Level 26: Dark Origins
by Anthony E. Zuiker, Duane Swierczynski
List Price:
Our Price: $1.19
You Save: $25.76 (96%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Anthony E. Zuiker, Duane SwierczynskiEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-09-08
ISBN: 0525951253
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Book Reviews of Level 26: Dark Origins
Book Review: A Major Disappointment
Summary: 1 Stars
This book was disappointing on several levels. First, it should be advertised as "produced by Anthony E. Zuiker" as it appears that the actual author is Duane Swierczynski. Mr Zuiker seems to be cashing in some of his TV credibility based on the success of the CSI franchise to create some sort of social networking site based on a series of books, this being the "pilot". Sorry Mr. Zuiker: after my initial order of one episode, you are on the cancellation list. As other reviewers have noted, following the links provided in the books to see the interactive/internet portions of the novel is not a simple matter of typing the address into your browser and going right to the material. You have to register with a valid e-mail address, and even then you aren't given access to the material: you have to join their community. Appears to be a marketing data mining effort.
Second, in my opinion, the book isn't well written. The 406-page book is chopped up into 107 chapters! Great for readers with attention deficit syndrome, I guess, but not so good for character and plot development (there was none). The main character, the serial killer nicknamed Sweegel isn't believable at all and you really learn nothing about the character that would explain his financial independence, technological expertise, or the reason behind his God-complex killing spree. You are asked to believe that this fellow jets around the world killing people with ease, physically overpowering and out-maneuvering victims and special agents alike, planting technologically advanced monitoring devices within the most elite government agencies, and physically fitting into and out of spaces and situations with ease, all while being described as an "emaciated, ghost-thin man" and "a five-foot, six-inch, 126-pound stick bug". There really is no mystery to solve; the reader just follows the run of the narrative that takes us through his killing spree based on some sort of competition with the hero Steve Dark. In stereotypical fashion, the hero is forced to deal with tragedy and loss while battling not only the serial killer, but the evil high-ranking government official who routinely orders the deaths of anyone that fails an assignment or displeases him. Gosh, a Secretary of Defense that uses the Vice-President's plane, has a secret team of government assassins at his beck and call and is overbearingly ruthless and evil - was Jon Stewart consulted on this?
Third, the book was poorly researched and edited. There are so many holes in the book that just defy common sense and mistakes that could have been easily corrected if ANYONE had bothered to review and check the material. The one that was the most glaring to me was the sequence in the United Methodist Church and the subsequent deaths of the "priests". The Methodist Church has ministers and pastors, not priests; I'll leave it at that. Another reviewer has done an excellent job of pointing these mistakes out.
Something non-related to the book also bothers me. On another site, there have been numerous over-the-top positive reviews in the reader/member review section that make me wonder if the reviews are not being salted by people associated with the book and site. Here is one example of a "member" review I found:
>>The story is not gorey but plays on your own imagination instead. It gives you just enough details to set your mind off on picturing for yourself what happened. The suspense, the story, the cyber-bridges, forum, and website all contribute to this not-to-be-missed edge-of-your-seat page-turner! Beware: you may want to read it near a computer so you can easily jump on to watch the video clips, but it IS NOT NECESSARY to watch the cyber-bridges in order to enjoy this book! They are meant to enhance the experience, not 'complete' it! But is strongly recommended that you partake :) (yes, there will be questions at the end of the book....book 2 is coming in 2010 and book 3 in 2011, so expect a cliffhanger and don't let that distract you from enjoying!)<<
Hmmmm, how would a regular reader know the rollout schedule of Book 2 and Book 3?
Literature & Fiction Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Literature & Fiction Books
Little Womenby Louisa May Alcott
Scribner; Published: 1986-06-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $3.49
Price in other shops:
The Killing Groundby JACK HIGGINS
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS LTD; Published: 2007; Hardcover; Book
Saving Fish from Drowningby Amy Tan
4th Estate; Published: 2005; Paperback; Book
Life Expectancyby Dean Koontz
Harpercollins Pb; Published: 2005-08-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.00
Constant Princessby Philippa Gregory
Touchstone/Simon & Schuster; Published: 2005; Hardcover; Book
Wolf of the Plains (Conqueror, Book 1)by Conn Iggulden
Harper; Published: 2007; Paperback; Book
Saharaby Clive Cussler
Harper Collins Pb; Published: 2005-03-21; Paperback; Book
Perelandra (Cosmic Trilogy)by C. S. Lewis
Voyager; Published: 2005-11; Paperback; Book
Best price: $6.70
Price in other shops:
The Lord Of The Rings: Part 2 The Two Towersby J. R. R. Tolkien
Harper Collins Publishers; Published: 2001; Paperback; Book
Red Marsby Kim Stanley Robinson
Trafalgar Square; Published: 2001-06; Paperback; Book
Similar books summaries and other product reviews
Black Hillsby Nora Roberts
Putnam Adult; Published: 2009-07-07; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Pandora's Daughterby Iris Johansen
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2007-10-16; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $2.69
Price in other shops:
The Law of Ninesby Terry Goodkind
Putnam Adult; Published: 2009-08-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $0.49
Price in other shops:
Severance Packageby Duane Swierczynski
Minotaur Books; Published: 2008-05-27; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.58
Price in other shops:
Gideon's Swordby Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child
Grand Central Publishing; Published: 2011-02-22; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $7.27
Price in other shops:
I Am Not A Serial Killer (John Cleaver Books)by Dan Wells
Tor Books; Published: 2010-03-30; Paperback; Book
Best price: $1.90
Price in other shops:
Deep Black: Death Waveby Stephen Coonts, William H. Keith
St. Martin's Press; Published: 2011-02-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $3.95
Price in other shops:
Dark Prophecy: A Level 26 Thriller Featuring Steve Darkby Anthony E. Zuiker, Duane Swierczynski
Dutton Adult; Published: 2010-10-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $1.60
Price in other shops:
Dark Revelations (Level 26)by Anthony E. Zuiker, Duane Swierczynski
Dutton Adult; Published: 2011-12-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.91
Price in other shops:
Dark Prophecy: A Level 26 Thriller Featuring Steve Darkby Anthony E. Zuiker, Duane Swierczynski
Dutton Adult; Published: 2010-10-14; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $4.18
Price in other shops: