Grim Reaper: End of Days

I've been reading Alten since Meg, and I think he is an excellent writer. Unfortunately this is the last book of his I'll read as Mr Alten has decided to use his writing in his past two books for his political advocacy. Anti war conspiracy theories anti business preachy peacenick mommy state.
From my review, you might think I am opposed to Mr. Alten's views, which is not the case (well, not all of them). But agree or disagree, using your novel to further your political agenda is like talking politics in the workplace. Right, wrong, agree, disagree, doesn't matter, it's still not the place for it

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

I am at a loss of words on how to even begin this review other then by saying that this novel was scary as Hell! Grim Reaper: End of Days by Steve Alten is the debut novel in a new series that perfectly mixes fact and fiction until all the lines are blurred making it was impossible to tell the truth. This novel is a chillingly plausible tale about the end of days that will leave you hiding under your bed.

The facts Alten selected to use within this novel were terribly compelling. They help to substantiate and create the setting of this book giving it a present day immediacy that fits nicely with the current political turmoil. Not to mention that the political corruption sets an unnerving tone in show more conjunction with the man made virus Scythe, even before this deadly plague is released upon the world. There is a never ending sense of suspense, fear and unease that permeates the novel making this a dark dense read set against tones of religion.

There is a huge cast of characters within the novel that we follow, most notable Patrick Shepard. His journey through the various levels of Hell, using the modern day setting of Manhattan, gives a current and relevant face lift to the widely known Dante's Inferno. Shepard's, or rather Shep's, past is a blur and yet we are compelled by him and his journey to enlightenment, both spiritually and emotionally. While we know little about his history, the past unfolds before us in hallucinogenic glimpses that slowly unfurl the truth behind his past and present and why he chose to become a soldier and how he was injured. The cast of characters around him lead him through his journey and often times serve as tests of faith and endurance. Virgil, his main guide through this journey, is a psychiatrist who is helping aid Shep in learning the truth about himself as well as helping to enlighten the various cast about the religious implications of the current plague and it's relevance to religion. All the characters, while we don't get to know a lot about them, are highly developed and perfectly suited to aid in the various stages within the novel. You come to care about them and to despise the more corrupt among them. Truly this is a wonderful novel that shows humanity at both its best and worst making us consider who we really are as individuals and as a whole.

Steve Alten's masterful writing uses emotional appeal wonderfully throughout the novel, both as an aid and a hindrance. The range of emotions evoked is wide, varying greatly from disgust and unease to hope. The graphic nature he uses to describe the plague, otherwise known as Scythe, humanizes the disease giving it a disturbing face both through the descriptions of it's symptoms and of the history of the plague in general. It definitely has the unappealing effect of making even the strongest amongst us into germ-a-phobes!

In the end I found this novel to be thought evoking and horrific, definitely not for the light hearted. It is dark and makes the reader look long and hard at the world around them. With political and religious overtones, this novel is terrifyingly plausible. show less

To start with I have to admit that I never read Dante's Inferno, which has been taken as an inspiration for this book. So I am not able to judge if that has been done right, wrong, good or bad. But I know that the book feels like the circles of hell in the Inferno.
There is Mary Klipot, a woman with deep seated problems, extremely religious, bordering on madness, highly intelligent,working with some of the most dangerous biological substances. During an archaeological dig the plague virus is discovered and Mary is researching it to be able to learn as much as possible about this pestilence. An assistant, corrupt and greedy for money, tries to sell the virus. On discovery of his weakness and her unexpected pregnancy Mary tips over into show more madness and releases the virus, slightly altered, into a UN assembly in Manhattan, believing the world must die.
There is Patrick Shepherd, a young war veteran who lost an arm and is recovering in a hospital, plagued by strange dreams, hopeless, full of unexplained guilt, suicidal, waiting for the prosthetic arm, while Manhattan is raging with the plague.
So far, so good, I like the story and the race to contain the plague, the dreams of Patrick, the madness of Mary, nine wise men, Noah, God, the military and of course the people of the island and there fight to survive all make very good reading. It is slightly too much, so many different angles, so many different happenings and explanations, I had to stop reading sometimes just to have some time to sort through everything. There are probably three books in here with three stories. I made it through though and I did enjoy it. Every new problem, angle, idea will get explained and solved in the end and every different story in the book comes to an end, but still, there is a lot in here.
It is basically a novel about the evil, corruption, greed and all the other bad things we humans are so good at and the possibility of another worldwide extinction (like the biblical Flood) with a chosen character (like Noah) to save the worthy. There is a lot of religion in here, no special kind, a more general approach, which I am not so keen on, but in the end that didn't matter, it is a damn good read. show less

From Amazon:

From Revelations to the Mayan Calendar’s 2012 prophecy, all major cultures and religions warn of a darkness to come. . . a supernal event that will be the modern-day equivalent of Noah’s Flood. In the 13th century, Europe suffered through war, famine, and the evils of the pogrom–acts of hatred that massacred tens of thousands of Jews. In 1346, at the height of corruption, the Black Plague struck the Eurasian continent, wiping out half the world's population while spawning a new legend: The Grim Reaper. In GRIM REAPER: End of Days, international best-selling author Steve Alten takes us on a classic hero’s journey of good versus evil, transformation and redemption. Far more than it seems, the story draws frightening show more parallels between the lack of morality that corrupted 13th century Europe and the greed that has mired our own society in economic collapse, two endless wars–and a very real covert biological program, exposed by the author, which could lead to a global pandemic and our own prophesied self-destruction in 2012 . . . 666 years after the Black Death struck Europe!

My Thoughts:

I was so disappointed by this novel, a modern day Dante's Inferno mixed with a bit of mysticism and a lot of conspiracy. Anyone that read and enjoyed Steve Alten's MEG series...let me tell you this isn't anywhere close to equaling them. The story moves pretty quickly. There aren't a lot of dull moments where I found myself struggling to get through a chapter. The characters are somewhat likable, although forgettable as well. The plot of Grim Reaper is fairly absurd...but keep in mind that this observation is coming from someone who has read five books about an 120 foot long prehistoric shark and loved every one. Maybe I just didn't understand the book. but I just felt like this was a waste of writing time. I've given two of Steve Alten's "political books" a try now and that's been two too many. From now on I'll stick with the tried and true giant prehistoric monster fiction. show less

A really good read - dark, suspensful, fast paced and thought provoking. A premise that is at least plausable and probably becoming more possible every day (a govenment designed super-plauge "accidently" released) that forces you to think about the world in which we live and the way we choose to live and we would be willing to do when faced with life and death. My only critisim is that the author belabors the Dante's Inferno tie in - there were a few cheesy quotes about going through hell and the use of the names Virgil and Beatrice were over-kill. Over all, a good book - I love a book that makes you think - if there isn't at least one line or scene that makes you close the book and reflect, you aren't doing y our job as a reader.

A crazy scientist, and not your average crazy scientist, lets loose a strain of plague that she cooked up in a covert biological weapons program. Unleashed at the UN in Manhattan it quickly takes hold leaving the government no option but to quarrantine the island. An unlikely hero emerges, transforming as the novel progresses, to full blown saviour - but not your average saviour. Its an OK read, plot is well developed with a very believable disaster scenario but it drifts with the supernatural stuff. I don't think I'll bother with the sequel(s).

My first - and probably last - book by Steve Alten. He is a good writer that seems to make a mess here mixing some stretched religious foundations with super liberal politics and non very believable conspiracy theories