“The Atlantis Gene” by A. G. Riddle – Preventing Our Evolution

When it come to the big picture behind humanity's evolution, science has managed to leave relatively few blanks for us to fill in, at least when we're speaking generally.

However, the closer we look the more we see that certain segments of our timeline have been lost throughout the countless years we've traversed as a race... leaving ample room for imagination to take over.

In the worldwide-famous The Atlantis Gene by A. G. Riddle, the author makes great use of that idea, concocting a riveting adventure that begins with a rather unusual quest: to stop mankind from evolving.

To go into greater detail about the story, we are presented with three main characters, so to speak. To begin with, we have an ancient race called the Immari, who have spent the last two thousand years hiding secrets from mankind about their origins and searching for the enemy that could wipe out humankind.

Then, we have Dr. Kate Warner who, believing to have discovered the cure for autism, has actually stumbled upon something much more dangerous for humanity, something the Immari want to get their hands on.

Finally, there is agent David Vale who has spent the last ten years of his life fighting against the Immari... but with a distinct lack of manpower, resources and most importantly, time, he finds himself with his back against the wall.

Upon receiving a coded message related to some attacks by the Immari, he plunges headfirst into danger to save the one person who could help him: Dr. Warner.

Together, they race around the world in hopes of unravelling an ancient and far-reaching conspiracy, and at the same time staying one step ahead of the Immari who have one goal: to kick-start the next phase of human evolution, potentially wiping out 99% of it in the progress.

Also, a mysterious structure buried beneath an iceberg has been discovered in Antarctica, with something standing guard there for thousands of years.

As you can tell right away, The Atlantis Gene is a rather ambitious novel that aims to combine a whole lot of different elements to produce a dynamic plot with a lot of variety to it, and it certainly achieves that with flying colours.

We get a combination of elements from a number of different concepts, including the lost city of Atlantis, alien technology, genetic manipulation, the apocalypse, secret Nazis (they seem to get involved in everything these days), which certainly gives way to plenty of action that keeps you entertained throughout the whole read.

The first half of the book, to be frank, doesn't do all that much to stand out from its peers. That time is spent building the world and setting up the basic premise of the story, following conventional science-fiction tropes and whatnot, feeling more like a run-of-the-mill novel.

However, once you get past the preparation stage so to speak, the book really comes alive, with the pace picking up in a more unique direction. The plot becomes increasingly complex, there are more and more tangible threats to the characters, who themselves become more fleshed-out and developed, to the point where they have a real importance in the world and add a lot of weight to the story by their presence.

As for the plot itself, I will admit that there were a few instances when it felt like things were getting a bit ridiculous, with there seemingly being no threshold for how crazy things can get.

However, these moments didn't last very long as the various elements didn't take much time to find their logical places; ultimately, everything that happens in this story feels like it really belongs there and isn't out of place.

What Riddle does excel in are plot twists; as we get nearer to the end they become more frequent, and each one of them hits you like a kick in the head, leaving you slack-jawed and yearning for what's coming next.

While it is the first book in the series and it does end on a cliffhanger, it's far from being a satisfying conclusion with the pressing questions finding the answers they needed.

To conclude, The Atlantis Gene is certainly a riveting start to The Origin Mystery series and deserves its place as one of the more engrossing action-packed science-fiction series out there. I can do nothing but recommend it to anyone looking for fast-paced science-fiction that will get their adrenaline pumping.

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A. G. Riddle Personal site A. G. Riddle is an American author from North Carolina who spent ten years dabbling in the world of internet business before devoting himself to his true passion, fiction writing. The Atlantis Gene is his widely-acclaimed debut novel, having already been translated into over 22 languages and marking the beginning of a bestselling series.