I’ll admit it: I approached reading this book with a great deal of trepidation. While the plot sounded original and intriguing, the thought of what this hideous creature would do to the people who uncovered it, scared me. I’m not a fan of horror filled books; I don’t like graphic violence—the kind that puts images in my mind that I’d rather not have there. I also like to sleep at night. So I’d add it to my read now list and then remove it, add and remove. Finally, my curiosity won out, and I settled in to read it.


What I discovered was that the plot was definitely well thought out and original. However, for the most part, I really didn’t find the main characters particularly likeable; I didn’t dislike them, but I didn’t have a vested interest in them either. They kept secrets from each other almost to the very end, and they all had their own personal agendas. I guess, the majority of them seemed rather self centered, and a bit cold.

There is a lot of violence in the book. Most of it comes across as a statement instead of loads of gory details. An example of this is: his throat was ripped out and blood spurted out. I did not find most of the scenes to be upsetting. Or maybe I was becoming immune to the multitude of murders. The ending was surprising and yet, it fit the book.



I’m giving this book a three star rating because I felt it was ok.

Started out great but then halfway through began to fall apart. Ending was ridiculous. Nothing to foreshadow such a convenient windup. Too much description of severe weather and not enough about the "demon" and its origins. People described could not possibly have survived the mountain conditions.

When an earthquake reveals a hidden cave high on the side of Turkey's Mount Ararat, historians and explorers are certain it could finally mean the discovery of the Ark of legend. Meryam and Adam are willing to put off planning their upcoming wedding to be the first to the cave, securing the discovery and its documentation as their own.

But the adventure and find of a lifetime take an odd turn when the crew uncovers remains that defy all explanation. Specialists, including Ben Walker - a member of the National Science Foundation (a front for his real position at DARPA) -, are flown in to help just before a looming storm is set to hit. With everything Walker has seen and experienced, he considers himself a pro at handling strange. But Ararat is unlike anything he's ever experienced.

As the weather descends, the crew begins to turn on one another. Is it the madness and obsession that comes with such a massive discovery? Or something else?

I was dying to get my hands on a copy of Christopher Golden's latest. Pitched as the perfect read for fans of Dan Simmons's The Terror, it certainly seemed right up my alley.

And it was, to an extent.

The mountain setting, the pending storm, the avalanche that sets everything up, not to mention obvious tension between the Turkish guides and Meryam and Adam. Oh, and tension between Meryam and Adam themselves... It was a perfect set up for a chilling and tension filled tale.

And that's all before our super secret DARPA spy arrives.

Ararat was guaranteed to be fun and it definitely delivered in that regard. But, I wanted so much more! I wanted more depth and more detail. I wanted more atmosphere. I even wanted more horrific happenings!

While I enjoyed Ararat, I didn't love it. It felt like a story that had been stripped down the bare bones, blockbuster style (you know, like a 120 minute film cut down to 90 to suit a short attention span). I wanted to meat and the fat, all the details that would have fleshed out the characters, the setting, and the evil hiding inside Ararat.

Ararat starts on the mountain of the same name, the fabled resting place of Noah’s Ark. When an avalanche reveals a new cave, the race is on to be the first to explore the site. Getting there first is not the dangerous part though. What lurks inside is.

Adam Holzer and his fiancee Meryam Karga are adventurers, authors and documentary makers. When they win the race to the cave and the right to explore the ark, the mysteries begin. When they discover a sarcophagus with an ancient creature inside, one with horns, things get decidedly worse.

Christopher Golden does a wonderful job of creating a slow-building tension that invades you as you read. The kind that will have you jumping at sudden noises and seeing faces in shadows. One of the clever things Golden does is have a multinational and multi religious crew exploring the ark. Many are scholars in different disciplines and some are native guides. This mixture fuels the discord that would naturally occur in a discovery of this magnitude. The sense of unease is magnified in the face of a blizzard which traps the crew inside the ark with no hope of escape even if there wasn’t an evil presence trapped with them. When people begin to go missing, natural paranoia ratchets up, in some cases into blind panic.

