SecondWorld by Jeremy Robinson

SecondWorld by Jeremy Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I started this on Playaway and I had to turn it off because of the disturbing scene at the beginning. I got the print copy and I'm so glad I picked this up again, because this book rocked!

Warning: If you hate Nazis, you will either love this book, or you will find your hatred for Nazis inflamed to even higher levels. The Nazis (and all their modern counterparts) seriously suck (which is putting it lightly) and inspired many violent thoughts in my head as I was reading. I think that this book might be therapeutic in that way. Having studied WWII and been sickened by the horrible acts perpetrated by the Nazis against the Jews (and everyone else they deemed unfit), I have stored up a fair amount of enmity against them. At least in fiction, you can see the Nazis get theirs. And I hope that we can learn from history and not let anything like this happen ever again.

In other ways, this was a great read. Lincoln Miller, while he is from a kickbutt elite Navy SEALs background, he still feels like an everyman hero. He assumes accountability to save the world, because he is in the right place at the right time. I loved to see him think through the very desperate circumstances he faced in this book. Imagine not being able to breathe in open air? Really scary. I love a resourceful lead character, and Miller's way of thinking through situations was always credible. Miller has a strong moral compass. While he's not a believer in God, he definitely knows the difference between right and wrong, and has a sense of justice that causes him to fight the good fight and to take a hard line against bullies and murderers. He doesn't kill wantonly, but he's not going to hesitate if killing is necessary.

I liked the secondary characters, although I never did trust one of them. Arwen is awesome. I hope to see more of her. I want to see Lincoln make good on his promise to her. I loved Cowboy! He has a novella out that I will definitely be buying for my Kindle. Also liked Elizabeth a lot. She's a good action heroine, realistic and admirable. Her smarts play a crucial role in this story.

Including the Nazis, there are some aspects of this novel that are very disturbing. I found the far-reaching enormity of the conspiracy quite harrowing, although not surprising, considering how prevalent (and entrenched) racism and prejudice is in this world (and most definitely in the United States). Part of me wondered how people could willingly get in bed with the Nazis, but if your ideology is similar, I guess what they believe is just a more extreme expression of your own beliefs (terrible to consider).

The action was off the charts. I did like how Robinson is realistic in how he describes Miller's reactions to the continual stresses on his body, and how he takes measures to keep himself going when rest isn't an option. For those who like Antarctica as a setting, look no further (although they aren't there very long). There is a big body count, but it's not gratuitous, and I didn't feel sorry for the Nazi/racist bad guys at all.

I decided I was being nitpicky in not giving this five stars. It really is a fiver for me. I wouldn't change anything about the writing. It's easy to read and I liked Robinson's way of explaining things without getting too technical, and also how he keeps the action going. He has a great imagination. Some readers may find the portrayal of the Nazis as being stereotypically evil, but that wasn't a big problem for me. To me, they are the essence of evil. If a reader wants a book with more shades of gray, this probably isn't a book for them.


I'm glad that this book was chosen for the Action/Adventure Aficionados group read, because it was a very fun, exciting read. I talked to this book almost the whole way through, and I didn't want to put it down until I finished the last paragraph. Highly recommended.




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