Official Review: The Ice Cap and the Rift
Posted: 08 Jul 2015, 18:22
[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Ice Cap and the Rift" by Marshall Chamberlain.]
4 out of 4 stars
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Allow me to say up front that I took a gamble by reading The Ice Cap and the Rift, by Marshall Chamberlain. This novel is the second in the Ancients Trilogy, and usually I’m completely opposed to starting a series anywhere but at the beginning. However, I was much too intrigued by the synopsis to allow this opportunity to pass me by. I was promised mystery, suspense, action, and intrigue reminiscent of Indiana Jones; it is this man’s opinion that The Ice Cap and the Rift delivered on all counts. While I remain regretful that I did not read Book One of the Ancients Trilogy prior to reading this one, I am as much pleased that Mr. Chamberlain was able to create a sequel of standalone quality for those, myself included, who joined the adventure a little later.
The story (and presumably the series) centers on John Henry Morgan, the director of the Institute for the Study of Unusual Phenomena (ISUP), who has just returned to ISUP Headquarters in Prague from an investigation in Belize. No sooner has he settled in, though, when he is called upon to report to the Vatnajökull Ice Cap in Iceland, where an earthquake has caused a 15 mile long rift to form in the ice. Also, a cave has been discovered in the ice rift, and preliminary scans show signs of a previous civilization. With a troop of supporting scientists and experts, Morgan descends into the rift and makes a discovery that will shake the foundation of human history. Morgan uses all of his weight with the United Nations to help protect the secret of his discovery; alas, no secret is safe from the American Central Intelligence Agency and the Chinese Central Intelligence Service. Consequently, a full-scale global secret war erupts as each of the three factions incorporates technology, espionage, and terrorism to be the first to lay claim to the mysterious discovery hundreds of feet below the surface of Iceland. With an ever-growing list of questions about the history and nature of his discovery, Director Morgan must be at the top of his game to ensure his find doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
As a fan of both the archaeological exploits of the Indiana Jones quadrilogy and the tense political drama of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, I was able to fully immerse myself in The Ice Cap and the Rift. Mr. Chamberlain navigates smoothly through a score of characters, locations, and events while providing rich detail and meaningful, albeit somewhat stereotypical, character development. I really enjoy an author who not only researches the various sciences intrinsic to a novel in the techno-thriller genre, but also explains those sciences in a manner that is enjoyable to the casual reader. In The Ice Cap and the Rift, Chamberlain educates on geology, aerospace science, intricacies of international law, and structural engineering, among others; furthermore, he does so in a way that is both entertaining and applicable to the story line as opposed to being lofty and dry. Chamberlain’s writing style is also straightforward, meaning there is no filler to be found; this book is 330 pages (Epub format) of solid development and action.
I did have mixed feelings about a strong sci-fi element in the novel that underlies the entire story. It’s not that I don’t enjoy this subplot; rather, I find it to be appealing. However, it’s not involved enough to be a necessary part of the novel as a standalone, even though it has a major impact on the series as a whole. Nevertheless, it does not detract from the story; it’s just not explored as deeply as I would hope, though it does provide enough intrigue that I am now determined to read Book One, The Mountain Place of Knowledge, and Book Three, when it is released (hopefully next year). Aside from this topical sci-fi subplot, The Ice Cap and the Rift holds its own as a singular novel. Allusions are made to the first book’s adventure in Belize, but they serve to enhance the plot, and the author never takes for granted that the reader may not know pertinent information from the previous novel. Mr. Chamberlain assuredly has a knack for taking care of his readers.
I enthusiastically rate this book 4 out of 4 Stars. Marshall Chamberlain is a talented writer and deserves to be commended for his latest achievement in the Ancients series. Rather than being a segue from Book One to Book Three, as so many sequels devolve into, The Ice Cap and the Rift stands on its own merits, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have already begun reading The Mountain Place of Knowledge, and I eagerly await Book Three, The Numarians. If you are a fan of Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, or even Dan Brown, do not hesitate to peruse Marshall Chamberlain’s Ancients Trilogy. This is a techno-thriller not to be missed.
