Icebound

by David Axton (Pseudonym), Dean Koontz, John Glover (Narrator)

🎧4 cassettes / 6 hours
Read by John Glover
Abridged by the Author, Dean Koontz
"Jammed with the tensions of imminent disaster. The whole thing unfolds with the timing of a quartz watch."
-- "Chicago Tribune"
A stunning and suspenseful thriller, about humanity's continuous and sometimes futile battle against nature from one of the most popular and bestselling authors in America.
Conducting a strange and urgent experiment of the Arctic icefield, a team of scientists has planted sixty powerful explosive charges that will detonate at midnight. Before they can withdraw to the safety of the base camp, a shattering tidal wave breaks loose the ice on which they are working. Now they are hopelessly marooned on an iceberg during a violent winter storm. The bombs beneath them are buried irretrievable deep . . . and ticking. And they discover that one of them is an assassin with mission of his won. This is classic Koontz.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Adventure, Mystery Thriller

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Note: More than one author wrote under the David Axton name.

1) For the military books by an author named David Axton, click here.

2) For the book by Dean Koontz writing as David Axton, stay here.

Dean R. Koontz has also published under the names Leigh Nichols, Brian Coffey, David Axton, and Owen West.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tick-tock, Tick-tock.

A group of international scientists are working in the Arctic on a especial project to fracture immense icebergs from the continent, with the objective of towing them to a processing plant offshore. Their mission coming to a halt when a sudden earthquake disrupts their operation, trapping them in a massive iceberg... with explosives charged and set to blow at any second!

This was very nice and quite entertaining on the whole. A staggering amount of characters, and not all easily discernible, in fact, most of them seemed rather confusable and undeveloped, except for the MCs, such as Harry and Rita Carpenter, Brian Dougherty, and Nijita Gorov, who were clearly defined and engaging enough.

The Arctic made a very interesting setting and the thriller was well designed and excellently timed, the whole story taking place in a single day and each entry separated by a ticking clock. Really enjoyed the final confrontation against the mysterious villain, and the resolution decently satisfying.

My first Dean Koontz and hopefully not the last. I can definitely see why this author has amassed a following and looking forward to reading more of his stories, someday. But for now, just glad this itch has been scratched.

*** I read a Reader's Digest condensed edition, which may or may have not affected my enjoyment.



-----------------------------------------------
PERSONAL NOTE :
[1976] [408p] [Thriller] [Conditional Recommendable]
-----------------------------------------------

Tic-toc, Tic-toc.

Un grupo de científicos internacionales está trabajando en el Ártico en un proyecto especial para fracturar inmensos icebergs del continente, con el objetivo de remolcarlos a una planta de procesamiento fuera de la costa. Su misión se detiene abruptamente cuando un repentino terremoto interrumpe su operación, atrapándolos en un enorme iceberg... con explosivos cargados y listos para estallar en cualquier segundo!

Esto fue muy entretenido y bastante atrapante en general. Una desconcertante cantidad de personajes y no todos fácilmente diferenciables; de hecho, la mayoría de ellos me parecieron confundibles y poco desarrollados, excepto por los personajes principales, como Harry y Rita Carpenter, Brian Dougherty y Nijita Gorov, claramente definidos y lo suficientemente agradables.

El Ártico constituyó un escenario bastante interesante y el thriller muy bien diseñado y excelentemente sincronizado; toda la trama teniendo lugar en tan sólo un día y cada entrada separada por el tiempo de un reloj en curso. Realmente disfruté la confrontación final contra el villano y la resolución que resultó suficientemente satisfactoria.

Mi primer Dean Koontz y ojalá no el último. Definitivamente puedo entender por qué este autor ha acumulado tantos seguidores y espero leer más de sus libros, algún día. Pero por ahora, sólo feliz que esta picazón ya fue rascada.

