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The Reviews Are In…
The Time Has Come for “The Aquarians”
by Nowdla Keefe, Bimini Dolphin Adventures
"The Aquarians" is a novel that is easy to read, introduces some intriguing thoughts and connects alot of current ideas that people seem to be questioning.
For the past 15 years I have been taking people out to observe and interact with a wild pod of dolphins that live off of the shore of Bimini, in the Bahamas. People from across the globe and all walks of life come down to swim with these creatures, so believe me when I say I've seen everyone from the new-age dolphin lovers to families who have never seen the ocean before and want to "try this out." This book covers every question I've ever been asked about dolphins plus more.
The Aquarians covers the Mayan Calendar, the 2012 prophecy, The Age of Aquarius, 11:11 (which was a new idea to me, but apparently my daughter is someone who notices this all the time), and the playful intelligence that dolphins seem to represent. For people who are interested in these ideas, what it all means, and are looking for a life that means more than status and bank accounts, this book brought all of these ideas, plus a love story and interesting characters, together.
I have personally read the book twice, and keep it on my nightstand when I need a reminder that there is something bigger out there.”
Love, Forgiveness, Compassion – Dolphins and Mayans and Hope
by Grady Harp/Amazon.com Top 10 Reviewer
First and foremost, this is a novel that will capture the attention of anyone who is fortunate enough to pick up a copy - an adventure filled with intrigue, investigation, criminal underpinnings, and a fine love story: it is also a warmly informative approach to the mysteries of the Mayan Calendar, dolphin communication, and philosophy regarding the state of our world and the future of the human species.
Wisely weaving several stories - each with a set of characters we get to know - to a narrative in which all of the events and characters of the novel become intricately connected, Rankin begins his novel with a prelude in 1945 and an important incident occurring just after the atomic bomb devastation of Hiroshima, Japan. The reader encounters crusty old scientists who are determined to understand the ultrasonic holograms dolphins transmit, as well as archeologists who gaze in wonder at the findings of a hidden Mayan temple on whose ceiling is painted the famous Mayan Calendar referenced in the 800 year old Dresden Codex. To keep the story contemporary, young people are added to not only provide the requisite love interest but also provide the tie with the past that gives the book such an uplifting ending. Rankin blends these elements so well that he is able to make statements about humanity and the fragility of life without sounding saccharine. 'It's knowing that life constantly offers you the opportunity to commit an act of love, and that no matter what, love is always the right act to commit. Love is always the right answer'. And in sharing his knowledge of dolphin behavior he offers his scientist the chance to make poignant statements: 'We're warm-blooded, air-breathing animals similar to them [dolphins] in many ways, but different in that we live on land, walk, build things, and are preoccupied with conflict and violence'.
Faced with the shared evidence from many of the characters that the numbers 11:11, the date the Mayan Calendar ends time as we know it (December 21, 2012), and recurring dreams/visions provide, Rankin's characters provide a window of hope into the future - a true 'dawning of The Age of Aquarius' - if the study of dolphins is heeded. It all makes for a fascinating and absorbing book.
Moving and Profound Story of Transformation, Prophecy and Joy
by Marie D. Jones/Author of “The 11:11 Time Prompt Phenomenon”
As the author of a best-selling non-fiction book about the "11:11" phenomenon, I was so excited and curious to read Eric Rankin's novel, which tied in the 11:11 enigma and the coming prophetic year of 2012 with a beautiful storyline about the amazing bonds between humans and dolphins, and humans and humans to boot. How could a novel quite pull off such a big order? But Rankin not only did pull it off, he did it with a lush, emotionally moving story that perfectly introduces so many concepts, all the while telling a great love story between a man and a woman, and humanity and the greater good. That the greater good is symbolized here in the form of dolphins is so fitting, as this book is like an introduction into the fascinating world of these underwater angels. The story centers on three people, all of whom in the end find their own personal transformation through their close encounters with these delightful and brilliant creatures.
