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Down
Seven thousand meters below the ocean’s surface, the crew of the BathyTech 3 mineral mining facility has found something a rock-like sphere of unknown material and origin.
For Mo Rees, the discovery calls to his inner explorer and adds color to his dull miner’s life. Even better than the promise of new knowledge is the unexpected connection he forges with Dr. Armin Savage-Hall, leader of the team brought down to study the thing.
For Armin, the object is the find of a lifetime. It could prove his controversial theories and secure his scientific reputation. And Mo is a fascinating bonus.
Then crew members start behaving strangely. Worse, they start to their eyes glow purple, their teeth sharpen. Then the violence begins, the brutal deaths. As BathyTech descends deeper into chaos, the surviving crew works desperately to find the cause of the horrors around them. What they uncover could annihilate the human race. And they can’t stop it.
For Mo Rees, the discovery calls to his inner explorer and adds color to his dull miner’s life. Even better than the promise of new knowledge is the unexpected connection he forges with Dr. Armin Savage-Hall, leader of the team brought down to study the thing.
For Armin, the object is the find of a lifetime. It could prove his controversial theories and secure his scientific reputation. And Mo is a fascinating bonus.
Then crew members start behaving strangely. Worse, they start to their eyes glow purple, their teeth sharpen. Then the violence begins, the brutal deaths. As BathyTech descends deeper into chaos, the surviving crew works desperately to find the cause of the horrors around them. What they uncover could annihilate the human race. And they can’t stop it.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 18, 2015
18 people are currently reading
419 people want to read
About the author
Ally Blue
90 books449 followersAlly Blue penned her first tale at age eight, relating the breathless terror of her little sister’s not-quite-fatal encounter with a bee in the backyard. That was the beginning of a lifelong love affair with storytelling. She now writes gay romance of all flavors, and has recently branched into writing her first love: horror. She continues her neverending quest to scare herself. She is not a hippie or a brain surgeon, no matter what her kids’ friends say.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 17, 2015
SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!
13/8 - I'm expecting this to remind me of the movie Sphere, with Samuel L. Jackson and Dustin Hoffman. In Sphere what is believed to be an alien spacecraft is found on the bottom of the ocean. Upon entering the craft it's determined that it's actually American and from the future. On board they find a 'perfect sphere' that floats in mid air and has an apparently impenetrable surface which reflects everything around it except humans. Over time the Sphere begins to effect the moods of the crew members, it invades their dreams and causes rifts that end in violence. I'm expecting a similar kind of plot with Down.
I'm only two chapters in, so only a couple of important things have happened so far - deep-sea miners have brought up a strangely smooth 'rock' found at the extreme depth of 7000 metres in a previously unexplored trench, and Mo and Armin (these two appear to be the main characters) have jumped into a sexual relationship within about a page and a half of meeting. That was quick and a little unexpected. I didn't really read the summary from the back of the book too closely, it immediately had a Sphere feel to it and that was enough to get me to borrow it. The instantaneous chemistry between Armin and Mo, as soon as they met, was a surprise. If I'd taken more notice of what was written on the back of the book I'd have known it was coming, not that it was an unwelcome surprise, it was just a bit abrupt. To be continued...
17/8 - Compulsive reading! The feeling of evil darkness slowly (yet quickly) creeping across the crew of BathyTech3 made the atmosphere thick with tension through pretty much the whole book, but it just got thicker with every cliff hanger chapter ending through the last 150 or so pages. A couple of nights ago (while I was in the middle of reading The Deep) I watched the movie Mission to Mars with Gary Sinise and Tim Robbins and realised that I'm terrified by the idea of being surrounded by any kind of atmosphere that is not conducive to oxygen breathing life forms - space or deep water. If you leave the safety of the oxygenated, pressurised environment that has been specially built to allow humans to survive in space and underwater then you will almost certainly DIE. No human can withstand the freezing oxygen-less atmosphere of space (spoiler for Mission to Mars), Tim Robbins sacrificed himself for his wife by taking his helmet off and his head (and presumably the rest of his body within the suit) froze in less than a second, he didn't even have time to take or release a breath. No human can withstand the massive amount of oxygen-less pressure that would be applied to the body at 7000 metres, one of the characters takes their helmet off while walking on the sea bed at 7000 metres and as soon as the helmet is off, long before he would've had a chance to drown, he is squashed flat by the pressure, almost like the impact a steamroller might have had if it had rolled back and forth over the body like he was pie crust dough that wasn't quite flat enough. The idea that a relatively thin piece of metal is all that stands between me and the freezing, squashing, dark depths of space or the world's oceans is enough to give me chills and nightmares. And that's way before terrifying fish with needle-teeth, purple glowy eyes and prehensile fins make an appearance.
I said before that I thought things got going between Armin and Mo too soon, I also think the ending was too short. Overall the whole book needs (and deserves, because it's a really great story) another 50 pages to flesh out Armin and Mo's relationship and to further explain the ending, especially Mo's eventual choice and what the mermaid fish's end game is.
Lastly, I want to congratulate my library on having at least one M/M fiction book. They got a bit bolder and branched out into erotica when FSoG fever swept the globe (I figured that was mostly due to advertising and local pressure), but I never thought the collection manager would be given the go ahead to include gay fiction in the catalogue. I always thought my library system was too old fashioned and stuck in its ways to be open to a book with openly gay characters who actually have sex (shock! horror! I thought I'd only ever be able to read decent gay characters in the occasional Kindle book). I guess I'll have to stop underestimating the Yarra Plenty Regional Library system, I'll expect even more from them from now on.
