This was an enjoyable and engaging story about a scientific research expedition that makes a disastrous discovery within the depths of Mt. Erebus (Antarctica).
The story was well-written, although I didn’t find myself hanging on the edge of my seat or biting my nails as much as I had hoped. I’m not quite sure why. Perhaps if the author had introduced a villain (e.g., an extremely selfish character who would hamper the success of the good guys or a government authority figure who would make tough decisions about how to proceed), it would have introduced another dimension of drama and excitement.
Perhaps if the author had dispensed with the "Dr." titles after the researchers were introduced, that might have helped, too. I’m speaking from a Canadian perspective, but as a doctoral student I addressed my Professors by their first names if we weren’t in the presence of strangers or undergraduate students. Similarly, I work with doctorate holders everyday and they all prefer to be addressed by their first name when we’re in eachother’s company. Some other cultures might be more formal regarding the use of titles, or perhaps folks from different academic areas tend to be more formal, so my experience may not be universal. Anyway, the continuing use of the formal title jarred in my head as being overly formal given the circumstances, so those characters were less emotionally ‘relatable’ to me.
The narration was effective, in the sense that I could easily imagine the narrator as an academic telling a story of a research expedition gone wrong. His voice sounded authentic for these characters. My eyebrows rose at his Russian accent, though – to me, he sounded more like an American Indian from old Western movies. He definitely is not one of the more emotive narrators I’ve ever heard – which may be another reason why I didn’t experience much tension and excitement when listening to the story.
Some other reviewers have mentioned that the story sort of peters out at the end. I wouldn’t disagree. Indeed, when the book finished, it occurred to me that this book should really be the first part of a series. This book doesn’t tie up loose ends and we’re told that the disaster has extended beyond Antarctica. I think that a second book would be quite interesting to read – not a sequel, since the timeline would largely overlap with the events in Antarctica, but a story starting from the point where the sample was being prepared for shipment and then shifting to New Zealand.
I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.