Book Review- Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant

A terrifying look at what happened on the Atargatis and the prequel story to the new series.

My Rating for Rolling In The Deep: 4.5 Stars

When Imagine Entertainment commissioned a voyage to see if mermaids were real or not, the entertainment company, crew and scientists aboard the Atargatis never anticipated the horror that awaited them at the Mariana Trench. What was supposed to be voyage full of fun, science and more turns into something deadly and dangerous within days of reaching there. For the Bathypelagic Zone of the Mariana Trench is very good at keeping its secrets and in its depths, the secrets there are deadly.

Wowsers is all I can say after reading this novella that starts the whole new series from author Mira Grant. ROLLING IN THE DEEP captures the fun and more that became the Atargatis’s final voyage and the horror that transpired there.  I was enthralled when I read the first full length book in the series, Into the Drowning Deep and when I saw there was a prequel story I had to grab it. It gives a better backstory about what happened on the Atargatis and helps bring into focus what was glossed over in the first book, Into the Drowning Deep. I liked seeing the different characters and finding out who they were. Some of the scientists’ titles had me going to the dictionary just to figure out what it was but otherwise the short novella was a fun story even if it chilled me to the bones.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP answers many questions that I had while I read Into the Drowning Deep and I enjoyed seeing through many of the different characters eyes what happened on that fateful voyage. This is an author who really grabs you by the throat when you open one of her books. The story moves quickly, sprinkled with short bursts from Imagine Entertainment media bulletins and other TV shows that showcased the tragedy of the Atargatis. The characters are quite well written and life like and I enjoyed all of them, from the tough as nails captain and deaf first mate to the fun Mermaid swimmers that Imagine Entertainment company brought aboard. Each character’s personality was unique and enjoyable. The mermaids were interesting in the whole horror movie sort of way and I for one hope to god I never meet one. Mira Grant really dashes my hopes of a Disney mermaid such as Ariel with this series. If that was what you are hoping for then I can tell this is not it. ROLLING IN THE DEEP is a story with monsters that come alive from myths and more the blood that is shed in search for it. It’s a fascinating story and one that left me on the edge of my seat till the very end.

ROLLING IN THE DEEP is a perfect introduction to the series I highly recommend reading this first though you don’t really have to before Into the Drowning Deep, though it does give more background on what happened and more on the Atargatis. Now all I can hope is this author goes back to this fascinating subject and I hope we won’t be waiting too long on it.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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Book Review- Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Wow, these are not your Disney mermaids in this new book of author Mira Grant. get ready to be chilled to the quick in Mira Grant's new novel.

My Rating for Into the Drowning Deep: 5 Stars and a Recommended Read

The ocean has many mysteries and when the ship Atargatis left to search for mermaids for a mockumentary, it did so with lots of fan fair. Until it came back with no crew and no bodies. What happened to that ship is a mystery that has haunted the families and in particular, Victoria Stewart, who lost her sister that fateful day. Now Imagine Entertainment has assembled a crew, a top-notch ship and is going back to the one place that has haunted many- the Mariana Trench. A place where legends already haunt the place, of missing boats and people, of secrets in the depths that are out of reach to the humans. Are mermaids real? The new voyage to this cursed place will answer yes or no but woe to those who disturb what’s in the darkness….

Sweet lord, this new book by author Mira Grant left me reeling as well as having nightmares over mermaids, death and more. It’s a book that will draw you in right off the bat, keep you glued to the pages into the wee hours and cause you to dream about creatures that are not like Ariel in the Little Mermaid story/movie. INTO THE DROWNING DEEP is a fast-paced thriller that left me reeling-in a good way- and one that I had to stop reading at 1 am just so I could get some sleep. It’s a story that has intriguing characters, a unique storyline that will enthrall you and a new take on mermaids. If you think these are busty female sirens than you got another thing coming. These are deadly creatures and Mira Grant delivers a fresh unique take on the mermaid myth that literally had me in its grasp. The story flows swiftly and I couldn’t flip the pages fast enough to see what would happen next.

INTO THE DROWNING DEEP is the first full length book in the new series by the author & it was also one of the first books I read of hers. The story centers on the missing crew of the Atargatis and what, exactly, happened those years before. What should have been a routine voyage to film a mockumentary about mermaids turned into something else. Victoria Stewart lost her sister on that voyage and she is determined to find out the truth of the matter, even if it kills her. But things in the Mariana Trench stay hidden…until they don’t. What a great character Victoria was and it added a personal portion of the story that called to me. She was feisty, interesting and determined. You couldn’t help but feel for the girl as she searched for answers about that horror of a voyage. Add in some other great characters that you get to fall for and you got the earmark of a great story going on. What I love about INTO THE DROWNING DEEP was how different many of the characters were and it helped keep the story moving along nicely. Once they get to the Mariana Trench, things move even faster and as danger mounts, the reader is on the edge of their seat with bated breath, waiting to see what is down there and what it will do once it sees us. The characters are very well written, almost life like and there were some I really hope the author expands on in more books in this series.

Mira Grant delivers some of the best work here in her latest novel, filled with characters that fairly brim with life and step out of the pages, a creature only found in myths and legends (and an occasional Disney movie) and one so different that the reader will shudder with horror as they take center stage in the book. This is an author who knows how to keep her readers glued to the pages of the book, with a fast-paced storyline that will leave you breathless even as you take a breath from the horror of the last few chapters. If you enjoy new takes on mythological creatures, an edge of the seat ride from start to finish, then try INTO THE DROWNING DEEP and I recommend not reading in the wee hours of the night, you just might dream of mermaids that are not like what you though t they should be. I can’t wait to check out this author’s other books to see what else they tease my imagination with and I am really hoping after that ambiguous ending that book two is coming soon.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

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