Icefall: The Rise of the Nine

by Michael Newman, Jon Land

A team of superbeings are all that stands between Earth and total annihilation at the hands of a predatory alien species.

An alien ship crashed into Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier 150,000 years ago and froze within the ice…until glacial melting thawed out its deadly inhabitants in the present day.

Kai and Jules Bevins, both professors of astrobiology at Caltech, are roused from their home and whisked away to the site where a special division of the army has taken charge. But not before something escaped through a breach in the hull.

Meanwhile, a pair of Alaska state troopers locate a missing Amazon driver fifteen miles away on the Juneau Icefield and trace his movements to a nearby village with a population of less than fifty. Arriving in town, they are greeted by the bodies of villagers who were killed in an impossible, horrific way.

Thousands of miles away, under a remote archaeological find in Pakistan, the Nine—a team of superbeings placed on Earth a million years ago by intergalactic colonizers that seeded our planet to create human life—are lifted from their long slumber. The kind of threat they’ve been waiting for has finally come.

The Nine find unexpected allies culled from the ancient history of their home world in the form of a teenage boy and godlike entity. All this leads to a confrontation on a volcanic island that will determine the fate of civilization, even as the Nine uncover the shattering truth behind their own tragic paths and learn of a much greater battle to come.

Will they be enough to stem the apocalyptic menace threatening all of mankind?

Genres: Science Fiction, Pakistan, Fiction

491 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 14, 2026

Reviews

[Karen’s Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read Icefall on a whim. I noted that it was tauted as a sci-fi thriller, both of which are genres I love.

I really enjoyed the first half of the story as told from the POVs of the two Alaskan police officers, the married scientists, and the elderly survivor.

And I was fairly invested until about 70% when I just seemed to lose all interest. I’m not quite sure why. It could be because the story completely shifted away from the characters mentioned above and became a mish mash of tales I’ve seen before of alien monsters trying to destroy the earth and the alien heroes trying to save it. The main characters at the beginning became side characters just standing around.

At some point, I just stopped connecting with everyone in the story.

To be completely honest, it could have been my mood. Maybe I should have put this one aside and picked it back up later.

Thanks to Permuted Press and to NetGalley for the gifted eARC.

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I just read a movie? Because that’s exactly what this felt like.

This book was an absolute blast from start to finish. If you love alien invasion stories mixed with superheroes, high-stakes action, and sci-fi that never lets up, you need to pick this one up.

The pacing was relentless in the best way. Every time I finished a chapter, I wanted to know what was going to happen next. It had all the spectacle of a blockbuster movie while still giving me characters I cared about.

I had so much fun reading this. I could see every scene playing out like it belonged on the big screen, and now I desperately want someone to turn it into a movie. Please!!!

If you’re looking for an action-packed sci-fi that keeps the adrenaline high, I highly recommend this one. Seriously go read it!

[Chasing Silhouettes · Rating 5 out of 5]

"These creatures are like a cancer on Earth, aren't they?" Jules said, recalling the way she had come to think of them. "And we're the nanobots out to destroy them." (Pg 266)

Science-Fiction | Suspense / Thriller | Superbeings | High-Stakes / Save the World | Alien Invasion

I enjoy science-fiction movies and those that have alien invasions, like The Mist, Predator, World War Z, Signs, and even Godzilla. Especially when there are also those elements of thrill, action, suspense, and a bit of horror. This book has those!

The Nine, the superbeings, are low-key in the story until about 35-40% in, when they join the fray. So until they arrive to try to save the day... the world, it's all about the humans facing off with and trying not to get eaten or killed by these violent, savage aliens. Once the Nine confront the creatures, though, it's a game changer! Great action!

As with anything, some humans always find a way to let greed and the hunger for power and control become a priority over surmounting the threat to humanity. Disregarding ethics. Thinking they can manipulate things to work in their favor.

I did appreciate the element of mortality and frailty in some of the human characters via innocence or chronic or terminal illness. The god-like child with his bond to the Earth also brought an interesting element to the story.

'Jules had never wanted to live more than she did at that moment. She thought she had lost her fear of death, at least gotten used to the notion, but faced with it down here left her fighting back against it with everything she had.' (Pg 60)

Though the Nine were still kind of a mystery, due to some circumstances with their past, the other main characters were well developed, like the professors and their daughter, the troopers, the old lady, and the god-like child.