Golden’s use of shifting first person narratives helps you get to know a large and interesting cast of characters. Along with Adam and Meryam, there is Ben Walker from the National Science Foundation accompanied by linguist Father Cornelius Hughes and U.N. observer Kim Seong as well as native mountain guides Feyiz and Hakan. These, as well as other characters, each have their own agendas and fears which fuel the conflicts. The sense of foreboding present at all times leads to a lot of self-examination especially as they are increasingly unsure of who or what they can trust.

Ararat is an entertaining thriller with steadily mounting tension and horror. It also manages to be thoughtful in its exploration of how different cultures and religions inform both our faith and our fears. Highly recommended read.

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.

Ararat is the first book that I have read that was written solely by Christopher Golden. Previous to this I read Bloodstained Oz which was co-written by him and James A. Moore and it was wicked. I had been seeing a lot of hype for Ararat everywhere and was lucky enough to get approved for an ARC through NetGalley.

Ararat was not what I was expecting. It was so much better. An inhospitable mountain. The discovery of what very well may be Noah's Ark tucked into the side of the mountain. The remains of what appears to be an actual demon inside. Everyone knows the biblical telling of the story of the Ark, but an adventure-seeking couple may just have stumbled upon the truth and the truth does not always set you free. When an odd mix of scientists, religious representatives, overseers from the Turkish government, and the team that discovered the ark begin uncovering the secrets of the lost Ark, this discovery is more amazing than any of them ever imagined and quite a bit more deadly.

I loved every minute of this book and it pained me any time I had to put it down. Next on my list to read from Golden will be Dead Ringers, Ancient Enemy, and whatever else I can find by him. I only can't believe that I had not read him sooner. This will definitely be on my top list for 2017 and I hope to have a signed copy of this on my bookshelf soon. If you aren't reading Ararat, you should be.

I received an e-ARC of this from St. Martin's Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Like puzzles? Feel like you need to tangle with the supernatural? Enjoy dabbling in the odd horror? Well, this book might hold the key to quenching your literary requirements. In regards to whether or not those were the requirements I was looking for, I think I was more strongly swayed by some of the earlier reviews of the book. The Da Vinci Code comparisons sealed the deal.

Ararat takes place in the mountains of Turkey, when a group of mountaineers make a staring discovery. A wooden boat frozen inside a mountain. Could this be the the biblical Ark manned by Noah? Well, many people begin to think so and many experts in archaeology, theology, international organizations, and film makers descend to study it further. Amongst the group is engaged couple, Adam and Meryam, who are highly interested in presenting their findings to the world. But things turn bizarre quickly and many begin to question what kind of Pandora's box they just might have opened. Is it possible the old religious texts that hinted that Noah placed demons on his boat are true?

Yeah, so there were times that I wavered between rating this a 1 star or a 4. At 200 +pages, Ararat, is a fast paced read and I wanted to follow through to the end. But there was a lot of horrific violence in this story that at times, came across as a really bad slasher film. In addition, the characters were all pretty disgusting human beings. In Da Vinci Code, I think that Dan Brown was able to take the theory at the centre of his plot further than Christopher Golden does. Here the last 1/4 of the text escalates at a very high speed and I just wanted to get past all the horrendous violence that becomes a bit over the top.

So, a 3 star for me, but possibly it just wasn't the "right fit" for my reading palate.

This novel originally caught my eye because the famous mountain located in Eastern Turkey has long been known for the place named in the Book of Genesis where Noah's Ark came to rest after the great flood (Genesis 8:4). How could I resist a novel with all sorts of biblical suggestions? After all, I am the product of a Catholic school. However, the main characters in this eerie tale are of all religions with diverse backgrounds. I knew from the blurb that I was going to be reading a horror story. Early into the book’s chapters, I was delighted to learn that the novel is well written. I would say this is a literary horror tale (if there is such a genre).

