Arctic Rising by Tobias Buckell

Premise: The world has succumbed to global warming and the polar ice caps have all but completely melted away, opening up the Arctic to previously inaccessible oil fields. Anika Duncan is on a routine patrol in her airship when she scans a ship and finds a radioactive signature. She goes in for a closer look but is shot down.

With her partner dead, assassins trying to kill her, the authorities constantly on her trail, and the threat of a nuclear weapon being set off, she doesn’t know who to trust. She goes on the run looking for answers and finds help in unlikely places: Roo, an agent-for-hire from the Caribbean, and Violet, a lesbian drug dealer that really likes Anika.

When Anika discovers there was something else on the ship of the people that shot her down, she realizes she is getting into the middle of a conflict that spans the globe but is quickly coming to a head in Thule, a city on the last chunk of ice in the Arctic, where leaders of the Gaia Corporation have plans for reversing the effects of global warming. The only problem is that it might just mean the beginning of another world war, with Anika right at its center.

Themes: Although Arctic Rising is science fiction, it is a political novel more than anything. In man’s lust for oil it has destroyed Earth through global warming. Power has shifted to oil companies and countries who have lower tax rates and move through open international waters. Gaia Corporation is an environmental group that has somehow gained power to the level of a powerful nation in spite of the destruction of the climate.

Though it is not a single incident we can point to, Arctic Rising is still a post-apocalyptic novel. Islands and coastlines have been devastated and destroyed, economies have shifted, the landscape of the world has been dramatically changed, and power has shifted between countries and corporations. Survival is a struggle as equatorial temperatures heat up and Arctic ice is turned to water.

This is also a story about trust, where Anika learns who she can trust even through such horrible global circumstances, but also must learn to trust on a personal level.

Pros: Arctic Rising is non-stop action with obvious nods to James Bond. Each of the characters have a voice of their own, and their interactions are believable and at times very visceral. While it seems impossible, the solution for fighting climate change was something new and curious, especially on the scale that Buckell puts forth here.

Cons: With its obvious environmental commentary, Arctic Rising was also fairly preachy in quite a few other topics, including global warming, politics, sexual orientation, and morality issues. Not only that, but it seems right around halfway through the book that the vulgarity was ramped up for no good reason, especially with swearing and sexual language. I also didn’t care for the description that was printed on the book itself because it simply gives too much away. Don’t put spoilers on the book!

Recommendations: In spite of the preachy messages in Arctic Rising, many with which I disagree, I still found myself enjoying the overall story. It should tell you something about the quality of the writing when someone who isn’t on board with the premise can still buy into the scientific speculation and recourse. I found Arctic Rising to be fast-paced, imaginative, and a surprising combination of action thriller and science fiction.

Tobias Buckell’s website
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Harbor by John Ajvide Lindqvist

Premise: Anders and Cecilia live a happy life with their daughter, Maja, on the island of Domarö in the archipelago off the coast of Sweden. Then, on a day trip to the lighthouse, Maja disappears without a trace and their lives are turned upside down.

They can’t handle the loss and they leave the island and separate, with Anders falling into drunkenness. In an attempt to regain some sanity, he comes back to Domarö to find answers with the help of his strong-willed grandmother, Anna-Greta, and her life partner of fifty years, the magician, Simon. Anders learns that there are more strange occurrences happening that natives of the island are keeping secret, including his own grandmother.

Simon may not be a native of Domarö, but he is keeping his own secret: the fact that he is bound to a strange centipede-like insect that is actually a magical creature called a Spiritus that allows him to have a connection with water. And water is everywhere. The sea might just be the source of the strange occurrences, and the size and reach of the sea is great. But these things still might not be enough to keep a father from searching for his lost daughter.

Themes: Some events can send ripples through the lives of many people, such as the loss of a child or the choices of an entire island to make a living. They can have an effect not only on those directly involved but also for generations following. We learn that the secrets of Domarö are because of things that happened long ago, and those events might just be the reason for Maja’s disappearance.

Harbor is really a story about what lengths a father is willing to go to find his child. Can he pull himself from the pits of despair and do whatever it takes to save his little girl? Even with a crumbling marriage and downward spiral into addiction and self-loathing, Anders still can find strength through his love of Maja, and that love might also even heal the other wounds.

This is also a story of facing fears. Whether it be irrational fears of an inanimate object, the fear of committing to marriage, or the fear of having to face tragedy, Harbor brings these fears to the forefront and forces the characters to wallow in them.

Pros: Harbor is a deeply depressing story that actually brought about redemption for not just the characters, but the island of Domarö itself. It did it in such a unique and non-cliche way that the ending’s contrast to the rest of the book made me glad I finished reading it. The atmosphere on the island feels suppressing and claustrophobic and Lindqvist’s prose gives us suspense by not allowing us to escape the tension too quickly. He makes the reader sit in it and ponder it, sometimes without providing relief. This proves to be pretty effective and we are left with a tension-filled, uncomfortable story throughout.

Cons: The book could have been cut down a hundred pages and still not lost much of anything. It just dragged on at times and the cuts could have brought more of a sense of urgency in Anders finding Maja. There were a few unnecessarily graphic scenes, both violent and sexual in nature, and one that is just plain gross. They didn’t add much to the story for me, and since this book was too long anyway they could have been easily dropped.

The book is filled with strange sentence structure, many times combining multiple sentences with commas instead of semicolons or splitting them into separate sentences. These just felt like run-on sentences. I don’t know if it was from a translation from Swedish to English or just intentionally done bad structure, but it started to bother me. Just use a period and start a new sentence. Don’t combine two complete sentences with a comma. It’s annoying.

