Leviathan

Rating:
Summary: I am sensing a pattern here.
Review: After having read "Cain" and "Hunter", I was on familiar ground with my third Huggins book. As with the others, it is a story of good superhero vs. evil monster. As with the others, however, it has most of the same flaws. This time there are two heroes instead of one, in the form of a viking Catholic priest named Thor and a grim handyman named Jackson Connor. Thor is literally a giant with an axe to grind and the mind of a literature scholar. Still, how can a man be both eight feet tall and built like Hercules? Even the tallest NBA stars aren't eight feet, and they look like beanpoles. Jackson Connor, however, is much closer to a normal person than any of Huggins' other heroes. He's simply a smart, tough guy with a background in fixing everything, and he generally outthinks the monster instead of outfighting him, unlike the others. This makes Jackson the most plausible and empathic of the main characters in the three books, but there are some flaws. 1) The relationship with his young son is pure sap. 2) Everyone calls him by his last name, even his wife. 3) Why is Jackson working as a foreman at a research site, even for extra pay, when his wife is obviously a computer genius? On to the monster. This time it's an honest-to-goodness dragon, making it the most invincible, and coolest, of Huggins' other monsters. The science behind the artificially created beast is believable enough for this genre, and the idea of a fire-breathing lizard running around making charbroil out of a bunch of idiots is very appealing. In one of the better parts of the book, Huggins even has Thor recount (apparently) genuine historical writings on actual dragon encounters in recorded history. HOWEVER, there are more than a few mistakes. Thor actually fights the dragon hand to hand in one unconvincing, if epic, battle, and the result is completely implausible. The dragon actually sees the shadow of the Devil, directing the beast to kill the boy. Finally, the wringer Jackson puts it through at the end is unbelievable. Not even the wounded Leviathan could withstand the whole series of traps he lays at the end. Finally, the evil-bad-guy-project-director is the same stereotype found in the other books. Then there are the usual literary mistakes. Huggins uses the same adjectives over and over again. The introduction of the dragon's statistics is a ham-handed presentation. There's a totally unnecessary side trip into virtual reality. And when Jackson finally kills the thing at the end using a particular tool, the method he employs should have killed him too if you pay attention to the details of its use. Yet all of this isn't to say I didn't enjoy it anyway. It's just disappointing to see the same stuff over and over again, even though that's what action books/movies usually boil down to. After the first third of the book it becomes a constant pulse-pounding action sequence as the good guys lay traps and fight the beast with a constant barrage from grenade launchers. Huggins introduces some interesting history and mythology without laying on the Christianity too thick. The science is pretty cool, and Thor is interesting, if implausible. In the end, this book is a lot like a good action movie: turn your brain off, bring plenty of popcorn, and have a good time.

Rating:
Summary: It's The Mighty Thor vs Godzilla!
Review: As a simple comic book premise turned novel Leviathan is entertaining enough. I have read somewhere that Huggins is/was a screenwriter which explains why so much information is delivered in highly unrealistic and stilted 'speeches' rather than built into creating three dimensional characters. I'm no scientist, but it looks as if Huggins did at least some homework and his explanation as to how a fire breathing dragon might be able to actually exist seemed plausible (not that that matters too much to monster fans, we'll take any explanation as long as we have groovy monsters running around wreaking havoc), for that I give it three stars. Fun stuff that is difficult to dislike in the long run.

Rating:
Summary: Purple prose
Review: Huggins' tale of a genetically engineered dragon is like riding along an interstate and trying to avoid the potholes. In this one, it's the plotholes that are constantly attacking. Although one must admire Huggins' attempt to parallel this story with Biblical references, and show the Christian fight of evil vs. good, he does it such a soporific way that I found it hard to get involved. So many scenes are repetitive, contrived, and at times, laughable. While Thor is definitely a heroic type, his battle with Leviathan can only be considered high camp, even from a spiritual point of view. There is so much computer jargon that it bogs the story down. Also, if you look at this dragon that these scientists have created, it is supposed to be the world's most effective killing machine, virtually indestructible, and yet a handful of humans manage to destroy the creature, but not before going through some hilariously impossible schemes. Here we have another hero, Jackson Conner, a mere electrician, mind you, who fights like Spiderman, practically gets himself killed, yet manages to single-handedly finish off what Thor started. Some of the characters just disappear, without knowing their fate. And Huggins must love the word muscular, as he uses this at least twenty times with the heroic serviceman, Barley. Conner's wife, Beth, serves no purpose but to hang around and moan, although she is clever enough to decode the special encryption set up to disallow anyone tampering with the GEO computer. Which by the way is encrypted with the brain of Dr. Frank's dead wife, Rachel. The scene in cyberspace is virtually (no pun intended) a big anti-climactic howler.
I appreciate the Christian approach to science fiction/fantasy; in fact, Frank Peretti does a beautiful job; however, Huggins spends so much time spouting out philosophies, his narrative loses its punch.
I WOULDN'T BOTHER IF I WERE YOU.

Rating:
Summary: Purple prose
Review: I have never felt strongly enough about a product to remark online about it -- until now -- nor am I going to waste my words on it beyond this simple warning:
DON'T BOTHER WITH THIS MINDLESS DRIVEL.
God is everywhere but in the writing of this purple prose.