The premise of the novel is that after an earthquake, on the top of one of the mountain’s side, there is now an opening showing “something.” There is a race between scientists, historians, religious leaders, and filmmakers all rushing immediately to Turkey. They all want to be the first to explore the opening that just might lead to the famous ark. Our protagonists are an engaged couple (one a Jew and the other a Muslim) who take on the dangerous mountain climb with the intention of co-writing a documentary. They already had a bestseller on another one of their adventures together. From the start of their climb up the mountain, there are tensions among the multi-ethnic crew with their different beliefs. When the explorers, with their guides, arrive at the opening in the mountain they do discover the remains of an ancient ship that may or may not be Noah's Ark. In this cave-like ship, they discover many skeletal remains of humans and animals. As well as an ancient tomb with writing that dates before Jesus Christ. On this expedition, a Catholic priest argues that they need to open this tomb because it just may be the greatest connection to biblical history ever found. The Father’s suggestion is a big mistake because inside the container lays a 5,000-year-old horned cadaver, and once released all hell literally breaks out. Think of the novel “The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty. If you didn’t read the book, I am sure you saw the movie. Around this point in the novel, the hairs on the back of my neck were standing up.

The author does a wonderful job of making the reader feel as if the characters are the last people on earth, I could feel the cold, see their teeth chattering, feel their claustrophobia and paranoia as they desperately try to rid themselves of the supernatural creature that they seemed to have awoken. The atheists and the religious come together to help one another escape the top of the mountain in a blizzard. In a way, “Ararat” also reminded me of the 1970s disaster movies such as “The Towering Inferno” where the protagonists try to save lives, subdue panic and escape a burning building knowing only a few will survive. Better still the film “The Poseidon Adventure” where the passengers on a sinking ship led by a Pastor, struggle to avert fires and make their way through tunnels in their desperate attempt to escape a watery grave. That film has the same sinister darkness of this book. I do not believe that the 1997 film “Titanic” would fit since there wasn’t any evil in that story, as in the 1970s films I mention. I am sure there are other updated movies with the same theme of group mania in life and death situations, but I am afraid that I do not know them.

I started reading the book on a drive up to rural Vermont. I decided to stop so I could finish the book when I arrived at my destination which is a cabin, on a mountain in what could be a scary environment. I wanted to make the most of this tale. To read it in the cabin at night, with the wind blowing, and the coyotes hallowing which I knew would enhance my goose-bumps. I thoroughly enjoyed most of this book. The author did as intended, to scare the Bejeezus out of his readers. Yet, reading the ending of the story, cuddled up under a blanket, in the pitch black darkness of a rural area while listening to the rain pound the cabin, I found myself disappointed with the ending. Oh, I most certainly felt scared but I wanted more. I felt that the ending became a familiar plot where a beast can assume the shape of its victims. This is a story that has been told hundreds of times on cable TV shows aimed at an audience that cannot get enough of Zombie stories. Maybe my disappointment is because I am older than the audience that watches these programs. However, the writing is so super in this book I have to recommend you give “Ararat” a spine-chilling try. The author will give you a harrowing look at battling ancient evil forces and demand that the reader questions the existence of God, Michael the archangel (found in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), as well as the fallen angel, know as Lucifer. Be prepared to be terrified.

After an earthquake in Turkey, a massive opening is revealed in the side of a mountain, and the ship discovered inside that opening is the setting for Ararat.

Adam and Meryam, an adventurous engaged couple, lead an expedition to explore what is thought by many to be Noah's Ark. Their team includes archaeologists, representatives of Turkey, mountain guides and a priest, among others. Once up the mountain and inside, they discover what seems to be some type of coffin. Is this really Noah's Ark? What's in the coffin? More importantly, will the team get out alive? You will have to read this to find out!

Ararat raced along barely letting me catch my breath. As the team's investigation into the ship and its contents progressed, the story became darker and the tension hummed along. The main characters were all complicated which added a lot to the atmosphere, especially towards the end. Once I hit the second half of this book, it became impossible to put down and I finished it in one shot. By that time, I had developed real feelings for a few of these people and I just had to see what happened to them, and let me tell you, that ending? I can't remember reading a more satisfying finale than this in a long, long time. Bravo!

A tale of isolation, frigid temperatures, snow, and something unknown; I can't help but be reminded of one of my favorite horror movies of all time, (based on a novel by John Campbell), called The Thing. This novel is slightly more complicated, but the atmosphere and the tension are there in spades, and what horror fan doesn't love that?

Ararat is everything it promises in the synopsis and more. I cannot think of anything that could have been done better, because this book is already perfect. My highest recommendation, most especially to fans of The Thing, or The Terror by Dan Simmons. Ararat is a MUST READ!

Available on April 18th here:Ararat: A Novel

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

Ararat is an interesting, yet thrilling read. Although at some points there is a lot of descriptive prose, the tension is real and even though not every scene is action-packed, the plot moves along quickly. The characters were also interesting and multidimensional. The ending was open and not entirely surprising with some room for a sequel if that's where the author wanted to go.

Part Relic, part Exorcist! This was a really fun read and had a bit of everything. I love when I read a book and become absorbed in every aspect of the novel, I enjoyed the religious/mystical bits, I enjoyed learning (a bit) of the political workings of the Turkish government regarding Mt. Ararat, I enjoyed the different characters and how each one viewed the happenings through their own religious (or not) goggles, and I just flat out enjoyed the terror and adventure of whole novel. Will definitely be purchasing at my library. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and review this novel.

Blizzard conditions on a mountain top, people of different backgrounds and religions stuck in a cave, possibly with Noah's Ark and an ancient evil? And it was written by Christopher Golden? I clicked so fast on the NetGalley request button, the mouse was a blur.

The gradual building of tension, mistrust, and fear the characters have both for their horrific situation and each other is compelling and intense. Trust me - make sure you're not disturbed while reading the last thirty or so pages of this book. The characters are wonderfully flawed and fascinating and I found the religion diversity thought-provoking, but relieved it wasn't the primary focus of the story.

This is the third book I've read by Christopher Golden and I've yet to be disappointed. I'm a confirmed fan.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC.

There is probably only one thing you think of when you hear “Ararat” and you wouldn’t be alone. Mount Ararat, the resting place of Noah’s Ark. Depending on your religion the story of Noah and his ark is either biblical, folklore or just a fun story. I mean, come on, the water rising that high?
Enter Ararat by Christopher Golden. An earthquake breaks off a sizeable chunk of the mountain revealing something that is, well, biblical. A crew of archaeologists, paleolinguists and research students converge on the cave and begin their work under the supervision of Adam and Meryam, a young couple who find and film extreme adventures around the world.
What no one was expecting to find inside what is possibly Noah’s ark is ancient cadavers, some in positions of agony and fear still in their eyes. And a box that turns out to be the casket of a creature that changes everything.
From here on the story is a bit of Indiana Jones, but we love Indiana Jones for a reason. A malevolent force is unearthed and released and heads roll. Literally. The crew is hoping to just live long enough to get back down the mountain but there is also the concern and fear over what they uncovered and possibly released into the world.
While this isn’t normally what I’d choose to read, the story kept me on task until the last sentence. And I wasn’t sorry. And maybe I shouldn’t have had the image of the malevolent one on my mind as I went to sleep late that night!

An earthquake and subsequent avalanche reveals an age-old secret on Mount Ararat. The timbers and hulking remains of a ship encased in ice. Scientists, historians and others rush immediately to Turkey. They all want to be the first to explore and document what might be Noah's Ark. Adam Holzer and his fiance Meryam pull strings to get exclusive access to the discovery. They climb the mountain with a group including guides, a priest, turkish officials, a UN rep, scientists and historians. As they investigate the timbers of the ancient ship, they discover a coffin that encloses horrific misshapen remains. The terror that ensues will be of Biblical proportions.

The tension and horror of this story builds at a steady pace. There is enough action, suspense and surprises to keep a reader's attention from start to finish. I was engrossed in the story right from the beginning. It's easy to understand why Adam and Meryam are so excited to jump right on this discovery. I don't know of any explorer or scientist who wouldn't want to explore the remains of Noah's Ark. And, through this story, it was so intense to experience their slow realization of just what horror they had uncovered. Not to mention the fact that they are all trapped at the top of Mount Ararat during an intense storm. The ending of the story caught me by surprise. A perfect ending for a horror-filled tale.

Christopher Golden is the author of many books including Snowblind, and The Gatekeeper Trilogy. For more information on the author and his books check out his website http://www.christophergolden.com/

Did not care for this book, didn't like the characters or the storyline. Just not my type of book, sorry.

