Official Review: The Ice Cap and the Rift

[Eric Morris]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Ice Cap and the Rift" by Marshall Chamberlain.]

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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.

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The Ice Cap and the Rift
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Like jacnthabox's review? Post a comment saying so!

[Levi]

@jacnthabox most excellent review! I enjoy how you show rich detail every time, without being boring! I don't look for short reviews, just reviews that draw me in, and yours have a tendency to do that. I love fantasy and adventure and sci-fi, so I may check this series out thanks to your review!! In fact I'm doing a series reading list in 2016 so I may have top add this!

[Eric Morris]

@jacnthabox most excellent review! I enjoy how you show rich detail every time, without being boring! I don't look for short reviews, just reviews that draw me in, and yours have a tendency to do that. I love fantasy and adventure and sci-fi, so I may check this series out thanks to your review!! In fact I'm doing a series reading list in 2016 so I may have top add this!

Wow, thank you so much. I truly enjoy doing this, and I hope to be doing more of it more often in the future.

You should check it out. I became engrossed in the novel rather quickly, and I was pleased in that Mr. Chamberlain made the unbelievable into a plausible story, kind of like the original Indiana Jones trilogy. Plus there's a subplot aside from the self-contained plot that is intriguing to say the least.

Again, thank you for your kind words, and I'll be perusing your bookshelf once again when I'm ready for a new book!!

[Levi]

@jacnthabox you are most welcome! And I've already added it to my list! I'm tackling the likes of Harry Potter and maybe even the Wheel of Time, but I hope to get to this as well. I've not read a good adventure of this settle for a while.

[Eric Morris]

Wheel of time is heavy duty!!! You can see toward the last of Jordan's that he gets a little tired, but Sanderson really breathes life back into the series. Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen is also a true dark epic that is challenging Mistborn as my favorite series.

[Levi]

My old roommate had read it his whole life and couldn't afford the last one so I surprised him with it one day. Made his whole year. Then he got me the first one for Christmas after that. Drats, foiled! Now I have another series to read, thanks jerk ha ha, Mistborn now goes on the list too! Well, back to it. Congrats to Mr. Chamberlain, thanks to this review, you have gained this reader.

[chytach18-]

Awesome review! You have intrigued me about the Ancients Trilogy.

[bookowlie]

Comparisons to Tom Clancy's books and the Indiana Jones series....high praise! You certainly have my attention. I enjoyed your well-written review.

Congrats to the author on a 4-star review!

[Eric Morris]

Thanks, y'all!!! It really was a good book; not as detailed as Clancy, but the pacing more than makes up for it. I almost compared the main character to Brown's Robert Langdon, but this book is far and away much better written. Do check it out if you have some free time on your hands. The Ancients Series is at the top of my reading list for the new year.