What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dark Continent #2
The Dark Continent
On an oil rig off the coast of Alaska, fifteen test subjects, all of them death-row inmates, have joined a gruesome experiment with unprecedented implications.
Government researchers are attempting to enhance the human body, but they change the men into something else instead. Led by a mysterious figure who evokes Colonel Kurtz and Satan from Paradise Lost, the subjects escape and bring the United States to its knees.
Only two men can stop them, Tom Reese and Karl Lyons. Tom and Karl will have to cross an America on the brink of collapse. And at the end they’ll experience the horror of the dark continent.
Government researchers are attempting to enhance the human body, but they change the men into something else instead. Led by a mysterious figure who evokes Colonel Kurtz and Satan from Paradise Lost, the subjects escape and bring the United States to its knees.
Only two men can stop them, Tom Reese and Karl Lyons. Tom and Karl will have to cross an America on the brink of collapse. And at the end they’ll experience the horror of the dark continent.
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2020
44 people are currently reading
750 people want to read
About the author
Scott Reardon
6 books24 followersScott Reardon is the author of The Dark Continent and The Prometheus Man, which was published in 2017 by Little Brown. He has written and directed two feature films, Our Pet Kat and Dakota Bastard. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
June 2, 2020
This book started as a solid 5 star read for me! I felt some details could have been added to the first 50% of the book and this would have been a compelling thriller - a twist between the elaborate The Passage and strange abruptness of Station Eleven.
As I realized the full meaning behind the title, the plot veered in a very different direction. Not bad... just not the path I would have chose. Of course, that's why I'm not an author and there are so many wonderful choices for us readers! I was interested in spending more time on the oil rig or with the doctor, as the subjects traveled the country, leaving chaos in their wake.
Even though this is the second book in this series, I didn't have any trouble following the story and characters. I'm looking forward to reading the initial book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As I realized the full meaning behind the title, the plot veered in a very different direction. Not bad... just not the path I would have chose. Of course, that's why I'm not an author and there are so many wonderful choices for us readers! I was interested in spending more time on the oil rig or with the doctor, as the subjects traveled the country, leaving chaos in their wake.
Even though this is the second book in this series, I didn't have any trouble following the story and characters. I'm looking forward to reading the initial book.
Many thanks to NetGalley and publishers for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 2, 2020
This was so not what I expected, but in a good way. At first. It was a book in two parts. This was also a follow-up book to Reardon's Prometheus Man which I haven't read, but you didn't need to read it to follow the action.
The story started off really well. It seemed a bit sci-fi and I thought it may devolve into some horror. All good. On a de-commissioned oil rig off the Alaskan coast the Government is conducting ultra secret research into augmenting human beings into ultimate warriors with superior strength and speed using stem cell technology. Only the procedure ends up killing the test subjects after turning them into unpredictable killing machines. Only one man has survived for any length of time. Tom Reese, and here I'm guessing he must have escaped the program at the end of the first book, is in hiding with his girlfriend Silvana when they come for him again and they go on the run.
Meanwhile, Dr Azamor, a psychiatrist, is rushed to the oil rig to assist with screening the current test subjects. They have 15 death row prisoners that have had the procedure and one of them, Kronin, a giant of a man, is so strangely persuasive that he somehow forced his last psychiatrist to commit suicide. They are scared of him. Then a huge storm lashes the sea and the electronic security measures fail when the power goes out. you can guess what happens next.
At that point the book turned into a dystopian, apocalyptic gore fest that went on a bit too long as Tom (finally re-captured by the CIA) and his death defying handler Karl Lyons take on an army of super human fighters who want to literally destroy the joint. At one point I thought - perhaps this story is a metaphor for our corrupt, nihilistic society as Kronin seemed to ponder the meaning, or lack thereof of life and society. But it got a bit too negative for that. In the end, it was feeling like a zombie apocalypse without the zombies.
If you like fast paced, no supercharged, action and with plenty of violence and gore thrown in you will love this. I thought the story had promise and it ended on a better note but the constant killing took something away from any possible message the story may have had IMHO. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
The story started off really well. It seemed a bit sci-fi and I thought it may devolve into some horror. All good. On a de-commissioned oil rig off the Alaskan coast the Government is conducting ultra secret research into augmenting human beings into ultimate warriors with superior strength and speed using stem cell technology. Only the procedure ends up killing the test subjects after turning them into unpredictable killing machines. Only one man has survived for any length of time. Tom Reese, and here I'm guessing he must have escaped the program at the end of the first book, is in hiding with his girlfriend Silvana when they come for him again and they go on the run.
Meanwhile, Dr Azamor, a psychiatrist, is rushed to the oil rig to assist with screening the current test subjects. They have 15 death row prisoners that have had the procedure and one of them, Kronin, a giant of a man, is so strangely persuasive that he somehow forced his last psychiatrist to commit suicide. They are scared of him. Then a huge storm lashes the sea and the electronic security measures fail when the power goes out. you can guess what happens next.
At that point the book turned into a dystopian, apocalyptic gore fest that went on a bit too long as Tom (finally re-captured by the CIA) and his death defying handler Karl Lyons take on an army of super human fighters who want to literally destroy the joint. At one point I thought - perhaps this story is a metaphor for our corrupt, nihilistic society as Kronin seemed to ponder the meaning, or lack thereof of life and society. But it got a bit too negative for that. In the end, it was feeling like a zombie apocalypse without the zombies.
If you like fast paced, no supercharged, action and with plenty of violence and gore thrown in you will love this. I thought the story had promise and it ended on a better note but the constant killing took something away from any possible message the story may have had IMHO. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of the book in exchange for a review.
March 1, 2020
From the start, the pull is magnetic, the action explosive and the tension is running at a fevered pitch as good versus evil turn the United States into a boiling torrent of blood. Once again, the government and science have gone off on an ill-advised tangent, all in the name of building the perfect deadly fighting machine that didn’t implode on itself and degenerate. When some brilliant entity decides to use death row inmates to turn into super soldiers, what did they think would happen? Only one person had ever survived the change without becoming a twisted version of himself and now he is about to become a target, as well as the only person with a prayer of ending the nightmare created when uncontrolled inmates escape and reign down terror on the country.
Can Tom stay alive long enough to stop the evil that is manipulating the population? THE DARK CONTINENT by Scott Reardon explains enough backstory that I could understand the gist of what transpired in book one. Non-stop action, over-the-top brutality and twisted evil, this one was hard to turn away from, in spite of the gore. A battle between conscience and cruelty, animal instincts and survival! This dark sci-fi tale is as creepy for the imagined possibilities as it is for the written word.
I was invited to receive a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Aspen Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Prometheus Man - Book 2
Publisher: Aspen Press (January 27, 2020)
Publication Date: January 27, 2020
Genre: Dark Dystopian Science Fiction
Print Length: 436 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Can Tom stay alive long enough to stop the evil that is manipulating the population? THE DARK CONTINENT by Scott Reardon explains enough backstory that I could understand the gist of what transpired in book one. Non-stop action, over-the-top brutality and twisted evil, this one was hard to turn away from, in spite of the gore. A battle between conscience and cruelty, animal instincts and survival! This dark sci-fi tale is as creepy for the imagined possibilities as it is for the written word.
I was invited to receive a complimentary copy from NetGalley and Aspen Press! This is my honest and voluntary review.
Series: Prometheus Man - Book 2
Publisher: Aspen Press (January 27, 2020)
Publication Date: January 27, 2020
Genre: Dark Dystopian Science Fiction
Print Length: 436 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com
March 1, 2020
I received this book thru a Goodreads giveaway. I would like to thank the author and the publishing company for their generosity.
This is the second book of a series but this can be read as a stand alone. This book is about stem cell research being done on death row inmates. This research is trying to augment the human body. I would classify this book as a fast paced action end of the world novel.
This book felt like it had two parts. I was liking the first part as it was suspenseful with a twinge of horror. It was a nice build up of tension as we know it is going to hit the fan. We're just wondering when will it happen and how. The second part deals when it does it hit the fan. This part was pure action and in my opinion when this book fell apart. It was an abrupt right turn that was filled with one gory violent death scene after another. I have no problem with gory violence but with the vast number of them I became numb to them. My biggest pet peeve during the second half of this book was that there was hardly any exposition. I was suppose to believe that this small band of terrorists brought America down to its knees without any viable explanation. I didn't buy into any of it and it was a struggle to finish this novel.
