that frustrates more than it entices.
November 30, 2014
Fair warning I did not finish this book. I only made it about half way through. It's an interesting premise, but I had several problems with the execution. The largest issue was narrative flow. It's written in first person present tense, but jumps all over the place from flashback to action to different flashback all in the same chapter.
There was very little tension. I never once worried that the main character was in any danger, because he is Awesome (tm). At 17 he's an ultra rich master of Karate, an amazing chef, a highly skilled rock climber, a scuba diver, a ladies man, friends with multiple famous people, surrounded by beautiful geniuses BUT has daddy issues so feel bad for him.
I picked the book up on a recommendation of a friend, but wish I'd peeked at the reviews first. Looks like I'm not the only one who had a few issues with it.
There was very little tension. I never once worried that the main character was in any danger, because he is Awesome (tm). At 17 he's an ultra rich master of Karate, an amazing chef, a highly skilled rock climber, a scuba diver, a ladies man, friends with multiple famous people, surrounded by beautiful geniuses BUT has daddy issues so feel bad for him.
I picked the book up on a recommendation of a friend, but wish I'd peeked at the reviews first. Looks like I'm not the only one who had a few issues with it.
November 14, 2014
I loved this book. I was like Henry Bemis from the Twilight Zone. Every spare moment I had was devoted to reading another page. This book has that "Tom Brown thing" going for it. But instead of a really smart guy telling the story, it's an average Joe who is completed surrounded by smart people telling the story. Religion, ancient history, geography, arsheology. All the stuff I love to read and learn about. I can't wait for the next book.
April 27, 2020
Notes:
4 Stars for Narration by Scott Merriman
2.5 Stars for Story
I wanted a popcorn story full of implausible sequences and this one totally fit the bill. The most interesting parts were the myths squashed together.
4 Stars for Narration by Scott Merriman
2.5 Stars for Story
I wanted a popcorn story full of implausible sequences and this one totally fit the bill. The most interesting parts were the myths squashed together.
February 15, 2024
Fun read with my 12 year old
May 29, 2015
Rating: 3.5 stars. Ok, so full disclosure: I downloaded this book because it was a free offer on my Kindle (if I remember correctly, something Amazon Prime-related).
But!
I am happy to report that I enjoyed it. To be honest, I wish I could give the book a 3.5 star rating because, for me, there were some significant structural issues that bothered me. But I was fairly quickly drawn into the story and am curious enough about where it's going that I will likely end up reading the entire trilogy. Ultimately, I'm giving it four stars because I think it's an enjoyable, quick read that I'd much rather see people choose to read than give a pass on. For me, it's the kind of book that's ideal for vacation reading... easy and fast-paced but involving enough complicated elements to keep me from becoming bored.
I am an unabashed sucker for a nerdy-geeky mystery, especially when it involves stretching real areas of study into fiction. And this book really has quite the cornucopia of fields of study it touches: linguistics, archaeology, psychology, ancient history, theology, etc... I could see that being a drawback for some readers, especially since it gets into some pretty obscure details at times. The thing is, that's a large part of what kept me engaged. It's no surprise to me that the author is an academic. The types of narrow areas of research followed by many of the characters are precisely the types of "novel contribution" research studies of your average PhD student.
The author tries to mitigate the über-academics by having the narrator, Daniel, be the "average" son of two exceptional parents. Honestly, I wish Farr had gone about that differently. Ultimately, Daniel is, by any normal standard, anything but average. But because his parents are both exceptionally brilliant in their own ways and so many of the people in his life are from their worlds (and he's home schooled so not exposed to truly average or below-average peers), he's measuring against an impossible standard. The problem is that at no point in the story does Daniel realize this about himself, nor does anyone make an effort to point that out to him. So he ends up seeming kind of ridiculous for positioning himself as average.
Also, in the beginning of the book, the narrative mode chosen by Farr really bothered me because he chose to use present tense in the prologue and made the supposedly seven-year-old narrator seem absurdly adult. Especially given that it was a prologue that was explicitly set up as a memory (the title of the prologue is "Disk Memory"), it would have made much more sense to me if it were told as the present-day narrator recollecting the story rather than experiencing it. It seems like a weird thing to nit-pick about, but I almost put the book down before it really started because the whole thing struck me as ridiculous when viewed through the eyes of a seven-year-old. I very much appreciate consistency in narrative time, but if there's any point when a different grammatical positioning would be appropriate, it would be in a prologue.