"You weren't saved by anything of this world, because nothing of this world could have saved you." (Pg 322)

After The Stand, the ending was left open, as the threat to humanity is not yet over.

4.5🌟 ARC courtesy of Kate Rock Book Tours | Permuted Press

[Lorena Padureanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book definitely deserves a screen adaptation. The detailed, vivid descriptions of every scene, landscape, and interaction quickly build an entire reality in the reader’s mind. From the frozen Alaskan wilderness to hidden underground facilities and alien worlds, the novel constantly creates a cinematic atmosphere. I could easily visualize every chapter unfolding like an episode, and the suspense kept me on the edge the entire time.

The opening immediately immerses you in the heart of the story. Rather than easing readers in, the book begins with one of its most disturbing sequences: the Nine, extraordinary beings convicted of treason, are forced to witness the execution of their own families before having their identities erased and their memories stripped away. It’s a brutal prologue, but it gives the Nine emotional depth rather than presenting them as simple heroes or warriors.

The narrative then shifts to present-day Alaska, where state troopers Sakari Muhtuk and Tom Dennehy investigate what appears to be a routine call involving a stranded Amazon delivery driver. Their natural banter provides a welcome contrast to the darkness of the opening while gradually building tension as they uncover a deserted town and a mystery that becomes increasingly unsettling. From there, the novel expands into something much larger: a story about alien civilizations, forgotten history, ancient technology, and humanity’s struggle for survival.

The action never loses momentum. The scenes kept me in a constant wave of chills and goosebumps from beginning to end while horrific alien creatures consumed people within seconds, and the characters desperately fought for survival across the frozen wilderness, as well as inside sterile, high-tech facilities. The pacing rarely lets up, yet it never feels exhausting because every action sequence pushes the story forward.

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its cast. In the middle of the novel’s most intense scenes, I found myself genuinely invested in every character. Each of them has a distinct personality that makes them easy to care about without the authors forcing emotional moments. They feel like real people rather than archetypes, and their relationships provide an emotional foundation that keeps the story grounded.

I appreciated how naturally the novel weaves together ideas that don’t initially seem compatible. Science, spirituality, love, human connection, and the supernatural all become parts of the same larger narrative. During the quieter moments between terrifying discoveries and battles, Sakari Muhtuk—an Inuit state trooper whose family has preserved strong shamanic traditions—shares stories passed down through generations about mysterious beings that once threatened her ancestors. Those stories constantly invite comparisons between Indigenous legends and the terrifying creatures the characters encounter. Later, when the Nine discover evidence in the Titan Base vault that extraterrestrial civilizations visited Earth long before recorded history, it’s difficult not to wonder whether many of humanity’s ancient myths were inspired by real encounters with alien beings that early civilizations simply had no way of understanding. What later generations remembered as evil spirits or monsters may have been something far more literal.

The book’s explanation for humanity’s origins is equally compelling, leaving you wondering whether there might be a kernel of truth behind its fictional premise. This revelation provides an intriguing framework that could explain many of Earth’s long-standing mysteries.

Gaia, the representation of Mother Nature, appears in a way that is far more mysterious and powerful than expected. Rather than a symbolic force, Gaia becomes an almost godlike presence working through a young boy willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of humans. This extraordinary force rekindles hope, feeling like a divine intervention at humanity’s darkest moment.

The book blends science fiction, horror, mystery, mythology, and action without allowing any one element to overwhelm the others. Every revelation raises the stakes while naturally expanding the story’s scope.

Such a surprise was the conflict between the novel’s two artificial intelligences. Rather than treating AI as a simple tool, the story presents two machine intelligences with opposing philosophies and objectives, turning their confrontation into both a strategic battle and an ideological one. It complements one of the novel’s central themes: intelligence alone isn’t enough.

Ultimately, Icefall is a reminder that technology, robots, artificial intelligence, and even extraordinary abilities are not enough on their own. While AI and nanotechnology may possess immense power, humans are the heart that AI lacks and desperately needs for clarity and guidance. AI, as powerful as it may be, can lead to failure and destruction in the absence of emotional intelligence. In the end, humanity’s greatest strength isn’t its technology but the compassion, resilience, and emotion that no machine can replicate.

