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From the Deep #1
From The Deep by Bray, Michael (2014) Paperback
Something has awoken. Roused from its slumber following an Antarctic ice quake, an immense beast has risen from the depths. Dwarfing even the mighty blue whale, the gargantuan wonder of evolution takes charge of the oceans, setting a catastrophic chain of events in motion.Henry Rainwater is a rookie crab fisherman trying to make his own way in life. After surviving an encounter with the beast which sees his father and the rest of the crew of their family boat killed, Rainwater becomes a recluse, deathly afraid of the creature which lurks in the ocean.The only man that believes Rainwater is Andrews, an ambitious scientist charged by the government to investigate the existence of the creature. Rainwater soon finds out that Andrews has different motivations for locating the beast.Driven to find his redemption and clear his name, Henry must overcome his terror and set out to sea in order to track down and kill the creature, in the hope of finding it before Andrews and his unhinged superior, Russo can put their own plan into action, one which could have terrible repercussions for the entire human race…
Paperback
First published November 12, 2014
91 people are currently reading
432 people want to read
About the author
Michael Bray
149 books235 followersMichael Bray is a bestselling author/screenwriter of more than twelve novels and numerous short stories. Influenced from an early age by the suspense horror of authors such as Stephen King, Richard Laymon, Shaun Hutson, James Herbert & Brian Lumley, along with TV shows like Tales from the Crypt & The Twilight Zone, his work touches on the psychological side of horror, teasing the reader’s nerves and willing them to keep turning the pages. Several of his titles have been translated into multiple languages including a major bookstore distribution deal in Japan and his biggest selling title, Whisper, has, on numerous occasions topped the overall horror charts for Amazon titles in both the UK and US with thousands of copies sold.
His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.
A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.
My IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8960144/?r...
Where to find Michael Bray online
Official website: www.michaelbrayauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelbrayauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelbrayauth
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelbrayauthor
Google +: www.plus.google.com/michaelbrayauthor
Where to find my books
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Bray/...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Bray/e/...
To discuss publication or television / movie rights to
any of my work, or for any other queries, please
contact me directly at darkcornersbook@gmail.com
His work has been featured in anthologies alongside such horror greats as Clive Barker, Adam Nevill, Shaun Hutson, Brian Lumley, Paul Tremblay, Ramsay Campbell, Ray Bradbury and many others and he continues to be an active and popular member of the horror/suspense genre.
A feature film written by Bray based on his co-written novel MONSTER starring Tracy Shaw (Coronation Street), Daniele Harold (East Enders) & Rod Glenn (American Assassin / World War Z) was shot in January 2018 whilst another of his titles, MEAT is currently with a leading Los Angeles based production company with a view to production in 2019.
My IMDB page: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm8960144/?r...
Where to find Michael Bray online
Official website: www.michaelbrayauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaelbrayauthor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelbrayauth
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaelbrayauthor
Google +: www.plus.google.com/michaelbrayauthor
Where to find my books
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Michael-Bray/...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Michael-Bray/e/...
To discuss publication or television / movie rights to
any of my work, or for any other queries, please
contact me directly at darkcornersbook@gmail.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 3, 2015
I won a signed copy of this book in a competion during the launch of Monster: A Novel of Extreme Horror and Gore by Michael Bray and Matt Shaw.
I really enjoyed Monster. That was the first of Bray's work I had read.
This book is only the second thing I've read from him. I will definitely be checking out more!
I really enjoyed this, it's actually the first story I've ever read like this. Usually the sea creature/monster thing hasn't appealed to me, but I won this so I thought I would give it a go.
I can very happily say that I also won the sequel to this book so i will be checking it out very soon!
This is a gem. It's like a modern day JAWS I highly suggest that you check it out!
All reviews can be found on http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk
I really enjoyed Monster. That was the first of Bray's work I had read.
This book is only the second thing I've read from him. I will definitely be checking out more!
I really enjoyed this, it's actually the first story I've ever read like this. Usually the sea creature/monster thing hasn't appealed to me, but I won this so I thought I would give it a go.