Rating:
Summary: Not Huggins' best effort
Review: I have to be honest here. I LOVED The Reckoning, Cain, and Hunter. I've reread those three books a few times apiece, and will probably do so again in the future. For all-out action they're tough to beat. So when I bought a copy of Leviathan I was expecting the same quality but came away disappointed. I don't really know why but Leviathan never hit me with the impact the other three books did. It wasn't the subject matter; heck, I LOVE Thor as a character and am into Norse mythology. Basically the writing didn't seem as polished as his other books and the excitement just wasn't there. I don't want to slam Huggins here but I have to be honest. Mr. Huggins, if you're reading this, just know that I am looking forward to your next book and I truly hope it's as good as the aforementioned three. You're still one of my favorite authors!

Rating:
Summary: Good, but predictable
Review: I'll be reading more of Huggins, but this book was predictable in my opinion. Not much of a plot. Leviathan is loose! Kill Leviathan! And on the other hand, Leviathan kills everything in it's path until it is stopped. But on the other hand, I really liked who Jackson Conner was. This is a man who cares for his family and is willing to fight for them, even if to the death! Then you come to Thor! Oh, you've gotta love Thor! When Huggins describes his size, you figure he should naturally be with one of those wrestling places! Huge man with a mammoth battle axe, but a heart for the Lord. I find it interesting that Thor is the scholar in this book, but that's what makes it interesting. The one thing I did not know was that Leviathan is in The Bible in the book of Job. That was one thing that kept me reading, and although like I said it was predictable, it was a quick read. Keeps the pages turning, but was easy enough to figure out. But in closing, I'll say that I can't wait to read more of Mr. Huggins. Good work!

Rating:
Summary: A Christian Jurassic Park?
Review: Leviathan is one of Huggins' earliest novels, and precedes "Cain", a book which established him in mainstream fiction and was also developed into a movie. "Leviathan" is the name of a powerful beast that is the product of a secret science project in an underground facility deep in the Arctic Circle. But Leviathan proves to be stronger and smarter than its creators, and when it escapes its containment chamber, it threatens to kill everyone in reach. But that isn't the only problem - Leviathan's escape sets off a fail-safe sequence that will detonate a nuclear device within 24 hours. There is only one way to escape the nuclear holocaust: by killing Leviathan within 24 hours. This book features heart-stopping suspense as the only ones who can stop Leviathan are the giant Norwegian Thor, and the unassuming electrical wizard Connor. Can they stop Leviathan? Can they do it within 24 hours? Two words sum up the plot that unravels:

1. Action thriller. The novel starts with a bang, and rarely slows down. Huggins has a style that will leave your heart pounding, and you'll find yourself racing over the words and through the pages. The action never lets up, so prepare yourself for a roller-coaster ride of action. Only one problem: expect to see the same scenery. The "terrible roar" of Leviathan and the "hate-filled rage" of its hunters rapidly wears thin after the umpteenth time. Certainly the action is fast and furious, but the dragon's repeated roar and the repeated shouts and shooting of his hunters gets tiresome after a while. Also be warned that the extent of blood and gore is not suitable for children.

2. Apocalyptic themes. Unlike most thrillers, Huggins is clearly working with deeper themes. There is a clear and cosmic conflict between good and evil, and Huggins makes several Biblical references to ensure that we understand this is a picture of the conflict between God and Satan. The name "Leviathan" is drawn straight from the Bible (p.44), and is an ancient name for "dragon" (p.68). Although Huggins' exegesis and historical description of Leviathan is questionable (p.73ff), the apocalyptic imagery is unmistakable, as we get glimpses of the beast rising from the sea described in Revelation. Huggins' story does not completely fit with Revelation, which describes both a dragon and several beasts. Revelation's imagery is symbolic - whereas Huggins tries to present this as a real conflict with a real dragon. But probably it would be unfair to criticize him too severely for this: he intends the conflict against Leviathan to be a spiritual picture of the great struggle against evil and its master, Satan. He takes great pains to describe the background of this conflict as the fall into sin, and presents the battle against Leviathan as a microcosm of the great and last battle, the Armageddon (p.63-4). In Huggins' view, all of life is spiritual, and is part of the great struggle of good and evil (p.231). Thor is the Messiah figure who features prominently in the great battle against evil, and like Christ is even pierced in his side (p.326), as he struggles valiantly against the dragon, even willing to give his own life for those he loves.

But ultimately the philosophy and deeper religious significance is washed away by a superficial stream of repetitive story-line. Although gripping and suspenseful, the plot is not always completely convincing, its characters not completely credible. Any serious message that this book has to offer is hampered by a plot that seems to have the same fighting, rage and fire over and over again. The great deal of technical jargon about computers and science does lend the novel some authenticity, but also weighs it down unnecessarily. Whatever religious meaning the novel does have to offer is further undermined by the stream of hate and curses unleashed by its hero Thor, and the surprisingly frequent instances of blasphemy (p.137,148,205,313) and unnecessary oaths (p.239,260).

In the end, I felt that I was reading a script for a revised movie of Jurassic Park, rather than a Christian thriller novel. If you like reading about men being crunched in the jaws of a giant predator and fighting back with all kinds of weapons, you'll love this novel. It's Jurassic Park all over again, with a Christian slant, but not quite with an equally successful execution. Don't expect a whole lot more than that.

Rating:
Summary: Action, Action, Action... and morals too!!!
Review: This was the first book I read by James Byron Huggins. Now I have all of his books. I really like his books, because they are filled with characters with warrior hearts, and faith in God.

I don't want to give too much away, but this book is basically about man trying to play God, and it turns around and bites him in the butt... literally! Man creates the ultimate machine, and then looses control of it. I won't say anymore... so you better get it, and read it. [....]