*** Leí una edición condensada de Reader's Digest, que puede o no haber afectado el resultado.



-----------------------------------------------
NOTA PERSONAL :
[1976] [408p] [Thriller] [Recomendable Condicional]
-----------------------------------------------

[Louie the Mustache Matos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many people don’t like this book because it doesn’t read like a typical Dean Koontz book. However, Dean Koontz says that when he wrote this book, he was deliberately trying to write an action-oriented story in the vein of Alistair Maclean. I LOVE Alistair Maclean. Maclean wrote wonderful action set pieces but skimped on characterization. There was always a traitor in the group and there was always high adventure, hair-raising thrills, and pulse-pounding suspense. Typically, Koontz is masterful at characterization and is very descriptive. In an action story, there is little time for long, drawn out backstories. So, it is important to note that Koontz wrote this as if he was Alistair Maclean. Hence, that's why he used the pseudonym of David Axton for this book. I think he does a super job. I love Koontz and I love Maclean. This was almost perfect.

[Argent Talonn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Icebound
Author: Dean Koontz
Genre: Thriller
Publication Year: 1976

Review: Early in his career, Koontz was so prolific that he turned chameleon to sell more books. Here, he is intentionally channeling Alistair MacLean, writing whole action sequences, and other tropes that were direct elements of a MacLean action thriller. Of course, there is the snow aspect, which reflect Ice Station Zebra, and Where Eagles Dare, to just name two; and the traitor among us which were in almost all MacLean novels like The Satan Bug and the Guns of Navarone.

Here, Arctic scientists have finished implanting explosives in the ice when a tidal wave strands them on an expanse of ice slated for demolition in a few short hours. A violent storm is moving in and each of the sixty bombs is buried so deep that they are all but irretrievable in the time left, and among the scientists is a saboteur.

Tense, butt puckering, action with a ticking clock suspense. Koontz does a fantastic job. In fact, I believe this one stands out as a Dean Koontz gem. This one also has less characterization than Koontz's work, but was a MacLean staple. I love it for what it tries to be, because for the most part, Koontz succeeds.

[Theresa (mysteries.and.mayhem) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up randomly at a used book store one winter. I needed a good distraction from the world I was living in at the time. This proved to be a great distraction. I had read both the Odd Thomas and Frankenstein series from Koontz, but never any standalone novels.

I was glued to my seat, feeling the tension of the story all the way through. I hope to read it again someday soon to see what I think of it now that my personal world has settled just a bit. Will I feel the tension of the book as strongly?

I only recently learned this was written under a pseudonym back in the day. I'm not sure if that's important to what I think of the book. But it's worth mentioning. I'll be back with a re-read and updated review sometime in the future, I'm sure!

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars for Icebound (audiobook) by Dean Koontz read by Paul Michael.

This was a interesting adventure story. Researchers are trapped on the Arctic ice in need of rescue. There isn’t anything supernatural to this, just some great characters thrown into a desperate situation.

[Obsidian · Rating 1 out of 5]

So I found this book on my shelf and I don't remember it at all. I either DNFed this thing or just erased the memory from my head because it was awful. At times I kept getting a case of deja vu, though now I realize it's because I was mis-remembering this book along with Dan Brown's "Deception Point." That's another terrible book that I don't even want to get into right now.

Look this is going to be short (for me). This book was awful. Heck I think even Koontz acknowledges how bad it was. He wrote it under another name and once he got all successful it was published under his own name. Sometimes it is better to just leave things alone.

"Icebound" has a team of UN scientists who are stationed in the Arctic to research ice fields. The team is supposed to be setting up explosives to break off a piece of ice to study it. No, I don't think that sounds smart either. Prior to detonation though a tsunami somehow occurs and breaks off the ice the team is currently stationed on. Yes, I do agree this sounds similar in a bad way to Armageddon. If that's not enough, we find out a killer is among the group after one character is attacked and another is found dead Cause killers go to the Arctic.

The characters we are supposed to be rooting for are husband and wife team Doctors Harry and Rita Carpenter. I can't even recall the names of the other people. Call them plot points 1 (Rita's ex lover and seriously why is he there?) through 6 or maybe it's 7. I can't even tell you people's names at this point. It was too much information coming at me every five minutes.

