Ice Hunt audiobook

This book has sat inconspicuously next to my computer desk on it's shelf for two years and I don't know what exactly propelled me to pick it up but I'm glad I finally did! I tend to collect adventure stories that reach all corners of the Earth, even go between the layers and I especially love all the ice stories such as this one. The good news is that this book is fantastic, it reads like a movie and sometimes goes in opposite direction of reality and belief but it makes for a heck of a read. The bad news, it's long, well only 505 pages but Rollins could use a good editor and chop off about a hundred because he loves to write about ever single step everyone takes, especially when it comes to fighting and explaining how to maneuver submarines, helicopters and all sorts of vehicles. Maybe it's a dude thing, maybe if I was a guy I'd love it little more, not sure, but I am patient and still enjoyed the book because the main idea was excellent.Most of the story revolves around an ice island that has frozen over and over in the Earth's polar ice cap, sharing waters with Alaska, Russia, Finland, Canada and Greenland. Scientists and naval powers haven't seen it in decades but life is being brought back to the island, all because a shape that has moved and caught on the submarine's sonar, all within the abandoned ice station inside, named Ice Station Grendel. Those who read enough and watch fantasy movies will be familiar with the name, but the author has planned more than a cool name for a station, it's not as much of a moniker as a foreshadowing what caused its demise and what will bring terror back into the icy waters. The station looks like an upside down cone, spiraling levels with labs, a cave and even a submarine gate, all encased in clear blue ice, with people running though it once again. I loved reading how the tunnels in an ice island felt like, the eerie cold and quiet one felt when alone, probably the loneliest place to be, deep under water, but not really alone, there's something else down there...There are good guys, bad guys, and those who simply cannot make their minds up as the reader is catapulted into a journey of fighting governments, secret project cover ups and tons of action. My head was spinning from the armaments and mental battles going on and I felt like I was reading a movie, it was an amazing experience, but like I said little lengthy. After reading Ice Hunt I'm ready to tackle more of Rollins, but after my toes unfreeze, I feel as if I have been dipping them in ice water the whole time, because that's all there is.Great ending, lots of twists and turns and some nasty surprises crawling throng those quiet tunnels. Those who love action, science and adventure with a little mystery threw in will enjoy this tremendously. What starts of as a scientific mission turns into a tale that takes a bite out of the reader, a rather good bite too, so enjoy and watch that water...it only appears safe.

Yes, Mr. Rollins ~ u have finally done it. Congratz!! U have made it to my all time favourite authors' list. :D Now, about the book? U DIDNT GET IT YET? All of his books are awesome!! This book was no exception. It was a roller coaster-- no!! Rocket coaster ride from the beginning. U get every thing in the book- just name it. Action, adventure, love, betrayal, friendship, mad scientist, techno, black ops, blood, terrifying creatures- what's not there to make it a 1st class action packed thriller. If you like action adventure u will surely like this. The plot was mindblowing- and so was the story telling. Each of the major charecters had its depth and a story behind!! Even if the villain. And u just cant trust any one. There were several i changed sides and got betrayed. :-/ After an Alaskan game warden rescues a man from a crashed plane and saves him from subsequent attack by foreign soldiers, his ex-wife's piloting skills take them all to the man's intended destination, a US base on the Arctic ice, set up following the discovery by advanced sonar of a derelict Russian scientific base buried within a massive iceberg, Ice Station Grendel, where the personnel all died decades earlier. A Russian submarine carrying the son of the station's former commander also approaches, ostensibly for a handover of the bodies found by the Americans. Both sides know that the station contains vastly important scientific secrets, worth fighting for, but neither side knows quite how the other will fight, or how Grendel itself will complicate matters. In an atmosphere of mistrust and fear, the Alaskans, and the scientist overseeing the sonar project, have unexpected roles to play. Dnt wait. just grab it. AND off to the journey.

I enjoyed this book more than I expected to. It is the second James Rollins book I've read, the first being "Subterranean." I was not especially impressed with that one, but liked the premise of this one, so decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did. The characters were interesting, and I appreciated how Rollins wasn't afraid to kill off someone we'd had time to get to know a bit. The book does wind up with something of a predictable, cliched ending, but I don't mind that so much. Frankly, I avoid "real life" fiction like the plague. I get plenty of stress, grief, and anxiety in the real world. I prefer to use my reading as a form of escapism where people endure and survive insurmountable odds and perform impossible feats. This book provides all that. The characters were likable, the action entertaining. I will definitely be reading other Rollins novels in the future.

