Ice Fortress

by Robert B. Williams

A high-octane, fast-paced, action-packed Jack Coulson thriller with edge-of-your-seat suspense and an ending that will blow you away.
For over 70 years Hitler’s most fearsome weapon, Die Glocke (The Bell) has been entombed inside an icy fortress in the most inhospitable and unforgiving place on earth — the Antarctic.
When oceanographer Leah Anderson discovers a hidden WWII Nazi submarine base buried deep under the Antarctic ice shelf, she sparks a fierce battle to acquire The Bell.
While Russian and American submarines clash deep below the ice pack, on the surface, a sinister force launches a ruthless assault to secure the infamous weapon they have been searching for since its mysterious disappearance in 1945. If they succeed, they will use it to change the course of history forever and ensure a Nazi victory at the end of the Second World War.
Enigmatic covert ops soldier Jack Coulson has already been to hell and back for his country, but if he is to stop the resurgence of the Thousand Year Reich, he must enter the gates of hell one more time.
What Jack and his team don’t know is that the Allies already used The Bell to change the course of the war and history as we know it — a secret that must remain, like The Bell itself, buried at any cost.
For fans of James Rollins, Matthew Reilly, Michael C. Grumley, A.G. Riddle, Rob Jones, Jay J. Falconer, James D. Prescott, Brad Thor, Douglas E. Richards, Clive Cussler and David Baldacci.

Genres: Thriller, Action

307 pages, Paperback

Published July 21, 2017

About the author

Robert B. Williams is an award winning freelance journalist who has specialized in technology, Formula 1 motor racing and finance for the past 20 years. He is also the bestselling author of over 15 novels written under a pen name.
Williams now writes full-time, pursuing a lifelong passion to write adventure stories that set a cracking pace from page one and keep the reader turning pages and guessing, right up to the surprise ending.

Reviews

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shades of Alistair MacLean or Clive Cussler. Younger generation readers would probably think of James Rollins or Mathew Reilly. In any event, a very thrilling read that encompasses some science fiction, some alternative history and just plain action thriller.

The author, Robert B. Williams, apparently has written a number of novels using a pen name. Neither Goodreads or Amazon divulged that name. I would love to read some of his earlier work. The Jack Coulson character is presented like the reader should be familiar with him. Maybe in an earlier series, under the pen name.

At about 250 pages it is a quick read. Recommended to those who like to sit down with an action novel.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but extremely cliche.

Lead character is a classic Mary Sue. Almost stopped reading at "Surrender wasn't in Jack's DNA.", but I just rolled my eyes and kept reading because it was pretty fast paced. I was interested in seeing how the the various POVs came together. Evil Nazi creates time machine. Modern day Illuminati. Russians. Chiseled American spy. Classic stuff! I can enjoy that for what it is. Then I actually came across the statement "Failure was not an option." and that was it for me. Sigh. No. Just no. Deleted.

[Bianca James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part Rollins and Reilly style action thriller, part Riddle style technothriller, Ice Fortress is one of the best debut novels I've read in a long time.
The author has clearly researched both the historical aspects of the plot as well as the many tactical weapons and gadgets used throughout the story.
I saw one reviewer mention lack of research so I was paying particular attention as I read the book and everything I read was verifiable, giving the story an interesting historical context. Even the mention of inserting Navy SEALS into missions using torpedo tubes is based on the Torpedo and Sub SEAL pods manufactured by JFD.
All too often a book that has an ending that you didn't see coming will be an unsatisfying ending but not in this case. I can't say more without a massive spoiler alert, but the ending is both surprising and extremely satisfying.
A solid 5 star read and an author to add to your watchlist!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big Matthew Reilly and A G Riddle fan so thought I'd give this book a go, and wasn't disappointed. Ice Fortress is a well written and action packed adventure that left me unable to put it down. I absolutely loved the two main characters Jack and Sam and the dialogue between them was brilliant and humorous at times... very entertaining. The story was unique and I loved the little historical chapters which gave slowly revealed the mysteries behind what was going on. There is lots happening and some tense moments, with submarines and missiles etc. and there is never a dull moment, so once you start it's hard to put it down! Highly entertaining with an excellent ending and well written. I hope there will be more Jack Coulson adventures, which include Sam, as they are two very likeable and enjoyable characters!

[Harvey Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good read

Good read. Fast paced with lots of surprises. First time reading this author and pleasantly surprised. Looking forward to more.

[Lori Bateson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good plot

I liked the writing in this book. Exciting characters, plot and story but the whole time travel idea wasn't needed. It felt false

[Jordan Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

It was not my intention to end 2020 and keep going into 2021 with independent authors but with the new Kindle Challenge and my rediscovery of Kindle Unlimited ($10 a month for thousands of books? Cmon that’s a deal that pays for itself with only 2 books a month), I’ve found myself eagerly anticipating which new author I’ll stumble upon. Obviously this has led to some big duds like Gomez’s The Visitor but there’s been some bigger surprises like Gemma Amor’s Dear Laura and this one, Ice Fortress.

First things first: Ice Fortress isn’t perfect. It’s got a decent amount of spelling and punctuation errors and and so many recognizable tropes that it’s worthy of countless eye rolls, but in the end, who the hell cares? We watch silly action flicks in the theater over and over and enjoy the crap out of them...and that’s exactly what Ice Fortress is.

Ice Fortress is basically a summer blockbuster in word form. Williams clearly is inspired by action/thriller stalwarts Reilly and Rollins and it shows as this book starts with a bang and never once lets up for the next 260 pages. There are some laughable cliches (“Coulson had survival in his DNA”) and some insanely gigantic plot holes that you could pilot the submarines from this story through, however, just like old Reilly and Rollins, it all comes together in a way that brings a smiles the faces of fans of this genre.

If it wasn’t for Kindle Unlimited, I doubt I’d have ever heard of Williams. And since I’ve grown increasingly tired of the new way that Matt Reilly writes his books (they’ve honestly gone from implausible to straight out ridiculous), I have a feeling that if Williams keeps it up like he did in Ice Fortress, I just might have someone to replace Reilly.

[BookLoversLife · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast paced and entertaining read. The overall plot was solid and I really liked the twist that was added. It even had me googling some stuff while reading because I found it fascinating. Loved the back and forth with the timelines too. The characters were well written and I liked most of them. I did find some of them to be cookie cutter characters though, but it didn't bother me too much. Overall though, a good and thrilling read. Can't wait to see more of Jack in the future.

Gary Tiedemann is such a good narrator. He has plenty of tones and voices and I thoroughly enjoyed his narration.

I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

[Ryan H · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic start to what could be a very great and intriguing new series. The best part about this book was how the author weaved fact and fiction to create a fictional story that kept me involved right from the very start. That, blended with the science-fiction and time travel element is super super awesome! I could not get enough of this book. I was invested in the characters, the plot and the physical landscape of the book. There were some military aspects of this book that went over my head but not enough to deter the fun and exciting ride. I cannot wait to see what is in store in the next book. The narration of this book was fantastic, there could not have been a more perfect voice for the story. The narrator sped up and slow down his delivery to add tension to some of the fight scenes which was really awesome and brought them more to life. The audio quality was superb and I would listen to this book again and again when typically I only listen to books ones. I love World War II faction books. I am definitely continuing on with the series so let’s hope the same person narrates the next book in the series. I was given a free copy of this audiobook by the publisher, author or narrator in exchange for an unbiassed review from audiobook Boom. This did not affect my opinion of this work.

[Susana Duarte · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in a serie that is just starting, but what a start!
The plot is original and quite clever and you will love every twist of the story. The writing style is also good, not only for ebook but for audio too.
The narrator is also awesome.
There is much competition in this genre of stories, but this one doesn't disappoint at all.
It's a great full adventure story to start a great series. There are a lot of potential, so I look forward for the next story.

I was gifted this book and this is my voluntary review.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced, as a techno-thriller should be, with just the right mix of suspense and science fiction. Then again, maybe it's not fiction! The ending was wonderful, especially the reference to Ian Fleming I cannot wait to read more about the adventures of Jack and his team.

[Nancy Silk · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Mystery Of Searching A Wonder Weapon"

In this icy thriller, Hitler's submarine 'Die Glocke' has been entombed deep in an Antarctic ice shelf for 70 years. Russian and American submarines seek to find the lost submarine as they believe there is a mysterious weapon aboard. You'll have to agree that this is a chilling story which may captivate you. Thus, keep hot coffee close!

[K.C. Sivils · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read

I teach military history and while this story requires suspension of disbelief, the author has woven together an interesting combination of WW II Nazi weaponry with modern technology.

[Cathy Brittain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chilling and believable

Enjoyed the great plot twist. Characters you root for and others you love to hate.. Compelling story. With the way it's written its the kind of story you could believe happened.

[Nibar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good as far as thrillers go. Something that really annoys me is the amount of chapters in this book. In the beginning, I do not mind but towards the end, it gets annoying when the time of some chapters is under one minute.

[Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good fast read. Its similar to Dirk pitt.

[Landy Rayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Mr. Williams does a fine job and this was a true thriller. From beginning today the end reads similar to Clancy.

[Deborah Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't wait for the next book

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ice Fortress

I really enjoyed this modern good fast spy thriller read that ties into the real life Nazi World War Two weapons programs.

[Bill LaPois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plenty of action!

I enjoyed the detail that explained all components of the mission and how they all intertwined. Plenty of action and suspense to keep you reading.

[steve power · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read

Fast paced and rather well researched writing. Would like to have seen the characters more developed. Good plot twists keep the reader guessing.

[Stephanie Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

What an awesome book! I couldn't stop reading it. While I was reading chapter after chapter, I felt like I was right there watching with my own eyes. All of the characters are awesome and the story line kept me on the edge of my seat. I think this book would make a great movie. Love it!

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book. Loved the action, excellent descriptions to help build the story. Strong characters and bad guys made to hate. :)

Definitely worth reading.

[David Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read




Lots of twists and turns. Keeps you guessing who is the good guys,
I highly recommend this book, it is a hard book to put down.

[Ingo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lent this with a free Kindle Unlimited trial.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"Your black hole of death, destruction and mayhem."
This is one of those daring-do, action packed, impossible thrillers which still has the power to entertain. The synopsis gives an over full description of what to expect as far as the story goes so no need to rehearse that any further. The writing is of it's genre, and, like the main characters, somewhat cliche in use of language, as in 'Failure was not an option' and 'Multi million dollar killing machine'. But this does not distract from the enjoyable interaction between two of them, Sam and Jack, nor the 'nasty Nazi' images.

Sent in the singularly unpleasant environments (mostly) of the ice cold Antarctic sea, a submarine or beneath ice, the story cannot help but be chilling (sorry!); throw in past and present Nazi ambition, a carefully protected super weapon, a world wide super power, nuclear misiles, advice on how best to hurt people in close combat, friendship, fear and betrayal, and lots more, it becomes a fast and furious (sometimes for the protagonists, literally) action packed battle for survival, both personally and for the future of the world. Great fun and, read by Gary Tiedemann, a pleasure to hear. This narrator gave a fine performance, each character given their own differentiated voice and the text read with understanding and just enough emotion.

Certainly not fine literature, but not bad, a good plot, unusual and quick to read. One major problem with this audio version, however, is that, especially in the latter part, many of the chapters are very short and, given that the telling of the story moves through different places across the earth and jumps between the years 1945 and 2017, the introductory information of where and when this part is to take place, can be longer than the chapter itself ( as in Audible section 61, it takes up 21 of the 48 seconds, and in 63, it consumes 19 out of 24 secs.). This probably would not matter in a print or ebook, but in an audiobook, even one as well performed as this is, it distracts from the suspense of the story. A small matter, however.

I was fortunate in being freely gifted a complimentary copy of Ice Fortress, by the rights holder, at my request via Audiobook Boom. Thank you. I would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys action thrillers and doesn't mind suspending disbelief. It was certainly intriguing, and I look forward to the next book in the series, Black Ice.

[Brian's Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fast-Paced Thriller

4.5 out of 5 stars

While on vacation I needed a quick and intriguing read to capture my attention later at night while my dad was sleeping (I was usually up an hour or so later than him). Ice Fortress provided that and more. I ended up staying up later than I wanted because I needed to figure out what was going to happen.

Without giving too much away – Ice Fortress is a book that is set in the present with some… anomalies. A seemingly routine scientific mission is attacked and all hell seems to break loose from there.

The story itself was well written with good pacing. I found myself loving the back and forth timelines along with the back and forth of the dialogue between characters. Each character was developed but not overly so. Some of them surprised me later in the story (done on purpose) and I like that I didn’t have anyone pegged until the story completed.

Williams’ story was improved with Tiedemann’s narration. He really brought the story and Jack Coulson to life. As I said earlier the combination of Williams’ writing style and Tiedemann’s narration kept me up later than I should have numerous nights.

Overall, a great mashup of a couple genres – and if I go into some of the ones that it features – I may spoil the book a bit!

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pristine WWII German Type-21 U-boat appears in the Arctic Circle encased in a mountain of ice. U.S. satellites identify the unbelievable intruder, sending our protagonist and Black-Ops Operator Jack Coulson to investigate the oddity. Others were seriously interested in this mysterious U-boat as well. Known as The Brotherhood, they had been waiting for the appearance of this boat for seven decades; not for the boat itself, but for what it contained. Rumor has it near the end of WWII the Germans developed a weapon called The Bell, so devastating that it not only would change the course of the war but change the world itself! The Brotherhood believes that weapon is on that U-boat and they desperately want it before anyone realizes the boat is there. Their goal has been to resurrect the Thousand Year Reich. This is the story of U-boat 2532, whether or not such a weapon exists, and who will take custody of the boat and whatever it contains. Oh, BTW as is always the case when dealing with government agencies and so-called secrets, there is one more twist at the end of the tale. You’ll see what I mean when I say so-called secrets. I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of action and fun characters. Quick read. Looking forward to next adventure.

[Deedra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exciting story!A submarine found under the ice with Nazi secrets on it! Gary Tiedemann was a very good narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'