******
The Ice Cap and the Rift
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
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4 out of 4 stars
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Allow me to say up front that I took a gamble by reading The Ice Cap and the Rift, by Marshall Chamberlain. This novel is the second in the Ancients Trilogy, and usually I’m completely opposed to starting a series anywhere but at the beginning. However, I was much too intrigued by the synopsis to allow this opportunity to pass me by. I was promised mystery, suspense, action, and intrigue reminiscent of Indiana Jones; it is this man’s opinion that The Ice Cap and the Rift delivered on all counts. While I remain regretful that I did not read Book One of the Ancients Trilogy prior to reading this one, I am as much pleased that Mr. Chamberlain was able to create a sequel of standalone quality for those, myself included, who joined the adventure a little later.
The story (and presumably the series) centers on John Henry Morgan, the director of the Institute for the Study of Unusual Phenomena (ISUP), who has just returned to ISUP Headquarters in Prague from an investigation in Belize. No sooner has he settled in, though, when he is called upon to report to the Vatnajökull Ice Cap in Iceland, where an earthquake has caused a 15 mile long rift to form in the ice. Also, a cave has been discovered in the ice rift, and preliminary scans show signs of a previous civilization. With a troop of supporting scientists and experts, Morgan descends into the rift and makes a discovery that will shake the foundation of human history. Morgan uses all of his weight with the United Nations to help protect the secret of his discovery; alas, no secret is safe from the American Central Intelligence Agency and the Chinese Central Intelligence Service. Consequently, a full-scale global secret war erupts as each of the three factions incorporates technology, espionage, and terrorism to be the first to lay claim to the mysterious discovery hundreds of feet below the surface of Iceland. With an ever-growing list of questions about the history and nature of his discovery, Director Morgan must be at the top of his game to ensure his find doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.
As a fan of both the archaeological exploits of the Indiana Jones quadrilogy and the tense political drama of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan series, I was able to fully immerse myself in The Ice Cap and the Rift. Mr. Chamberlain navigates smoothly through a score of characters, locations, and events while providing rich detail and meaningful, albeit somewhat stereotypical, character development. I really enjoy an author who not only researches the various sciences intrinsic to a novel in the techno-thriller genre, but also explains those sciences in a manner that is enjoyable to the casual reader. In The Ice Cap and the Rift, Chamberlain educates on geology, aerospace science, intricacies of international law, and structural engineering, among others; furthermore, he does so in a way that is both entertaining and applicable to the story line as opposed to being lofty and dry. Chamberlain’s writing style is also straightforward, meaning there is no filler to be found; this book is 330 pages (Epub format) of solid development and action.
I did have mixed feelings about a strong sci-fi element in the novel that underlies the entire story. It’s not that I don’t enjoy this subplot; rather, I find it to be appealing. However, it’s not involved enough to be a necessary part of the novel as a standalone, even though it has a major impact on the series as a whole. Nevertheless, it does not detract from the story; it’s just not explored as deeply as I would hope, though it does provide enough intrigue that I am now determined to read Book One, The Mountain Place of Knowledge, and Book Three, when it is released (hopefully next year). Aside from this topical sci-fi subplot, The Ice Cap and the Rift holds its own as a singular novel. Allusions are made to the first book’s adventure in Belize, but they serve to enhance the plot, and the author never takes for granted that the reader may not know pertinent information from the previous novel. Mr. Chamberlain assuredly has a knack for taking care of his readers.
I enthusiastically rate this book 4 out of 4 Stars. Marshall Chamberlain is a talented writer and deserves to be commended for his latest achievement in the Ancients series. Rather than being a segue from Book One to Book Three, as so many sequels devolve into, The Ice Cap and the Rift stands on its own merits, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. I have already begun reading The Mountain Place of Knowledge, and I eagerly await Book Three, The Numarians. If you are a fan of Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, or even Dan Brown, do not hesitate to peruse Marshall Chamberlain’s Ancients Trilogy. This is a techno-thriller not to be missed.
******
The Ice Cap and the Rift
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon | on iTunes | on Smashwords
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