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sudoankit's review against another edition
3.0
My first James Rollins adventure.
TLDR; I liked it although it had a lot of technical, scientific inaccuracies. Deep Fathom is an action thriller with science fiction, politics and warfare in it.
It starts off slow and finishes lightening fast. First, I would like to address some of the problems the story has —
(1) Characters. I couldn't sympathizes with the main character. Jack Kirkland, ex SEAL, retired Astronaut, now a treasure hunter. He is just hollow, he's like pack of chips but with more air than advertised. His love interest, Karen. Shut up Karen, you suck. The President is burning with revenge, the CIA's chief is burning with revenge, is again, burning with revenge.
There are many unlikable characters but few stand out, I loved the geologist, I loved the computer scientist (who, lol apparently got a Nobel in Computer Science??!! for creating an AI ). The good ones are given less time while the boring ones get all the book.
(2) The story or more specifically the plot is that A4 sheet of paper in an office which everyone uses to try out new punching machines.
(3) Predictable ending. I almost guessed the ending around 50 pages away from it.
The good parts:
(1) While the action isn't much, it's enjoyable.
(2) A casual, laid back thriller to burn over the weekend.
(3) The sci-fi elements are refreshing and original though I'm unsure about the accuracies of these. Still, I liked them.
Some questions, spoilers.
Finally, should you read this book?
If you like Robert Langdon/Dan Brown books then sure go ahead but be warned that the polish and quality you would find in Brown's books is not present. It's just like a rip off clone of a popular app in the App Store which I still download because hey, I love to try out new stuff of the same genre.
TLDR; I liked it although it had a lot of technical, scientific inaccuracies. Deep Fathom is an action thriller with science fiction, politics and warfare in it.
It starts off slow and finishes lightening fast. First, I would like to address some of the problems the story has —
(1) Characters. I couldn't sympathizes with the main character. Jack Kirkland, ex SEAL, retired Astronaut, now a treasure hunter. He is just hollow, he's like pack of chips but with more air than advertised. His love interest, Karen. Shut up Karen, you suck. The President is burning with revenge, the CIA's chief is burning with revenge,
Spoiler
David Spangler, the main villain (CIA's top agent)There are many unlikable characters but few stand out, I loved the geologist, I loved the computer scientist (who, lol apparently got a Nobel in Computer Science??!! for creating an AI ). The good ones are given less time while the boring ones get all the book.
(2) The story or more specifically the plot is that A4 sheet of paper in an office which everyone uses to try out new punching machines.
(3) Predictable ending. I almost guessed the ending around 50 pages away from it.
The good parts:
(1) While the action isn't much, it's enjoyable.
(2) A casual, laid back thriller to burn over the weekend.
(3) The sci-fi elements are refreshing and original though I'm unsure about the accuracies of these. Still, I liked them.
Some questions, spoilers.
Spoiler
1. Why Dr. Cortez didn't die? Well, because his body/innards were flushed in the ocean and the oceanic currents drifted them far away from the area which the global time flux didn't affect.Spoiler
2. How did the Fathom regain connection again with the deep sea habitat (with Karen and Jack)? Well, I have no clue! I thought they were supposed to surrender to the navy. I guess the navy left it as the area where Fathom was is going to be nuked.Finally, should you read this book?
If you like Robert Langdon/Dan Brown books then sure go ahead but be warned that the polish and quality you would find in Brown's books is not present. It's just like a rip off clone of a popular app in the App Store which I still download because hey, I love to try out new stuff of the same genre.
abigcoffeedragon's review against another edition
4.0
This one was just as enjoyable as the subterranean one that I read previously - James Rollins has a way to add some fun and some spice into the books, and I enjoy them as fun fast reads - this is another 2 day read for me from my dad.
rmichno's review against another edition
3.0
A fast paced read with a ridiculous plot and over-the-top villain. Not much depth to any of the characters but it was entertaining. Probably could have been cut down by at least 200 pages.
froppytsugirl's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It was too slow, but i liked how the author started and ended the book. Also it was interesting to know about marine life. I was in the middle of my hearbreak so i read it in the mood for escapism and therefore it was easy for me to finish it lol
sarahbellestones's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I really enjoy this series--it's like Dan Brown, but more layered and elevated.
m_kayk's review against another edition
4.0
This book was filled with suspense for the character's as well as a twist that pulls in history and technology.
weaselweader's review against another edition
2.0
Everything but the proverbial kitchen sink ... !