This book had potential. I was interested in the first half but the second half turned into an inane action summer flick that did not fit in with the set up that was placed at the beginning of this book. If you like end of the world genre books with a lot of violence you might enjoy this book more than me.
This is the second book of a series but this can be read as a stand alone. This book is about stem cell research being done on death row inmates. This research is trying to augment the human body. I would classify this book as a fast paced action end of the world novel.
This book felt like it had two parts. I was liking the first part as it was suspenseful with a twinge of horror. It was a nice build up of tension as we know it is going to hit the fan. We're just wondering when will it happen and how. The second part deals when it does it hit the fan. This part was pure action and in my opinion when this book fell apart. It was an abrupt right turn that was filled with one gory violent death scene after another. I have no problem with gory violence but with the vast number of them I became numb to them. My biggest pet peeve during the second half of this book was that there was hardly any exposition. I was suppose to believe that this small band of terrorists brought America down to its knees without any viable explanation. I didn't buy into any of it and it was a struggle to finish this novel.
This book had potential. I was interested in the first half but the second half turned into an inane action summer flick that did not fit in with the set up that was placed at the beginning of this book. If you like end of the world genre books with a lot of violence you might enjoy this book more than me.
January 25, 2020
The beginning of this book reminded me a lot of Justin Cronins the Passage,which is a good thing.
I feel like I've been on a complete roller coaster of a ride,having survived some tense moments,and the biggest blood bath you can imagine.
Not once did the intensity stop... and there were plenty of surprises along the way.
Fast paced,full of action,but still moments of humour and friendship that made it a little bit more than a horror.
I feel like I've been on a complete roller coaster of a ride,having survived some tense moments,and the biggest blood bath you can imagine.
Not once did the intensity stop... and there were plenty of surprises along the way.
Fast paced,full of action,but still moments of humour and friendship that made it a little bit more than a horror.
June 21, 2022
I won this book in a goodreads drawing.
I never read the first book in the series. We get three stories in this one. A sort of sci fi Silence of the Lambs, a fugitive, and a spy novel all in one. It all has to do with stem cell experiments turning people into super soldiers. Unfortunately, most of them go crazy. The Psychologist story didn't do much for me, but the other two were pretty exciting.
I never read the first book in the series. We get three stories in this one. A sort of sci fi Silence of the Lambs, a fugitive, and a spy novel all in one. It all has to do with stem cell experiments turning people into super soldiers. Unfortunately, most of them go crazy. The Psychologist story didn't do much for me, but the other two were pretty exciting.
August 12, 2020
There are many things happening at the same time in The Dark Continent, it has a lot of action and a super badass villain.
On an oil rig in Alaska 15 death row, inmates are subjected to government testing which causes super strength, like captain America super-soldier serum. In a storm, they all escape and it is up to Tom and Karl to destroy them before they continue to create chaos and destruction in North America.
This is the second book in a series, the first being the Prometheus Man. I started reading it not having read the first, although it is not necessary to read it in the same order. This book was very entertaining and it has one of the most terrifying and anxious scenes I have ever read. The entire book has you in pure suspense until the end.
4 stars for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Aspen Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
On an oil rig in Alaska 15 death row, inmates are subjected to government testing which causes super strength, like captain America super-soldier serum. In a storm, they all escape and it is up to Tom and Karl to destroy them before they continue to create chaos and destruction in North America.
This is the second book in a series, the first being the Prometheus Man. I started reading it not having read the first, although it is not necessary to read it in the same order. This book was very entertaining and it has one of the most terrifying and anxious scenes I have ever read. The entire book has you in pure suspense until the end.
4 stars for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and Aspen Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 11, 2020
I am a hopeless junkie when it comes to sci-fi/thrillers about augmented humans. I jump right on stories about undercover government operations that mistakenly believe that because they CAN scientifically create an augmented, stronger, more violent person that they SHOULD. I get sucked right into the story....and even find myself talking back to the book "Oh...now that's such a good idea'' or "I wouldn't go in there looking for the violent, superstrong, angry escapee if I were you....''
The Dark Continent is the first book I've read by Scott Reardon....and I will definitely be coming back for more. Not only did his story have me talking to the book....but it was a total binge read for me! Loved it! I could definitely see this book as a film....I would definitely watch it!
Although the concept of Project Prometheus has been done before in books and on film, Reardon creates a really gripping story. The Dark Continent is well-written and definitely an exciting read. I couldn't put it down! There is another book -- The Prometheus Man -- that is technically the first book in the series. But, the stories are independent of each other and do not need to be read in order.
I will be reading The Prometheus Man next, and I look forward to more from this author!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Aspen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
The Dark Continent is the first book I've read by Scott Reardon....and I will definitely be coming back for more. Not only did his story have me talking to the book....but it was a total binge read for me! Loved it! I could definitely see this book as a film....I would definitely watch it!
Although the concept of Project Prometheus has been done before in books and on film, Reardon creates a really gripping story. The Dark Continent is well-written and definitely an exciting read. I couldn't put it down! There is another book -- The Prometheus Man -- that is technically the first book in the series. But, the stories are independent of each other and do not need to be read in order.
I will be reading The Prometheus Man next, and I look forward to more from this author!
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Aspen Press. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
February 7, 2020
I greatly enjoyed this book and think this author is one to watch. The second in a series, The Dark Continent, also stands alone on its own. There is plenty of back story to learn the characters and pick up where the story left off.
This book is fast paced with plenty of action and gore. You can literally tear through it. The characters are complex, well developed, and the plot is scarily plausible in many ways. The book is a blend of thriller, Cormac McCarthy in The Road, and horror.
The Dark Continent raises interesting questions about humanity and what our society would look like if part of it collapsed. What I particularly like about it are the moments in between the action -- Seeing Kronin's (the bad guy) intelligent madness and human interactions, Tom and Karl (the good guys) on the road reflecting on life, building their friendship, which has moments that are touching, sad, and humorous. I also loved the creepiness of the beginning of the book set in Asia and on the oil rig off Alaska - it really is eerie in all the right ways.
The ending definitely leaves room for a 3rd and I sure hope it's written.
This book is fast paced with plenty of action and gore. You can literally tear through it. The characters are complex, well developed, and the plot is scarily plausible in many ways. The book is a blend of thriller, Cormac McCarthy in The Road, and horror.
The Dark Continent raises interesting questions about humanity and what our society would look like if part of it collapsed. What I particularly like about it are the moments in between the action -- Seeing Kronin's (the bad guy) intelligent madness and human interactions, Tom and Karl (the good guys) on the road reflecting on life, building their friendship, which has moments that are touching, sad, and humorous. I also loved the creepiness of the beginning of the book set in Asia and on the oil rig off Alaska - it really is eerie in all the right ways.
The ending definitely leaves room for a 3rd and I sure hope it's written.
March 19, 2020
I picked this up despite not having read book 1. I'm happy to tell you that missing the first book didn't hamper my enjoyment of this one. The author does a terrific job of throwing you right into the story.
And what a story it is!
This is dark, violent, and truly apocalyptic (with everything that means).
You'll likely read this one at breakneck speed.
You may find that it feels a bit like the first part of the book is one genre (thriller) and the 2nd part is pure apoca-fic, but once it transitions, you'll be right back into the swing of things.
A very entertaining read!
And what a story it is!
This is dark, violent, and truly apocalyptic (with everything that means).
You'll likely read this one at breakneck speed.
You may find that it feels a bit like the first part of the book is one genre (thriller) and the 2nd part is pure apoca-fic, but once it transitions, you'll be right back into the swing of things.
A very entertaining read!
