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Ark Chronicles #1
People of the Ark
An epic unmatched through the ages…
An Almighty power unleashed in a lust-drenched world with a terrible and unyielding hammer.
With astounding narrative power—Vaughn Heppner, Winner of the Writers of the Future Award—sweeps the reader into the whirlpool of pageantry, passion, splendor, chaos and earth-shattering upheaval that was the world before the Flood. Here is the story of Methuselah, the wealthy patriarch of a rebellious clan, and Noah, a farmer driven mad with a vision of catastrophic disaster.
So begins a towering saga of great events and mortal frailties. It is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women—queens and soldiers, temptresses and wives, carpenters and orphans—combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life.
An Almighty power unleashed in a lust-drenched world with a terrible and unyielding hammer.
With astounding narrative power—Vaughn Heppner, Winner of the Writers of the Future Award—sweeps the reader into the whirlpool of pageantry, passion, splendor, chaos and earth-shattering upheaval that was the world before the Flood. Here is the story of Methuselah, the wealthy patriarch of a rebellious clan, and Noah, a farmer driven mad with a vision of catastrophic disaster.
So begins a towering saga of great events and mortal frailties. It is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women—queens and soldiers, temptresses and wives, carpenters and orphans—combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life.
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 10, 2010
About the author
Vaughn Heppner
137 books571 followersYou can visit Vaughn at www.vaughnheppner.com
I was born in Canada and remember as a small boy crawling in my snow-fort. I closed my eyes, and when I tried to open them, they were frozen shut. I didn't panic, but wiped away the ice crystals, unglued my eyes and kept on building my tunnel. Those were great days! I moved to Central California before seventh grade and couldn't believe I lived in a land where oranges grew on trees and you could pick grapes from the vine.
I used to wonder what I wanted to do with my life, what kind of work specifically. I was miserable not knowing and bordering on desperate. Then one day a friend gave me his typewriter. I began working on a novel. A different person told me it was much easier on a computer, so I bought one and began getting up at 4:30 A.M. each morning before work, writing for three hours. My eyes were unglued once again as the pang of misery left my gut. I knew exactly what I wanted to do: write. So now that's what I do, I write, and write, and write, and I love it.
I was born in Canada and remember as a small boy crawling in my snow-fort. I closed my eyes, and when I tried to open them, they were frozen shut. I didn't panic, but wiped away the ice crystals, unglued my eyes and kept on building my tunnel. Those were great days! I moved to Central California before seventh grade and couldn't believe I lived in a land where oranges grew on trees and you could pick grapes from the vine.
I used to wonder what I wanted to do with my life, what kind of work specifically. I was miserable not knowing and bordering on desperate. Then one day a friend gave me his typewriter. I began working on a novel. A different person told me it was much easier on a computer, so I bought one and began getting up at 4:30 A.M. each morning before work, writing for three hours. My eyes were unglued once again as the pang of misery left my gut. I knew exactly what I wanted to do: write. So now that's what I do, I write, and write, and write, and I love it.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 17, 2022
Secular fiction does not have a monopoly on powerful prose. This dramatic fictionalized tale of Noah's struggle to launch the Ark to save his family and select animals from the Deluge has plenty of evocative language in its Mashup subtle fantasy featuring a marriage of the Book of Genesis and Conan the Barbarian.
April 16, 2019
Ham - Noah's youngest son - is the narrator of this story.
As is consistent in Flood fiction he is the "rebel" son who acts out and often causes trouble and chaos. This is due to Noah's curse/prophesy against Canaan (Ham's youngest son - who as of part 1 of this novel series has not yet been born) due to Ham's mockery of Noah (which also as of part 1 has not yet happened). Ham's mockery of Noah is biblical, however we do not know how long and deep the rift between Noah and Ham really was. Was it just a sad moment in time or a lifelong struggle between father and son?
Nevertheless, Ham realizes his follies in the novel and for the most part redeems himself thereby surviving the the Flood.
There is also tension between Ham and his elder brother Japheth. It made me wonder if this hinted at our current racial strife since Japheth is the father of Europe and Ham the father of Africa.
Another racial undertone is Japheth's overt "intellectualism" - he's always writing, always thinking, brooding. Ham, however, is noted for his physicality - he's bigger, stronger, taller than his brothers - rather than having intellect.
The ultimate lesson in this book and the biblical Flood is that the wage of sin is death. People had the opportunity to survive and enter the ark but their evil and prideful hearts would not concede to God and so they perished.
As is consistent in Flood fiction he is the "rebel" son who acts out and often causes trouble and chaos. This is due to Noah's curse/prophesy against Canaan (Ham's youngest son - who as of part 1 of this novel series has not yet been born) due to Ham's mockery of Noah (which also as of part 1 has not yet happened). Ham's mockery of Noah is biblical, however we do not know how long and deep the rift between Noah and Ham really was. Was it just a sad moment in time or a lifelong struggle between father and son?
