I've enjoyed a number of David Poyer's books going way back to The Circle and The Med. This book really seemed to rely on being current with the series, and thus it was hard to follow without that knowledge. It also started to feel like such a stretch. I'm OK with some stretch, but this bordered on science fiction, which really lost me. Maybe I will go back and read more of his older stuff.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read review this book. Classic David Poyer/Dan Lenson story of a post nuclear war society. A fun and intriuging Navy/military story.

In this post war dystopian look at America ravaged by war with China, separatists looking to divide the nation, antivaxxers denying science while disease ravages the nation, and Homeland Security pursues a war against the secessionists with ruthless right-wing zeal. A very thought-provoking novel that peels back the curtain on some very relevant problems we are seeing in the world today. A cracking good read and I look forward to where the next books in this series will take us.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press who provided me with a copy of this book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Perhaps if I'd read the earlier books in this series. Unfortunately, between the international war and the civil war, this just made me uneasy. I know others might enjoy a novel with these scenarios- vaxed versus unvaxed, loss of constitutional rights, and so on- it didn't sit well with me and I DNF. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. My bad for not reading the blurb.

A continuation of the Dan Lenson series, a futuristic spin. An interesting read demonstrating politics, military tactics, and human struggles along. This is not my cup of tea, but suspect I am the wrong audience. If you enjoy the Dan Lenson series, I am sure this would be a great read for you.

Review Arctic Sea is noted as “Dan Lenson #21”; however, it is not necessary to read all prior books for this to be enjoyable. You may want to go back as far as Onslaught: The War with China--the Opening Battle (#16), which focuses on “what if” of a global war with China in this near-term future story. Having said that, Arctic Sea could certainly be read as stand-alone as well (just a bit more interesting with the background of a few of the previous books).

Artic Sea continues the story of Admiral Lenson and his family after the war between the U.S. and China. As the country recovers from the nuclear fallout from the last war , the country is torn apart in civil unrest Admiral Lenson is dispatched to the North Pole to counter a threat from an emboldened Russia. Lenson’s wife, Blair, is back in Washington, and involved politically fighting an authoritarian chief executive. At the same time, a virus is spreading and fracturing the heartland. Lenson’s daughter lends her aid in the fight against disease, while trying to survive civil war.

A great read and a frighteningly realistic potential future of our country. Thought-provoking for sure.

Captain Dan Lenson has been a staple of David Poyer’s writing adventures since the late 1980’s. He has left nothing to the imagination as Lenson has lived a storied career as an Officer in the United States Navy. Following the events of World War III and the battle with China, the U.S. is dealing with an unwanted civil war while trying to stymie foreign powers from gaining a military advantage.
As Arctic Sea begins, Capt. Lenson navigates the aftermath of the war at home and abroad with an abrupt deployment to Alaska for an unusual geological survey for a potential port of operations. Lenson is also battling medical issues from radiation exposure from the war and an international investigation to actions he took while the commanding officer of the USS Savo Island. Not only is Dan a big deal, but his wife Blair is also heading up a Presidential election campaign for a former Naval Admiral while everything that could go wrong does. Nancy Lenson, daughter of Blair and Dan, is a CDC representative taking risks to enter rebellious held areas trying to calm the spread of a typhoid epidemic.
Lenson embarks on his temporary assignment as Lieutenant Commander Sloan Tomlin and his team are utilizing the Orca Prime equipment to hunt down a newly minted Russian nuclear tipped torpedo. As Tomlin and the crew on the submarine USS Tang are on the hunt, the AI ability and communications suite doesn’t work as intended. Tomlin in turn decides manual control of the Orca is the only way to ensure mission success. Following hours of harrowing experiences, it’s on Dan Lenson to conduct a precarious rescue mission.
Poyer delivers a very harrowing and perilous story that defies the odds. One of true heroism and dedication to country, even one in violent disrepair. The adventure isn’t set on one specific action and allows the group of main characters to work in unison even though there is a bit of unease and uncertainty in their assignments. There is nothing but true authentic feelings and detail in this Lenson thriller. If you’ve never read the Dan Lenson series, you have an amazing 20+ book series to catch up on.

Poyer's novel is fast paced and will keep the reader in their seat until the last page. The book illustrates one possible future we are facing. I enjoyed the novel and thought it was well written.

The country is reeling after the recent war with China, subsequent civil breakdown, epidemics fueled by destruction of infrastructure, and rebellion of states that have had enough. In the midst of this chaos, Russia decides to test a superweapon against which there is no defense and that would make them undisputed king of the hill. Lenson is dispatched to Alaska. Blair is running a campaign for President. And, a secret mission is launched into the Russian test area to try to subvert the test. Part of that mission results in a one man struggle to survive as power, oxygen, and time run out in a small submersible. It is described in a literary tour de force that will put your heart, soul, and mind right there in the tiny, frigid, and all but hopeless space with Sloan as he exemplifies the best of the human spirit in hanging on to hope beyond all odds. This is a great read for that part of the book alone.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of David Poyer's latest nautical/military/technothriller in his series on a near future World War and its aftermath, "Arctic Sea." In this book, China has been defeated (after massive losses on both sides) and the world is falling back into its old patterns, with Russia once again assuming its rather cliched role as America's principal rival. This provides the central conflict within the text as familiar figures from Poyer's series find themselves in a very different world with frightening similarities to the one we inhabit today. The United States, run by the Patriot Party. is fighting a civil war against citizens who refuse to give up their old Constitutional rights. We find disease ravaging our country as large parts of the seceded portions of the United States are made up of "science deniers" who won't accept vaccines and don't trust the CDC. Meanwhile, Homeland Security, aided and abetted by the other more traditional organs of the state, prosecutes the war against the secessionists with ruthless right wing zeal (they are parodied here as disturbingly similar to Hitler's SS). Put all of this together and you have the making of another thought provoking and action packed read with obvious relevance to the problems we confront in our non-fictional world. Another home run from one of our most talented writers in this genre.