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The 6th Extinction: A Sigma Force Novel
The 6th Extinction: A Sigma Force Novel
The 6th Extinction: A Sigma Force Novel
Audiobook15 hours

The 6th Extinction: A Sigma Force Novel

Written by James Rollins

Narrated by Christian Baskous

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

4.5/5

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About this audiobook

In a masterful epic of timeless mystery and ripped-from-the-headlines scientific intrigue, James Rollins, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sigma Force series, takes mankind to its endpoint, to a fate written in rock and ice in an event known as The Sixth Extinction

A remote military research station sends out a frantic distress call, ending with a chilling final command: Kill us all! Personnel from the neighboring base rush in to discover everyone already dead-and not just the scientists, but every living thing for fifty square miles is annihilated: every animal, plant, and insect, even bacteria.

The land is entirely sterile-and the blight is spreading.

To halt the inevitable, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma must unravel a threat that rises out of the distant past, to a time when Antarctica was green and all life on Earth balanced upon the blade of a knife. Following clues from an ancient map rescued from the lost Library of Alexandria, Sigma will discover the truth about an ancient continent, about a new form of death buried under miles of ice.

From millennia-old secrets out of the frozen past to mysteries buried deep in the darkest jungles of today, Sigma will face its greatest challenge to date: stopping the coming extinction of mankind.

But is it already too late?

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateAug 12, 2014
ISBN9780062332240
Author

James Rollins

James Rollins is the author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets—and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada.

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Reviews for The 6th Extinction

Rating: 4.448275862068965 out of 5 stars
4.5/5

58 ratings19 reviews

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  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A remote California military research station broadcast a distress call with the message “Kill us All!” A young Park Ranger and her dog flee the cloud of toxic gas spreading over the countryside meant to kill whatever was loosed from the lab. Every living thing in a fifty square mile radius is dead and the blight is spreading. Sigma force must decipher the threat and find a remedy before the blight wipes out every living thing on earth. From the strange underground ecosystems in the rivers and caves far under the ice of Antarctica to a Tepui in the rain forests of Brazil, where a crazed ecologist seeks to help the extinction of mankind along in his lab; Sigma must fight against this threat and find the key to reversing the damage before it is too late.In the tenth book of the Sigma series(published on the tenth anniversary of the 1st), Rollins has again crafted an excellent nail-biting thriller that all action/adventure readers will love! Rollins always provides author notes with the science and historical facts behind his stories.He provides further references if you need more information on a subject.The creatures the team encounters are frighteningly possible and creepy! The technologies and the futuristic equipment the team uses are all cutting edge and this makes for a very real and all too possible thriller.I really enjoyed James Rollins crafting once again!!!!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Another great read in this series. I thoroughly enjoy the history and science with the mystery and adventure. Great job!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    As always, Rollins delivers a masterful blend of science class and thrill ride.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A decent plot with solid characters. Unfortunately, the narrative repeatedly comes to a standstill as Rollins does one data dump after another after another as he shows his commitment to including every bit of research that he did for the book. What you’re left with is a mix of equal parts science journal article and not-so-thrilling thriller. Yes, I thoroughly enjoy a solid historical or scientific foundation to my fiction reading, but it should propel the story, not drag it to a screeching halt time after time.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I've read and enjoyed several books by James Rollins over the years; this was not one of my favorites. Genetic engineering is an interesting topic but there was so much technical/scientific information that was over my head, it just did not hold my interest. It was obviously extremely well researched and well written, so I've given it four stars. I think other readers may enjoy this one, it just wasn't right for me. I'll still be looking for more from this author.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    As always a good read! I really like the section in the back detailing the science facts he used throughout the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This author has been highly recommended; all his books worth reading.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    The end of the world as we know it saved by The Sigma Force again.Fun read, scary thoughts and love all mixed together.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
     Amazonia + Subterranean + The Judas Strain = The Sixth Extinction
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Marking the tenth anniversary of James Rollins best-selling Sigma series, The 6th Extinction takes you on a roller coaster ride of the real possibility of where this world is heading. It also hints at the sad fact of the possible irreversibility in the situation of our fate. This Sigma adventure is balls-out on action as well in truth and fiction with historical data and the latest technological advances. It's an eye opener that you shouldn't miss.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Wow! I've been a fan of the Sigma Force series for a few years now, and I just loved The 6th Extinction. This is the 10th book in the series, and it's still going strong. As with all the previous books, there's a good mix of history and real-world science. Unlike in the previous books, the history isn't as central to the plot, though.Very often in the previous books, Sigma Force would be perusing clues found in the historical record while being chased by bad guys. In this on, they're still being chased by bad guys, but the historical part only includes a few mentions of Darwin, Admiral Byrd, and a secret Nazi Antarctic submarine base.There are gunfights, explosions, a threat (or three) to the safety of the world, and a trip through a truly alien world. It;s great fun, and it's scary to think how much of the science is real.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    James Rollins always offers a rollicking good time, and "The 6th Extinction" is no exception. This time Sigma Force is up against a megalomaniac determined to bring about a new birth of the Earth by ridding it of the one thing that has been destroying it - human beings. Although the theme of an evil genius wanting to rid the Earth of mankind is not anything new, Rollins makes it highly entertaining and definitely has a different take on it.The only thing missing in this novel was Seichan, who shows up at the very end - as if Rollins wants to let us know that he hasn't forgotten her. I would have liked to have seen Seichan involved in all the action, but the book still worked just fine without her. (I do hope, though, that she's a bigger part of the next Sigma Force novel!)If you are a James Rollins fan (as I am), you will not be disappointed in this 10th Sigma Force novel. It has all the action, adventure, technology, and monsters that his readers have come to expect, and it's all rolled up into one very entertaining novel.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    This was an action packed roller coaster ride. I love the Sigma force novels. They have the perfect combination of history, action, and crazy science gone wrong.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    The 6th Extinction by James Rollins is the very highly recommended 10th Sigma Force Novel, but more importantly, it is a terrific thriller that will deliver an action packed ride to the suspenseful end. This is not a leisurely read. It is a "stuck overnight at the airport book," meaning The 6th Extinction will keep you up, awake, and entertained with minimum trips to find coffee or a distraction. In fact, you will be a toe-tapping, nail-biting mess trying to read fast enough to find what will happen next. (And I literally was a toe-tapping, nail-biting mess reading while waiting for my car's oil to be changed today.)

