Fragment — Craig Russell

 

Publisher: Thistledown Press
Released: Oct 1st, 2016
Genre: General fiction
Source: eARC from publisher

 

When avalanching glaciers thrust a massive Antarctic ice sheet into the open ocean, the captain of an atomic submarine must risk his vessel to rescue the survivors of a smashed polar research station; in Washington the President’s top advisor scrambles to spin the disaster to suit his master’s political aims; and meanwhile two intrepid newsmen sail south into the storm-lashed Drake Passage to discover the truth.

Onboard the submarine, as the colossal ice sheet begins its drift toward South America and the world begins to take notice, scientists uncover a secret that will threaten the future of America’s military power and change the fate of humanity.

And beneath the human chaos one brave Blue Whale fights for the survival of his species.

From Goodreads

 

This was a different kind of read than I usually delve into, but I just LOVED Russell’s Black Bottle Man so much that as soon as I heard he was publishing another novel, I wanted in. And I am so glad that I did. Fragment took me by surprise and I was engaged from the opening.

This book reads like one of those blockbuster disaster movies (think Day After Tomorrow) and for some reason I can’t get enough of those movies. From the beginning the tension and peril is clear. There’s no lazy build up to the action and I love that. Russell pretty much just jumps into an “Oh shit” moment. This sets the pacing for the book and while it was tight and fast-moving it never felt rushed or overdone.

But Fragment goes beyond the basic disaster plot. There’s depth here and a message and thankfully we aren’t hit over the head with it. There’s a subplot having to do with whales that’s really really cool. And speaking of cool, how cool is it that one of the main characters is a whale? Pretty freaking cool.

There’s a lot of science in this book, but it isn’t written about in a way that is dumbed down or will make non-science peeps’ eyes glaze over. I’m not overly sciencey and I didn’t have any issues following along. This can be tough to do, but Russell handles it well.

There’s a lot going on, plot wise, with different storylines all coming together towards the end. There’s also a bit of a cheesy moment or two, but I feel that it works with the story.

I really enjoyed Fragment and can’t wait to see what Russell puts out next.