Synopsis
Seven years ago, the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a “mockumentary” bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.
Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.
Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.
But the secrets of the deep come with a price.
Review
“Daryl was convinced that the word for a group of scientists ought to be a blackout, because that was what the fuckers seemed determined to cause.”
Okay, Who knew a horror book could be written so beautifully? I’ve read grimdark and dark fantasy books before and the gore in this book is second to none. But the writing is where it differs a lot from the other books. The writing is so gorgeous that very few books can hold a candle to it. I would have happily kept reading if the story was another 500 pages longer. Also, the audiobook is absolutely great. Christine Lakin does an outstanding job.
This is my 150th review and this book joins a list of books (The Blade Itself, Lies of Locke Lamora, The Greenbone saga, Sword of Kaigen, Ascension, etc.) for me that I will never be able to do justice to in a review. It is just so very good that nothing short of actually reading and experiencing it will do. Killer mermaids and a massive scientific research vessel with a hundred and fifty or so scientists stuck in the mariana trench, I mean…
The character work is excellent. It has a huge,diverse cast of characters and I connected with all of them. It never felt overwhelming and I simply wanted more of each of them. All of them have their own unique story and feel so real. I liked all of them enough that I would have kept reading if it was just a cozy, slice of life fantasy book, but Mira Grant truly and brutally keeps raising the stakes throughout.
One major highlight is the scientific & research based approach to the horror story. It not only lends verisimilitude but also ups the horror quotient because I literally think that it can really happen now. To a fledgling horror reader like me, this was the equivalent of being thrown in the deep end and I’m scared of going on cruises. The delving into the science behind the monsters and the horrors enhances the story considerably but in my case was also inspiring in fact. I had forgotten how much fun research work is and this makes me question if I should actually continue my post graduate work and get that PhD after all.
The climax deserves its own mention. In one word- cinematic. I do not know how there is no movie adaptation yet. It is a 100+ pages long sequence but doesn’t have the least bit of lag. There are multiple points of tension, terrific and horrific things happening all around, not one of the 10 main characters is safe or guaranteed to survive and an even bigger threat just looming underside than the murderous mermaids already rampaging through the ship.
The day I finished the book, I found out that there was a prequel novella and finished it in one sitting. Orbit books- Please commission the sequels ( I mean she has the title “Out of the swallowing sea” and plot ready already) and Hollywood- Please give us the movie. This was a thoroughly enjoyable read and I’m going to read more Mira Grant this year.
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