The first solar eclipse of the millennium and a series of intense solar flares have triggered a monumental series of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis around the entire circumference of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The cataclysmic forces unleashed by these violent events bring down Air Force One in the middle of the ocean killing the President of the USA and everyone else on board. (Uh oh ... we can smell a political crisis there, can't we!) Ex-Navy Seal, Jack Kirkland, is on board a deep sea submersible exploring a sunken Japanese vessel reputed to be carrying an enormous hoard of gold bullion when this series of inexplicable disasters shatter the earth's crust. Kirkland narrowly escapes death avoiding an undersea eruption and lava flow as the Japanese freighter is swallowed into the earth's crust before his very eyes.
Sounds very promising, doesn't it?
Well, I'll admit it. I thoroughly enjoy a well-written techno-thriller with lots of slam-bang action; pops and bangs, bells and whistles; boy-girl action; insufferably evil bad guys; and lots of Hollywood thrills, chills and heroics thrown in. I'm even willing to be a reading wimp and have my credibility pushed around by a bully-boy author who stretches things to the limit!
But DEEP FATHOM went way, way beyond those limits and pushed my belief meter well beyond the red zone and right off the scale.
Within the range of a brief 450 page novel, here are just a few of the things that Rollins would have you read about - nuclear war between the US and China; the solution to the cosmological problem of dark energy and dark matter; the translation of a hitherto entirely unknown ancient pictographic language by a computer artificial intelligence; the solution of the Bermuda Triangle mystery; time travel; amateur computer hackers hi-jacking an abandoned orbiting satellite and using it as a platform to fire particle weapons; the discovery of a Pacific equivalent to the lost civilization of Atlantis and a society of cut-throat warriors guarding these long hidden secrets; and (are you ready for this?) anti-gravity!
Even for a sci-fi novel of the space opera variety, this would be over the top but for a novel that bills itself as techno-thriller, it verges on laughable.
There is no doubt that Rollins has skill to create characters, suspense, action, dialogue and plot. But he's got to rein it in and avoid dumping it all into a single novel. He might even try a pure sci-fi novel. Now that just might fly!
Not recommended.
Paul Weiss
The first solar eclipse of the millennium and a series of intense solar flares have triggered a monumental series of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides and tsunamis around the entire circumference of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The cataclysmic forces unleashed by these violent events bring down Air Force One in the middle of the ocean killing the President of the USA and everyone else on board. (Uh oh ... we can smell a political crisis there, can't we!) Ex-Navy Seal, Jack Kirkland, is on board a deep sea submersible exploring a sunken Japanese vessel reputed to be carrying an enormous hoard of gold bullion when this series of inexplicable disasters shatter the earth's crust. Kirkland narrowly escapes death avoiding an undersea eruption and lava flow as the Japanese freighter is swallowed into the earth's crust before his very eyes.
Sounds very promising, doesn't it?
Well, I'll admit it. I thoroughly enjoy a well-written techno-thriller with lots of slam-bang action; pops and bangs, bells and whistles; boy-girl action; insufferably evil bad guys; and lots of Hollywood thrills, chills and heroics thrown in. I'm even willing to be a reading wimp and have my credibility pushed around by a bully-boy author who stretches things to the limit!
But DEEP FATHOM went way, way beyond those limits and pushed my belief meter well beyond the red zone and right off the scale.
Within the range of a brief 450 page novel, here are just a few of the things that Rollins would have you read about - nuclear war between the US and China; the solution to the cosmological problem of dark energy and dark matter; the translation of a hitherto entirely unknown ancient pictographic language by a computer artificial intelligence; the solution of the Bermuda Triangle mystery; time travel; amateur computer hackers hi-jacking an abandoned orbiting satellite and using it as a platform to fire particle weapons; the discovery of a Pacific equivalent to the lost civilization of Atlantis and a society of cut-throat warriors guarding these long hidden secrets; and (are you ready for this?) anti-gravity!
Even for a sci-fi novel of the space opera variety, this would be over the top but for a novel that bills itself as techno-thriller, it verges on laughable.
There is no doubt that Rollins has skill to create characters, suspense, action, dialogue and plot. But he's got to rein it in and avoid dumping it all into a single novel. He might even try a pure sci-fi novel. Now that just might fly!
Not recommended.
Paul Weiss
nicola_carstens's review against another edition
5.0
James Rollins never ceases to amaze. I love his books.
kimal25's review against another edition
5.0
Excellent as usual. I really loved the whole book and the ending was surprising. The whole concept of two timelines colliding was unique in his books and really well written.