Ronan Frost’s White Peak is a fast-paced action thriller full of death-defying adventure.Greg Rask, a dying tech billionaire, has invested millions chasing miracle cures. None of them are worth a damn, but he refuses to give up. Now, he’s gathering a team willing to go to the ends of the earth chasing life.Each of Rask’s crew has beaten incredible odds to rise from the ashes of their old lives to … ashes of their old lives to where they are now. Together, their next task is to retrieve a painting that is believed to hide a map which, if genuine, marks it as a treasure of the Ahnenerbe, the occult wing of the SS, who had devoted dozens of expeditions in search of the three cintamani stones for their combined properties, and the lost city where they were rumored to lay hidden: Shambhala. But a mystical brotherhood sworn to protect the secrets of the ancients–the same secrets that allow its members to defy death–will stop at nothing to ensure that Rask’s crew fail.
In an adrenalin-pumping quest through some of the most savage terrains known to man, the crew will be pushed to the limits of endurance and beyond.
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Rye is broken. He may never recover from the murder of his wife. Enter Rask! Rask is a billionaire chasing….something. Rask approaches Rye to become part of his team. Little does Rye know..this could end up getting him killed!
Well! I needed a good thriller and I got it! Talk about all over the globe. I loved the section in Nepal. The history and the scenery…WOW! And Rye! He is one of the best characters ever. He is heartbroken and this just automatically triggered my sympathies. Plus, he is one tough dude! He can get himself out of any situation unscathed! I think he has become my new book boyfriend.
The ending got a little “out there”. There were hints throughout the read that something strange could occur. And strange is not the word for this ending. This did sort of change my thoughts a little. It is still a great read, just not the ending I expected. Just a little “out there!”
I received this novel from St. Martin’s Press for a honest review.
A terrific thriller and the start of what promises to be a great series
This is a book filled with adventure, thrills and great characters. Each of these characters work well with each other. There are twists and turns. This takes you to many different locales. This story really kept my interest. I hope there will be more stories with these characters. I received an ebook copy from St. Martin’s Press for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.
The first chapter gets your heart pumping, and the action is non-stop after that. Ronan Frost (aka Steven Savile) shows, once again, that his a master of his craft. White Peak reminds me of books written by Steve Berry or Dan Brown, the way historical fact is combined with religion and mysticism, is a great combination to me.
If you are a surface climber, or want to learn about this subject, that will be an additional bonus to your enjoyment of this book. I did think it was interesting, but after a bit, I will admit I did skim some. Especially when Frost was writing long equipment lists, or after a solid page or two of the climbing descriptions, because I wanted to get back to the action!
As far as character development, Frost did a great job, giving just enough to entice me in this book to want to learn more about the crew in, what is sure to be, a sequel. Some of the characters were more developed than others, but for a thriller, I have come to expect it.
The scenery and world building is where Frost really shined. The descriptions were so detailed in many spots that I felt as if I was actually there. And it made me want to travel more, to visit some of these locales. I don’t know if he’s actually ever been to some of these places, but Frost sure knows how to write like he has.
The one thing that I have to mention is the genre classification of Thriller. It definitely was a Thriller, but I would also classify it as Sci-Fi. I can understand the publishing company perhaps shying away from this for marketing reasons, since some people refuse to read Science Fiction. But I was really surprised when the book turned that direction, especially if you read the jacket blurb. I could see readers thinking there might be Supernatural or Mystical elements after reading the jacket cover, but not Sci-Fi. I still enjoyed it though, especially since I read Sci-Fi.
I highly recommend White Peak, and will pick up book two if this continues into a series.
Who Knew A Fictional Character Could Write This Well? In this debut work by fictional character Ronan Frost, we get a solid action/ adventure tale of a man haunted by being on the other end of the phone when his wife is killed in a mass shooting being recruited to find a mysterious map for one of the world’s wealthiest men. The action is taut, the mystery is compelling, and the locations include some rarely if ever used in novels before. Truly an outstanding work. Particularly for a fictional character.
Here’s hoping we get a sequel from this new author far faster than we got the sequel he appears in. 😉