Deep Fathom

nigh did get a hernia trying to lift my disbelief high enuf out of the distractions to suspend it. comic villians barely one dimensional. science thin. cia operator/naval commander unable to control his emotions. eye-rollingly adolescent stereotyping. even mysogynstic treatment of what passes for romance. has a geologist call a tsunami a tidal wave. icbm visually approaching with a 'firey tail'. but fair pot-boiler of a yarn. no michael crichton that's for sure.

This was disappointing since I really expected to like it. Wanted to start a series and since some of these characters are in the Sigma Force series, i was told to start here. Had a some irritating characters, sped read thru to the end, I will try another of his later.

I bought this book solely because it was written by James Rollins, and I remembered how very much I had enjoyed his previous book, Subterranean. I must admit I found this to be another action-packed thriller which entertained me thoroughly. It's a near future almost science fiction tale that somehow comes off as entirely believable while you're reading it. If you like high-paced adventure at its best, this book will not disappoint you. It started out just a bit slow, but after a few chapters I was enthralled by the story and remained on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The ending was spectacular! So often, authors fail to tie up loose ends or I am unhappy with the ending situation, but in this case, the ending was as satisfying as the rest of the story.

When I picked up James Rollins' Deep Fathom, I was a bit nervous. I loved Excavation and I liked Subterranean, but I thought that they were almost the exact same plot. I was nervous that Deep Fathom would be another Excavation and Subterranean. Was I wrong! This book grabbed me from page one and would not let me go. I really liked how this book really did not focus on the supernatural, or non-human enemy, but rather had an enemy that was human, and with revenge as a driving force, it was very believable. I also liked how this story had two different locations, under the ocean, and then in the risen ruins of an ancient city. I think this added to the overall enjoyment of the book. Rather than just be stuck in the came cave, we jumped from undersea to ruins, back to undersea, to a naval battle...and so on. It kept things moving at a great pace. I would say that this book is James Rollins' best work to date, and I cannot wait to read his next novel!

Having become hooked on James Rollins from a few pages into his first adventure, 'Subterranean' and the subsequent 'Excavation' I was pleasantly surprised to see 'Deep Fathom' hit the book shelves recently. It didn't take long for the storyline to take shape. One of the many reasons I enjoy his books is how quickly he gets to the point and right into the thick of the adventure.This particular yarn takes place on the first eclipse of the new century...a day which starts off with promise, but ends in tragedy. Solar flares off the sun spark a series of catastrophic earthquakes along the entire Pacific Rim from America to Japan wreaking the highest toll in devastation in modern history. But in the midst of all this, new wonders are found and they lead to the gateway of even more disaster. Ex Navy SEAL Jack Kirkland is strong-armed into assisting the Navy in an undersea salvage of the recently downed Air Force One when he discovers something amazing on the ocean's floor. Jump to Okinawa where two scientists locate a previously never-before-seen set of pyramids which surface from the ocean's depths as a result of the recent quakes. Where did they come from? And more importantly, WHO built them, and WHY are they being guarded by a strange band of mercenaries? How do these two seemingly different situations connect? You'll have to read the book, but I warn you: cracking open this book is like beginning an addiction, you won't think of much else until the very satisfying conclusion. In the midst of a new nuclear confrontation between America and China...a war sparked by a new and prejudiced former V.P.-turned Presient, is a small group of people forced to work together attempting to avert the greatest disaster the world has ever known. 'Deep Fathom' is grand adventure the likes of which you'd have to read Cussler to see its equal. Really fun stuff and a total guilty pleasure.

Every Summer, I look forward to a new James Rollins book. His books are just plain fun! This one is definitely my favorite so far. After all, who isn't interested in lost civilizations, political intrigue, adventure on the high seas and a little romance? When Mr Rollins' new book arrived, I was in the process of finishing another book, however, my eye kept wandering over to Deep Fathom. Finally had to give in and start reading and didn't stop till I was finished. Mr Rollins gets better with each book he writes. Loved the lost civilization angle on this one and as I stated at the end of my review of his last year's book.....please Mr Rollins keep them coming and write fast!!!

Without giving anything away, this book likely has something for everyone who enjoys the action/adventure genre. Natural disasters, world chaos, a missing Air Force One and the president, ancient civilizations, romance, name it and you'll find it in this novel - even including a Canadian! This third novel by Rollins has more refined character development than his previous novels while at the same time, keeping the mystery and the adventure on an even keel. If you enjoyed his previous novels, you won't be disappointed with this one. In my opinion, Rollins easily ranks up there with the likes of Preston and Childs, DuBrul and other action/adventure writers. In fact, so far, he's demonstrating consistancy in his writing unlike some of the other writers who seem to lose momentum after their first success and is in fact in the process of surpassing some of the other household name action/adventure authors. Anxiously awaiting the next novel! Monsieur Rollins, you make reading a pleasure as always... ;-)