November 10, 2021
My thanks to Aspen Press, Scott Reardon and Netgalley. I haven't read the first book in this series, and I was afraid I'd be lost. I wasn't. Reading Mr. Reardons first book Prometheus man, or whatever, just isn't necessary. Believe me, if it was, if be gripping about it! This story was the bomb diggity! I had a moment about 20% in where I thought to myself "what the hell?" I do sometimes find books that I find I cannot suspend all rational thought! This is one that I told myself, Lisa Noell, just remember you like zombies! That worked! The "subject's" were completely outrageous! It shouldn't have worked at all, but it did! It worked so well that I was actually feeling it! I never recommend book's to my g.r. friends, but...this is something that I know certain g.r. friends would like! Besides the crazy stuff that goes down, the 2 main characters are people that you will love. As usual, I try to never talk about the "what." I'll just tell you go right now, that I was not even satisfied from the ending. Sure, maybe some are. I'm not! More please, Mr. Reardon! This is one of those off kilter books that I would encourage all of my odd friends to read! I actually enjoyed the crap outta this story. Also, I'm looking for more of anything from this author! I very seldom say that...but, bring it on!
March 10, 2020
WOW. .... jump on board for a high-octane roller coster ride. Reardon provides a relentless and exhilarating narrative that propels in breakneck fashion. Although this is a second novel entailing the concept of enhanced humans it can be enjoyed as a stand alone because the appropriate backstory is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the tale. A black ops government project is taking place on an isolated oil rig off the coast of Alaska. The goal is to medically enhance the human body to achieve the ultimate killing weapon, The researches "wisely" choose 15 death row inmates (serial killers and other dregs of society) to be their guinea pigs. For some weird reason they thought they could control these man made monsters. Kronin is the mastermind of these mutants who cleverly engineers an escape from the rig. Their goal is solely to wreak havoc and mayhem on the entire country . They are able to destroy enough power grids to bring the country to its knees. In cinematic fashion, Reardon describes with nightmarish reality of the toppling of our infrastructure , leading to chaos and pushing society into a primitive state. Two men are charged with the last hope to bring down Kronin and his monstrous crew..... Karl Lyons, accomplished CIA operative and one of many behind the original implementation of this disastrous program and Tom Reese, the only enhanced individual who was not a criminal .... and, retained the desirable enhanced abilities.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aspen Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this page-turner in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com )
Thanks to NetGalley and Aspen Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this page-turner in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com )
March 23, 2020
Unhinged spy/conspiracy thriller that is roiling with clichés, unconvincing world building and odd writing choices.
To call this thriller fast-paced is an understatement. It is so quick, hardly any time is spent on establishing the many locales it jumps through. Character development is largely unnecessary, because the author clearly seems largely uninterested in his own characters.
The whole gory adventure feels unreal and unbelievable, and therefore is missing any sense of danger.
And the writing frequently is just.. odd. Weird turns of phrases, metaphors that may seem logical to the author but are just strange.
This one is clearly not for me.
(Received an ARC from Aspen Press through Netgalley)
To call this thriller fast-paced is an understatement. It is so quick, hardly any time is spent on establishing the many locales it jumps through. Character development is largely unnecessary, because the author clearly seems largely uninterested in his own characters.
The whole gory adventure feels unreal and unbelievable, and therefore is missing any sense of danger.
And the writing frequently is just.. odd. Weird turns of phrases, metaphors that may seem logical to the author but are just strange.
This one is clearly not for me.
(Received an ARC from Aspen Press through Netgalley)
March 10, 2020
WOW. .... jump on board for a high-octane roller coster ride. Reardon provides a relentless and exhilarating narrative that propels in breakneck fashion. Although this is a second novel entailing the concept of enhanced humans it can be enjoyed as a stand alone because the appropriate backstory is seamlessly woven into the fabric of the tale. A black ops government project is taking place on an isolated oil rig off the coast of Alaska. The goal is to medically enhance the human body to achieve the ultimate killing weapon, The researches "wisely" choose 15 death row inmates (serial killers and other dregs of society) to be their guinea pigs. For some weird reason they thought they could control these man made monsters. Kronin is the mastermind of these mutants who cleverly engineers an escape from the rig. Their goal is solely to wreak havoc and mayhem on the entire country . They are able to destroy enough power grids to bring the country to its knees. In cinematic fashion, Reardon describes with nightmarish reality of the toppling of our infrastructure , leading to chaos and pushing society into a primitive state. Two men are charged with the last hope to bring down Kronin and his monstrous crew..... Karl Lyons, accomplished CIA operative and one of many behind the original implementation of this disastrous program and Tom Reese, the only enhanced individual who was not a criminal .... and, retained the desirable enhanced abilities.
Thanks to NetGalley and Aspen Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this page-turner in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com )
Thanks to NetGalley and Aspen Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof of this page-turner in exchange for an honest review. ( at readersremains.com )
March 23, 2020
Unhinged spy/conspiracy thriller that is roiling with clichés, unconvincing world building and odd writing choices.
To call this thriller fast-paced is an understatement. It is so quick, hardly any time is spent on establishing the many locales it jumps through. Character development is largely unnecessary, because the author clearly seems largely uninterested in his own characters.
The whole gory adventure feels unreal and unbelievable, and therefore is missing any sense of danger.
And the writing frequently is just.. odd. Weird turns of phrases, metaphors that may seem logical to the author but are just strange.
This one is clearly not for me.
To call this thriller fast-paced is an understatement. It is so quick, hardly any time is spent on establishing the many locales it jumps through. Character development is largely unnecessary, because the author clearly seems largely uninterested in his own characters.
The whole gory adventure feels unreal and unbelievable, and therefore is missing any sense of danger.
And the writing frequently is just.. odd. Weird turns of phrases, metaphors that may seem logical to the author but are just strange.
This one is clearly not for me.
Read
February 23, 2020DNF.
Sorry, this book isn't all that great. As others who had problems, it's fast paced but the writing isn't that good that fits the fast paced writing.
So. I'm gonna let this one slide.
Shame I couldn't finish it.
Sorry, this book isn't all that great. As others who had problems, it's fast paced but the writing isn't that good that fits the fast paced writing.
So. I'm gonna let this one slide.
Shame I couldn't finish it.
January 30, 2020
When I requested this book I had no idea this was the second book of the series. But I gave it a try anyway and I’m glad I did.
Description
On an oil rig off the coast of Alaska, government researchers lead an experiment. They try to enhance the human body. They succeed, in a way. But the subject don’t just become stronger, faster, smarter, they become evil. They escape by killing they way out. And their goal is something unthinkable. They want to bring the United States to its knees.
Tom Reese and Karl Lyons are the only ones who can stop them. They follow the subjects through the States as they bring the country on the brink of collapse.
Main characters
Tom Reese is a young man who went through the same experiment the subjects have. But he is different, he can handle it. He tries to have a normal life with the woman he loves. And he will do everything to make that life possible. I so loved his character because he is a good guy who can and will do real bad things when push comes to shove. He is practically unstoppable. He is passionate and kind and so human.
Karl wants to redeem himself, make his past mistakes right, he is even willing to sacrifice himself.
Kronin is his exact opposite. He is one of the subject, the strongest, the smartest of them them. He want to destroy. Nothing else matters, not even human life.
Supporting characters
There are lots of them so let’s start with Dr. Azamor. She is a there to be a witness to everything Kronin does. To witness the end of the world, so to speak. She is desperate to escape Kronin and her past too.
The other subjects are also death-row inmates like Kronin, murderers, rapists. They just follow orders and their basic instinct to kill, to destroy. They don’t seem human at all.
Writing style
The story is horrifying and amazing in equal measures. Horrifying because something like this could happen. Amazing because I could hardly put it down, I read well into my bedtime. The story flows nicely even if it is bloody, grisly.
Ending
I think there will be a third book if the ending is any indication. But despite this, I liked the ending, it gave me something to think about and I had to sleep on my review.
I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Description
On an oil rig off the coast of Alaska, government researchers lead an experiment. They try to enhance the human body. They succeed, in a way. But the subject don’t just become stronger, faster, smarter, they become evil. They escape by killing they way out. And their goal is something unthinkable. They want to bring the United States to its knees.
Tom Reese and Karl Lyons are the only ones who can stop them. They follow the subjects through the States as they bring the country on the brink of collapse.
