Arctic Rising

*** DON'T READ THE GOODREADS SYNOPSIS OF THIS BOOK. IT IS A SPOILER AND GIVES MOST OF THE BOOK AWAY. ***

Tobias Buckell, known for his Caribbean influenced science fiction Xenowealth series and additions to the Halo universe, brings us his first new novel in four years with "Arctic Rising". In the very near future, the Arctic ice cap has all but melted as rising global temperatures change the dynamics and balance of power in the world. Tundras are now prairies, and the once ice locked islands of the Arctic circle are now the coveted centers of commercial and shipping success.

Anika Duncan is an airship pilot for the U.N. Polar Guard, patrolling these northern shipping lanes by air when events kick off in the novel. Readers are propelled show more through this eco-thriller as the stakes are raised and the balance of power is at risk.

Buckell's book seems somewhat apropos this year, when in the dead of winter we are looking at 70 degree days during a time of year when we usually measure the day by how deep the snow is. At its heart, "Arctic Rising" is a thriller set in the backdrop of a world where global warming has already started to wreak severe havoc, destroying tropical islands in floods while at the same time opening the northern reaches of Canada and Russia to more temperate activity.

When the book excels as a thriller, it really excels. Buckell has a gift for writing down the play by play action of a fight scene, whether that fight is in the scrub of Greenland, or between armed groups in a disintegrating floating city. Sadly, its not without its flaws - the info dumps, when they happen, are a force to be reckoned with, and occasionally someone takes a sip of the monologue draught.

Buckell always does a great job of breaking us out of the northern European descent perspective of the world, giving us a better rounded view of the world. His characters aren't just white Americans - they're Nigerian, Caribbean, and Canadian, and they come from a culture and history that you can almost feel.

I would love to learn a little bit more about the world Anika and friends live in, though. If the Arctic is melting, what about the Antarctic? What's going on south of the equator? Maybe a future book will give us that glimpse. For now, I'd recommend this near future thriller for the fast paced zeppelin ride that it is. show less

I think it's fair to say that this just wasn't my cup of tea, despite its potential, and i gave up about halfway in. Set in a post-global warming future where the polar caps have melted, Arctic Rising includes many of the incredibly interesting geopolitical details that are fun to work with as a mind game. The main character was neat...but the story itself lacked the depth I've come to expect from a sci-fi novel, and was more just a typical thriller set in an interesting setting. The pacing also felt a bit strange, like the author was skimming in an attempt to create a sense of fast pacing, but fell short. Ah well, to each his own.

I did not know what to expect when I started reading this. I'd just abandoned two novels in a row because their writers failed to engage me. I was joyfully surprised when Arctic Rising grabbed me by the eyeballs and made me read! If you have any interest in near-future / spy / intrigue / world culture clashes stories, and/or love great characters solving overwhelming problems on the fly, READ THIS BOOK.

Climate change meets action adventure! After years working in war zones, Anika Duncan is happy to have found a peaceful job piloting airships for the UN. Then her ship is shot down while patrolling arctic waters, and she realizes it's part of a conspiracy with global consequences.

The action in this is top-notch: easy to follow but inventive and absolutely thrilling. Anika is a great, unique character, with a strong moral center and a lot of guts. And the plot itself is a lot of fun, with twists and turns and cool world-building that builds up to an explosive climax (or four). There's a little too much monologuing during some of the action scenes, but overall this was a load of fun to read.

I picked up Tobias Buckell’s book after seeing two different people on Twitter mention it. I thought the setting of Buckell’s Arctic Rising (published by Tor) was fantastic. The book takes place in a future where, thanks to the almost-completely-melted North Pole, there has been enough of a climate shift that shorelines, shipping routes and political boundaries have changed.

Over the course of a couple of decades, the land uninhabited in our 2012 world near the polar circle becomes the “new” temperate zone, allowing cities to pop up and all of the minerals and once-unreachable natural resources have now made folks north of the U.S. very important and wealthy.

It does not take long for the story to crank up as a global security show more patrol is shot out of the sky. The rest of the story follows the security pilot as she tries to stay alive, avenge her dead partner and figure out the conspiracy behind it all. A Google-ish type company, with all the “do no evil”, political pull and society-building, plays a major role in all of it as extremists try and use good technology for bad.

The setting, political backdrop and future technology made the book worthwhile for me, even if the plot and story telling were lacking a little. Don’t get me wrong, it is written to keep you turning pages, but it’s not exactly a “I can’t imagine how this ends” story. The stereotypical ending runs its course as it should and might feel like a political statement to some. But it certainly doesn’t get in the way of the fun ride along the way.