We also get a point of view of a submarine rescue mission of the scientists and no I had no idea why that was included. It read so weird to me.

The writing wasn't there and doesn't read like Koontz. A few times I wondered if he heard people speaking in sentences before because I thought the "voices" and flow of the narration was poor. Also seriously a killer is among them. There's already enough going on with them being afloat on a broken off piece of ice.

The setting of the ice float did nothing for me. I mean you read about how cold it is, how characters cannot see anything, etc.

The ending was hilariously bad. I got nothing else.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very early Dean Koontz originally published under a pseudonym and it is unlike his normal books. Apparently his inspiration was Alistair MacLean and this book is certainly an adventure written in that style. The story is very exciting and very tense. It all takes place in less than a day and the suspense is racked up as each chapter is labelled as a count down to an explosion which will probably end everyone's lives. It was all most entertaining and I enjoyed it very much.

[Destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I honestly could not put this book down from start to finish. This book was a bit different than many of Koontz's books in that it had no horror or no bizarre characters that he writes so well. Instead, it was just flat out non-stop suspense from beginning to end. Wow! It really was incredible.

I love Dean Koontz, but this book surprised me in a good way. I was just blown away.

It is definitely worth reading. Give it a try, and if you like this one, read Intensity by Dean Koontz next.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Icebound was originally published with the title Prison of Ice and was released in 1976 under the pseudonym David Axton. Koontz gave it a polish and some updating, and it was published with the new title and under his own name in 1995. It doesn't have any supernatural content but is rather an action/suspense/intrigue novel in the tradition of Alistair MacLean. It lacks the nuanced depth of characterization for which Koontz is usually known, but it's a gripping, tightly plotted page-turner. Have a sweater handy if you're not reading it by the fireplace. (It would have made a good movie-of-the-week.)

[Karl Marberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A vivid, survivalist adventure unlike any of Koontz’s other stories I’ve read.

[Fred · Rating 5 out of 5]

Koontzland Group Read - November 2018

Russian Scientists find Russia learn "icecaps" have low bacteria than water. American scientists, Drs. Harry & Rita Carpenter review the discovery.
Stranded on a iceberg with bombs ticking under them need to find a way out.
Too much ice for a Russian submarine to rescue them. A crew members killed by a crew member. International scientists work to tow an iceberg to rescue and/or relief for droughts.

The one book Dean Koontz wrote under the pen name David Axton.

Koontzland - Group Home

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading Deception Point so much that I thought I'd delve into my first Dean Koontz book. I really enjoyed the thrill of this book too, and couldn't believe how the story reeled me in and kept me turning the pages.

A group of "scientists" are in the Artic Circle somewhere near Greenland give or take a few hundred miles. While trying to experiment on the possibilities of floating icebergs to the United States to supply more fresh water for farms and homes and such, catastrophy strikes in more then one way. A major storm is abound and personal battles are fought, and eventually overcome.

Although, I don't know if the ending to this "problem" is even plausible.. the story sure seemed to make me believe that something like that could take place if it were necessary.

There is a bit of language and some violence takes place, but overall the story was excellent.

I really learned that personal struggles can be overcome, and that consistent practice and perserverance along with help from caring friends and family can make it possible to achieve the end result.

If you like a page turner this one is excellent. I'm curious to check out more of his work, although, he does say that Icebound is the only book of his written as a thriller/mystery type of book.

[Jay Schutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an early Koontz book that is a departure from his normal horror/suspense novels. In this adventure/suspense story, Koontz lets the mind be a horror to eight researchers adrift on an Arctic iceberg and the crew of a damaged Russian rescue submarine. Fast-paced and interesting til the end. Definately a good read.

[Maciek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published as "Prison of Ice" in 1976, "Icebound" is an extensive rewrite from 1995.

