The Lost Ark

By: J.R. Rain

Narrated by: Clay Teunis

Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

In a lonely bar in eastern Turkey, ex-National Geographic photojournalist Sam Ward is hired to find an eccentric professor who disappeared high atop Mount Ararat, fabled resting spot of Noah's Ark.

Accompanied by the professor's beautiful daughter, archaeologist Faye Roberts, Sam soon stumbles upon a secret stronghold-a base of operation for unleashing hell on earth. Now running for their lives, Sam and company are about to come face-to-face with the greatest archaeological discovery of all time. . .

©2010 J.R. Rain (P)2013 J.R. Rain

Production problems, good story

What didn’t you like about Clay Teunis’s performance?

There were a number of times in the audio version in which the producer didn't properly edit the book, so that lines in the story were repeated.

Any additional comments?

A solid story, and I thought Clay Teunis did a nice job voicing it.

A made for TV movie

The writing was good quality. The story line was a bit predictable. Sort of like adventure movies on a Saturday afternoon on basic cable. Not a complete waste of time if you are looking to escape reality for a while.

Interesting, not bad

Easy-moving, cliche language and dialogue, but overall a decent way to spend a rainy afternoon.

No Real Excitement

Kept waiting for something really interesting or exciting to happen. It didn't. Too many "cute" tough guy phrases, like a tired Bruce Willis was the main character or meant to be. Narrator helped make a bad book better... pass on this one.

Indiana Jones meets Jason Bourne

Would you recommend The Lost Ark to your friends? Why or why not?

There was a lot of humor in the book, almost to the point of overdoing it, but I did laugh
aloud quite a bit. It was adventure packed, but the comical sarcasm kept me grounded. Would I recommend it? Yes, it is very entertaining.

Which character – as performed by Clay Teunis – was your favorite?

I loved all the characters I was supposed to, with the possible exception of the old man professor. When the story line shifted to him, time sort of happened around him and he wasn't a part of it. Very creative writing that was.

Ho Hum

What would have made The Lost Ark better?

The recording was messy with multiple places where you could hear changes in recording quality, edits or errors. The author used some words too repetitively and repeated the same sentiments several times.

Would you recommend The Lost Ark to your friends? Why or why not?

I would recommend this book to someone looking for a fairly quick, adventurous listen if they were willing to overlook the less than perfect recording and predictable writing style.

What three words best describe Clay Teunis’s voice?

Pleasantly gravelly.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

I enjoyed most of the story, it was easy to follow while listening at work and a reasonable value if purchased at a sale price. I got this book on sale for under $5.

Mildly Diverting

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

It's not a long book and it was a daily deal, so over all I'm ok with it. I wouldn't want to pay full price for it though.

What was most disappointing about J. R. Rain’s story?

The female character is irritating. Written to be strong and independent, she comes off as touchy, stubborn and hot-headed.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

The narrator's style reminded me of Jack Moyles in the old radio show "Rocky Jordan". I like that, but his low-key, unflappable style wouldn't be for everyone.

Could you see The Lost Ark being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

It almost feels like a tv movie is the endgame for this book. It doesn't take much to imagine the poor writing and bad special effects. How about Kevin Sorbo and Catherine Bell?

Barely readable, especially the first half

What did you like best about The Lost Ark? What did you like least?

Best - The setting and subject matter.

Least - Cheesy dialogue and perspective.

What was most disappointing about J. R. Rain’s story?

The inter-character dialogue.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Clay Teunis?

Yes, though there were a couple of editing gaffes.

Could you see The Lost Ark being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No

Any additional comments?

This is barely listenable. I paid $4.99 for it so I felt I had to finish it. The story does get better about half way through but the dialogue never does.

Not well edited for audio

Clay Teunis restarted sentences several times. Oops the story was cartoonish but I had to find out the ending. Would not listen to another story by this author or performed by this reader

Trite and corny

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

A miracle.

What could J. R. Rain have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Stay away from stupid remarks of the characters.

What didn’t you like about Clay Teunis’s performance?

Monotone.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

Can't name any.

Any additional comments?

It just barely cleared the threshold for my continuing to listen.