Fearful Symmetry

A Thriller

By: Michael McBride

Narrated by: Scott Thomas

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

More than 75 years ago, five Nazi scientists embarked upon an expedition into the frozen Himalayas in search of the origins of the Aryan race. What they found instead was something beyond their wildest imaginations--a secret they would sooner take to their graves than risk releasing upon an unsuspecting world.

Now nearly a hundred years old, Johann Brandt, the lone surviving member of the original party, shares his discovery with Jordan Brooks, an evolutionary anthropologist who launches his own expedition into one of the most dangerous environments on the face of the planet in search of the evidence Brandt claims to have left behind.

If Brooks and his team hope to find the proof, they'll have to follow the historical footsteps of the Germans into the hunting grounds of a species that evolved in utter geographical isolation, and their only hope for survival lies in uncovering the truth about the ill-fated Nazi expedition...for those who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.

©2014 Michael McBride (P)2015 Michael McBride

True to the Thriller Genre

McBride's Fearful Symmetry kept my interest through to the end. While I tend to be a fan of lighter fare, the narrator, Scott Thomas breathed life into the characters and paced the story excellently.

Pure Adventure at a Documentary Pace

DISCLAIMER: I received this copy in exchange for a review.

WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers.

There is a great deal to like about this novel. It contains some of the usual techno-thriller ingredients: Nazis, esoteric science, the Yeti, and long, lost Tibet. If you were to judge it by those alone you might well say, "Meh." However, it's how these ingredients are mixed that gives this novel its unique flavor.

In 1938 Nazi scientists brave the Himalayas in search of the Master Race. They fail. Or do they? 75 years later the sole survivor puts together small team of four extraordinary scientists to retrace his steps and unlock the secrets of the next phase of human evolution.

The plot unfolds in parallel tracks; present day, and via journal entries from the original expedition. McBride does an outstanding job of interweaving these story lines. It's never cluttered or confusing, in large part because the journal entries are written in period style. The language and word choices harken back to the 1930s, giving the reader a clear delineation between what has happen, and what is happening.

The plot and universe remind me of Niven's "Protectors" series. To be sure, this is a techno-thriller and not hard science fiction, but I felt teased by the similarity of the elements.

The audio production is very good. There were a few wah-wahs indicating some not so seamless edits and the audio was a little muddy in places, but not distractingly so. I only noticed because I was listening for it. Scott Thomas has a gift for excellent character voices, particularly the aged Johann Brandt. His pacing and stylings enhance an already taunt and charged atmosphere.

McBride did an enormous amount of research for this novel. The explanations of the sciences embraced and the history used serve to inform and heighten the story's drama and tension. He accomplishes this by distilling complex ideas into readily manageable chunks. The reader surfs on a wave on information and isn't buried under a tsunami of facts. At least, initially.

Regrettably, the info dumps do get tedious. At one point I was shouting "Out with it already!" For instance, I didn't need to know the number of tattoos on the priest's face, or their arrangement, or their native name, symbology, or significance. Having all that information didn't move the plot along one bit. Is was a distraction, tying back to nothing, and dragging at the pacing.

This is a plot driven story, and the plot is engaging. It moves rapidly and constantly. As with many plot driven novels, the characters suffer. Most of them are stand-ins with no unique personality or depth, and could have been replaced by almost anyone. The character building lags behind the plot development and drags at the story.

The two stand outs are Brooks and Brandt. Brandt in particular is very well developed. A paragraph with the 95 year old survivor of the initial expedition leaves you feeling like you need a shower. Brooks is his foil, young and enthusiastic, but not so naive as to believe everything he is told.

About four-fifths of the way through the story, love unexpectedly blossoms like a weed between Brooks and another member of the expedition. It felt forced, and like so many of the info dumps, could have been excised without troubling the main plot one little bit.

The outcome of the story felt like it had been pulled out of a top hat. It was an abrupt about face ending. It's possible that it was foreshadowed so cleverly that I just missed it, however I felt like I'd not just been fooled, but suckered.

I know it sounds like I'm nitpicking, but that's all I'm really left with. The bulk of the novel is crisp, well written, and fascinating. So, despite any of my reservations, if you enjoy a rollicking techno-thriller this is a book you'll want to read or, in particular, listen to.

Good story

A lot of the terminology was a little to difficult for me to understand at first. It definitely left me curious and wanting to know more about genetics. Isn't that What good fiction should so though, make us thirst for more?

Decent Chrichton-esque thriller.

Evolutionary biologists, Nazis, and Yetis: how can you go wrong? I found this thriller to be enjoyable, although the pacing seemed to struggle at times. Still, there are three timelines that are woven simultaneously through the story, and I thought the author did a great of using this to build tension as things progressed.
I also liked the author's use of exposition dialogue to communicate the relevent biological concepts, which for me, really harkened back to Chrichton's novels. However, I thought some of the evolutionary biology concepts were a bit convoluted (to be specific, it seemed to me like McBride couldn't make up his mind whether he was talking about germ cell mutations that spur evolution in a species, versus viral modification of somatic cells to that create immediate changes in an individual - you cant really have it both ways). Nevertheless, this was a minor annoyance and the science overall added to the story.
Another minor complaint is that I found the final confrontation to be a bit too similar to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom for my taste,
The narration was good overall, with only a couple of minor pronounciation eyebrow-raisers (e..g "chasm", "polymerase").
But overall, a good biological thriller provided you don't get too hung up on the scientific details.

I like his style

McBride really knows his source material. This is the second of his books I have read and I am glad I did and will continue to. I like good monster stories and he does a good job being original in his approach. The science goes a little over my head at times but always makes sense. If you like old fashioned monsters he gives a fresh new take.

Worked for me

Well that was quite fun.
Written fairly well and performed well.
As the story came to a close I was slightly less impressed with the story but the very end was great.
As with many stories, this could have gone far more technically explored and I would love it, but was satisfied overall.
I will now check out other works by this author and will also look for more by the narrator.

Fascinating

As a lover of science and mystery, this book hits all the requirements. I miss Michael Crichton’s book and now have found Michael McBride. This book is especially captivating and adds a new spin on a very old legend.

Best At The End

beginning of story line seemed a little drawn out which I later realized was writing style. Ending was interesting and moved quickly. I wished "gotcha" at the end was more dramatic and and a little more time was spent on that part. otherwise decent read if you are into this genre.

Yeti what

Not what I was expecting, but a quite enjoyable read. A creature feature with a twist

Plot twists and edge of your seat action!

If you are looking for an interesting story that will leave your jaw dropped, here it is!