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Mysterious Island #3

Here Be Dragons

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Below the English town of Ipswich a tunnel boring team is digging through solid rock when unexpectedly, they break into an ancient cave system filled with animal bones. Strangely, there were also the remains of men, knights in armor, some crushed, and some seemed to have had their bones and flesh melted. And there was one more thing a huge, egg-shaped ruby that glowed like a setting sun.

Just over 2000 miles away, still trapped on the lost island of Lemuria, Troy and Anne know that the time of monstrous beings long thought only existing in our legends or lurking in our nightmares, was returning.

But they now have a chance of escape – they have found the fabled submarine, the Nautilus.

Together, Troy, Anne, the secretive Elle, and the huge Viking woman, Yrsa, work together to break free so they can warn the world of the terror that is coming.

Greig Beck’s final novel in the wonderous Mysterious Island trilogy is a tale of horror, thrills, betrayal, and love, that completes this magnificent series with an explosive finale that’ll be remembered long after the last page is turned.

236 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2023

287 people are currently reading
135 people want to read

About the author

Greig Beck

46 books1,153 followers
Hi 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).

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5 stars
629 (56%)
4 stars
339 (30%)
3 stars
114 (10%)
2 stars
17 (1%)
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8 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
Profile Image for John (JC).
618 reviews49 followers
January 15, 2024
I have enjoyed this trilogy immensely. The parallel between Jules Verne stories was an added bonus. I have enjoyed the characters for the most part. The brutality of some of the Viking clans will make your skin crawl. And when they write about giant spiders this freaks me out due to my phobia, giant centipedes, not so much.
I had the ending all planned out in my head but Mr Beck did not heed my thoughts. I need another book in this series to resolve this ending. If this does not happen, and it probably will not, then the ending will be like that of an early 70’s movie.
Have fun reading this series. I did.
Profile Image for Calvin.
254 reviews6 followers
December 25, 2023
Pretty good but a gut punch ending

Overall this book was really good. Troy and Anne continue trying to survive on the island. There's a secondary story about some of the dragon eggs making it out into the world and the chaos that ensues. There's a lot of loose ends that don't get tied up so I'd really like a 4th book to finish things up in a better way.
Profile Image for Wayne Fielding.
178 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2024
Excellent read, loved it. Definitely worth catching up on the 2 previous books before reading this book.
106 reviews
October 8, 2025
Bloodthirsty dragons that slurp up humans... how original.
2 reviews
December 18, 2023
Has Greig Gone Over to the Dark Side?

While I've enjoyed his earlier work, especially his Alex Hunter tales, I am disappointed to find that this series, as well as the Cate Granger series ending with the title "Leviathan" ends on an unexpectedly dark note, as though all the protagonist(s) best efforts are ultimately futile. Especially disappointing is my sense that the quality of Mr Beck's writing, especially his character development has noticeably improved over time. And so now I find that the strong, brave, resourceful Troy Strom ends like a small, hunted animal, cowering in a corner, looking for a chance to escape before he too, like the woman he vowed to protect gets eaten by the monster. ".. this is the way the world ends, not with a bang but a whimper." Regrettably Mr Beck, l won' be following you down whatever rabbit hole you have chosen to explore. The real world has enough unresolved problems, and anyway TS Eliot said it better.
1 review
February 2, 2024
Mostly great, but with some minor disappointments and huge implications.

The story is solid, I enjoyed everything about the tribal warfare, the nautilus adventures and the development of both Troy and Anne. The love triangle with Elle, is however, a bit infuriating at this stage and the book could have done well to avoid it more.

I will say though, that the death I wouldn't mind this so much, but Beck, for all his good points, often does a good job writing villains but often fails to give them a particularly satisfying death, with no real sense of catharsis as a reward.

The ending of the book is on another level though.

My question is: How will this affect the other Beck novels. He has, for a long time, been building up a shared world. Mysterious Island 3 was shown to have numerous connections to both the Fathomless books and the Arcadian books, which are in turn connected with the Center of the Earth novels too. But the way this story ends, you have to wonder what's happened to all the other characters from those books?

