Level 26: Dark Origins (Level 26 Series #1)

Twisted

If you're wanting a read that will make you look over your shoulder, underneath your rugs, behind your curtains and anywhere else that someone could hide, then this is the book for you. The villian in this book was probably the most deeply disturbing character I've read since Hannibal Lecter. And the hero is someone that your heart goes out to. The writing was not exceptional, but the plot was definitely good. I did not participate in the "Digi-Novel" features, mostly did not want to see a Hollywood portrayal of this creature they dubbed Squweegel. I read enough horror and suspense novels and didn't need anything else that would keep me awake at night!! This is definitely a good read and it will leave you hanging at the end. With no news about a 2nd novel yet, I will be waiting anxiously to see what happens from here...

4 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

Level 26: Dark Origins. A bright Beacon for the Future of Reading in the Digital Age

Anthony Zuiker, the creative mastermind behind the incredibly successful CSI (Crime Scene Investigation) television franchise, has just made literary history! With the release of Level 26: Dark Origins, the first digi-novel ever and Book 1 of the Level 26 trilogy, Zuiker has merged the written word, digital cinema and an active cyber community into an innovative work of creative genius. With the literary assistance of Duane Swierczynski and artistic touch of pop culture illustrator Marc Ecko, Anthony Zuiker has released an innovative novel whose impact upon common perceptions of what it means to read a book in the digital era will transform the process of story-telling. This new step in the evolution of writing has opened a new realm for aspiring authors as they determine the future of literature for following generations. Level 26: Dark Origins is a historical work in this context and Anthony Zuiker the inventor of a new and brilliant method of narration.

The digi-novel concept is the creative merging of the written word with digital motion pictures (cyber-bridges), which enhance the "reading" experience. While engrossed within the pages of Dark Origins, the reader is presented with codes that can be submitted on Level26.com to unlock a new cyber-bridge every twenty or so pages. While the book can be read without watching any of the cyber-bridges, these cyber-bridges work to visually "fill-in" and enhance the story as well as attribute a professional cast with the persona of the main characters. They furthermore raise the reader's awareness of the digi-novel as an interactive experience with brilliantly executed footage featuring a compelling soundtrack, stunning costume and set design, and established actors from film and television. The cyber-bridges, created under the visionary eye of Anthony Zuiker, are comparable in quality to some of the more innovative and memorable sequences in feature-length television and cinema.

Level 26: Dark Origins introduces the reader to the most nefarious serial killer in CIA history. As a level 26 killer, 'Sqweegel', is in a class of killers all by himself (when reading the book, you will soon learn the disturbing story behind the name 'Sqweegel'). The authorities of several countries seem helpless in tracking down a serial killer who wears a forensic-proof full-body suit and who can contort his body to hide in the smallest and most impossible of places (in the cyber-bridges, Sqweegel is brilliantly portrayed by 'Rubberboy' Daniel Browning Smith, also known as 'the most flexible man alive'). Only one agent, Steve Dark, has ever come close to catching Sqweegel, and the experience and its aftermath nearly destroyed him. This first novel masterfully introduces Sqweegel, his heinous murderous beginnings and his brilliantly wicked plan to force Steve Dark out of his retirement. Through well-crafted riddles, gut-wrenchingly disturbing acts of violence, nail-biting suspense, and pulse-pounding intensity, Anthony Zuiker draws us into the madness as Steve races to catch Sqweegel before he can strike again.

The entire experience is extraordinary as readers are pulled into the genius that is Anthony Zuiker's imagination. From the first page, to the last scene of the last cyber bridge, to the detailed discussions in the forums on Level26.com, the sensation of Level 26 is a triumph of creativity, and the newdigi-novel concept a gift to the literary world that is hopefully here to stay.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Blech

There were too many inconsistencies and plot holes to name. I expected more from the creator of CSI. I thought the online movies would be better than they were. Really disappointing.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Level 26: Dark Origins

"Level 26: Dark Origins" is a concept novel, where you can log onto the internet to catch glimpses of what is happening in the story. I choose to read my books and not interact with the internet. As a book, it was an interesting (if not grotesque) story. It is graphic and violent and one can easily be turned off. The book was written by a filmmaker and not a novelist so details were almost non-existent.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bad Novel, Worse Movie

I don't usually post reviews here, but this was such a terrible reading experience, I couldn't help it. I am a voracious reader of horror fiction, and a good bloody movie really gets me going. This, however, was neither. I will disclose that I am not a fan of CSI, but even that has to be better than this formulaic nonsense.