Prior to Ararat, I had only been familiar with Christopher Golden's work in comics, primarily Baltimore with Mike Mignola. Thankfully, this book was as good a place as any to experience Golden's long-form prose, and post-Ararat, I expect to be reading plenty more this guy's work in the years ahead.

Convinced that they have discovered Noah's Ark after an earthquake reveals a hidden chamber inside Mt. Ararat, a team of researchers dig deeper, hoping to find answers to a series of questions thousands of years old. Led by newly-engaged non-fiction adventure novelists, Meryam and Adam, the team of researchers, scholars, and government overseers find quite a bit more than they bargained for. What they find is something ancient, something evil. As a snowstorm pummels Ararat, and members of the crew begin disappearing, the expedition finds themselves trapped by hostile forces all around.

I've noted before that I'm a bit of a sucker for horror set against arctic climes. There's just something about the visceral nature of freezing winds, violent snowstorms, and blood-spill that really draws me in, from John Carpenter's The Thing to Dan Simmons's The Terror, and real-life horrors like the Shackleton expedition and the polar voyage of the USS Jeanette. And now, Ararat.

Golden nails the atmosphere exceptionally well, and the growing sense of unease and paranoia infecting the researchers is very well drawn. That this works so well is a testament to Golden's ability to draw characters - Meryam and Adam are a flawed, with their problems beginning even prior to their arrival at Ararat. Their difficulties finding a wedding venue for their upcoming nuptials is certainly relatable, and but the deeper issues underscoring this difficulty sets the stage dramatically for the events that follow. Golden does a fine job laying the groundwork early, seeding it with enough doubt so that when conflict erupts it's built right into the core of these characters and their relationships.

Ararat is a slow-burn horror novel, one that is deliberately and methodically paced. Golden lets the conflict simmer, masterfully building up the tension as he peppers in a series of crises that lead to a wonderfully aggressive climax fueled by distrust and fear. This is the perfect snow-day read.

[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.]

To say that I've been waiting a very long time for this book, would be a vast understatement. Maybe, not this book in particular, but a Golden book that would knock my socks off. Mission accomplished! I love the horror and mythology that Mr. Golden does so well. This story had all of that, plus some decent character development. Which makes it sooooooo much better when the poop hits the fan! How can one little ole' demon cause such a ruckus? Best thing I've read from this author in maybe a decade. Yep, I'd recommend it. My thanks go to the publisher and Netgalley.

Review of ARARAT by Christopher Golden

Approaching this novel, I expected excellence and received it, even exceeding my expectations. This is a story that defines the term page-turner, as I could not rest until I completed it (and oh! That ending! Knocked me for a loop!). In fact, I stayed up late, postponing sleep, in order to reach the remarkable end of a remarkable novel.

An avalanche on Mount Ararat in Turkey (the specified Biblical location of Noah's Ark) uncovers an immense cave, where indeed is contained an ark. Inside are bones, both human and animal, and a wooden box sealed with bitumen pitch. Of course, the discovery itself sets off controversy around the world, arguments and discussions as to whether it is the Biblical Ark, or not, and because of its potential religious ramifications, incites controversy irregardless.

A pair of adventurers, very different in their background, an engaged couple who together travel and write books on their adventures in “calculated risk,” are first to reach the newly exposed cave and so are granted archaeological rights by the Turkish government. Their discovery, and future explorations, unleash an immensity of tribulation, violence, death, and more.

Author Christopher Golden amasses a tapestry of contemporary archaeology, prehistory and historical record, science fiction, religion, spirituality, and as always, the very human nature of the individuals who come together on Mount Ararat.

Interesting premise, but the writing style didn't work for me. I didn't finish it.

This story was an amazing page turner! I thought that the author did such a fantastic job with pacing, which is usually where I find issues with these kinds of stories. I loved that the author took the time to develop the main protagonists in a way that made them likable and relatable, but not so much so that you felt it took away from the terror and thrill of the story. The setting was also incredibly unique, making for an extra thrilling read. 4/5 stars!

I loved that this group included a mixture of men and women and people of various faiths. The group being diverse gives the plot a realistic/real feel to it.