Dark origins
Ratings2
Average rating3
15
Ratings2
Average rating3
A revolutionary, cross-platform, immersive storytelling experience centered on a series of crime thrillers from the visionary creator of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.Level 26 is a series of crime thrillers centered on a rogue serial killer hunter. Steve Dark is head of a highly secret and incredibly skilled black ops element within the U.S. government, which is tasked with finding and bringing to justice the most brutal and horrific serial murderers in the world—especially those whose existence world governments would prefer not to admit.Adept at suppressing his own personality and conjuring the mind and the world of an unknown killer based on the signature elements of the crimes, Steve Dark possesses the unique ability to mimic and virtually inhabit a killer’s profile and killing landscape based on the smallest details. Dark’s methods require an existence off the grid and underground, pushing him ever closer to his targets even as the psychic toll of losing his own identity comes dangerously close to irreversible. Under the direct control of the U.S. government, the reluctant investigator and his team are on call 24/7, ready to immerse themselves in a new operation at any time, at any point on the globe.Storytelling 2.0Readers of Level 26 will have access to a Web-based portal where they can access digital content, including twenty book-specific “cyber-bridges” for each entry in the series. These cyber- bridges will be called out in the text of each novel—approximately every five chapters by a graphic icon and a code—which, when entered into the digital portal, will unlock a video, audio, or interactive element that enhances the story.The Web portal—designed by EQAL, of lonelygirl15 fame—will also feature an interactive social networking component where readers can congregate to interact with one another and with the story—ensuring the community has a significant and direct impact on the evolution of the storylines and characters in Steve Dark’s world—as Anthony and his team monitor and participate in the discourse and craft future entries in the series.
Reviews with the most likes.
Well, for Zuiker's first book I'll give it a definite A for effort. In general, it was an entertaining book and it had me squeamish at some times. Squeegal, the main antagonist of the book is one creepy, insane man and Zuiker made that abundantly clear in the painstaking detail he gave to every murder and every thought going through Squeegal's mind. I found that the book became a little predictable towards the end. There was going to be only one way that it ended and also they had to put in the beginnings of what will eventually make this a book series. The main problem for me is that there was a whole lot fluff (and by fluff I mean gory, disgusting details) to camouflage a weak follow through with the plot. Squeegal's reason for killing is never really understood or explained properly. There is some talk about religious reason. Maybe he's killing because of the 7 cardinal sins or the 7 virtues, but Zuiker doesn't really go into that instead fast forwards to another gruesome scene.
This book probably would've done really well as a TV series and I wouldn't be surprised if he's asked to adapt it to something along the lines of Criminal Minds, because that is essentially what the team in the book is doing.
As for the digital media, I thought it was a hassle. Reading it on audiobook I'm almost never around my computer to get to it in time to view the little clips that are scattered throughout the book. I ended up viewing maybe two and they didn't really forward the plot for me or anything so I don't think they were really essential to understanding the book. Just more fluff.
Overall, if you're into crime fiction/mystery give this book a try.
