Action & Adventure
![Clive Cussler - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_B000APJ4L6.jpg)
Fast Ice (The NUMA Files)
Kurt Austin races to Antarctica to stop a chilling plot that imperils the entire planet in the latest novel from the #1 New York Times-bestselling Grand Master of Adventure.
In the early days of World War II, the infamous German Luftwaffe embark upon an expedition to Antarctica, hoping to set up a military base to support their goal of world domination. Though the military outpost never comes to fruition, what the Nazis find on the icy continent indeed proves dangerous...and will have implications far into the future.
In the present day, Kurt Austin and his assistant Joe Zavala head to the freezing edge of the world after a former NUMA colleague disappears in Antarctica. While there, they discover a photo of the Luftwaffe expedition of 1939, and are drawn into a decades-old conspiracy. Even as they confront perilous waters and frigid temperatures, they are also up against a terrifying man-made weapon--a fast-growing ice that could usher in a new Ice Age.
Pitted against a determined madman and a monstrous storm, Kurt and the NUMA team must unravel the Nazi-era plot in order to save the globe from a freeze that would bury it once and for all.
In the early days of World War II, the infamous German Luftwaffe embark upon an expedition to Antarctica, hoping to set up a military base to support their goal of world domination. Though the military outpost never comes to fruition, what the Nazis find on the icy continent indeed proves dangerous...and will have implications far into the future.
In the present day, Kurt Austin and his assistant Joe Zavala head to the freezing edge of the world after a former NUMA colleague disappears in Antarctica. While there, they discover a photo of the Luftwaffe expedition of 1939, and are drawn into a decades-old conspiracy. Even as they confront perilous waters and frigid temperatures, they are also up against a terrifying man-made weapon--a fast-growing ice that could usher in a new Ice Age.
Pitted against a determined madman and a monstrous storm, Kurt and the NUMA team must unravel the Nazi-era plot in order to save the globe from a freeze that would bury it once and for all.
Editorial Reviews
"Gripping… This is another classic Cussler action thriller."--Publishers Weekly
"The pace never slows, and the villains are extra nasty in this entry that delivers what readers expect when they see Cussler's name on the cover. Cussler, who died in 2020, and frequent cowriter Brown convey marine biology's complexities in a way that makes it believable and understandable. Grab a comfy chair and plan to read all night."--Library Journal
"The adrenaline junkie reader will love this and all Cussler's books."--Mystery and Scene
"The pace never slows, and the villains are extra nasty in this entry that delivers what readers expect when they see Cussler's name on the cover. Cussler, who died in 2020, and frequent cowriter Brown convey marine biology's complexities in a way that makes it believable and understandable. Grab a comfy chair and plan to read all night."--Library Journal
"The adrenaline junkie reader will love this and all Cussler's books."--Mystery and Scene
Readers Top Reviews
Taking it EasyTak
Brown is a fair writer but this series has gone down hill from the start and is nothing more than a discount version of the original.. the great Cussler name should be stricken from the cover. I have been a loyal fan of cusslers work since 1985 and his son has done a great job of carrying on with Pitt, after he passed but this series will not be that and will not be it’s own and nothing more than a dime store copy of the original.. the story is weak, the details thin, and the characters are getting to be re hashed. The humor is dull, the action is warmed over and unlike a real Cussler book it’s missing historical detail.. I have read every one of the Brown Austin books and this will be my last. Save your money , I do not recommend this book and suggest anyone looking at it to venture on To greener pastures, the Indy book scene has grown with many new name's and has lots to offer ..
MikeCbopChar
I have read every Cussler book printed. This book was average. Had 4 action parts. 3 were very short. the best was the last 20% of book. Not a page turner. I could put it down. Disappointing. I hope Dirk Cussler does better on the next Dirk Pitt adventure book.
George C Magann
I have been a fan of Cussler's books for as long as I can remember. I have read everything he has published and almost have never been let down. His characters are the same as they are different. All have a flair, a charisma, about them They bring a story together, hold the reader's interest, you almost see yourself as the hero, you would like to be in their shoes at times. I for one will miss his books, miss his imagination, miss his stories. This book like all his others was hard to put down before I was finished. It's a great read from start to finish.
