Review: A Literary Diamond in the Rough
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 07 18, 2014
I appreciate any author that pushes the limits of a genre and also one who can combine real life science and ideas with a refreshing touch of fantasy and fiction, but Lambrakis' effort fell a bit short in a few key areas. First of all, I think the entire book could do with a solid edit from a copy editor that might be able to parse through some of the more challenging language sections. Tense changes, pronoun confusion, and a generally mixed up approach to the narrative is one of the first impressions you get from the story, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Secondly, the plot jumps around quite a bit, so perhaps the author should re-structure his thoughts and the elements of the plot into a smoother and more reader-friendly progression.However, all of that being said, I really enjoyed the concept and the author's attempts to tell a truly beautiful story. The ideas are all there, it is just the execution that needs a bit of work. Also, as the book moved forward, the author seemed to become more comfortable and things definitely improved. I think the first 40 pages may dissuade some readers, but if you can push past those, then you will be in for a real treat. As a science fiction junkie and a major lover of ancient history, this book leaped out at me. The solid research on biology, as the author's background certainly provided him with, combined with a clear passion for both mythology and sci-fi, made all of the developments, including Pericles' Atlantis adventure, all the more entertaining. If you are willing to put a bit of effort into a read that will ultimately be worthwhile, despite some hiccups and editing issues, then The Ancient DNA would be a good choice. I hope Lambrakis finds a good editor for his next novel, but I will definitely keep his name on my life of talented new authorial finds!