Are we gearing up for an Avengers style team up conclusion? Because there's no way we can just forget about the time that
Profile Image for Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews.
5,476 reviews178 followers
March 3, 2024
Under the earth on a mysterious island, Troy, Anne, Elle and the huge Viking warrior Yrsa are working together to escape the lost island of Lemuria. They’ve been gone for almost two years, but after surviving death many times they remain determined to return to their world. Will they be successful?

Meanwhile in the town of Ipswich in England a team is boring a tunnel unexpectedly find they break through into an ancient cave system filled with animal bones. The team discover an enormous, egg shaped ruby and all too soon human greed takes over on a journey that can’t be reversed.

This is the third – and technically final – book in the “Mysterious Island” trilogy by Greig Beck. While I do feel this book can be enjoyed by itself and much of the plot is very well explained just be reading this book alone, I do strongly feel the characters, the overall story arc and much of the deeper emotions will be better enjoyed if readers start at the beginning with the first book. I was very relieved and pleased that the bulk of the story throughout this full length novel was centered around Troy, Elle and Anne returning back home. This was the part of the story I was most heavily invested in from the previous two installments.

That said, I thought it was exceedingly clever of Mr. Beck to have incorporated from the beginning a secondary plotline about a new egg/dragon ruby being found in England and the new problems arising from this. A part of me felt very vindicated for Anne – human greed being what it is I nearly despaired of anyone believing her theory about these “dragon rubies” and having Anne proven correct felt wonderful to me. I was also deeply satisfied that even though I felt he was seriously slow on the uptake – Troy finally managed to work out who he could trust and who would turn on him when the opportunity arose.

I must point out that a number of Mr. Beck’s books don’t end on a traditional Happy Ever After (and not even a Happy For Now) style of ending. This is absolutely one of those series. There are a few twists at the end. One of them was fairly clear – to me at least – from early on in this book but another was quite a sharp plot twist right at the end of the book that I really didn’t see coming. Readers who like all their loose threads neatly tied up might not find this to be a fully satisfying ending, so be warned. This also does not have anything close to a traditional ending so readers should be aware of that, as well, going in.

Mr. Beck has loosely mentioned on Facebook that there may be a fourth installment coming. I think I’d be equally fine whether that happened or not. While I completely understand the ending might not be comfortable for everyone and might not be my own personal preference – with exceptional writing, brilliant characters and a fabulous plot a few small niggles can be easily overlooked.

A brilliant trilogy with a solid plot, dragons and Vikings and deep under-ground worlds, adventure and plenty of danger, I feel this book straddles numerous genres and should be a fabulous read for everyone.
Profile Image for BookzBookzBookz.
Author 12 books73 followers
December 6, 2023
Every time Beck writes a book that brings about the end of the world, I get ecstatic. I can't control myself and I have to complete the read in a couple days, if not hours! This time it took me two days, via audiobook. This was by far, one of the best, non Arcadian books I've read and I can't wait for it to be completed!

In Here Be Dragons, Troy's worst nightmare has come true: someone messed up and brought about the end of the world. Well, not actually, but yes. Yes, they did. Without giving SPOILERS, he and Ann have been trapped on the mysterious island for two years! They need to get home and way from the monstrosities of the hidden place. But there are ties, there are friendships and bonds that make leaving a tad difficult. There are also people who have taken things they shouldn't have, causing a sorta cross contamination of worlds. Will getting home be any safer than being trapped on the mysterious island?

Greed, jealousy and really, really big bugs play across the pages of this book. I always get the creepy-crawlies while reading these amazing adventures but the story is addictive. I hate when they come to an end. They're so worth the time, I buy them in paperback, audio and ebook. Check out Mysterious Island: Here Be Dragons! It's epic.
Cheers!
5 reviews
February 7, 2024
So, I'm torn. If on one hand, this book is a definite, in same world, book as the Arcadian novels, I would say it is a copout and a poor ending to a fascinating world. It's a complete end to everything that he created which sucks. On the other hand, and this is what I think is ACTUALLY happening, this is an alternate universe in the vein of the Valeryn series. I will include the Matt Kearns novels as well since they don't all completely align with the Arcadian.

Each person exists within their own worlds but also within a shared universe which is just slightly off of on the other. You all don't actually believe that the Arcadian and his son died in some dragon apocalypse do you? I can see a crossover event coming. Maybe not, but a I hope so.