Beyond the prologue, I liked Daniel as the narrator well enough, though I will admit that his positioning as "average" (see above for how I saw that as problematic) made him less compelling to me than characters like Rosko and Morag. Minor potential spoiler so putting it behind spoiler tags:
I know, I know... I'm spending entirely too much time talking about elements that aren't about the plot. The thing is, it's a new twist to a familiar slightly-science fiction/fantasy mystery model. And it works. I was very much drawn in by the mystery and I remain curious about where it's all leading. I feel like I'm failing to give enough credit for the storytelling after all the picking about the structural issues I did, but I don't want to get into spoiler territory. I liked the story enough to be giving the book four stars.
Would I recommend it? Yes, because it's a fun, engaging read, especially for anyone who enjoys a mystery that gets into obscure nerdy areas. But I would recommend it with my disclaimers about the structural issues.
Is it a great read? No. But is it a good read (insert groan track here for people reading this on goodreads)? Yes.
Edited to add: After I submitted my review, I noticed that the average rating for the book is 3.57 (as of Nov 6, 2014) which made me laugh. Seems just about right to me!
But!
I am happy to report that I enjoyed it. To be honest, I wish I could give the book a 3.5 star rating because, for me, there were some significant structural issues that bothered me. But I was fairly quickly drawn into the story and am curious enough about where it's going that I will likely end up reading the entire trilogy. Ultimately, I'm giving it four stars because I think it's an enjoyable, quick read that I'd much rather see people choose to read than give a pass on. For me, it's the kind of book that's ideal for vacation reading... easy and fast-paced but involving enough complicated elements to keep me from becoming bored.
I am an unabashed sucker for a nerdy-geeky mystery, especially when it involves stretching real areas of study into fiction. And this book really has quite the cornucopia of fields of study it touches: linguistics, archaeology, psychology, ancient history, theology, etc... I could see that being a drawback for some readers, especially since it gets into some pretty obscure details at times. The thing is, that's a large part of what kept me engaged. It's no surprise to me that the author is an academic. The types of narrow areas of research followed by many of the characters are precisely the types of "novel contribution" research studies of your average PhD student.
The author tries to mitigate the über-academics by having the narrator, Daniel, be the "average" son of two exceptional parents. Honestly, I wish Farr had gone about that differently. Ultimately, Daniel is, by any normal standard, anything but average. But because his parents are both exceptionally brilliant in their own ways and so many of the people in his life are from their worlds (and he's home schooled so not exposed to truly average or below-average peers), he's measuring against an impossible standard. The problem is that at no point in the story does Daniel realize this about himself, nor does anyone make an effort to point that out to him. So he ends up seeming kind of ridiculous for positioning himself as average.
Also, in the beginning of the book, the narrative mode chosen by Farr really bothered me because he chose to use present tense in the prologue and made the supposedly seven-year-old narrator seem absurdly adult. Especially given that it was a prologue that was explicitly set up as a memory (the title of the prologue is "Disk Memory"), it would have made much more sense to me if it were told as the present-day narrator recollecting the story rather than experiencing it. It seems like a weird thing to nit-pick about, but I almost put the book down before it really started because the whole thing struck me as ridiculous when viewed through the eyes of a seven-year-old. I very much appreciate consistency in narrative time, but if there's any point when a different grammatical positioning would be appropriate, it would be in a prologue.
Beyond the prologue, I liked Daniel as the narrator well enough, though I will admit that his positioning as "average" (see above for how I saw that as problematic) made him less compelling to me than characters like Rosko and Morag. Minor potential spoiler so putting it behind spoiler tags:
I know, I know... I'm spending entirely too much time talking about elements that aren't about the plot. The thing is, it's a new twist to a familiar slightly-science fiction/fantasy mystery model. And it works. I was very much drawn in by the mystery and I remain curious about where it's all leading. I feel like I'm failing to give enough credit for the storytelling after all the picking about the structural issues I did, but I don't want to get into spoiler territory. I liked the story enough to be giving the book four stars.
