The First Bird

Episode 1

De: Greig Beck

Narrado por: Sean Mangan

Matt Kearns, linguist, archaeologist and reluctant explorer from Beneath the Dark Ice and Black Mountain returns in his first full-time adventure. And this time he doesn't have Alex Hunter to save him when the stuff hits the fan.

When a fame-hungry scientist brings an impossible, living specimen of a creature long thought extinct back from the wild jungles of South America he unwittingly brings along a passenger. Something with the potential to destroy every living thing on our planet.

The infestation begins, rapidly overtaking medical resources and resisting all treatment. One woman knows the danger: Carla Nero, chief scientist of the Center for Disease Control. She makes Matt an offer he can't refuse and together they join a team heading to the deep jungle in a desperate race to locate the hidden place where the specimen was taken.

Only by finding the location of the specimen can the team - and the world - hope to uncover the secret of how to survive the ancient, horrifying parasite that has been released.

©2013 Greig Beck (P)2013 Bolinda Publishing

Excellent book didn't know with so short

It was an excellent book but I did not know it was so short. It leaves you on a cliffhanger that you want to hear the rest of the story and buy the next book which I am going to do now because it was worth it again a little too short for my liking

I purchased episode II...

The story was good enough that I purchased to second episode as soon as I finished to first. If your just looking for an entertaining story this is not a bad choice. The only complaint I have is that I have to buy the story in 3 different installments. Guess that's probably the part the author really likes!

Fun adventure

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Sure. I enjoyed the adventure of it.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The native guide. He was so calm and so sure of himself, despite the chaos that the visitors brought with them. He also added a kind of wise rationality with no hidden agendas.

What does Sean Mangan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Well, for me, any audiobook is preferable over reading them myself ,because a good narrator can bring the characters alive. I liked Sean Mangan's narration and will look for more books narrated by him.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes, and I look forward to the next two episodes.

Any additional comments?

I thoroughly enjoyed this first episode, though I could have done without the somewhat adolescent interaction between the main character and his annoying girlfriend. She is a character that could have easily been left out without much of a change to the story Otherwise, this was very "Indiana Jones" which is the kind of book I enjoy. No terrorists, not politics, how refreshing!

Intregued as to where this story is going now!

Anthropology, Amazon forest site, paleo-bird link as well as the hook of an ancient disease getting a new foothold in the modern world! The ,author has hit four of my six most interesting subjects just with this one story!

Where is part 2!?

The narration of the story made me feel I was along during the trek through the forest and I want to get back to it. Please!

marginal

Predictable and easy to follow. I listened to the book while mowing the yard. Easy entertainment, but no resolution at the end. Be ready to committ to the series or be left hanging in a not so sure you want to continue way.

Don't let the title fool you.

Any additional comments?

Not a five star as some say. I'm already listening to the 2nd book. There is more to it then just "birds". Other "creatures in the forest lurk. Price is good so got for it.

very entertaining

cannot wait for book 2. ended too soon really enjoyed it. was a great adventure. thanks audible for making every day chores more bearable

If you hate cliffhangers don't get this book

This book started off pretty good. It seemed a little slow in getting all of the characters together. It seemed a little boring while they were traversing through the jungle. The relationship between the professor and his grad student was just really really annoying and immature. Just when it started to get really interesting the book ended . I really hate cliffhangers. I didn't like the book that much that I'll be purchasing the next book in the series.

Torn

... because I’m a big fan of Greig Beck, but I am very upset with the approach that he and his producer, or agent, or publisher, or whoever may be took on this series. I am not sure why they feel this book should be split up into three episodes when every other author I listen to is just one , costing me only one credit and not three. Seems like a blatant money grab but I’m not sure how all this audible stuff works.Newsflash, in case anybody reads this, these episodes are five hours long and I usually only have one credit per month, so I am not going to waste three months worth of credits on one book. Also, and this is subjective, this narrator puts me to sleep. There is something about his rolling voice that is soothing or something, but I cannot keep focused. Greig, I like you as an author. I have read most of your books, and it somewhat pained me to leave this review but it bugged me too much not to.

Interesting but racist

Will rot narrative and descriptions. Would have been much more enjoyable but for the not-so-subtle anti-semitic overtones. Too bad such interesting book had to be ruined by racism.