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big_papa_smurf's review
5.0
I read this book six years ago, and I’m sitting here six years later thinking of the similarities we have during a worldwide pandemic. Such an amazing read, definitely will read it again.
drako1357's review against another edition
3.0
Thriller de ciencia ficción de 2010 que sigue la historia de Patrick "Shep" Shepherd, un exjugador de béisbol de las Grandes Ligas que se convirtió en soldado. Shep está luchando para superar los traumas de la guerra cuando una pandemia de peste negra sintética se desata en la ciudad de Nueva York. La pandemia está siendo propagada por Mary Klipot, una científica que cree que es su deber divino traer el apocalipsis.
Shep es el único que tiene la vacuna contra la peste, y se embarca en una misión para encontrar a su esposa e hija, que están atrapadas en Manhattan. En el camino, se encuentra con una serie de personajes extraños y peligrosos, incluyendo a un grupo de neonazis, una banda de ladrones y un ángel de la muerte.
El libro está escrito en un estilo rápido y ágil, y está lleno de acción y suspense. Alten hace un buen trabajo de crear una atmósfera de terror y paranoia. Los personajes son bien desarrollados y creíbles, y la trama es emocionante y absorbente.
Una de las cosas que hace que el libro sea tan interesante es su exploración de los temas de la moralidad y la fe. Alten plantea preguntas sobre la naturaleza del mal y el papel de Dios en el mundo. El libro también es una advertencia sobre los peligros de la ciencia y el poder.
En general, Grim Reaper: End of Days es un libro entretenido y bien escrito que ofrece una reflexión profunda sobre temas importantes. Es una lectura obligada para los fans de la ciencia ficción, el thriller y la literatura apocalíptica.
Shep es el único que tiene la vacuna contra la peste, y se embarca en una misión para encontrar a su esposa e hija, que están atrapadas en Manhattan. En el camino, se encuentra con una serie de personajes extraños y peligrosos, incluyendo a un grupo de neonazis, una banda de ladrones y un ángel de la muerte.
El libro está escrito en un estilo rápido y ágil, y está lleno de acción y suspense. Alten hace un buen trabajo de crear una atmósfera de terror y paranoia. Los personajes son bien desarrollados y creíbles, y la trama es emocionante y absorbente.
Una de las cosas que hace que el libro sea tan interesante es su exploración de los temas de la moralidad y la fe. Alten plantea preguntas sobre la naturaleza del mal y el papel de Dios en el mundo. El libro también es una advertencia sobre los peligros de la ciencia y el poder.
En general, Grim Reaper: End of Days es un libro entretenido y bien escrito que ofrece una reflexión profunda sobre temas importantes. Es una lectura obligada para los fans de la ciencia ficción, el thriller y la literatura apocalíptica.
vicarrojo's review
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
felinity's review
1.0
I'd earlier made an attempt but it was a DNF. This time I forced my way to the end just to see how it wrapped up. (It's part 1 of a series, just so you know.)
The best way to explain this without any spoilers or too many details: imagine Dan Brown discovered one of the mystical philosophies/religions, then went through something traumatic and partnered with a horror-thriller writer to get it out of his system.
Too much detail in some place, weird hallucinations/visions/dreams and too many layers. Not quite thriller, not quite apocalyptic, not quite horror, not quite suspense. And not worth reading even the once, IMO. Definitely not touching the second.
The best way to explain this without any spoilers or too many details: imagine Dan Brown discovered one of the mystical philosophies/religions, then went through something traumatic and partnered with a horror-thriller writer to get it out of his system.
Too much detail in some place, weird hallucinations/visions/dreams and too many layers. Not quite thriller, not quite apocalyptic, not quite horror, not quite suspense. And not worth reading even the once, IMO. Definitely not touching the second.
travvyt's review
2.0
This book started out strong - the general premise of the story is very intriguing and has so much potential. Unfortunately, it was potential that was never really realized. The book kept getting lost down twists and turns that made no sense (some that seemed to be there just for the shock value in that they provided absolutely nothing to advance the overall narrative) and just lost me completely about 70% through the story. I don't want to give away any specifics but for me, the story went from believable to somewhat far fetched to downright silly in the last few pages. This was my first Steve Alten book and I know people rave about MEG so I'll probably give his books another chance but I have no desire to read the sequel to this one.
kath021's review against another edition
4.0
Me pareció una lectura bastante entretenida; la temática y el viaje de los personajes me gustó bastante, sin embargo, no encontré ninguna conexión con ningún personaje porque los sentí muy vacíos... además que el final me dejó como "¿what? ¿En serio así acaba?" De todas formas no es un mal libro, le doy 4.2 estrellas.
ivanimalnott's review against another edition
3.0
El libro en sí está bien, y a pesar de que no soy nada fan de las idas de olla filosóficas, las de este libro me han gustado bastante y me han hecho pensar e incluso llegar a plantearme toda la idea de religión que conocemos. Otro aspecto que me ha gustado bastante es el del terrorismo, sobre todo el biológico, y cómo te hace pensar en si todas las desgracias que vivimos día a día son como nos dicen que son y no manipulaciones del gobierno (este libro me ha dejado muy tocado, lo reconozco).
