Review: Ararat by Christopher Golden

After an avalanche on Ararat reveals a cave with what's possibly Noah's ark inside, a newly engaged couple seeks to climb the mountain and do an archaeological dig on the premises. They succeed in being in charge of the project which involves many more people including academics, translators, archaeologists, an observer from the UN, and Ben Walker who isn't exactly what he seems or claims to be - a member of the National Science Foundation sent to investigate what's happening in the cave.

As the story progresses, the group finds a coffin within the remains of the ship. Inside is a grotesque skeleton of something with horns. Immediately people begin leaping to the conclusion that it is some kind of demon. Tensions arise among the group as a blizzard blows in and traps them in the cave. The longer they are there, the more certain everyone becomes that they are not alone. Something lurks in the cave and threatens their very survival and sanity.

Ararat makes a good horror story. It's part haunted house and part monster story. I give it 5 out of 5 stars. It is well-written. The tempo increases as the story progresses. You get to know the people who are going to be in danger before things go haywire. And the end has a twist to it that I wasn't expecting at all. This is book one in the Ben Walker series and as such can be read as a stand-alone. It also won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 2017. If you enjoy a good horror novel, this is definitely worth a read. Ararat by Christopher Golden was published April 18th, 2017 by St. Martin's Press.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #278: The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From Goodreads:

When what appears to be the original Pandora's Box is discovered in an ancient city, neighboring countries fight for ownership and unleash a terrible plague. 

The Pandora Room is New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden’s chilling exploration of what happens when the original Pandora's Box is discovered in an ancient subterranean city, stirring international conflict and exposing the archaeological team to curses, whispers, and the terror of a legendary plague.

In one ancient variation on the myth of Pandora’s Box, there were two jars, one for Pandora and one for her sister, Anesidora. One contained all the blessings of the gods, the other all the world’s curses. Now, in a subterranean city in Northern Iraq, archaeologist Sophie Durand has discovered a secret chamber covered in writing that confirms that version of the tale—a chamber which contains a single jar. “Weird shit” expert Ben Walker joins Sophie’s team just as the mystery deepens and grows ugly. Those who believe the myth want to know which jar has been found in the Pandora Room, the one containing blessings, or the one full of curses. Governments rush to lay claim, but jihadi forces aren’t waiting for the dust to settle. Whatever the jar contains, they want it, no matter who they have to kill…or what will emerge when they open it. For Sophie, Walker, and the others, the Pandora Room may soon become their tomb.

The Pandora Room by Christopher Golden is the second book in the Ben Walker series. It's expected to be published April 23rd, 2019 by St. Martin's Press.

Why am I waiting on this one? I'm currently reading Ararat by Christopher Golden which is book one in the Ben Walker series. I'm enjoying Ararat, so it's not a big leap to think I might enjoy The Pandora Room as well. The mixture of espionage with legend appeals to me as does the writing of this author.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Ararat by Christopher Golden

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

In quiet moments, when the on-camera banter lulled with the lateness of the hour, he glanced up at the mountain and felt a whisper of dread slide up his spine. Each time it dissipated before reaching his brain, the way dreams turned to mist and vanished in the first moments of wakefulness.

(6% Through on my Kindle)

Ararat by Christopher Golden is the first book in the Ben Walker series. It was published April 18th, 2017 by St. Martin's Press. Ararat won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel in 2017.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!