I can very happily say that I also won the sequel to this book so i will be checking it out very soon!
This is a gem. It's like a modern day JAWS I highly suggest that you check it out!
All reviews can be found on http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk
October 17, 2021
Not a bad sea monster story. Character development was just ok, but I did enjoy the story.
Read for Halloween Bingo 2021.
Read for Halloween Bingo 2021.
June 25, 2016
This one started out promising - a giant sea creature wakes up from its slumber and starts eating everything in sight. Sounds great to me! Unfortunately, things slowed down fast when the book started to bog down too much in characters that I didn't care about, endless dialogue and repetition (couldn't ANYONE just simply smile?).
So many mistakes made it through that should have been caught in editing. It's strange though, how there would be no mistakes for a few pages then oodles of mistakes, almost as if the editor ran out of coffee while working on the book.
Lastly, while I can swallow a giant sea creature being discovered, I get snapped right out of the story when things start to be too convenient or there is no explanation given. For example, a ship set sail from the west coast of the US, headed down to Antartica and no one has the need to put on a jacket? They're so immune to the frigid temperatures that it doesn't affect them? They can wade through icy water down there with no ill effects for such a long period of time? Why did a government man carrying top secret documents that are only to be read have them halfway hidden in an unlocked briefcase in an unlocked room? C'mon now...
Speaking of, I don't know what the author meant by a "category three" storm down in Antartica but I'd say that a cat 3 hurricane (are any other storms called category three?) would be impossible down there. Also, the author is mistaken in talking about the snow melting in Antartica (what little snowfall it gets, that is). A quick look at the wiki page cleared that question up for me.
If you're looking for a creature feature, look elsewhere as this one focuses too much on dialogue and you see the ending from a mile away. The editing errors and nonsensical parts of the story will likely drive you as crazy as they drove me.
So many mistakes made it through that should have been caught in editing. It's strange though, how there would be no mistakes for a few pages then oodles of mistakes, almost as if the editor ran out of coffee while working on the book.
Lastly, while I can swallow a giant sea creature being discovered, I get snapped right out of the story when things start to be too convenient or there is no explanation given. For example, a ship set sail from the west coast of the US, headed down to Antartica and no one has the need to put on a jacket? They're so immune to the frigid temperatures that it doesn't affect them? They can wade through icy water down there with no ill effects for such a long period of time? Why did a government man carrying top secret documents that are only to be read have them halfway hidden in an unlocked briefcase in an unlocked room? C'mon now...
Speaking of, I don't know what the author meant by a "category three" storm down in Antartica but I'd say that a cat 3 hurricane (are any other storms called category three?) would be impossible down there. Also, the author is mistaken in talking about the snow melting in Antartica (what little snowfall it gets, that is). A quick look at the wiki page cleared that question up for me.
If you're looking for a creature feature, look elsewhere as this one focuses too much on dialogue and you see the ending from a mile away. The editing errors and nonsensical parts of the story will likely drive you as crazy as they drove me.
January 21, 2015
From the Description:
Something has awoken.
Roused from its slumber following an Antarctic ice quake, an immense beast has risen from the depths. Dwarfing even the mighty blue whale, the gargantuan wonder of evolution takes charge of the oceans, setting a catastrophic chain of events in motion.
Henry Rainwater is a rookie crab fisherman trying to make his own way in life. After surviving an encounter with the beast which sees his father and the rest of the crew of their family boat killed, Rainwater becomes a recluse, deathly afraid of the creature which lurks in the ocean.
The only man that believes Rainwater is Andrews, an ambitious scientist charged by the government to investigate the existence of the creature. Rainwater soon finds out that Andrews has different motivations for locating the beast.
Driven to find his redemption and clear his name, Henry must overcome his terror and set out to sea in order to track down and kill the creature, in the hope of finding it before Andrews and his unhinged superior, Russo can put their own plan into action, one which could have terrible repercussions for the entire human race…
From The Deep is a pulse pounding thrill ride that hooks you from the first page. Fans of sea stories, creature features, and the Deadliest Catch will want to grab this book! The characters are believable and I really wanted them to make it back to land safely. The creature is terrifying but not as much a villain as Russo and a few others on his team. The ending was exciting and left me wanting to read more. I hope that there is a part two!! A fun and fast paced 4.5 star read.
Something has awoken.
Roused from its slumber following an Antarctic ice quake, an immense beast has risen from the depths. Dwarfing even the mighty blue whale, the gargantuan wonder of evolution takes charge of the oceans, setting a catastrophic chain of events in motion.
Henry Rainwater is a rookie crab fisherman trying to make his own way in life. After surviving an encounter with the beast which sees his father and the rest of the crew of their family boat killed, Rainwater becomes a recluse, deathly afraid of the creature which lurks in the ocean.
The only man that believes Rainwater is Andrews, an ambitious scientist charged by the government to investigate the existence of the creature. Rainwater soon finds out that Andrews has different motivations for locating the beast.
Driven to find his redemption and clear his name, Henry must overcome his terror and set out to sea in order to track down and kill the creature, in the hope of finding it before Andrews and his unhinged superior, Russo can put their own plan into action, one which could have terrible repercussions for the entire human race…
From The Deep is a pulse pounding thrill ride that hooks you from the first page. Fans of sea stories, creature features, and the Deadliest Catch will want to grab this book! The characters are believable and I really wanted them to make it back to land safely. The creature is terrifying but not as much a villain as Russo and a few others on his team. The ending was exciting and left me wanting to read more. I hope that there is a part two!! A fun and fast paced 4.5 star read.
April 20, 2017
A pretty good sea monster story. There's not a whole lot of new ground broken, but still a good read. We have the scientists who to study the creature and the government agents that want to weaponize it. When will they learn? Have they never watched a monster movie?
The creature itself was cool, even if it was described as a little too big to be believable. The author does explain that, however, so it didn't really hurt the story. It had its cool Jaws moments with some attacks, and the climax in Antarctica was very suspenseful.
Overall, if you enjoy sea monster tales, this is definitely worth a read. I'll probably also check out the sequels, as the characters are worth following and the monster is too.
The creature itself was cool, even if it was described as a little too big to be believable. The author does explain that, however, so it didn't really hurt the story. It had its cool Jaws moments with some attacks, and the climax in Antarctica was very suspenseful.
Overall, if you enjoy sea monster tales, this is definitely worth a read. I'll probably also check out the sequels, as the characters are worth following and the monster is too.
April 6, 2022
It was a pretty good story. The characters are meh but the creature is pretty cool.
September 2, 2018
Awesome !!!!! Read in one sitting!
December 22, 2014
I was given a copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review.
I really liked this book!!
If you are into deep sea creatures, think Leviathan creature, you will like this book.
There are a multitude of things going on in this book. Sea creatures are beaching themselves. A boat is capsized by a "sea monster" and sinks killing several on board. Scientists and the government are out on the ocean searching. The surviving crew from the boat goes in search of this thing. A marine biologist gets involved, but realizes she shouldn't have.
What is going on and why? And what is that thing?!?
Read to find out and watch out for that ending. Very good!!
Thank you to Michael Bray for giving me a copy to read and review. I will continue to read more from this author.
You can find my reviews at these site as well:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
http://lisasandberg88.wordpress.com/
http://thezeroshour.com/
https://m.facebook.com/lisa.sandberg8...
https://m.facebook.com/thezeroshour?r...
http://1988lisa1988.tumblr.com/
Twitter - @1988Lisa1988
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1NU...
I really liked this book!!
If you are into deep sea creatures, think Leviathan creature, you will like this book.
There are a multitude of things going on in this book. Sea creatures are beaching themselves. A boat is capsized by a "sea monster" and sinks killing several on board. Scientists and the government are out on the ocean searching. The surviving crew from the boat goes in search of this thing. A marine biologist gets involved, but realizes she shouldn't have.
What is going on and why? And what is that thing?!?
Read to find out and watch out for that ending. Very good!!
Thank you to Michael Bray for giving me a copy to read and review. I will continue to read more from this author.
You can find my reviews at these site as well:
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2...
http://lisasandberg88.wordpress.com/
http://thezeroshour.com/
https://m.facebook.com/lisa.sandberg8...
https://m.facebook.com/thezeroshour?r...
http://1988lisa1988.tumblr.com/
Twitter - @1988Lisa1988
http://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A1NU...
October 8, 2015
Relentlessly mediocre. I'd have had fun with the story if it had been a Made for TV monster movie that took up about an hour of my time. That way, the poor characterizations and dialog would have been excusable.
January 30, 2015
what a wonderful reaad. I didn't want it to end. great story, great characters. a must read for anyone who likes the ocean, swimming, fishing, or just plain good reading.
July 22, 2017
I'm a huge fan of "creature feature" novels and this one had a lot of hits and misses for me:
*possible spoilers*
On the positive side, the plot wasn't to bad and the setup was interesting. The characters weren't as developed as one would hope and you only really got any kind of insight on their personalities late in the book, but at the very least you had a decent spectrum of good to evil characters with a few "tweeners" to bridge the gap.
But the one UNFORGIVEABLE issue with the novel is that at no point is there any kind of actual development or analysis of the creature in question. No taxonomy, no scientific analysis...nothing. Considering the alleged "millions" going into funding the activities in the book and the so called "best marine biologist in the field" at no point does anyone ask "what exactly is this thing". And this is a true shame since the description of the creature at several points is simply mesmerizing to reader and leaves you wanting more and in the end not a single thing is said about what it is, whether it's a chimera, an extant, a hybrid, bio-engineered, etc. Any good "creature feature" book dedicates at least some part of the plot toward establishing the basic science and biology of the subject and here we get little to none of that. Authors who drive in the lane like Steve Alten, Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley, etc. all give you some measure of that, so in that regard From the Deep falls very short.
Overall it was an enjoyable read with interesting and pretty tangible characters, but the payoff isn't what I expected given how the story started.
I will read the follow-up book to see if that in anyway sheds any kind of light on this, so I may come back and edit this review after that.
On it's own though, not bad, but not great considering the potential the story had.
*possible spoilers*
On the positive side, the plot wasn't to bad and the setup was interesting. The characters weren't as developed as one would hope and you only really got any kind of insight on their personalities late in the book, but at the very least you had a decent spectrum of good to evil characters with a few "tweeners" to bridge the gap.
But the one UNFORGIVEABLE issue with the novel is that at no point is there any kind of actual development or analysis of the creature in question. No taxonomy, no scientific analysis...nothing. Considering the alleged "millions" going into funding the activities in the book and the so called "best marine biologist in the field" at no point does anyone ask "what exactly is this thing". And this is a true shame since the description of the creature at several points is simply mesmerizing to reader and leaves you wanting more and in the end not a single thing is said about what it is, whether it's a chimera, an extant, a hybrid, bio-engineered, etc. Any good "creature feature" book dedicates at least some part of the plot toward establishing the basic science and biology of the subject and here we get little to none of that. Authors who drive in the lane like Steve Alten, Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley, etc. all give you some measure of that, so in that regard From the Deep falls very short.
Overall it was an enjoyable read with interesting and pretty tangible characters, but the payoff isn't what I expected given how the story started.
I will read the follow-up book to see if that in anyway sheds any kind of light on this, so I may come back and edit this review after that.
On it's own though, not bad, but not great considering the potential the story had.
April 29, 2020
A better creature feature than I expected. 4.5 but I round it up as I enjoyed it so much I have bought the sequel straight away even though I had decided to read some other books after this one.
Action scenes were good. Even though there are lots of humans in the book it worked out as the drama placed well within the story.
Characters were a little bland and bit inconsistent but since the villain and his interactions with the other characters were interesting I didn't mind.
