What do you think?
Rate this book
Eisiges Blut
Nach einem schweren Schicksalsschlag übernimmt der Journalist Michael Wilde einen Auftrag, der ihn in die Antarktis führt. In der frostigen Einsamkeit hofft er Abstand zu finden, doch in die rationale Welt der Polarforscher bricht urplötzlich das Dunkle und Irrationale ein: Bei einem Tauchgang entdeckt Michael Wilde die beiden Körper eines Mannes und einer Frau aneinandergekettet und perfekt konserviert in hundertfünfzig Jahre altem Gletschereis. An ihrer Seite wird eine Truhe mit geheimnisvollem Inhalt gefunden. Der mysteriöse Fund bringt Wilde auf die Spur einer Geschichte, die Jahrhunderte und Kontinente überspannt. Und die sein Leben für immer verändern wird...
640 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
142 people are currently reading
1559 people want to read
About the author
Robert Masello
34 books614 followers Robert Masello is an award-winning journalist, TV writer, and the bestselling author of many novels and nonfiction books. In addition to his most recent book, THE HAUNTING OF H.G. WELLS, he has written the #1 Amazon Kindle bestseller, THE EINSTEIN PROPHECY, and many other popular thrillers, including THE JEKYLL REVELATION, THE NIGHT CROSSING, BLOOD AND ICE, THE MEDUSA AMULET, and THE ROMANOV CROSS.
He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS.
His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING.
His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy."
A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under the noted authors Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and served for six years as the Visiting Lecturer in Literature at Claremont McKenna College.
He now lives and works in Santa Monica, CA.
He is also the author of two popular studies of the Occult -- FALLEN ANGELS AND SPIRITS OF THE DARK and RAISING HELL: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE BLACK ARTS.
His books on writing include WRITER TELLS ALL, A FRIEND IN THE BUSINESS, and the classroom staple, ROBERT'S RULES OF WRITING.
His TV credits include such popular shows as "Charmed," "Sliders," Early Edition," and "Poltergeist: the Legacy."
A native of Evanston, Illinois, he studied writing at Princeton University under the noted authors Robert Stone and Geoffrey Wolff, and served for six years as the Visiting Lecturer in Literature at Claremont McKenna College.
He now lives and works in Santa Monica, CA.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews
October 12, 2012
Bloat is increase in size without corresponding increase in density. I feel a little unfair characterizing Blood and Ice as bloated, because Masello clearly put in some serious research time on Antarctica and the Crimean War and photography and mountain-climbing and
But. Unless you want to read lengthy descriptions of frozen terrain or the rotting limbs of wounded brigadiers, about half the words in this book can be skipped. And the ones that you are left with aren't that great. There are some interesting ideas, but the characters just aren't very interesting and the plot isn't that tight and as thrillers go this book isn't very thrilling. It isn't scary and there was only the briefest scene (with no people in it!) where I felt any tension or suspense.
I think it says a lot, given the body count, that I only felt sad for the dog.
But. Unless you want to read lengthy descriptions of frozen terrain or the rotting limbs of wounded brigadiers, about half the words in this book can be skipped. And the ones that you are left with aren't that great. There are some interesting ideas, but the characters just aren't very interesting and the plot isn't that tight and as thrillers go this book isn't very thrilling. It isn't scary and there was only the briefest scene (with no people in it!) where I felt any tension or suspense.
I think it says a lot, given the body count, that I only felt sad for the dog.
April 23, 2016
Γκουχου... γκουχου... ντρεπομαι που θα το πω αλλα ναι, το παρατησα στη μεση. Διοτι εχει τοσες αδιαφορες, ασχετες λεπτομερειες οι οποιες τρωνε τα δυο τριτα του βιβλιου που αμαν! Δεν με ενδιαφερει να μαθω για την μαρκα του ελικοπτερου που τους μετεφερε κ πως χρησιμοποιηθηκε εως τωρα επι μιαμιση συνεχομενη σελιδα, επισης ποσο κουραστικο ειναι που για 130 σελιδες η δραση ειναι στασιμη, ναι, δεν συμβαινει τιποτα, απλως ταξιδευουν...ουφ! Ισως πιο κατω να γινοταν ενδιαφερον αλλα δεν ηθελα να το ριξω στα οινοπνευματωδη!
April 24, 2017
Alrighty then. Where to start...
My dad lived in Antarctica for around a year, a few years before I was born. All I know about it can be summed up pretty succinctly:
* It's really cold
* it's really dry
* 6 months of darkness, followed by 6 months of light (give or take)
* Its stupidly hard to spell
That's about it. I mean, there are other things, now that I think about it. Penguins live there. It's an actual continent, you know, with land and stuff under all that ice.
So my dad would always tell me these stories when I was a kid about it. He was a military guy and did his part to run the base to support the scientists that were working there. He said they'd play these games where they'd run outside naked and see who could stay there the longest before having to go back in, some game that involved frozen piss, everything else revolved around getting drunk.
He told me recently that he'd read this book and that it contained the most accurate description of what the conditions were like there, what they were actually like, that he'd ever read. He went on and on about it. As someone who is always looking for a way to connect with his father, I told him I'd like to read the book.
And it was sitting in my mailbox a week later.
It starts as a two stories, one being, more or less, set in the present day and involving a photojournalist that is grieving over the accident that turned his loving girlfriend into a coma patient in a vegetative state with no hope of recovery. He's been given an opportunity to visit the Antarctic for some magazine.
The second storyline is about a young man and woman in the mid-1850's that end up being tossed overboard when the ship they took passage on has been lost at sea during a horrific storm (that happens in the prelude, so I don't think I'm giving much of a spoiler).
The story, as far as that goes, is nice. The author describes things well, and I'm interested enough in both stories being told that I don't mind the fact that I have no idea what the larger plot of the novel is. It's all a lovely digression about life in the 1850's London, or in the present day Antarctic (hint: they both suck).
By the way, I typically don't read the cover copy of a book if I've already decided to read it. So I don't know if what happened was hinted at on the jacket or not. Oh... Spoilers are coming.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ready for them... SPOILERS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Halfway through the book. The photojournalist finds the corpses of the young couple frozen in the ice while diving there. Finally, I understand, kinda, that he'll be investigating the mystery of the couple that died 150 years earlier.
Except, no, that isn't it. They're vampires. They are goddamned vampires. Son of a bitch. Ruined my week. The thing is, they weren't... I mean... they really sucked as vampires. They were stupid vampires. It was stupid because... argh. Just trust me. It was stupid.
Most of the second half of the book reminded me of those movies where someone opens a door to look for someone, but the person they're looking for isn't there because they're looking for a magazine under their bed, so when they hear the door shut, they get up and wonder what that sound was, and they open the door to see who was there but the first person is already gone, looking for the second person in another room. So the second person goes to the first person's room to see if they were the one at their door, but, of course, person number one isn't there, because they're in a third room looking for the second person.
I mean, that shit gets old. Fast. And I had about 250 pages of that sort of thing. Back and forth and back and forth. People just barely missing each other, people that keep leaving dead bodies alone and wondering off, even though they suspect they might come back to life, they just don't put any thought into it. Also, a station chief that insists that everyone keep everything an absolute secret, and then decides that even the people that he's sworn to secrecy don't know any information besides whatever they've discovered on their own.... in other words. It's one of those plot-only-works-because-every-character-is-a-moron stories.
Yay. My favorite kind of plot.
In the end. It sucked. hard. The thing that keeps this from being one star is that it is actually very well written, and the first half of the novel is pretty good. Until the author got bored with it and threw in some lame-assed vampires that, incidentally, it took the lab folks about 10 minutes to 'cure.' So. Whatever. Really stupid. Like a different person wrote the second half of the book.
My dad lived in Antarctica for around a year, a few years before I was born. All I know about it can be summed up pretty succinctly:
* It's really cold
* it's really dry
* 6 months of darkness, followed by 6 months of light (give or take)
* Its stupidly hard to spell
That's about it. I mean, there are other things, now that I think about it. Penguins live there. It's an actual continent, you know, with land and stuff under all that ice.
So my dad would always tell me these stories when I was a kid about it. He was a military guy and did his part to run the base to support the scientists that were working there. He said they'd play these games where they'd run outside naked and see who could stay there the longest before having to go back in, some game that involved frozen piss, everything else revolved around getting drunk.
He told me recently that he'd read this book and that it contained the most accurate description of what the conditions were like there, what they were actually like, that he'd ever read. He went on and on about it. As someone who is always looking for a way to connect with his father, I told him I'd like to read the book.
And it was sitting in my mailbox a week later.
It starts as a two stories, one being, more or less, set in the present day and involving a photojournalist that is grieving over the accident that turned his loving girlfriend into a coma patient in a vegetative state with no hope of recovery. He's been given an opportunity to visit the Antarctic for some magazine.
The second storyline is about a young man and woman in the mid-1850's that end up being tossed overboard when the ship they took passage on has been lost at sea during a horrific storm (that happens in the prelude, so I don't think I'm giving much of a spoiler).
The story, as far as that goes, is nice. The author describes things well, and I'm interested enough in both stories being told that I don't mind the fact that I have no idea what the larger plot of the novel is. It's all a lovely digression about life in the 1850's London, or in the present day Antarctic (hint: they both suck).
By the way, I typically don't read the cover copy of a book if I've already decided to read it. So I don't know if what happened was hinted at on the jacket or not. Oh... Spoilers are coming.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Ready for them... SPOILERS
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Halfway through the book. The photojournalist finds the corpses of the young couple frozen in the ice while diving there. Finally, I understand, kinda, that he'll be investigating the mystery of the couple that died 150 years earlier.
Except, no, that isn't it. They're vampires. They are goddamned vampires. Son of a bitch. Ruined my week. The thing is, they weren't... I mean... they really sucked as vampires. They were stupid vampires. It was stupid because... argh. Just trust me. It was stupid.
Most of the second half of the book reminded me of those movies where someone opens a door to look for someone, but the person they're looking for isn't there because they're looking for a magazine under their bed, so when they hear the door shut, they get up and wonder what that sound was, and they open the door to see who was there but the first person is already gone, looking for the second person in another room. So the second person goes to the first person's room to see if they were the one at their door, but, of course, person number one isn't there, because they're in a third room looking for the second person.
I mean, that shit gets old. Fast. And I had about 250 pages of that sort of thing. Back and forth and back and forth. People just barely missing each other, people that keep leaving dead bodies alone and wondering off, even though they suspect they might come back to life, they just don't put any thought into it. Also, a station chief that insists that everyone keep everything an absolute secret, and then decides that even the people that he's sworn to secrecy don't know any information besides whatever they've discovered on their own.... in other words. It's one of those plot-only-works-because-every-character-is-a-moron stories.
Yay. My favorite kind of plot.
In the end. It sucked. hard. The thing that keeps this from being one star is that it is actually very well written, and the first half of the novel is pretty good. Until the author got bored with it and threw in some lame-assed vampires that, incidentally, it took the lab folks about 10 minutes to 'cure.' So. Whatever. Really stupid. Like a different person wrote the second half of the book.
August 15, 2011
Completely unputdownable! So this book has sat on its shelf for several months as I have become totally bored by the whole vampire/werewolf subject, I decided to give it a go yesterday and couldn't put it down...seriously, you know its a good read when you are cooking/cleaning/brushing teeth/driving whilst carrying this book pressed right up to your face (Ok so not driving) ...by 2.00am this morning and after telling myself 'ok, just one more chapter' about 3,678 times I finally gave in to sleep. The only reason I'm not finishing the book now is because I'm sitting in work, thinking about the book and writing this review about it!!
This is not your ordinary 'run of the mill' vampire story, if you open this book expecting to be regaled with tales of heartache between 'hero' type vampires, sexy werewolves and a selfish & moody teenage girl who (for some unfathomable reason) is irresistable to the entire human and supernatural race(Ahem...detect Twilightesque undertones here) Well...you may aswell stop reading before you start. It is not wall-to-wall vampirisms...and in fact, you should read this book simply expecting to read a great story and forget the vampire thing altogether. This may not suit those looking for a quick trashy vampire-romance novel as it is slightly more sophisticated.
It is so refreshing to see a completely different take on a truly overdone subject matter. Blood and Ice is two completely contrasting stories set in the present and in the past, that are eventually linked by the discovery of the bodies in the ice. The description of the surroundings, the personality of the characters, the equipment, the historical references are unlike any I have read in a long time, I have a perfectly formed picture of the story in my head because of such excellent writing. Unlike some other reviewers, I believe that the switch from Victorian England to modern day Antarctic surroundings is fantastic...and imperative to explain the back story (and the curse that befalls)the characters and in credit to the author, it is beautifully done...Don't you want to know how it is they came to be trapped in the ice? And even if you do assume from the start that the two trapped in the ice are vampires...Don't you want to know which version of turning into a vampire has been resurrected in this book?
So in short, a unique take on a popular theme, extremely original setting, some serious research work done on part of the author (Hats off to you sir) fantastic historical references and excellent writing has encouraged me to seek out more books by Robert Masello.
This is not your ordinary 'run of the mill' vampire story, if you open this book expecting to be regaled with tales of heartache between 'hero' type vampires, sexy werewolves and a selfish & moody teenage girl who (for some unfathomable reason) is irresistable to the entire human and supernatural race(Ahem...detect Twilightesque undertones here) Well...you may aswell stop reading before you start. It is not wall-to-wall vampirisms...and in fact, you should read this book simply expecting to read a great story and forget the vampire thing altogether. This may not suit those looking for a quick trashy vampire-romance novel as it is slightly more sophisticated.
It is so refreshing to see a completely different take on a truly overdone subject matter. Blood and Ice is two completely contrasting stories set in the present and in the past, that are eventually linked by the discovery of the bodies in the ice. The description of the surroundings, the personality of the characters, the equipment, the historical references are unlike any I have read in a long time, I have a perfectly formed picture of the story in my head because of such excellent writing. Unlike some other reviewers, I believe that the switch from Victorian England to modern day Antarctic surroundings is fantastic...and imperative to explain the back story (and the curse that befalls)the characters and in credit to the author, it is beautifully done...Don't you want to know how it is they came to be trapped in the ice? And even if you do assume from the start that the two trapped in the ice are vampires...Don't you want to know which version of turning into a vampire has been resurrected in this book?
So in short, a unique take on a popular theme, extremely original setting, some serious research work done on part of the author (Hats off to you sir) fantastic historical references and excellent writing has encouraged me to seek out more books by Robert Masello.
April 1, 2009
Michael Wilde has the chance of a lifetime to go to Antarctica as a photojournalist. He has many adventures and photo opportunities until he makes the biggest discovery of his career. While scuba diving in the ocean beneath Antarctica, he sees a woman frozen in the ice. A huge block of ice is cut around her and she is brought to the surface and put in a huge tank in order to melt the ice. The group of scientists leave her unattended while the ice melts. However when they return, the ice has melted, and Sleeping Beauty (as they are calling her) has disappeared.
This is a great adventure reminescent of Matt Reilly and James Rollins with a very surprising paranormal twist. The author has obviously researched the climate of the Antarctic and the special needs of anyone spending even the littlest time there. A great read and I wonderful author I will be reading again and again.
This is a great adventure reminescent of Matt Reilly and James Rollins with a very surprising paranormal twist. The author has obviously researched the climate of the Antarctic and the special needs of anyone spending even the littlest time there. A great read and I wonderful author I will be reading again and again.
March 15, 2009
I won this book at a bookspotcentral giveaway.
Anyway I could resist to start reading the book immediately and I didn't regret.
About the book
The title makes good in his promise. There is a lot of ice because most of the story takes place in the present Antarctica. And there is blood. We find a lot but it is important.
There are two story lines which converge after a while.
One takes place in the middle of the 19th century. We follow cavalry officer Sinclair Copley and the nurse Eleanor Ames.
The other takes place in present days. There is troubled Journalist Michael Wilde.
The book is a great mix of different genres. You find history, science, action, love and mystery.
Based on his marvelous prose Robert Masello spins a georgeous story. I didn't want to put down the book. Beside the fascinating story you learn a lot about the Antarctica and also about the Crimean War.
I was thinking whether to give 4 or 5 stars. last year I would have given 5 stars. But in the meantime my criteria changed a bit.
Now I would give 4.75 stars because there are few questions for me without answer.
Anyway I could resist to start reading the book immediately and I didn't regret.
About the book
The title makes good in his promise. There is a lot of ice because most of the story takes place in the present Antarctica. And there is blood. We find a lot but it is important.
There are two story lines which converge after a while.
One takes place in the middle of the 19th century. We follow cavalry officer Sinclair Copley and the nurse Eleanor Ames.
The other takes place in present days. There is troubled Journalist Michael Wilde.
The book is a great mix of different genres. You find history, science, action, love and mystery.
Based on his marvelous prose Robert Masello spins a georgeous story. I didn't want to put down the book. Beside the fascinating story you learn a lot about the Antarctica and also about the Crimean War.
I was thinking whether to give 4 or 5 stars. last year I would have given 5 stars. But in the meantime my criteria changed a bit.
Now I would give 4.75 stars because there are few questions for me without answer.
March 16, 2009
The first half of the book was a "4". Well written, exciting, well paced. However, the second half turned into a "2" when the vampire/weird science fiction theme emerged. I found the ending very disappointing and I felt duped that such a good beginning could fall so short of its earlier promise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2018
I definitely made a bad choice when I decided to read this book. Yuk.
January 29, 2010
Love Enchained Through Time-
In 1856 the HM Brig Coventry, tossing in a wild maelstrom is thought to be cursed by two unwanted passengers. When an unusual bottle of wine is found by one of the crew members, the captain is hailed and warned that Mr. and Mrs. Copley are of evil nature. To save the ship from plummeting down to Davy Jones Locker, Sinclair and Eleanor Copley are bound in iron chains and with their sea chest of strange wine bottles, are tossed overboard to drown in icy seas.
In present day Antarctica young wilderness photographer Michael Wilde is on location to shoot some underwater photographs for Eco Travel magazine. He has a two month pass to work with researchers and scientists assisting with various projects of weather, wildlife and the natural habit conditions at the South Pole.
While diving beneath the polar ice cap with high hopes of stunning photographs, Michael unearths an antique bottle of what appears to be Madeira. Putting the old bottle in his scavenger sack and swimming further, he finds an entire sea chest of them, and nearby, within a sunken iceberg, the haunting face of a beautiful woman. Thinking his oxygen level must be affecting his coherency, he resurfaces topside to inform the crew of what he thinks he saw. Armed with ice cutting equipment and additional oxygen, Michael and another researcher dive again beneath the frigid waters and uncover the find of a lifetime. Two people, a man and a woman, frozen in time, enchained together in a block of ice for centuries. Cutting them free, hauling them above to safety, has the Antarctic team in awe and bewilderment at what they have found. Secrets are kept from the outside world, and decisions are made after careful contemplation on the best way to thaw these icy specters from the past without decomposition. The Victorian lovers are placed in a saltwater bath for what should be a slow and carefully timed melting process. But….while Michael and the team patiently wait, and do some lab tests on the wine bottle contents, Sinclair and Eleanor Copley not only defrost, but come…alive!
Robert Masello has penned a phenomenal suspense horror novel that I doubt any reader could contemplate putting down for one minute. His talent to slowly build the tension as he alternates the story from the Victorian past with Sinclair as a soldier in the 17th Lancers Division during the Crimean War, and Eleanor as a nurse working side by side with Florence Nightingale mending wounded soldiers, to the shocking and violent events in the present as the researchers at the South Pole are under attack and fight one nightmarish battle after another. As the famous Charge of the Light Brigade serves up a battlefield of dead and bloodied soldiers, a sinister entity feeds on the flesh and turn Eleanor and Sinclair into thirsty immortals damned for all eternity.
Two entwining stories chained together for a future revelation offer up a superb blend of history, romance, science, and horror. The way this story unravels, is not what you may think, it does not follow the usual rule of thumb, and what I really loved was that the author took an age old story we’ve all read before and spun a really cool new twist that ended in a most unique way. Robert Masello gives us a well written complex plot, wonderful endearing characters fully developed, and a suspenseful horror novel blended with a surprising integration of love and tenderness amidst the horrors of war and amongst the philosophies of what it means to be human. Where the dividing line between man and monster lies, is brilliantly found between the pages of Blood and Ice.
I LOVED this book !!!!
In 1856 the HM Brig Coventry, tossing in a wild maelstrom is thought to be cursed by two unwanted passengers. When an unusual bottle of wine is found by one of the crew members, the captain is hailed and warned that Mr. and Mrs. Copley are of evil nature. To save the ship from plummeting down to Davy Jones Locker, Sinclair and Eleanor Copley are bound in iron chains and with their sea chest of strange wine bottles, are tossed overboard to drown in icy seas.
In present day Antarctica young wilderness photographer Michael Wilde is on location to shoot some underwater photographs for Eco Travel magazine. He has a two month pass to work with researchers and scientists assisting with various projects of weather, wildlife and the natural habit conditions at the South Pole.
While diving beneath the polar ice cap with high hopes of stunning photographs, Michael unearths an antique bottle of what appears to be Madeira. Putting the old bottle in his scavenger sack and swimming further, he finds an entire sea chest of them, and nearby, within a sunken iceberg, the haunting face of a beautiful woman. Thinking his oxygen level must be affecting his coherency, he resurfaces topside to inform the crew of what he thinks he saw. Armed with ice cutting equipment and additional oxygen, Michael and another researcher dive again beneath the frigid waters and uncover the find of a lifetime. Two people, a man and a woman, frozen in time, enchained together in a block of ice for centuries. Cutting them free, hauling them above to safety, has the Antarctic team in awe and bewilderment at what they have found. Secrets are kept from the outside world, and decisions are made after careful contemplation on the best way to thaw these icy specters from the past without decomposition. The Victorian lovers are placed in a saltwater bath for what should be a slow and carefully timed melting process. But….while Michael and the team patiently wait, and do some lab tests on the wine bottle contents, Sinclair and Eleanor Copley not only defrost, but come…alive!
Robert Masello has penned a phenomenal suspense horror novel that I doubt any reader could contemplate putting down for one minute. His talent to slowly build the tension as he alternates the story from the Victorian past with Sinclair as a soldier in the 17th Lancers Division during the Crimean War, and Eleanor as a nurse working side by side with Florence Nightingale mending wounded soldiers, to the shocking and violent events in the present as the researchers at the South Pole are under attack and fight one nightmarish battle after another. As the famous Charge of the Light Brigade serves up a battlefield of dead and bloodied soldiers, a sinister entity feeds on the flesh and turn Eleanor and Sinclair into thirsty immortals damned for all eternity.
Two entwining stories chained together for a future revelation offer up a superb blend of history, romance, science, and horror. The way this story unravels, is not what you may think, it does not follow the usual rule of thumb, and what I really loved was that the author took an age old story we’ve all read before and spun a really cool new twist that ended in a most unique way. Robert Masello gives us a well written complex plot, wonderful endearing characters fully developed, and a suspenseful horror novel blended with a surprising integration of love and tenderness amidst the horrors of war and amongst the philosophies of what it means to be human. Where the dividing line between man and monster lies, is brilliantly found between the pages of Blood and Ice.
I LOVED this book !!!!
January 2, 2019
I mostly enjoyed this book although the storyline is ridiculous. The book sets itself up as quite scientific and is based on a journalist going to spend 1 month at a research station at the South Pole.
During a diving expedition, the journalist discovers a man and a woman chained together and frozen in ice. They are brought up to the surface and it turns out they are vampires and some people end up getting murdered and also turned into vampires.
It seems that Eleanor had fallen out of love with Sinclair along the way to me and I was surprised by how quickly she settled in with Michael. The whole never touching ice thing would be difficult though, I guess she can't go near her freezer?!
My mind did stray from the book during some of the scenic descriptions of the South Pole but I never do find a vast white landscape that interesting to reread descriptions of.
A fairly good book.
During a diving expedition, the journalist discovers a man and a woman chained together and frozen in ice. They are brought up to the surface and it turns out they are vampires and some people end up getting murdered and also turned into vampires.
It seems that Eleanor had fallen out of love with Sinclair along the way to me and I was surprised by how quickly she settled in with Michael. The whole never touching ice thing would be difficult though, I guess she can't go near her freezer?!
My mind did stray from the book during some of the scenic descriptions of the South Pole but I never do find a vast white landscape that interesting to reread descriptions of.
A fairly good book.
March 23, 2009
I feel like I'm being a little harsh by giving Masello two stars, because I appreciate the difficulty of the writing process and two stars? Really? Well, I did lose interest by the middle of the book and I had to hang on to get to the end. Why? After you realize what is going on, the balloon is deflated...there is nothing spectacular to keep the story moving forward at the same speed to sustain curiousity. On a brighter note, I did appreciate the historical aspect of the book and for those who enjoy American Civil War era history, Masello's book may be one to check out.
Verdict: Intriguing plot with memorable characters but story fizzles out too quickly. Great Civil War era references. Read it only if you have nothing left on your to-read list.
Verdict: Intriguing plot with memorable characters but story fizzles out too quickly. Great Civil War era references. Read it only if you have nothing left on your to-read list.
November 4, 2010
Such a brilliantly atmospheric and chilling (no pun inteneded) book.There were defintiley some parts that spooked me.The characters are well written and realistic.The descriptions of Antartica and life there were my favourite parts.An awe inspiring and isolated background.The take on the vampires isnt entirely unique but I loved the scientific explanation.The only really negative thing I have to say about this book is the ending could be seen a mile off.But that didnt deter me.I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I cant wait to read something else by the author.
February 25, 2021
I read this one years ago and came across it again recently. As before, I wasn't disappointed in Masello's work. His writing style fits my tastes perfectly, and there is an excellent balance of pace, action, tension and character development. The empathy he builds is astounding, and you can tell he has done his research.
I couldn't put it down and will probably reread it many times more! And that's saying something, as I'm a picky reader!
I couldn't put it down and will probably reread it many times more! And that's saying something, as I'm a picky reader!
July 4, 2015
A new goodreads friend reminded me of this book and I remembered I adored it! What can I say? I love every thing with an accurate description of Antarctica and it was awesome !
October 14, 2024
Υπάρχουν βιβλία από τα οποία έχεις μεγάλες προσδοκίες, ακόμα και όταν δεν υπάρχει κάποιος συγκεκριμένος λόγος, ακόμα και όταν δεν γνωρίζεις καλά-καλά περί τίνος πρόκειται. Ένα από αυτά είναι το "Αίμα Και Πάγος" που από το μαγευτικό του κι όλας εξώφυλλο σε προκαλεί να το διαβάσεις και να χαθείς στις σελίδες του. Και η αλήθεια είναι πως, παρά τον αρχικό μου πόθο, η απογοητευτική άποψη μιας πολύ καλής μου φίλης, την άποψη της οποίας κι εκτιμώ ιδιαίτερα, με προσγείωσε απότομα και έτσι, όταν πήρα το βιβλίο στα χέρια μου, οι προσδοκίες μου είχαν μειωθεί ήδη στο ελάχιστο. Τελικά, και έχοντας πλέον προσωπική άποψη πάνω στο θέμα, και όσο και να μην θέλω να την συγχύσω, μπορώ να πω ότι ξεκινώντας να διαβάζω το βιβλίο επήλθε η ανακούφιση και στην πορεία, όσο περισσότερο εμβάθυνα σε αυτό, ήρθε η γοητεία η οποία και περίμενα.
Ο Roberto Masello ξεκινάει να αφηγηθεί την ιστορία του πηγαίνοντάς μας αρχικά στα 1856 όπου ένα νεαρό ζευγάρι που επιβαίνει σε ένα πλοίο της εποχής παρασυρόμενο μακριά από την αρχική του πορεία, βρίσκεται άξαφνα αλυσοδεμένο για να καταλήξει στο κρύο βυθό της Ανταρκτικής. Στην συνέχεια βρισκόμαστε πίσω στο σήμερα όπου ο δημοσιογράφος και φωτογράφος Μάικλ Γουάιλντ, προσπαθώντας να συνέλθει από ένα τραγικό γεγονός που έφερε τα πάνω κάτω στην ζωή του, αναλαμβάνει για λογαριασμό του περιοδικού στο οποίο κι εργάζεται μια αποστολή που θα τον οδηγήσει μέχρι την παγωμένη ήπειρο της Ανταρκτικής. Και όσο και αν αυτό το ταξίδι φάνταζε αρχικά για τον Μάικλ μια ελπίδα να ξεφύγει από τα προβλήματά του και να καθαρίσει το μυαλό του, αυτά με τα οποία θα βρεθεί αντιμέτωπος είναι πολύ περισσότερα απ' όσα θα περίμενε ή απ' όσα θα μπορούσε να διαχειριστεί. Στο βυθό της θάλασσας και μέσα σε ένα κομμάτι πάγου, ανακαλύπτει το νεαρό ζευγάρι που αναφέρθηκε παραπάνω και από εκεί ξεκινάνε όλα.
Ο συγγραφέας χωρίζει το βιβλίο του σε τέσσερα διαφορετικά μέρη, επιλέγοντας στα δύο πρώτα από αυτά την μέθοδο της παράλληλης αφήγησης. Μας ταξιδεύει συνεχώς από το σήμερα στο 1854, προσπαθώντας με αυτό τον τρόπο όχι απλά να μας μεταφέρει τα γεγονότα του σήμερα αλλά, και τα γεγονότα εκείνα που οδήγησαν στη γνωριμία των δύο νέων και την πορεία της ζωής του μέχρι την στιγμή που καταδικάστηκαν στον παγωμένο θάνατό τους. Με γλαφυρό τρόπο, αναπαριστά την Βικτοριανή Αγγλία αλλά και τους ανθρώπους της εποχής, κάνοντας ξεκάθαρες τις διαφορές στα ήθη και στα έθιμα του τότε με του σήμερα αλλά, και των αντιλήψεων των ανθρώπων. Με αυτό τον τρόπο, αν και σε κάποιους μπορεί να φαίνεται κουραστικό, μας βοηθάει να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα τους λόγους που τα πράγματα οδηγήθηκαν στο σημείο όπου κι έφτασαν ενώ μας αφήνει να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα τους εγκλωβισμένους στον πάγο χαρακτήρες, για όταν θα έρθει η ώρα τους να αποτελέσουν ουσιαστικό κομμάτι της δράσης στο παρόν.
Σε ότι έχει να κάνει με το παρόν, ο συγγραφέας αναφέρεται σε πληθώρα τεχνολογικών και επιστημονικών λεπτομερειών τα οποία, για να είμαι απόλυτα ειλικρινείς, μπορεί να προκαλέσουν ανία σε όσους δεν ενδιαφέρονται καθόλου σχετικά με το θέμα αλλά από την άλλη, θα γοητεύσουν και θα εντυπωσιάσουν με τον τρόπο που παρουσιάζονται και αναπτύσσονται, όλους εκείνους που έχουν περάσει αρκετές ώρες παρακολουθώντας National Geographic ή άλλα παρεμφερής θεματολογίας ντοκιμαντέρ. Φαίνεται ξεκάθαρα πως ο δημιουργός του εν λόγου βιβλίου δεν έγραψε απλά μια ιστορία που διαδραματίζεται στην Ανταρκτική αλλά, μελέτησε πολύ προσεκτικά το περιεχόμενο αυτού που ήθελε να παρουσιάσει στο κοινό, παραθέτοντάς του επιστημονικά στοιχεία που αν και περίπλοκα, εξηγούνται με αρκετά ικανοποιητικό τρόπο έτσι ώστε να μην μπορούμε μεν να γίνουμε επιστήμονες αλλά, να κατανοήσουμε εν τέλη την ουσία και την σκοπιμότητά τους. Μαγευόμαστε από την Ανταρκτική και τον παράξενο κόσμο της ενώ παράλληλα, γινόμαστε μάρτυρες μιας επιστημονικής θεωρίας η οποία θα μπορούσε να έχει βάσει αφού βασίζεται σε μια ιδιαίτερη και απόλυτη λογική.
Η δράση έρχεται εκεί όπου ο πάγος λιώνει, απελευθερώνοντας το νεαρό ζευγάρι που με έναν μυστήριο τρόπο επανέρχεται στη ζωή. Αυτό είναι το σημείο όπου η τεχνολογία και η επιστήμη, έρχονται να συναντήσουν τις αιματηρές και θανάσιμες προεκτάσεις μιας ιστορίας αιώνων που θάφτηκε μαζί με τους εμπλεκόμενους. Το απομονωμένο, ψυχρό και τρομακτικό περιβάλλον της Ανταρκτικής λειτουργεί καταλυτικά, προκαλώντας μια αίσθηση κλειστοφοβίας αφού, τα γεγονότα συνεχώς εξελίσσονται, νέοι κίνδυνοι και ελάχιστες προοπτικές ανοίγονται μπροστά μας ενώ παράλληλα, τα περιθώρια να ξεφύγεις απ' όσα σε καταδιώκουν είναι πολύ στενά, μην έχοντας πουθενά να πας. Εκεί αρχίζει το θρίλερ, εκεί περιορίζονται οι επιλογές και παρακολουθείς με κομμένη την ανάσα, αναζητώντας διέξοδο και λογική σε μια ιστορία της οποίας οι όποιες προεκτάσεις φαντάζουν καταδικασμένες.
Το "Αίμα Και Πάγος" δεν είναι ένα εύκολο βιβλίο και σίγουρα απευθύνεται σε ένα πιο ώριμο αναγνωστικό κοινό και όχι σε εκείνο που περιμένει ένα κοινότυπο και ανάλαφρο μεταφυσικό ρομάντζο για να ικανοποιήσει τις αναγνωστικές του ανάγκες. Η σύγχρονη επιστήμη και τεχνολογία συναντούν την ιστορία που πέρασε ενώ παράλληλα, έχουμε το πάντρεμα διαφόρων λογοτεχνικών ειδών αλλά και ένα ταξίδι στον χώρο και τον χρόνο, το πέρασμα μέσα από την ιστορία, φτάνοντας στο σήμερα, προσπαθώντας να δοθεί μια λογική εξήγηση και μια λύση σε ένα φαινόμενο το οποίο έχει παρουσιαστεί με πολλάκις και διαφορετικούς τρόπους. Είναι ένα επιστημονικό θρίλερ όπου η δράση σχετίζεται με τον μαραθώνιο αγώνα εύρησης μιας λύσης η οποία μπορεί να μην προσφέρει την λύτρωση αλλά, μένει πιστή σε όλα όσα παρουσίασε από την αρχή της. Αυτό γίνεται ξεκάθαρο και από το φινάλε της ιστορίας που δεν έχει happy end με την κυριολεκτική έννοια του όρου, αφήνοντάς μας με μια γλυκόπικρη γεύση ρεαλισμού. Κατά βάθος όμως, είναι μια ιδιαίτερη ιστορία αγάπης που αποδεικνύει ότι το πάντα μπορεί να έχει πολλαπλές διαστάσεις.
Ο Roberto Masello ξεκινάει να αφηγηθεί την ιστορία του πηγαίνοντάς μας αρχικά στα 1856 όπου ένα νεαρό ζευγάρι που επιβαίνει σε ένα πλοίο της εποχής παρασυρόμενο μακριά από την αρχική του πορεία, βρίσκεται άξαφνα αλυσοδεμένο για να καταλήξει στο κρύο βυθό της Ανταρκτικής. Στην συνέχεια βρισκόμαστε πίσω στο σήμερα όπου ο δημοσιογράφος και φωτογράφος Μάικλ Γουάιλντ, προσπαθώντας να συνέλθει από ένα τραγικό γεγονός που έφερε τα πάνω κάτω στην ζωή του, αναλαμβάνει για λογαριασμό του περιοδικού στο οποίο κι εργάζεται μια αποστολή που θα τον οδηγήσει μέχρι την παγωμένη ήπειρο της Ανταρκτικής. Και όσο και αν αυτό το ταξίδι φάνταζε αρχικά για τον Μάικλ μια ελπίδα να ξεφύγει από τα προβλήματά του και να καθαρίσει το μυαλό του, αυτά με τα οποία θα βρεθεί αντιμέτωπος είναι πολύ περισσότερα απ' όσα θα περίμενε ή απ' όσα θα μπορούσε να διαχειριστεί. Στο βυθό της θάλασσας και μέσα σε ένα κομμάτι πάγου, ανακαλύπτει το νεαρό ζευγάρι που αναφέρθηκε παραπάνω και από εκεί ξεκινάνε όλα.
Ο συγγραφέας χωρίζει το βιβλίο του σε τέσσερα διαφορετικά μέρη, επιλέγοντας στα δύο πρώτα από αυτά την μέθοδο της παράλληλης αφήγησης. Μας ταξιδεύει συνεχώς από το σήμερα στο 1854, προσπαθώντας με αυτό τον τρόπο όχι απλά να μας μεταφέρει τα γεγονότα του σήμερα αλλά, και τα γεγονότα εκείνα που οδήγησαν στη γνωριμία των δύο νέων και την πορεία της ζωής του μέχρι την στιγμή που καταδικάστηκαν στον παγωμένο θάνατό τους. Με γλαφυρό τρόπο, αναπαριστά την Βικτοριανή Αγγλία αλλά και τους ανθρώπους της εποχής, κάνοντας ξεκάθαρες τις διαφορές στα ήθη και στα έθιμα του τότε με του σήμερα αλλά, και των αντιλήψεων των ανθρώπων. Με αυτό τον τρόπο, αν και σε κάποιους μπορεί να φαίνεται κουραστικό, μας βοηθάει να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα τους λόγους που τα πράγματα οδηγήθηκαν στο σημείο όπου κι έφτασαν ενώ μας αφήνει να κατανοήσουμε καλύτερα τους εγκλωβισμένους στον πάγο χαρακτήρες, για όταν θα έρθει η ώρα τους να αποτελέσουν ουσιαστικό κομμάτι της δράσης στο παρόν.
Σε ότι έχει να κάνει με το παρόν, ο συγγραφέας αναφέρεται σε πληθώρα τεχνολογικών και επιστημονικών λεπτομερειών τα οποία, για να είμαι απόλυτα ειλικρινείς, μπορεί να προκαλέσουν ανία σε όσους δεν ενδιαφέρονται καθόλου σχετικά με το θέμα αλλά από την άλλη, θα γοητεύσουν και θα εντυπωσιάσουν με τον τρόπο που παρουσιάζονται και αναπτύσσονται, όλους εκείνους που έχουν περάσει αρκετές ώρες παρακολουθώντας National Geographic ή άλλα παρεμφερής θεματολογίας ντοκιμαντέρ. Φαίνεται ξεκάθαρα πως ο δημιουργός του εν λόγου βιβλίου δεν έγραψε απλά μια ιστορία που διαδραματίζεται στην Ανταρκτική αλλά, μελέτησε πολύ προσεκτικά το περιεχόμενο αυτού που ήθελε να παρουσιάσει στο κοινό, παραθέτοντάς του επιστημονικά στοιχεία που αν και περίπλοκα, εξηγούνται με αρκετά ικανοποιητικό τρόπο έτσι ώστε να μην μπορούμε μεν να γίνουμε επιστήμονες αλλά, να κατανοήσουμε εν τέλη την ουσία και την σκοπιμότητά τους. Μαγευόμαστε από την Ανταρκτική και τον παράξενο κόσμο της ενώ παράλληλα, γινόμαστε μάρτυρες μιας επιστημονικής θεωρίας η οποία θα μπορούσε να έχει βάσει αφού βασίζεται σε μια ιδιαίτερη και απόλυτη λογική.
Η δράση έρχεται εκεί όπου ο πάγος λιώνει, απελευθερώνοντας το νεαρό ζευγάρι που με έναν μυστήριο τρόπο επανέρχεται στη ζωή. Αυτό είναι το σημείο όπου η τεχνολογία και η επιστήμη, έρχονται να συναντήσουν τις αιματηρές και θανάσιμες προεκτάσεις μιας ιστορίας αιώνων που θάφτηκε μαζί με τους εμπλεκόμενους. Το απομονωμένο, ψυχρό και τρομακτικό περιβάλλον της Ανταρκτικής λειτουργεί καταλυτικά, προκαλώντας μια αίσθηση κλειστοφοβίας αφού, τα γεγονότα συνεχώς εξελίσσονται, νέοι κίνδυνοι και ελάχιστες προοπτικές ανοίγονται μπροστά μας ενώ παράλληλα, τα περιθώρια να ξεφύγεις απ' όσα σε καταδιώκουν είναι πολύ στενά, μην έχοντας πουθενά να πας. Εκεί αρχίζει το θρίλερ, εκεί περιορίζονται οι επιλογές και παρακολουθείς με κομμένη την ανάσα, αναζητώντας διέξοδο και λογική σε μια ιστορία της οποίας οι όποιες προεκτάσεις φαντάζουν καταδικασμένες.
Το "Αίμα Και Πάγος" δεν είναι ένα εύκολο βιβλίο και σίγουρα απευθύνεται σε ένα πιο ώριμο αναγνωστικό κοινό και όχι σε εκείνο που περιμένει ένα κοινότυπο και ανάλαφρο μεταφυσικό ρομάντζο για να ικανοποιήσει τις αναγνωστικές του ανάγκες. Η σύγχρονη επιστήμη και τεχνολογία συναντούν την ιστορία που πέρασε ενώ παράλληλα, έχουμε το πάντρεμα διαφόρων λογοτεχνικών ειδών αλλά και ένα ταξίδι στον χώρο και τον χρόνο, το πέρασμα μέσα από την ιστορία, φτάνοντας στο σήμερα, προσπαθώντας να δοθεί μια λογική εξήγηση και μια λύση σε ένα φαινόμενο το οποίο έχει παρουσιαστεί με πολλάκις και διαφορετικούς τρόπους. Είναι ένα επιστημονικό θρίλερ όπου η δράση σχετίζεται με τον μαραθώνιο αγώνα εύρησης μιας λύσης η οποία μπορεί να μην προσφέρει την λύτρωση αλλά, μένει πιστή σε όλα όσα παρουσίασε από την αρχή της. Αυτό γίνεται ξεκάθαρο και από το φινάλε της ιστορίας που δεν έχει happy end με την κυριολεκτική έννοια του όρου, αφήνοντάς μας με μια γλυκόπικρη γεύση ρεαλισμού. Κατά βάθος όμως, είναι μια ιδιαίτερη ιστορία αγάπης που αποδεικνύει ότι το πάντα μπορεί να έχει πολλαπλές διαστάσεις.
October 12, 2024
I’m very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book! On a trip to the beach and a stop at Robert’s Bookstore, I bought a big bundle of random mystery books with this book inside. This is actually a type of vampire fantasy that is very scientific but makes the idea of becoming immortal seem very likely to happen. Very different, and something I’m shocked to have stayed interested in, so good!
October 28, 2024
Highly atmospheric, which I love in a book, but what genre was this supposed to be? Horror? Romance? Thriller? Historical fiction? Science fiction? Paranormal? Vampire? Smut? Couldn’t tell ya. Because it encompassed all of those things and that made for a weird ride.
August 14, 2025
Was ich erwartet habe: einen wissenschaftlich angehauchten Thriller.
Was ich bekommen habe: Vampire in der Antarktis. wtf?
Die erste Hälfte war echt interessant und ich habe große Lust bekommen in die Antarktis zu fahren.
Das Ende war einfach nur wild.
Was ich bekommen habe: Vampire in der Antarktis. wtf?
Die erste Hälfte war echt interessant und ich habe große Lust bekommen in die Antarktis zu fahren.
Das Ende war einfach nur wild.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2015
"Blood & Ice" is quite an original vampire story. It intertwines the past and the present day to give us two stories which run parallel to one another. The story of Sinclair and Eleanor in Victorian England and the other of Michael Wilde, present day photographer and journalist, who travels to a remote research station in Antarctica to write a story for a magazine.
I much preferred the present day and found the characters to be interesting. I liked the background to Michael, the main protagonist, who's girlfriend and soulmate is in a coma after a tragic accident while hiking. The author does a terrific job at explaining Michael's feelings and emotions. The other scientists, doctors and workers at the station, especially Darryl the biologist who is a quirky little character, are also an interesting bunch and I enjoyed reading about them.
Masello does a really great job describing the desolate, but spectacular, icy lands of the Antarctic - what an amazing and terrifying place to be. Unfortunately, it is interrupted with that of Victorian England, which although by itself is detailed very well and gives us the story and background of Sinclair and Eleanor, to me it is an unwelcome intrusion and interrupts the flow of the main story. It didn't help me get to know Sinclair or Eleanor in any real depth so seemed rather pointless and offered far too many passages about their surroundings and the wars of the time period.
I didn't really need to know about the Crimea war, which had no real baring on the story at all and could, and should in my opinion, have been omitted. It wouldn't have taken anything away from the main story and in fact would have made the book that much tighter and shorter, and therefore a more enjoyable read.
The summary suggests danger with regards to the two bodies found deep in the freezing cold waters but it couldn't be farther from the truth. There's no real blood sucking, except from a bottle Eleanor and Sinclair carry with them - which isn't very chilling is it. There are a few sections that spice things up when a couple bodies rise after death with the thirst for blood and attack a few people, but on the whole it is pretty tame.
I think that by getting to know Eleanor and Sinclair in the flashbacks, it took away the sinister element of the unknown. I knew they wouldn't hurt anybody from the outset, as they are both very nice people, so I didn't feel any tension when the scientific crew raised their bodies from the icy depths.
"Blood & Ice" is quite a dense book and with just being five pages shy of five hundred, a bit too long. I did enjoy it but I wasn't riveted and it didn't particularly excite me. There are too many passages of descriptive prose that although are well written bored me slightly and my mind drifted to other things on several occasions.
My two favourite aspects to the story are Michael Wilde who is a very interesting character and I really enjoyed learning about him and his sad background. He's a very realistic character as is the beautiful Antarctic landscape around him. Antartica plays such an important role in this book with trying to keep it as original as possible, that it is almost like another character.
The ending is very far fetched and something as complex as finding a "cure" wouldn't happen in a few days. However, the conclusion to each individual character is satisfactory and I closed the book pretty satisfied, albeit with a small "role of the eyes".
VERDICT:
"Blood & Ice" held my interest at the same level throughout - it has a monotonicity about it as nothing really happens - there are no real highs or any real lows.
After reading the quote on the front cover, "Stunning... will chill you to the bone" from Lisa Gardner, I was hoping for something a little bit more unnerving and creepy, but instead I didn't find this book chilling, frightening or horrific on any level. It may contain vampires but as we get to know them through the back flashes to the 1800's we realise they are't really menacing at all and therefore no real threat.
However, even with all it's faults "Blood & Ice" certainly isn't a bad book, and I did find myself enjoying it - Michael Wilde and the glorious Antarctic the main reasons - and I would still recommend it.
I much preferred the present day and found the characters to be interesting. I liked the background to Michael, the main protagonist, who's girlfriend and soulmate is in a coma after a tragic accident while hiking. The author does a terrific job at explaining Michael's feelings and emotions. The other scientists, doctors and workers at the station, especially Darryl the biologist who is a quirky little character, are also an interesting bunch and I enjoyed reading about them.
Masello does a really great job describing the desolate, but spectacular, icy lands of the Antarctic - what an amazing and terrifying place to be. Unfortunately, it is interrupted with that of Victorian England, which although by itself is detailed very well and gives us the story and background of Sinclair and Eleanor, to me it is an unwelcome intrusion and interrupts the flow of the main story. It didn't help me get to know Sinclair or Eleanor in any real depth so seemed rather pointless and offered far too many passages about their surroundings and the wars of the time period.
I didn't really need to know about the Crimea war, which had no real baring on the story at all and could, and should in my opinion, have been omitted. It wouldn't have taken anything away from the main story and in fact would have made the book that much tighter and shorter, and therefore a more enjoyable read.
The summary suggests danger with regards to the two bodies found deep in the freezing cold waters but it couldn't be farther from the truth. There's no real blood sucking, except from a bottle Eleanor and Sinclair carry with them - which isn't very chilling is it. There are a few sections that spice things up when a couple bodies rise after death with the thirst for blood and attack a few people, but on the whole it is pretty tame.
I think that by getting to know Eleanor and Sinclair in the flashbacks, it took away the sinister element of the unknown. I knew they wouldn't hurt anybody from the outset, as they are both very nice people, so I didn't feel any tension when the scientific crew raised their bodies from the icy depths.
"Blood & Ice" is quite a dense book and with just being five pages shy of five hundred, a bit too long. I did enjoy it but I wasn't riveted and it didn't particularly excite me. There are too many passages of descriptive prose that although are well written bored me slightly and my mind drifted to other things on several occasions.
My two favourite aspects to the story are Michael Wilde who is a very interesting character and I really enjoyed learning about him and his sad background. He's a very realistic character as is the beautiful Antarctic landscape around him. Antartica plays such an important role in this book with trying to keep it as original as possible, that it is almost like another character.
The ending is very far fetched and something as complex as finding a "cure" wouldn't happen in a few days. However, the conclusion to each individual character is satisfactory and I closed the book pretty satisfied, albeit with a small "role of the eyes".
VERDICT:
"Blood & Ice" held my interest at the same level throughout - it has a monotonicity about it as nothing really happens - there are no real highs or any real lows.
After reading the quote on the front cover, "Stunning... will chill you to the bone" from Lisa Gardner, I was hoping for something a little bit more unnerving and creepy, but instead I didn't find this book chilling, frightening or horrific on any level. It may contain vampires but as we get to know them through the back flashes to the 1800's we realise they are't really menacing at all and therefore no real threat.
However, even with all it's faults "Blood & Ice" certainly isn't a bad book, and I did find myself enjoying it - Michael Wilde and the glorious Antarctic the main reasons - and I would still recommend it.
September 27, 2011
“(Audiobook)
2.5 stars
If you're looking for some almost-tense, pseudo-horror escapism, look no farther than Blood and Ice by Robert Masello. This book certainly won't make you smarter, it won't change your life, but you'll be fairly well entertained and you might even be given a rudimentary history lesson on the Crimean War. For the history/wikipedia enthusiasts, you might even dig into a little more about "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Always fun to branch out into other areas of literature.
The book description pretty much covers it - and I have to admit that the premise is more interesting than the actual execution - scientists in the Antarctic find a pair of bodies chained together frozen in a glacier. In the very first chapter, the reader is witness to the seeming tragedy as paranoid and terrified sailors through two sickly travelers overboard in the frigid southern seas. From there we are treated to chapters which regularly alternate between Victorian England and contemporary Antarctic station. Pretty much all of the characters are static and unchanging, learning essentially nothing, but they are at least well-defined archetypes so it's not hard to just go with it.
The premise and the title make it sound as if you will be experiencing the terrors of vampires in the frozen cold, but the scariness doesn't really materialize at any point from what I can say. Suspense, sure. Terror? No. There is a certain amount of mystery about what has happened and why, but it never really become the Thing That Goes Bump in the Night. Even the antagonist isn't that scary - and to be quite honest, I felt more SORRY for him than anything.
There is a bit of so-called romance dumped into the book at the last minute that is hardly convincing (sort of the like the "romance" that was in the movie Broken Arrow), but I suppose it fills a character's needs for resolution. I'll go with it.
But the climactic reveal, the game-changer, the thing that ends up resolving the conflict is a bit of soft science nonsense. I'm not going to go into it; others have done so in other reviews (perhaps on Amazon or here on GoodReads), but I have to agree that it's just, for lack of a better word, stupid. There is some science about how the fish in the Antarctic don't freeze despite the water being freezing cold, and I'll buy that. It seems weird, but I'll bite. But the undoing of the antagonist is hardly satisfactory and pretty much leaves me thinking that the "happy" ending of the story is merely a smoke screen hiding the next inevitable tragedy.
All in all, I was well entertained by this story, but it didn't change my world, and the soft-science drivel was enough to make me roll my eyes more than once, and I"m really more of a roll-with-it kind of reader.
Not anti-recommended, but not recommended. A fun way to pass the time, but don't expect any fireworks.
The audiobook narrator does a competent job - you don't even noitce him. (Honestly, if I notice the narrator more than the story, the narrator is doing a bad job.) This wouldn't be the worst audiobook to get in the world, even if the story itself is nothing special.
2.5 stars
If you're looking for some almost-tense, pseudo-horror escapism, look no farther than Blood and Ice by Robert Masello. This book certainly won't make you smarter, it won't change your life, but you'll be fairly well entertained and you might even be given a rudimentary history lesson on the Crimean War. For the history/wikipedia enthusiasts, you might even dig into a little more about "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Always fun to branch out into other areas of literature.
The book description pretty much covers it - and I have to admit that the premise is more interesting than the actual execution - scientists in the Antarctic find a pair of bodies chained together frozen in a glacier. In the very first chapter, the reader is witness to the seeming tragedy as paranoid and terrified sailors through two sickly travelers overboard in the frigid southern seas. From there we are treated to chapters which regularly alternate between Victorian England and contemporary Antarctic station. Pretty much all of the characters are static and unchanging, learning essentially nothing, but they are at least well-defined archetypes so it's not hard to just go with it.
The premise and the title make it sound as if you will be experiencing the terrors of vampires in the frozen cold, but the scariness doesn't really materialize at any point from what I can say. Suspense, sure. Terror? No. There is a certain amount of mystery about what has happened and why, but it never really become the Thing That Goes Bump in the Night. Even the antagonist isn't that scary - and to be quite honest, I felt more SORRY for him than anything.
There is a bit of so-called romance dumped into the book at the last minute that is hardly convincing (sort of the like the "romance" that was in the movie Broken Arrow), but I suppose it fills a character's needs for resolution. I'll go with it.
But the climactic reveal, the game-changer, the thing that ends up resolving the conflict is a bit of soft science nonsense. I'm not going to go into it; others have done so in other reviews (perhaps on Amazon or here on GoodReads), but I have to agree that it's just, for lack of a better word, stupid. There is some science about how the fish in the Antarctic don't freeze despite the water being freezing cold, and I'll buy that. It seems weird, but I'll bite. But the undoing of the antagonist is hardly satisfactory and pretty much leaves me thinking that the "happy" ending of the story is merely a smoke screen hiding the next inevitable tragedy.
All in all, I was well entertained by this story, but it didn't change my world, and the soft-science drivel was enough to make me roll my eyes more than once, and I"m really more of a roll-with-it kind of reader.
Not anti-recommended, but not recommended. A fun way to pass the time, but don't expect any fireworks.
The audiobook narrator does a competent job - you don't even noitce him. (Honestly, if I notice the narrator more than the story, the narrator is doing a bad job.) This wouldn't be the worst audiobook to get in the world, even if the story itself is nothing special.
March 16, 2015
Warning: don't read anything on the back cover or any author blurbs. They contain huge spoilers. Fortunately, I didn't read the back of the book until I'd already figured out what the blurbs spoil, but still, that is very frustrating. Any spoilers in my review will be hidden, so you're safe reading on. I will only mention what is covered in the Goodreads description.
This is a good book that should have a higher rating on Goodreads. Perhaps other readers did not appreciate the author's detailed research about Antarctica and the Crimean War, which is a shame because it is skillfully presented and very interesting. Make the world a little less dumb, people!
The book opens with the unusually cruel murder of a British military officer and his sick wife. In just a few pages, I'd grown fond of the couple. So it was a melancholy read as the book rewound a bit and covered their lives prior to the murder. The book switches between Sinclair and Eleanor's story and a modern day journalist visiting an Antarctic research station. We spend a long time learning about all three characters before they "meet" in a chance encounter during a scuba dive. Michael, the journalist, is stunned and longs to know who they were and how they came to be murdered at the ends of the earth.
I'll admit that there are some flaws and plot holes, but the setting and intrigue more than make up for it. This is a good read for the dog days of summer or if your air conditioning breaks.
Now spoiler time for those who've read it:
This is a good book that should have a higher rating on Goodreads. Perhaps other readers did not appreciate the author's detailed research about Antarctica and the Crimean War, which is a shame because it is skillfully presented and very interesting. Make the world a little less dumb, people!
The book opens with the unusually cruel murder of a British military officer and his sick wife. In just a few pages, I'd grown fond of the couple. So it was a melancholy read as the book rewound a bit and covered their lives prior to the murder. The book switches between Sinclair and Eleanor's story and a modern day journalist visiting an Antarctic research station. We spend a long time learning about all three characters before they "meet" in a chance encounter during a scuba dive. Michael, the journalist, is stunned and longs to know who they were and how they came to be murdered at the ends of the earth.
I'll admit that there are some flaws and plot holes, but the setting and intrigue more than make up for it. This is a good read for the dog days of summer or if your air conditioning breaks.
Now spoiler time for those who've read it:
November 8, 2014
Having thoroughly enjoyed reading The Romanov Cross by this author, I was naturally looking forward to reading Blood and Ice. I was not in the least disappointed! While journalist, Michael Wild, is visiting an Antarctic research station in order to heal from a recent personal tragedy, he discovers two bodies frozen into a glacier. However, when the block of ice containing the bodies starts melting, the bodies disappear and what might have been a career making discovery for Michael turns into a nightmare for the entire research base.
This captivating page-turner is most certainly going onto my favorite reads of 2014 list. The story of Michael in the present as well as that of Eleanor and Sinclair in the past unfolds methodically, never giving away too much at once, thus inspiring one to just continue reading.
A master of realistic description, Robert Masello makes the reader see the Antarctic with its storms, bleak but interesting landscape, and fascinating marine life in vivid detail. While telling the 19th century part of the tale, he describes Victorian England and the Crimean war with equal skill.
The dialogue, especially that of the characters in Victorian England, is realistically adapted for that period. The characters, even the secondary ones, grew on me—not a good idea as some of them naturally have to fall by the way side. Even Sinclair Copley, whose personality became somewhat warped after his Crimean experience, is a likable, well fleshed out character.
In the pages of this book you will travel on both 19th century and modern ships, experience life at an Antarctic research base, attend the very first Ascot Gold Cup and relive the fatal charge of the light brigade. Rooted in Turkish folk lore and filled with adventure, mystery and a bit of masterfully written romance, Blood and Ice is a must-read for anybody who loves a well-researched, suspense laden, yet heartwarming, thriller. (Ellen Fritz)
This captivating page-turner is most certainly going onto my favorite reads of 2014 list. The story of Michael in the present as well as that of Eleanor and Sinclair in the past unfolds methodically, never giving away too much at once, thus inspiring one to just continue reading.
A master of realistic description, Robert Masello makes the reader see the Antarctic with its storms, bleak but interesting landscape, and fascinating marine life in vivid detail. While telling the 19th century part of the tale, he describes Victorian England and the Crimean war with equal skill.
The dialogue, especially that of the characters in Victorian England, is realistically adapted for that period. The characters, even the secondary ones, grew on me—not a good idea as some of them naturally have to fall by the way side. Even Sinclair Copley, whose personality became somewhat warped after his Crimean experience, is a likable, well fleshed out character.
In the pages of this book you will travel on both 19th century and modern ships, experience life at an Antarctic research base, attend the very first Ascot Gold Cup and relive the fatal charge of the light brigade. Rooted in Turkish folk lore and filled with adventure, mystery and a bit of masterfully written romance, Blood and Ice is a must-read for anybody who loves a well-researched, suspense laden, yet heartwarming, thriller. (Ellen Fritz)
May 14, 2009
Michael Wilde is a journalist for Eco-Travel magazine. His boss offers him the chance to travel to the ends of the earth or pretty much close to it. He tells Michael that he has set it up where one reporter is being allowed to go to Point Adelie in Antarctica, near the South Pole. This assignment would be to take pictures of the Adelie penguins and write a report on them. Michael knows he can't pass up an opportunity like this, so he agrees to go.
While out on a diving expedition, Michael unearths something so horrific that it leaves him speechless. There located in the Antarctic Ocean is a man and a woman. They are frozen in a block of ice but that isn't the usual thing. It just so happens that the couple has been bound together by chains. It is like the ice has preserved them for all ages. Michael knows that he has discovered a gold mine. His only goal now is to figure out what happened, so many centuries ago. The answer to this mystery will blow you away as Michael possess what could be one of the best kept secrets of all times.
Let me first start off by saying Wow! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. At almost five hundred pages this is a good thing. Though as much as I liked Blood and Ice, there was only one little problem that I had and that was when the storyline would switch from the past to the present. I had a little trouble following at first and would have to check to see if I was going back in time before I would start reading. Other then this issue which I would call minor, I had a pleasure reading this book. Towards the middle of the story, it started to get dark. I don't want to give away the ending but let me tell you that it is good. I plan to check out Mr. Masello's other work.
While out on a diving expedition, Michael unearths something so horrific that it leaves him speechless. There located in the Antarctic Ocean is a man and a woman. They are frozen in a block of ice but that isn't the usual thing. It just so happens that the couple has been bound together by chains. It is like the ice has preserved them for all ages. Michael knows that he has discovered a gold mine. His only goal now is to figure out what happened, so many centuries ago. The answer to this mystery will blow you away as Michael possess what could be one of the best kept secrets of all times.
Let me first start off by saying Wow! I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. At almost five hundred pages this is a good thing. Though as much as I liked Blood and Ice, there was only one little problem that I had and that was when the storyline would switch from the past to the present. I had a little trouble following at first and would have to check to see if I was going back in time before I would start reading. Other then this issue which I would call minor, I had a pleasure reading this book. Towards the middle of the story, it started to get dark. I don't want to give away the ending but let me tell you that it is good. I plan to check out Mr. Masello's other work.
July 5, 2010
A wonderful read. For a start this is an intensely well written book, with superbly drawn out characters. The research that went into writing this book is clear on every single page, sometimes painfully so when Masello goes into a little bit too much detail - especially when describing the clubbing of seals and then pulping them for oil. I don't generally get squemish, but that was a little bit too much. Plenty of moments where the author focusses on what appears to be random elements, which later come into play as important plot-turning points. I didn't mind the slightly abstract science with the anti-freeze fish, either, since I've been a fan of science fiction for so long that dodgy science has become acceptable to me, after all this is fiction and so the rules of reality need to bend to suit the dramatic needs of the work. The vampire element, although not especially important in the first half of the book, is played up very nicely in the second half. Hardly ever does this book become a horror story, but rather downplays the supernatural horror of vampirism, instead focussing on the personal horror. Which is a very smart move from Masello, as vampire fiction needs new blood every now and then, a new spin to keep the old lore alive and fresh. Finally, a word about the cliched idea of a 'person out of time'. Although done many times over, Masello keeps it fresh in this story, by delving into the background of the two 19th century characters, showing them in their own world before bringing them into ours. An act done brilliantly well; the best example being Eleanor's first ever shower.
September 16, 2012
"I picked up this book because it was an adult vampire book and as much as I loved the Twilight series I was 'thirsting' for an adult vampire book as I'm currently working on my own vampire book. Blood and Ice is very much a modern Gothic romance that revolves around Lieutenant Sinclair Copley of the 17th Hussars and his lover Eleanor Ames, a nurse attached to Florence Nightingale, who makes a few cameo appearances. The book is a bit hard to take for the first half as it lurches between 1854 and the present day, usually a chapter at a time but I would encourage people to keep reading as once these two doomed lovers are freed from the ice block and awakened, the story suddenly takes on a Chricton type pace. At its heart it is a love story that spans centuries and poses the interesting and fascination scenario of 19th century characters being thrust into the 21st. The reaction of Eleanor to an African American female doctor is well within reason and totally believable. Masello has stayed away from the traditional vampire stereotypes and traced his vampire back to the Strigoi, a kind of beast that preyed on the dead and dying in the Crimea. The setting of Antarctica is fascinating and really takes you there, in the end you are forced to keep reading because you really do care about these two characters plucked from the 19th and thrust into the 21st century, where everything is both fascinating and terrifying. It was one of those books I read in a single afternoon and night. You almost want it to keep going into a sequel but I rather suspect that might ruin the story, it ends as it should end and leaves you feeling satisfied and hopeful. "
June 12, 2009
Vampires in Antarctica? What an original premise! I'm in one of my periodic "sick of vampires" phases, but Blood and Ice sounded different enough to be worth my while. I was especially curious to see what Masello would do with the polar seasons; a vampire might have to lay low all through the summer, but could wreak havoc 24/7 in winter!
Unfortunately, Blood and Ice never grabbed me. I knew I was in trouble when I encountered the prose in the present-day chapters (which are interspersed with historical chapters). It's not bad prose. It's just a specific style of prose that never does much for me. It's gadgety prose. It feels like Masello is more interested in educating me about the workings of a ship designed to navigate the Antarctic waters, and about the gear a diver has to wear when swimming in said Antarctic waters, than he is in telling an exciting story. I was briefly intrigued by parallels to the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but before long I was submerged in the gadgety prose again, and in the extremely slow pace.
Well, I like historical fiction, so I thought maybe the historical chapters would be more compelling. No such luck. The plot moves, if anything, even more slowly in these sections.
I quit about a third of the way in. There's still not much happening, none of the characters feel 3-D enough to keep me going, and I've got other things to read. This may be someone's cup of tea, but not mine. A book has to have vivid characters or an exciting plot to grab me, preferably both, and Blood and Ice just isn't hooking me on either count.
Unfortunately, Blood and Ice never grabbed me. I knew I was in trouble when I encountered the prose in the present-day chapters (which are interspersed with historical chapters). It's not bad prose. It's just a specific style of prose that never does much for me. It's gadgety prose. It feels like Masello is more interested in educating me about the workings of a ship designed to navigate the Antarctic waters, and about the gear a diver has to wear when swimming in said Antarctic waters, than he is in telling an exciting story. I was briefly intrigued by parallels to the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, but before long I was submerged in the gadgety prose again, and in the extremely slow pace.
Well, I like historical fiction, so I thought maybe the historical chapters would be more compelling. No such luck. The plot moves, if anything, even more slowly in these sections.
I quit about a third of the way in. There's still not much happening, none of the characters feel 3-D enough to keep me going, and I've got other things to read. This may be someone's cup of tea, but not mine. A book has to have vivid characters or an exciting plot to grab me, preferably both, and Blood and Ice just isn't hooking me on either count.
October 3, 2015
Audio version: 3.5 This has such an interesting mix of genres and it surprisingly (to me) works. Considering my primary reason for picking it was the Antartica setting (for a GRs Challenge) & the mystery, thriller & suspense tags, but wary of the historical, fantasy & vampire tags (just not my thing), I enjoyed it more than expected. I really enjoyed the characters and general storyline. Really, my main deductions were based on personal preferences/dislikes: historical (1800's) content went too long & I would lose interest & fade out plus it wasn't all nec. for the current storyline, luckily it switched back & forth w/the current storyline, which was very good & pulled me back in); and the overall book/audio (17 hrs) was too long for my taste when some wasn't nec. & could have been cut out of condensed or boring (IMO). BTW, related to the GR tags, it is a little more mystery, historical/war (Crimean), vampire-y/sci-fi & maybe even a little romance and less suspense/thriller. But just following the trip to and the day-to-day activities of research station near the South Pole was very interesting and worth the read.
March 18, 2015
Als ich mit dem Buch anfing, wusste ich noch nicht, dass auch hier wieder mein Lieblingsthema aufgegriffen wird. Ich hatte vor allem einen Wissenschaftsthriller erwartet, etwas in der Art von Preston/Child oder Crichton. Der Vergleich mit Stephenie Meyer in der Presse hat mich allerdings schon hellhoerig gemacht, und bald war klar warum.
Leider verraet das Buch gleich zu Anfang im Prolog viel zu viel, so dass die "Entdeckung" fuer mich keine Ueberraschung mehr dargestellt hat. Es war natuerlich interessant zu lesen wie sich die Geschichte entwickelt, allerdings haette ich mir ein bisschen mehr Spannung und Leidenschaft gewuenscht. Das Buch macht durchweg leider einen unterkuehlten Eindruck - was nicht am Schauplatz liegt, sondern an der sachlichen Art, mit der der Autor schreibt.
So wirkte alles mehr wie ein nuechterner Bericht als ein packender Roman, der zudem ein paar Seiten zu lang war fuer meinen Geschmack. Ich habe mich zwar ganz gut unterhalten, aber dieses Buch wird mir bestimmt nicht als herausragendes Leseerlebnis in Erinnerung bleiben.
Leider verraet das Buch gleich zu Anfang im Prolog viel zu viel, so dass die "Entdeckung" fuer mich keine Ueberraschung mehr dargestellt hat. Es war natuerlich interessant zu lesen wie sich die Geschichte entwickelt, allerdings haette ich mir ein bisschen mehr Spannung und Leidenschaft gewuenscht. Das Buch macht durchweg leider einen unterkuehlten Eindruck - was nicht am Schauplatz liegt, sondern an der sachlichen Art, mit der der Autor schreibt.
So wirkte alles mehr wie ein nuechterner Bericht als ein packender Roman, der zudem ein paar Seiten zu lang war fuer meinen Geschmack. Ich habe mich zwar ganz gut unterhalten, aber dieses Buch wird mir bestimmt nicht als herausragendes Leseerlebnis in Erinnerung bleiben.
April 5, 2010
The conceit--vampires at the South Pole!--is ridiculous enough to be good trashy fun. John Carpenter's The Thing used a similar idea to make a kickass horror flick, after all. And the author's description of the Pole's scientific station is fun enough. But a central plot point is so stupid, so completely idiotic, that it ruins the whole book. Its presence in the book spoils it, so I don't feel bad about this spoiler.
Imagine a fish that contains some sort of antifreeze in its blood, right? So its blood remains liquid at subzero temperatures. But if brushes against ice on its skin, ice crystals form quickly enough that they overwhelm the antifreeze and the fish instantaneously crystallizes. That's vaguely plausible.
Except that it'll happen even if the fish has been hanging out in tropical waters, apparently. The fish can have a body temperature of 80 degrees, and if someone lobs a snowball at it, it'll instantly freeze.
If this were a side point, it'd just be stupid. But it's central to the book's plot. Gah! Editors, pay attention!
Imagine a fish that contains some sort of antifreeze in its blood, right? So its blood remains liquid at subzero temperatures. But if brushes against ice on its skin, ice crystals form quickly enough that they overwhelm the antifreeze and the fish instantaneously crystallizes. That's vaguely plausible.
Except that it'll happen even if the fish has been hanging out in tropical waters, apparently. The fish can have a body temperature of 80 degrees, and if someone lobs a snowball at it, it'll instantly freeze.
If this were a side point, it'd just be stupid. But it's central to the book's plot. Gah! Editors, pay attention!
November 6, 2010
I wanted to like this a lot more than I ended liking it. The whole story feels like it's building then never really seems to hit it's peak. If you are looking for a 'vampire' story, this isn't it. This novel is far more concerned with ice, fish and snow than exploring what it means to live forever. There are some beautiful moments and some truly delightful touches but they are all too few and far between. All you are left with is a VERY slow story about the South Pole and it's wildlife. It's well wrote but meandering, it's a story about passion that's passionless, it's a vampire story, about, well, fish. And finally, when the plot takes off, it ends. A huge dissapointment. From a writer who has wrote a book called 'The Rules Of Writing,' he certainly screwed up structure in this piece of work. Sometimes, less is more my friend.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 331 reviews