Main characters
Tom Reese is a young man who went through the same experiment the subjects have. But he is different, he can handle it. He tries to have a normal life with the woman he loves. And he will do everything to make that life possible. I so loved his character because he is a good guy who can and will do real bad things when push comes to shove. He is practically unstoppable. He is passionate and kind and so human.
Karl wants to redeem himself, make his past mistakes right, he is even willing to sacrifice himself.
Kronin is his exact opposite. He is one of the subject, the strongest, the smartest of them them. He want to destroy. Nothing else matters, not even human life.
Supporting characters
There are lots of them so let’s start with Dr. Azamor. She is a there to be a witness to everything Kronin does. To witness the end of the world, so to speak. She is desperate to escape Kronin and her past too.
The other subjects are also death-row inmates like Kronin, murderers, rapists. They just follow orders and their basic instinct to kill, to destroy. They don’t seem human at all.
Writing style
The story is horrifying and amazing in equal measures. Horrifying because something like this could happen. Amazing because I could hardly put it down, I read well into my bedtime. The story flows nicely even if it is bloody, grisly.
Ending
I think there will be a third book if the ending is any indication. But despite this, I liked the ending, it gave me something to think about and I had to sleep on my review.
I received an advance copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
February 9, 2020
There is clearly an appreciative audience for this fast-paced action thriller. I am not among them. While other readers and reviewers enjoy Reardon's relentless action and wafer-thin character development, I found the plot a disjointed mass of ideas; little more than a collection of thriller cliches so obvious that I was tempted to start writing a list of the books and films in which they originally appeared.
Caution light Spoilers: From the post-apocalyptic Mad Max/The Road landscape, the violence of The Purge and the laughable Lecter-lite interactions with the "only-female on a secret oil-rig prison-lab" Doctor, the book is littered with film references, their action sequences and characters. Violent manufactured criminals trying to meet their maker and extend their lives? Yes, I see Reardon has also watched Blade Runner. I'm imagining he followed it with the go-on-just-one-more "Live Free or Die-Hard" and its central power-grid take-down theme. And then there's a huge side-order of Bourne and Treadstone and....well you see where this is going.
It would no doubt pass a flight if you found it in the seat-pocket and fancied some escapism. It's also undoubtedly already done the rounds of production offices for Netflix/Hulu and Amazon along with the first novel in the sequence. Perhaps it'll be better on screen - it is filmic if nothing else.
Caution light Spoilers: From the post-apocalyptic Mad Max/The Road landscape, the violence of The Purge and the laughable Lecter-lite interactions with the "only-female on a secret oil-rig prison-lab" Doctor, the book is littered with film references, their action sequences and characters. Violent manufactured criminals trying to meet their maker and extend their lives? Yes, I see Reardon has also watched Blade Runner. I'm imagining he followed it with the go-on-just-one-more "Live Free or Die-Hard" and its central power-grid take-down theme. And then there's a huge side-order of Bourne and Treadstone and....well you see where this is going.
It would no doubt pass a flight if you found it in the seat-pocket and fancied some escapism. It's also undoubtedly already done the rounds of production offices for Netflix/Hulu and Amazon along with the first novel in the sequence. Perhaps it'll be better on screen - it is filmic if nothing else.
February 22, 2020
*** I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review ***
OK, so there was a point when reading this book where I just went... what happened. The first half really had me going with a horror thriller kind of vibe, trying to figure out what the heck the researchers were doing and all of this backstory, but then the second half left me scratching my head.
The book itself: Like it was really going somewhere with all of the "who did what" and "what happened here" among all the other things going on. It gave me the creepy vibes that I look for when I read horror books. I liked that! I also felt like I didn't have to go back to read the first book and was just able to jump cheerily in to reading this one, which I'm grateful for.
The second half of the book was downhill from there, though. I wasn't a fan of the fact that it just threw everything out of the boat and went a different direction, nor was I really happy with the sudden incredibly patriotic theme that overtook the rest of the book. It was grating, and it didn't feel like it added anything additional to the plot this way, feeling more like an interjection of some weird feelings just because the author could (e.g. the note about the French Canadians being "backwardly cheerful" and the tidbit on tolerance/diversity).
TLDR: Not sure if I can recommend reading this just for the first half alone.
OK, so there was a point when reading this book where I just went... what happened. The first half really had me going with a horror thriller kind of vibe, trying to figure out what the heck the researchers were doing and all of this backstory, but then the second half left me scratching my head.
The book itself: Like it was really going somewhere with all of the "who did what" and "what happened here" among all the other things going on. It gave me the creepy vibes that I look for when I read horror books. I liked that! I also felt like I didn't have to go back to read the first book and was just able to jump cheerily in to reading this one, which I'm grateful for.
The second half of the book was downhill from there, though. I wasn't a fan of the fact that it just threw everything out of the boat and went a different direction, nor was I really happy with the sudden incredibly patriotic theme that overtook the rest of the book. It was grating, and it didn't feel like it added anything additional to the plot this way, feeling more like an interjection of some weird feelings just because the author could (e.g. the note about the French Canadians being "backwardly cheerful" and the tidbit on tolerance/diversity).
TLDR: Not sure if I can recommend reading this just for the first half alone.
February 28, 2020
The United States government is researching and attempting to enhance the bodies of test subjects on an unsanctioned oil rig just off the coast of Alaska. These fifteen men not the first but they were chosen for a reason - they're all on death-row. Not only to the researchers succeed in their endeavor but they get more than they bargain for in the process. The subjects are led to escape by the mysterious and exceedingly intelligent death-row inmate with no apparent background and other than the fact he's on that rig he doesn't exist.
Tom Reese and Karl Lyons are the two of the select few people that fully understand what the test subjects are capable of but even they are blindsided. Forced to cross portions of the United States that have been ripped apart, isolated and in the dark they will come face to face with the horror of the government's hubris.
I love reading author's descriptions of abandoned cities, a lot of times they seem more realistic and easier to imagine than descriptions of highly populated cities. You could almost split this book into two genres via the internal split of Book I and Book II - the atmosphere of each section is quite varied. The couple of chapters of the story shortly before Book II starts seems rushed after such a long escalation. I'm honestly also wondering how the good doctor kept up at sea as much as she is. The ending of the novel was also fairly anticlimactic in my opinion and suffers the same fate as the last chapters of Book I mentioned previously. The book overall is fairly fast paced with a lot of action, bits of horror, gore, murder, murder and more murder. The murder and gore in the book can get a little repetitive after a while and seems to be there more for a shock factor than anything else. I would also like to note that this book is the second in a series, the first book being The Prometheus Man. It isn't essential that you read The Prometheus Man first because I believe this book functions well on its own but I believe that the backstory would be beneficial to fully grasp the certain interactions and background information in The Dark Continent.
There are portions of this book that remind me of Resident Evil - mainly the God gene the prisoners are enhanced with (without the monster and zombie aspect of Resident Evil) and the location. I could definitely see a Resident Evil game taking place somewhere similar to the Alaskan oil rig the test subjects are kept on or the abandoned Chinese city of Kangbashi. If I were to play this book as a game I would expect it to be a similar play style to the Resident Evil series. There are also certain elements of it that remind me of Fallout. Instead of irradiated Yao Guai or Deathclaws the suspects are similar to a human appearing version of a Super Mutant. The factions that blossom in Book II are also reminiscent of Fallout but more of the bloodthirsty carnage variety than The Minutemen and The Brotherhood of Steel. I'm sure that this book will remind any reader of movies, books or video games that they've experienced as some portions of the book are similar to works in these areas.
There really is A LOT of gore and indiscriminate murder in this book. I really do mean indiscriminate - men, women, young, old, children etc. If you are sensitive to books about mass murder, in depth descriptions of murder and gore I would avoid it. I would suggest this novel to those who love books that feature conspiracies, action, war, thrillers, horror, societal collapse, and apocalyptic type events. I would like to thank NetGalley and Aspen Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Tom Reese and Karl Lyons are the two of the select few people that fully understand what the test subjects are capable of but even they are blindsided. Forced to cross portions of the United States that have been ripped apart, isolated and in the dark they will come face to face with the horror of the government's hubris.
