Flood

March 30, 2009
In an engrossing, daring and occasionally overambitious novel, Baxter (Weaver
) narrates the final 42 years of dry land on earth. Four political hostages are freed in Barcelona in 2016, and their stories through the years show the attempts to save the planet even as rapidly rising ocean levels wipe out major cities. USAF Capt. Lily Brooke works with billionaire Nathan Lammockson to build a haven, while oceanographer Thandie Jones attempts to determine the causes of the flooding. Baxter skips ahead years at a time, often eliding major conflict resolutions, character development and deaths; this choice disrupts the storytelling but smartly underscores the isolation in which the characters often operate. Readers who push through will be rewarded with a fascinating apocalyptic vision—but little resolution—a nice setup for a sequel.

Starred review from May 15, 2009
Four hostages freed after five years of captivity by a Spanish extremist group vow to keep in touch. But with the oceans steadily rising and governments, corporations, and determined individuals battling for a solution, the hostages find themselves caught in currents of intrigue and politics. The best-selling author of the "Time's Tapestry" series takes a familiar doomsday scenario and gives it an unexpected twist of mythical proportions. The first of two books, this sf horror thriller presents hard science and theoretical plausibilities in a visceral and immediate style. A new postapocalyptic sf classic that should appeal to fans of disaster fiction and Kim Stanley Robinson's eco-trilogy (e.g., "Forty Signs of Rain").

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.