I have just finished reading the third Robert Liparulo book in my library. He has only written three. This was actually his second book. I'm sort of glad I read it last.I first read Comes A Horseman, followed by Deadfall, both very compelling page-turners. It took me considerably longer to finish Germ than it did the other two. Not because it wasn't a good book. It was a very action packed, fast paced read, as two Average Joe American readers have commented in prior posts here. But there was just something too -- familiar, I guess, about it.
Germ is about a scientist who engineers a virus that, when released upon the population, will spread rapidly, giving ultimate control of the world to he who holds the cure -- which, of course, is the same scientist who engineered the virus. In a nutshell, that's the storyline. Everything that proceeds from there involves (a) a hired thug responsible for ensuring that enemies of the virus fail; (b) a group of protagonists that discovers the threat of the virus and risks their lives trying to stop the mad scientist; and (c) the hidden lair that the scientist is holed up in, making his evil plans for domination.
Now, I found this to be quite familiar to another story line that I have reviewed both here and here. This other story line is about a scientist who seeks a virus that, when released upon the population, will spread rapidly, giving ultimate control of the world to he who holds the cure -- which, of course, is that same scientist. In this case, the mad scientist finds the virus he desires as a mutation of a vaccine created by a leading pharmaceutical lab and engineers a way to force the mutation and to sustain. Slightly different method with the same result. Much of what proceeds from this story line involves (a) a hired thug responsible for ensuring that enemies of the virus fail; (b) a group of protagonists that discovers the threat of the virus and risks their lives trying to stop the mad scientist; and (c) the hidden lair that the scientist is holed up in, making his evil plans for domination. Wow. Seems like it could be the same story, right? Except that this second story, the epic Circle saga from author Ted Dekker, goes so much deeper into the story as to create two different worlds spanning some twelve novels to date.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Germ, and it is definitely a fast paced book worth the time spent reading it. But, if you haven't yet embarked on the journey that is the land of the Histories, please, read Black, Red, and White first. But don't stop there. Continue with the entire Circle saga. You won't be disappointed.
Then, when your finished, pick up the three works of Robert Liparulo. He's a solid, talented author whom I hope to see on the bookshelf again soon.
Joe
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment