Protocol 7

by Armen Gharabegian

2039: Simon Fitzpatrick, a brilliant Oxford professor, grieves over the recent and mysterious death of his father Oliver, who has disappeared in Antarctica. An unexpected friend from Simon’s past appears on his doorstep with an encrypted message from Oliver, leading him to believe his father may still be alive. Simon soon embarks on a mission which takes him half way around the world in search of his Father.

A recent quarantine of Antarctica by the United Nations makes his journey almost impossible and dangerous. Through this perilous journey to find his Father, Simon uncovers a conspiracy beyond his imagination; a revelation of global consequence and one of the greatest secrets ever kept.

601 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 5, 2012

Reviews

[Icy_Space_Cobwebs Join the Penguin Resistance! · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly riveting page-Turner, a futuristic part science-fiction, part-science, conspiracy-fuelled, privacy-destroyed thriller, ricocheting from abandoned desolate Antarctica to Oxford, England, Washington D.C., all around the globe, while anyone e and everyone might be the enemy, and nothing one says or does can ever be concealed. Welcome to 2039!

[Dana Micheli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book that’s dangerously good? Dangerous in the sense that once you start reading it, everything on your “to-do” list falls to the wayside, because all you want to do is find out what happens? Armen Gharabegian’s Protocol 7 is such a book.
Protocol 7 opens in England, 2039. It is a world where Artificial Intelligence units are as commonplace as smart phones, yet some things have not changed; namely, relying on man’s best friend and a bottle of thirty-year-old Scotch for comfort. At least that’s what Oxford professor Simon Fitzpatrick does when he learns that his father, Oliver, has been killed in Antarctica. But while Jake, his beloved Great Dane, brings Simon some small measure of solace, the drink does nothing to dull the anger. For despite repeated attempts to get information on the circumstances of his father’s death, no one is breathing a word.
That all changes with a ring of the doorbell. When Simon answers, he finds his old friend and current CIA operative, Jonathan Weiss, standing at his door. Underneath his flippant demeanor, Weiss is there to deliver a very serious holographic message…from Oliver Fitzpatrick! At first Simon is thrilled to see his father’s face, but then he realizes that something is…off. He father is acting so cheerful that something must be wrong.
Citing the message as evidence that all is well, Weiss tells Simon to stay put, relax and wait for his father to contact him directly. But Simon knows that if he waits he will truly lose his father forever. Ignoring both Weiss and a UN quarantine on Antarctica, he heads off in search of Oliver, with no idea that he will stumble upon a conspiracy that makes the Da Vinci Code seem trivial.
Gharabegian is a beautiful writer; he has the ability—all too rare these days--to strike a balance between commercially gripping fiction and literary prose. He also manages to depict a technologically believable future while allowing us to hang on to the creature comforts of today.
As I reluctantly turned to the last page of Protocol 7, I was genuinely disappointed that it was over. The good news is that this is only Part 1 of the Antarctica Trilogy. I have no doubt that Part 2 will be just as destructive to my “to-do” list—and yours as well. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

[Star · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver Fitzpatrick, a brilliant scientist, is lost in Antarctica and now declared dead. The UN has quarantined Antarctica, evacuating everyone and sealing it off. Simon, who is Oliver’s son, receives information about his father – he’s alive, but captive. Now it’s up to Simon to gather a group of friends who have special skills to rescue his father…in Antarctica. Is Simon ready to learn the truth of his family and why Antarctica was quarantined? Does he have what it takes to mount a desperate and dangerous rescue mission?

‘Protocol 7’ is chock-full of action, adventure, suspense, slick tech, and secrets. The story follows Simon and the search for his father. What Simon doesn’t realize is there is so much more to not only his father, but to the world itself, to which he is ignorant. The world of 2039 is fascinating and if you think Big Brother is watching now, it’s nothing compared to how easily tracked you are in the future. I enjoyed the action-packed story and the author created some very interesting characters in ‘Protocol 7’, both “good” and “bad”. I do hope we learn more about the foundation and tenets of the secret groups which were discovered throughout the story. Be warned – at the end of the book we’re left with a really big cliffhanger. ‘Protocol 7’ is a wild ride and I have to wonder what the author has in store for Simon and his friends next…

Arctica Trilogy: Protocol 7 (1)

[Suzy Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

2039 and the world is running on empty. Resources are scarce, but the human race has adapted and we still live in cities, drive motorised vehicles and eat out in nice restaurants. Teetering on the brink, the seas continue to rise and world weather patterns have changed.

Enter our hero, an Oxford Don, broken by the news of his father's untimely death, Simon Fitzpatrick is drawn into a race against hope by the news his father is still alive. Joined by a group of unlikely companions, Simon sets off to Antarctica to rescue his father, Oliver - despite the embargo on travel to the Pole.

The Premise is exciting, most of,the characters are drawn well enough, the adventure burbles along ... But there is just too much STUFF in the novel.

I will read the second instalment when that is released, but I hope Mr Gharabegian tightens up his arc for Part 2. This is a rollicking series, hiding amongst the superfluity. I really want someone to have a good solid whack at editing this book, and the next one. There really is scope to pull off a good Tom Clancy-esque series here.

[Ilona Fenton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever read a book that sounded as it it was edge of the seat exciting only for it to turn out to be like wading through the quagmire? Well that's what this book was like. There were some really good parts and the characters were all very interesting but it kept getting bogged down by unnecessary stuff.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good premise and, at times, compelling. Unfortunately, in between, there is a lot of fiddling around that slows the story down.

[Michelle J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Reasons to come.