The Ice Limit

Douglas Preston · Lincoln Child

Jul 2001 · Sold by Grand Central Publishing

About this ebook

National Book Award finalist Julie Anne Peters delivers a moving, classic love story with a coming out theme and a modern twist.
The largest known meteorite has been discovered, entombed in the earth for millions of years on a frigid, desolate island off the southern tip of Chile. At four thousand tons, this treasure seems impossible to move. New York billionaire Palmer Lloyd is determined to have this incredible find for his new museum. Stocking a cargo ship with the finest scientists and engineers, he builds a flawless expedition. But from the first approach to the meteorite, people begin to die. A frightening truth is about to unfold: The men and women of the Rolvaag are not taking this ancient, enigmatic object anywhere. It is taking them.

Ratings and reviews

I read this initially when it first came out. I think I actually liked it better the second time. I had forgotten many of the little details, so it was still a joy to see exactly what developed even though I remembered the broad outlines. It was well paced, and the main characters of Eli Glinn and James MacFarlane were fairly well developed. Palmer Lloyd was developed enough that I didn't care for him on a personal level, which I guess means he was pretty well developed as a character. The setting was interesting, though it didn't seem too terribly cold. The nautical part of the story, while fast paced, didn't hold my interest as much as the engineering of the excavation and transportation of the meteorite. The engineering feats are something I could read much more about. I like the fact that many of the major characters in these books by Preston and Child show up in other stories as minor characters. Effective Engineering Solutions (EES) is the type of company that an entire series can easily be built around (thank you Gideon Crew). Similar to the way Bill Smithback and Nora Kelly can support their own stand alone book, while appearing in smaller roles as well this was a great story for some wonderful, if lesser known characters. They've built an interesting set of characters in the universe of their stories. The eBook was formatted well with no obvious spelling or grammatical errors.

The first Preston-Child novel I read which lead to many others. I found it to be truly captivating in an updated Robert Louis Stevenson manner. If one enjoys a challenge, is good at problem solving, doesn't mind reasonable risks, has good intentions and the ability to think things through ... there is profit to be made.

I own this book in old fashion paperback. It took me less than a weekend to read it. Great story, was sad when I finished it. Was searching for a sequel.

About the author

The thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child "stand head and shoulders above their rivals" (Publishers Weekly). Preston and Child's Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the one hundred greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number-one box office hit movie. They are coauthors of the famed Pendergast series and their recent novels include Fever Dream, Cold Vengeance, Two Graves, and Gideon's Corpse. In addition to his novels, Preston writes about archaeology for the New Yorker and Smithsonian magazines. Lincoln Child is a former book editor who has published five novels of his own, including the huge bestseller Deep Storm.
Readers can sign up for The Pendergast File, a monthly "strangely entertaining note" from the authors, at their website, www.PrestonChild.com. The authors welcome visitors to their alarmingly active Facebook page, where they post regularly.