Nevertheless, Ham realizes his follies in the novel and for the most part redeems himself thereby surviving the the Flood.
There is also tension between Ham and his elder brother Japheth. It made me wonder if this hinted at our current racial strife since Japheth is the father of Europe and Ham the father of Africa.
Another racial undertone is Japheth's overt "intellectualism" - he's always writing, always thinking, brooding. Ham, however, is noted for his physicality - he's bigger, stronger, taller than his brothers - rather than having intellect.
The ultimate lesson in this book and the biblical Flood is that the wage of sin is death. People had the opportunity to survive and enter the ark but their evil and prideful hearts would not concede to God and so they perished.
March 16, 2012
Overall, I thought the story was an interesting one. I particularly like that Ham is the Narrator of the story.
The description of the onset of the flood was unique and intriguing.
Heppner's writing style is not my favorite, but definitely readable. I don't hesitate to return to reading.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
The description of the onset of the flood was unique and intriguing.
Heppner's writing style is not my favorite, but definitely readable. I don't hesitate to return to reading.
I am looking forward to reading the rest of this series.
July 17, 2011
An interesting retelling of the Noah's Ark story from the point of view of his youngest son, Ham. Full of period details, People of the Ark is the first book in a trilogy that will retell the whole story. So far, I like how the author has taken just a few lines from the Bible and created this complete epic out of it.
As a side note, I also am loving my kindle this summer!
As a side note, I also am loving my kindle this summer!
October 22, 2015
Interesting....
It was over too soon. Glad I've already downloaded the next book in this series... now ready to enjoy after the flood.
It was over too soon. Glad I've already downloaded the next book in this series... now ready to enjoy after the flood.
March 13, 2017
I'm not sure how I feel about this book?
It was a bizarre mixture of biblical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. I mean, there were dinosaurs on the ark and Nephilim and I'm pretty sure Odin was the devil at one point. Far out. I'm not sure if I liked it enough to read the sequel but I'll give it a try because like what happened to Egypt?
It was a bizarre mixture of biblical fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. I mean, there were dinosaurs on the ark and Nephilim and I'm pretty sure Odin was the devil at one point. Far out. I'm not sure if I liked it enough to read the sequel but I'll give it a try because like what happened to Egypt?
September 10, 2017
A fascinating and engaging read People of the Ark breathes life into the time leading up to the Great Flood
Five stars for life and breath given to the people and feel of the antediluvian world and to the character of Noah and his clan as the great Ark is completed and the rains begin!
Five stars for life and breath given to the people and feel of the antediluvian world and to the character of Noah and his clan as the great Ark is completed and the rains begin!
June 7, 2018
I can accept mammoths, sabre-tooth cats, and giant sloths aboard the Ark -- the geological record makes it clear that these animals co-existed with humans -- but not tyrannosaurs, pterodactyls, etc. They were extinct AT LEAST 65 million years before the Age of Man.
March 17, 2018
An interesting look at the bible story. Looking forward to reading more.
June 20, 2019
Okay not preachy
Easy reading interesting story and okay pace I like the way heaven and h Lloyd are represented will continue series
Easy reading interesting story and okay pace I like the way heaven and h Lloyd are represented will continue series
July 3, 2015
"People of the Ark" is a good contribution to the religious/historical sub-genre of "Deluge Fiction." In this case, the author imagines the story of Noah and his family through the eyes of Noah's son Ham.
The story is well-written, but would perhaps benefit from firmer line-editing. Characterizations and plotting are good. Deluge Fiction is hard to do, as the Bible account gives away very little about the personalities of Noah and his family. The author even had to make up names for the wives of Noah and his sons.
A story like this is always going to be influenced by the religious views of the author. In this case, the author assumes that worshipers of God in the ancient world believed pretty much the same things Protestants believe today. He also assumes that it had never rained before the Deluge, something not required by the Biblical account. One extremely important thing the author gets right is that faithful people of that time would have known God by his personal name and called him that in the course of everyday life -- in this case, using the formulation "Jehovah," the most common rendering in English.
One puzzling aspect of this story is that it starts out with Ham as an old man living in Egypt, many years after the Deluge. The story of the Deluge, taking up most of the book, is told as a flashback, but the narrative never returns to Ham, who is supposed to be telling the story in retrospect. One would expect some kind of epilogue, returning to the elderly Ham, relating the dramatic story of the ark to Pharaoh. I would call this a substantial plot-hole.
ARK
The story is well-written, but would perhaps benefit from firmer line-editing. Characterizations and plotting are good. Deluge Fiction is hard to do, as the Bible account gives away very little about the personalities of Noah and his family. The author even had to make up names for the wives of Noah and his sons.