Lois Fisher
Although I mainly read cozies and novels with female leads, I have always enjoyed Clive Cussler's thrillers. Dirk Pitt was a big hero. With the unfortunate death of Mr. Cussler, I've been leery of reading some of his newer titles/series. The NUMA files is a wonderful exception. Kurt and Joe are wonderful, heroic, funny leading men, and many of the secondary characters are folks I remember from the Pitt adventures. This book deals with a mad brother and sister act. They want to freeze the world for a myriad of reasons. Of course, NUMA is onto them, and the intrepid Kurt, Joe, a wry married couple, Gamay and Paul Trout, are involved in the adventure taking place in the South Pole. And like any good Cussler novel, there's also an historic backdrop to the main plot. Highly recommended for anyone looking for escapism and good writing (kudos to Graham Brown).
Tom K
A typical Clive Cussler novel. This novel is not the same as Clive Cussler's earlier novels. In this instance Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala must stop a brother and sister megalomaniac from destroying the world with a massive ICE AGE. Then when it is over the world will be more concerned with preserving what is left and not being interested in the rest of humanity. Although there are two megalomaniacs the novel focuses on the brother, Ryland Lloyd, and does not go in depth on the sister,Yvonne Lloyd. Ryland Lloyd is interesting because his public persona is that of an overzealous industrialist. Yet he like his sister are radical environmentalists, who wish to destroy the present world. And exist in a world that is more concerned with preserving the NEW WORLD and ignoring the rest of humanity. This is an interesting aspect of the novel because most of the megalomaniacs in Cussler's novels are more interested in themselves rather than a NEW WORLD ORDER. A regular reader of Clive Cussler novels will be able to distinguish between Clive Cussler's writing style and Graham Brown's writing style. However a relatively new reader will not be able to distinguish between the writing styles. Cussler's writing is that of constant, non-stop action while Brown's writing is not. An enjoyable read. A typical 'escape read' which the reader will not be able to put down.
Short Excerpt Teaser
1
Research vessel Grishka
North of the Antarctic coast
The present day
The polar research vessel Grishka moved cautiously through the Southern Ocean a hundred miles from the coast of Antarctica. The ten-thousand-ton ship had a gray hull, a reinforced bow and a five-story superstructure painted a faded shade of international orange. She was three hundred feet in length but looked tiny when compared to the mountainous icebergs surrounding her.
Some of those icebergs were flat and broad, tabletop monoliths the size of cities. Others were towering peaks, their Matterhorn-like shapes sculpted by the wind and waves into arrangements as different as they were remarkable. And yet among all the giants, it was the much smaller type of iceberg that threatened the Grishka.
From her position on the bridge, Cora Emmerson gazed through binoculars, scanning the water for automobile-sized chunks of ice that floated low and were almost invisible.
"Growlers dead ahead," she warned.
Unlike sea ice, which the Grishka could plow through, or the enormous icebergs, which were easy to spot and avoid, growlers were hard to see and could be deadly. They varied in size and shape and could weigh thirty tons or more. Worse yet, they were often angular instead of smooth-sided, resulting in a tendency to puncture a ship's hull rather than glancing harmlessly off it.
"We've got another set off the port bow," Cora warned. "Five degrees to starboard and we'll clear them all."
The captain of the ship, Alec Laskey, made the turn without questioning. Cora had been at his side on the journey down to Antarctica and had barely left the bridge since they began traveling north twelve hours before.
She had remarkable stamina, he thought. And a keen eye. "I'm certain you must have been a sailor in a former life."
"I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor," Cora said, "but I've been doing Antarctic research for years now. This is my seventh trip to the continent. And, before that, I worked for the American nautical agency NUMA. It would be a shame if I hadn't picked up something along the way."
"I'd say you picked up a few things," Laskey replied. "You're vigilant."
Yes, she thought. And I have reason to be.
After months of searching, Cora's expedition had discovered something both unique and dangerous. If she was right, it had the potential to alter the world. In the right hands it could be a salve for the damaged planet, but in the wrong hands it could be turned into a weapon. Regardless of its use, there were those who would prefer such a discovery had never been made at all.
Whether it was paranoia or an overactive sixth sense, Cora had felt they were being tracked even before the discovery. Getting off the ice and aboard the Grishka had eased that fear. Until they reached Cape Town, however, she wouldn't feel safe.
"New heading established," the captain said. "Are we clear?"
Cora swung the binoculars back toward the growlers. They rose and fell as the bow wave of the ship passed, jostling against one another. A foam of bubbles appeared as one of the miniature icebergs rolled over, disappeared briefly and then bobbed to the surface with a different side pointed skyward.
"Ice has been cleared and is falling behind us," she said.
Cora watched the growlers and then turned her attention to the path ahead. What had once looked wide open now appeared less so. A mile in front of them, a midsize iceberg-larger than the Grishka but smaller than the mountains of ice in the distance-was moving into their path.
