The Last Oracle: A Novel (Sigma Force)

What if you could bioengineer the next great world prophet: scientifically produce the next Buddha, the next Muhammad, or the next Jesus? Would it mark the Second Coming or initiate a chain reaction with disastrous consequences?

A master at combining historical and religious intrigue with edge-of-your-seat adventure, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins brings back SIGMA Force to battle a group of rogue scientists who've unleashed a bioengineering project that could bring about the extinction of humankind.

In Washington, D.C., a homeless man dies in Commander Gray Pierce's arms, shot by an assassin's bullet. But the death leaves behind a greater mystery: a bloody coin found clutched in the dead man's hand, an ancient relic that can be traced back to the Greek Oracle of Delphi. As ruthless hunters search for the stolen artifact, Gray Pierce discovers that the coin is the key to unlocking a plot that dates back to the Cold War and threatens the very foundation of humanity.

An international think tank of scientists known as the Jasons has discovered a way to bioengineer autistic children who show savant talents—mathematical geniuses, statistical masterminds, brilliant conceptual artists—into something far greater and far more frightening, in hopes of creating a world prophet for the new millennium, one to be manipulated to create a new era of global peace . . . a peace on their own terms.

Halfway around the world, a man wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of who he is, knowing only that he's a prisoner in a subterranean research facility. With the help of three unusual children, he makes his escape across a mountainous and radioactive countryside, pursued by savage hunters bred in the same laboratory. But his goal is not escape, nor even survival. In order to thwart a plot to wipe out a quarter of the world's population, he must sacrifice all, even the children who rescued him.

From ancient Greek temples to glittering mausoleums, from the slums of India to the toxic ruins of Russia, two men must race against time to solve a mystery that dates back to the first famous oracle of history—the Greek Oracle of Delphi.

But one question remains: Will the past be enough to save the future?

Customer Reviews:

Not good, da

The book is not enjoyable. The story takes place all over the world, but the author doesn't seem to know enough about the places or people of which he writes. The attempt to "write" in a Russian accent for one of the minor charactors wasn't the first sign of trouble. It was a beacon of the problems within the book. The story tends to backfill details, to tell why someone did the minor deed or took that unimportant step, all in an effort to develop the charactors. Although this isn't a bad method of story telling, in this book is comes off as tedious.
I did not find this book to be an enjoyable read. The charactors are ultimately not compelling and I can see from the type of scenes and settings, the author is hoping for a movie deal. This got in the way of trying to write a story that is enoyable in book form.

2008-11-27

I know you want to watch the news, but...

I felt like a child being told a quick bedtime story from an impatient father ready to get back to the news. I understand his style is quick and dirty, get to the point; but beyond the historical and factual stream sprinkled in, I was left with a shallow tale. It moved at a pace that was more like a thirty minute drama on television.

The characters weren't real and I still don't know them. The only time Rollins hit is mark was with Kowalski. He seemed layered, despite he was nothing more than a prop.

I wanted to enjoy and become a fan of Rollins. I seems to be a very down to earth fellow and gracious to his readers. That is why I stuck it out and finished the book, still wishing for a spark. If not for my wanting to enjoy Rollins, I would have been done around page 500.

I'm sorry to say, this book was disappointing.

2008-11-07

Huge Rollins Fan!

I am a little biased here as I was already a Rollins fan before picking up the Oracle but this is a good read. The story moves along at a nice pace. There is the nice blend of history and adventure to captivate a reader around the possibilities of it all being real.

2008-11-02

Fast paced adventure

I am a big James Rollins fan, and enjoyed this book more than the rest because it weaves into the story so many interesting and assorted true facts ranging from the Gypsies' roots in India, the ability to see into the future, human intuition, the sometimes prodigious abilities of autistic savants, and a secret group of scientists called the Jasons who help the defense department. And at the end of the novel Rollins carefully summarizes and details all the true facts in the novel.

As a novel it is fast paced adventure, but at times (particularly in the beginning) can be confusing and appear disjointed because there really are more plot lines and stories than a good novel should have. In addition, there is really very little character development, though as another review has pointed out, that would get in the way of the action, of which there is plenty.

I gave this five stars for its entertainment value and because of the wealth of fascinating true information that is contained. It does require a bit more patience from the reader in the beginning than his other novels until you sort out the different story lines, which I think could have been presented in a less disjointed manner. But despite that flaw, the action never ceases as Sigma ultimately has to save the world from being destroyed.

2008-11-01

'The Last Oracle' is my first stop on the Rollins rollercoaster!

This is my very first James Rollins book and I must say that I really, REALLY enjoyed it! Even though there was a lot of scientific "stuff" in it, I didn't get lost and didn't feel stupid! Rollins definitely has a way with words and driving things along at a MACH-3 pace. Although Gray is the main character I had a blast reading about Kowalski. This dude had me laughing out loud with is numbskull comments and brute strength.

If you are a fan of political, scientific, somewhat religious, somewhat historical-fiction, military, secret covert operation, secret societies, DNA jargon, thrillers... then this is the PERFECT book for you! So now I have to go back and read his early work because I want to see how Sigma and Gray started and I also want to see how he writes other stuff. I envy those of you who get paid to read!! AAARRGGGGHHHHHH!!! Lucky !!

2008-10-11