A. G. Riddle (1)Rezensionen

This book really suffers from poor pacing. The story starts out very interesting; gets incredibly, tediously boring; and then finally makes a mad dash towards the conclusion. The ending is like a weak evil-villian trope with monologues and cringey dialogues.

What a delicious mindf**k of a book, in the best way possible.

Quote: Day 5: 900 million infected, 180,000 dead - Day 7: 2 billion infected 800,000 dead - Day 9: 3.8 billion infected 1,600,000 dead
The numbers and chronological progress tells it all, this is NOT a novel where the threat of pandemic is narrowly avoided at the last moment. A. G. Riddle goes no holds barred to justify an ominous title such as Pandemic. The first in the series of the “Extinction Files” , Pandemic has a mysterious illuminati-type organisation sworn to save a world perceived to need saving, no matter how high the cost and no matter the how evil the means. For hundreds of years satisfied to pull the strings from the background, their Machiavellian puppet mastery takes to the stage as they unleash the eponymous pandemic upon the world. The only man that can stop them was once a member of said organisation and thus must serve as our protagonist. In the usual manner, I shall examine this character in detail.
Desmond Hughes, at least initially, reminded me of a James Bond, which anybody who knows me will attest to is not a portent for a positive review. However, progressing into the novel I found Desmond to be infinitely more intriguing and likable than the rather bland, flat character of a 007 with his clinically implanted behavior and lackluster catchphrases.

What the author did especially well is his description of Desmond’s childhood that makes it clear that his smarts and physical strength were hard-earned, that he is no Superman and his childhood did break something inside which needed fixing.
Orphaned Desmond spends his formative years with his uncle Orwell who himself traumatized by a non-described event, unwillingly stunts the boys emotional growth. In the end Orville, at least partly, redeems himself by means of a last letter where he reveals some positive emotions towards Desmond. In a general sense, their relationship is akin to one described in a Johnny Cash song "A boy named Sue" which is all about preparation for the perceived hard life with induced and quite artificial hardships becoming a self-fulfilling and rather sad promise.
As part of the flashbacks that Desmond has of his earlier life we are introduced to the world of Silicon Valley’s internet startup culture; here A. G. Riddle’s utilization of his own real life experiences as a one time internet startup are to the benefit of the reader.
All in all Desmond is the author’s best character, and it is just as well as this character drives the story. There are many more quasi main characters including an Aussie antagonist whose spoken voice may be convincingly “Down Under” accented and appearance scary, if a bit cliched (massively scarred) but makes otherwise for a rather uninspiring adversary of our protagonist, mind you scourge of the civilized world. Some characters are merely underperforming - their appearance annoying; a few even superfluous - competing for verbal space that they needn’t even inhabit. In sum, none of them is nearly as well-rounded and believable as Desmond.
Nothing as bad as a dealbreaker, though. A.G. Riddle is a solid writer, he clearly knows his craft. His prose serves the type of fiction he writes well and he knows how to build up a puzzling mystery as the story progresses along that keeps you guessing to (almost) the very end.

Prior to reading this, I was in a reading slump and this book helped me get over it. What it has going for it is that it is a page-turner with an interesting premise. It is set in a post-apocalyptic world with an atmosphere vaguely reminiscent of [b:Wool Omnibus|13453029|Wool Omnibus (Silo, #1)|Hugh Howey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1349614200l/13453029._SY75_.jpg|18979356].
Unfortunately, it wasn't quite as masterful. It lacked depth and the writing was subpar. I found this novel to be very formulaic, with generic characters and a twist in the end that was so forced and out of place it made me laugh.
2.5

A bit slow at times, flashbacks can get a bit annoying as they tend to happen frequently and right in the middle of a plot point. In the end everything ties together in a way that is satisfying and things come together in a nice way. Hopefully book 2 will clear up a few points that are left unanswered.