[Reading Our Shelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review at: https://readingourshelves.wordpress.c...

Two Alaskan state troopers, one of Inuit heritage, get a call to rescue an Amazon driver who got stuck in a snowstorm. Two married professors, who’ve studied ideas of alien life and first contact, are dragged to a secret military base, also in Alaska, without being told why. And in a different part of the world, nine alien beings who were in stasis are awakened by their trusty AI companion.

The Nine, as they are referred to, came from another civilization. They are humanoid, although bigger and stronger than current humans. Their technology is driven by nanobots, and therefore ahead of ours. These particular specimens were sent to Earth to protect it, if it should ever come under alien attack in the future. They were sent as a punishment for a crime, and their memories of their own lives and families were erased.

Here in the current time, the melting of some glacier ice has revealed an alien spacecraft, long buried but now visible. General Timur and his team have brought in Kai and Jules, because they have prepared for hopefully encountering alien life someday. Also because Jules is dying of brain cancer, and so maybe they can offer her some hope as a bargaining chip? There is a hole in the exterior of the ship, which they initially mention as possibly being damage from when the ship first crashed. But Jules notices that the tear faces outward, not inward. Something has already escaped, since the ship has been uncovered.

Meanwhile, the troopers have backtracked to the last town the Amazon driver had come from. They find the place ravaged, and the bodies they find seem to be missing their bones! They do find two survivors, an elderly woman with a bone disease, and a newborn.

Our two factions already in Alaska meet up first, and the General’s men get the troopers and friends to safety. Their own location near the glacier also falls under attack, and everyone is taken to an underground base called Deep Base Titan. The professors put together that the aliens eat bones, and that they use them to create more aliens rapidly. So, the more humans they decimate, the more new spawn come next time! They usually attack during the dark, so the humans have some time each day to work before the next attack.

But of course, the Nine have also made their way to the area, and they have better weapons. That helps a lot in the battles, but enough people still die to spawn more aliens for the next attack. And then the numbers increase more rapidly than predicted when the aliens decide to use waterways to travel, instead of moving underground… because the aliens feed on the fish and seal population while in the water.

There is also a covert group of billionaires really running things, of course. They put up the money for Deep Base Titan, so the military and government entities running the place are really under their sway.

There is a lot more I could say about the details, but I don’t want to give every little thing away. So let’s talk big picture. Of course, many of these individual elements have been seen in other science fiction narratives. But it’s still good fun, and this one keeps the action coming! Which is great, because it’s a decent-sized book (my copy was 370 pages), but it moves at a good pace.

I also liked that there is a little bit of Native respect in here, with the Inuit character. I mean, it is Alaska, and there are bound to be some Native communities and beliefs in the area.

There is a big battle at the end. One character sacrifices their self… but then the authors leave it open-ended, so there can (will) be more to the story.

[Lauren Gavlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had incredible suspense and excellent pacing that kept me completely hooked from beginning to end. It played out like a movie in my mind, with vivid scenes, breathtaking action, and nonstop tension. If I had to describe the vibe, I'd say it's like *Alien* meets *Thor* meets *Brave New World*.

While the setting and the gore immediately grab your attention, this story has so much more to say beneath the surface. It explores thought-provoking themes that linger long after you've finished reading. The action is exhilarating, but it's the exploration of humanity, power, faith, sacrifice, and survival that truly elevates the story.

The story pulled me in from the very first chapter. We witness the Nine Extraordinary Beings having their families brutally murdered before their own memories are erased. It's a heartbreaking and unsettling opening that immediately establishes the emotional stakes. These aren't simply powerful beings tasked with saving humanity they're individuals who have already endured unimaginable loss. Even without their memories, that grief lingers, shaping who they are and the choices they make.

The premise is absolutely fascinating. An alien ship, frozen beneath the ice for more than 150,000 years, has awakened and now threatens all life on Earth. A team of astrobiology professors is assembled to uncover the truth behind the mysterious vessel, while the Nine Extraordinary Beings are brought back to stand between humanity and extinction. From there, the story never lets up. The authors strike the perfect balance between pulse-pounding action, scientific discovery, and quieter moments of reflection. Their descriptions are so vivid and cinematic that every scene played out like a blockbuster in my mind. I found myself completely invested in this unlikely team and desperately rooting for them to succeed.

