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Cate Granger #1
Fathomless
Listening Length: 15 hours and 5 minutes
Carcharodon Megalodon – the largest and most fearsome predator to have ever existed on our planet. Rumors of its existence in our modern oceans have persisted for centuries. Now, in a new adventure, the rumors explode into brutal and terrifying reality in FATHOMLESS, by GREIG BECK.
Baranof Island, Gulf of Alaska, 1952
Jim Granger is searching for a place of legend. Known as ‘Bad Water’ by the island’s elders, it’s reputed to be home to many dangerous creatures. Through a seam in a cliff face, Jim finds what he seeks. He also finds, too late, that the water demon he was warned about is horrifyingly real.
Today, Cate Granger is following in her grandfather’s footsteps. Along with a team of scientists and crew, she accidentally releases a creature from Earth’s primordial past into today’s oceans. The giant Megalodon shark follows its instinct and a genetic memory of a home that once existed millions of years ago along the Californian coast. Nothing is safe on or below the water as the monster stakes its claim on the world’s oceans.
Now Cate and her team must do battle with a creature that has no rival, knows no fear, and regards humans as nothing more than prey.
In FATHOMLESS, the greatest predator the world has ever known is coming home in 2016.
++ ++ ++ ++ ++
“… combines the terror of Benchley's JAWS with the primordial horror of Alten's MEG in an adventure that is the best of both.”
—Matthew Summers, Smash Dragons Book Reviews.
Carcharodon Megalodon – the largest and most fearsome predator to have ever existed on our planet. Rumors of its existence in our modern oceans have persisted for centuries. Now, in a new adventure, the rumors explode into brutal and terrifying reality in FATHOMLESS, by GREIG BECK.
Baranof Island, Gulf of Alaska, 1952
Jim Granger is searching for a place of legend. Known as ‘Bad Water’ by the island’s elders, it’s reputed to be home to many dangerous creatures. Through a seam in a cliff face, Jim finds what he seeks. He also finds, too late, that the water demon he was warned about is horrifyingly real.
Today, Cate Granger is following in her grandfather’s footsteps. Along with a team of scientists and crew, she accidentally releases a creature from Earth’s primordial past into today’s oceans. The giant Megalodon shark follows its instinct and a genetic memory of a home that once existed millions of years ago along the Californian coast. Nothing is safe on or below the water as the monster stakes its claim on the world’s oceans.
Now Cate and her team must do battle with a creature that has no rival, knows no fear, and regards humans as nothing more than prey.
In FATHOMLESS, the greatest predator the world has ever known is coming home in 2016.
++ ++ ++ ++ ++
“… combines the terror of Benchley's JAWS with the primordial horror of Alten's MEG in an adventure that is the best of both.”
—Matthew Summers, Smash Dragons Book Reviews.
Audible Audio
First published September 29, 2016
About the author
Greig Beck
50 books1,051 followersHi GoodReaders, I’m an Australian author residing in Sydney with my wife, son and a mad Golden Retriever named Jessie. My novels are now available globally, also in Large Print and now in full AUDIO format.
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
June 8, 2024
I really enjoyed this book a lot. The characters were written well and you were genuinely concerned for them all as the story progressed. The story was a mixture of action, adventure, horror and was definitely what I'd call a page-turner. I also enjoyed the amount of detail that they author went into throughout, too, i.e. equipment being used, scientific bases for various aspects, etc. I could easily see this as a movie at some point, and if so, I'd be front row!
July 12, 2018
4.5 Stars
Another awesome stand alone action/adventure by Aussie author Greig Beck! I love his books! Especially on audio narrated by Sean Mangan! Like an action movie for your ears!
Cate Granger is an evolutionary biologist, intent on following her grandfather’s footsteps, who disappeared in Baranof Island the Gulf of Alaska, back in 1952. With a team of fellow scientists, a billionaire, and an old flame, Cate makes her way by submarine into an untouched underground sea. They soon find they are not alone in the dark water, a giant megalodon shark had decided the submarine and its crew looks rather tasty, and it will soon discover that the rest of the planets oceans have many more people to eat! Will they be able to defeat the giant predator before it’s too late?
So much fun! Action-packed and fast paced, Beck has never once disappointed me!
Yes, his books are a bit of a guilty pleasure, all you just have to sit back and enjoy! However, you only have to relax and enjoy without too much thinking because Beck has done all the thinking for you! I really admire all the research he puts into all of his books, it is meticulous. He is sneakily making me learn stuff! From the way submarines work to the creatures in the deep ocean, I now feel like I know a lot more than I did before I started!
Love a bit of romance in my books, and there was a touch here and there. Perhaps not quite so much romantic tension as I would have liked, compared to (most of) the Alex Hunter novels. I always think it adds another dimension when the characters are fighting for their lives, and have almost palpable tension with each other. In this respect there just wasn’t quite enough for me, but it was still enjoyable. Plus I am sure a lot of his audience are after much more action than romance!
Would I recommend Fathomless?
Yes! Give it a go! Especially on audio! It certainly made 12 hours of housework and travel to and from work much more enjoyable! I have already downloaded more of his books because I had forgotten how much I enjoy them!
I purchased Fathomless on Audible.com at my own expense.
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Another awesome stand alone action/adventure by Aussie author Greig Beck! I love his books! Especially on audio narrated by Sean Mangan! Like an action movie for your ears!
Cate Granger is an evolutionary biologist, intent on following her grandfather’s footsteps, who disappeared in Baranof Island the Gulf of Alaska, back in 1952. With a team of fellow scientists, a billionaire, and an old flame, Cate makes her way by submarine into an untouched underground sea. They soon find they are not alone in the dark water, a giant megalodon shark had decided the submarine and its crew looks rather tasty, and it will soon discover that the rest of the planets oceans have many more people to eat! Will they be able to defeat the giant predator before it’s too late?
So much fun! Action-packed and fast paced, Beck has never once disappointed me!
Yes, his books are a bit of a guilty pleasure, all you just have to sit back and enjoy! However, you only have to relax and enjoy without too much thinking because Beck has done all the thinking for you! I really admire all the research he puts into all of his books, it is meticulous. He is sneakily making me learn stuff! From the way submarines work to the creatures in the deep ocean, I now feel like I know a lot more than I did before I started!
Love a bit of romance in my books, and there was a touch here and there. Perhaps not quite so much romantic tension as I would have liked, compared to (most of) the Alex Hunter novels. I always think it adds another dimension when the characters are fighting for their lives, and have almost palpable tension with each other. In this respect there just wasn’t quite enough for me, but it was still enjoyable. Plus I am sure a lot of his audience are after much more action than romance!
Would I recommend Fathomless?
Yes! Give it a go! Especially on audio! It certainly made 12 hours of housework and travel to and from work much more enjoyable! I have already downloaded more of his books because I had forgotten how much I enjoy them!
I purchased Fathomless on Audible.com at my own expense.
For more reviews check out my
Blog
January 12, 2020
Cate Granger is following in her long-lost ancestor's footsteps in more way than one. Her fascination with the unknown deep is one shared by her grandfather, who mysteriously disappeared long before her birth. Along with a crew of eager scientists she descends upon Baranof Island, in the Gulf of Alaska. Or, more accurately, the self-contained underwater cove that had been preserved there. As she descends she finds the clues to her grandfather's disappearance that has haunted her family. But, along with it, something is rising to her haunt her in return.
Once I had finished reading this I had one thought: THAT WAS ONE WILD RIDE! The dialogue did feel a little cheesy and sometimes I did find myself eager to return to the scenes of activity rather than the passive querying and worrying and assessing of it. For the most part, I was unable to help myself from being dragged along on in the wake of this adrenaline-fuelled, action horror that felt like a blockbuster action movie in all the best ways!
Once I had finished reading this I had one thought: THAT WAS ONE WILD RIDE! The dialogue did feel a little cheesy and sometimes I did find myself eager to return to the scenes of activity rather than the passive querying and worrying and assessing of it. For the most part, I was unable to help myself from being dragged along on in the wake of this adrenaline-fuelled, action horror that felt like a blockbuster action movie in all the best ways!
July 14, 2021
What I had been promised:
What I got:
…
…
…
OK, that is not entirely accurate. There WAS a megalodon and it DID eat at least SOME people. But … *sighs* … not nearly enough (and some deaths occurred off screen too)!
The story is that a professor‘s grandfather had travelled and gotten lost in a cave in North America that - unbeknownst to her at first - housed a natural marvel. Now, many decades later, she travels there after finding the cave and seeing something incredible on some drone footage.
The problem? Her university (Penn State) doesn‘t have any funds, her department is eradicated, so she has the brilliant plan of taking funds form a Russian oligarch. Naturally, that guy comes with enemies and those enemies have plans of their own for their expedition.
I have to say that, unfortunately, there was more about the Russian‘s history, the ensuing vendetta and the professor‘s failed relationship with - you guessed it - the biologist accompanying the expedition than about the „monster“ the genre promised.
When the shark did make an appearance, it was creepy and huge and hungry (not enough for me but at that point I was starved for blood and gore and violent deaths). And then the book suddenly became half of another story and I don‘t really know what the author was thinking. Maybe he wanted to combine too many story threads and it didn‘t work 100%?
Anyway, the action, when there was any, wasn‘t bad though it wasn‘t as spectacular as I had hoped. However, despite me not expecting much character-wise, I was annoyed with … everyone … and not in the good way I‘m used by monster stories. *lol*
So now I‘m in a dilemma: do I read the next, hoping we‘re cutting out all the „background story“ and jumping straight into the frothing sea, or do I give up and try something else?
What I got:
…
…
…
OK, that is not entirely accurate. There WAS a megalodon and it DID eat at least SOME people. But … *sighs* … not nearly enough (and some deaths occurred off screen too)!
The story is that a professor‘s grandfather had travelled and gotten lost in a cave in North America that - unbeknownst to her at first - housed a natural marvel. Now, many decades later, she travels there after finding the cave and seeing something incredible on some drone footage.
The problem? Her university (Penn State) doesn‘t have any funds, her department is eradicated, so she has the brilliant plan of taking funds form a Russian oligarch. Naturally, that guy comes with enemies and those enemies have plans of their own for their expedition.
I have to say that, unfortunately, there was more about the Russian‘s history, the ensuing vendetta and the professor‘s failed relationship with - you guessed it - the biologist accompanying the expedition than about the „monster“ the genre promised.
When the shark did make an appearance, it was creepy and huge and hungry (not enough for me but at that point I was starved for blood and gore and violent deaths). And then the book suddenly became half of another story and I don‘t really know what the author was thinking. Maybe he wanted to combine too many story threads and it didn‘t work 100%?
Anyway, the action, when there was any, wasn‘t bad though it wasn‘t as spectacular as I had hoped. However, despite me not expecting much character-wise, I was annoyed with … everyone … and not in the good way I‘m used by monster stories. *lol*
So now I‘m in a dilemma: do I read the next, hoping we‘re cutting out all the „background story“ and jumping straight into the frothing sea, or do I give up and try something else?
February 4, 2019
10* Fave!
This was the best sea & subterranean creature feature I've read in a long time! It was a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. I was dragging out the pages just because I didn't want it to end.
This was the best sea & subterranean creature feature I've read in a long time! It was a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. I was dragging out the pages just because I didn't want it to end.
October 7, 2016
I asked my husband the other day, "What would scare you the most; exploring outer space or exploring the deep ocean?"
I love the ocean...I find it peaceful, calming, and quite beautiful and powerful. But, the thought of exploring the deep ocean, I must admit, I find quite terrifying. Probably because it's part of our home and the thought of huge terrifying creatures living in it gives me the heebie jeebies.
This book filled me with dread. Just the thought of something that big coming out of the water right in front of me, is enough to give me nightmares and Greig Beck does a great job of bringing that fear out into the open.
This book is abut an evolutionary biologist looking for primordial life in an underground lake that's been sealed up for millions of years. What they find is the stuff of nightmares! This ancient creature then gets released out into open waters and all hell breaks loose.
An enjoyable, albeit terrifying, thriller recommended for everyone.
I love the ocean...I find it peaceful, calming, and quite beautiful and powerful. But, the thought of exploring the deep ocean, I must admit, I find quite terrifying. Probably because it's part of our home and the thought of huge terrifying creatures living in it gives me the heebie jeebies.
This book filled me with dread. Just the thought of something that big coming out of the water right in front of me, is enough to give me nightmares and Greig Beck does a great job of bringing that fear out into the open.
This book is abut an evolutionary biologist looking for primordial life in an underground lake that's been sealed up for millions of years. What they find is the stuff of nightmares! This ancient creature then gets released out into open waters and all hell breaks loose.
An enjoyable, albeit terrifying, thriller recommended for everyone.
July 15, 2023
Oh. My. God. This book was absolutely phenomenal. I was sucked in right from the start and as an avid horror fan I’ll admit I had the willies. Reading in bed I made sure I had no loose limbs hanging over the end as if the Meg would magically appear under my bed and pull me under. I should mention I’m 34 😂😂. If there is one thing I fear more than anything it’s open water and what lies beneath. I absolutely 100% hate sharks but I can’t not read or watch whatever they star in. While I typically watch my ‘horror’ something about this (probably the cover) just called to me and I’m so flipping glad I picked this up. There was so much more to the book than just a prehistoric monster. Cate the heroine is an evolutionary biologist who believes there is an underwater ocean hidden beauty Alaska. Now I think most of us on the planet realize how little we actually know about the globe we call earth. The oceans in particular are less than 25% explored (don’t quote me on that, whatever the number is, it’s low and shocking). It’s not hard to believe something like this exists and the science nerd in me ate it up. I will admit some parts of this really did freak me out, it was AWESOME! The prologue sucked me right in and I knew right then this book would be gold. I’m sure many will point out the science facts are wrong or blah blah, but I could care less, it’s fiction after all. I’m off to immediately read the second book and I’m hoping it’s just as good. The book did have me thinking a lot about the movie The Meg as a few scenes do sort of mirror the movie but blah again, I didn’t care, I love the movie and I loved this book. (Besides the book came out first lol) If you’re looking to read this, just do it, trust me 😘🤓
***2023 Review***
Aside from a slower start than I remember, Fathomless was as exciting and nerve-wracking a read as it was the first time. All heroine Cate wants to do is find answers into her grandfathers disappearance. When that leads her to unexplored cave systems in Alaska, the scientist in her cannot deny the urgent need to explore and discover. Course Cate's team never imagines the prehistoric creatures they'll run into or how few of them will ever leave. Once the team makes it to the caves and descends down, the action and sense of urgency picks up and doesn't let up until the very end. While I'm more fascinated about the vastness of the caves, I forget how there's also time on the surface for things to turn even more insane. Does end on a cliffs edge but I'm going to come back to this series for sure in a few days. Love the adventure and science that rings true (to me at least because I'll literally believe anything, especially when it's in fiction and I'm no fact checker :P)
***2023 Review***
Aside from a slower start than I remember, Fathomless was as exciting and nerve-wracking a read as it was the first time. All heroine Cate wants to do is find answers into her grandfathers disappearance. When that leads her to unexplored cave systems in Alaska, the scientist in her cannot deny the urgent need to explore and discover. Course Cate's team never imagines the prehistoric creatures they'll run into or how few of them will ever leave. Once the team makes it to the caves and descends down, the action and sense of urgency picks up and doesn't let up until the very end. While I'm more fascinated about the vastness of the caves, I forget how there's also time on the surface for things to turn even more insane. Does end on a cliffs edge but I'm going to come back to this series for sure in a few days. Love the adventure and science that rings true (to me at least because I'll literally believe anything, especially when it's in fiction and I'm no fact checker :P)
February 29, 2024
The concept of this book wasn't terrible: a warm, underground sea filled with amazing and terrifying creatures. Unfortunately, that part of the book is over in the first half. After that, it's less Creature Feature and more Making Bad Choices On the Open Sea.
The romantic subplot was odd and forced (who doesn't want to make out with their ex in a pitch dark cave, in front of a third party, while being hunted by a giant shark?). The characters would have been perfectly safe had they stuck to water that was only as deep as their personalities. They also are nearly impervious to death -- how else would they show up to deliver their quippy and idiotic one liners?
I also found the author's inability to keep their politics out of it distracting. A marine biology expert who pointedly doesn't believe in global warming was odd, as was the grating antagonist/nuisance who emerged in the final quarter of the book: an "Earthpeace" warrior who was described for absolutely no reason as "saggy." The character was unreal in both his idiocy and verbosity. He and his crew scream about our protagonist being an "earth rapist" for merely *being* in a whaling boat, right after they were pulled from the jaws of a prehistoric shark onto that whaling boat. The shark's inevitable death takes up half a single page, but I had to read multiple chapters about stupid liberals wanting to stupid save the planet to get to it.
The author ultimately had an idea he couldn't execute. Even the descriptions get repetitive. For example, warm, tropical, ocean water was referred to as oily/oil dark/oil slick so many times in one chapter that it was irritating.
The romantic subplot was odd and forced (who doesn't want to make out with their ex in a pitch dark cave, in front of a third party, while being hunted by a giant shark?). The characters would have been perfectly safe had they stuck to water that was only as deep as their personalities. They also are nearly impervious to death -- how else would they show up to deliver their quippy and idiotic one liners?
I also found the author's inability to keep their politics out of it distracting. A marine biology expert who pointedly doesn't believe in global warming was odd, as was the grating antagonist/nuisance who emerged in the final quarter of the book: an "Earthpeace" warrior who was described for absolutely no reason as "saggy." The character was unreal in both his idiocy and verbosity. He and his crew scream about our protagonist being an "earth rapist" for merely *being* in a whaling boat, right after they were pulled from the jaws of a prehistoric shark onto that whaling boat. The shark's inevitable death takes up half a single page, but I had to read multiple chapters about stupid liberals wanting to stupid save the planet to get to it.
The author ultimately had an idea he couldn't execute. Even the descriptions get repetitive. For example, warm, tropical, ocean water was referred to as oily/oil dark/oil slick so many times in one chapter that it was irritating.
March 21, 2022
My first book by Greig Beck and I loved it, especially since I live by the sea and was able to walk on the beach while listening to it as an audio. Luckily I didn't see anything like the legendary Megalodon, grandfather of today’s great whites, the star of this sea thriller! (unlikely in Ireland LOL)
This tale has a nice balance of scientific details, yet not too much to be too boringly technical. In fact, I learned quite a bit and I was in awe (being an author) at how much research really went into that book. So thank you Mr. Beck!
Cate Granger is an evolutionary biologist, fascinated to to find out that happened to her grandfather before he disappeared in Baranof Island the Gulf of Alaska, back in 1952. There, he had come upon a place known as ‘Bad Water’ by the island’s elders, and reputed to be the home to many dangerous creatures...
Even though Cate has no funding to pursue any such adventure (which was before she found out that her whole university department shut down!) she manages to gather an unlikely team made from fellow scientists, a billionaire, an ex-boyfriend [all of which is entertaining] and with that, they are off with high tech equipment to pursue her grandfather’s trail.
A little romance, a lot of action, plausible make-belief plot (and interesting notes from the author at the end) = a fabulous time!
I highly recommend it. Very well read if you opt to buy the audible version.
This tale has a nice balance of scientific details, yet not too much to be too boringly technical. In fact, I learned quite a bit and I was in awe (being an author) at how much research really went into that book. So thank you Mr. Beck!
Cate Granger is an evolutionary biologist, fascinated to to find out that happened to her grandfather before he disappeared in Baranof Island the Gulf of Alaska, back in 1952. There, he had come upon a place known as ‘Bad Water’ by the island’s elders, and reputed to be the home to many dangerous creatures...
Even though Cate has no funding to pursue any such adventure (which was before she found out that her whole university department shut down!) she manages to gather an unlikely team made from fellow scientists, a billionaire, an ex-boyfriend [all of which is entertaining] and with that, they are off with high tech equipment to pursue her grandfather’s trail.
A little romance, a lot of action, plausible make-belief plot (and interesting notes from the author at the end) = a fabulous time!
I highly recommend it. Very well read if you opt to buy the audible version.
May 9, 2022
The first half was an adventure with minimal dislikable characters and potential romances, I thought it would be the highlight of Merfolk May.
Wrong!
The second half of the book was the author slagging off Whale Wars. It felt like he wrote the whole book just to express his ire over eco warriors.
Returned to Audible for a full refund. DNF about 90%.
Wrong!
The second half of the book was the author slagging off Whale Wars. It felt like he wrote the whole book just to express his ire over eco warriors.
Returned to Audible for a full refund. DNF about 90%.
August 1, 2017
In honour of Shark Week, I picked up Fathomless - a new deep sea thriller featuring no other but C. megalodon. I was so excited! To be honest, I did not expect literary genius here, but rather an action-packed adventure with lots of bigass sharks chomping on unsuspecting humans. While I did get kind of what I was looking for plot-wise, I really REALLY hated the characters.
Unfortunately a lot of the action was narrated through the dialogue, which was not one of the book's strongest points. To be honest, I couldn't stand interactions between any of characters. They felt stiff and pointless, and rambling... At no point in the story could I find myself really gripped by terror, mostly because I did not care whether these people survived or not. After a while they all blended in and sounded the same. The so-called experts were also not very convincing. The scientists were reckless and willing to mislead their colleagues in the name of research, disregarding any ethical, moral, or safety concerns. To think of it, the only people who emerged unscathed from this were people of questionable moral compass.
The romance between two main characters was also so laughable and overdone. When are we going to drop this whole "I'll pretend to hate you, but I secretly still have hots for you" routine? The scenes between them could be written by a juvenile, but at least a juvenile has an excuse of inexperience in real-life relationships to write anything convincing. Some of the writing made me cringe so bad: "She knew she needed him. Probably always had, but now more than ever." Seriously? Gag.
Other examples of odd choice of words: "Jack said, his brows snapping together." "Cate licked lips that had suddenly gone dry." Whaaaat?
Now let me address the Russian-ness of this book. Why?!! Why did the author go down that 90's action movie road, where all Russian characters are just cartoony stereotypes guzzling vodka and being awkwardly aloof? In this day and age it should be considered offensive. If you want to include foreign characters into your book, at least have the decency to research the culture and language properly. I lost track how many really bad, easily-avoidable mistakes the author made. Every time I read misspellings like "Prusalka", or a misused random words, or an obviously made up name, I wanted to burn the book in a raging ball of fire. Maybe if the shark also wore a shapka and danced a trepak across the seven seas I'd be more entertained by the comedic self-awareness. Or maybe if there was a scene like this:
A book of great ideas that was spoiled by the idiotic characters. Also once the megalodon surfaces, there are a ton of plot elements being borrowed from the fellow giant shark thriller Meg. I thought this would be a new guilty pleasure of mine, but it turned out to be a bummer. The editor should have been harder on Mr. Beck.
Unfortunately a lot of the action was narrated through the dialogue, which was not one of the book's strongest points. To be honest, I couldn't stand interactions between any of characters. They felt stiff and pointless, and rambling... At no point in the story could I find myself really gripped by terror, mostly because I did not care whether these people survived or not. After a while they all blended in and sounded the same. The so-called experts were also not very convincing. The scientists were reckless and willing to mislead their colleagues in the name of research, disregarding any ethical, moral, or safety concerns. To think of it, the only people who emerged unscathed from this were people of questionable moral compass.
The romance between two main characters was also so laughable and overdone. When are we going to drop this whole "I'll pretend to hate you, but I secretly still have hots for you" routine? The scenes between them could be written by a juvenile, but at least a juvenile has an excuse of inexperience in real-life relationships to write anything convincing. Some of the writing made me cringe so bad: "She knew she needed him. Probably always had, but now more than ever." Seriously? Gag.
Other examples of odd choice of words: "Jack said, his brows snapping together." "Cate licked lips that had suddenly gone dry." Whaaaat?
Now let me address the Russian-ness of this book. Why?!! Why did the author go down that 90's action movie road, where all Russian characters are just cartoony stereotypes guzzling vodka and being awkwardly aloof? In this day and age it should be considered offensive. If you want to include foreign characters into your book, at least have the decency to research the culture and language properly. I lost track how many really bad, easily-avoidable mistakes the author made. Every time I read misspellings like "Prusalka", or a misused random words, or an obviously made up name, I wanted to burn the book in a raging ball of fire. Maybe if the shark also wore a shapka and danced a trepak across the seven seas I'd be more entertained by the comedic self-awareness. Or maybe if there was a scene like this:
A book of great ideas that was spoiled by the idiotic characters. Also once the megalodon surfaces, there are a ton of plot elements being borrowed from the fellow giant shark thriller Meg. I thought this would be a new guilty pleasure of mine, but it turned out to be a bummer. The editor should have been harder on Mr. Beck.
September 16, 2018
Subterranean sea closed off for millions of years and supporting prehistoric sea life. This part was cool, as it piqued my interest to do a little research on these now extinct creatures. Good thing too! These were truly terrors of the deep, making our present great whites nothing but Nemos. Okay story - it had the sea creatures, adventure, cold-blooded sexy killer Russian, the Megalodon that was released into the Pacific, and lots of yummy people snacks for it. The weird thing is the story telling was okay, however, when the story cut to dialogues, it was a but clunky and unnatural.
January 21, 2021
Fantastic! I couldn't stop listening to this one! Hours of adventure and fun. Classic, lost world genre fun that delivers right up through the last pages.
December 22, 2016
Fathomless is a gold ole fashion adventure read with monsters from the past trying to gobble everyone up. Grieg back has managed to meld together a whole heap of sub genres to deliver a Hollywood blockbuster worthy story. The story, characters and surprisingly the science are all good and mix well with the fast pace action to keep the reader on the edge.
October 9, 2016
A subterranean sea filled with prehistoric terrors lies under the frozen Alaskan tundra. A team of scientists, bankrolled by a very wealthy eccentric man, go on an expedition to find the primordial place and to bring back news of it to the world. This was a really well written creature thriller! I will definitely be checking out Greig Beck's other books.
July 24, 2024
Great read
Great read, as are all of Greig Beck's books! Can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
Great read, as are all of Greig Beck's books! Can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.
March 30, 2019
CARCHARODON MEGALODON
The largest and most fearsome predator to have ever existed on our planet. Rumors of its existence in our modern oceans have persisted for centuries. Now, in a new adventure, the rumors explode into brutal and terrifying reality.
I enjoyed this one. Cate and her fellow scientists, along with a Russian billionaire, and two crew explore an undiscovered cave, hoping to find a new species. They are underground in a small submarine and are attacked by a giant shark - Carcharodon megalodon. Believe it or not, after that, things get worse. Will they manage to escape the underground nightmare, and is the Carcharodon megalodon truly contained in that cave?
It took nearly 50% of the book for the action to get started, but once it did, I couldn't stop listening. The claustrophobic feeling of the sub is magnified by the atmosphere of the underground cave and the fact that we know there is a traitor on board. And what's not to love about a giant killer shark. :)
A couple of things bothered me about this book. First, the author used the word "leant" and people seemed to be leaning a lot. Second, we saw through the shark's pov, but only for a short time in the middle of the book, and then never again. Lastly, I was bothered that this giant shark that could easily eat half a whale with one bite would ever bother eating humans. It seems as if a person would be like a crumb compared with the whale. Why would a shark that size chase and eat a bunch of people, when it could easily kill something larger and be satisfied for a week or more?
Anyway, a fun giant killer shark story. Now I have to get around to reading Meg.
The largest and most fearsome predator to have ever existed on our planet. Rumors of its existence in our modern oceans have persisted for centuries. Now, in a new adventure, the rumors explode into brutal and terrifying reality.
I enjoyed this one. Cate and her fellow scientists, along with a Russian billionaire, and two crew explore an undiscovered cave, hoping to find a new species. They are underground in a small submarine and are attacked by a giant shark - Carcharodon megalodon. Believe it or not, after that, things get worse. Will they manage to escape the underground nightmare, and is the Carcharodon megalodon truly contained in that cave?
It took nearly 50% of the book for the action to get started, but once it did, I couldn't stop listening. The claustrophobic feeling of the sub is magnified by the atmosphere of the underground cave and the fact that we know there is a traitor on board. And what's not to love about a giant killer shark. :)
A couple of things bothered me about this book. First, the author used the word "leant" and people seemed to be leaning a lot. Second, we saw through the shark's pov, but only for a short time in the middle of the book, and then never again. Lastly, I was bothered that this giant shark that could easily eat half a whale with one bite would ever bother eating humans. It seems as if a person would be like a crumb compared with the whale. Why would a shark that size chase and eat a bunch of people, when it could easily kill something larger and be satisfied for a week or more?
Anyway, a fun giant killer shark story. Now I have to get around to reading Meg.
November 2, 2020
This was a well-paced, interesting horror novel. Simple, yet effective.
I really wish Beck would have just stayed in his ‘fiction lane’. In ending the book with laughable conspiracy theories, that posit the Megalodon could still roam the oceans, I completely soured to the entire book. Did we not learn enough from Peter Benchley’s mistakes? In blurring the lines between realistic shark behaviours and some fantastical representation of the species, Beck contributes to the undeserved reputation of sharks as bloodthirsty killers, that prey upon humans.
In claiming the entire novel is based in scientific truths, Beck undermines both the plot and characterisation of the animal. Sharks don’t count people on land, create some kind of mathematical formula, and then hunt them all down. Not with a bloody Minke whale carcass right in front of it. Also, what’s with the unbridled aggression part of shark?
I can buy into a tale that uses shark caricatures for a cheap horror read, but come on, don’t feed into the hysteria that already surrounds the ocean. I was willing to go along with the story and dismiss the wild characterisations for the sake of a well told story, but in positioning himself as a marine biologist, Beck has tainted the entire narrative.
I really wish Beck would have just stayed in his ‘fiction lane’. In ending the book with laughable conspiracy theories, that posit the Megalodon could still roam the oceans, I completely soured to the entire book. Did we not learn enough from Peter Benchley’s mistakes? In blurring the lines between realistic shark behaviours and some fantastical representation of the species, Beck contributes to the undeserved reputation of sharks as bloodthirsty killers, that prey upon humans.
In claiming the entire novel is based in scientific truths, Beck undermines both the plot and characterisation of the animal. Sharks don’t count people on land, create some kind of mathematical formula, and then hunt them all down. Not with a bloody Minke whale carcass right in front of it. Also, what’s with the unbridled aggression part of shark?
I can buy into a tale that uses shark caricatures for a cheap horror read, but come on, don’t feed into the hysteria that already surrounds the ocean. I was willing to go along with the story and dismiss the wild characterisations for the sake of a well told story, but in positioning himself as a marine biologist, Beck has tainted the entire narrative.
December 24, 2020
Trigger warnings: death, animal death, blood, shark attack, gun violence, murder.
Basically I wanted this to be The Meg in a cave. And it...kind of was? But it was also strangely dull a lot of the time? Like, it took a good 20% of the book to actually get around to starting the expedition into the cave system and another 20%-ish to actually encounter the shark. And, like, it was just too long to get to the actual core of the story, you know?
Additionally, I kept being pulled out of the story by the fact that Beck's use of commas was...utterly baffling and nonsensical. There were sometimes sentences with three or more commas and none of the commas were in a place that made sense. And honestly, a decent copy editor should have taken care of that whole mess. Alas.
So yeah. Ultimately, I had a decent enough reading experience, but it wasn't nearly as action-filled as I was hoping.
Basically I wanted this to be The Meg in a cave. And it...kind of was? But it was also strangely dull a lot of the time? Like, it took a good 20% of the book to actually get around to starting the expedition into the cave system and another 20%-ish to actually encounter the shark. And, like, it was just too long to get to the actual core of the story, you know?
Additionally, I kept being pulled out of the story by the fact that Beck's use of commas was...utterly baffling and nonsensical. There were sometimes sentences with three or more commas and none of the commas were in a place that made sense. And honestly, a decent copy editor should have taken care of that whole mess. Alas.
So yeah. Ultimately, I had a decent enough reading experience, but it wasn't nearly as action-filled as I was hoping.
August 25, 2018
Great story, really looking forward to the sequel which i think is coming up. Gripping plot, really well worth reading.
March 18, 2017
Totally loved this book about the search for hidden information in the depths beneath. I loved the intro where Beck outlines that we know more about the surface of the moon than we do about Earth's ocean.
This is a totally fascinating read about what can happen when we go meddling in the great beyond beneath. Just what ecosystems will we disturb and more importantly unleash. This tale was a nail biter from start to finish with a bit of romance mixed in for good measure.
