Subterranean by James Rollins is a fantastical thriller set in Antarctica, where a team of scientists explores caves under a volcano and discovers new species of animals, plants, rocks, and humans. The story is filled with action, suspense, and danger as the team faces off against the mysterious underground world. The writing style is fast-paced, full of adventure, and provides a nice escape from reality, offering a mesmerizing experience for readers who enjoy exploring the unknown.

Characters:

Characters are reasonably well-developed, embodying universally relatable motivations, although some exhibit predictable traits.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is fast-paced and straightforward, focusing on adventure and action with minimal distractions.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot involves a team of scientists exploring a cavern system beneath Antarctica, discovering dangerous creatures and a hidden civilization.

Setting:

The setting predominantly takes place in vast, undiscovered caves beneath Antarctica, featuring diverse and fantastical ecosystems.

Pacing:

The pacing starts slow but accelerates with action, though some readers find segments of the story less engaging.

Ashley Carter knocked trail dirt from her boots before climbing into her rusted Chevy pickup. She threw her dusty cowboy hat on the seat next to her and swiped a handkerchief across her brow. Leaning ...

Notes:

Subterranean is a reimagining of Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The story features a scientist named Blakely who assembles a diverse team for an Antarctic expedition.

Team members include an anthropologist, a rock climber, a biologist, a geologist, and soldiers.

The plot includes elements of horror with monsters and an underground city.

The romance between characters Ashley and Ben adds depth to the story.

Reviewers mentioned the book as a blend of Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park.

While some enjoyed its fast pace, others found the plot predictable and cliched.

The novel explores themes of human relationships and survival in the face of danger.

It includes both fantastical creatures and a hidden civilization beneath Antarctica.

The book is noted for its adventure and scientific details intertwined with fiction.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

There are themes of violence, perilous situations, and interactions with monstrous creatures, so readers may find these elements troubling.

Has Romance?

There is a love story involving two characters, which adds depth to their relationship amid the adventure.

From The Publisher:

Revisit the remarkable debut novel that launched the career of New York Times bestselling author James Rollins.

The Earth's last mystery is about to be revealed…The world beneath the world is waiting.

Beneath the ice at the bottom of the Earth is a magnificent subterranean labyrinth, a place of breathtaking wonders-and terrors beyond imagining. A team of specialists led by archaeologist Ashley Carter has been hand-picked to explore this secret place and to uncover the riches it holds. But they are not the first to venture here-and those they follow did not return. There are mysteries here older than time and revelations that could change the world. But there are also things that should not be disturbed-and a devastating truth that could doom Ashley and the expedition: they are not alone.

Ratings (12)

Incredible (2)
Loved It (5)
Liked It (2)
It Was OK (3)

Reader Stats (23):

Read It (12)
Want To Read (7)
Not Interested (4)

1 comment(s)

porkchop

It Was OK

4 months

This is my first James Rollins novel and I have to say, I'm pretty disappointed after reading so many positive reviews.

His writing style is such that I couldn't wait to be done with this book. It's very simplistic, the dialogue is predictable and kitschy; exclamation points make a lot of scenes sound cheesy. The ending didn't make the story worth reading- it totally sucked; he seems to write-in aspects of characters as needed and then promptly discards that trait never to be heard of again--made it very unbelievable.

The story was decent, nothing to write home about (pun, anyone?), there was a comparatively small ratio of science to fiction. Probably won't be reading his work in the future unless recommended

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Subterranean

James Rollins