If this is a stand alone series then I have only good things to say. OK so, the world ended. Guess what! That could happen. Not everything is sunshine and roses. The good guy doesn't ALWAYS win and I am fine with that. But you also have to consider if this is the last book in the series as well. What if there is more? Either way it was a damned good series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for N.L. McFarlane.
Author 2 books13 followers
November 30, 2023
'Here be Dragons' in this tale of tyrannical beasts, legends, vikings, ancient horrors, hidden lands, and more. This is a novel of apocalyptic proportion that will have you burning through the pages. I could not put this book down. Yet again, the author has delivered an incredible read. The past is no longer in the past, and what's coming will not be contained as our protagonists, our world fight to survive. I loved the use of past book references, the way that history and legend blend together, and the use of other famous tales. Full of action, danger, betrayal, survival, and the most gripping plot, you will be left reading page after page and wanting more. The world building is phenomenal, and you can really picture what's going on whilst connecting with the characters, some of which i found myself rooting for and reading with bated breath at times. I highly recommend this series. You will not be disappointed with the level of imagination and fast-paced action within.
Profile Image for Jacques Hollands.
237 reviews5 followers
December 28, 2023
"Here Be Dragons" by Greig Beck, the concluding book in the Mysterious Island trilogy, captivates with its unexpected twists while the conclusion left me slightly bewildered.

The author's subtle departure recently from conventional endings adds a touch of unpredictability, though it might catch some enthusiasts off guard. This departure from anticipated outcomes in Beck's latest works, notably the Cate Granger series and now Mysterious Island, suggests that he has taken a more cynical approach to ending his stories which does not always leave the reader satisfied.

The introduction of new characters enhances the storyline, demonstrating Beck's adept storytelling. Despite a slightly disappointing ending, the book remains thoroughly enjoyable, with superb pacing throughout.
Profile Image for BookishDramas.
851 reviews30 followers
January 2, 2024
The story has its moments and holds interest throughout. The life in the island is very well documented and with it comes the challenges of living in clans.
Greig has in all the three books of the trilogy(?) stuck to greed in humans as the principal mover and shaker. Here we again see the redoubtable Elle holding her cards close when it comes to her intentions.
Bonds forged in difficult times are strong and this keeps coming up in the story.
I loved the impact of animals or creatures in thus story with a introduction of a giant squid. This monster gets its own separate billing before the dragon takes centerstage.
The decision to make their way to the mainland is a decision that weighs heavily on Troy and a significant part of the story touches this point.
My only complaints in this book was about the abrupt ending which possibly leaves space for a Book 4 and also about the squid which just seemed to fade away.
The story grows darker by the end and yearning for more.
Profile Image for Lisa.
1,398 reviews8 followers
December 25, 2023
I read "Here Be Dragons" during the busy holiday season to distract myself from all the mayhem and foolishness of the retail world around me. It accomplished that task easily enough and more. Although I was horrified at times by an action or creature appearance (I'm focused on the "Frigga" who continues to haunt my dreams), I loved every minute of it. In fact, I finished it two days ago and I'm still thinking about it. With his well-developed characters, his incredibly detailed environments and terrifying creatures combine to create another fantastic series! It's no wonder to me how Greig Beck became one of my favorite authors!
Profile Image for Jerry Mount.
219 reviews3 followers
September 29, 2024
Direct continuation of MI:1 and MI:2. Fewer major characters than the first two books. Much more coverage of the outside world this time. This one has more in common with Jules Verne's Mysterious Island. Lots of action and monsters in multiple locations. The main story took an expected course. The ending was rather unexpected, and not very believable, even for a "monster" story. Overall, a nice wrap-up to a fine series.
Profile Image for William (Mr. Bill) Turner.
435 reviews7 followers
October 28, 2024
The Mysterious Island (with Dragons!)

I never get tired of reading books by Greig Beck. I have really enjoyed the stories that borderline on the possible. Whether it's a trip to the center of the Earth or to a 'Mysterious Island' with Dragons an other mysteries, I always finished with that feeling, I can't wait for the next adventure. I also enjoy the associated audible books with performance by Sean Mangan.
11 reviews
August 28, 2025
Very good book and saga, I really enjoy this story and the descriptions and way of writing make me really get into the story. At the beginning I was attracted by the Lemuria topic and wanted to know more about it, after when it was mixing with Viking stories got me even more into it. Now this book showed me another part where feelings and surprises get you badly. Would it be the beginning of the end for us like millions of years ago? or the real beginning and new era for humanity?
173 reviews3 followers
December 23, 2023
Paleontology

This book was excellent! I don’t often write reviews. Each one is better and better. I have a granddaughter who wants to be a paleontologist so I am going to be recommending these books to her. She thinks everything has been found in the world ha ha there is so little that hasn’tyet. Please continue to write more books these are so well done.
173 reviews2 followers
January 19, 2024
A good romp of an adventure.

Despite the improbability of some parts. Greig writes a good adventure story. Don't expect sophistication and subtlety as this just a gory adventure. Lots of fights, lots of monsters and derring do. If that's your thing, dive in but not for the faint hearted.
Profile Image for wonderful.colourful.
14 reviews5 followers
May 26, 2025
The final book in the Mysterious Island series was a good conclusion and a fast-paced ending for the trilogy.
The writing style was good and conveyed the sense of adventure and tension that the characters must have felt as they tried to escape.
The ending was completely unexpected to me and felt unhinged - in a good way.
Profile Image for Chance.
1,107 reviews21 followers
December 1, 2023
Beck just unmelted ever storyline before

Where one story ends another begins an leaves the reader really with a plot twist end that diverges so mugh from previous books that you’r left shell shocked for a continuation in this ever expanding narrative of Mystery&Dragon story.
Profile Image for Ann.
273 reviews7 followers
December 10, 2023
This is a continuation of the story that began on the lost island of Lemuria, accessible to the rest of the world only briefly once each year. Troy and Anne are trying to stay alive long enough to escape the island after missing the lsland’s escape widow the year before. Wicked Elle is back, possibly plotting against them, and the Viking woman, Yrsa, has returned too, helping them stay alive. Elle and Yrsa both have ulterior motives and may or may not be completely trustworthy. Greig Beck has a huge imagination when it comes to scary beasties and his fight to survive scenes are always exciting; however, I feel the story is getting a bit boring now and am more than ready for them to escape and be done with it. This is supposed to be the final book in the Mysterious Island series, but I thought the end was a bit of a cliffhanger. Time will tell I guess.
Profile Image for Cody .
494 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2023
Kill a dog, automatic 1 star

I liked the series.....but early on, a pet was cruelly killed. Usually, I quit reading then and there. It adds nothing to a story. But as I'd read the other 2, I was determined to finish.
Profile Image for Chuck Woodbury.
378 reviews
December 5, 2023
Hmmm. Entertaining tale

No spoilers. Interesting story, liked most of it but thought the main protagonist was not very sharp. Also did not like the ending, but there really was no other way for it to turn out. Great homage to Jules Vern’s Mysterious Island!
22 reviews
December 7, 2023
Loved the books

Great story and wonderful characters. I would highly recommend reading this. Once you start it's addicting and now that all the books are available you can finish the story without waiting.
47 reviews
December 17, 2023
The End?

Excellent continuation, but still left me wanting more. Hope he writes another one or two. The only thing I wasn't happy with was the fate of the Nautilus. But only a minor point. Very good series overall and a nice twist on the classic Verne stories. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for K.
113 reviews
December 20, 2023
This series has been very enjoyable. The Troy Strom character is a bit of a chowder head when it comes to women, and I wish Elle had been killed off a lot sooner. However, it's a very nice adventure story. I look forward to book 4 should there be one.
595 reviews
January 4, 2024
Okay folks, four stars because I absolutely love dinosaurs, even now in my dottage

Some interesting happenings, see what they all get up to next. If you enjoy prehistoric stories, go for it and I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
Profile Image for Nanette Mitchell.
377 reviews
January 9, 2024
what a roller coaster ride

Enjoyed this frightening story and seeing the different perspectives of everyone. Loved getting to know Yrsa better and Troy. What a monumental journey and one with twists and turns.
357 reviews1 follower
Read
January 9, 2024
Great book

This was truly a great experience. The cast of characters was very good and the story was endless. I enjoyed both books, made me want to be there. I recommend reading this to all.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews

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