.com Despite the submarine cover art and the rather awkward title, this is no by-the-numbers military thriller: rather, it's a full-blooded, multidimensional adventure story set in the frozen wilds of Alaska, both atop the ice and underneath it. And it's one heck of a fun ride. Matthew Pike is a Fish and Game officer cataloging bear populations in the remote Brooks Range--but he's also an ex-Green Beret, which comes in handy when trouble drops out of the sky in the form of a crashed bush plane, a cryptic survivor, and some very nasty and well-equipped pursuers. Meanwhile, an American submarine stumbles on an abandoned research station buried under the Arctic ice cap, unleashing a race to conceal the horrors that took place there and to capture the priceless scientific secret still locked within. James Rollins invokes the polar environment so vividly you can hear the wind shriek and feel the ice forming on your nose, and the scientific/medical puzzles at the story's heart may remind you of Michael Crichton's best. The characters, while mostly familiar hero or villain types, are crisply drawn and in some cases quite sympathetic, but it's the nonstop action that carries you along. During several climactic chase scenes, you may find yourself laughing in pure delight--or gasping for breath--as Rollins keeps finding ways to ratchet up the tension one more notch. Ice Hunt is an escapist's delight. --Nicholas H. AllisonFrom Publishers WeeklyWhile Clive Cussler maintains the gold standard in action lit, Rollins has a firm grasp on the silver. Some astonishing threat or daring feat explodes into print on nearly every page, but that's the author's weakness as well as his strength, because in Rollins's books character and even plot take a backseat to sheer action. Rollins set his last novel, ia, in steaming jungles; here he does a 180 and tells a tale of brutal cold, above and beneath the North Pole ice cap. An experimental American sub comes across an abandoned Soviet polar station encased in an iceberg. Meanwhile, a Russian admiral, the son of the man who once ran the station, is preparing to alter world history by exploding a nuclear weapon at the polar cap, melting it and flooding the globe. And Fish and Game warden Matt Pike, a former Green Beret, comes across a downed aircraft in the Alaskan mountains and rescues the sole survivor, who says he's a journalist on his way to the American polar station; immediately, Matt and the survivor are relentlessly pursued by black-clad Russian special forces. Eventually all parties, including Matt's estranged wife, end up at the abandoned polar station or the nearby American station; Russians and Americans, including Delta Force, battle fiercely over the privilege of exposing or forever hiding the secret of the Russian station, and in turn they must combat the prehistoric predators who roam the Russian station in search of warm meat. The plot is preposterous from the get-go, and Rollins's characters, though fully drawn, have about as much effect on the novel's course as riders on a roller-coaster-which is what this novel is, and a first class one at that if maximum mayhem is desired.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.From BooklistAt an abandoned World War II-era Russian base beneath the Arctic ice, U.S. scientists find a treasure trove of biological and geological discoveries and a horrific scene of tragic experiments. As they struggle to determine the nature of the atrocities that occurred at the facility, the U.S. military finds itself pulled into a quickly escalating but entirely covert war for control of the top-secret station. Haplessly caught in the midst of it all, an Alaskan park ranger and his Inuit ex-wife find themselves hunted by more than just Russian commandos; a type of creature long since dismissed as myth stalks the tunnels of the station in an all-too-real incarnation. All the while, the maniacal head of the Russian forces, bent on the rebirth of civilization, relentlessly pursues a plan to destroy the world. Rollins delivers another fantastic tale of action and adventure. New readers will be delighted and established fans will find exactly what they have come to expect: a fun and fast-paced story that is full of suspense. Gavin QuinnCopyright American Library Association. All rights reserved what is the second best selling book of all time Ice Hunt
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. It kept me looking forward to return to the novel!By mobile womanA secret abondent research station in the antsrtic. Two superpowers after the papers for a formula. A small group of people in the midst of it. Trying to survive to be attacked from Human monstrrs and monsters. The characters are likeable. Many twists, turns and spins with a surprise ending! The last lines in the epilog arebthe scaiest! A very good and absorbing book! It kept me glued to it! This was my favorite novel from the author!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. WowBy L. A.This is the second stand-alone novel I've read from Rollins. I've read all his Sigma series to date, plus Altar of Eden. Ice Hunt is by far the most engrossing book I've come across. First of all, I have to say that I love Alaska and plan to visit there some day. I'm a cold-weather person. Stories that take place in cold regions make me snuggle in my covers even more. For sure, there's plenty of description of the wilderness, but the amazing pace that this story sets just keeps you hooked. It has a "The Thing" flavor to it, but trust me, it is NOT "The Thing" revisted. The sense of cold isolation is why I mention that movie.The monsters are scary. The way they hunt is scary. What they do to you when they get you is scary. You really can't go wrong with this book.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. James, great work, as always ...By FromTheCouchYou just can't go wrong with a James Rollins novel. All of Rollins' books are great reads but, like all readers, some characters and stories will resonate with me more strongly than others.Ice Hunt presents an interesting concept and it is delivered in a very good pace and style. I always find several characters that I enjoy and the stories always hold my interest from beginning to end.James, great work, as always. You keep writing them and I'll gladly keep reading them.....