Beyond the thrilling plot, this book asks some profound questions. What is faith? What is humanity without love and compassion? Can science and spirituality coexist, or are they destined to be at odds? Where do our traditions and beliefs come from, and how are they passed from one generation to the next? Rather than offering easy answers, the story invites readers to wrestle with these ideas while highlighting humanity's remarkable capacity to love, adapt, persevere, and survive even when everything familiar has been taken away.

The world-building is immersive, the characters are layered, and every revelation raises the stakes even higher. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, another twist completely changed my perspective. This is the kind of story that delivers blockbuster action and unforgettable suspense while also leaving you with meaningful questions about justice, identity, belief, and what people are truly willing to sacrifice to ensure humanity's future. Ty to @woogirlpr and the authors for this #gifted physical arc

[Ray Palen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first novel between veteran thriller writer Jon Land and newcomer Michael Newman, ICEFALL, is a winner on every level. When a novel is billed as a cross between Alien and The Avengers, my attention is officially grabbed. I was not disappointed.

The Prologue is set 1,500 years ago in a place called the Veyrion. It is there where the beings known as the Nine are being sentenced to a mission to serve the Crown Arc on a faraway planet which will one day require their help to save it from annihilation. That planet is what we know as Earth and 1,500 years later we find ourselves in Alaska where an epic battle for the future of the planet will take place and the Nine will awaken.

A sentient being named Chronar summons the Nine to awaken from the entombment they have existed in within a desert in Pakistan. Led by the young one named Jace, they will prepare for a battle they have been trained for many, many years prior. Meanwhile, in Juneau, Alaska, two Alaskan State Troopers named Dennehy and Muhtuk will have a night they will never forget. It begins with the petrified Amazon delivery driver they find and then move on to the bodies they discover seemingly rid of all their bones. That will eventually lead them to a town where nearly every resident is dead and the discovery of the tentacled monstrosities from another world responsible for all of this incomprehensible madness.

Meanwhile, Jace and the Nine have secured transportation to lead them out of the desert and point them in the direction of the Alaskan territory where the final battle awaits them. Under the tutelage of Chronar and armed with weaponry such as the deadly Kaelen’s that have never been seen before on this planet, they are ready for anything. In Alaska, our Troopers escaped with the only two living residents in the town they came upon and were rescued from there by a small group of individuals who are well aware of the alien invasion at hand and draw them into their number to try to figure out a way to thwart it.

Both groups will be directed to a base located in Anchorage where the combined efforts of the Nine and the brave group of human survivors from the recent alien attack will make their stand against an enemy whose might and number may be more than they can ever overcome. A young boy who was prophesized to be there at this moment will rise amongst this number of warriors to hopefully shift the balance of power in favor of those attempting to save planet Earth from Armageddon. If the Nine should fall, it will be only this young boy known as Teravalar left as mankind’s last hope.

ICEFALL is full of adventure, action and much science fiction. It is also a novel built on concepts and ideas that feels somehow prophetic and real even in its’ fictional guise. This is the summer answer that science fiction fans have been waiting for and promises to deliver a reading experience worthy of other worldly epics.

Reviewed by Ray Palen for Book Reporter

[Bookreporter.com Mystery & Thriller · Rating 4 out of 5]

ICEFALL, the first collaboration between veteran thriller author Jon Land and newcomer Michael Newman, is a winner on every level. When a novel is billed as a cross between Alien and The Avengers, my attention is officially grabbed. I was not disappointed.

The prologue is set 1,500 years ago in the Veyrion. This is where a team of superbeings known as “the Nine” are being sentenced to a mission to serve the Crown Arc on a faraway planet (Earth) that one day will require their help to save it from annihilation.

In the present, a sentient being named Chronar summons the Nine to awaken from the entombment in which they have existed in a Pakistani desert. Led by Jace, the young one, they will prepare for a battle for which they had been trained many years prior.

In Juneau, two Alaska State Troopers will have a night they will never forget. It begins with the petrified Amazon delivery driver they find, followed by the bodies that are seemingly rid of all their bones. This eventually will lead them to a town where nearly every resident is dead and the discovery of the tentacled monstrosities from another world that are responsible for all of this incomprehensible madness.