I love reading author's descriptions of abandoned cities, a lot of times they seem more realistic and easier to imagine than descriptions of highly populated cities. You could almost split this book into two genres via the internal split of Book I and Book II - the atmosphere of each section is quite varied. The couple of chapters of the story shortly before Book II starts seems rushed after such a long escalation. I'm honestly also wondering how the good doctor kept up at sea as much as she is. The ending of the novel was also fairly anticlimactic in my opinion and suffers the same fate as the last chapters of Book I mentioned previously. The book overall is fairly fast paced with a lot of action, bits of horror, gore, murder, murder and more murder. The murder and gore in the book can get a little repetitive after a while and seems to be there more for a shock factor than anything else. I would also like to note that this book is the second in a series, the first book being The Prometheus Man. It isn't essential that you read The Prometheus Man first because I believe this book functions well on its own but I believe that the backstory would be beneficial to fully grasp the certain interactions and background information in The Dark Continent.
There are portions of this book that remind me of Resident Evil - mainly the God gene the prisoners are enhanced with (without the monster and zombie aspect of Resident Evil) and the location. I could definitely see a Resident Evil game taking place somewhere similar to the Alaskan oil rig the test subjects are kept on or the abandoned Chinese city of Kangbashi. If I were to play this book as a game I would expect it to be a similar play style to the Resident Evil series. There are also certain elements of it that remind me of Fallout. Instead of irradiated Yao Guai or Deathclaws the suspects are similar to a human appearing version of a Super Mutant. The factions that blossom in Book II are also reminiscent of Fallout but more of the bloodthirsty carnage variety than The Minutemen and The Brotherhood of Steel. I'm sure that this book will remind any reader of movies, books or video games that they've experienced as some portions of the book are similar to works in these areas.
There really is A LOT of gore and indiscriminate murder in this book. I really do mean indiscriminate - men, women, young, old, children etc. If you are sensitive to books about mass murder, in depth descriptions of murder and gore I would avoid it. I would suggest this novel to those who love books that feature conspiracies, action, war, thrillers, horror, societal collapse, and apocalyptic type events. I would like to thank NetGalley and Aspen Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 25, 2020
I received an advanced copy of this book. The review however, is entirely voluntary and completely of my own opinion.
Some books can drag you in quickly with their style of writing and mystery, feeding you tantalising bits of information, having you hanging off every word like a drug addict.
This is one of those books, it starts off so inconspicuously, that I was dangerously close to preemptively putting the book down after the first couple of pages (Hey, I have more books waiting to be reviewed then I know what to do with!).
Then, out of the blue, this book begins to get very dark and very interesting, very quickly.
The story starts by following a CIA agent in China who has been given a task of tracking some unscrupulous activities that he has first hand knowledge in.
Needless to say, shit goes down hill rather rapidly.
The writer effortlessly takes you between plots threads of the different characters. Interestingly, you don't feel you've been taken out of the action when we visit another thread, as tends to be the case for most writers. It's tastefully done with each thread having their own crucial part in the over arching thread, and thus requiring just as much of your attention.
The book does begin to ramp up in typical thriller style as nail biting decisions are made that could decide the fate of our unwilling heroes.
There are some questionable decisions made between our two main heroes that could have done with shoring up. For example, our main hero, Tom, has been on the run from the American government for a long time, however he joins up on the whim of a close friend without any serious internal conflict about doing so. The same for our other guy, who was left in an extremely dicey situation in an over seas operation, only for him to happily return no (serious) questions asked on request. These guys tried to kill you, you're not worried they will attempt to do it again on the flight home?
So the story is set up on some questionable foundations. However, it does not detract from an otherwise enjoyable book.
I don't want to go into too much detail about the book because it might take the edge of surprise off of what is a solid and well presented book. However, if you like The Passage or The Extinction Cycle, then this is going to be right up your street.
Wrapped in secrecy and surprise, this refreshing thriller gets a thumbs up from me 👍👍👍
Some books can drag you in quickly with their style of writing and mystery, feeding you tantalising bits of information, having you hanging off every word like a drug addict.
This is one of those books, it starts off so inconspicuously, that I was dangerously close to preemptively putting the book down after the first couple of pages (Hey, I have more books waiting to be reviewed then I know what to do with!).
Then, out of the blue, this book begins to get very dark and very interesting, very quickly.
The story starts by following a CIA agent in China who has been given a task of tracking some unscrupulous activities that he has first hand knowledge in.
Needless to say, shit goes down hill rather rapidly.
The writer effortlessly takes you between plots threads of the different characters. Interestingly, you don't feel you've been taken out of the action when we visit another thread, as tends to be the case for most writers. It's tastefully done with each thread having their own crucial part in the over arching thread, and thus requiring just as much of your attention.
The book does begin to ramp up in typical thriller style as nail biting decisions are made that could decide the fate of our unwilling heroes.
There are some questionable decisions made between our two main heroes that could have done with shoring up. For example, our main hero, Tom, has been on the run from the American government for a long time, however he joins up on the whim of a close friend without any serious internal conflict about doing so. The same for our other guy, who was left in an extremely dicey situation in an over seas operation, only for him to happily return no (serious) questions asked on request. These guys tried to kill you, you're not worried they will attempt to do it again on the flight home?
So the story is set up on some questionable foundations. However, it does not detract from an otherwise enjoyable book.
I don't want to go into too much detail about the book because it might take the edge of surprise off of what is a solid and well presented book. However, if you like The Passage or The Extinction Cycle, then this is going to be right up your street.
Wrapped in secrecy and surprise, this refreshing thriller gets a thumbs up from me 👍👍👍
July 17, 2020
This was a fast-paced book and interesting but not a new plot (it reminded me of Justin Cronin’s The Passage as I was reading). It is a sequel to another book but definitely stand-alone. For the most part, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not having read the first book. I am not 100% sure of the motivation of the “bad guys” and if it was implied or if I am reading something into the plot that wasn’t meant to be so there. So that is leaving me a little deflated at the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.
Want to read
August 25, 2021 I received an advanced digital copy of this book, courtesy of the author and publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
RTC
RTC
February 9, 2020
So. I found this book on NetGalley and was intrigued by the description. I didn't realize when I requested it that it was the second book in a series. However, a note at the beginning mentions this and says that it's not necessary to read the first book before reading this one.
Well. I kind of disagree. Yes, this is a different story. But it does reference the first book quite a lot, to the point where I wish I would've read that book before this one. This is a standalone story but I think I would've been more comfortable with the first half of the book and the Prometheus experiments if I would've read that story first.
So. The first half of the book was a little rocky and took me a bit to get into. It follows three different characters and, honestly, I was lost for a while. Mostly because Tom and Karl's opening stories play heavily (I'm assuming) into the events of the first book.
However, once I reached the second half of the book, I was totally hooked. Once the power went out and the continent "went dark" and the world started slipping into anarchy, I loved this book a lot more. It's definitely dark and gritty and a ton of gore and action. If you're a fan of action movies, you'll probably love this book. It had lots of Apocalypse Now vibes, especially toward the end.
But, it's also definitely not exactly what the description advertises. I think I expected to get the contents of the first book. Because the description sounds more like it's about the Prometheus project. It is for the first half. But the second half of the book (and more the central theme) is about what happens when the world as we know it changes and rules no longer exist. And that's the part that really fascinated me.
So overall, I think I did like this book. It definitely took me a little bit to get into but the second half of the story was well worth it. I would recommend reading the first book before jumping into this one, just so you have a better sense of the project and of who Tom is and what happened to him. (There are definitely puzzle pieces in this book but I think I would've jived with this book better if I would've known more about Tom going in.) So if you're a fan of action or war films, I definitely recommend this book!
And thank you so much to NetGalley and Aspen Press for allowing me the chance to read and review this book!
Well. I kind of disagree. Yes, this is a different story. But it does reference the first book quite a lot, to the point where I wish I would've read that book before this one. This is a standalone story but I think I would've been more comfortable with the first half of the book and the Prometheus experiments if I would've read that story first.
So. The first half of the book was a little rocky and took me a bit to get into. It follows three different characters and, honestly, I was lost for a while. Mostly because Tom and Karl's opening stories play heavily (I'm assuming) into the events of the first book.
However, once I reached the second half of the book, I was totally hooked. Once the power went out and the continent "went dark" and the world started slipping into anarchy, I loved this book a lot more. It's definitely dark and gritty and a ton of gore and action. If you're a fan of action movies, you'll probably love this book. It had lots of Apocalypse Now vibes, especially toward the end.
But, it's also definitely not exactly what the description advertises. I think I expected to get the contents of the first book. Because the description sounds more like it's about the Prometheus project. It is for the first half. But the second half of the book (and more the central theme) is about what happens when the world as we know it changes and rules no longer exist. And that's the part that really fascinated me.
So overall, I think I did like this book. It definitely took me a little bit to get into but the second half of the story was well worth it. I would recommend reading the first book before jumping into this one, just so you have a better sense of the project and of who Tom is and what happened to him. (There are definitely puzzle pieces in this book but I think I would've jived with this book better if I would've known more about Tom going in.) So if you're a fan of action or war films, I definitely recommend this book!
And thank you so much to NetGalley and Aspen Press for allowing me the chance to read and review this book!
April 20, 2020
Review for 'The Dark Continent ' by Scott Reardon
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Aspen press.
This is the first book that I have read by this author. It definitely won't be my last!!! It is the second book in the 'Prometheus Man' series. I haven't read any of his other books and this can definitely be read as a standalone.
THE book is written in 2 'books' with some chapters a few pages long and others just one which is ideal if you just want to read 'one more chapter', in my case this never happens.
I picked this title from NetGalley a while back and when I first reread the blog I thought why on Earth did I pick this book? I was actually dreading reading it and thought well I'm going to hate this book and it will drag. Omg did it prove me wrong!!
From the explosive beginning to the fantastic end I was completely sucked into the storyline. I absolutely loved it!!
It is very well written with excellent descriptions and the characters are fantastic, strong and compelling, I couldn't get enough of them. If you have ever read Stephen King's 'The Stand' you will know what I mean when I say Kronin reminds me of Randall Flagg!!
It is ram packed with violence, gore, action, suspense , tension, murder, I could go on!! It was very fast paced and action packed, I flew through it.
THE story is told mainly via Ellen, Tom and Karl so you get to 'see' everything that is going on through their eyes.
THE plot reminded me of a mix of Stephen Kings 'The Stand', 'The Bourne identity' 'Hannibal' and '28 days later' all rolled into one book of madness.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of action, horror, suspense, crime, gore, horror, dystopia, I could go on!! If your looking for a fast paced book this one is for you!!
436 pages
Free on kindle unlimited or 99p to purchase on kindle. I think this is an extremely good price for this book!! Grab a bargain while you can!!
Rated 5/5 ( I loved it! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Co.uk and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#TheDarkContinent #ScottReardon #AspenPress #NetGalley #BookReview
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Aspen press.
This is the first book that I have read by this author. It definitely won't be my last!!! It is the second book in the 'Prometheus Man' series. I haven't read any of his other books and this can definitely be read as a standalone.
THE book is written in 2 'books' with some chapters a few pages long and others just one which is ideal if you just want to read 'one more chapter', in my case this never happens.
I picked this title from NetGalley a while back and when I first reread the blog I thought why on Earth did I pick this book? I was actually dreading reading it and thought well I'm going to hate this book and it will drag. Omg did it prove me wrong!!
From the explosive beginning to the fantastic end I was completely sucked into the storyline. I absolutely loved it!!
It is very well written with excellent descriptions and the characters are fantastic, strong and compelling, I couldn't get enough of them. If you have ever read Stephen King's 'The Stand' you will know what I mean when I say Kronin reminds me of Randall Flagg!!
It is ram packed with violence, gore, action, suspense , tension, murder, I could go on!! It was very fast paced and action packed, I flew through it.
THE story is told mainly via Ellen, Tom and Karl so you get to 'see' everything that is going on through their eyes.
THE plot reminded me of a mix of Stephen Kings 'The Stand', 'The Bourne identity' 'Hannibal' and '28 days later' all rolled into one book of madness.
I would HIGHLY recommend this book to fans of action, horror, suspense, crime, gore, horror, dystopia, I could go on!! If your looking for a fast paced book this one is for you!!
436 pages
Free on kindle unlimited or 99p to purchase on kindle. I think this is an extremely good price for this book!! Grab a bargain while you can!!
Rated 5/5 ( I loved it! ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Co.uk and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
Feel free to add me on Goodreads for more reviews
#TheDarkContinent #ScottReardon #AspenPress #NetGalley #BookReview
https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?...
January 26, 2020
Second in a Series, THE DARK CONTINENT also functions as a stand-alone, as there is sufficient backstory interspersed throughout to keep the reader who's not previously read PROMETHEUS MAN engaged in the story and aware. I also think there's more than sufficient reason to continue the series. We all know human hubris knows no bounds, and like the Tower of Babel and Icarus, human egotism and quest for knowledge will always surpass moral integrity (and good common sense, sorely lacking among many in this novel, specifically scientists and spies).
THE DARK CONTINENT is Action-Adventure on steroids; there is a "Supreme Villain" I compared to Stephen King's "Walking Man" Randall Flagg (for criteria obvious on reflection). It's also a sad predictor for America's infrastructure. Yet more, this novel is a metaphysical, metaphorical, and philosophical riff on morality, deity, and life. Complex, unstoppable tension, high-tech and advanced biology--and extreme gore. So please be forewarned. The violence is often, and ugly.
THE DARK CONTINENT is Action-Adventure on steroids; there is a "Supreme Villain" I compared to Stephen King's "Walking Man" Randall Flagg (for criteria obvious on reflection). It's also a sad predictor for America's infrastructure. Yet more, this novel is a metaphysical, metaphorical, and philosophical riff on morality, deity, and life. Complex, unstoppable tension, high-tech and advanced biology--and extreme gore. So please be forewarned. The violence is often, and ugly.
March 22, 2020
NOTE: Original review first published on thecyberbard.com
“You could follow your bliss to the ends of North America. And at the end, you might have found none of what you initially sought. But the search was still worth it - because you'd tried. And when you did that, you often found something else instead. That was America to Karl. It was all the wonderful, disappointing things that happened when you rode in the sunset, chasing your dreams but never quite reaching them. And the place wasn't perfect. In fact it has always been kind of a giant shitting mess, but free people had existed here for two hundred years - at times, the only free people in the world.”
Synopsis: Off the coast of Alaska on a seemingly-abandoned oil rig, a rogue CIA operation threatens to open Pandora's Box. Researchers have unlocked the secrets to modifying the human body, and have tested it on a group of highly dangerous death-row inmates. When an unexpected incident leads to their escape, they throw the entire United States into chaos. Tom Reese, the only former test subject to properly handle the changes, and Karl Lyons, a CIA troubleshooter, are the only ones with the ability to salvage the situation... but will they be enough to stop a small army of psychotic supermen?
Hello fellow readers! I'll start by addressing the elephant in the room (in the room, out of the room, pretty much everywhere...): these are scary times. There is a lot of uncertainty right now about what is happening with the current pandemic. That said: let's not panic. This is a time for us to band together (at a socially acceptable distance of course) and take care of each other and our communities. The governments of the world are not going to save us; we need to take care of ourselves. It was definitely surreal to read this novel in such times... I will preface the review by stating quite clearly that I have looked at the text quite objectively, and have not allowed the subject matter and current world events to impact how I feel about it. On to the review!
While this is a direct sequel to Reardon's "The Prometheus Man", there is absolutely no need to read Book 1 before starting The Dark Continent. Reardon does a spectacular job of introducing characters in a concise yet powerful way. This allows Reardon to leap directly into the narrative, which benefits greatly from the driving pace which is set. Take note, authors! The "show, don't tell" approach works wonders here. Our primary protagonists, Tom and Karl, are interesting fellows. There exists an endearing and implicit sort of father-son relationship between them: Karl is the voice of experience, world-weary, wise, cynical and hopeful all at once; Tom, meanwhile, is a youth set adrift, trying to understand his place in a world that seeks to crush him and yet is simultaneously unprepared for what he has to offer. Tom's "powers" are a fitting metaphor for the Millennial experience (in my opinion, at least). While they definitely mimic certain tropes, it isn't distracting or unpleasant and both are likable characters.
The supporting cast doesn't quite hit the same notes for me unfortunately. The (arguably) third "primary protagonist", Dr. Azamor, is just far too... passive. I didn't describe her in the same paragraph as Tom and Karl because she simply does not feel like a complete person, which is somewhat disappointing. What I mean is that the good Doctor (who is a Psychiatrist) is more of a mirror than a complete person: she is used in almost every instance as either 1) a POV "plant" (i.e. she is on the oil rig purely to have a POV person to attach the narrative to), 2) a victim, or 3) a mirror to reflect others in. She is defined purely by loss (her child), and is used by the test subjects as a witness of sorts. Even her time on the oil rig seems to portray her as a sort of Gothic Heroine. Kronin (our antagonist), meanwhile, is a scheming, mustache-twirling, Hannibal Lecter stand-in seeking the total upheaval of America. While the character is interesting enough, I found myself completely unable to relate to such an individual. Contrary to Hannibal, a character with a profound distaste for those lacking in civility and manners, Kronin makes a mockery of civilized behavior; his mannerisms and speech are a thin veneer for his contempt towards all of Western society. He is an animal who has learned to speak, masking his savagery beneath a human guise. He is clearly some sort of genius, and is a superior physical specimen, and yet... the grand culmination of his plan is simply to break the system? Anarchy? A man of vision he is not.
The Dark Continent, to me, is like an Action movie. The plot is not enormously complex, nor are the characters, but there are readily-available archetypes to cling to. Here is your good guy, here is your bad guy. Here is the game of cat-and-mouse, and here is the inevitable climax. That said: I happen to ENJOY Action movies. You will not be able to put this book down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this type of story, and there is a reason why this style of narrative is widespread: it is popular, accessible, and compelling. There is something to be said for a story of good guys busting up the bad guys and bringing order back to chaos. I would go so far as to say that in times like these, this is the type of story we NEED. It is good to immerse oneself in a narrative where horrible things happen but, in the end, we are left with a hope that things will right themselves, that humanity will pick itself up again, dust off the filth, and take that next important step towards the sunrise. Reardon's effective use of this narrative template, along with his command of terse and commanding prose, make this a highly enjoyable story overall. Take your mind off of things for a while, and immerse yourself in this fast-paced adventure; Reardon's done a good job, and you won't regret the buy
Happy Reading!
“You could follow your bliss to the ends of North America. And at the end, you might have found none of what you initially sought. But the search was still worth it - because you'd tried. And when you did that, you often found something else instead. That was America to Karl. It was all the wonderful, disappointing things that happened when you rode in the sunset, chasing your dreams but never quite reaching them. And the place wasn't perfect. In fact it has always been kind of a giant shitting mess, but free people had existed here for two hundred years - at times, the only free people in the world.”
Synopsis: Off the coast of Alaska on a seemingly-abandoned oil rig, a rogue CIA operation threatens to open Pandora's Box. Researchers have unlocked the secrets to modifying the human body, and have tested it on a group of highly dangerous death-row inmates. When an unexpected incident leads to their escape, they throw the entire United States into chaos. Tom Reese, the only former test subject to properly handle the changes, and Karl Lyons, a CIA troubleshooter, are the only ones with the ability to salvage the situation... but will they be enough to stop a small army of psychotic supermen?
Hello fellow readers! I'll start by addressing the elephant in the room (in the room, out of the room, pretty much everywhere...): these are scary times. There is a lot of uncertainty right now about what is happening with the current pandemic. That said: let's not panic. This is a time for us to band together (at a socially acceptable distance of course) and take care of each other and our communities. The governments of the world are not going to save us; we need to take care of ourselves. It was definitely surreal to read this novel in such times... I will preface the review by stating quite clearly that I have looked at the text quite objectively, and have not allowed the subject matter and current world events to impact how I feel about it. On to the review!
While this is a direct sequel to Reardon's "The Prometheus Man", there is absolutely no need to read Book 1 before starting The Dark Continent. Reardon does a spectacular job of introducing characters in a concise yet powerful way. This allows Reardon to leap directly into the narrative, which benefits greatly from the driving pace which is set. Take note, authors! The "show, don't tell" approach works wonders here. Our primary protagonists, Tom and Karl, are interesting fellows. There exists an endearing and implicit sort of father-son relationship between them: Karl is the voice of experience, world-weary, wise, cynical and hopeful all at once; Tom, meanwhile, is a youth set adrift, trying to understand his place in a world that seeks to crush him and yet is simultaneously unprepared for what he has to offer. Tom's "powers" are a fitting metaphor for the Millennial experience (in my opinion, at least). While they definitely mimic certain tropes, it isn't distracting or unpleasant and both are likable characters.
The supporting cast doesn't quite hit the same notes for me unfortunately. The (arguably) third "primary protagonist", Dr. Azamor, is just far too... passive. I didn't describe her in the same paragraph as Tom and Karl because she simply does not feel like a complete person, which is somewhat disappointing. What I mean is that the good Doctor (who is a Psychiatrist) is more of a mirror than a complete person: she is used in almost every instance as either 1) a POV "plant" (i.e. she is on the oil rig purely to have a POV person to attach the narrative to), 2) a victim, or 3) a mirror to reflect others in. She is defined purely by loss (her child), and is used by the test subjects as a witness of sorts. Even her time on the oil rig seems to portray her as a sort of Gothic Heroine. Kronin (our antagonist), meanwhile, is a scheming, mustache-twirling, Hannibal Lecter stand-in seeking the total upheaval of America. While the character is interesting enough, I found myself completely unable to relate to such an individual. Contrary to Hannibal, a character with a profound distaste for those lacking in civility and manners, Kronin makes a mockery of civilized behavior; his mannerisms and speech are a thin veneer for his contempt towards all of Western society. He is an animal who has learned to speak, masking his savagery beneath a human guise. He is clearly some sort of genius, and is a superior physical specimen, and yet... the grand culmination of his plan is simply to break the system? Anarchy? A man of vision he is not.
The Dark Continent, to me, is like an Action movie. The plot is not enormously complex, nor are the characters, but there are readily-available archetypes to cling to. Here is your good guy, here is your bad guy. Here is the game of cat-and-mouse, and here is the inevitable climax. That said: I happen to ENJOY Action movies. You will not be able to put this book down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this type of story, and there is a reason why this style of narrative is widespread: it is popular, accessible, and compelling. There is something to be said for a story of good guys busting up the bad guys and bringing order back to chaos. I would go so far as to say that in times like these, this is the type of story we NEED. It is good to immerse oneself in a narrative where horrible things happen but, in the end, we are left with a hope that things will right themselves, that humanity will pick itself up again, dust off the filth, and take that next important step towards the sunrise. Reardon's effective use of this narrative template, along with his command of terse and commanding prose, make this a highly enjoyable story overall. Take your mind off of things for a while, and immerse yourself in this fast-paced adventure; Reardon's done a good job, and you won't regret the buy
Happy Reading!
December 23, 2021
3.5 Stars!
This is the second book in the Prometheus Man series. I bought the first one just because I'm a virgo and have to do things in order, but this book can stand alone.
Great storyline, incredibly action packed! Great character development of Karl and Tom. (Love Tom). Trigger warning if you can't handle blood, guts, and gory. Also scary was the parallels that could be drawn about the pandemic and "the reset", given this was released before all hell broke loose, it is ironic.
I'm holding back a star and a half because the writing was sometimes confusing, so I didn't immediately love this book. It also isn't my typical genre, but I can see the correlations that some reviewers have made to Michael Crichton.
A special thank you to NetGalley, Aspen Press, and Scott Reardon for providing me with an ARC.
This is the second book in the Prometheus Man series. I bought the first one just because I'm a virgo and have to do things in order, but this book can stand alone.
Great storyline, incredibly action packed! Great character development of Karl and Tom. (Love Tom). Trigger warning if you can't handle blood, guts, and gory. Also scary was the parallels that could be drawn about the pandemic and "the reset", given this was released before all hell broke loose, it is ironic.
