Subterranean Thriller Book - Suspense & Adventure for Readers

Subterranean was James's debut under the Rollins pseudonym (He also writes fantasy under the Clemens pseudonym). It was published in 1999 and was available only in the mass market format. Nearly 11 years after its release it is being republished in the hardcover format. Subterranean is a book which is hard to describe without revealing much of its plot. The book begins with a scene set in some underground caverns and with a typical pattern ends on a note which will compel the reader to read ahead.The book's main protagonists are Ashley Carter, who is an expert in archaeology and Benjamin Brust who is ex-Australian military guy and a Caving expert. Ashley gets an exciting offer to lead an expedition into Antarctica to find out the whereabouts of a recently discovered idol. Ben however gets coerced into joining the group due to his caving skills and because if he doesn't, he will have to face legal consequences for his previous actions. A team of individuals is assembled which includes experts from other nations as well and they plan to go ahead to find out the origins of the idol. The set up is such that they will have to travel to Antarctica and then go below it to mine for the idol origins and other possible treasure which can be salvaged.As per expectations things go haywire for reasons unexpected (I cannot reveal the reasons as that is an integral plot point). The team then due to the circumstances, gets broken up into smaller groups and it is from here on the real fun begins. James Rollins draws us into a subterranean world which is wondrous and deadly at the same time; the world created is almost like an extra dimension/character to this book and this was often a highlight of James earlier standalone books wherein the environment was always a special one and a crucial part of the story as well. The story then takes some rapid twists as the reader is taken deeper into the subterranean world. The plot then totally escalates into a wild adventure ride wherein the background of the earlier teams and the origin and details of the idol are revealed. In the end James packs up an incredible climax involving several of the plot threads bringing the story to a resounding climax.The imagination of Rollins, in making up such a fascinating underworld and the terrific action sequences will keep the readers hooked on to the book. This book is one of my favourites and was the second book I ever read of James Rollins but this was the book which made me a fan of his. This book is a self contained one and the author has also left a very appropriate strand open for a sequel which if he does write, will immediately become a must-read book personally.CONCLUSION: Highly highly recommended for all thriller and adventure fiction fans. This book is quintessential James Rollins fare and possibly one of his best. So pick this up and find out for yourself why James Rollins is considered by many to be a unique combination channeling both Clive Cussler's action plots and Michael Crichton's science-laced ideas to come up with his own brand of thrillers.