Action scenes were good. Even though there are lots of humans in the book it worked out as the drama placed well within the story.
Characters were a little bland and bit inconsistent but since the villain and his interactions with the other characters were interesting I didn't mind.
January 7, 2018
A giant sea monster is awakened in the Bering Sea
Good creature thriller with a giant sea monster terrorizing the Pacific Ocean after it is awoken when a part of the Ross Ice Shelf collapses. The characters were likeable but not too deeply developed. I did enjoy this book ,even though it followed a predictable path, it kept me entertained enough I'll read the sequel.
Good creature thriller with a giant sea monster terrorizing the Pacific Ocean after it is awoken when a part of the Ross Ice Shelf collapses. The characters were likeable but not too deeply developed. I did enjoy this book ,even though it followed a predictable path, it kept me entertained enough I'll read the sequel.
August 13, 2024
Sea Monster and Conspiracy
From The Deep by Michael Bray is a great story. The plot is good but I will say there is more conspiracy and an evil government agent than the actual sea monster. That aside it is still a good and most of its characters are well written. I def recommend this one.
From The Deep by Michael Bray is a great story. The plot is good but I will say there is more conspiracy and an evil government agent than the actual sea monster. That aside it is still a good and most of its characters are well written. I def recommend this one.
September 26, 2017
Good read
Interesting enough not a must read but enjoyable no real connection with the characters. Would have liked to have more interaction with creature or from the creatures point of view.
Interesting enough not a must read but enjoyable no real connection with the characters. Would have liked to have more interaction with creature or from the creatures point of view.
August 9, 2019
Very interesting read. Enjoyed it!😊
It started out very thrilling and then it slowed up a bit with a lot of ambition, and insanity. The focus turned from the creature to the insane government agent. I did enjoy reading it but I was looking for more action with the creature.
It started out very thrilling and then it slowed up a bit with a lot of ambition, and insanity. The focus turned from the creature to the insane government agent. I did enjoy reading it but I was looking for more action with the creature.
November 10, 2021
A worth while book to read.
You are taken on a journey that will leave you wondering what is going on , people will dye and not make it. You will wonder could this be real or is it just a story. The book is well done you can not stop reading this book.
You are taken on a journey that will leave you wondering what is going on , people will dye and not make it. You will wonder could this be real or is it just a story. The book is well done you can not stop reading this book.
July 18, 2022
Fun Sea Monster Tale
This was a good, well written, sci-fi romp. Characters were well defined, especially the antagonist Russo. The opening sets the stage as the story builds with every page.
Good read, and I recommend it.
This was a good, well written, sci-fi romp. Characters were well defined, especially the antagonist Russo. The opening sets the stage as the story builds with every page.
Good read, and I recommend it.
July 16, 2021
Good read boring at times but overall it was ok.
September 9, 2022
Not a fan. It was all over the place. Too much focus on the evil money hungry humans and not enough on the man-eating creature. Shame.
November 30, 2014
Editing errors
It was interesting but there were several editing error that drove me crazy. Chimpanzees in the Amazon? others like that. I know I should have noted them as I found them, but the story line caught me. I will read more of this author.
It was interesting but there were several editing error that drove me crazy. Chimpanzees in the Amazon? others like that. I know I should have noted them as I found them, but the story line caught me. I will read more of this author.
May 19, 2015
From The Deep wasn't bad . The story was pretty solid, but for some reason I just couldn't "like" the characters. I think they all seemed extremely cliche and didn't have a lot individuality, especially Mackay. Still wasn't bad for my first Bray novel.
December 19, 2014
It wasn't bad...
It flowed well, characters were developed well, a few rough places, but all in all an enjoyable story, an entertaining read!
It flowed well, characters were developed well, a few rough places, but all in all an enjoyable story, an entertaining read!
July 26, 2015
Enjoyable read!
April 26, 2016
A tad bit predictable but a decent sea monster novel. It didn't keep me captivated so I took a little more time to read it. Id say read it, don't expect a masterpiece and enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews