Reviews with content warning for Infidelity - Ararat

Some archaeologists discover what many believe to be the ark, as in Noah’s Ark. Scientists, archaeologists, and local guides go to investigate the ark and discover a corpse with horns. As talk of demons begins to permeate the research camp, members begin to act strangely and violently. Soon Ben Walker, who seems like an established character prior to this book, struggles to keep his team together and alive from supernatural forces.

I was really excited to read Ararat, and while I wasn’t necessarily disappointed, I wasn’t loving it either. Ararat is not scary at all and reads more like action horror than supernatural horror. Once the demon element is solidified, the novel is fast paced and action packed with characters taken out one by one. I listened to the audiobook, which I felt made it easier to get into the story for me since there was a so much action.

Overall, I really did enjoy the story but wasn’t pulled in by the characters enough to really go any farther.

Would I bother to read the next in the series? Hmm, at this point probably not but I would recommend this to anyone that likes action horror or is looking for a unique possession style novel.

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charsometimes's review

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medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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billyjepma's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This is a 3-star book that earns a 4-star rating when scored on the tried-and-true "Billy Likes Books About Scary Monsters™️" curve, so it averages out to the 3.5 you see above.

The actual "monster" aspect of it might not have been quite what I was hoping for, but it's delectably unsettling, nonetheless. Golden's execution of the tantalizing premise is predictable once it gets going but manages to strike the ideal levels of tension, dread, and excitement to keep the pages turning at a satisfying clip. The cast is way too large, which results in most of the characters blurring together into a group of featureless names that exist to die in horrible ways. It's a consistent roadblock of the genre, but the best entries find ways to make the deaths feel somewhat meaningful, and that doesn't really happen here.

To compensate, Golden's writing is grisly and cruel, rarely missing out on an opportunity to make the reader squirm. I never felt much investment in the individual characters, but the menace they faced was so frightening I still found it easy to root for them and cringe when it didn't seem like they were going to succeed. Oh, and the ending made my blood curdle and will probably keep me up tonight, so it gets points for that, too.

I'm definitely going to be checking out the other "Ben Walker" adventures Golden has written because as fleeting as this particular brand of action-horror usually is, I'm a shameless sucker for it. Golden's plotting and characterization need fine-tuning, certainly. But his prose is sharp enough, and his enthusiasm for the genre is palpable (to a fault), so it's an easy read to tear through over a day or two, ideally during a snowstorm, for obvious reasons.

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seanml's review

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Noah, what happened. Come on man. 7/10.

Cons: A very quick-paced book, where we don’t get many quiet moments to explore many of the characters except for a handful. Once the threat is “revealed”, the tension stagnates. Although there’s still a will-they-won’t-they-make-it plot, there’s little guessing as to what’s going to happen.

Pros: Archaeological horror! It’s the best subgenre and I always appreciate more of it! A great roster of characters that come from varying backgrounds and places, and the tensions and relationships between them are very much real to the world.

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slantrhymes's review

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Major pacing issues. The twist in the epilogue was appallingly cheap and made no narrative sense. It took a relatively sympathetic character and made them a monster for no reason (except, maybe, the author wanted to force a sequel...I guess?). The final act of the novel gets REALLY gory really fast; I don't have an issue with gore in books typically, but it felt so gratuitous that it looped back around to silly.

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