Meet your standard alchoholic dark cop gone mad with the intimacy of tracking serial killers, and his name is (get this) Steve Dark. Really? And them meet our body condom outfitted serial killer, who is the only decently creepy thing in the book, and they name him Sqweegel? Sqweegel?
The whole thing reads like it was written for (or perhaps by) 12 year olds; there is little to no character development, and the plot is worn out at best.

Then you have to consider the "digi" part of this much-hyped "digi-novel." Now every 20 pages you have to hop up, run to your computer and watch a little snippet of a movie. Annoying. This might have been ok if the movie part was in any way consistent with the novel part. For instance, Sqwee spends hours shaving himself ritually, and then he has obviously hairy legs & arms in the movie. We're not supposed to notice this? I can't even ennumerate the other inconsistencies. I won't even go into the horrific acting and unfortunate casting (except for Sqweegel, who is a master contortionist & scary all by himself).

All I can say is that I hope the digi-novel gets better than this...

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

creepy read

got my hands on an advance copy and the 'cyberbridges' make a lot of difference. No spoilers, but they are not just bonus content. this is really cool. worth checking out for sure.

1 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

I am a level 26

Great book for all horror lovers. There is nothing like having a good chill go down your spine from all the graphicly detailed scenes. I was looking over my shoulder and around corners for a week after finishing this book. Horror galor baby!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lacks Depth & Believability

If you are looking for a fast-paced, graphic thriller, then you might love this book. If you are looking for character depth and believability, I would not recommend this one.

I had several problems with this story. The main character, Steve Dark, is fairly young with a pregnant wife. They live in a million dollar home with no financial worries, yet neither of them appear to work. Sqweegel, the serial killer, also has total financial independence. We are never given explanations for how any of them live so well without ever working.

I felt Sqweegel's character was far too superhuman. He is omniscient, able to know everything and sneak everywhere without ever once slipping up even a tiny bit. He has access to all sorts of technology and, apparently, is able to easily infiltrate the lives of high ranking government officials. None of this is ever explained.

There are other aspects I thought were too convenient for the story or too over-the-top. I won't name them all because that would give away too much of the story.

This book offers little in the way of hope and pretty much no happiness. It is nonstop action, graphic violence, and emotional turmoil. The end leaves us hanging, nudging us on to book two in the series.

So Expected!!

I've been looking this book for several months but now that search is over finally I found it.

I just received the package by mail with the so expected book and I'm so happy that I could not wait until tonight to start reading it however I know for fact that this book is an excellent one; as soon as I finish the book I will return and write down my review.

Thumbs up!!

Horrible waste of time

The most shocking thing about this book is that two people would put their names on it as authors.

I am willing to suspend some disbelief when reading fiction but the tasks undertaken by the villain in the final day of this book were so far fetched that I found myself embarrassed for the authors. I kept waiting for them to pull it back from the edge of insanity but instead they pushed it over the cliff.

I cannot get my time spent reading this book back, but hopefully I can save at least one B&N reader from wasting their time.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Amazingly Brilliant

This is my first Digi Novel and I can't wait to read more. Zuiker is the brilliant mind behind my favorite show (until William Petersen left), CSI Las Vegas and he's showing his talent here. This serial killer book has been more terrifying to me than Silence of the Lambs or Kiss the Girls. That is saying a lot. I can't wait to read the other Level 26 books. Don't miss this if you love serial killers, crime, horror and a great read.

Amzaing Book!!

This book is VERY good. It kept me up all night thinking about what would happen next. I love the fact that after a certain amount of chapters there is a link to view a video that was a recap of what you just read. Everything was amazing and i would definetly recomend it to all my friends and family.
I'm waiting for the sequel.:D

The first Digi-Novel for me, and I'm hooked.

Wow! This book is breath-taking. This was my first experience with a Digi-Novel and it surely won't be my last. I've been turned on to a whole new world of reading. I honestly could not put this book down! I sat in the kitchen, alone, and felt as if I was in another world. My laptop was in front of me and every so often I immediately began typing, like a mad woman, feigning for more "cyberbridges". This book had me hooked, and I finished it within a day. The interaction between the novel, cyberbridges, and website was like nothing I've ever experienced. Anthony Zuiker masters the plot and that is reflected through every turn of the page.

A must read for all thrill enthusiasts!

This book was amazing! I love watching Criminal Minds, Bones, CSI, and all other psychological/murder types stories and this one has reached the top of my list of all time favorites. The killer was one of the creepiest serial killers of all time. The format of the book was exceptional and made it all the more creepy! I CAN NOT wait to get my hands on the next creation from Anthony Zuiker......if you are like me in the slightest.....you HAVE to get this book for your permanent library. I know I will read it over and over again, while patiently waiting for the introduction of another Level 26 killer! Please Anthony do not make me wait too long.............