Meanwhile, Jace and the Nine have secured transportation to lead them out of the desert and point them in the direction of the Alaskan territory where the final battle awaits them. Under the tutelage of Chronar, and armed with weaponry such as the deadly kaelens that have never been seen before on this planet, they are ready for anything. In Alaska, the troopers escaped with the only two living residents in the town they came upon and were rescued by a small group of individuals who are well aware of the alien invasion at hand. They draw them into their number to try to figure out a way to thwart it.

Both groups will be directed to a base located in Anchorage where the combined efforts of the Nine and the brave human survivors from the recent alien attack will make their stand against an enemy whose might and size may be more than they can overcome. Teravalar, a boy who was prophesied to be there at this moment, will rise among these warriors to hopefully shift the balance of power in favor of those attempting to save planet Earth from Armageddon. If the Nine should fall, Teravalar will be mankind’s last hope.

ICEFALL is full of adventure, action and plenty of science fiction. It is also built on concepts and ideas that feel somehow prophetic and real even in its fictional guise. This is the summer novel that sci-fi fans have been waiting for and promises to deliver a reading experience worthy of otherworldly epics.

Reviewed by Ray Palen

[The Page Ladies Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

🧊 What if an ancient alien ship unfroze in Alaska, and the only thing standing between us and total annihilation is a team of dormant, million-year-old superbeings? Yeah, I’m pretty sure my heart rate hasn’t gone down since page one.

If you know me, you know I can’t resist a high-stakes, action-packed sci-fi thriller. So when I got my hands on Icefall by Michael Newman and Jon Land, I buckled up, and it was a wild ride! 🛸💥

Here is the setup: 150,000 years ago, a predatory alien ship crash-landed right into Alaska’s Mendenhall Glacier and got trapped in the ice. Fast forward to the present day: climate change thaws the glacier, the ice cracks open, and... something dangerous escapes. Enter Kai and Jules Bevins, a couple of astrobiology professors from Caltech who get yanked out of their quiet lives and flown straight into a military lockdown at the crash site.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Pakistan, the Nine, a team of ancient superbeings placed on Earth a million years ago to protect humanity, are finally awakened from their long slumber. Throw in a horrific scene in a small Alaskan town, a teenage boy with unexpected powers, a godlike entity, and an explosive final showdown on a volcanic island? Icefall goes absolute full-throttle.

What I loved most was the sheer scale and fast-paced energy of the story. It effortlessly blends gritty Alaskan survival vibes with epic, cosmic mythos. Jon Land’s action-writing expertise really shines here, and the lore behind the Nine gives the story an awesome superhero-meets-ancient-aliens twist.

If I have to be completely honest, there are a lot of moving parts and POV switches early on, so you definitely have to pay attention to keep up with all the plot threads! But once those threads start crashing into each other? Pure popcorn-blockbuster entertainment.

Thank you to Kate Rock Book Tours, Michael Newman, and Jon Land for sharing Icefall with me in exchange for an honest review! 📚✨

[LBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icefall is a terrific science fiction novel with immersive settings and vivid characters that transform this work into a sweeping tapestry of compelling and thought-provoking ideas.The book begins 150,000 years ago, with an alien ship crashing into Alaska's Mendenhall Glacier, where it freezes until glacial melting thaws out its deadly occupants.

The story then shifts to various perspectives of other players in different parts of the world, which orchestrates a steadily intensifying plot . We learn that the Nine, a group of superbeings sent to Earth a million years ago by intergalactic colonists who fertilized our planet to create human existence, are awakened from their long sleep beneath a remote archaeological discovery in Pakistan thousands of miles away. They've finally encountered the kind of threat they've been anticipating.

In the shape of a young boy and a godlike creature, the Nine discover unexpected friends drawn from their home world's ancient past. All of this culminates in a conflict on a volcanic island that will decide civilization's destiny, even as the Nine discover the devastating reality of their own tragic trajectories and become aware of a much bigger conflict to come.

This fast-paced, action-packed story is thrilling from beginning to end and will have you waiting for the resolution at the edge of your seat. The authors excel in crafting an intricately realized world, making this science fiction novel an exceptional and unmissable read.

[RedReviews4You Susan-Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action ☑
Dialogue ☑
Vivid writing and worldbuilding ☑☑
Sci‑fi that’s energetic and plausible ☑☑
Characters — every single one — that I cared about ☑☑☑
Kept me up wayyyyy past my bedtime ☑☑☑☑
Made me talk about it in the car because I had to leave the book behind ☑☑☑☑☑

Oh, and did I mention the prologue ripped my heart out and made this standalone feel like I’d been dropped into the middle of a series before the story even began? ☑☑☑☑☑☑

This book hit me like a summer blockbuster — all action, sharp dialogue, vivid worldbuilding, and sci‑fi that felt both energetic and genuinely plausible. Every character mattered, every scene kept me turning pages long past bedtime, and the prologue landed with the emotional force of a mid‑season twist. It’s rare for a book to make me talk out loud in the car because I had to leave it behind, but this one did.

If you like your stories to blend Marvel‑level momentum with the wonder of Close Encounters and the emotional intelligence of Arrival, this is the book you’ve been waiting for. This review is unorthodox for me, but I want to convey the feeling of the read more than a traditional analysis. This book felt like jumping onto a rollercoaster that starts with a 20‑foot drop and uses that momentum to keep you plastered to your seat — loop‑de‑loops, upside‑down pauses, breathless acceleration — until the ending hits and all you can manage is a quiet, stunned “wow.”

[Sonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was nothing short of a movie script. I would totally pay to see this in theatres. This book gave me all the Tommyknockers, World War Z (due to the aliens having an aversion to sickly people...RUDE), and any other SciFi/Horror flick you can think of.

The beginning of the story starts with an emotional recap of what happened to the Nine over a millennia ago. The Nine are extraordinary beings who were accused of treason and forced to watch their entire bloodline exterminated right before their eyes, then having their memories erased before falling into a deep sleep to be awaken when the world needs them most. The prologue guts you before you even read chapter 1.

The strength of this story is the resilience of humankind. The odds were constantly stacked against everyone and yet humankind never stopped fighting, never stopped planning, never gave up.

My heart was racing throughout this book. Not only did our survivors endure countless alien attacks but they also had to fear the very people who claim to want to save them; our wonderful government who had their own nefarious agenda. Scientific exploration and human intervention take center stage in the fight for humanity, and it was so worth the read.

I had such a good time reading this book and can’t wait to see what happens next. If you are looking for high octane, edge of your seat suspense and epic battle scenes look no further. This book is worthy of the Sci-Fi channel.

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Newman is a very prolific author with over 200 titles in print, most self-help or nonfiction. I'm very glad he took a break to write ICEFALL, a sci-fi with the earmarks of a series to come. An alien spaceship has been discovered in Medenhall Glacier. It landed many centuries ago, but climate change has melted the glacier enough to expose the ship. As scientists and military responders scramble to investigate the crash, something has escaped. You can almost hear the creepy music! This backstory stirs the plot into a part horror/part thriller as the first responders follow the trail left behind by the ship's passenger and trigger the next piece of the plot.

Alaska's icefields are so huge and so varied that they could easily contain many stories of historical significance. As the terror continues to find victims, a group of nine superbeings becomes sentient. They have been in stasis, waiting for the world to need their skills against a power Earth's inhabitants could not have foretold. Have you got goosebumps yet? The story now takes off as the chase is on to find and stop whatever was on the spaceship before any more damage happens. The story moves quickly but does have a few slower pieces as Newman develops The Nine. He weaves several threads through the book to allow them to continue for the next book. I know I'll be watching for the next one...or two.

[Daily Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished "Icefall: The Rise of the Nine" by Michael Newman, and honestly, what a wild ride! 😳❄️ The combination of alien horror, action, ancient secrets, and powerful beings gave me so many feelings while reading it. I was constantly curious about what would happen next, and some moments genuinely gave me chills.

Michael Newman has created a story that feels huge in scale but still keeps the characters at the heart of everything. The idea of an alien ship being trapped inside an Alaskan glacier for 150,000 years immediately pulled me in. As Kai and Jules Bevins are brought into this terrifying situation, the mystery quickly turns into something much bigger and more dangerous.

I especially loved the introduction of the Nine. Their ancient origins, incredible abilities, and connection to Earth's history added such an intriguing layer to the story. The discoveries about their own past made their journey feel much more emotional than I expected.

The contrast between the frozen alien threat, the archaeological mysteries in Pakistan, and the eventual confrontation on a volcanic island kept the story moving at a great pace. 🌋

For me, this was an exciting mix of science fiction, horror, mythology, and apocalyptic action. If you enjoy stories with mysterious creatures, superbeings, ancient secrets, and the fate of humanity hanging in the balance, this is definitely worth picking up! ⭐️📖

[Country Mama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Icefall by Michael Newman & Jon Land is a science fiction about Kai and Jules Bevins who are professors of astrobiology at Caltech. They are taken from their home one night by the government and not expected to return anytime soon. In a small town in Alaska there is a grisly site, a town where the villagers are all killed in a disgusting and grisly way. In Pakistan on the other side of the world, the Nine are woken from their long sleep to help Earthlings with what is happening. The Nine are super beings that were placed on Earth over a million years ago by the people who founded our planet. This story was a good sci-fi thriller with multiple POV's from each of the character sets. The descriptions of the Alaskan wilderness to alien technology and worlds has the reader on the edge of their seat until the edge of the book. I think that this book would be an excellent movie one day in the future, I could definitely see the characters since you really relate to them as a reader in this book! I also expecially liked the AI conflict in the book and how the authors incorporated that into the book since it is everywhere in the world nowadays. For fans of stories that are fast paced and contain sci-fi elements you will LOVE this one!

[Rachel | fullybookedtbr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters: 4.00⭐️
Setting: 4.00⭐️
Plot: 4.00⭐️
Themes: 4.00⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.00⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3.75⭐️
Overall rating: 4.00⭐️

Rise of the Nine: Icefall is a action packed sci-fi debut that mixes themes of the Marvel's The Eternals and Alien set in the desolate landscape of Alaska. Nine super human individuals were sent to Earth millions of years ago to be awoken when the time is needed. A glacier splits revealing an ancient alien spacecraft that astrobiologists are called to research the aliens inside, but they realize that it was a prison ship and now the alien invaders are attacking the nearby towns.

The book is fast paced and reminded me very much of a summer blockbuster movie. It took a brief moment to get into this story, but it does not stop. I think this book would be perfect for people who enjoy superhero books and action movies, I think you would really enjoy this book. It left on a good semi-cliffhanger that made me intrigued for where these books would be going if they are going any more.

Would I recommend this book? Yes.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and Permuted Press for sending me a finished copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Lily Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ - 🫑
☆ Alien invasion
☆ Extinction event
☆ Alien saviors
☆ Miraculous boy
☆ The rich control the world

NetGalley ARC review
Thanks to Netgalley, Permuted Press, Michael Newman and Jon Land for the free copy.

Pure sci-fi is not my usual kind of read, but this book description made me nostalgic of movies like The Day After Tomorrow or 2012 and I was curious if I would enjoy it in a book.

The good news is that, yes, I did have a good time, but it was nothing groundbreaking. Everything in this book was rehashed from other stories and heard a hundred times before. While this doesn't usually bother me in a romance book, I felt a bit bored at time with this book due to how predictable it was.

That being said, I really enjoyed the characters and their journey, as well as the whole alien aspect. I love when authors stretch the limits of what we think is possible and make it interesting. This is definitely a good read for fans of classic sci-fi.

[Dave H · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars actually, as I just couldn't manage a full rating due to the totally unbelievable storyline (mostly involving Gaia and Terry) and more than several grammatical errors which got in the way of a totally satisfying read. Moreover, as a Canadian, I am bothered by the fact that, although the novel takes place in Alaska, and the protagonists note several times the greater threat to the continental United States, there is no mention that the attacking aliens have to pass through Canada to get there (after all British Columbia is only 50 miles from Juneau, where much of the action occurs). I think it's unlikely that the attacking aliens are going to skip over Canada to get to the US's southern states, unless Donald Trump's activities have even the outer reaches of the galaxy concerned. Perhaps a minor quibble but I couldn't ignore it.

All that said, though, I couldn't put this thriller down and I wholeheartedly await the sequel.

[Michael Whitaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I usually don’t gravitate toward sci-fi, so I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up this book. I’m so glad I gave it a chance. It did exactly what I think a good book should do—it pulled me completely into the story and made me care about the characters. There were parts that genuinely made my skin crawl, moments that tugged at my heart, and characters I found myself rooting for as if I knew them. What surprised me most was how much I kept thinking about the story even when I wasn’t reading. I wanted to know more, understand what was happening, and, most of all, find out what was going to happen to these characters I had become invested in. By the end, I realized that even though sci-fi usually isn’t my genre, this book reminded me why I love reading in the first place: when a story grabs you, makes you feel something, and leaves you needing to know what happens next.

[El · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely incredible! I was hooked from the beginning to the end and I am already hoping there will be a continuation of this story. I can be pretty picky when it comes to science fiction books that deal with an alien invasion on Earth but the characters are the shining star of this novel. There are multiple POVs and I found that all of the characters had individual personalities and were all enjoyable to read. Often in books with multiple POVs I find myself rushing through a certain character's chapter, but in this novel I found all of them captivating. I think this book is excellent for someone who loves a science fiction novel that leans a bit heavier on the characters and plot rather than the hard science.

[Lauren | Hartandfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm thrilled to take part in the @katerockbooktours Book Tour of the wonderfully atmospheric thriller Icefall by Michael Newman and Jon Land. I love when a book is written so beautifully that it feels likes you're immersed in the pages along with the characters. Icefall grabs you from the first page and doesn't let go. It’s action-packed and fast-paced. The alien attacks were downright terrifying and I felt like my heart was in a vice during the action sequences. I would love to see this made into a movie. If you're an alien movie/book lover then this read is an absolute must!

You will love this if you like:
👽 Sci-fi with Aliens
🛸 Action Packed Thrillers
👽 Fast-Paced Page Turners
🛸 Alien Attacks
👽Likeable & Realistic Characters

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great sci-fi thriller read!

It’s crazy how realistic it felt and then scary to think that all this is wholly and entirely possible beyond our scope of knowledge.

It makes you think, what other life forms are really out in the universe, and if they are friendly or volatile, or both. It also makes you wonder that if the earth ever truly came under alien attack, would we survive?

There were many POVs and storylines that were all easy to follow, and easy melded into each other. For a minute I thought the ending was going to just be very anticlimactic, but I was pleasantly surprised, and even happy about how the story came to end

[Samantha Kolhoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I’ve been slowing dipping my toe into the sci-fi genre and I actually found this to be a really fun read! This was fast paced and kept me guessing, I never knew what was gonna happen. I need this to be a movie, or at the very least a graphic audio. Between the aliens and the fight for survival I was going through all the emotions reading this.
If you’re looking for a fast paced book that definitely should be a movie, pick this up!

[Krystal Kraft · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I love this book? Absolutely. Do I think it would make an OUTSTANDING film, double absolutely! My husband is basically obsessed with sci-fi movies, and I know for certain this as a film would be in his go to stack that he rewatches! But back to it as a book, It was so well written, so easy to stay invested in, really hard to stop saying just one more chapter, and once the action started it just didn’t quit! Very fast paced! I definitely recommend it!

[Tania · Rating 4 out of 5]

Icefall: The Rise of the Nine was an enjoyable and fast-paced read, but overall it felt fairly average to me. The story kept me engaged and there was enough action and tension to make it entertaining, but nothing really stood out as particularly memorable or original. Still, it was an easy book to get through and fans of action-adventure thrillers will likely enjoy it.

[Debbie Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not always a sci-fi fan but this one hooked me from the start. I was intrigued with the idea of the book and how well the story building and character building was done. Lots of plot twists and how it evokes various elements and emotions while reading it. I read it in a weekend so I had plenty of time to really get engaged in the plot. I definitely recommend this one for sci-fi readers.

[Roy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice action novel with a SF theme. Alien invaders under the ice who become thawed and pose a danger, but there are other aliens who are placed here for just such events to protect fledgling mankind from such external force baddies. From there on the plot is a movie like set of scenes which are a lot of fun.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate having won this in a giveaway. I started out really enjoying it but then got bogged down a bit reading it, began getting a bit lost in the different story lines. Ironically I felt the short chapters didn't help, often I am complaint about overly long chapters!