    A distress call comes out of an old military station in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, by Mono Lake, asking for someone to, "Kill us all!" Jenna Beck, a California State Park Ranger and her dog, Nikko, go up to investigate and quickly become part of something much larger than anything she could anticipate. It appears everything near the site is dead - and then commandos in black from a ubiquitous black helicopter fly in to finish the job. The site is blown up, releasing a man-made pathogen that kills everything.

    The Sigma Force is called into action to find out what the pathogen is, where the scientist in charge has been taken, who is attacking them and the scientists, and where the genesis of the pathogen can be found. Their teams must travel from California to Brazil to Antarctica in a race to discover the answers and stop the madness before it causes the 6th extinction, this time of the human race.

    Rollins always delivers the goods!

    This thriller benefits from all the real science and research Rollins does to enhance the book. (Those who miss Michael Crichton's books, take note.) The 6th Extinction is full of science and history. Rollins clues you in at the end what science and research is real, what research or beliefs the scientific debates and theories are based on, and where the science is heading, along with other information. I love that about his books. Rollins not only provides us with an excellent, electrifying thriller full of action and adventure, he also treats his readers with respect and a nod to their intelligence and comprehension.

    Having read all the Sigma force novels (or almost all of them), I could easily follow along with the many characters and the action. I really think that you could jump into the series and still finish the book with just as much enjoyment. Of course, then I'm predicting that you'll then want to go back and read the other Sigma force novels - and everything else Rollins has written.


    Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of HarperCollins for review purposes.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This was a typical SIGMA novel by Rollins. Although it was a little harder to get into than some of his other books.The SIGMA team, as well as a few newcomers, and weirdly enough another very cool dog, are scattered hither and yon on the Earth to try and find the solution to the problem that gets thrown in their lap. And it's a doozy of a problem.A bio threat virus has escaped its containment in a DARPA affiliated lab. The head researcher had been kidnapped as well, and that combination is never a good thing for a fictional world.Painter, Gray, and their teams get called in to the lab that's right near Yosemite Valley, because of the breach of the containment and soon those close to Painter's fiancee Lisa, and the Park Ranger (newcomer) Jenna, are pulled into the problem.One of the problems I had with the book at the beginning was the pictures that were inserted into the narrative. There were too many and they broke up the story too much. This is a novel, not a peer reviewed paper. I will say that there were fewer pictures as the book went on and that was a relief).On the other hand I loved the new characters, especially Jori. He was my favorite by far. I also loved the connections with Rollin's other book, Subterranean. I also liked that the shadowy antagonist group was absent for this book. But, on the other hand I definitely missed Seichan.Overall it was a solid thriller with a bit of a mystery. Definitely a 3 star book.I won this book through the Goodreads First Reads program.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Another very enjoyable romp through the fertile imagination of James Rollins. His skillful blend of thriller genre action and intrigue with "on the edge" science makes for a fascinating read. There is just enough real scientific fact to make his plot lines both believable and frightening. I really never tire of this approach.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Everything James Rollins is famous for is here in The 6th Extinction: fascinating history, cutting edge science and technology, and an adrenaline-soaked pace. I loved the ties to history: which countries had been in Antarctica and why, Darwin visiting while aboard the HMS Beagle, an ancient Antarctica not buried under snow and ice. The science was fascinating as well, especially the look into synthetic biology. As always, Rollins' notes at the end should be required reading for anyone who wants to know how much of the book is factual. As much as I loved the research behind the story, the two "worlds" Rollins created (one of which is in Antarctica) just didn't grab me. In fact I was reminded of two blockbuster movies. When Kowalski says, "Something tells me we're gonna need bigger guns," I immediately thought of Roy Scheider's famous line in "Jaws," and all the talk of synthetic biology and what could be created? I heard Jeff Goldblum in "Jurassic Park" telling Richard Attenborough, "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should." Sometimes it's a good thing to be reminded of other books and movies, but this time, remembering movie quotes just made this story feel stale.Although I did tire of the non-stop action that skipped from group to group in scenarios I just couldn't believe in, I have to admit that I perked up whenever Jenna Beck and her dog Nikko walked on stage. Those two are a winning combination that I actually would look forward to seeing again. All in all however, compared with other Sigma Force adventures, The 6th Extinction doesn't quite hit the target.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A great book from a scientific standpoint, but if Rollins intended this to be a white-knuckle thriller, it just barely missed the mark. A slightly worn-out plot element of a secret element on Antarctica (city, organism, treasure, bearded-lady, etc.) along with a plot to "remake" earth by wiping out society as we know it with a lethal virus made for a decent backdrop for the Sigma Force characters to battle evil in a race against time, but I felt that I had bought this t-shirt before. I enjoyed reading it due to the research Rollins always puts into his books, but I never felt the urgency while absorbing the plot like I have in Rollins' books in the past. I think maybe a stronger antagonist might have helped here, but ultimately this needed a tighter, tenser plot for the anxiety factor Rollins probably was looking for.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Gripping but far-fetched and too much violence for my taste.A Biosafety Level 4 lab in the Sierra Mountains of California near Yosemite National Park is experimenting with novel genetic material. A terrorist group blows up the lab and releases a viral plague that kills everything exposed to it. Local park ranger Jenna and her dog Nikko are the first on the scene and only barely manage to avoid the viral cloud. But Jenna does see the lab director being kidnapped into a helicopter and for that reason she is hunted by the terrorists. She manages to elude them and because she has actually seen the terrorists when Sigma Force comes to town she is co-opted for the investigation. The Force has to split up to follow leads in Antarctica and South America. They face numerous life-threatening risks from both humans and animals. Meanwhile in California the virus continues to spread and some people want to explode a nuclear warhead to stop it.I stayed the course with the book because it was thrilling but as the circumstances got more bizarre I kept saying to myself "Really? You must be kidding." I won't be searching for anymore Sigma Force books although I have to give Rollins credit for explaining science in such an exciting fashion.