Descent (Book 1 of the Antarktos Saga) - The Last Hunter

I just started reading Jeremy Robinson this year after reading a recommendation from James Rollins after purchasing one of Rollins's books. I took the plunge on ANTARKTOS RISING and Kronos and really enjoyed them. I next moved on to the Chess team/Jack Sigler series and was totally hooked after reading them! I couldn't wait to read more of his work. When the announcement came out that his next book was coming out in e-reader format, I couldn't wait. I had to borrow coworkers Kindle so I could read THE LAST HUNTER. I couldn't put it down. There where a few nights where I woke up with the kindle in my lap after falling asleep while reading it. I just wanted to keep on reading! I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

P.S. Being an I.T. person who is on the computer for 10-12 hours a day the last thing I want to do at night is look at a screen. I was a bit leery of using an e-reader but I found it was very easy on the eyes. I will be getting my own Kindle very soon (maybe Santa is listening ;-).

What lies under the ice in Antartica? Dinosaurs? Large insects? Or giant men, such as the mighty men of renown, relatives of Goliath, Anak, and the Nephilim? In The Last Hunter - Descent (Book 1 of the Antarktos Saga), Solomon Ull Vincent finds out as he is literally dragged away from his family and plunged into an antediluvian world of violence and intrigue.

Solomon (known as Schwartz to his parents) was born in 1974 on the contintent of Antarctica during a scientific expedition his parents were on. They take him home, where he grows up hearing whispers about the strange events surrounding his birth, and he grows more and more curious about his native country. Finally, after his 13th birthday, he returns with his parents to find out for himself. No sooner does he set foot back on the continent, than the strangeness begins again. From that point on the story barrels forward! I can't say much more, or I'll be giving spoilers.

Jeremy Robinson has crafted a terrific and fantastic young adult adventure. It is written with a sense of immediacy, but the characters and dialogue are also enjoyable. I did not feel quite so 'cliffhangered' as I have in other series' first book, but I was so engaged that I purchased the second book in the trilogy before I could stop to write this review!

This book grabbed me from the very beginning, and whisked me along with Solomon on his journey through training to be the last hunter, then reawakening to the reality of his surroundings, and finally taking action to reject the evil which kidnapped him.

Because of the adult themes of brainwashing, spirituality, and violence, this book is best suited for this 14 or 15 and above on the Aardvark scale. The mixture of fantasy and YA adventure will have you breathless from the first sighting of the pale man with red hair ...

I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.

The tale of Solomon Ull Vincent returning to the continent of Antarctica, his birthplace, is vividly written and tautly paced. The first few chapters which take place at home do an excellent job of grounding the character and making us sympathize with him. The author skillfully depicts the mental state of someone that age in contrast to so many YA series today where teenagers come across as nothing more than short adults.

This is very important to the success of the book since shortly after arriving in Antarctica, Solomon is ensnared in supernatural events in such a way that his character is no longer nearly as sympathetic. Even so, the book remains gripping to the end. Adults who enjoy fantasy will find this book well worth reading, and I highly recommend it for teens as well.

The only quibble I have with the book is that the sudden change in the character which makes him less sympathetic is not explained until the end of the book, which caused me quite a bit of confusion since his character is initially described as having a perfect memory. When it finally arrives the explanation fits the story well, I just wish there had been some hints of it sooner.

The book ends in a satisfying manner but the abruptness of the ending makes it apparent that a sequel is on the way and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book for free(although now that I know how good the author is and how reasonably priced his ebooks are I plan to purchase others!)

Jeremy Robinson's THE LAST HUNTER: DESCENT is a coming-of-age novel full of terror, a mysterious yet forbidding continent, and self-discovery at all costs. Solomon Ull Vincent never was a normal thirteen-year-old boy, since he's a genius with a perfect memory and the first child born on Antarctica. When he returns to his home continent, he begins his transformation into Ull, the hunter. Mr. Robinson weaves this epic saga with mysticism, mythology, and the prehistoric. Solomon's descent below the ice reminds me a little of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth. The breaking of Solomon into Ull is philosophical of human nature, and he must be broken to find his true self, and Solomon realizes the greatest gift of humanity is forgiveness. Robinson creates this fantastical yet realistic world and a great novel for young adults and adults, and I can't wait to read book two.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review. I already loved Jeremy Robinson's books. They are fun and exciting adventures filled with the right balance of science fiction and reality. This one was a little closer to fantasy with an ancient race of creatures hidden beneath the ice of Antarctica. The plot was well done, I especially love the way he took characters from the bible, expanded on them and gave them an interesting back-story. I loved the way the story was written like a diary from the point of view of the main character, it made you feel like you were right there with him and it made you really care about him. This is classified as a young adult book but it definitely didn't feel like it, there were several dark parts of the story that I think pushed it a little beyond the young adult category. The book definitely made me excited for the next one.

This book was an intense, action filled, dramatic, race car ride I simply didn't want put down. What a ride it was!

Magic, myth, science, religion, the believable & unbelievable unfurled itself from my iPhone, piercing the blackness of our room & whipped me away on a snowflake wind into a world I never would have imagined. Until now. I warn you: grab a cup of tea & snuggle into a thick quilt - it's about to get cold. Really cold...

The pacing is fantastic - not a boring part to this tale. The descriptions fascinating - I felt as if I were accompanying the main character on his painful journey. The language - easy to follow & fun to read.

No, I'm not going to give you a breakdown of what this book's about: that's what the preview is for but I will tell you this: From start to finish, I was completely engaged. No, it is not JUST a children's book - sheer nonsense - it will delight both young & young at heart alike. In fact, I'd peg it as more of a young adult book than children.

I'm anxious to begin reading the sequel. I've read one other book by this author. Robinson's fluid writing style is quickly making him one of my favorite modern day authors. Excellent work & thank you for a wonderful read!

- Ashley Knight, author of the FINS Trilogy

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.

I found this an enjoyable read with engaging characters and a somewhat unique plot ( from what I'm used to anyway). It took a bit of time for me to really get into it, but when I did, it kept me wanting more. It was fast paced with lots of action. The way the author describes everything allows the reader to lose him/herself in the world Nathan has been thrown into.

There are some young adult books that allow you to forget the characters are young themselves after the initial introduction in the first few chapters. Unfortunately this was not one of those books. Though the author writes wonderfully, the reader is often reminded of the main characters age and inexperience. However, that being said, I still found it to be a four star read.

Strange and unexpected things happen from beginning to end. The story keeps you wondering what will take place next.

Solomon (Ull) was the first and only child born on Antarctica. Solomon is very knowledgeable for a 13 year old and seems to have special powers. He has an interest in going back to his birthplace and for his 13th birthday his parents take him there.

This begins Solomon's adventure into the unknown. There is a lot of action, some violent, and adventure in this story. Solomon deals with the unexpected and has to learn survival skills that will help keep him alive.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in order to review it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves adventure books. It has action and suspense.I loved this book so much i literaly finished it in 1 day. I'm so glad i stumbled upon this book what a great read i will definently keep watching for his next book!

I literally read the whole series in 3 days! When it first starts off I wondered where the author was going with the main character. When Sol was broken I thought, ok this is an interesting perspective to take but then things change and the pace picks up and never lets off.
There is so much running around in the book that I got tired just reading about it! But still, I loved reading this book. When I was done I half expected to see the characters in the book running around.
Of course I googled Antartica. And sadly, it isn't anything like in the book (at least not that I know of :P)
Another thing, this whole series is spread out in 5 series and I thought that it might be too stretched out, but it wasn't. It was perfect and allowed for some cool character developments.
I recommend it for some easy reading!