YOWZA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The best serial killer book I have ever read! I want more, more, more! Sqweegel is the scariest of them all. A must read for those that love serial killer books. I actually cringed when I read some parts of this book. I can't wait until the movie comes out! Haven't done the interactive videos yet but who cares if they are lame or whatever you want to call it. The book is awesome and an absolutely fun read. It is superbly evil!

This book is sooo frickin Awesome!!!!!!!

I am a reader that has to find just the right book for me to be interested in it long enough to finish it, and this book I could not put down from beginning to end!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow, creepy and scary

At first I wasn't going to go onto the internet and watch the videos that went along with the book. But they made the book and story so much more real and spooky. This is a real nail biter! The guy who plays Sqweegel does it so well. He is absolutely creepy. I slept with the lights on the first night after finishing the book. I read it in two days.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Digi-Novel to Change the Literary World

There are 25 levels of evil, but one serial killer tops there all. It is his story that is the primary plotline in Level 26:Dark Orgins.

In this day and age people are wondering what to do to revitalize the book industry and get more people to read. I think Anthony Zuiker may have hit the nail on the head with his concept for Level 26: Dark Orgins. Level 26 is a book which can be read on it's own but also has a technological component unlike any other novel I have read before. Every 25 pages or so there is a code to type into www.level26.com in order to see motion picture quality footage, or other transmedia experiences, such as receiving a phone call from the serial killer, Sqweegel.

The book's short chapters and easy to understand language keeps the reader engaged throughout the many chapters and makes the book an exciting and easy read. The mystery surrounding the special case is intriguing and captivating for the read. In all Level 26 is an exciting experience not to be underestimated.

Read Level 26, Log onto www.level26.com and join the mystery that is Sqweegel

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Are you ready for a revolution?

An experience like no other...a first of its kind! Enthralling, exciting, gripping! An edge-of-your-seat page turner that takes you into an entirely new dimension of forensics, murder, and mayhem. Surrender yourself to this visionary digi-novel concept that literally brings the characters to life! Unlock the brilliance of cyber-bridge videos, using codes you obtain throughout the novel, and immerse yourself into the world of the worst serial killer man has ever encountered! So chillingly intense, you'll be craving for more!

Still hesitant? I am so passionate about this incredible experience, I will BUY it for you!

To win a FREE copy, visit: http://www.level26.com/profile_note/view/11278/230/1

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Don't read Alone!

If you are a fan of CSI, you will love this book. It is the very first book written by the executive producer and creator of CSI, Anthony Zuiker. I was introduced to Level 26: Dark Origins and the website, Level26.com, during a competition on twitter. I have since joined the website and enjoy interacting with Zuiker and others, discussing the book and competing in challenges designed for the Deputy Teams that Zuiker has added to his website.

Here is my take on this thrilling, pulse pounding book...

Level 26: Dark Origins is about a special group of exceptional law enforcement and government officials that have been brought together from all over the world just to track down serial killers. This agency has the best of the best. Its existence is not well-known, even to other officers. These "team" is accustomed to tracking down, arresting or otherwise, serial killers that are ranked from Levels 1 to 25. Their ranking depends upon the "mannerisms and acts" within the killings themself and how they are carried out. Here, they are met with a new challenge. They are dealing with a new kind of killer, one who calls himself Sqweegel.

Sqweegel, who is so evil, his crimes following no patterns and so unthinkable and heinous, that they had to give him his own level of evil: Level 26.

What makes him so hard to catch? Sqweegel has developed a forensic-proof, full, latex, body condom which covers him head to toe. There are openings for his eyes, a couple small slits to breathe through and the rest is sealed off with zippers. AS is this is not enough, Sqweegel is also a contortionist so there's literally nowhere he can't hide. You are never safe from him and you will never know he's there until it's much to late to run.

There is one man, a detective, who has come close to catching/stopping this unmerciful killer. His name is Steve Dark. Dark has lost his entire family to the heinous crimes of Sqweegel. He has sworn that, this time, he will put and end to Sqweegel once and for all.... even if it kills him. Will he succeed or will this be the last of the Dark bloodline?

I must also tell you that this is not just a book, it's the very first digi-novel, which is like a mini-movie within the book. You read about 20 pages or so and are given a code. You go to Level26.com, sign-up and enter the code into a box and are taken to a "cyberbridge" which shows an 8 mm film that "adds to" the book with scenes from the book, a call from Sqweegel and other footage.

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.