Book Details:
Book Title: Song of Atlantis by Brian Power
Category: Adult Fiction, 322 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Brian J Power
Release date: December 2014
Tour dates: May 13 - 24, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (No explicit sex scene or excessive profanity)
Book Description:
A shocking discovery leads one scientist down a dangerous path in Brian Power’s compelling debut novel, Song of Atlantis.
When Amon Goro, the master architect of Atlantis, discovers a way to harness the earth’s forces into an infinite source of clean energy, it seems destined to change civilization as we know it.
But 4,500 years later, Atlantis exploration team leader Palen Golendar is brutally captured by a Native American tribe in modern-day South Dakota—derailing any hope Atlantis held of utilizing its energy secrets.
Eight thousand years in the future, Native American anthropologist Gordon Tallbear and his team of highly skilled researchers stumble across a connection between the recent discovery of Golendar’s remains and an intricate cavern system deep in the mountains of Antarctica…a connection that finally reveals the Atlantean secret of perpetual energy.
While Tallbear and his team plan to recreate the energy source that will change the world, a wealthy group with deep ties to carbon-based fuel producers decides this newfound energy source must be destroyed—and they will stop at nothing to assassinate the researchers in order to bury what they know.
Can Tallbear’s newfound knowledge survive?
Review:
Age old events with historical significance affecting people across millennia. This is the core concept of the book. While it is true that most legends are a combination of fact and fiction, it takes a special talent to build a conceivable story spanning millennia, with intertwining threads that connect every seemingly insignificant event. Song of Atlantis was that book which attempted this herculean mission and succeeded for the most part.
When I first saw the cover, there was not much I could gather from it except the single point of focus. But as I delved into the book I realised that the cover being simplistic was just the author's way of getting the reader to focus on the simple, straightforward point that formed the crux of the entire story. And once I began, the book did flow freely. I loved the fact that the language was really good, and the writing pleasant to read.
The book worked for me because it managed to keep the readers interested and stayed true to the genre it was written in. A sense of disbelief, shock and sometimes wonder are possibly frequent reader reactions. The lost land of Atlantis, the pyramids of Giza, and in the modern days, the powers that be, who do not want the earth-shattering secret to get out. And the novel follows the typical route for a sci-fi thriller, but it wins because of the unique presentation that made it obvious that the story was well-researched and written over time with many revisions to correct loopholes (as the author mentions in his note). The effort put into making this book believably surreal is evident in the way it is presented.
I loved many things in the book, especially the seamless flow of the story timelines, and the characters who seem to have multidimensional development, overall making it a pleasant read instead of wondering what tangent the book was taking us into. As a seasoned reader, I had to control my urge to cross-check and verify the accuracy of historical 'facts'. But even that need reduced with time, seeing as the book kept me turning the pages with a consistent speed.
Though it did take me some time to get used to the switching timelines, the reading was made much easier with the easily identifiable, fleshed out characters and subtle changes in the narrative style. The main positive point for the book is the writing, while the mild minus is that despite best efforts there are mistakes that seem to jump out randomly. They are not huge/significant enough to disrupt reading but are noticeable nonetheless.
In bringing out the darker side of commercialisation of natural resources, the author has done a wonderful job. Keeping the action alive amidst a descriptive narrative is an interesting takeaway from this book. Overall this is the kind of book I shall read at leisure again when I am searching for something to stimulate my brain. Would definitely be interested in reading his next work.
Brian Power is an educator who has taught at both the high school and college levels. He earned a BS degree in English and Secondary Education, and an MA in International Relations. A retired corporate consultant and trainer, he is also a retired Marine Corps Reserve Lieutenant Colonel who served for 24 years on both active duty and in the reserves. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife. SONG OF ATLANTIS is his first book.
For more information, please visit his Website.
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