(2013)Fair SF about a gene that protects certain people from a plague that is set upon the world to reset the world's population. This enters into time travel and the pretense that Atlantis is involved. Goodreads:The Atlantis Gene (The Origin Mystery #1)by A.G. Riddle (Goodreads Author)3.64 of 5 stars 3.64 � rating details   6,363 ratings   647 reviewsTHE GREATEST MYSTERY OF ALL TIME THE HISTORY OF HUMAN ORIGINS WILL BE REVEALED.¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥70,000 years ago, the human race almost went extinct.We survived, but no one knows how. Until now.The countdown to the next stage of human evolution is about to begin, and humanity may not survive this time.¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥The Immari are good at keeping secrets. For 2,000 years, they have hidden the truth about human evolution. And they've searched for an ancient enemy ¥ a threat that could wipe out the human race. Now the search is over.Off the coast of Antarctica, a research vessel has discovered a mysterious structure buried deep in an iceberg. It's been there for thousands of years, and it isn't man made. The Immari think they know what it is, but they aren't taking any chances. The time has come to execute their master plan: humanity must evolve or perish. In a lab in Indonesia, a brilliant geneticist may have just discovered the key to their plan.Four years ago, Dr. Kate Warner left California for Jakarta, Indonesia to escape her past. She hasn't recovered from what happened to her, but she has made an incredible discovery: a cure for autism. Or so she thinks. What she's found is actually far more dangerous. Her research could rewrite human history and unleash the next stage of human evolution. In the hands of the Immari, it would mean the end of humanity as we know it.One man has seen pieces of the Immari conspiracy: Agent David Vale. But he's out of time to stop it. His informant is dead. His organization has been infiltrated. His enemy is hunting him. But when he receives a cryptic code from an anonymous source, he risks everything to save the only person that can solve it: Dr. Kate Warner.Now Kate and David must race to unravel a global conspiracy and learn the truth about the Atlantis Gene and human origins. Their journey takes them to the far corners of the globe and into the secrets of their pasts. The Immari are close on their heels and will stop at nothing to find the Atlantis Gene and force the next stage of human evolution ¥ even if it means killing 99.9% of the world's population. David and Kate can stop them if they can trust each other. And stay alive.

definitely an attempt to be crichton-esque, but for me, it lacked the focus and propulsion that his books always had, for better or for worse -- without spoiling the book, it's just such a sprawling story and it just feels like the 500 pages the author used to set up what is clearly meant to be a series could've been better used

Okay, this was a tough one for me.

PROS: Two thumbs up for imagination and conception. I mean, this thing has Nazis, Aliens, Evolution, Hatfield and McCoy... everything but the kitchen sink. And the story itself is a pretty cool idea.

The science writing is so on point. Well researched, excellent execution. Just beautiful stuff.

I kept reading for these things. Even when the cons made me want to throw the thing across the room.

CONS: I'm generally a fan of braided stories, but this was like whiplash. Really short chapters, way too many threads, and not enough time spent really letting the reader get invested in each thread.

The dialogue in this thing that didn't have to do with science was downright awful. Especially the forced romance. Cheezy, cliche, and just unnecessarily. It's like the author imagined what a cool kid would say in a situation like that but fell so, SO short.

So much research and attention to detail went into the science in this novel, but the author completely skipped small fact-check details here and there. When these things come up, they are glaringly obvious.

Overall, I am not sure I'll give book two a read. If I get quarantine bored, I might, because the story is great, but I don't think I can make myself read through another round of terrible dialogue and whiplash.

So take that as you will, in terms of whether or not I'd recommend this to read.

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!! I loved this book. Riddle writes with passion for his subject matter. There is just not a boring page in this book. There is so much imagination and creativity as well as historical details that easily make the book long at 500 pages....but short to read because it is such a page turner.

This was SO GOOD!! I couldn't put it down! I love reading time travel books and this one had so many fascinating twists and turns. Nooo, I didn't quite understand some of the twisting...LOL....probably need to reread those sections. The writing just zips right along, every page a new happening. Riddle is a new author for me and I'm so happy to find him.

Politics. I read to escape Politics. Boring. Even Sci Fi future couldn't make this bare able for me.

Intricately woven mind candy for those that love a complex plot with lots of action! This book is a really good read. There are multiple things going on that at first I couldn't imagine how they would all come together, but they do. Those who stopped in the middle because of complexity completely missed out. Cool surprises I didn't see coming! I didn't care for the romance part, but it does not take away from the story or get intolerable. The suspense kept me turning pages. It ends on a cliff hanger and I can't wait to start the next book! I marked the pace as steady, but the last half the pace is fast.

Bleh, no short synopsis this time. I really wanted to like this book, but the ‘thriller’ bits definitely outweighed the ‘sf’ bits, to the point where I got tired of reading about spies and started skimming forward. Maybe book 2 would be more my thing, but I’m not convinced that I want to buy the second book on such a thin liking for the first book. The writing was also very uneven, and at least at the beginning, would have done well to have been edited significantly.

First sentence: In an auditorium at CERN, Tyson Klein stood behind a wooden podium, watching his colleagues arrive. It was the end of the workday, and most seemed tired.

Premise/plot: Tyson (Ty) Klein is one of four protagonists in A.G. Riddle's newest science fiction thriller. His newest discovery proves dangerous. The day he reveals his latest research, an attempt is made on his life. He flees to the United States with the help of his father. But it comes at a cost. The powers that be in the U.S. don't want him so closely involved in the project--even if it does rely heavily on his research. Both the "good guys" and the "bad guys" want to be the first to build and use a quantum radio. No one is quite sure exactly, exactly what it will do...but there is this race to be first.

When it is turned on or dialed, Ty and three companions are transported to an alternate universe--one of many in the multi-verse. They have a mission to solve though none of the four know what it is they are supposed to be doing. But they get an idea that that world--at least--will end within the week if they don't stop it from ending.

My thoughts: This one had all the elements that you would think I would naturally love, love, love. It reminded me in many ways of one of my favorite, favorite all-time favorite television shows that was cancelled way too soon. Perhaps because I kept thinking of that show--its twists and turns--I had a harder time connecting with the book in hand. That plus my natural skepticism/realism when it comes to "good guys" and "bad guys" in science fiction. There are obvious-obvious bad-guys, no doubt, but I'm not personally sure that the from-the-future-in-an-alternate-universe "good" guys are being 100% honest and straightforward.

This one stayed a strong "almost" for me for most of the novel. I think if the plot was a little tighter, perhaps, I would have loved it more? Or maybe I just need it to be a television show.

About a ⅓ through the book, I felt that I was reading a Young Adult novel. The story is good and have some nice twists, but the writing lacks depth and development. It was a fast read and enjoyable nonetheless.

“The Atlantis Gene’ was self-published in 2013 and was author A.G. Riddle’s first book. The book has sold over a million copies and at the time of this review, has over 50,000 ratings on Amazon. You cannot deny that it’s a self-published success story and A.G. Riddle has gone on to write nine other novels and has sold over five million copies.

I enjoyed this book, yes - it’s choppy and action-heavy, but it is pure fun. To me, it’s Clive Cussler meets Dan Brown - two authors who will never be held as literary intellects, but both are successful and write highly entertaining stories. You can debate their talents all you want, but, like Stephen King, you cannot debate their popularity or raw sales numbers. For me, this book never lost my attention, and at times, became a movie in my head. That’s success in my humble opinion. I’ll read more of Riddle’s books.

This book has three to four plot lines and switches back and forth like a whipsaw. This is managed with extremely short chapters, so you never really lose your place in any of the storylines. We switch exotic locations like an Indiana Jones movie. Riddle really threw in the kitchen sink in this first book of a trilogy. It has research expeditions, lost Nazi subs, genetics, historical catastrophes, a 9/11 conspiracy, secret societies, genetic manipulation, the Atlantis myth, a pandemic, and even an explanation of the “The Great Leap Forward.”

Five ice encrusted stars for this fast-paced, action packed science fiction thriller. Congrats to underdog A.G. Riddle for his entertaining works and well-deserved commercial success.

2023 book #19. 2022. A company invents time travel and the best use for it they can think of is to send prisoners into the distant past, which once it's used causes a great reduction in crime. There's more to the story but it isn't worth the time it would write about it.