Lo único malo que le veo al libro es lo tedioso que se te hace en algunas ocasiones el viaje del protagonista, que aunque ya sé que tienen que estar ahí porque está basado en la Divina Comedia de Dante, me pareció que sobraban.
Lo único malo que le veo al libro es lo tedioso que se te hace en algunas ocasiones el viaje del protagonista, que aunque ya sé que tienen que estar ahí porque está basado en la Divina Comedia de Dante, me pareció que sobraban.
ctorretta's review
5.0
Buckle your seat belts kids, we're going for a ride!
Grim Reaper End of Days by Steve Alten is at the very least a roller coaster ride through hell. The main character's wife, Patricia loves Dante's Inferno and as the main character, Shep (Patrick Shepherd) goes through his trials throughout the book he goes back again and again to the passages in Dante's Inferno.
Most of this book is about spirituality, although you wouldn't know it while you learn about bio terrorism, conspiracy theories and war stories. Shep isn't alone in this story however, all of the world sits by while wars, killing, rape, greed runs rampant. It's better to turn your eye than to do something about it, to speak against those in power, those with the money.
No Snowflake in an avalanche feels responsible -- Page 96
Everyone has a part to play in this book. Each character is pivotal to the development of the story, and to the development of what happens after the plague is released, on purpose, in Manhattan. As we go through the book, we learn that Shep's role isn't that small, but he must be assisted by many others to get to where he needs to go. His friend Virgil helping him more than most to descend through the layers of his own hell, while he figures out and tries to work through the guilt of the many years at war, and the many sins he committed.
Patrick "Shep" Shepherd was a promising major league rookie baseball pitcher when September 11th, 2001, hit. Shaken by the attacks, Shep left behind his soul mate and newborn daughter to enlist in the Armed Forces. Eleven years and four deployments later, Shep finds himself in Manhattan's VA hospital. His left arm is gone, his wife and daughter are gone, and he is haunted by the nightmares of war. December 21st.: While world leaders meet at the U.N., Mary Klipot, a bio-hazard level-4 scientist working at the CIA labs in Fort Detrick, enters the Big Apple with Scythe, a swift-acting version of the Black Death designed to wipe out America's enemies abroad. Believing she is carrying out God's wishes, Mary infects herself, then unleashes Scythe upon Manhattan. The threat of a worldwide pandemic forces officials to seal off the island . . . the president among those trapped. Determined to rescue his wife and child, Shep follows his guide, Virgil Shechinah, through the plague-infected neighborhoods of Manhattan, revisiting the "Nine Circles of Hell" as portrayed in Dante's Inferno. And the Grim Reaper, loosed upon the land by a humanity who has once again tipped the scales in favor of evil over good, is stalking Patrick Shepherd.
Once Mary releases the plague we live through the eyes of the victims, who are quite literally facing a hell on earth as they try to survive. Some pillage or resort to all sorts of violence just as they did prior to the plague. But others have the light in their hearts to have faith in God and that everything, even hell on earth is for a reason. As Shep and his friends learn the reasons, they also learn why Shep is there and what he must do to save not only himself and his friends, but all of civilization.
Gustave Doré's illustration to Dante's Inferno...
Welcome to Hell, abandon all hope upon entering. -- Dante Alighieri, Dante's Inferno
**Spoiler alert**
I don't want to give anything away about the story and there was one paragraph that really spoke to me. So, without telling you anymore about this story, I'm still going to share this paragraph.
We're all God's children. All of us. The real sin is man's refusal to become what we are. Spirituality isn't about religion, it's about loving God. Two thousand years of bickering, persecution, hatred and war, all caused by some silly competition over who Daddy loves best. All we have to do is love unconditionally. When each man becomes his brother's keeper... that's when everything changes. It's not too late.
If you do not like spirituality, do not let this turn you away. This book has some serious spots that had my heart palpitating! Absolutely loved every bit of it. Although Bubonic Mary isn't my favorite person... but you'll see what happens to her. All I can say is marshmallow!
And my favorite quote from Shep when you know he has finally found his inner bad ass! Go Shep Go!