Would I recommend it? Yes, because it's a fun, engaging read, especially for anyone who enjoys a mystery that gets into obscure nerdy areas. But I would recommend it with my disclaimers about the structural issues.
Is it a great read? No. But is it a good read (insert groan track here for people reading this on goodreads)? Yes.
Edited to add: After I submitted my review, I noticed that the average rating for the book is 3.57 (as of Nov 6, 2014) which made me laugh. Seems just about right to me!
January 2, 2015
Books that this book reminds me of: Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series, Percy Jackson (Daniel is dyslexic AND our hero) who is also surrounded by strong females, the 39 clues (without all the intrigue and fun)
TV shows that remind me of this book: The Bletchley Circle (Iona was my favorite character and she's a lot like the main character in season 1), Bones (I mean look at this cast of characters), Masterchef Junior (he can cook like nobody's business, apparently)
Why of why then, did I NOT like it?
It all comes down to fiction writing basics 101. Make your protagonist believable, if not believable at least likable, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE THE NARRATOR of the story! Daniel's narration is fairly stilted. He comes off as lacking, so we can like him for his faults, then in a sentence becomes an expert at so many things. He didn't have enough faults other than the fact that he was a child of geniuses who wasn't really a genius. His parents are rich, his friends are rich, he's good looking...etc etc. Usually when characters are built with this sort of background then they NEED their supporting characters to act as their foil or SOMETHING. Instead the only thing he doesn't seem to have is the same talent of being a "Babbler" i.e. a master of languages. Some of the flashbacks or recaps of others' findings and research in the story come off as convoluted and wordy. I think this was done in an effort to illustrate the person's intelligence, but it just served to confuse me. The only character this didn't happen with was Iona. Her messages came across loud and clear.
I wanted to like this book and this series because there are elements alive in it that I love--history, mystery, religion, and a little bit of the supernatural. Instead for reasons of storytelling it falls really short. It missed the intrigue that made the previously mentioned books so devour-worthy, re-readable, and make-me-want-to-go-out-on-release-day-and-purchase-it-worthy.
TV shows that remind me of this book: The Bletchley Circle (Iona was my favorite character and she's a lot like the main character in season 1), Bones (I mean look at this cast of characters), Masterchef Junior (he can cook like nobody's business, apparently)
Why of why then, did I NOT like it?
It all comes down to fiction writing basics 101. Make your protagonist believable, if not believable at least likable, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE THE NARRATOR of the story! Daniel's narration is fairly stilted. He comes off as lacking, so we can like him for his faults, then in a sentence becomes an expert at so many things. He didn't have enough faults other than the fact that he was a child of geniuses who wasn't really a genius. His parents are rich, his friends are rich, he's good looking...etc etc. Usually when characters are built with this sort of background then they NEED their supporting characters to act as their foil or SOMETHING. Instead the only thing he doesn't seem to have is the same talent of being a "Babbler" i.e. a master of languages. Some of the flashbacks or recaps of others' findings and research in the story come off as convoluted and wordy. I think this was done in an effort to illustrate the person's intelligence, but it just served to confuse me. The only character this didn't happen with was Iona. Her messages came across loud and clear.
I wanted to like this book and this series because there are elements alive in it that I love--history, mystery, religion, and a little bit of the supernatural. Instead for reasons of storytelling it falls really short. It missed the intrigue that made the previously mentioned books so devour-worthy, re-readable, and make-me-want-to-go-out-on-release-day-and-purchase-it-worthy.
October 17, 2014
Take a dash of gnosticism, a bit of unitarianism, throw in some references to ancient religions and stir with insinuations of aliens, and out pops this story. Narrate it with superhuman intelligent teenagers wielding singular intellects, world class skills in martial arts, polyglot, mountaineering, helicopter piloting, and with unlimited bank accounts and you've got a book well grounded in, well, nothing actually.
The book is based on an interesting philosophical question: Why does the human species seem to be the only of the millions on this planet endowed with consciousness?
This basic question is an interesting one and a great basis for a novel. My own love of languages and religion also drew me to this book. But the way the story unfolds really doesn't do a lot to address the question in a meaningful way, nor do the characters spend much time in personal growth. It's a classic mystery-style novel, so the emphasis is all finding clues and unraveling the mystery, not so much on the central question, nor on the characters' engagement with the basic philosophical tenant.
Lots of action, though.
