Icebound: A Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

Icebound is a departure from Koontz's horror genre. This is strictly a techno-thriller. The action is nonstop--never a dull moment, and all very, very well done. It is about a group of scientists who are carrying out an assignment in the arctic...very believable scenario, I might add. As a result of severe weather storm conditions and sub-oceanic quakes, a large chunk of ice breaks off and they find themselves stranded on an iceberg upon which they had implanted explosives scheduled to go off in 12 hours. There are no American ships that can rescue them because of their distance and the severe weather. Only a Russian sub on a clandestine mission is close enough and has the ability to possibly rescue the team of scientists.

The stories of the men, especially the submarine captain, make you really care about the outcome. Although Koontz, in his afterword, is humble enough to diminish his technological detail as compared with a Tom Clancy, I found the whole thing so real that I was there! I love submarine adventures and to me, this numbers with the best of them.

Noteworthy is the graphic detail of what it must be like to work in such an extreme environment. The descriptions of the arctic and the weather conditions are awesome. Even the death scene where one man dies through drowning is so realistic I could imagine vividly what it felt like to die this way.

On top of the natural perils they face, there is a one twisted mind with them who is obsessively determined to commit murder. This portion of the story is also very well executed.

In short (I should have said this some paragraphs back!), I can find nothing negative to say about this story or writing style. I read it at breakneck speed because it was so riveting. I heartily recommend this book to not only Koontz fans but to anyone who enjoys a techno-thriller.

If you're looking only for a supernatural horror story, this is not the ticket. But...if you love Koontz's immense talent and want to read an exciting thriller, have at it!

Harry and Rita Carpenter are part of a team of scientists who are studying how they can use age-old icebergs in order to save a planet that is thirsting for water after ill-advised societies whiped out almost all traces of the essential lifeline. Just before they are about to leave their mission as a success, the team is terrorized by a murderous maniac and is keeping them from leaving the shivering area. As Harry and Rita try to figure out who the mysterious killer is, they also have to keep the team together before the suspicions, delusions, and fears corrupt the expedition and cause them even more harm.

Only a half-way enjoyable story, "Icebound" is a fast-paced read that unfolds to reveal nothing special--the characters are not well-developed and are a part of a drawn-out cliche of a novel. Seems like a rushed effort by Koontz after such incredibly satisfying works such as "Intensity" and "Dark Rivers of the Heart". A major disappointment.