  |
|
|
|
Index Interviews: Jan Burke Pushing the Envelope Finding Intelligent Conversation Online Upcoming Events Calendar Reader Mail Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
|
|
Horror/Fantasy/SF Book ReviewsPage Two of TwoMEG by Steve AltenBantam Books, June 1998.Paperback, 337 pages. ISBN: 055357910X. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
Jonas Taylor, a paleontologist, an experienced
deep-sea pilot and expert of deep ocean caverns
is still tramautized by his last underwater journey
-- a secret exploratory dive headed by the
U.S. Navy -- which killed his two crew mates.
Jonas Taylor remembers seeing a giant shark coming
towards him, which caused him to propel
his ship upwards to the surface -- killing
the other two members of the crew. The
Navy disbelived Taylor and blamed him
for the deaths tarnishing his record
and his self-confidence. Since then he has
become a fanatic of studying the prehistoric
Cacharodon Megadalon, a sixty foot
shark that was nature's most vicious
killer during prehistoric times. Jonas can't figure out
whether he is trying to convince himself or
others that the Meg could still exist -- or does
exist and it is what he saw that terrible night.
Taylor gets the chance to find out when an old friend
Masao Tanaka, who is developing the largest
whaling sanctuary ever, asks for his help in
a dive into the deepest abyss on the
planet -- the Challenger Deep. Not only does Jonas
find the prehistoric killer, but it follows them up to
the surface where it begins to prey on whatever
it can find in this century's waters -- including
humans. Taylor and company are forced to
try and track the terrorizing Megaladon which
begans feasting on everything in sight, including
boat crews, surfers and whales.
This excellent debut from novelist Steve Alten is more than just a Jaws remake. While it will certainly please lovers of Jaws-type novels - it is also appealing because of its details on underwater exploration and the high-tech equipment involved. MEG is an exciting oceanic thriller about a vicious prehistoric killer that can sense one part of blood in a billion parts of water, smell its prey miles away and leap high enough out of the water to reach helicopters. Night of Glory by Scott CiencinEos, June 1998.Paperback, 246 pages. ISBN: 0380779838. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
In the early 1500s, Elves escaped their magical realm
to enter our world. After reading the Bible, the Elves
set themselves up as Angels, thereby holding sway over
the humans and generally terrifying everyone they meet.
Some of the Elves have forgotten who they really are,
and actually believe that they are Angels. In this
third book of the Elven trilogy, an evil Elf has
changed places with the Elf who was supposed
to be elevated to Godhood. With an evil and insane
Elf as one of the Mighty, the world has gone mad with
illness and terror and the Elves have a terrible plot to
destroy our world. It is up to one human, Tom Keeper,
to enter the magical realm to stop the evil one and
save all of mankind.
The premise of this trilogy -- that a mistaken belief has Elves believing they are Angels -- is unusual and appealing. With strong, well-delineated characters and plenty of action and magic, Night of Glory is a satisfying ending to this interesting and entertaining trilogy. Reliquary by Douglas Preston and Lincoln ChildTor, July 1998.Hardcover, 464 pages. ISBN: 0609601121. Ordering information: Amazon.com. | Amazon.co.uk 
While on his first dive into the muddy
sewer waters of the Humboldt Kill,
dreaded by police divers because of
its years of accumulation
of feces, sludge, dead animals and mud,
rookie diver Officer
Snow encounters two human skeletons.
Panicking and nearly
drowning in the sludge, Snow is rescued
along with the two skeletons he found.
Investigation of the skeletons shows
gross deformities and lieutenant
D'Agosta calls on museum curator
Margo Green and paleontologist
Dr. Frock to help determine what happened to the skeletons.
Green and Frock investigate with caution
fearing similarities in this case to the museum
beast, a strange and powerful creature
that murdered museum workers and visitors
a few years ago. As an outbreak of reported murders
begins the investigation leads
downward into the underground world
below New York where decapitated
bodies are being found by the underground
homeless -- known as mole people.
Reliquary is an excellent sequel to Relic, a scientific thriller about a creature that terrorizes a museum. This sequel manages to contain the same level of excitement and terror, brings back the interesting characters including super know-it-all FBI agent Pendergrass set against the backdrop of the New York underground labyrinth. For those that have read Relic, Reliquary is a must-read. Those who have not yet read Relic should read it before Reliquary to get the full impact of the novel. You'll be glad you did. Click Here For Fantasy/Horror/SF Book Reviews Page One Return to Book Reviews Index ** To visit the archives of fantasy/sf books reviewed in The IWJ, please click here. |