Recommendations: Harbor is a creepy story of the immensity of the sea and the power it holds. I felt uncomfortable while reading it, but in a good way because of the nature of the plot. I was expecting a defeatist story with no hope or chance of redemption, but I was pleasantly disappointed. Give it a chance if you have the time for a dark and eloquent tale of loss and despair. While being a long story that can drag at times, the payoff is worth it in the end.

John Ajvide Lindqvist’s website
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The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood

Premise: Dr. Cathcart and his nephew Mr. Simpson go on a moose hunting trip deep into the wilderness of northern Canada with their guides Hank Davis and the French Canadian Joseph Défago, along with their Indian cook, Punk. They split up to cover more ground, Dr. Cathcart with Hank and Simpson with Défago, but the rumor of a creature that wanders the wild where they are headed begins to stir in their minds.

When Défago takes off unexpectedly, Simpson attempts to follow him, but Défago is so swift that he is unable to keep up. The strange tracks he leaves, however, reveal that Défago was chasing something else, something with even stranger tracks. Stranger still is the lingering scent of something unexplainable that those who have smelled it can only describe as the “odor of lions.”

Simpson somehow is able to make it back to the original camp alone. Dr. Cathcart and Hank are surprised to see him, especially without his guide. But when Défago returns on his own, he is somehow changed. Dr. Cathcart might know something of his condition, but it is Punk’s response in the end that is most telling.

Themes: The Wendigo is a story of the unknown, not only the stories and rumors of something in the wilderness, but the sheer anxiety of going into unexplored territory and living off the land and by your wits. This is a classic monster tale that asks the question, “Who or what is the monster here?”

The changes someone goes through when facing uninhabited lands can be thrilling, but it can also take a toll on your mind. At least, that is what The Wendigo says to us. The “call of the wild” can bring about a ferocity in a man that makes him lose a little of himself in the wild. And when brought back into civilization, that part of himself may not come back.

Pros: With classic horror stories the suspense is built by simply not showing the monster and by contrasting the fantastic with the mundane. Even in such a short story The Wendigo is packed with the perfect amount of character development, a vast setting, and an unsettling chill of something watching you at every turn.

Cons: Many authors of classic horror risk belaboring points and drawing out suspenseful situations through repetition, and The Wendigo is no exception. It can be tedious at times, but only briefly, if there is such a thing as briefly tedious. Thankfully, it is short and those parts can easily be plowed through.

Recommendations: If you have read Bram Stoker and Mary Shelley and are looking for more authors of their ilk, look no further than Algernon Blackwood. The Wendigo gives us a look at the unknown and brings with it both fear and wonder, which many times both go hand in hand. It is authors like Blackwood with such a mastery of the craft of storytelling that make me enjoy reading classics. Go read this now, especially since it is fairly short and you can download the ebook for free.

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Sketchy Behavior by Erynn Mangum

Premise: Kate Carter is your average teenager with artistic talent. However, when her class assignment to sketch someone based on a description ends up capturing a serial killer, her whole life in her small town turns upside-down. When one of the killer’s friends shoots at Kate when she is riding in a parade, the police have to protect her wherever she goes, including living with her family.

Against her father’s wishes, Kate’s mom decides the family needs to go to church, where she finds the normally mute Justin from her art class to be quite talkative. She has become a local celebrity, so wherever she goes people recognize her, which is strange because she has few friends and now people at school know who she is.

Kate and her family and friends are in different places in their beliefs, and her questions also lead her to wonder who she can really trust. They may have caught the murderer, John X, but his accomplice is still out there.

Themes: As the genre implies, this Christian young adult book has characters searching for faith. They are each in different places in their belief, from Kate and her family being new to this Christianity thing to DJ and Justin having a more developed faith in God.

Sketchy Behavior is primarily a thriller/mystery, with a few twists and turns to leave the reader guessing what will happen next. We don’t know who is trying to kill Kate, and the truth is held back until the very end.

This is also a book about family. The Carters are a strong family unit. Though they have their differences of opinion and their normal arguments, such as what Kate should do with her future, they still obviously love each other and want the best for each other.

Pros: Kate Carter is funny. She is a well-developed character and I immediately liked her. I wanted her talent to shine and take her places. Being someone who goes to church regularly, I felt like most of the faith elements were familiar, from the gray-haired old ladies to the hipster worship band in girl pants. It didn’t feel too forced into the story, though for Christian YA I might have infused the story with even more.

Cons: There were way too many popular culture references. It felt like there was at least one every other page, and some of them are already dated. I have a feeling they might make this book dated in just a few years. Although this was about Kate, most of the secondary characters were underdeveloped. Also, I had a gripe with a main plot point of the book. Since I have experience working with a law enforcement agency, I know that the police would have never released the name of the sketch artist for a known serial killer, let alone if it was done by a sixteen year old girl. It just wouldn’t happen. I had another gripe having to do with background checks for law enforcement agencies, but I don’t want to give any spoilers. Besides, it might be different for a small town police force.

Recommendations: A clean, funny, and suspenseful story, Sketchy Behavior is the kind of book I would let my young teen read. It has the kinds of questions someone very young might have about God, not attempting to give any complex answers to those questions. For adults, the story may be too simplistic in some areas, but it has an intelligent and strong teenage female protagonist with heart that young readers will enjoy.

Erynn Mangum’s website
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