The iceberg was an odd shape. But, then, no two were ever alike. It had a flat top, like the city-sized bergs that broke off from the glaciers, but its nearest end was sharply angled. Small peaks rose from various parts.
The ice itself was an odd color. Instead of pure white or a ghostly blue, this one looked jaundiced, as if it had been dusted with volcanic ash.
"Is there a current here?" Cora asked.
"West wind drift," Laskey said. "Just like everywhere else around Antarctica."
"But nothing locally?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then why is that iceberg tracking east instead of west?"
Laskey glanced toward the encroaching iceberg. "Optical illusion."
"I don't think so."
The captain seemed unconcerned but motioned toward an old cathode-ray screen. "Check the radar."
Cora moved to the ship's rudimentary radarscope. It was an ancient device, with lines burned into the screen that remained there even whe...
Research vessel Grishka
North of the Antarctic coast
The present day
The polar research vessel Grishka moved cautiously through the Southern Ocean a hundred miles from the coast of Antarctica. The ten-thousand-ton ship had a gray hull, a reinforced bow and a five-story superstructure painted a faded shade of international orange. She was three hundred feet in length but looked tiny when compared to the mountainous icebergs surrounding her.
Some of those icebergs were flat and broad, tabletop monoliths the size of cities. Others were towering peaks, their Matterhorn-like shapes sculpted by the wind and waves into arrangements as different as they were remarkable. And yet among all the giants, it was the much smaller type of iceberg that threatened the Grishka.
From her position on the bridge, Cora Emmerson gazed through binoculars, scanning the water for automobile-sized chunks of ice that floated low and were almost invisible.
"Growlers dead ahead," she warned.
Unlike sea ice, which the Grishka could plow through, or the enormous icebergs, which were easy to spot and avoid, growlers were hard to see and could be deadly. They varied in size and shape and could weigh thirty tons or more. Worse yet, they were often angular instead of smooth-sided, resulting in a tendency to puncture a ship's hull rather than glancing harmlessly off it.
"We've got another set off the port bow," Cora warned. "Five degrees to starboard and we'll clear them all."
The captain of the ship, Alec Laskey, made the turn without questioning. Cora had been at his side on the journey down to Antarctica and had barely left the bridge since they began traveling north twelve hours before.
She had remarkable stamina, he thought. And a keen eye. "I'm certain you must have been a sailor in a former life."
"I can neither confirm nor deny that rumor," Cora said, "but I've been doing Antarctic research for years now. This is my seventh trip to the continent. And, before that, I worked for the American nautical agency NUMA. It would be a shame if I hadn't picked up something along the way."
"I'd say you picked up a few things," Laskey replied. "You're vigilant."
Yes, she thought. And I have reason to be.
After months of searching, Cora's expedition had discovered something both unique and dangerous. If she was right, it had the potential to alter the world. In the right hands it could be a salve for the damaged planet, but in the wrong hands it could be turned into a weapon. Regardless of its use, there were those who would prefer such a discovery had never been made at all.
Whether it was paranoia or an overactive sixth sense, Cora had felt they were being tracked even before the discovery. Getting off the ice and aboard the Grishka had eased that fear. Until they reached Cape Town, however, she wouldn't feel safe.
"New heading established," the captain said. "Are we clear?"
Cora swung the binoculars back toward the growlers. They rose and fell as the bow wave of the ship passed, jostling against one another. A foam of bubbles appeared as one of the miniature icebergs rolled over, disappeared briefly and then bobbed to the surface with a different side pointed skyward.
"Ice has been cleared and is falling behind us," she said.
Cora watched the growlers and then turned her attention to the path ahead. What had once looked wide open now appeared less so. A mile in front of them, a midsize iceberg-larger than the Grishka but smaller than the mountains of ice in the distance-was moving into their path.
The iceberg was an odd shape. But, then, no two were ever alike. It had a flat top, like the city-sized bergs that broke off from the glaciers, but its nearest end was sharply angled. Small peaks rose from various parts.
The ice itself was an odd color. Instead of pure white or a ghostly blue, this one looked jaundiced, as if it had been dusted with volcanic ash.
"Is there a current here?" Cora asked.
"West wind drift," Laskey said. "Just like everywhere else around Antarctica."
"But nothing locally?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then why is that iceberg tracking east instead of west?"
Laskey glanced toward the encroaching iceberg. "Optical illusion."
"I don't think so."
The captain seemed unconcerned but motioned toward an old cathode-ray screen. "Check the radar."
Cora moved to the ship's rudimentary radarscope. It was an ancient device, with lines burned into the screen that remained there even whe...