From the blurb:

"Conducting a strange and urgent experiment of the Arctic icefield, a team of scientists has planted sixty powerful explosive charges that will detonate at midnight. Before they can withdraw to the safety of the base camp, a shattering tidal wave breaks loose the ice on which they are working. Now they are hopelessly marooned on an iceberg during a violent winter storm. The bombs beneath them are buried irretrievable deep . . . and ticking."

Non-stop suspense from the first page. "Icebound" is so well-paced and well written that it will make you feel the icy wind in your bones and the little bullets of snow in your face. The whole thing unfolds with masterful precision. A great thriller in the vein of Alistair MacLean and his great classics Night Without Endand Ice Station Zebra(Koontz even states in the afterword that the story is a homage to Maclean).
I was surprised to learn that many people consider it to be one of Koontz's worst novels - far from it. Koontz manages to capture and describe the Arctic setting in a way that makes the reader feel as if he was there, and it shows his mastery when it comes to maintaining suspense and keeping pace of the story to make reader through the whole book. And while he himself says that the characters aren't interesting, the truth is rather the opposite - there's no painful humor or corny dialogue that his more recent work suffer from. "Icebound" is a satisfying read from the very beginning to the very end. It's a shame that even Koontz fans rarely know of its existence - it should gain more recognition as it's far better than some of his most famous works.
Recommended.

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 3 out of 5]

". . . frostbite, high explosives, and underwater life-or-death battles with psychopaths."

My favorite part of this novel is the submarine rescue mission, led by Nikita Gorov and the backstory of his son. This section was extremely emotional and intense, contemplating the choices we make in life.

My opinion prior to 2014: I do not like this book :-(
I recommend Deception Point by Dan Brown - it is so much more better imho


2014: I finally succeeded in reading Icebound after three previous attempts. I was surprised to find myself enjoying the story. It is the only book like this written by Dean Koontz. Dean writes in the afterword: "...this is the only book of its type I've written, and if readers wanted another, I'd have nothing to offer...."

I enjoyed hearing about one character who is able to overcome her fears. I think we all have fears in one form or another and it brings to mind the lyrics from one of my favorite musical artists, Brandon Flowers (Lead singer for The Killers): Our Dreams Will Break The Boundaries of Our Fears

The mention of Dr.Denton Footed Pajamas got me curious and I started looking online. Here is a blog entry I found:
http://ahundredyearsago.com/2012/10/0...

[The Face of Your Father · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dean Koontz’s ‘Icebound’, originally published as ‘Prison of Ice’, is the holy grail of his bibliography.

The world is in a deadly drought. In an elaborate effort, multiple scientists from different backgrounds are brought to the arctic with a plan to explode an iceberg before towing it to the drought effective areas. After setting the bombs for detonation, a freak tsunami loosens the berg and leaves the team of scientists stranded and adrift. And below them … tick tick tick

Koontz has missed his calling as an author. While he is clearly comfortable with the supernatural, canines, and government conspiracy, his true talents lies within the adventure-suspense novel and ‘Icebound’ is a crowning achievement. This is the purest Koontz has ever been as an author, no shenanigans, no preaching, just pure action-adventure. With ‘Icebound’, Koontz is not only at the top of his games character wise, but with plot and setting as well. This is an atmospheric novel with wonderful and terrifying descriptions of cold beyond imagination. Koontz wisely puts anything supernatural on the backburner as Koontz uses Mother Nature and the darker side of humanity as the true antagonist.

I have found it! The forever elusive five-star Koontz novel.

[Jeremy Kohlman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the audio book. (books on CD)

This was probably the most enjoyable audio book I've listened to, to date.

I've also never read Dean Koontz, so this one was definitely new to me. Fascinatingly suspenseful story. Genuinely interesting characters. Amazing setting. I'd actually still go and actually read this one, even after having listened to the whole thing. I most definitely recommend it for others to read.

Not the typical sci-fi/horror that Koontz is known for, but he does a miraculous job with this departure from his norm. Look forward to reading more of his work sometime.

[Roger Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pages of this book flip over as if driven by an Arctic wind. The novel delivers suspense that builds and reaches its icy arms around the reader. Written in the tradition of Alistair MacLean, Koontz delivers action, suspense, and entertaining characters. This is his only adventure story that I know of, and I wish he would write some more. Although I don't read a lot of Koontz's books, I enjoyed this one.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first Koontz book I ever read! It is different from his other books, this is more action/adventure. No sci-fi stuff. But I liked it a lot and thought the suspence was good. I enjoyed it,even though it is a little different than his other books.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a perfectly fine action/adventure/thriller. The little blurb tells you all that you need to know. Nope not much deep character development and all that jazz. Simply a solid, seat of your pants kinda thrill. A good quick read for an in between kinda reading funk. You all know what I mean!

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't so sure how I'd like this book because it began with a lot of scientific information about what scientists thought about ways to combat droughts across the world, California being one. Interestingly enough, this book was originally published in 1976 as Prison of Ice and it talked about droughts in California and how it might've cost $50 million in losses "in second season crops" and I happen to live in an agricultural area and we've experienced an ongoing drought now for several years. Finally, this year has brought us enough rains that we're out of the drought for the first time in a long, long time. Now we Californians are ready for our SUNSHINE again! lol

After getting through what the plan was, melting down icebergs and moving them to drought areas in different countries in a safe manner, my interest picked up. Interesting concept, but my non-scientific brain just can't quite grasp that idea. Harry Carpenter and his wife Rita take a group of scientists to the polar ice caps where they plan to use explosives to break up the iceberg, but they meet up with inclement weather, and next thing you know they're faced with a tsunami. At that point they only have around eleven hours to get off the iceberg before their bombs go off. Knowing the danger of this happening, Harry believes if they dig back up some of the explosives that they can survive it.

Then comes the suspense that I totally was not expecting: there just might be a killer among them. That piqued my interest immediately. One of the men comes under attack and is left for dead.

With all of the explosives, Russian submarines (yep), possible killer(s) among the team, falls into parts of the ICE, and so on, this book became quite interesting to me.

I am so in awe and respect of these authors who can pull off book after book and still come up with exciting, novel, and suspenseful plots. I'm really glad that I decided to give this one a shot.

[Priya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would, given my first foray into the author's books did not go well at all! This one was much better.

Revolving around a group of scientists who are caught in the grip of nature's unexpected fury while conducting an experiment on an iceberg in the Arctic, the story maintains the action and tension really well.

As the group struggles to devise a way to get off the iceberg before the explosives they have themselves planted deep inside it(as part of the experiment) blow them into pieces, they battle a severe storm and the possibility that one among them is a killer, while elsewhere an unexpected and daring rescuer may be emerging.

I actually googled a lot of the scientific details mentioned in the book and it was fascinating! The countdown to the time of the explosion is really thrilling and written in a way that gives you a sense of being in the middle of the ice, feeling the raging winds and the chill and the fear of what will happen if time runs out.

An exciting adventure that I couldn't put down, especially in the second half which had exhilarating action!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was fantastic! Suspenseful and thrilling, it kept me guessing right up to the end. :-) My only complaints, and they are huge ones in my opinion, are that we found out what happened to everyone after the rescue except Brian! Really?!?! Why was he, the intended victim of a maniac, left out of the summation? My other complaint was that the Russian Captain, Nikita Gorov, referred to his son as "Nikki." I'm being nit-picky about this only because I lived in Russia once upon a time, but it grated on me every time I read "Nikki." Nikolai is shortened to Kolya most commonly, or Nika less commonly. I've never heard a Nikolai called Nikki before. :-(

On the plus side, I loved the suspense! I had accepted that Mother Nature was to be the only "bad guy" and then the Russians appeared and I thought for sure they'd play the role of the bad guy. But then they turned out to be rescuers and someone in the scientific party showed murderous tendencies. But even knowing one of them was desirous of Brian's death, I was totally wrong in my opinion as to who the potential killer was until the moment he struck again. All these twists really kept me on my toes. :-)

[Uri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book, but I think that it is a great action/adventure book, nothing less, nothing more.

To be honest, I had heard so many negative things about it that I probably had the lowest of expectations and thus ended up liking it. In my humble opinion this book got more interesting and exciting as I turned the pages over.

Probably it helped me to know that this book is written in a totally different way than the other traditional Koontz books. He wrote this book trying to write an action book that would be a homage to Alistair MacLean and not following the line of his classic ones. If you only like his classic style stay away from this book. If you don't mind giving him a chance with something completely different you can try it and enjoy it as the mystery/thriller that it is.

My advice when reading this book just forget for a while who the author is and try to read it with an open mind and as an action book. If you're waiting for a Koontz classical book then choose something else because otherwise you will find this disappointing.

[Anchor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate Dean Koontz. In my opinion he writes down to his readers. He gives them a very interesting premise but then writes like he's writing for a five year old. His idea of foreshadowing is hitting the reader over the head with a sledgehammer. I have not finished books he has written, because his writing irritates the hell out of me. I have read Strangers and Phantoms as well, both of which could have been good if they were written by someone else.

Icebound is good because, as Koontz says himself, he was writing this as a James Bond type of book. Sort of a homage to other writers. Which is great. His terrible writing style still emerges from time to time but this book was genuinely enjoyable. If you are going to read any of his books this is as good as it gets. Just ignore the rest (unless you are a "young adult").

[Alper Kaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bir romandaki ideal hız nasıl olmalıdır? Gerilim dozajı nasıl belirlenir ve nasıl diri tutulur? Dean Koontz bunun dersini veriyor "Buzlar Arasında" isimli romanında.

[Kinsey Breland .: avid_midnight_reader :. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite characters were Nikita, Rita, and Harry. Nikita’s background story with his son was sad, but it gave a lot of insight to his actions later on. Rita and Harry made a great couple. I loved all the scenes we got of the two of them together. Their dynamic with each other was great.

I’m surprised that not more Koontz fans love this book. There are multiple thrilling plots going on, and it’s filled with growing suspense and dread over the characters' predicament. This will always be one of my favorite Dean Koontz books.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were quite a few times when I considered dropping this, but I hung in there, so I guess that says something. Definitely some suspense (when Koontz doesn't ruin it by adding 3-4 pages of backstory we didn't need in the middle of minute countdown), but the characters are cardboard and the writing is clunky. "it was OK" - would have been a bit more ok at 100 pages less, but readable.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it was time for my “Koontz fix” and chose this one at random from a buncha Koontz paperbacks on my bookshelf. Mr. Koontz can usually be counted on to provide a whiz-bang opening paragraph and quirky characters at odds with some horrific being or other. So imagine my surprise to find that this one was a thriller! And a damn good one at that!

The premise entails a project to help the drought in California by blasting large icebergs from a glacier in Greenland, and then towing them to the West Coast, where they’ll be melted, desalinated, and used for irrigation. This is the brainchild of scientists Harry and Rita Carpenter, who are on hand to supervise the blasting (20 large explosives put into a predrilled hole). There are a number of other characters, including an electronics expert, a geologist, a meteorologist (and Rita’s former lover, tension?) another scientist, and another meteorologist who’s stayed behind at the base camp on the glacier. A number of ethnic groups are represented too. WELL, while the preparations are being made for the blast, an underwater quake separates the section of glacier to be separated – including the explosives! Of course, the temperatures are arctic and the snow is blinding. The “tow ships,” though on the way, are hampered in their rescue efforts by the weather conditions as well as a stormy sea. Uh-oh, how we gonna get outta this one? And the plot is complicated by Harry getting attacked by an unknown assailant during a whiteout. So part of the plot is unfolding the mystery of the possible murderer among the crew and his/her motives for doing so.
All is not lost! There happens to be a Russian spy submarine in the area, which picks up a distress call from the glacier’s base camp. The Captain, Nikita Gorov, is a seasoned mariner with intense loyalty to the Russian government, but is haunted by the memory of his son’s death, for which he blames himself. He figures rescuing these Americans would help atone for this loss, as well as be a huge PR coup for the Russians. Of course, getting permission from Moscow to undertake such a mission is needed, and delay of transmissions back and forth makes for part of the suspense. Add a time element (goin’ off at midnight) and we have the formula for an enjoyable thriller.
There’s a lot of fast and furious action, suspense, head-scratching as to the identity of the assailant, neo-cold-war political stuff, and more than a bit of glacier geology along the way, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it. In an afterword, Mr. Koontz states that this is one of a number of previously written books (this was initially published in 1976) which he has updated and republished under his own name. He indicates that it was fun to write and intended it as a homage to Alistair McLean (if you haven’t read any of Mr. McLean’s thrillers, I’d recommend you stop reading this review and start reading one right now; start with “Ice Station Zebra”), with a nod to Tom Clancy. Unfortunately, he indicates that he does not intend to write another from this genre, which saddened me, as I believe Mr Koontz did a fine job, nice surprise.

[Х. И. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Една от малкото книги на Кунц, която няма свръхестествен елемент и е чист трилър.
Светът се е превърнал в суша и на много територии се усеща недостиг на питейна вода. В следствие на това група учени решава да добие чиста питейна вода чрез топене на айсберги от арктическите ледовете в близост до Гренландия..За тяхно огромно съжаление страховита буря ги откъсва заедно с айсберга, който се опитват да отделят чрез голямо количество експлоазиви, настроени да се взривят след 12 часа. Учените попадат в неумолимата хватка на бушуващата ярост на арктическата природа, температурата навън е минус 30-40 градуса, времето за детонация на всичките бомби е недостатъчно, запасите им от храна и гориво за шейните ще свършат след ден-два, а за капак на всичко между тях има и психопат-убиец решен да погуби един от членовете на експедицията на всяка цена(или пък не..).Корабите в близост до тях се отказват заради бурята, невъзможно е да излети хеликоптер, заради лошото време, времето тече безмилостно, бомбите си тиктакат, а учените изглеждат обречени..Появява се обаче неочакван спасител в лицето на руска подводница, която провежда секретна мисия в района. Разбира се, който е прочел два-три романа на Кунц вече знае какъв ще е финалът..
Историята е разказана правдоподобно, сюжета е напрегнат, динамичен и вълнуващ, главите са кратки и цялото действие се развива в рамките на 24 часа, като всяка глава отброява оставащото време до експлозията.
Сред нещата които ми харесаха са прекрасната и същевременно ужасяваща арктическа атмосфера, като Кунц успява доста реалистично да опише ледения студ и режещия вятър..Радвам се че нямаше свръхестествен елемент(иначе книгата би заприличала малко на ‘’Ужас’’ на Симънс), защото беше просто излишен за този роман.
Образите на главните герои са добре изградени, въпреки че съпрузите Хари и Рита Карпентър ми се сториха някак старомодни и излишно захаросани – типична двойка влюбени отдадени един на друг, достойна повече за някои любовен роман. Сред екипа учени изненадващо поне за мен бе попаднал и бившият любовник на Рита Карпентър?!?
По интересен ми беше образът на Никита Горов, капитанът на руската подводница, който се опитва да спаси учените от незбежната им участ, рискувайки кариерата си, живота си, както и животът на целият му екипаж..Никита Горов е трагичен образ - мъченик, който страда по мъртвото си момче и чрез спасението на учените, търси опрощение за смъртта на сина си..
Обикновено Кунц се отлича с доста оригинални психопати, които са пълна противоположност на добрите му герои – зли до мозъка на костите си, но за разлика от другите му романи тук психопата, ако изобщо може да го наречем така не е нищо особено, доже напротив..
Кунц ми е любим автор, особенно ранните му творби, оценката ми е около 3.5, но ще дам 3 звезди, заради не добре изградения образ на лошия и малко претупания финал..
Препоръчвам, макар да си личи, че стилът на Кунц да не напълно изграден все още..