Book Review: Revelations (Extinction Point #3) by: Paul Anthony Jones
I gave this book three out of five stars. I enjoyed this read, and I was happy to learn more about Emily’s story. I’d like to say this was a four star read, but I didn’t have any trouble putting the book down, so it didn’t meet my threshold. However this book, the third in the extinction point series, is better than the second book.
What I liked about the book:
1) Am I just a sucker for romance, maybe. To me the romance between Emily and Mac was very organic, and I enjoyed the realistic building of attachment between them. You could see them getting together like a Mack truck, but it was not awkward or shoved down the reader’s throat. I kept thinking there could be more to it, because it kept falling short of me being wrapped up in them emotionally. I think given the situation the characters were in, the slow pace of it was very appropriate. There was plenty of opportunity for more. The reader is told about several conversations that took place between them, but we don’t actually get the pleasure of witnessing them.
2) I liked finding out the “why” behind it all. I may not agree with the themes or the outcome of the book, but the resolution was there.
3) I loved all the environments the author takes you through. From the frozen arctic, to life on a submarine, to one of the most famous US military installations in California, and then to see the red forest take down Las Vegas-the author did a tremendous job making all of it real.
What I didn’t like:
1) Some of the crazy decisions made by the people in charge. At one point a sailor who was a sentry is killed in the night by one of the new world creatures. The commander signs off on not one, but two search party’s, even though he admits to knowing they were never going to find their comrade. He did it to make the other sailors “feel better”. No, no he would never jeopardize the safety of who is left in order to make them feel better. That not only didn’t fit the common sense test, but it is something not even the worst of officers would do. They land in the middle of Las Vegas crumbling under the red forest. Mac leaves a guy solo to watch over a helicopter, after they lose a UAV to a flying monster? Are you freaking kidding me? Not going to happen. He would never jeopardize safety by leaving him alone like that.
2) To much exposition and not enough dialog. As much as I loved being in the environment, I felt like I was reading the same descriptions over and over again. Yes-yes the climbing red vines, the debris-strewn path, more vines. The last third of the book got very repetitive and I found myself wanting to skip down the page.
3) I didn’t get why the sailors were mocking Emily when she relayed what happened to her in Las Vegas. They apologized and admitted they were wrong for thinking her stories back in Alaska were crazy. Why are they suddenly giving her a hard time?
In the authors notes at the end he mentions future stories about Emily. I’m curious to see what those would contain. Will they revolve around her red eyed son or the fact she thought there was an alien observer in her consciousness. Very creepy ending, but a good way to set up future books.