A story like this is always going to be influenced by the religious views of the author. In this case, the author assumes that worshipers of God in the ancient world believed pretty much the same things Protestants believe today. He also assumes that it had never rained before the Deluge, something not required by the Biblical account. One extremely important thing the author gets right is that faithful people of that time would have known God by his personal name and called him that in the course of everyday life -- in this case, using the formulation "Jehovah," the most common rendering in English.
One puzzling aspect of this story is that it starts out with Ham as an old man living in Egypt, many years after the Deluge. The story of the Deluge, taking up most of the book, is told as a flashback, but the narrative never returns to Ham, who is supposed to be telling the story in retrospect. One would expect some kind of epilogue, returning to the elderly Ham, relating the dramatic story of the ark to Pharaoh. I would call this a substantial plot-hole.
ARK
July 17, 2012
Vaughn Heppner, Winner of the Writers of the Future Award—sweeps the reader into the whirlpool of pageantry, passion, splendor, chaos and earth-shattering upheaval that was the world before the Flood. Here is the story of Methuselah, the wealthy patriarch of a rebellious clan, and Noah, a farmer driven mad with a vision of catastrophic disaster.
So begins a towering saga of great events and mortal frailties. It is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women—queens and soldiers, temptresses and wives, carpenters and orphans—combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life.
Some of it is a little out of character, but is still good reads.
I suggest you do not read Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin first. Otherwise Vaughn Heppner's series might irritate you. Because Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin is top notch and she totally did her homework and studied other ancient texts to be sure she was accurate even if the story was in and of itself, fiction.
So begins a towering saga of great events and mortal frailties. It is peopled with a vast, and vivid cast of unforgettable men and women—queens and soldiers, temptresses and wives, carpenters and orphans—combined in a richly embroidered human tapestry to bring a remarkable era to bold and breathtaking life.
Some of it is a little out of character, but is still good reads.
I suggest you do not read Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin first. Otherwise Vaughn Heppner's series might irritate you. Because Chronicles of the Kings by Lynn Austin is top notch and she totally did her homework and studied other ancient texts to be sure she was accurate even if the story was in and of itself, fiction.
March 30, 2012
I just finished this book, and on the way to download #2! The author made the story real, and brought up many points I had never thought of before. The reality of how huge a task Noah and his family took on never hit home until reading this novel. I have no idea how long the book would be on paper, but I was kept busy for quite some time, so I would think it would be a large novel.
I was caught up from begining to end. I am not sure when I have enjoyed a book more. I would absolutely recommend to friends. Vaughn Harper put in details that make you truly in awe of the situation. He brings to light things I never had thought of before in all the years of Bible stories.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Now having re-read the book, I purchased #3 and 4 which I hadn't read/purchased before. Totally loved the book the second time around. He still thought of things I never had before, and reminded me why my faith in God is so important.
I was caught up from begining to end. I am not sure when I have enjoyed a book more. I would absolutely recommend to friends. Vaughn Harper put in details that make you truly in awe of the situation. He brings to light things I never had thought of before in all the years of Bible stories.
I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
Now having re-read the book, I purchased #3 and 4 which I hadn't read/purchased before. Totally loved the book the second time around. He still thought of things I never had before, and reminded me why my faith in God is so important.
July 28, 2015
Adding a touch of reality to scripture.
I considered this a 5 because of the addiction of humanity into the WORD. Knowing it is just a fantasy didn't stop the reader from going into the story full on. Combining Noah's faithfulness with the son, Ham's , wavering of trust and with the lust for a deceitful woman until Ham sees the truth in Jehovah the story weaves through desires of sin into the light of salvation... God's faithfulness in supplying needed wood, food protection, and creatures for the ark. Enjoyable.
I considered this a 5 because of the addiction of humanity into the WORD. Knowing it is just a fantasy didn't stop the reader from going into the story full on. Combining Noah's faithfulness with the son, Ham's , wavering of trust and with the lust for a deceitful woman until Ham sees the truth in Jehovah the story weaves through desires of sin into the light of salvation... God's faithfulness in supplying needed wood, food protection, and creatures for the ark. Enjoyable.
November 16, 2014
Enjoyable
although made up I guess all biblical stories are. well written and ill get the next in the series. thank you for the hours of enjoyment Mr Heppner
although made up I guess all biblical stories are. well written and ill get the next in the series. thank you for the hours of enjoyment Mr Heppner
April 5, 2017
Excellent book, about to start the next!!!
This is an awesome read. Very well written! I'm so excited to read the next one! Highly recommended for anyone
This is an awesome read. Very well written! I'm so excited to read the next one! Highly recommended for anyone
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews