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The Earthend Saga #2
A Dream of Ice
From Gillian Anderson, star of the X-Files, and New York Times bestselling coauthor Jeff Rovin comes the second book in the thrilling paranormal series Earthend Saga that began with A Vision of Fire, which Marie Claire called “addictive!”
After uncovering a mystical link to the ancient civilization of Galderkhaan, child psychologist Caitlin O’Hara is left with strange new powers. Suddenly she can heal her young patients with her mind and see things from other places and other times. But as she learns more about her powers, she also realizes that someone is watching her, perhaps hunting her—and using her son to do it.
Meanwhile Mikel Jasso, a field agent for a mysterious research organization, is searching for Galderkhaani ruins in Antarctica. After falling down a crevasse, he discovers the entire city has been preserved under ice and that the mysterious stone artifacts he’s been collecting are not as primitive as he thought. As Mikel and Caitlin work to uncover the mysteries of the Galderkhaani, they realize that the person hunting Caitlin and the stones may be connected in ways they never knew possible.
“Fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child will find a lot to like” (Publishers Weekly) in the Earthend Saga, and this latest adventure is sure to leave you gasping for breath as Caitlin races against time to save what’s dearest to her heart.
After uncovering a mystical link to the ancient civilization of Galderkhaan, child psychologist Caitlin O’Hara is left with strange new powers. Suddenly she can heal her young patients with her mind and see things from other places and other times. But as she learns more about her powers, she also realizes that someone is watching her, perhaps hunting her—and using her son to do it.
Meanwhile Mikel Jasso, a field agent for a mysterious research organization, is searching for Galderkhaani ruins in Antarctica. After falling down a crevasse, he discovers the entire city has been preserved under ice and that the mysterious stone artifacts he’s been collecting are not as primitive as he thought. As Mikel and Caitlin work to uncover the mysteries of the Galderkhaani, they realize that the person hunting Caitlin and the stones may be connected in ways they never knew possible.
“Fans of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child will find a lot to like” (Publishers Weekly) in the Earthend Saga, and this latest adventure is sure to leave you gasping for breath as Caitlin races against time to save what’s dearest to her heart.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 8, 2015
82 people are currently reading
1886 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Anderson
39 books1,667 followersGillian Anderson is an award-winning film, television, and theater actor and producer, writer, and activist. She lives in London with her daughter and two sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
May 13, 2016
Not as good as the first one.
This is the second book in the “Earthend” trilogy.
DID THE PASSPORTS GOT LOST?
People’s instinct is to outrun something.
An element in the narrative of the first book, A Vision of Fire that I really liked was that Caitlin O’Hara (the main character) was quite mobile. She lives in New York, but she needed to go to Haiti and Iran during the development of the story, so you feel the thrill of the adventure and visit distant and different places, facing with different kind of cultures.
However, in this second book, A Dream of Ice, Caitlin is basically “stucked” in New York.
True, the story changes to Mikel Jasso (a new support character in this second book) and his travels, mainly the Antartica. However, at least to me, the fun was “travelling” with Caitlin, not with some “stranger” that you’re not certain about his role in the story.
And when Caitlin “travels”, well, it’s not what I had in mind.
WHO HAS THE NEXT TICKET FOR APOCALYPSE?
You’re saying that climate change found another way to destroy civilization?
I can’t say that the plot developed here, in the second book, isn’t a logical evolution of what happened in the first book. However, I felt it as a too different kind of story.
In A Vision of Fire you can follow with ease the plot, Caitlin O’Hara is a prestigious child psychologist, and due a sensitive case with the daughter of an UN Ambassador, she found similar cases in distant places and she needed to travel over those countries to try to find a way to cure the UN Ambassador’s daughter. It was cool since it was like Freud meets Father Merrin, with a lot of traveling around the world.
However, here, in A Dream of Ice, you’re overwhelmed with a whole ancient civilization background: language, social role divisions, architecture, transportation, technology, etc… and you soon enough are getting lost in the middle of so much details about something you weren’t expecting to deal with.
The most of the time, honestly, I didn’t know what was happening, but getting the basic concept that some ancient civilization is trying to end our current worldwide civilization.
I found, the first book, A Vision of Fire, fast-paced and engaging, however, in this sequel, A Dream of Ice, sadly I considered it slow and confusing.
I love Gillian Anderson and I didn’t expect that the second book would result in such reverse reading experience (at least to me) in comparison with the first book in the trilogy.
This is the second book in the “Earthend” trilogy.
DID THE PASSPORTS GOT LOST?
People’s instinct is to outrun something.
An element in the narrative of the first book, A Vision of Fire that I really liked was that Caitlin O’Hara (the main character) was quite mobile. She lives in New York, but she needed to go to Haiti and Iran during the development of the story, so you feel the thrill of the adventure and visit distant and different places, facing with different kind of cultures.
However, in this second book, A Dream of Ice, Caitlin is basically “stucked” in New York.
True, the story changes to Mikel Jasso (a new support character in this second book) and his travels, mainly the Antartica. However, at least to me, the fun was “travelling” with Caitlin, not with some “stranger” that you’re not certain about his role in the story.
And when Caitlin “travels”, well, it’s not what I had in mind.
WHO HAS THE NEXT TICKET FOR APOCALYPSE?
You’re saying that climate change found another way to destroy civilization?
I can’t say that the plot developed here, in the second book, isn’t a logical evolution of what happened in the first book. However, I felt it as a too different kind of story.
In A Vision of Fire you can follow with ease the plot, Caitlin O’Hara is a prestigious child psychologist, and due a sensitive case with the daughter of an UN Ambassador, she found similar cases in distant places and she needed to travel over those countries to try to find a way to cure the UN Ambassador’s daughter. It was cool since it was like Freud meets Father Merrin, with a lot of traveling around the world.
However, here, in A Dream of Ice, you’re overwhelmed with a whole ancient civilization background: language, social role divisions, architecture, transportation, technology, etc… and you soon enough are getting lost in the middle of so much details about something you weren’t expecting to deal with.
The most of the time, honestly, I didn’t know what was happening, but getting the basic concept that some ancient civilization is trying to end our current worldwide civilization.
I found, the first book, A Vision of Fire, fast-paced and engaging, however, in this sequel, A Dream of Ice, sadly I considered it slow and confusing.
I love Gillian Anderson and I didn’t expect that the second book would result in such reverse reading experience (at least to me) in comparison with the first book in the trilogy.
July 6, 2022
3 Stars for A Dream of Ice: EarthEnd Saga, Book 2 (audiobook) by Gillian Anderson read by Jeff Rovin and the author.
I really liked the first book in the series but this one felt like a letdown. The only thing going for it is that Gillian Anderson read part of the audiobook.
I really liked the first book in the series but this one felt like a letdown. The only thing going for it is that Gillian Anderson read part of the audiobook.
February 2, 2016
Solid 3 stars.
This is the second in the Earthend saga; the first was A Vision of Fire. I enjoyed the first book, but this one started out very slow with more story and back-story development, and didn't pick up until well past the halfway mark. Even though I read the first book in Aug/Sep, I really should have reviewed because so much is carried forward into the second book.
The development of the mythology and the ancient world-building was excellent, and hearing how the main characters in our time interacted with the characters of the ancient Galderkhaani civilization was interesting, albeit somewhat confusing. Time travel and impacts to the time stream are confusing at the best of times, especially something that supposedly happened 30,000 years ago that could wipe out all of human civilization throughout time. Listening to this as an audiobook compounded the confusion.
At any rate, I'm still looking forward to the conclusion of this series.
This is the second in the Earthend saga; the first was A Vision of Fire. I enjoyed the first book, but this one started out very slow with more story and back-story development, and didn't pick up until well past the halfway mark. Even though I read the first book in Aug/Sep, I really should have reviewed because so much is carried forward into the second book.
The development of the mythology and the ancient world-building was excellent, and hearing how the main characters in our time interacted with the characters of the ancient Galderkhaani civilization was interesting, albeit somewhat confusing. Time travel and impacts to the time stream are confusing at the best of times, especially something that supposedly happened 30,000 years ago that could wipe out all of human civilization throughout time. Listening to this as an audiobook compounded the confusion.
At any rate, I'm still looking forward to the conclusion of this series.
May 11, 2016
Of course I requested this from Netgalley because of Gillian Anderson. This was risky, of course, because the fact that someone is a terrific actor and seems kind of splendid in real life (based on interviews I've heard) doesn't all mean she can write a lick. Which may partly explain the presence of Jeff Rovin on the ticket; Amazon describes him as an established ghostwriter, so I wonder exactly what the partnership here was like.
It doesn't really matter whether they wrote it together or whether Gillian Anderson just lent her name. It's good. It's really good. Unique plot, interesting characters, sharp writing – I'm sold. I dislike trying to read a Netgalley which comes anywhere but first in a series, but I wanted to try this – and I did – and for the first time I stopped reading a book for another reason than bad ones. I stopped reading because I bought the first book in The EarthEnd Saga on Audible (read by Gillian Anderson!) and I want to listen to that before I come back to A Dream of Ice, so that I can fully appreciate it. So you could say I've abandoned this book – but just this once it's only for now. I'll be back. I'm looking forward to it.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
It doesn't really matter whether they wrote it together or whether Gillian Anderson just lent her name. It's good. It's really good. Unique plot, interesting characters, sharp writing – I'm sold. I dislike trying to read a Netgalley which comes anywhere but first in a series, but I wanted to try this – and I did – and for the first time I stopped reading a book for another reason than bad ones. I stopped reading because I bought the first book in The EarthEnd Saga on Audible (read by Gillian Anderson!) and I want to listen to that before I come back to A Dream of Ice, so that I can fully appreciate it. So you could say I've abandoned this book – but just this once it's only for now. I'll be back. I'm looking forward to it.
The usual disclaimer: I received this book via Netgalley for review.
March 9, 2018
I adore Gillian Anderson - had a girl crush on her for years - and the premise of the book is actually very interesting. But the writing, oh, the writing... it's as if the ghostwriter meant to write it for adults, but for some reason utilized his middle grade writing skills to do it. Things just happen, blink and you miss them, characters barely have time to react to them and another twist, bam! And all of it written in middle school English. DNF and I won't be picking up the third installment. I only made it this far because it's Gillian Anderson for God's sake.
August 4, 2019
Not quite up there with book 1. Hopefully the conclusion will lift my expectations.
November 13, 2015
I found a free advance copy of A Dream of Ice at the Frankfurt book fair and that is the version I am currently reviewing. I will definitely be buying the hardcover once it officially comes out in a couple of weeks, but I couldn't just have it and not read it, so here we go.
I should have reread A Vision of Fire before starting A Dream of Ice. Even though I would certainly advise people to read the first before the second due to the content, that's not why I believe I should have gone back to the beginning. Thing is, there's a very particular rhythm to these books. It creates a certain coherency between the two that feels rather nice and I feel like I could have avoided the turbulence if I had taken the time to go through the first part of the journey again.
Anyway, the writing is yet again nothing extraordinary (then again, how could you write something like this in an epic way?), but I believe that the content more than makes up for it. I honestly didn't think that tying up so many loose ends would be possible in a storyline as dense as this one. There was so much going on in A Vision of Fire... and yet they seem to have found a way of making it all... converge . Which brings us to the ending... WHATEVEN. I am not sure I am ready to talk about it yet, but I certainly am ready to read the third book. I need to know what's going to happen. Yes, this is a cliffhanger alert, please proceed with care.
P.S. I am in love with the way they are dealing with the concept of time. Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five would approve.
I should have reread A Vision of Fire before starting A Dream of Ice. Even though I would certainly advise people to read the first before the second due to the content, that's not why I believe I should have gone back to the beginning. Thing is, there's a very particular rhythm to these books. It creates a certain coherency between the two that feels rather nice and I feel like I could have avoided the turbulence if I had taken the time to go through the first part of the journey again.
Anyway, the writing is yet again nothing extraordinary (then again, how could you write something like this in an epic way?), but I believe that the content more than makes up for it. I honestly didn't think that tying up so many loose ends would be possible in a storyline as dense as this one. There was so much going on in A Vision of Fire... and yet they seem to have found a way of making it all... converge . Which brings us to the ending... WHATEVEN. I am not sure I am ready to talk about it yet, but I certainly am ready to read the third book. I need to know what's going to happen. Yes, this is a cliffhanger alert, please proceed with care.
P.S. I am in love with the way they are dealing with the concept of time. Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five would approve.
February 1, 2016
Caitlin, our main protagonist, states 'I want to Believe'. I have a little giggle here as X-Files has just begun again and 'Scully' has written a character who not only comes to believe but also become a part of this 'alien' world.
I have found the Earthend Saga a fascinating series. I guess I would put it as more science fiction that fantasy. This is about a woman who loves her son and will do what she can to protect him. However, something that she did at the end of Vision of Fire comes back to haunt her and because she won't listen, it gets her son involved.
We get some new players in this book and welcome some old friends as we learn more about the city of Galderkhaani, the Priests, the Technologists and the fall of this once mighty city. How do they link with today? What is bringing them forth? So many questions and so few answers as we struggle to comprehend how big this discovery has become.
Although working seperately, Mikel and Caitlin are linked in their search for answers and this becomes even more imperative as we reach the stunning conclusion.
In many ways, as I read this book, I think of Mulder and Scully and their search for answers and what Caitlin, Ben and Mikel are doing leads them to the answers that the X-files could never find. It is like Gillian Anderson has taken the next step because she believes in other worlds as a way to escape this one, even if it is for just a short time.
I have found the Earthend Saga a fascinating series. I guess I would put it as more science fiction that fantasy. This is about a woman who loves her son and will do what she can to protect him. However, something that she did at the end of Vision of Fire comes back to haunt her and because she won't listen, it gets her son involved.
We get some new players in this book and welcome some old friends as we learn more about the city of Galderkhaani, the Priests, the Technologists and the fall of this once mighty city. How do they link with today? What is bringing them forth? So many questions and so few answers as we struggle to comprehend how big this discovery has become.
Although working seperately, Mikel and Caitlin are linked in their search for answers and this becomes even more imperative as we reach the stunning conclusion.
In many ways, as I read this book, I think of Mulder and Scully and their search for answers and what Caitlin, Ben and Mikel are doing leads them to the answers that the X-files could never find. It is like Gillian Anderson has taken the next step because she believes in other worlds as a way to escape this one, even if it is for just a short time.
December 27, 2015
While I will still definitely be reading the final book of the trilogy when it comes out, I feel conflicted about this middle book. Parts of it are engaging and interesting, mostly when the story branches to Mikel and his discoveries. However, the sections of the story with Caitlin I found to be far more frustrating than before. Everything was a "one step forward, another step back" dance, which was weirdly augmented by several interactions that didn't quite fit or feel genuine. It felt stretched, I think. Caitlin's story almost could have waited given how little ground is gained until the very end, especially in comparison to the progression that occurs in Mikel's part of the book. The novel wasn't bad, by any means - just somewhat off-balance.
April 9, 2017
Well. Bonus points for being unique.
This story is honestly best when it reads like X-Files episodes. A couple of intelligent people come together to try to solve the mysteries of an ancient Antarctic civilization. Very intriguing.
But this book was all over the place, and not nearly as captivating as the first. I'm not even sure who are the Priests and who are the Technologists or what the heck the difference is. There were too many points of view, and not enough character development. I'll finish it anyway, but I'm not excited.
This story is honestly best when it reads like X-Files episodes. A couple of intelligent people come together to try to solve the mysteries of an ancient Antarctic civilization. Very intriguing.
But this book was all over the place, and not nearly as captivating as the first. I'm not even sure who are the Priests and who are the Technologists or what the heck the difference is. There were too many points of view, and not enough character development. I'll finish it anyway, but I'm not excited.
March 17, 2017
So good, but it ended on a cliffhanger and the third book isn't out yet :(
Anxiously waiting to see what happens next.
Anxiously waiting to see what happens next.
October 4, 2016
Hukkasin juonen :(
May 26, 2022
Nul nul nul, archi nul
J'ai même pas la force d'écrire une review, ce livre ne mérite pas mon temps. J'ai à moitié décroché tout du long mais je n'ai pas vraiment fait d'efforts. A vrai dire je suis énervée d'avoir perdu mon temps de la sorte. L'écriture est peu élégante pour ne pas être trop méchante, les personnages ne sont pas travaillés et on a l'impression que le récit est inventé au fur et à mesure, au risque d'être involontairement ridicule et d'inévitablement perdre le lecteur. Ce n'est pas en rajoutant des couches de fantasy, des trucs improbables et des noms imprononçables que l'histoire en sera plus stylée. J'ai lu qu'une adaptation était envisagée, j'espère que ça ne se fera jamais ou que les auteurs ne seront pas scénaristes. J'hésite à écouter le dernier livre, je n'aurais jamais jamais dû acheter les trois d'un coup. Quelle erreur.
J'ai même pas la force d'écrire une review, ce livre ne mérite pas mon temps. J'ai à moitié décroché tout du long mais je n'ai pas vraiment fait d'efforts. A vrai dire je suis énervée d'avoir perdu mon temps de la sorte. L'écriture est peu élégante pour ne pas être trop méchante, les personnages ne sont pas travaillés et on a l'impression que le récit est inventé au fur et à mesure, au risque d'être involontairement ridicule et d'inévitablement perdre le lecteur. Ce n'est pas en rajoutant des couches de fantasy, des trucs improbables et des noms imprononçables que l'histoire en sera plus stylée. J'ai lu qu'une adaptation était envisagée, j'espère que ça ne se fera jamais ou que les auteurs ne seront pas scénaristes. J'hésite à écouter le dernier livre, je n'aurais jamais jamais dû acheter les trois d'un coup. Quelle erreur.
October 22, 2022
didn't understand anything, I don't like this story so 2 stars because gillian is speaking for 9 hours
July 30, 2018
An interesting idea - ancient civilization, trapped under the ice in Antarctica - etc. etc. - but the story was just as confusing and disjointed as the first book. I think I get lost the most with the psychology aspects of the story. Using a trance to go back in time? Perhaps I wouldn't be so lost if I understood the psychological concepts behind all that is happening. As it stands, however, I find it really hard to suspend my disbelief through all of those sections.
So the story is hit and miss with me. There are some sequences where I am involved and excited - and others where I am scratching my head, confused and disbelieving.
I will read the next book, because I have come this far, I am hoping that this investment pays off in the end...
So the story is hit and miss with me. There are some sequences where I am involved and excited - and others where I am scratching my head, confused and disbelieving.
I will read the next book, because I have come this far, I am hoping that this investment pays off in the end...
August 6, 2019
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I have about three words to sum up my thoughts on A Dream of Ice, the second installment of The Earthend Saga and they are as follows: OH MY GOD . You feel me? Okay, so, perhaps, it isn't a five star series for me personally but the thing I'm noticing about these books is pretty point blank. They just keep getting better.
There was something that was lacking of the predecessor to A Dream of Ice and this is a bit more engaging than the last. By me saying that, it gives off a falsehood that I didn't like the first in the saga. I did; quite a lot, too. It's just that there is something far more superior to this follow-up and it makes the series all the more compelling. Not only are the stakes higher (can you imagine?) there was a lot more to explore in terms of heart and mystery as well as intrigue.
A Dream of Ice is all of the qualities one loves in a good old fashioned science fiction novel. A solid prose. A great cast of characters told in rotating points of view. Everything is woven into a bigger picture, tying up all the little details and twists from the first novel into this. It sets the stage for an excellent third installment--let's talk about that cliffhanger. This is the sci-fi book for readers who are new to the genre and can appreciate it despite its flaws.
What I liked most about it was the expansion of one mysterious organization that is presently searching for the ruins of an ancient city and what one group finds while looking. I'd say the narration is split pretty evenly and it never gets messy.
I wasn't sure I would like the continuing changes in the point of view--I love Caitlin and would read entire novels told in her point of view with a little Ben sprinkled in for good measure--but the way Anderson and Rovin tied these plotlines up, the history melding into the present, is full of intrigue and a little tingle up the spine in fear. You can't help but to ache in theories of what we've yet to learn and that's what makes a bloody brilliant read.
Full on entertainment, A Dream of Ice builds on its familiar genre without fear of crossing over into other territories. I am looking forward to the third installment and can barely contain my excitement. What happens next? Where is Caitlin? Is Jacob--is our world--safe? I'm loving this series and can't wait to read more.
Also posted at BOOKEDJ.
I have about three words to sum up my thoughts on A Dream of Ice, the second installment of The Earthend Saga and they are as follows: OH MY GOD . You feel me? Okay, so, perhaps, it isn't a five star series for me personally but the thing I'm noticing about these books is pretty point blank. They just keep getting better.
There was something that was lacking of the predecessor to A Dream of Ice and this is a bit more engaging than the last. By me saying that, it gives off a falsehood that I didn't like the first in the saga. I did; quite a lot, too. It's just that there is something far more superior to this follow-up and it makes the series all the more compelling. Not only are the stakes higher (can you imagine?) there was a lot more to explore in terms of heart and mystery as well as intrigue.
A Dream of Ice is all of the qualities one loves in a good old fashioned science fiction novel. A solid prose. A great cast of characters told in rotating points of view. Everything is woven into a bigger picture, tying up all the little details and twists from the first novel into this. It sets the stage for an excellent third installment--let's talk about that cliffhanger. This is the sci-fi book for readers who are new to the genre and can appreciate it despite its flaws.
What I liked most about it was the expansion of one mysterious organization that is presently searching for the ruins of an ancient city and what one group finds while looking. I'd say the narration is split pretty evenly and it never gets messy.
I wasn't sure I would like the continuing changes in the point of view--I love Caitlin and would read entire novels told in her point of view with a little Ben sprinkled in for good measure--but the way Anderson and Rovin tied these plotlines up, the history melding into the present, is full of intrigue and a little tingle up the spine in fear. You can't help but to ache in theories of what we've yet to learn and that's what makes a bloody brilliant read.
Full on entertainment, A Dream of Ice builds on its familiar genre without fear of crossing over into other territories. I am looking forward to the third installment and can barely contain my excitement. What happens next? Where is Caitlin? Is Jacob--is our world--safe? I'm loving this series and can't wait to read more.
Also posted at BOOKEDJ.
February 15, 2016
Unfortunately, I did not love the 2nd volume of this story as much as I loved the first. Two of the things that made the first one so great were missing here.
First of all there was the big adventure in Antarctica where the Indiana Jones hero discovered the history of the lost kingdom. I felt a bit let down that it was done in such a typically macho way, instead of one of the women characters discovering what had happened. Likewise I was disappointed it was the male linguist who got to solve the mystery of the language. It also seemed to stretch credibility too far that 15 minutes of 3 recorded ramblings of a language would be enough for him to figure out every word, and the culture that made up that language? Especially as he wasn't fluent in either of the languages that supposedly came out of the made up one.
The other thing that was disappointing was that it was entirely focused on America and Antarctica. Unlike book one other cultures weren't involved and it lost the great international feel of the fist volume.
The main character Caitlin had much less to do in this. I wish she'd had more to do discovering the ancient culture. In the end her role was significant but I still felt a bit let down.
I'm looking forward to the third volume to see how this series ended.
First of all there was the big adventure in Antarctica where the Indiana Jones hero discovered the history of the lost kingdom. I felt a bit let down that it was done in such a typically macho way, instead of one of the women characters discovering what had happened. Likewise I was disappointed it was the male linguist who got to solve the mystery of the language. It also seemed to stretch credibility too far that 15 minutes of 3 recorded ramblings of a language would be enough for him to figure out every word, and the culture that made up that language? Especially as he wasn't fluent in either of the languages that supposedly came out of the made up one.
The other thing that was disappointing was that it was entirely focused on America and Antarctica. Unlike book one other cultures weren't involved and it lost the great international feel of the fist volume.
The main character Caitlin had much less to do in this. I wish she'd had more to do discovering the ancient culture. In the end her role was significant but I still felt a bit let down.
I'm looking forward to the third volume to see how this series ended.
May 6, 2016
3.0 out of 5 stars -- Second in series is a little harder to read and, warning, it ends on a cliffhanger note that requires any interested fans to have book 3 nearby.
First, you must have read book one before you start this because it is assumed that the reader knows the main characters and has knowledge of how Caitlin O'Hara has a peculiar ability or two -- which includes communicating with an ancient people. Secondly, you must suspend disbelief and buy into the scenarios presented as if they were possible in some sort of reality.
This definitely will remind you of the "X Files" television series as Caitlin links again to the ancient civilization of Galderkhaan and seeks to uncover the mysteries and stop a dastardly plot. There is a lot going on and the narrative shifts and scenes between Caitlin, Flora - -with the Group, and Mikel out in the ice. I found myself the most interested in the sections that involved the discoveries and interactions that Mikel experiences and rather annoyed with Caitlin as a character. I do plan to read the third book, but probably not immediately.
Part thriller, part science fiction, and part mystical philosphy/religion, this is definitely something different and certainly imaginative world building.
Library book
First, you must have read book one before you start this because it is assumed that the reader knows the main characters and has knowledge of how Caitlin O'Hara has a peculiar ability or two -- which includes communicating with an ancient people. Secondly, you must suspend disbelief and buy into the scenarios presented as if they were possible in some sort of reality.
This definitely will remind you of the "X Files" television series as Caitlin links again to the ancient civilization of Galderkhaan and seeks to uncover the mysteries and stop a dastardly plot. There is a lot going on and the narrative shifts and scenes between Caitlin, Flora - -with the Group, and Mikel out in the ice. I found myself the most interested in the sections that involved the discoveries and interactions that Mikel experiences and rather annoyed with Caitlin as a character. I do plan to read the third book, but probably not immediately.
Part thriller, part science fiction, and part mystical philosphy/religion, this is definitely something different and certainly imaginative world building.
Library book
February 15, 2016
Another heaping helping of crazysauce that had me going "Wait. Wait. WTF did I just read?" Time travel (sorta-kinda) and some kind of magnetic stones that make animals go crazy and spontaneous combustion and Antarctica and, oh yeah, the voodoo priestess from the previous book shows up at the end and offers vague warnings of danger and... Look, it's just crazy. It's not just the plot and the characters that are over-the-top, but there's also this pseudo-mystical angle where it feels like the book is trying to bee deep and profound, but just comes off as woo-woo New Age "spirituality".
You know how sometimes it's three a.m. and you can't sleep and you're flipping through channels and come across some weird sci-fi movie with an actor you like and so you watch it, but it's so chock full of every possible thing that it makes almost no sense and yet you're compelled to watch but when it's over you're left wondering if you had really watched what you just thought you watched? Yeah, this series is that movie in book form.
You know how sometimes it's three a.m. and you can't sleep and you're flipping through channels and come across some weird sci-fi movie with an actor you like and so you watch it, but it's so chock full of every possible thing that it makes almost no sense and yet you're compelled to watch but when it's over you're left wondering if you had really watched what you just thought you watched? Yeah, this series is that movie in book form.
January 7, 2016
The first book was amazing. Somehow, the second book lived up to the challenge of following such awesome-ness. Everything I said about the first is still true, so I won't bother repeating. This book kept the reader on their toes with the plot, not only because of the action, but with constant flow of "historical" information. Gilly created an amazing world, with more than just structures, but cultures, beliefs, and language. Unlike the first book, Gilly rudely leaves us with a cliffhanger, and I love it. GIVE ME THE THIRD ONE NOW!
July 19, 2016
Listened to on CD. If you liked the first one you will probably like this one. It pretty much takes up where the first one left off. I really enjoyed the the development of the golderkhan civilization and how it answered a lot of questions I had left over from the first novel. However, I wish she would've done a better job defining candescents and the different forms of ascension. I did enjoy how it ended, even though i'm not entirely sure HOW it happened. I only recommend this if you have read the first one.
February 29, 2016
I had a hard time following the plot in this one. I do like the characters of Caitlyn and her son Jacob, but some of the writing is a little over the top: "They were a subliminal, sub-sonic, energy-based form of expression that added untold depth to the words." What does that even mean? I'll give the next book a chance, but it better explain what's going on in simpler ways.
April 15, 2023
This book... isn't good. The writing is as good as you'd expect and the plot shows that GA learned probably too much from Chris Carter about how not to create a mythology, but I couldn't put it down for a second and I'm dying for the next one.
July 31, 2016
Not as good as the first book in the series. Too much happened in the last few chapters to assimilate, for me. I'm not very sure if I will read the next one, yet. 3 stars
December 15, 2024
Oh my God! This book got me in the edge! How thrilling, fast-moving and exciting it is. I've loved it! So so much, I'm looking forward to read the next and last one of the saga. 100% recommended
August 9, 2018
Gillian Anderson is a interesting person and quite a good actress. And beautiful too. But a storyteller or writer she obviously is not. Perhaps this novel was mostly written by Jeff Rovin; it didn't help to save the entity. This was incoherent childish rubbish. Waste of paper and time.
I confess the fantasy genre is not my cup of tea - I suppose this tried to be some kind of sci-fi-fantasy. And apparently this is at least the second novel in a series. The loose ending also indicates that there is more to come. I must say I'm not looking forward to that.
As said the story was inconceivable (in a wrong way), illogical and disjointed. It was packed with unbelievable coincidences and miracles. Or what do you say to this: A man accidentally falls in a crevasse in Antarctic on the very first day he is there and happens to find a lost city (which he actually came to look for). Isn't that lucky?!
But even more lucky is him spending hours cruising and flying in a tunnel network under the ice and finally arriving by accident to the same spot he started from! Superlucky. This is what I mean by "childish". Perhaps I'm wrong and this is actually a children's book and the fairies will appear in the next episode. Wizard-like characters there already were.
I like science-fiction very much so I don't think my criticism derives from antipathy to impossible and supernatural. But there must be some idea in that. From this novel the idea seemed to be missing. This was just an incredible adventure without new vision, ideas or inner logic. Jules Verne (and so many others) have made this so much better ages ago.
Easy to read though. But make sure you don't actually think what you're reading.
Jään salaisuudet
LIKE 2016
I confess the fantasy genre is not my cup of tea - I suppose this tried to be some kind of sci-fi-fantasy. And apparently this is at least the second novel in a series. The loose ending also indicates that there is more to come. I must say I'm not looking forward to that.
As said the story was inconceivable (in a wrong way), illogical and disjointed. It was packed with unbelievable coincidences and miracles. Or what do you say to this: A man accidentally falls in a crevasse in Antarctic on the very first day he is there and happens to find a lost city (which he actually came to look for). Isn't that lucky?!
But even more lucky is him spending hours cruising and flying in a tunnel network under the ice and finally arriving by accident to the same spot he started from! Superlucky. This is what I mean by "childish". Perhaps I'm wrong and this is actually a children's book and the fairies will appear in the next episode. Wizard-like characters there already were.
I like science-fiction very much so I don't think my criticism derives from antipathy to impossible and supernatural. But there must be some idea in that. From this novel the idea seemed to be missing. This was just an incredible adventure without new vision, ideas or inner logic. Jules Verne (and so many others) have made this so much better ages ago.
Easy to read though. But make sure you don't actually think what you're reading.
Jään salaisuudet
LIKE 2016
March 17, 2017
So I remember feeling fairly critical of the first instalment of this series for a intriguing premise marred by very flat characterisation.
I say remember because that was absolutely not the case found in this book for the most part.
In fact, for the amount of plot characters vocalise to each other, it feels so much more humanised. Even when it's not how you would perhaps express something, you could see how someone would. Such a minor change but it's had a world of difference to my interest.
If I'm completely honest, I read this largely as research for my own novel (in that brilliant excuse we can occasionally exploit of "well this book is in the genre I'm planning so that totally justifies buying it; it's all research!") But I enjoyed reading through it strong enough that on the strength of it, I plan on completing the series when possible and reading from start to finish, this time completely investing myself in the saga, because any faults I had with the start I know fade.
So credit to Gillian Anderson and Jeff Rovin on continuing to hone their craft so immediately.
For anyone curious, I would recommend tracking A Dream of Ice down in a library (or a sample from amazon) and seeing if the style of this book will sell you. And if it does, then pick up the first book and get stuck in.
I say remember because that was absolutely not the case found in this book for the most part.
In fact, for the amount of plot characters vocalise to each other, it feels so much more humanised. Even when it's not how you would perhaps express something, you could see how someone would. Such a minor change but it's had a world of difference to my interest.
If I'm completely honest, I read this largely as research for my own novel (in that brilliant excuse we can occasionally exploit of "well this book is in the genre I'm planning so that totally justifies buying it; it's all research!") But I enjoyed reading through it strong enough that on the strength of it, I plan on completing the series when possible and reading from start to finish, this time completely investing myself in the saga, because any faults I had with the start I know fade.
So credit to Gillian Anderson and Jeff Rovin on continuing to hone their craft so immediately.
For anyone curious, I would recommend tracking A Dream of Ice down in a library (or a sample from amazon) and seeing if the style of this book will sell you. And if it does, then pick up the first book and get stuck in.
March 19, 2023
So, compared to the first book in this series, A Vision of Fire, this one wasn't as interesting to me though I did listen to it for the majority the first chapters I did read physically and even then it didn't grab my attention as much, but overall it did keep me entertained, intrigued and wanting to know how it was going to end. It was quite descriptive, and was still just as action packed, there was more interaction with the Galderkaan people, their descendants, talk about the stones, tiles and their destruction. It still included the primary characters, Caitlyn O' Hara, Jacob, Ben. It had its slow, dragged out moments, but that ending was definitely unexpected. The love and protectiveness of Caitlyn towards her son, Jacob is truly an immeasurable one. Looking forward to finishing this truly interesting series. It was a fun read nonetheless, but I will be sticking to solely sticking with my physical copy instead. Audiobooks aren't for me. Though, I did really appreciate Gillian Anderson's narration for it.
January 2, 2018
Not as much fun as the first book in the series, this book focuses much more on The Group, without really explaining what The Group is. The Group's members are not developed as characters, and there is no way of understanding what motivates them to do what they do. Besides developing The Group as an evil entity, we are given more facts regarding Galderkhaan, but the Galderkhaani people aren't developed as characters any more than The Group's members. The idea of Galderkhaan is compelling, but it
Caitlin's story is by far the more interesting for readers who like people, and even for people who don't, but it isn't nearly as interesting as in the first book. Near the beginning she is called to the international refugee school to work with a child soldier who has recently joined the school. The scene is a nice introduction to his character, and to her new found ability to connect non-verbally, but after she walks away, we never see the young man again. Her son, whom we met in the first book, does very little here except be in danger and sleep.
Often in a trilogy, the second book is the weakest; I don't know if The Earthend Saga> is intended as a trilogy or as a longer series, but it is definitely weaker. I have the feeling it's setting us up for a stronger number three.
Caitlin's story is by far the more interesting for readers who like people, and even for people who don't, but it isn't nearly as interesting as in the first book. Near the beginning she is called to the international refugee school to work with a child soldier who has recently joined the school. The scene is a nice introduction to his character, and to her new found ability to connect non-verbally, but after she walks away, we never see the young man again. Her son, whom we met in the first book, does very little here except be in danger and sleep.
Often in a trilogy, the second book is the weakest; I don't know if The Earthend Saga> is intended as a trilogy or as a longer series, but it is definitely weaker. I have the feeling it's setting us up for a stronger number three.
July 25, 2018
The book starts where the first one left off and we are immediately thrown to a flashback.
I would have preferred Galderkhaan to be a bit more veiled and not to flaunt it in my face through the first chapter exposition.
Thankfully the book does get better and Miguels sections are very much enjoyable. Throw in a bit of conspiracy vibes, getting to know other characters and not just the protagonist, plus the finale, even though ending on a cliffhanger, was very satisfying.
I have enjoyed this book much more than the previous one in the series and even though I've rated it still at a 3/5, unlike the previous book this is a much more solid rating.
I would have preferred Galderkhaan to be a bit more veiled and not to flaunt it in my face through the first chapter exposition.
Thankfully the book does get better and Miguels sections are very much enjoyable. Throw in a bit of conspiracy vibes, getting to know other characters and not just the protagonist, plus the finale, even though ending on a cliffhanger, was very satisfying.
I have enjoyed this book much more than the previous one in the series and even though I've rated it still at a 3/5, unlike the previous book this is a much more solid rating.
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