Quantum Radio by A. G. Riddle has an intriguing premise: A quantum physicist working on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN discovers information encoded into the debris from high-energy particle collisions. I find the development of the idea less successful than the setup. To say more would lead to spoilers. 3.5 stars.½

Riddle, A. G. Departure. HarperVoyager, 2015.
A plane headed for Heathrow crashes in the English countryside, but no rescuers show up and everyone’s cell phone is dead. Think Lost, Twilight Zone, and Millennium, to name a few stories that used a similar premise. It is not the premise that matters but the character problems that the plane crash and the isolation generate. We bounce back and forth between alternating first-person narratives featuring Nick and Harper. Yes, we want them to become a couple, and the story doesn’t need its science fiction gimmick to tell us that. 3.5 stars½

First sentence: On the anniversary of his wife’s death, Sam Anderson visited her grave. It was a crisp spring morning in Nevada, with dew on the grass and fog rolling through the cemetery. In one hand, Sam carried a bouquet of flowers. In the other, he gripped his son’s hand. Ryan was eleven years old and strong-willed and introverted, like his mother. After her death, he had withdrawn, spending even more time alone, playing with LEGOs, reading, and generally avoiding life.

Premise/plot: Sam and Adeline Anderson find themselves in quite the mess. This father and daughter are suspects in a murder investigation. There is video evidence that they were the last [last to be seen, at least] to enter the victim's home. Nora and Sam were in a relationship together. Now Sam may just be exiled...forever...to save his daughter from being implicated as well.

Exiled means EXILED in Lost in Time. Criminals/prisoners are sent to the FAR, FAR, FAR, DISTANT past in an alternate universe. Convicts won't get the chance to appeal, they'll be alive as long as they can survive the elements: dinosaurs, earthquakes, volcanoes, meteors, etc.

What makes it worse for this father of two, is that he is one of SIX scientists who invented the Absolom time machine. It was meant to be a quick new way to "ship" stuff. They didn't know it was a time machine, but not a time machine to their own past, but a multi-verse time machine.

Adeline will do just about anything to save her father [after the fact] even if it means working/living with the enemy.

My thoughts: I loved, loved, loved, loved, crazy-loved this one. I wish I could find more science fiction like this one. For #lawnerds who also love sci-fi, especially time travel, this one is a dream read.

I enjoyed the complexity of this one. I loved the world-building and puzzle-building. All the pieces, all the clues, are there to be found. But it takes a while for everything to come together. (I was not expecting it to play out quite like it did.)

I really loved the characterization in this one. In particular, Adeline's character. She is our main narrator....

DNF... I found the constant wandering of the plot difficult to follow which throws off the momentum. Characters are standard issue rather than unique. Just isn't the kind of book I prefer.

4 stars, Strangers Together

QUANTUM RADIO
by A.G. Riddle

Four strangers come together because of the discovery of Dr. Ty Klein, a quantum physicist. The announcement of the discovery, brings four strangers together, who must work together if they are going to survive what comes next.

There was a lot of technical wording that I passed over, that didn't interest me. I lost interest in about the middle of the book but got interested in it again, then I was slightly disappointed at the ending. I can see where the technical terms would appeal to someone else.

I received a complimentary copy of #quantumradio from #netgalley #HeadOfZeus I was under no obligation to post a review. #agriddle

Crazy good book. The twists. Wow! Not my normal reading material but fit right in with my most favs. Good mystery, thriller, suspense with a time travel plot. Imagine being sent back to live among the dinosaurs.

400 page book and I finished it just under 24 hrs. You won’t want to put it down.

60% DNF. Too many characters to keep up with, didn’t really follow or care about the plot line. Loved his other books though.

The one thing I liked in this was the premise. Unfortunately, the book itself was so awful that I don't even know what to say. Other than that I cannot believe this was picked up by a publication house.

Up until the 50% mark, I was willing to just suspend my disbelief and disregard the fact that the characters were insanely onedimensional, the plot messy and deliberatly unclear, and the relationships between the characters so forced and inorganic that I could never believe people actually acted that way in real life. But the last 50%, man. Just. What the hell?

As soon as I thought things couldn't get any more absurd in the plot: Surprise, bitch! By the end I was basically just hate reading and hoping for a swift end to my suffering, but it just kept on spiralling. I feel like the author had the makings of five separate plotlines for five separate books (most of which he came up with watching action movies with the occasional superhero movie thrown in the mix), and he just decided to throw them all into the same convoluted story for shits and giggles.

I'm sure this series has a target audience who will enjoy this. This might be fun to experience on shrooms, maybe. I will never find out, and I most definitely will not pick up the sequels.