I'm holding back a star and a half because the writing was sometimes confusing, so I didn't immediately love this book. It also isn't my typical genre, but I can see the correlations that some reviewers have made to Michael Crichton.
A special thank you to NetGalley, Aspen Press, and Scott Reardon for providing me with an ARC.
March 24, 2020
When I finished this book I put it down and felt a weird sense of relief because the book was over (I was really struggling to push through) and also a feeling of connecting to one of the characters (Tom). I felt overall that I did not connect with any of the characters, but for some reason, Tom left a lingering effect on my feelings. He was different in a good way. He made the book bearable for me.
The story line was super interesting. I really liked the idea of the story. It was totally James Bond-esque. I enjoyed the action in the story - my only complaint was that... It was like READING James Bond movie... It was like putting all the action and craziness of a high paced action movie into words. All those scenes in a movie that set the stage and use no words but viewers know whats going on... yeah, the book was missing that part. It was just going through all the action parts quickly without much in between. It was hard to read because of that. It was too much!
I feel like the characters were okay but really just okay. There were 3 main groups of characters. First, there is Karl and Tom. They are the main focus of the book. Karl is some government undercover worker guy (not too sure his title). He is likable and I found I hoped for the best when it came to Karl. Tom is just a super normal guy with super human abilities. Tom was tested on by the government and was basically made into this super human. A lot of bad stuff happens to Tom throughout the book and all the while he is just trying to normal and not evil like they want him to be. I think that is why I liked him so much.
Second, there is Dr. Azamor. She is a psychiatrist that is essentially made to work with all the crazy "subjects" who are death row inmates made into super human creatures/soldiers. I enjoyed Dr. Azamor. She is pretty normal and has realistic reactions and thoughts to everything going on. She made the entire first half of the book for me. I wish there was more about her in the second half. She kind of just drop off the face of the Earth and I don't know what happened to her. Sad :(
Finally, the "subjects." As mentioned above these are death row inmates who are not invincible super humans. They are mean, scary, cruel, horrible beings. If being horrible criminals isn't enough, they are now almost unstoppable and have so much rage and desire to destroy the world, it is just terrifying. As expected, the subjects escape where they are being held and then basically ruin the world on their rampage. About 75% of the book focuses on this terror and it has really gruesome moments. It was hard to read at times. It was also kind of sad. Like I said before, the book was like action all the time without much else. So the horror did not really stop from start to finish. It was a lot to read.
Overall writing and readability of the book - it was okay. The writing was decent. I didn't mind it at all. It was easy enough to read and understand. The chapters were quite short, like most of them were 3 to 4 pages. Only a few long chapters. I liked that! The chapters also flipped between characters which slowed the story down a little bit. I did find that there were some parts that dragged on and others that went by so quickly that if you missed a word or accidentally skipped a line you were lost. I did not like that aspect of it.
I just feel mixed on this. I feel like there were parts that I enjoyed and felt were well done but then there were so many parts that were too fast paced and not detailed enough/ too detailed. I also found out that this is the second book in a series, however, everyone said the series does not need to be read in order. I agree with that as there was really nothing being referenced so that's not a problem!
** Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story line was super interesting. I really liked the idea of the story. It was totally James Bond-esque. I enjoyed the action in the story - my only complaint was that... It was like READING James Bond movie... It was like putting all the action and craziness of a high paced action movie into words. All those scenes in a movie that set the stage and use no words but viewers know whats going on... yeah, the book was missing that part. It was just going through all the action parts quickly without much in between. It was hard to read because of that. It was too much!
I feel like the characters were okay but really just okay. There were 3 main groups of characters. First, there is Karl and Tom. They are the main focus of the book. Karl is some government undercover worker guy (not too sure his title). He is likable and I found I hoped for the best when it came to Karl. Tom is just a super normal guy with super human abilities. Tom was tested on by the government and was basically made into this super human. A lot of bad stuff happens to Tom throughout the book and all the while he is just trying to normal and not evil like they want him to be. I think that is why I liked him so much.
Second, there is Dr. Azamor. She is a psychiatrist that is essentially made to work with all the crazy "subjects" who are death row inmates made into super human creatures/soldiers. I enjoyed Dr. Azamor. She is pretty normal and has realistic reactions and thoughts to everything going on. She made the entire first half of the book for me. I wish there was more about her in the second half. She kind of just drop off the face of the Earth and I don't know what happened to her. Sad :(
Finally, the "subjects." As mentioned above these are death row inmates who are not invincible super humans. They are mean, scary, cruel, horrible beings. If being horrible criminals isn't enough, they are now almost unstoppable and have so much rage and desire to destroy the world, it is just terrifying. As expected, the subjects escape where they are being held and then basically ruin the world on their rampage. About 75% of the book focuses on this terror and it has really gruesome moments. It was hard to read at times. It was also kind of sad. Like I said before, the book was like action all the time without much else. So the horror did not really stop from start to finish. It was a lot to read.
Overall writing and readability of the book - it was okay. The writing was decent. I didn't mind it at all. It was easy enough to read and understand. The chapters were quite short, like most of them were 3 to 4 pages. Only a few long chapters. I liked that! The chapters also flipped between characters which slowed the story down a little bit. I did find that there were some parts that dragged on and others that went by so quickly that if you missed a word or accidentally skipped a line you were lost. I did not like that aspect of it.
I just feel mixed on this. I feel like there were parts that I enjoyed and felt were well done but then there were so many parts that were too fast paced and not detailed enough/ too detailed. I also found out that this is the second book in a series, however, everyone said the series does not need to be read in order. I agree with that as there was really nothing being referenced so that's not a problem!
** Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 16, 2021
The Dark Continent is about a group of prisoners with death sentences and taken by researchers in a section of the government. The fifteen cons are being tested to have certain skills increased within their bodies. During a rough storm they escape taking a doctor with them. They manage to create murder and huge mayhem causing a blackout that went through majority of the United States. They storyline and plots are full of many twists and turns that it can be hard to put down. For me the book begins a little slow and can confuse a reader as we’re not given much information on what’s occurring or even has occurred. It was a few chapters in and I began to understand what the research was about, and then wanted to keep reading to see what the test subjects were deciding to do. I understood more of what was happening or happened during the introduction of Tom and Karl’s stories. As I read more chapters I viewed events that caused people to steal, pillage, banding together to fight which gave the storyline an impact of similarities to being apocalyptic middle and ending to the story. A cliffhanger which leaves a confusing ending and unanswered questions as I am left wondering on what happened to certain characters. I’m looking forward with baited breath in hope there will be another book with answers to unanswered questions. Great book for readers who love to read the genres of mystery & thrillers and sci fi & fantasy; this book is similar to the end of time or apocalyptic style storyline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from via NetGalley for my honest review of the book . The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.
#TheDarkContinent #NetGalley
Review run date was set for 28 Jan 2020 for Netgalley, unfortunately life stood at a standstill as I finished the final semester and three subjects of my studies. On 28 March 2021 I was set to write the review and my health became an emotional roller coaster so here I am today 16 October 2021 review will be post on my WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at:
My WordPress blog link is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenr... I have 27 followers
My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95... I have 27 followers
My Amazon link is: Sorry I do not have any followers, I have a reviewer ranking #10,871
I received a complimentary copy of this book from via NetGalley for my honest review of the book . The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own thoughts, feelings and viewpoints of the book.
#TheDarkContinent #NetGalley
Review run date was set for 28 Jan 2020 for Netgalley, unfortunately life stood at a standstill as I finished the final semester and three subjects of my studies. On 28 March 2021 I was set to write the review and my health became an emotional roller coaster so here I am today 16 October 2021 review will be post on my WordPress blog, Facebook blog, Instagram, LinkedIn, Amazon.com.au, goodreads, along with the non-linked retail online stores that sell the book is at:
My WordPress blog link is http://bluefalkon95adorationofallgenr... I have 27 followers
My Facebook reader blog page link, is https://www.facebook.com/BlueFalkon95... I have 27 followers
My Amazon link is: Sorry I do not have any followers, I have a reviewer ranking #10,871
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews