Long ago Humans supposedly lived past 150 years of life. Long ago Dinosaurs roamed the Earth. What would happen if we mixed one's knowledge of historical theology and one's love for paleontology? You get a gripping historical fiction called Jurassic Ark.

This book is a biblical fantasy dealing with Noah's Ark, spelled with changes to suit the author's vision. These changes are things that I actually found quite interesting. For one the way he describes the pre-flood era is a lot like Robert E. Howard's Hyborian Age, with witches, monsters, sinners a plenty, and dinosaurs thrown in to mix (I approve!). I would have loved to explore more of this era and its intricacies, sadly GOD decided it was time to wipe the world clean and start all over again.

Now I've gone to Sunday School and I remember what they preached about starting over being necessary. However, I never really thought about how this would feel coming from Noah's point of view. This is a man who isolated himself from society to keep his family and himself away from the sinful temptations that society was supposedly experiencing at that time. He then gets a vision/order from GOD to build an Ark, build a menagerie, and leave every other person who isn't family to their doom. Sounds simple enough, until you get older and realize Noah was just ordered to aid and abet in genocide. (This is why the GOD of Genesis is who most people reference when they think about the Wrath of God trope.) But Noah has his orders, and he must follow the laws of the Lord.

Now you might be wondering what about the Dinosaurs? Well, the Dinosaurs aren't really a big part of this story. They're treated like a plot device and as dangerous animals more than anything antagonistic like other books that include dinosaurs I've read before. Even so, they are in the story, and any story that has Dinosaurs usually gets a thumbs-up from me. They're also responsible for changing Noah's strict isolationist views into less authoritarian ones.

In the end, Jurassic Ark is a story about change and family. It touches on changes in beliefs, changes in everyday life, and the change in perspectives that only the imminent death of almost everyone you've ever known can bring. All in all, Jurassic Ark is an interesting take on an already fantastical tale.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crossroad Press for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars out of 5.

Wilson has taken a prophetic, much-loved, and much-told story and added an oh so very human aspect, which makes this version truly stunning.

I was immediately drawn in to the lives of those who had the most to gain, and everything to lose. The allies, the conspirators, the ignorant, the arrogant, the sceptical, everyone gets a mention in this fantastic story where the very fabric of humanity is called into question.

This is a harsh story, told beautifully from a very human perspective. That–plus the sorcery, mythical beings, and dinosaurs–elevates this tale from an ancient prophesied event, to a properly spectacular tale. It's exciting, scary, heartbreaking and breathtaking all at once.

An excellent story, with wonderful embellishments that lend relevance and appeal to a wide (or perhaps wider) audience.

I wanted the dinosaurs and got a retelling of Noah story! I enjoyed and appreciated how the author created realistic and interesting characters.
I'm interested in the religious side but I appreciated the world building and how the author dealt with a well known story transforming it into a well written speculative fiction.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this book

rather than it being about dinosaurs with the title jurassic it really is a biblical story about noah and the flood

but have to admit it was a very enjoyable read and its gives food to thought about how they actually undertook the commands they were given to build an ark to house 2 of every creature

i found myself routing for noah and his family during the stressful times they had

and though i was disappointed there were no dinosaurs to be had i would recommend this book as its stands the test of time about how man has not learnt a thing

Thank you to Netgalley and Crossroad Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was just not what I expected. And it really did not work for me personally. I thought the characters were bland and I really couldn't tell them apart or tell you what their motivations were. I just have nothig to say about this book. Maybe I would have if I had continued reading after the 25% mark, but I just couldn't make it. However I have seen many good reviews from people who absolutely love it so I would still tell you to give it a go if it sounds interesting to you.

Link to my goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4269290965

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Mystique press for the opportunity to receive an ARC of this book.

Picture it - Scares That Care, Williamsburg, 2018. I sit in on a reading, and am enthralled by an author I never heard of: David Niall Wilson; and while we became friends on Facebook, I sadly kept forgetting to pick up any of his work. A HUGE mistake on my part, and one that is being rectified.

However, he starts posting about an idea for a story - Jurassic Ark - and I’m intrigued. Having been brought up Catholic, and one of the few people who have actually read the Bible from cover to cover, the stories within have always left me with more questions than answers (contrary to what religious leaders want you to believe). For example, science shows that inbreeding causes all sorts of physical and mental issues; getting worse the further a family continues - leading to infertility 99% of the time. So, how are we to believe that two people populated the entire Earth? That is until the “great flood”, in which case then we’re all descendants of Noah’s family. So why don’t we all look alike, or have said physical and mental issues (although there would be some who argue the ones with mental issues are called politicians, but I digress). They’ve always been “interesting stories” to me, at least before I understood what an allegory was.

One of the stories that always fascinated me was that of Noah. The Bible tells us the dimensions of the Ark - slightly longer than half the Titanic, and about as high as a four story house. Putting the size to the side, the logistics of gathering two of every animal (how did some of them cross the ocean from other countries (like pelicans, for example), and doing so in a time frame that would still keep them able to reproduce, is mind-boggling. And then, we’re stuck with that whole “genetics” issue again - inbreeding. Never mind the amount of food needed - including extra animals for the carnivores. But none of that is explained within the original story in Genesis.

And that’s where David’s story comes in.

