UnResticted Access (New and Classic Short Fiction) by James Rollins- Book Review

Author: James Rollins 

Genre : Thriller/ Adventure Fiction

Rating: 4.8/5

ABOUT THE BOOK

If you are a big Fan of James Rollins , you will be thrilled to know that the best selling novelist has come out with his first ever collection of short fiction and it is intriguing. It is an anthology of 12 short stories packed with wild imagination and extreme adventure. Out of which 11 are previously published stories with one brand new novella.Out of 11, three of the stories are in collaboration with other well known writers but I can say that James Rollins has definitely swiped the show. Sigma Series is about Sigma Force which is a fictional division of the U.S. DARPA program. The chief operatives in SIGMA combine trained military skills with specialized scientific knowledge. The force's purpose is to investigate and to secure sensitive information that could be a threat to the United States, its functions are a combination of counter-terrorism, research and covert operations. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the "top crowd-pleasers and one of the "hottest summer reads". In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthrough and historical secrets- and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning sight. If you have read his popular Sigma Force Series you will be able to relate with most of the character in the book and will feel more connected as he has provided a background story for his high tech spy undercover Novel.

STORY LINE

Each Story is fascinating in its own way. They are full of secrets and adventure. Being short stories the pace of each story is quite rapid, so it kind of hooks you till you finish reading one.

In the stories "Kowalski's in Love" , "Midnight Watch", "The Skeleton Set" and "Tracker" he has given short snippets into the secret lives and covert mission of Sigma. So new readers will get some vague idea about what brilliant novelist James Rollins is and will be inspired to read his Sigma Series. Should I say this is surely a reverse marketing strategy which he has adopted intentionally or unintentionally but it is definitely working for him. Sigma Series is rich with complex characters and thrilling action plots and I cannot wait to see this treasure trove of amazing stories into a great film. In fact while reading you would be able to visualize the scenes and characters so well as Rollins has described them precisely. I actually felt as if I am watching a movie while reading.

"Kowalski's in Love" shows how Sigma's most fabled tough guy accidentally get into a secret mission aimed at stopping mad scientist island experiment with a dangerous chemical. 

"The Skeleton Key" is about exploring the menacing catacombs beneath Paris, France to take down a charismatic leader scheme for murder on a massive scale.

"The Midnight Watch is about how sigma's young intel analyst and computer wiz deals with Chinese agents who are causing late night trouble around the city.

"Ghost Ship" is again about Sigma's commanders who finds long lost ship of fortune and also about global climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. This is one of my favourite as they mentioned about India but that's  not just the reason why I loved it but because it has non-stop adventure with some high tech science gadgets.

"Tracker" is yet another thriller where a girl and her father is rescued and how the treasure plundered by the Nazi's from the area's concentration camp-bound Jewish population.

All the stories are spell bounding and gripping. And finally the original story "Sun Dog". Would not like to reveal much but this Novella brings an exciting genre blending book to a suitable conclusion that should please for Rollin's novels as well as lovers of an adventurous short stories. 

MY TAKE ON THE BOOK

I loved the way he began this book by explaining what motivated him for writing short stories long after he established himself as a successful novelist. Mentioning of India in any book not only makes me feel proud and triggers my emotion but also inspire me to read that book even more. In the story Ghost Ship though there was just a mention of our country provoked me to finish this book in one go. All the book lovers especially who loves thriller and adventure will swear by this book. 

James Rollins heart and soul still lies with doorstopper novels which is his first love but trying his hand on short stories is definitely meritorious.

BOOK DETAILS

Publication : William Morrow

Pages : 416

Paperback : INR 369

Kindle edition : INR 321.95

Follow the link to know more:

Unrestricted Access by James Rollins
https://www.amazon.in/dp/0063083167/

This book review is a part of Book Review Program by Blogchatter in Book Chatter.

@SwatiMathur

Do you want to Fall and Stay in Love with Reading?- Accept The Book Reading Challenge by Blogchatter #TBRChallenge

 

There was a time when I used to call myself an avid reader- long long time back. Then some where I have forgotten about my love for books not because there was no time or desire, it is because life happened, responsibilities happened and conveniently pushed me into the giant ocean of personal and professional responsibilities.

I feel every body needs accountability and encouragement and in my case Blogchatter has given me in abundance and accepted me into their family with open arms. So here I am with my bucket list of books which I am going to read in the year 2021 as part of #TBRchallenge.

I feel reading is one of the best hobbies in the world and most healthiest too. It has been proven that reading any kind of books, whether fiction or non-fiction , it increases your memory power, your brain power and even enhances empathetic skills. Researchers have also confirmed that reading reduces stress that can lower your heart beat and blood pressure. For me reading is informative and educational at the same time it is entertaining and relaxing too.

As a trainer I train people on effective learning techniques and I can confidently say that reading surely helps in increasing the capacity of working memory which is very important to have a strong long term memory. Reading also helps in expanding the reader's attention span which is imperative for anybody who wants to be more focused.

My Reading List -Here are few books from my reading list which I have short listed for this challenge

1. You Can Reach The Top - Zig Ziglar

2. The Psychology of Persuasion - Kevin Hogan

3. The Painter Of Signs - R.K Narayan

4. Sita's Sister - Kavita Kane

I have challenged myself with 8 books, which I think is not good enough but I want to go little slow as I believe in consistency.

Let me share the Rules and Regulation of #TBRchallenge 

1.  Your profile on the Blogchatter website should be complete.

2. Put a numeric value for the books you want to read in the current year.

3. You should upload covers of the books in your Dashboard as you finish reading. 

4. Share your reading progress on social media.

5. Write a blogpost about the Reading challeneg and do not forget to mention the mandatory line, I am participation in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter and backlink #TBRChallenge to  (https://www.theblogchatter.com/tbrchallenge-aka-the-blogchatter-reading-challenge-2021). 

6.Share the post, add it to BlogRolls and tag Blogchatter.

7.Participate in the monthly check-ins to update your score. 

Rules which I have set up for my self to be committed to this challenge

1. Keep a log: This is going to be similar to my reading list. In this log book I will write the title and author of the book with starting and finishing date. I will try and put a note to each with my thoughts about the book, this will aid me in reviewing.

2. Blog it : I will review each book and blog it on my site. This will keep me to be accountable to my goals.

3. Make it Pleasurable - Will try not to push myself too hard and find a cozy place and best time when I will be less interrupted. A cup of hot ginger tea will do the rest.

If you want you can also try these rules, I can assure you this will definitely help.

I am participating in the #TBRChallenge by Blogchatter and YOU?????

Happy Reading :)

@SwatiMathur