pjonsson's review against another edition
4.0
This book is quite similar to the first book in this series. Sure, the story is different but otherwise the similarities are plentiful. A new mission for Alex, a new team of HAWC’s, a strong female character, plenty of action, some monstrous adversaries (both human and not so human). There are even a few caves thrown in as well.
Luckily it is not all the same. Although, on the surface, there is some strong resemblance with the first book it is not just a re-run with some minor changes. The core of the plot in this book is not just a random discovery but a man-made event. As you can deduce from the book blurb this book takes a stab at the Iranian Islamists. However Iran and their fanatics are mostly used as a convenient backdrop. The story is pure fiction and the Iranian president and hard-liners are portrayed as even more extreme and lunatic than in real life.
The Iranian president does not get to play the bad guy all by himself though. As in the first book a not-so-human adversary is also introduced to spice things up. Actually this nefarious creature is a direct result of the actions of the Iranians but he does not know that and he does not care. For him humans are just a tasty snack.
Of course Alex gets plenty of opportunities to use his new powers which are apparently continuing to develop by the way. The book and the character of Alex Hunter is getting fairly close to super-hero level when it comes to how powerful this man has become. I guess some people might find it over the top. Me, I like it…so far. It makes these books a bit different from the gray mass of ordinary marine team thrillers.
In short, I find this book to be an enjoyable thriller with both a horror and a science fiction twist to it.
Luckily it is not all the same. Although, on the surface, there is some strong resemblance with the first book it is not just a re-run with some minor changes. The core of the plot in this book is not just a random discovery but a man-made event. As you can deduce from the book blurb this book takes a stab at the Iranian Islamists. However Iran and their fanatics are mostly used as a convenient backdrop. The story is pure fiction and the Iranian president and hard-liners are portrayed as even more extreme and lunatic than in real life.
The Iranian president does not get to play the bad guy all by himself though. As in the first book a not-so-human adversary is also introduced to spice things up. Actually this nefarious creature is a direct result of the actions of the Iranians but he does not know that and he does not care. For him humans are just a tasty snack.
Of course Alex gets plenty of opportunities to use his new powers which are apparently continuing to develop by the way. The book and the character of Alex Hunter is getting fairly close to super-hero level when it comes to how powerful this man has become. I guess some people might find it over the top. Me, I like it…so far. It makes these books a bit different from the gray mass of ordinary marine team thrillers.
In short, I find this book to be an enjoyable thriller with both a horror and a science fiction twist to it.
mleetm's review against another edition
4.0
So this was interesting. A far more realistic horror/military thriller than the first book in the series. I didn't like the slightly islamaphobic tone throughout, but I could understand it's purpose. Overall, this is a good and worthwhile read. Time for the next in the series.
renila's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
bethwhite's review
4.0
I listened to the audiobook of Dark Rising immediately after finishing the first in the series, Beneath the Dark Ice, and was glad to find that the narrator remained the same who has done and continues to do an excellent job of portraying the characters and the excitement and constant pace of the novels.
The second book in the series continues the story of Alex Hunter, “super soldier” - this time following him to Iran as he investigates the suspicious and worrying gamma radiation spikes picked up by the American and Israeli military. Similarly to the prequel we get to see the events unravel from various perspectives and it is less of a mystery of what is happening than how the situation will resolve.
Dark Rising is, again, fast paced; however the overall story was not as gripping for me as it’s predecessor. Perhaps the story was a little too far into the realms of the unrealistic for it to grab me, or perhaps I didn’t find that the key characters were as likeable, or maybe a mix of both. I was glad that, although certain characters from Beneath the Dark Ice didn’t feature as main characters in this book, the story did continue on and the events and characters from the previous book were acknowledged.
The story concludes with an element of uncertainty for Alex’s future which definitely grips the reader and has lured me into downloading the next book and continuing to follow his journey.
The second book in the series continues the story of Alex Hunter, “super soldier” - this time following him to Iran as he investigates the suspicious and worrying gamma radiation spikes picked up by the American and Israeli military. Similarly to the prequel we get to see the events unravel from various perspectives and it is less of a mystery of what is happening than how the situation will resolve.
Dark Rising is, again, fast paced; however the overall story was not as gripping for me as it’s predecessor. Perhaps the story was a little too far into the realms of the unrealistic for it to grab me, or perhaps I didn’t find that the key characters were as likeable, or maybe a mix of both. I was glad that, although certain characters from Beneath the Dark Ice didn’t feature as main characters in this book, the story did continue on and the events and characters from the previous book were acknowledged.
The story concludes with an element of uncertainty for Alex’s future which definitely grips the reader and has lured me into downloading the next book and continuing to follow his journey.
hlm24's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
pat32's review
4.0
Greig Beck blends perfectly science fact and science fiction,.makes for good story.
lazyreader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
biblio_kel's review against another edition
I just couldn't get into this story which is a shame as I enjoyed the first book in the series.
imzadirose's review
2.0
I really wanted to like this series, and I do like Alex and most of the Hawks, but the actual stories themselves are sooooooo boring. It got better, once the action got going, but it was still so dull for the most part. Dunno if I will read any more.
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