Dr. Troy Wallace is trying to prove an incredible theory of his involving echolocation and 3-D sonogram imaging; Rebecca Larson is a dolphin behaviorist at Sea World with a profound theory of her own involving dolphins and how humans can learn from and integrate dolphin behavior and hopefully mimic their long evolutionary presence; and Ryan Ericson, a hot stud So Cal celebrity who, despite his fame and success, feels an emptiness inside that serves as the catalyst to an incredible journey of change and growth and helps him find a love that goes beyond one night stands. The characters are fully realized and totally relatable, and their journeys, both separate and collective, ring true and provide plenty of lessons for the reader to embrace. This is not just a story of three people finding themselves, though, or even proving themselves, but also a story of how we as a species can hope to find our place in the world as the prophetic year of 2012, when the ancient Mayans predicted an end of time as we know it, fast approaches.
What will 2012 bring? This book gives a powerful and positive outlook filled with hope as we enter the Age of Aquarius. What does 11:11 have to do with it all? Well, if I told you that, I'd be giving away one of the book's most delicious secrets. Suffice it to say, if you take my advice and buy and read this book, you will experience a most timely, empowering and entertaining read. And be prepared to fall in love with dolphins, for some of you, all over again.
Dawning of a New Age
by Andrea Beaudoin/ Holistic Practitioner
I am an energy worker, lightworker, holistic practitioner and I really enjoyed this book. I love the energy of the Mayan Prophecy and the changes as we face a new age. I had no idea of the information about the dolphins and can tell that the author put in a lot of research about them. The story was thoroughly enjoyable and woven together well.
What I most want to say is that it is not about doom or gloom as many of the 2012 books and material coming out is. This book is truly about the life on earth as we have formerly known it to be coming to an end. And, that is not a bad thing. The new energies coming in are about working in harmony, working with energy, Source, bringing in Peace and new ways of thinking and doing things. The author gives us some insight about how we can do this and how we can easily evolve as the energies in the world do also.
Foreword Clarion Book Review - Four Stars (out of Five)
by Barry Silverstein
There is a lot of buzz lately about December 21, 2012. This is the date the ancient Mayan calendar ends—and to some observers, it portends the possibility of the literal end of time and, with it, the destruction of the world.
In The Aquarians, Eric Rankin puts aside this doomsday scenario and instead interprets the date in question as the beginning of a new era. Rankin goes quite a bit further, suggesting that the relationship between humans and dolphins will play a large role in the rebirth and renewal of humanity.
It’s a fanciful concept, to be sure, but Rankin weaves a tale that may well turn readers into believers. The story revolves around Rebecca Larson, a young woman who, through a seeming twist of fate, becomes a dolphin behaviorist in Southern California. She is drawn to the notion that an “Age of Aquarius” is coming and sees dolphins as a window to the future. She works with the acclaimed scientist, Dr. Troy Wallace, who is doing advanced research concerning how dolphins communicate. Dr. Wallace’s research is not going well, and his investors are ready to abandon their support.
Meanwhile, Ryan Ericson, the well-known host of a television series, interviews Rebecca and is immediately taken with her. The attraction is not merely physical; rather, it is the result of a much greater force that mysteriously brings the two together.
Ryan also interviews a local fisherman, Vern Becket, with whom Ryan feels the same kind of strong, inexplicable connection. Again, a greater force is at work. It turns out the common bond between Ryan and Vern, as with Ryan and Rebecca, is dolphins.There are a few elements in The Aquarians that might have been better executed. The villain, for example, is thinly drawn and one-dimensional. The use of the song, “The Age of Aquarius,” to which Rebecca assigns mystical meaning, is somewhat contrived. But these are minor deficiencies in an otherwise solid story that has enough twists and drama to keep readers engaged until the very end.
Rankin, who has traveled the world studying and swimming with dolphins, offers rare insight into the intelligence of these creatures. He does an admirable job of bringing together the lives of the story’s characters in an intriguing plot. The book is well-written and nicely constructed. Overall, The Aquarians is a compelling, thought-provoking, and enjoyable read.
Read more reviews for the Aquarians on Amazon.com