David takes the story of Noah, throws in some intrigue (which I’m sure had to have occurred since, well, it’s human nature to not want to die), some sorcery, and a little dose of fantasy - like dinosaurs living in the same time as humans. Like others who have reviewed this book, I felt it would have still been an effective story without the dinosaur aspect, and while I appreciate the premise, don’t think it was carried as far as it could have been; especially with the title of Jurassic Ark.

I do have to say, this was one of the most enjoyable non-horror book I’ve read in a while. David certainly did his homework when it came to the original story. There is one thing I had hoped would have happened, but didn’t - and without spoiling it for others who haven’t read the book, I’ll just say it would have been a nice “bridge” to any story David may be kicking around about the birth of Jesus.

I know David is very proud of this book, and I truly hope it gets the traction it deserves. It was a fast read, with a lot of subtle nods to the current political, social, and economic environment - all tied up in an ancient story about faith.

Jurassic Ark by David Niall Wilson, a good read that explored the human interest in the story of the flood. There were a few aspects I may have disagreed with personally but that didnt take too much away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

Another enjoyable read from David Niall Wilson. An alternate telling of a story everyone knows. Enjoyed the characters and the pacing of the story. Religion, magic, creatures, action. All mixed together very well. #JurassicArk #NetGalley

JURASSIC ARK is a bit of Biblical fantasy dealing with Noah's Ark from the perspective of a revisionist author. The Pre-Flood period is like Conan's Hyborian Age with monsters, witches, and prostitutes aplenty when the God of Genesis decides to wipe the world clean. This story doesn't automatically treat this as a good thing and the destruction of everything is a terrifying prospect. I will say that the use of dinosaurs wasn't as important to the title as I had hoped but they're still present and any story that has dinosaurs meeting humans automatically gets an extra star from me. If you loved David Niall Wilson's THIS IS MY BLOOD, the Biblical vampire story, I suspect you'll enjoy this just as much if not more so.

JURASSIC ARK is a work of speculative fiction, an alternate religious treatise perhaps, but fiction nonetheless. As I read the early chapters, I was reminded of the movie "Noah." There was quite a hubbub over the film, so my sister and I went to see what all the furor was about. We left the theater shaking our heads trying to figure out what we had just seen. The whole thing seemed surreal. I have since learned more about the Nephilim that helped to explain some of the things we saw in the film that were never taught in Sunday School. This book clarifies the story of Noah even more.

I have a long standing interest in the social experiment that falls under the umbrella of religion. Religion is, by its very nature, divisive… us and them… just like the political climate of the 21st century. The allegory is made obvious by 'the city' and Noah's compound in 'the forest.' The incongruity of Noah living in a forest and his being the mad man building a boat in the desert is not discussed. We must take it on faith that such a land existed before the great flood.

Some of the animals to be saved in the ark explain the title. Although none of the dinosaurs are identified by name, they are very recognizable by their description. They are also responsible for motivating a change in Noah from an isolationist following the laws of the Lord into a less authoritarian individual. The phrase that struck me as portraying the changed Noah was that he realized his was a "life of righteous separation," and by extension, left him a lonely, friendless man.

There is something in JURASSIC ARK for everyone… avarice, malice, and debauchery… human rights, animal rights, and morality. Every now and then while reading this, I couldn't help reading a subtext that mirrors the political climate of the past several years. It is subtle, a word here, a phrase there. Politics aside, the story evokes a caring for those who learn that life is not all black and white but contains shades of gray and all the colors of the rainbow. People of the forest become friends with some of the people from the city and begin to see that the end of the world is a heavy burden to carry. There are scenes in this book that will bring you to tears.

All in all, JURASSIC ARK is no more fantastic a read than is the Bible story on which it is based.

Disclosure: I received an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The book was fairly good. I was a little disappointed in some parts. I think that the dinosaurs didn't play a big enough part in the book to warrant the title Jurassic Ark. I would have liked to see them play a larger role.

The beginning was a little slow going. I think that had the main antagonist been introduced earlier in the text not only would the first half of the book seem stronger, but the villain would have felt like a more dominating and obtrusive force.

Where Wilson really excels in this book is in the perspective of older characters. His younger protagonists always felt less real and raw in comparison to the deep and colorful characters with strong personalities.

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Thaddious and Balthazar are the best characters in the entire book and every scene they share are my favorites
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The heartstopping ending is what the entire book is all about. That shit hits the fan moment is what makes every page before worth it.

The last chapter felt like an abrupt end, and I honestly can't decide if I liked that or not.

The title and description intrigued me. But after finishing the book, it feels like the dinosaurs could be exchanged for other animals and it wouldn't have made much of a difference. I liked the book, but it wasn't what was promised.

My only other complaint was the naming of Noah. I think with the creative liberties the book takes, that naming the character Noah borders on heretical. I think that we get the obvious illusions to the bible story without it. It wasn't a large concern, but I feel that if the character had even just the name Noa, it would be less likely to offend people, though perhaps the author doesn't mind doing just that.

Overall the book had great beats, and intriguing plot, and moral dilemmas. After the first half of the book, the story flows and makes you want to keep reading. Once you get to the final ten chapters you won't want to put the book down. A fresh take on an old tale.

While the title may be a bit corny the story inside is a worthy read.