Deep Freeze
Deep Freeze (Revival #1)
By: Michael C. Grumley
“If there was one thing Williams had learned over his seventy-plus years on Earth, it was that everyone always had their own agenda.”
This is shaping up to be a pretty good series, reminiscent of an A.G. Riddle’s sci-fi, med-tech type of thriller.
Deep Freeze hooks you from the start with a mysterious prelude where a man stops an armed robbery at a convenience store then boards a bus that gets in an accident and falls from the bridge into a freezing river where he is able to save everyone on the bus except himself.
That part is told from a very detached perspective which I’m not sure I liked that part, but it invests you in this ‘hero’ character that made me think of the guy on Person of Interest.
It’s a fast-paced thriller and even though there are a lot of characters and medical/technical jargon, it’s an engaging story that leaves you on a cliffhanger!
Basic Premise
We are not told what happens to the man until we are introduced to our other characters who are all in a lab working on a cryonics project where their goal is to resuscitate a human from their frozen state.
Yep, it’s the guy who froze in the river.
They bring him back to life, a surprising number of years after the accident.
“Life often had a way of operating according to its own set of rules, presenting surprises when one least expected them. Even in the most routine and controlled procedures.”
But it becomes evident that the people leading and backing the project have been kept a secret for a reason. The man was chosen for this experiment for a reason. And the end goal for this experiment is also a mystery.
The man draws some of the visions he has been having after his resurrection. Of places and events he would never have witnessed. Now his existence is a threat and the higher-ups want the project and everything associated with it erased. Including the man. Who is showing signs of medical complications.
He has other ideas.
Can he work with his newfound resistance group and figure it out before he re-freezes to death?
Cast of Characters
I feel like I might need this by the time I read the second book, so here are the main players in the book that I can reveal without spoiling anything:
John Reiff: the man from the river; ex-military
Rachel Souza: doctor on the project; specializes in the vascular system; tries to save Reiff from being ‘erased’
“She didn’t know what they wanted, but she knew it couldn’t be good. People don’t get murdered to keep good things a secret.”
Dr. Perry Williams: project’s Chief Medical Officer; works closely with Rachel but specializes in major organs; the first one to catch on that something else is going on with the project
Robert Masten: “decades-old prince of biotech and a hardened executive who knew the ins and outs of the industry better than anyone”; the on-site head of the project
Nora Lagner: Chief Technology Officer; Masten’s right-hand-woman
Liam Duchik: the ‘handler’
Comments
One thing I liked about this book were the really short chapters. It made it quicker to read and faster-paced. The book is just 330ish pages but there were 100 chapters.
One thing that I think would have helped, although it may have been intentionally vague in the beginning, was to set the scene better. The book seems to be a bit of a dystopian sci-fi thriller. There aren’t really any signs of this until well over halfway when we find out about The Great Collapse and The Great Struggle— certain economic, financial, and physical wars around the globe. It’s not anarchy and technology still exists, but there are other hardships the world is recovering from.
It didn’t seem to be a huge part of most of the book but I have a feeling it will come into play in the rest of the series. At least I hope so, otherwise it feels too insignificant and random to have used for the setting of the book.
The machine that brings Reiff back to life is called The Machine. Which is a smidge bit vague and non-descriptive. But I couldn’t come up with anything better as of now so I’ll let it go.
I should address the med-tech jargon stuff because I know that’s what can turn people off to these type of books. There is quite a bit of talk surrounding medical procedures and biological processes and technological advancements that are hard to follow at times. But the details are not essential to understanding and enjoying the story.
If it all makes sense to you, great. But if your eyes glaze over during those parts, you’re not going to be lost in the story!
I mentioned earlier that this book reminded me of A.G. Riddle’s books. One reason for that is the inclusion of real-life technological advancements and incorporating them into the story— like telomeres. Riddle uses more historical references than Grumley, but I do like when I can learn things while I’m reading.
Recommendation
I would definitely recommend this book! Although I don’t like waiting for books, I’m glad it ended on a cliffhanger. There was too much to wrap up so instead of rushing it, we get to continue the story and see, hopefully, more layers to what’s going on.
We did get a little resolution, but we still have some questions, especially regarding Reiff’s past and future.
I will say that looking back on it, it does seem like not a whole lot happened, but it didn’t feel like that while I was reading it. Plus it read fast so it’s not a huge commitment like some sci-fi is.
I look forward to the next one and hope we don’t have to wait too long!
If you like books like this, I would recommend A.G. Riddle as I’ve already mentioned, but also Tosca Lee’s duology beginning with The Line Between.
[Content Advisory: no sexual content; minimal swearing- mostly using Jesus’ name in vain, I don’t think there were any f-words]
**Received an ARC from Forge Books in exchange for an honest review**
This book just released January 9, 2024. You can order a copy of this book using my affiliate link below.
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