The book is based on an interesting philosophical question: Why does the human species seem to be the only of the millions on this planet endowed with consciousness?
This basic question is an interesting one and a great basis for a novel. My own love of languages and religion also drew me to this book. But the way the story unfolds really doesn't do a lot to address the question in a meaningful way, nor do the characters spend much time in personal growth. It's a classic mystery-style novel, so the emphasis is all finding clues and unraveling the mystery, not so much on the central question, nor on the characters' engagement with the basic philosophical tenant.
Lots of action, though.
November 5, 2014
A new religion sweeping across the globe will change everything for Daniel and his friends in Richard Farr's The Fire Seekers. Having studied the Ancient Near East, Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece as well as comparative mythologies, I was immediately sucked into this novel. Undecipherable ancient languages, ancient manuscripts, Greece and Mesopotamia are likely to pique my interest, and I often felt like I was reading about old friends throughout the course of this book. The mystery swept me in further. Who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory, after all? But the characters sealed the deal. Daniel is likable and heroic. The cast as a whole is quirky, and I loved them for it. The adventure is intense, and toward the end of the novel, I was holding my breath in anticipation for what would happen next. A fast-paced story, The Fire Seekers by Richard Farr is quite the fun thrilling story. I'm looking forward to the next book in The Babel Trilogy.
November 15, 2014
Many people liken this book to Dan Brown's work, but I don't see it. Dan Brown illicit's a feeling of urgency in his books while still keeping you in the loop. I had no idea what the point of this book was until I was about 3/4 of the way through it. The "mystery" involved was only a mystery because of the utter pointlessness of it all.
The characters are completely unbelievable and stupid. When a group of people come across a helicopter, of course the first person you ask if he knows how to fly it is the 17 year old instead of the older guy who just happened to co-pilot helicopters in the army...
The two things that saved this book and made I bumped it up to two stars are: it is fairly short, and people die. Too bad the characters dying really made no impact on me at all.
The characters are completely unbelievable and stupid. When a group of people come across a helicopter, of course the first person you ask if he knows how to fly it is the 17 year old instead of the older guy who just happened to co-pilot helicopters in the army...
The two things that saved this book and made I bumped it up to two stars are: it is fairly short, and people die. Too bad the characters dying really made no impact on me at all.
February 6, 2019
Quite interesting, but not particularly engaging. I love the theories and the running and the pressure of time, but it was really not a book that I couldn't bear to put down.
I am, however, delighted to find that the reason Kit kept rejecting Daniel's advances (or not leading him on in any case) is because she fancies girls 8D That was a lovely plot twist(though it's got nothing to do with the main plot LMAO)
I am, however, delighted to find that the reason Kit kept rejecting Daniel's advances (or not leading him on in any case) is because she fancies girls 8D That was a lovely plot twist(though it's got nothing to do with the main plot LMAO)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 29, 2014
Fast paced adventure
I enjoy books that weave unsolved mysteries into a fictional world and adventure. Mr. Farr has done a great job of it. This feels a lot like a young adult version of the Area 51 series by Robert Doherty.
The only negative I found about this book? The sequel isn't available yet.
I enjoy books that weave unsolved mysteries into a fictional world and adventure. Mr. Farr has done a great job of it. This feels a lot like a young adult version of the Area 51 series by Robert Doherty.
The only negative I found about this book? The sequel isn't available yet.
April 30, 2015
What a ride!
WOW... Wait just a minute... I have to catch my breath. I feel like I've been on a merry-go-round and it just kept turning faster and faster.
If you are looking for something exciting and different and just totally off the wall this book is for you!
Don't have time to write any more, I have to start Book 2 NOW!!!!!
WOW... Wait just a minute... I have to catch my breath. I feel like I've been on a merry-go-round and it just kept turning faster and faster.
If you are looking for something exciting and different and just totally off the wall this book is for you!
Don't have time to write any more, I have to start Book 2 NOW!!!!!
June 6, 2015
This was a good book with some intriguing ideas in it. The one that really made me think is the idea that all the legends have to come from somewhere. I really liked thr characters, Daniel, Morag, Rosko, and Mack. I will read the second book when it comes out.
dnf
May 29, 2015I just can't. It's just so bad. None of it is believable and I couldn't care less about the characters.
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