Review by Booklist Review
It's been a while since society has thought of Antarctica as a frontier of exploration, but don't tell that to geologists. And certainly don't say anything of the sort when mentioning Vostok, Alten's new sf thriller about discovering the secrets of Earth's history trapped beneath the mammoth layers of ice covering a desolate continent. Marine biologist Zachary Wallace, after uncovering the mystery of Loch Ness in Alten's previous novel, travels to the other end of the planet in search of an ancient lake cloistered away beneath the Antarctic ice sheets for 15 million years. Vostok's greatest moments describe beautifully alien worlds filled with sea creatures that might have evolved had natural history followed a different course. Schools of bulbous, glowing fish like floating paper lanterns, slithering monsters with streams of lightning arcing along their hides, forests of algae dangling from the surface of an ancient watery cavern Vostok is written with the imagination of a passionate biologist. But in spite of the fascinated wonder at nature, Vostok feels most like a thriller. Science enthusiasts who like generous doses of excitement will get deeply into this book, but those who just want to be in awe of life's beautiful complexity might be a bit frustrated.--Francis, Chris Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
