After years of being shuffled from place to place, four exhausted hostages were finally rescued from their extremist captors in a Barcelona church basement. Bound by their harsh existence, the four vow to stay in touch and watch over each other no matter what. During captivity, Helen Gray gave birth to daughter Grace, the product of repeated rapes by a Saudi prince. When the hostages were freed, Grace inexplicitly disappeared and Helen will do whatever it takes to get her baby back. British officer Piers Michaelmas responded to captivity by retreating deep inside himself but quickly rose to prominence as the government attempted cope with the growing crisis.
Gary Boyle was a climatologist, a field thrown wide open by the complete breakdown of computer models that have failed to account for the dramatic weather changes and the rise in ocean levels. He sees the emerging weather patterns as an irresistible challenge but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Former helicopter pilot Lily Brooke tries to reconnect with her family at a time when all of London is in upheaval as the North Sea begins a relentless assault. Lily ends up working for Nathan Lammonckson, a self-promoting financial wizard who views every catastrophe as a money making venture.
While piloting a deepwater submersible, Lily and controversial oceanographer Thandie Jones make a disturbing discovery that could hold the key to what is happening to the worlds oceans. As water levels continue to rise, forcing mass evacuations, humanity is forced to come to grips with severe social, economic and geographic changes while the planet face undergoes a transformation. Within a lifetime, there will be no landmasses and the human race will have to adapt or go extent.
A bit slow to get started, this compelling book continues to gather force that transports the reader to a tragic future world where the familiar is forever lost. It is the tale of promises made and kept in the face of incredible odds, as Lily must make the awful choice between family and friendship. Baxter has created a dynamic, frightening waterworld where humanity must transform itself or face extinction.
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