Book Review: The Flock by James Robert Smith

December 8, 2010

I got this book for free.
Tor and Forge Books has kindly made three (3) copies to be given away – enter at the bottom of the post.
Article first published as Book Review: The Flock by James Robert Smith on Blogcritics.

My rating for The Flock – 4

About:
The Flock” by James Robert Smith (website | Facebook) is a fiction fantasy thriller set in a Florida. The title of the novel comes from a group of prehistoric giant carnivorous birds known as Phorusrhacids. The flock has survived in the Florida wilderness and is now fighting against being discovered by men.

Men eating birds.. you know you’re going to love it – Buy the book now

Thoughts:
The Flock” by James Robert Smith is a fast paced thriller with wonderful pulp elements peppered in the novel.

The characters are fun, even though they are stereotypical with each representing an umbrella group (militants, big business, conservationists), but their interaction is what takes this book to another level. I liked the way Mr. Smith played with his characters’ names. The militant is named after the U.S’s rightwing / patriotic authors etc. These characters create the engaging drama in the novel, but the giant birds are the true stars.

Mr. Smith has created a somewhat believable story of how these terror birds (Titanis walleri) survived unseen and undiscovered in one of the most populous states in the union. The author has given these birds human characteristics which are interesting (although I didn’t understand how come the intelligent, non-flying birds with hand instead of wings never created tools).

This book was a fast read, fast paced and fun at that. The storytelling is brilliant and the descriptive prose is imaginative and detailed. Some of the chapters are written from the viewpoint of the birds, which I found to be very interesting and helped me understand their way of life.

Synopsis:
Salutations, FL is a model, ideal and beautiful town owned by the movie studio / conglomerate Berg Bros. The movie studio wants to grow the town, however its neighbors, Marine Colonel Winston Grisham and billionaire Vance Holocomb wants to stop Berg Bros. for their own separate reasons.

Enter Ron Riggs, a Fish & Wildlife employee who is called to Salutations to find out why the residents’ cats and dogs go missing. Thinking a big snake is the abductor Ron hires his ex-girlfriend Mary to help him out. However, soon they will find themselves in the middle of a power struggle between three titans who will stop at nothing to further their agenda. In the midst of the power struggle they discover The Flock, a group of intelligent, pre-historic birds who have hidden from humans for centuries.

Ever wondered what Phorusrhacids or Titanis walleri means? Find out now…

Rules:

  • Contest is for one (1) new copies of the book
  • There will be THREE (3) WINNERS
  • Must be a US mailing Address
  • Ends Wednesday December 15, 2010
  • Winners will be chosen using Random.org
  • Winners will have 24 hours after my initial contact to write back their mailing address, otherwise alternate winners will be picked

Congratulations:
nicolebonia@ and two others (emails were first and last names and were withheld).

Zohar – Man of la Book

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7 Comments

  • Emily H.December 8, 2010 at 10:45 am

    Great review!

  • LifetimeReaderDecember 8, 2010 at 10:58 am

    This sounds hysterical! Every winter when we visit my inlaws (who live in kind of a similar community in South Florida) we cook up ridiculous ideas for a novel using their neighborhood as the setting. It never occurred to us to actually write the books!

    • zoharDecember 8, 2010 at 5:09 pm

      See, you should have. I understand this books will soon be a movie.

      • LifetimeReaderDecember 9, 2010 at 11:16 am

        Ours will have lawn statuary coming to life and attacking all the bridge-playing residents, I believe. Wanna part in the film adaptation?

  • YoyogodDecember 9, 2010 at 3:45 pm

    That sounds like a cool book. I’ll have to put ti on my wishlist.

  • CarolMDecember 11, 2010 at 5:01 pm

    This sounds really good! I’d love to read it! Thanks for the giveaway!

  • booksnob1December 11, 2010 at 8:31 pm

    Thank you for submitting this review to the Book Review Blog Carnival. Edition #58 will be posted tomorrow on The Book Frog. Don’t forget to check it out!

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