Probably the best book by James Rollins I have read yet. It is either this or Subterranean another great book. I loved every moment of this book especially the ending. It got me through those long periods after PARCC was over. It is a great story about redemption, revenge, dehumanization, and cruel experiments. The Arctic is a cruel book, but how cruel can it be? Read the book to find out more.

is it me or do some lines repeat themselves?it was like having a deja vu feeling all over the bookthat sno-cat performing a wheelie, though!and a scene before that, where the cat's driver used the backstreet boys' music as a threat...p24: then the small male cub--if you could call a a hundred-and-fifty-pound ball of fur and muscle smal--finally noticed the stranger nearby.p68: she realized she was speeding too fast.p126: hues of orange and crimson rippled across the blue skies.p156: once everyone was settled, the driver started the tread-wheeled vehicle across the ice.p194: he was clearly not military, evident from his shoulder-length brown hair, north face parka, and thinsulate dry pants.p284: "...if your flares kept the grendels back, then these homemade molotovs should, too."p307: it was chased by two hovercraft.p326: creatures that had been are meals became the diners that night.

If you like action and adventure, this is the book for you. It takes place in the coldest part of the world, it's roof! There are russians, spies, intrigue, science, mystery, and action packed adventure. With that said, the characters themselves are mostly one-dimensional with exception to the 2 main characters in the novel. But if you want in-depth characters, don't read action. By the way, the last paragraph in the book is the worth the whole ride there.

Publishers Weekly was quoted as saying "If Cussler is the gold standard, then Rollins is the silver." I take massive issue with that. Rollins surpasses Cussler by an order of magnitude. Particularly with this book, whereby Rollins surpassed all the other books he's written! This was an extremely good book. A stellar example of its genre. The plot unfolded beautifully with plenty of unexpected twists and turns right up till the end. The action was written so skillfully, I found myself hold my breath and thinking "Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh no!" Characters died continually throughout the book so you never could be sure who was not going to make it! They also reappeared after being thought dead frequently so...you just never knew for sure!!The cast of characters was quite large but I felt he skillfully used all the various writing techniques that enable a reader to keep track of them easily. Even the minor characters were well-drawn. I usually don't care one whit about the tragedy-filled back-stories used to elicit emotional resonance with characters...I'm in this for adventure and science! But Rollins actually used these back stories to create an added layer of tension and desperation that really worked.There was a single scene that made no sense to me. Not bad for a book this dense with "decision-making" scenes. SPOILER ahead!When Matt and the 3 military people were trying to take out the two Russian guards in order to reach the armory on the third level, "Craig" had volunteered to watch through the window of the electrical room. The plan went south in the beginning and Craig took off RIGHT AWAY and then herded the rest of the group back in the monster-filled caves. WHY??? Why would he leave without even waiting to see the final outcome. As a covert Delta guy, he certainly had a motivation to get at those weapons. If the attack was spoiled, he could have popped out and, surprise!!!, finished it off! This was an important juncture in the plot where the two groups got separated and I'm irate that it occurred because of a totally unrealistic decision on Craig's part. This bit made me mad. I would like to hear what Rollins has to say about this.

“ARTICO” è il primo romanzo di James Rollins che leggo (ma non sarà sicuramente l’ultimo!). Al di là della trama molto avventurosa ed avvincente, in parte di carattere fantascientifico, ho apprezzato lo stile dello scrittore che, a mio parere, ha predisposto in modo ben congegnato le varie premesse, narrando la vicenda con un ritmo serrato e invogliando così il lettore a svelare i vari “misteri” grazie ad una distribuzione di indizi calcolata in modo tale da non poter anticipare nulla fino all’ultimo. È un concentrato di azione e colpi di scena che considero ben adatto ad una trasposizione cinematografica. Quello che però mi ha colpito di più, forse per ciò che stiamo vivendo in questo periodo, è il tema delicato e assolutamente attuale che fa da sfondo alla storia portante: la sperimentazione scientifica sull’uomo.

This is one holy crap batman action packed no slow down thriller. It is also an excellent reminder of when we Americans think our shit don't stink and we are so wonderful...It does and we are not. We have done several deplorable things to mankind too.

4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback Op de noordpool is een ultrageheime basis gevestigd. Daar vindt een opmerkelijk experiment plaats dat voortijdig wordt afgebroken. De wetenschappers die het IJsstation Grendel hebben gecreëerd, zouden graag zien dat het bestaan ervan door iedereen wordt vergeten. Maar dat wordt onmogelijk als een Amerikaanse onderzeeër per ongeluk te dicht in de buurt van de uitgeholde ijsberg komt. Dan doemt er iets huiveringwekkends op uit de ijsberg, iets dat nooit had mogen overleven...Wat een geweldig boek! Spannend is niet het woord, het is gewoon creepy. Ik werd er 's nachts van wakker en vond mijn huis ineens eng. Lampen aan! Dat overkomt me niet zo snel. Lezen!