I guess my only critique was where the author explains at the end of his book about how wherever possible the information contained in the novel is based on fact not fiction, and among other things goes onto outline "as you know sharks don't get cancer". Well I am not a marine biologist nor a scientist but I am adept at internet research and this is an oft repeated myth. It's really not a big deal but when you cite such myths for a novel but it then of course brings all the other research you have used as the basis for your story into question. But seeing as how your story is fiction and an amazing gripping tale at that, and not a text book, I didn't let this fact deter my enjoyment or rating of your novel.
An awesome read about the deep and great for all those conspiracy theorists out there.
This is a totally fascinating read about what can happen when we go meddling in the great beyond beneath. Just what ecosystems will we disturb and more importantly unleash. This tale was a nail biter from start to finish with a bit of romance mixed in for good measure.
I guess my only critique was where the author explains at the end of his book about how wherever possible the information contained in the novel is based on fact not fiction, and among other things goes onto outline "as you know sharks don't get cancer". Well I am not a marine biologist nor a scientist but I am adept at internet research and this is an oft repeated myth. It's really not a big deal but when you cite such myths for a novel but it then of course brings all the other research you have used as the basis for your story into question. But seeing as how your story is fiction and an amazing gripping tale at that, and not a text book, I didn't let this fact deter my enjoyment or rating of your novel.
An awesome read about the deep and great for all those conspiracy theorists out there.
July 7, 2018
The good: the initial premise is good. Prehistoric creatures have survived in a huge underground area. Our heroes start out exploring and things go wrong. Trapped in an nearly endless sea in an unclimable cavern... with huge monsters. Genuinely creepy stuff.
The bad: the rot starts early in what is an otherwise competently written, language wise, book. The prehistoric creatures are ones well known to anyone who has a vague interest (which beggars belief as it'd be more likely we'd never have even heard of any creatures that survived), that don't come from the same eras which really took me out of the narrative AND are claimed not to need to have evolved due to no evolutionary pressures despite the fact some of these creatures wouldn't have "met" in real life. I'm sure a giant predatory shark would've had some effect on the Devonian and Permian creatures (and vice-versa).
Ok... that's niggly I know... but worse is that I just don't care for the characters. None of them make me root for them. Their jeopardy is meaningly to me.
And the final thing is... the good premise only covers about a third of the book. Otherwise it is just another giant shark book out on the open seas. Meh.
Not terrible but very disappointing.
The bad: the rot starts early in what is an otherwise competently written, language wise, book. The prehistoric creatures are ones well known to anyone who has a vague interest (which beggars belief as it'd be more likely we'd never have even heard of any creatures that survived), that don't come from the same eras which really took me out of the narrative AND are claimed not to need to have evolved due to no evolutionary pressures despite the fact some of these creatures wouldn't have "met" in real life. I'm sure a giant predatory shark would've had some effect on the Devonian and Permian creatures (and vice-versa).
Ok... that's niggly I know... but worse is that I just don't care for the characters. None of them make me root for them. Their jeopardy is meaningly to me.
And the final thing is... the good premise only covers about a third of the book. Otherwise it is just another giant shark book out on the open seas. Meh.
Not terrible but very disappointing.
January 9, 2019
The narrator left something to be desired. There was not a lot of variance in his voices (apart from accents) and there was very little change in his pace.
As seems to be trending with books of this sort, it starts with an interesting prologue that turns into 10 hours of getting to the point.
Unfortunately, in this one I can't help wondering what the point of the first half of the book was.
This is one of those books that things seem really interesting and I'm wondering just where in the hell the story is going to go... and then something happens that changes everything. Except, it has nothing to do with the story so far and would have happened even if the first half of the book hadn't happened.
So why bother with the first half?
Yes, I finished the book. And no, it didn't really improve.
Do yourself a favor and read Steve Alten's Meg instead.
As seems to be trending with books of this sort, it starts with an interesting prologue that turns into 10 hours of getting to the point.
Unfortunately, in this one I can't help wondering what the point of the first half of the book was.
This is one of those books that things seem really interesting and I'm wondering just where in the hell the story is going to go... and then something happens that changes everything. Except, it has nothing to do with the story so far and would have happened even if the first half of the book hadn't happened.
So why bother with the first half?
Yes, I finished the book. And no, it didn't really improve.
Do yourself a favor and read Steve Alten's Meg instead.
February 14, 2020
Always game for a good shark tale. Although Fathomless is incredibly similar to Meg, it's still a fun read. In this case, they encounter their giant prehistoric shark trapped in an underwater sea beneath the Alaskan coast. The intrigue, sabotage, surprises and hindrances all made this book more than I was expecting. It helped that things happened you just didn't see coming, at least not precisely.
A word to the audio listeners, the narrator's pronunciation was incredibly annoying. I get that there's not really one way set in stone to pronounce Megalodon; but, if you're reading books like these I feel like you should have heard it or looked it up enough to eventually catch the typical usage in the US. And his Latin name pronunciations are grating as well. I typically don't care, but it's written at least a hundred times in the book, i.e. read it like that every time.
A word to the audio listeners, the narrator's pronunciation was incredibly annoying. I get that there's not really one way set in stone to pronounce Megalodon; but, if you're reading books like these I feel like you should have heard it or looked it up enough to eventually catch the typical usage in the US. And his Latin name pronunciations are grating as well. I typically don't care, but it's written at least a hundred times in the book, i.e. read it like that every time.
April 3, 2019
Great first half but then it falls of an oceanic shelf and plummets into an abyss of blandness and disinterest. I got the feeling that the author just couldn't wait to finish this up, as if he was bored with it all. I was.
Far too long and relying on stupid people instead of real drama with an ending that made me shrug my shoulders and say: 'Meh.'
I listened to the audio book version and the reader also seemed bored with the whole thing. He also pronounced megalodon (Mega-Low-Dun) that I initially mistook it to be a completely different creature.
Far too long and relying on stupid people instead of real drama with an ending that made me shrug my shoulders and say: 'Meh.'
I listened to the audio book version and the reader also seemed bored with the whole thing. He also pronounced megalodon (Mega-Low-Dun) that I initially mistook it to be a completely different creature.
June 26, 2018
Had no high expectation going in, but the premise seemed interesting. Hidden oceans underneath the crust of the Earth? Hmm! Show me what you got.
What I got was a very boring (pun intended) adventure thriller.
The story was bad. The characters were dull and extremely annoying at all times. The action sequences were abrupt and hard to follow. There's just nothing redeeming about this one.
What I got was a very boring (pun intended) adventure thriller.
The story was bad. The characters were dull and extremely annoying at all times. The action sequences were abrupt and hard to follow. There's just nothing redeeming about this one.
October 1, 2016
Wow, what an adventure a thrilling tale, full of action, monsters of the deep and a new hero Jack looking forward to his next adventure.
December 8, 2023
I should have known better. I’ve listened to In Search of the Lost World, which really should have been a warning, but I was looking for an audiobook and thought why not? Hidden lost world, giant sharks. Thought it would be a bit of fun. Do you know those Asylum, Sci-Fi channel movies? The ones with a crocodile, or shark with 1998 PS2 graphics? and throw in industrial unit, a few uniforms from an army surplus store and hire a Humvee for a week and a recognisable actor or actress that hasn’t had a hit for about two decades? Welcome to the book version of one of those.
Cate Granger, Harvard marine biologist is leading a team to investigate a hidden underground ocean, locked away, isolated for millions of years, where her grandfather went missing in the 1950s. When their drone submersible is destroyed, with its final image of a large tooth, Cate is desperate to return for a more substantial research team. With the university unwilling to fund such a costly expedition, Cate turns to a Russian oligarch, who has an obsession with rare and extinct creatures. Now part of a larger and well funded team, also including her ex, Jack another marine expert. As the blow an entrance in the roof of this ancient sea and descend in a top of line mini submarine, Cate and the others discover a lost world of extinct marine life, dating back hundreds of millions of years. While making the biggest ever palaeontological discovery, the expedition is hit, first by a Russian sleeper agent attacking the Russian oligarch under orders by a corrupt Russian minister, and then by a primeval monster that has had this sea as its own territory for millions of years – the Megalodon a 60ft long shark that ruled the season up till about 2 million years ago when it became extinct, except for here. Attacking the team, only Cate and Jack and one other manage to escape. However, the creatures from this ancient world are no longer trapped. With boats and crews going missing at an alarming rate, Cate believes a Megalodon has been unleashed and has the potential to upturn the entire world ocean ecosystem.
I love adventure stories. I love lost world; prehistoric predators being discovered. But this book has a tipping point, that it almost unintentionally becomes like a parody. I could forgive (some) artistic licence over the lost sea and the animals that live there; the over dramatic writing and uses fifteen words when none would do; the constant use of scientific words that comes across as trying to be pretentious; the cliché, trope characters that lack any originality. Maybe with a few of these, the book might not have been so bad for me, but with all these issues I think it kind of resulted in critical mass.
First things first. This subterranean sea that’s been cut off for millions of years trapping ancient species inside. Except it wasn’t. The species they discover down there: Trilobites, the famous “Dudley beetle” undersea creature appeared 521 million years ago and became extinct 250 million years ago. So, this ‘sea’ had to be cut off in between that. At least two hundred million years before Megalodon even appeared. And somehow this sea avoid any sort of plate tectonics that would have occurred in almost a third of a billion years. Alaska wasn’t where Alaska is now 250 million years ago. Continental drift would have moved and distorted all the underlying geology, so any ‘sea’ wouldn’t have lasted that long. The Alaskan mountain range is 120 million years old, so any sea that held Trilobites after they became extinct 250 million years ago, the upheaval of the mountain range forming would have destroyed this sea. OK, I’ll let that go...for now. The sea was supposed to cut off from the world’s oceans. When? If trilobites and Dunkleosteus (armoured fish which lived from 380 to 350 million years ago, but then also has Megalodon and an ancient species of whale in there. So, did this sea open up occasionally and let in more species? Yet let in no sea reptiles from the age of dinosaurs apparently (perhaps that’s why I’m angry. No plesiosaurs). So, it was open before the dinosaurs, allowed Trilobites and Dunkleosteus in, closed up to separate them, reopened again about somewhere between 50 and 2 million years ago to allow an ancient whale species and Megalodon in, then closed up again. So, a temperamental lost world. And probably like I said to conveniently leave out the sea reptiles as they would take all the attention, as they rightly should. I mean you could have got away with it a bit by saying there was no air pocket in the sea, but by having whales in there, destroys that point. Also, evolution doesn’t stand still. There are animals in the sea, which are adapted for living in the total darkness of the deep sea, they either use other sense or create their own light with bioluminescent. Here none of that. The whales have been trapped in this sea for millions of years yet still retain vestigial limbs, like ancient whales did. Why? Wouldn’t these have evolved out like it did in present whale species. The Megalodon, having been living in this total darkness cave for millions of years yet still have perfect eyesight. Wouldn’t this have evolved out probably (killed off any trapped giant sharks as they weren’t adapted to those ecosystem) as it’s a redundant sense? The whales still having vestigial arms? Why. Trapped in a sea with no coast, wouldn’t have they evolved away? Add the fact that no way would that many large predators be able to survive in that environment. A sea isolated mile’s underground in the pitch dark, no way in or out by sea, has a breeding population of Dunkleosteus, ancient whales, giant squid and Megalodon. And as they have the Megalodon constantly eating and unstoppable it would have eaten everything and died of starvation millions of years ago. The sea is not totally isolated, a network of caves means there is a long, difficult link to the surface, which local natives and even Neanderthals came down to this sea to fight Megalodon for some reason. Cate, As a Harvard evolutionary biologist would do when finding a completely isolated sea full of extinct creatures does what any Harvard professor would do: blow a massive hole in the roof of the sea to lower a sub in, completely contaminating the site and exposing it the modern world which could potentially kill off any animals in there. Would a marine and evolutionary biologist be ok with this? But then she does say they are in a race to discover what’s there. Race against whom? Nobody apparently. No-one else knows of this sea, except legends of the natives. The urgency never seems to sit right, or the fact they jump straight to sending a manned sub down there rather than a drone or something. Is there more science stuff that bothered me? Yeah, loads but I’ll sum up and keep it short. Like he did with Primordia with the Titanoboa he goes with the maximum possible size rather than the most likely/average size, which I guess when doing a monster story, you want the biggest, but estimates of 30 to 65ft and he goes with 80ft. I’m sure Megalodon didn’t eat anything and everything it came across. Using poor Discovery channel documentaries as a source doesn’t help. Megalodon didn’t live in the deep dark sea, they lived shallower warmer waters. The Megalodon escaping its geothermal heated sea, to the Alaskan sea, the temperature change would have most likely killed it. Think that's probably enough. Now on to the writing itself.
As this was an audiobook, it might be hard to judge. As reading it is different to it being read to you. Because I think if I’d read it instead, I don't think it would have been as much as an issue as it was listening to it. Because listening to it can be painful at times. The writing of excited teenager using a mixture of scientific dictionary and helicopter engine manuals to look cleverer and more serious, like how Joey tried in Friends by using a thesaurus. It reminded me of what apparently Harrison Ford said to George Lucas on the set of star Wars, after reading the script “you can write this shit George, but you can’t say it.” Listening to this book has that feeling. Exposition is dumped in massive quantities, and a lot is just random information, like the population of Alaska, its size. The book is drowning in stuff like that. Cetaceans. Cetaceans. Using this word once, fine. Twice OK. Using it like it is here, no. Just say whale. Even experts in Cetacean research departments probably don’t use this word as much as it said here. Even they refer to whale species as whales, not cetaceans. It just cam across stilted, awkward and like I said, a Joey trying to be clever. The rest of the dialogue? It just feels forced and unrealistic. When spoken it doesn’t flow well together, maybe this is a difference between sitting and reading it and hearing it out, that perhaps it wouldn’t jump out as much if I read rather than hearing it, but it can feel really cringey in parts, and can completely take you out of the story. The part where Jake singing to his dog an old sea shanty is just painful cringe, and meant to be some nice, warming moment so painfully sickly. Add to the fact that, it also becomes very melodramatic, just means the dialogue, does not help the story in any way, and probably I’d say hinders it more than anything else. I’m not sure whether it’s the unnaturalness of the dialogue or the use of ten words when none would be better, it just seemed really long, lot longer than it needed to be.
The characters. You ever played RPG video games? And when you come to choose your character, you can create your own or just be boring and pick the standard, uniform one. We’ll those are these characters. Stock characters that, I don’t want to seem mean and say are lazy, just lack any imagination to them. Cate, the amazing evolutionary biologist, who is attractive but not in the typical way (?). Who wants to find our what happened to her grandfather who went missing in these Alaskan caves.
1. This remarkably similar to the plot of Primordia.
2. He went missing in 1952. Cate is thirty-two. He never met him. I’m not sure questions should be asked to the grandmother who her daughters real dad is, but we’ll leave that. I mean I don’t get why have it 1952? There’s no point it couldn’t have happened in the 80s, so Cate has some connection with her grandfather or something. Just seems odd. The marine biologist ex Jake is a rough, handsome rogue, and best in the business. Of what? Marine biologists? When he isn’t travelling the world swimming with sharks, he's making boats by hand in his cabin. Of course, he is. Also, Jake and Cate? Could you have picked any names more stereotypical? Was Jack taken? Of course, their romance resumes, but they lack any sort of chemistry, and seemed forced together as that’s what’s supposed to happen. The other characters let’s tick them off. Meak, younger woman who is easily scared? Yep, there’s Abby. The jokey, tech guy? Check. Eccentric Russian billionaire, with attractive femme fatale assistant? Double check. Evil Russians. Again. Where a minister in the Russian government uses a neutron bomb to trap his nemesis oligarch. So, a Russian minister detonates a nuclear bomb on us soil to cover up his corruption and tries to place blame on Al Quida. Just seems overkill and stupid. Who’d believe terrorist ls would use a nuclear bomb in the wastelands of Alaska. The Green Peace types that turn up at the end seem out of place, they are made out to be stupid and naive for trying to stop an unauthorised whaleling ship, which they are using to catch this giant shark. But haven’t told anyone what they are doing and even when the shark is massacring people, they still want to save the shark or something. Others have mentioned the authors views might be leaking in here, and it feels a bit off.
Added on to this the pace is a slog. Either because of the writing or maybe because it takes an age to get moving. It takes ages to get the mini sub into the sea, then ages again before anything really happens then a long time again after that, with sidetrack to Russia. The book is in two; a long journey in this lost sea with long sections were the pace is sluggish and then the second part with the Megalodon escaping (I know spoiler right) causing havoc. It’s not until the second part were the action ramps up, with more attacks. This makes the book, a bit heavy at the start, the whole lost world angle just drains a lot, and I shouldn’t say that as I love that kind of stuff.
These books and the author has some big fans, and if they like them and praise them with 4 and 5 stars, and they really enjoyed them, good for them. But I’ve read quite a few adventure books like this, some really good and fun, some stale, but these are like another level. Like I mentioned before, maybe listening to the book rather than actually reading it, brings out more of the ‘bad stuff’ that I might not have noticed otherwise. But even using this excuse, it just sounded wrong. Thing is, it’s not even funny, and any attempts it may have tried fell so flat they either went unnoticed or hit elevated levels of cringe. As an adventure story it failed, as it wasn’t fun; its action was sparse and when did happen lacked any sort of energy that grabbed you. The characters were unimaginative and had less charisma than an empty store brand cornflakes box. The dialogue was machine-like and didn’t have any energy or life to it. As a thriller, like say Jaws, it didn’t keep you guessing or have you on the edge of your seat, every turn was telegraphed miles away or fell into every known trope. I mean, reading stuff by Andy McDermott with stuff like The Hunt for Atlantis or Matthew Reilly with stuff likeIce Station (who is also an Australian adventure writer), they have tropes, and stupid situations, but their books are fun, the dialogue just works, and the characters are likable or at least make an impact. After listening to two audiobooks by this author and both having the same issues, I’m done at least listening to them. Maybe I might give actually reading one a go and see if the issues that glow out when listening are as noticeable. If you like adventure, action type books, there’s many I’d suggest before these. To suggest this, it would be the bottom of a long list.
Cate Granger, Harvard marine biologist is leading a team to investigate a hidden underground ocean, locked away, isolated for millions of years, where her grandfather went missing in the 1950s. When their drone submersible is destroyed, with its final image of a large tooth, Cate is desperate to return for a more substantial research team. With the university unwilling to fund such a costly expedition, Cate turns to a Russian oligarch, who has an obsession with rare and extinct creatures. Now part of a larger and well funded team, also including her ex, Jack another marine expert. As the blow an entrance in the roof of this ancient sea and descend in a top of line mini submarine, Cate and the others discover a lost world of extinct marine life, dating back hundreds of millions of years. While making the biggest ever palaeontological discovery, the expedition is hit, first by a Russian sleeper agent attacking the Russian oligarch under orders by a corrupt Russian minister, and then by a primeval monster that has had this sea as its own territory for millions of years – the Megalodon a 60ft long shark that ruled the season up till about 2 million years ago when it became extinct, except for here. Attacking the team, only Cate and Jack and one other manage to escape. However, the creatures from this ancient world are no longer trapped. With boats and crews going missing at an alarming rate, Cate believes a Megalodon has been unleashed and has the potential to upturn the entire world ocean ecosystem.
I love adventure stories. I love lost world; prehistoric predators being discovered. But this book has a tipping point, that it almost unintentionally becomes like a parody. I could forgive (some) artistic licence over the lost sea and the animals that live there; the over dramatic writing and uses fifteen words when none would do; the constant use of scientific words that comes across as trying to be pretentious; the cliché, trope characters that lack any originality. Maybe with a few of these, the book might not have been so bad for me, but with all these issues I think it kind of resulted in critical mass.
First things first. This subterranean sea that’s been cut off for millions of years trapping ancient species inside. Except it wasn’t. The species they discover down there: Trilobites, the famous “Dudley beetle” undersea creature appeared 521 million years ago and became extinct 250 million years ago. So, this ‘sea’ had to be cut off in between that. At least two hundred million years before Megalodon even appeared. And somehow this sea avoid any sort of plate tectonics that would have occurred in almost a third of a billion years. Alaska wasn’t where Alaska is now 250 million years ago. Continental drift would have moved and distorted all the underlying geology, so any ‘sea’ wouldn’t have lasted that long. The Alaskan mountain range is 120 million years old, so any sea that held Trilobites after they became extinct 250 million years ago, the upheaval of the mountain range forming would have destroyed this sea. OK, I’ll let that go...for now. The sea was supposed to cut off from the world’s oceans. When? If trilobites and Dunkleosteus (armoured fish which lived from 380 to 350 million years ago, but then also has Megalodon and an ancient species of whale in there. So, did this sea open up occasionally and let in more species? Yet let in no sea reptiles from the age of dinosaurs apparently (perhaps that’s why I’m angry. No plesiosaurs). So, it was open before the dinosaurs, allowed Trilobites and Dunkleosteus in, closed up to separate them, reopened again about somewhere between 50 and 2 million years ago to allow an ancient whale species and Megalodon in, then closed up again. So, a temperamental lost world. And probably like I said to conveniently leave out the sea reptiles as they would take all the attention, as they rightly should. I mean you could have got away with it a bit by saying there was no air pocket in the sea, but by having whales in there, destroys that point. Also, evolution doesn’t stand still. There are animals in the sea, which are adapted for living in the total darkness of the deep sea, they either use other sense or create their own light with bioluminescent. Here none of that. The whales have been trapped in this sea for millions of years yet still retain vestigial limbs, like ancient whales did. Why? Wouldn’t these have evolved out like it did in present whale species. The Megalodon, having been living in this total darkness cave for millions of years yet still have perfect eyesight. Wouldn’t this have evolved out probably (killed off any trapped giant sharks as they weren’t adapted to those ecosystem) as it’s a redundant sense? The whales still having vestigial arms? Why. Trapped in a sea with no coast, wouldn’t have they evolved away? Add the fact that no way would that many large predators be able to survive in that environment. A sea isolated mile’s underground in the pitch dark, no way in or out by sea, has a breeding population of Dunkleosteus, ancient whales, giant squid and Megalodon. And as they have the Megalodon constantly eating and unstoppable it would have eaten everything and died of starvation millions of years ago. The sea is not totally isolated, a network of caves means there is a long, difficult link to the surface, which local natives and even Neanderthals came down to this sea to fight Megalodon for some reason. Cate, As a Harvard evolutionary biologist would do when finding a completely isolated sea full of extinct creatures does what any Harvard professor would do: blow a massive hole in the roof of the sea to lower a sub in, completely contaminating the site and exposing it the modern world which could potentially kill off any animals in there. Would a marine and evolutionary biologist be ok with this? But then she does say they are in a race to discover what’s there. Race against whom? Nobody apparently. No-one else knows of this sea, except legends of the natives. The urgency never seems to sit right, or the fact they jump straight to sending a manned sub down there rather than a drone or something. Is there more science stuff that bothered me? Yeah, loads but I’ll sum up and keep it short. Like he did with Primordia with the Titanoboa he goes with the maximum possible size rather than the most likely/average size, which I guess when doing a monster story, you want the biggest, but estimates of 30 to 65ft and he goes with 80ft. I’m sure Megalodon didn’t eat anything and everything it came across. Using poor Discovery channel documentaries as a source doesn’t help. Megalodon didn’t live in the deep dark sea, they lived shallower warmer waters. The Megalodon escaping its geothermal heated sea, to the Alaskan sea, the temperature change would have most likely killed it. Think that's probably enough. Now on to the writing itself.
As this was an audiobook, it might be hard to judge. As reading it is different to it being read to you. Because I think if I’d read it instead, I don't think it would have been as much as an issue as it was listening to it. Because listening to it can be painful at times. The writing of excited teenager using a mixture of scientific dictionary and helicopter engine manuals to look cleverer and more serious, like how Joey tried in Friends by using a thesaurus. It reminded me of what apparently Harrison Ford said to George Lucas on the set of star Wars, after reading the script “you can write this shit George, but you can’t say it.” Listening to this book has that feeling. Exposition is dumped in massive quantities, and a lot is just random information, like the population of Alaska, its size. The book is drowning in stuff like that. Cetaceans. Cetaceans. Using this word once, fine. Twice OK. Using it like it is here, no. Just say whale. Even experts in Cetacean research departments probably don’t use this word as much as it said here. Even they refer to whale species as whales, not cetaceans. It just cam across stilted, awkward and like I said, a Joey trying to be clever. The rest of the dialogue? It just feels forced and unrealistic. When spoken it doesn’t flow well together, maybe this is a difference between sitting and reading it and hearing it out, that perhaps it wouldn’t jump out as much if I read rather than hearing it, but it can feel really cringey in parts, and can completely take you out of the story. The part where Jake singing to his dog an old sea shanty is just painful cringe, and meant to be some nice, warming moment so painfully sickly. Add to the fact that, it also becomes very melodramatic, just means the dialogue, does not help the story in any way, and probably I’d say hinders it more than anything else. I’m not sure whether it’s the unnaturalness of the dialogue or the use of ten words when none would be better, it just seemed really long, lot longer than it needed to be.
The characters. You ever played RPG video games? And when you come to choose your character, you can create your own or just be boring and pick the standard, uniform one. We’ll those are these characters. Stock characters that, I don’t want to seem mean and say are lazy, just lack any imagination to them. Cate, the amazing evolutionary biologist, who is attractive but not in the typical way (?). Who wants to find our what happened to her grandfather who went missing in these Alaskan caves.
1. This remarkably similar to the plot of Primordia.
2. He went missing in 1952. Cate is thirty-two. He never met him. I’m not sure questions should be asked to the grandmother who her daughters real dad is, but we’ll leave that. I mean I don’t get why have it 1952? There’s no point it couldn’t have happened in the 80s, so Cate has some connection with her grandfather or something. Just seems odd. The marine biologist ex Jake is a rough, handsome rogue, and best in the business. Of what? Marine biologists? When he isn’t travelling the world swimming with sharks, he's making boats by hand in his cabin. Of course, he is. Also, Jake and Cate? Could you have picked any names more stereotypical? Was Jack taken? Of course, their romance resumes, but they lack any sort of chemistry, and seemed forced together as that’s what’s supposed to happen. The other characters let’s tick them off. Meak, younger woman who is easily scared? Yep, there’s Abby. The jokey, tech guy? Check. Eccentric Russian billionaire, with attractive femme fatale assistant? Double check. Evil Russians. Again. Where a minister in the Russian government uses a neutron bomb to trap his nemesis oligarch. So, a Russian minister detonates a nuclear bomb on us soil to cover up his corruption and tries to place blame on Al Quida. Just seems overkill and stupid. Who’d believe terrorist ls would use a nuclear bomb in the wastelands of Alaska. The Green Peace types that turn up at the end seem out of place, they are made out to be stupid and naive for trying to stop an unauthorised whaleling ship, which they are using to catch this giant shark. But haven’t told anyone what they are doing and even when the shark is massacring people, they still want to save the shark or something. Others have mentioned the authors views might be leaking in here, and it feels a bit off.
Added on to this the pace is a slog. Either because of the writing or maybe because it takes an age to get moving. It takes ages to get the mini sub into the sea, then ages again before anything really happens then a long time again after that, with sidetrack to Russia. The book is in two; a long journey in this lost sea with long sections were the pace is sluggish and then the second part with the Megalodon escaping (I know spoiler right) causing havoc. It’s not until the second part were the action ramps up, with more attacks. This makes the book, a bit heavy at the start, the whole lost world angle just drains a lot, and I shouldn’t say that as I love that kind of stuff.
These books and the author has some big fans, and if they like them and praise them with 4 and 5 stars, and they really enjoyed them, good for them. But I’ve read quite a few adventure books like this, some really good and fun, some stale, but these are like another level. Like I mentioned before, maybe listening to the book rather than actually reading it, brings out more of the ‘bad stuff’ that I might not have noticed otherwise. But even using this excuse, it just sounded wrong. Thing is, it’s not even funny, and any attempts it may have tried fell so flat they either went unnoticed or hit elevated levels of cringe. As an adventure story it failed, as it wasn’t fun; its action was sparse and when did happen lacked any sort of energy that grabbed you. The characters were unimaginative and had less charisma than an empty store brand cornflakes box. The dialogue was machine-like and didn’t have any energy or life to it. As a thriller, like say Jaws, it didn’t keep you guessing or have you on the edge of your seat, every turn was telegraphed miles away or fell into every known trope. I mean, reading stuff by Andy McDermott with stuff like The Hunt for Atlantis or Matthew Reilly with stuff likeIce Station (who is also an Australian adventure writer), they have tropes, and stupid situations, but their books are fun, the dialogue just works, and the characters are likable or at least make an impact. After listening to two audiobooks by this author and both having the same issues, I’m done at least listening to them. Maybe I might give actually reading one a go and see if the issues that glow out when listening are as noticeable. If you like adventure, action type books, there’s many I’d suggest before these. To suggest this, it would be the bottom of a long list.
January 2, 2019
The first book I finished in 2019 was Fathomless. I do consider finishing this book today a little bit of a cheat to count it towards my 2019 read books list since I started and read 89% of the book in 2018, but watcha going to do?
After watching The Meg, one of those good bad movies I love to watch, I kind of felt like staying with the shark theme when I picked out the next book I was going to read. Searching around the Amazon store on my Kindle late at night, I stumbled upon Fathomless by Greig Beck. It sounded kind of familiar, but also interesting so I decided to give it a whirl.
Turns out, I had added Fathomless to my TBR list a little while back, no wonder it sounded sort of familiar. I was glad to randomly stumble upon it again, as I did enjoy this quick and fun read.
The main premise is the lead, Cate Granger, researching an area of Alaska and looking for a possible underground sea where her grandfather had disappeared many years previously, finds what she has been searching for, and a little extra on the side.
Down into a cave system and then into an underground nightmare out of the prehistoric ages Cate and her lucky band of adventures travel and explore the great depths. One of these adventures is a rich billionaire from Russia with many enemies.
Chaos ensues and suddenly Cate and her band of adventures come face to face with a giant dinosaur shark, the Carcharodon Megalodon. Not only battling a shark but also nefarious Russians hell bent on revenge, Cate and crew have to overcome incredible odds to save the day.
Typical shark book, discover a shark, find the shark, kill the shark, however, it was a lot of fun to read. With some initial underground exploration scenes, Beck, did an amazing job setting up a fantastic world that you can truly visualize.
I enjoyed reading Fathomless by Greig Beck, and while the last third of the book dragged just a little bit for me, I felt that it came to a satisfying conclusion. If you like good bad movies or shark books or adventure stories, you will enjoy Fathomless.
Funny Enough, when I was about half way through this book, I ended up watching the second episode of Blue Planet II, The Deep. There is a lot of crazy ocean life deep down. Beck, did an amazing job describing it in Fathomless and while watching The Deep I could easily envision a megalodon swimming down at those depths.
More of my book reviews can be found on my website: https://samanthareeves.com
After watching The Meg, one of those good bad movies I love to watch, I kind of felt like staying with the shark theme when I picked out the next book I was going to read. Searching around the Amazon store on my Kindle late at night, I stumbled upon Fathomless by Greig Beck. It sounded kind of familiar, but also interesting so I decided to give it a whirl.
Turns out, I had added Fathomless to my TBR list a little while back, no wonder it sounded sort of familiar. I was glad to randomly stumble upon it again, as I did enjoy this quick and fun read.
The main premise is the lead, Cate Granger, researching an area of Alaska and looking for a possible underground sea where her grandfather had disappeared many years previously, finds what she has been searching for, and a little extra on the side.
Down into a cave system and then into an underground nightmare out of the prehistoric ages Cate and her lucky band of adventures travel and explore the great depths. One of these adventures is a rich billionaire from Russia with many enemies.
Chaos ensues and suddenly Cate and her band of adventures come face to face with a giant dinosaur shark, the Carcharodon Megalodon. Not only battling a shark but also nefarious Russians hell bent on revenge, Cate and crew have to overcome incredible odds to save the day.
Typical shark book, discover a shark, find the shark, kill the shark, however, it was a lot of fun to read. With some initial underground exploration scenes, Beck, did an amazing job setting up a fantastic world that you can truly visualize.
I enjoyed reading Fathomless by Greig Beck, and while the last third of the book dragged just a little bit for me, I felt that it came to a satisfying conclusion. If you like good bad movies or shark books or adventure stories, you will enjoy Fathomless.
Funny Enough, when I was about half way through this book, I ended up watching the second episode of Blue Planet II, The Deep. There is a lot of crazy ocean life deep down. Beck, did an amazing job describing it in Fathomless and while watching The Deep I could easily envision a megalodon swimming down at those depths.
More of my book reviews can be found on my website: https://samanthareeves.com
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