Not this time.
5/5 For a heart wrenching grand time!
Review: Grim Reaper End of Days
Series: Grim Reaper – Book 1
Author: Steve Alten
No of Pages: 512
Release Date: October 10, 2010
Grim Reaper End of Days by Steve Alten is at the very least a roller coaster ride through hell. The main character's wife, Patricia loves Dante's Inferno and as the main character, Shep (Patrick Shepherd) goes through his trials throughout the book he goes back again and again to the passages in Dante's Inferno.
Most of this book is about spirituality, although you wouldn't know it while you learn about bio terrorism, conspiracy theories and war stories. Shep isn't alone in this story however, all of the world sits by while wars, killing, rape, greed runs rampant. It's better to turn your eye than to do something about it, to speak against those in power, those with the money.
No Snowflake in an avalanche feels responsible -- Page 96
Everyone has a part to play in this book. Each character is pivotal to the development of the story, and to the development of what happens after the plague is released, on purpose, in Manhattan. As we go through the book, we learn that Shep's role isn't that small, but he must be assisted by many others to get to where he needs to go. His friend Virgil helping him more than most to descend through the layers of his own hell, while he figures out and tries to work through the guilt of the many years at war, and the many sins he committed.
Patrick "Shep" Shepherd was a promising major league rookie baseball pitcher when September 11th, 2001, hit. Shaken by the attacks, Shep left behind his soul mate and newborn daughter to enlist in the Armed Forces. Eleven years and four deployments later, Shep finds himself in Manhattan's VA hospital. His left arm is gone, his wife and daughter are gone, and he is haunted by the nightmares of war. December 21st.: While world leaders meet at the U.N., Mary Klipot, a bio-hazard level-4 scientist working at the CIA labs in Fort Detrick, enters the Big Apple with Scythe, a swift-acting version of the Black Death designed to wipe out America's enemies abroad. Believing she is carrying out God's wishes, Mary infects herself, then unleashes Scythe upon Manhattan. The threat of a worldwide pandemic forces officials to seal off the island . . . the president among those trapped. Determined to rescue his wife and child, Shep follows his guide, Virgil Shechinah, through the plague-infected neighborhoods of Manhattan, revisiting the "Nine Circles of Hell" as portrayed in Dante's Inferno. And the Grim Reaper, loosed upon the land by a humanity who has once again tipped the scales in favor of evil over good, is stalking Patrick Shepherd.
Once Mary releases the plague we live through the eyes of the victims, who are quite literally facing a hell on earth as they try to survive. Some pillage or resort to all sorts of violence just as they did prior to the plague. But others have the light in their hearts to have faith in God and that everything, even hell on earth is for a reason. As Shep and his friends learn the reasons, they also learn why Shep is there and what he must do to save not only himself and his friends, but all of civilization.
Gustave Doré's illustration to Dante's Inferno...
Welcome to Hell, abandon all hope upon entering. -- Dante Alighieri, Dante's Inferno
**Spoiler alert**
I don't want to give anything away about the story and there was one paragraph that really spoke to me. So, without telling you anymore about this story, I'm still going to share this paragraph.
We're all God's children. All of us. The real sin is man's refusal to become what we are. Spirituality isn't about religion, it's about loving God. Two thousand years of bickering, persecution, hatred and war, all caused by some silly competition over who Daddy loves best. All we have to do is love unconditionally. When each man becomes his brother's keeper... that's when everything changes. It's not too late.
If you do not like spirituality, do not let this turn you away. This book has some serious spots that had my heart palpitating! Absolutely loved every bit of it. Although Bubonic Mary isn't my favorite person... but you'll see what happens to her. All I can say is marshmallow!
And my favorite quote from Shep when you know he has finally found his inner bad ass! Go Shep Go!
Not this time.
5/5 For a heart wrenching grand time!
Review: Grim Reaper End of Days
Series: Grim Reaper – Book 1
Author: Steve Alten
No of Pages: 512
Release Date: October 10, 2010
bookishsmiles's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting story but found it quite confusing
disis19's review against another edition
2.0
This was just ok for me. I suppose it wasn't the story I was expecting going in. It's a battle between good and evil with elements of spirituality and science, but there's a lot going on. There were many POVs and I felt like that made the story drag. This seems to be the start of a series per the last few pages in the book, but there have not been any subsequent novels published to date. I don't think I would've continued with this series if there were to be honest. This book did feel final enough for me in the epilogue.
Though I didn't enjoy this book very much, I have been enjoying the author's MEG series a lot and will try other books by him in the future.
Though I didn't enjoy this book very much, I have been enjoying the author's MEG series a lot and will try other books by him in the future.