As a side note: the publisher places it in a newly named sub-genre called Spi-Fi, which I kind of like. I would look for more books under this moniker. Here’s to hoping Spi-Fi shelf-talkers start showing up alongside Sci-Fi.

I think Arctic Rising would be a great Summer read as it clips along fast and is set up in the arctic, which may help you cool off some while out on the beach. I give it 3 out of 5 stars. show less

It is all to easy to imagine the near-future world in Tobias S. Buckell’s ARCTIC RISING. The Polar ice cap has all but melted and the Arctic has opened up as a shipping lane, place to live and work, and of course – oil. Anika usually has a fairly easy job of monitoring shipping through the Arctic waters from her airship, until the day she looks a bit closer at a ship showing radioactive readings and is shot out of the sky. What follows begins as a simple need to find out why and quickly becomes a rush to save more than just herself, but the Arctic and the world.

ARCTIC RISING is almost non-stop action from the beginning to the end. Spanning only a few days, Anika’s airship is shot out of the sky, she finds herself in a fight for show more her life, flees her home and work, is captured, escapes engages in numerous shootouts and oh yea, is entirely too close to a nuclear bomb for her comfort. But even with this amount of action and running around, Tobias S. Buckell still manages to flesh out his characters and allow you to connect with them. I think the main aspect I really liked about this book is Anika. She’s a strong, capable, independent woman. She fights for what she believes in and those she loves, and can handle her own when it comes to the tough stuff. At any time she could have easily given up and given in, but she doesn’t. She keeps going and sees it through to the end. Oh! And, Anika happens to be a lesbian. Best part? She just is. There’s no big reveal or major plot revolving around this fact, her orientation is just one more aspect to her character and it’s wonderful.

I do have to admit that I was a little confused at times as to who were the bad guys and who were the good guys, but I’m thinking it’s supposed to be that way. Anika herself is often unsure as to who’s on her side, and whose side she’s on, and the plot reflects that, though it can be distracting trying to keep it all straight. I think I may have also enjoyed the book more (though I did enjoy it quite a bit) with a different writing style. The writing is good, don’t get me wrong, there were just some turns of phrase and sentences that seemed a big awkward to me, although they may not to another reader.

ARCTIC RISING is a fast-paced fire fight through the Arctic ice and cold. Books that have a plot rooted in possibility are always a bit more heart-pounding than complete science fiction, for the simple fact that such a future is scary to imagine and yet may very well be reality and sooner than we may think. The ideas presented by Tobias S. Buckell for reversing global warming are intriguing and I can’t help but wonder if, it ever came down to such a drastic change in weather and climate, would something like it be attempted? While ARCTIC RISING may be an intense action-adventure, it’s completely thought-provoking as well, and a science fiction that takes place in a not so distant future. show less

Arctic Rising by Tobias Buckell is an engaging thriller that would make a terrific movie. It’s set in a not-too-distant future where global warming has radically changed the surface of the planet. Caribbean islands are completely underwater, the Arctic tundra has become prime real estate, and nation-states fight over dwindling natural resources. A mega-corporation has come up with a plan to reverse the warming trend and potentially save the planet, but at what cost?

In this novel, you can’t be sure who the bad guys are, and the good guys are usually tough women. Anika, an airship pilot with serious street cred, is on a routine patrol when she picks up a scary radiation signature. Suddenly, she’s being fired upon, assaulted, show more arrested and who knows what else, all without any sort of good explanation. She’s aided by a friend, Violet, who could technically be classified as a bad guy (except for the fact that she’s not a guy and depending on how you feel about the drug trade), but who has the contacts Anika needs to stay alive and out of jail. Anika is determined to figure out what’s behind the radiation signature and who is trying to kill her – that is, assuming they aren’t successful.

I did occasionally get bogged down in descriptions and wordiness, but it wasn’t a huge problem. I love a good dystopia and Thule, with its radical nations and bizarre laws, is a great setting. There is definite ambiguity and plenty of suspense: it’s hard to tell the good guys from the bad guys, and some of the characters may have to rethink their whole life’s work, because what they thought would save the planet might very well destroy it.

I liked Anika, even if I thought she was a little naive and improbable. I love a tough, scrappy gal at the heart of an action story, and I was intrigued by the UST between Anika and Violet. That’s one of the things that convinces me this could be a great movie — surely this is a great time for a tough, lesbian hero. Between the attention female athletes are getting at the Olympic Games and recent films with strong female leads, I think you could sell this storyline. Plus there is cool technology, a funky, dystopian setting (Thule), and lots of explosions and chase scenes. all told, a whole lot of fun. A good director could turn this into a great movie.

For more reviews, check out my website at www.aliveontheshelves.com show less