The Ice Limit by Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of The Ice Limit
Book Review: A search for "The Eigth Wonder of the World"
Summary: 4 Stars
THE ICE LIMIT chronicles the search for and retrieval of the largest meteorite ever found, located off the coast of Chile. The expedition is conceived and funded by billionaire Palmer Lloyd, who, to paraphrase a line from Raiders of the Lost Ark, is a collector 'of lost antiquities'. Lloyd's vast organization has uncovered documents of the recently deceased Nestor Masangansky, a meteor specialist whose work hints at the existence of a meteorite far larger than any previously unearthed. Driven by his need to possess what others can only dream about, Lloyd assembles a crack team of experts to acquire the object of his desire. He then sends his team via tanker to retrieve the rock, which, a la King Kong, is at one point glibly referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
The team Lloyd assembles brings to mind seventies disaster flicks like The Poseidon Adventure and The Towering Inferno. If you are a person of the correct vintage, you'll recall that those movies featured star-studded casts of colorful, larger than life characters. The central cast of THE ICE LIMIT is similar in nature. Thus, we have the aforementioned Palmer Lloyd, disgraced meteorite hunter Sam McFarlane (formerly a protege of Masangansky), the alcoholic, unemployable Captain Britton, and the icy cool engineer Eli Glinn, whose uncanny ability to defy the odds is taxed to the limit by his latest endeavor. All have something to prove, and most are willing to die to do so.
MOBY DICK might also come to mind, as it quickly becomes clear that various characters' obsession with obtaining the meteorite will likely lead to disaster. No character exemplifies this better than Commandante Vallenar, an exiled Chilean naval officer whose hatred of the Americans (fueled by the accidental death of his son), drives him to pursue them into the hazardous waters of the so called Ice Limit, from which the book derives its name. Doing so, he alienates his crew, jettisons what's left of his career and places his life on the line. The connection between the books is also strengthened by the presence of the meteorite, an object of nature which at times seems almost sentient. True to form, Messrs. Child and Preston save the revelation of the rock's true nature for the book's last line, a twist worthy of O. Henry.
Though less flashy than some of their other collaborations (RELIQUARY and MOUNT DRAGON are good, early examples of these two at the top of their game), the skillfully executed ICE LIMIT is nonetheless winning entertainment, a captivating read sure to hold readers spellbound.
Book Review: A worthwhile read, but not their best
Summary: 4 Stars
With Preston/Child books, there seem to be three levels of excellence: Amazing (Relic, Riptide), Almost-Amazing (Mount Dragon, Thunderhead), and Reliquary (Reliquary). I would place this one, The Ice Limit, in that middle level. It has ALMOST everything one of their books should have. The characters are on par with the rest of their books (except for Relic, which surpasses all), the technical details are amazing, and the pace is perfect. But the only part that disappionted me whatsoever were the plot twists. I did not find them to be as astounding or nerve-wracking as Relic and Riptide. But aside from that, this is another fine example of Preston & Child's amazing partnership.Book Review: Adventure/Intrigue
Summary: 4 Stars
I've read several books by these two co-authors before and have liked all their stories. The one thing I'm finding lately though is their weak endings, it's like their trying to make a ending to finish a book publishing deadline. Having a rather poor climax for what has been a real page turner for 99.9% of the book but I know I'll be on the watch for any other subsequent novels these dual authors come out with. I hope they can improve their endings though.Book Review: An Extreme Cold, Wet and 'Static' Adventure
Summary: 3 Stars
I agree with some of the reviewers being disappointed by Ice Limit. Having read some of their books and watched their movies, it was really a below par project for both Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.
The plot was situated around the southernmost tip of South America, to be precies in Isla Desolacion, Chile. I really enjoyed the excursions through the islands, islets and mainland South America. For geography and adventure lovers, it is one of a rare treat having this southern tip being exploited in more details. However, there is a major problem with the plot: it is too slow and no major surprises. A reader of their previous and later works will be surprised for the lack of actions and surprises, the cream of Douglas/Child novels.
Characters in the novel were depicted quite weell. Unfortunately, the events during the ocean storms were just unbearable to read. Having skipped most of the sentences and only scantilly reading some words in the next few pages will not leave a reader in the dark. A character named Eli Glinn was depicted as a cold and heartless individual, which I found many of such during my lifetime. It is an excellent depiction, if not the best.
He was the brain of the operation. Though, in Commandante Vallenar case, the authors faltered. It was very obvious when the commander lost one of his lowly ensign to Glinn, that the commander has something to do with the ensign. He was not merely an ensign, but the commander's own bloodline.
Nevertheless, the novel is very slow and somewhat boring. Though there are quite good science involved in this one. It felt like I went through college again reminding those physics and engineering stuffs. Unfortunately a good science alone will not bring about a great novel. However, with the whipped cream gone from this novel, so does the rating: a 3-star only.
Book Review: An excellent read!!
Summary: 4 Stars
Oh why did it have to end!!! This book was a lot of fun.