Ben Hammott was a mystery to me as I had never read anything from the author before. The summary of “Ice Rift,” however, was enough to sell me. I like stories set in Antarctica and I like aliens, so it seemed like the perfects setup as I started the book hoping for chills and thrills.

When the ice rift was first discovered in Antarctica, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for scientists to learn more about the evolution of the planet. It could give an unprecedented look at a part of the planet that had been covered in ice for centuries. The mystery of the rift deepened when NASA became involved and expressed the agencies interest into the crack in the ice and earth. The rift loomed as a great mystery awaiting discovery but no one could have imagined just how big of a discovery it was to become.

At the bottom of the rift lies an alien spacecraft but it is so much more than just a ship. It is an alien world unto itself buried under the snow and ice accumulated over the centuries. Inside the ship is a delicate ecosystem based on an alien planet that has lied buried undisturbed but is now threatened by the shifting ice caused by global warming. When the group of scientists find themselves stranded in the ship due to a storm, they know it is a race against time to escape the alien vessel before it sinks to the bottom of the ocean with them trapped inside. Unfortunately for them, the threat of an impending tomb is not the only threat. The denizens of the alien ship are still very much alive and very hungry for fresh meat and the trapped humans have become the number one item on the menu.

“Ice Rift” starts off with a setup to the story that feels ripped right from many stories that have come before it. The notion of aliens in the ice of Antarctica is not something new and Hammond seems to realize this and quickly move the main players into position. The action starts when they arrive in Antarctica and begin to explore the rift. Even then, the story was loping along in a predictable manner and I began to get a little worried that this was just going to be an adventure story that may entertain but provide little more than shallow thrills for a couple hours. Then the characters ventured into the bizarre world of the alien ship and the story shifted from idle to full tilt in a second.

The interior of the alien spacecraft is a world of its own and is filled with creatures that normally only inhabit the darkest shadows of nightmares. The tone of the novel shifts from a science fiction story of discovery to a monstrous horror story filled with freakish aliens that are equal parts H.R. Giger and H.P. Lovecraft. Science fiction fans may get a little turned off with the horror tone of the novel as the scientists struggle to survive in the hellish alien landscape but horror fans are sure to delight in the terror that lies beneath the ice. Hammott throws every imaginable monster against the humans and the action comes fast for the entire story. This is a B-movie romp that was fun and sometimes frightening to read. I do not think that this book is for everyone but fans of monster movies and fast-paced horror thrillers are sure to sink their teeth into this novel.

I would like to thank Ben Hammott and NetGalley for this review copy. “Ice Rift” is available now.

Alien spaceship buried under the ice for thousands of years about to thaw out,great storyline,horror,sci fi,would make a great film !

Plot: Now this was an unusual read! I chose it off NetGalley because of the promise of a desolate Antarctic landscape, stranded scientists and something ancient – sounds like an awesome combination of things I love. It started off well, the expedition heading out to Antarctica and checking out the ice rift that’s formed with “anomalies” that NASA can’t figure out. Then it goes, well, a little crazy! Based on other reviews, I don’t thinking I’ll be spoiling it (stop reading now if you don’t want it spoiled!) by telling you that what they discover is an alien spaceship, thousands of years old, entombed in the ice. What follows is a fight for survival as they explore, then get stuck in, the spaceship and are attacked by all manner of creatures.
My thoughts: I half loved it and was half laughing at the ridiculousness of it all! There were parts that were repetitive and parts that were very predictable, but you were rooting for certain characters to survive, certain ones to get their comeuppance and I wanted to find what happened at the end. It was full of typos though which was off putting for me so hopefully those have been sorted now it’s been released!

"Ice Rift" is certainly not the first alien book to go with a colder climate and life forms long buried under sheets of ice, but in my opinion, it is one of the better ones in recent years. The author has a talent for making the reader see what he is seeing, and feel the terror of the characters. I thought, for the most part, that the writing was very good, but there was far too many minuscule details that could have been left out to make the book flow that much easier.

The characters spend a lot of time analyzing things that could be figured out by showing the actions of said characters rather than discussing everything to death. I did like the actions scenes in this novel and thought the author did a great job of what was happening in them from all sides.

Whilst there were a few parts I thought could have been left out, over all, this was an engaging, exciting story with a lot to offer a reader. Recommended.

This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.