Ararat

Ararat by Christopher Golden

     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!