13/8 - I'm expecting this to remind me of the movie Sphere, with Samuel L. Jackson and Dustin Hoffman. In Sphere what is believed to be an alien spacecraft is found on the bottom of the ocean. Upon entering the craft it's determined that it's actually American and from the future. On board they find a 'perfect sphere' that floats in mid air and has an apparently impenetrable surface which reflects everything around it except humans. Over time the Sphere begins to effect the moods of the crew members, it invades their dreams and causes rifts that end in violence. I'm expecting a similar kind of plot with Down.
I'm only two chapters in, so only a couple of important things have happened so far - deep-sea miners have brought up a strangely smooth 'rock' found at the extreme depth of 7000 metres in a previously unexplored trench, and Mo and Armin (these two appear to be the main characters) have jumped into a sexual relationship within about a page and a half of meeting. That was quick and a little unexpected. I didn't really read the summary from the back of the book too closely, it immediately had a Sphere feel to it and that was enough to get me to borrow it. The instantaneous chemistry between Armin and Mo, as soon as they met, was a surprise. If I'd taken more notice of what was written on the back of the book I'd have known it was coming, not that it was an unwelcome surprise, it was just a bit abrupt. To be continued...
17/8 - Compulsive reading! The feeling of evil darkness slowly (yet quickly) creeping across the crew of BathyTech3 made the atmosphere thick with tension through pretty much the whole book, but it just got thicker with every cliff hanger chapter ending through the last 150 or so pages. A couple of nights ago (while I was in the middle of reading The Deep) I watched the movie Mission to Mars with Gary Sinise and Tim Robbins and realised that I'm terrified by the idea of being surrounded by any kind of atmosphere that is not conducive to oxygen breathing life forms - space or deep water. If you leave the safety of the oxygenated, pressurised environment that has been specially built to allow humans to survive in space and underwater then you will almost certainly DIE. No human can withstand the freezing oxygen-less atmosphere of space (spoiler for Mission to Mars), Tim Robbins sacrificed himself for his wife by taking his helmet off and his head (and presumably the rest of his body within the suit) froze in less than a second, he didn't even have time to take or release a breath. No human can withstand the massive amount of oxygen-less pressure that would be applied to the body at 7000 metres, one of the characters takes their helmet off while walking on the sea bed at 7000 metres and as soon as the helmet is off, long before he would've had a chance to drown, he is squashed flat by the pressure, almost like the impact a steamroller might have had if it had rolled back and forth over the body like he was pie crust dough that wasn't quite flat enough. The idea that a relatively thin piece of metal is all that stands between me and the freezing, squashing, dark depths of space or the world's oceans is enough to give me chills and nightmares. And that's way before terrifying fish with needle-teeth, purple glowy eyes and prehensile fins make an appearance.
I said before that I thought things got going between Armin and Mo too soon, I also think the ending was too short. Overall the whole book needs (and deserves, because it's a really great story) another 50 pages to flesh out Armin and Mo's relationship and to further explain the ending, especially Mo's eventual choice and what the mermaid fish's end game is.
Lastly, I want to congratulate my library on having at least one M/M fiction book. They got a bit bolder and branched out into erotica when FSoG fever swept the globe (I figured that was mostly due to advertising and local pressure), but I never thought the collection manager would be given the go ahead to include gay fiction in the catalogue. I always thought my library system was too old fashioned and stuck in its ways to be open to a book with openly gay characters who actually have sex (shock! horror! I thought I'd only ever be able to read decent gay characters in the occasional Kindle book). I guess I'll have to stop underestimating the Yarra Plenty Regional Library system, I'll expect even more from them from now on.
April 9, 2015
3.75 really, not quite 4
The horror/ suspense in this book was great, one of my favourite films is The Abyss, and Down has this kind of feeling about it, as well as much more.
There is a real feeling of menace/ excitement in this book, and pace wise it really gets going, the whole thing happens over 2 weeks. This part gets 4.5 stars
The romance is less believable, for about the first 60% of the book it didn't actually seem important compared to the suspense, and I wondered what the relevance of Mo and Armin becoming involved was. It did become more believable and relevant later though, but by then I wasn't really engaged. But their shared love of the ocean, and desire to find out what was going on was totally believable, and added another layer.
The ending was great, I wondered what was going to happen, and was not disappointed.
Book recieved via Netgalley
The horror/ suspense in this book was great, one of my favourite films is The Abyss, and Down has this kind of feeling about it, as well as much more.
There is a real feeling of menace/ excitement in this book, and pace wise it really gets going, the whole thing happens over 2 weeks. This part gets 4.5 stars
The romance is less believable, for about the first 60% of the book it didn't actually seem important compared to the suspense, and I wondered what the relevance of Mo and Armin becoming involved was. It did become more believable and relevant later though, but by then I wasn't really engaged. But their shared love of the ocean, and desire to find out what was going on was totally believable, and added another layer.
The ending was great, I wondered what was going to happen, and was not disappointed.
Book recieved via Netgalley
April 11, 2015
When you are halfway through a book and really do not want to pick it up again, it's time to say good-bye or start some rapid skimming. As I wanted to know how the story plays out, I skimmed a lot from about 57% into the book.
I really wanted to like this. I expected a mix of The Abyss, which I love to pieces, and The Last Days on Mars (Liev Schreiber, zombies on Mars, very creepy) and I wasn't that far off. The first 40% or so of the story were interesting enough, with some nice, initial story set-up. I liked the two main characters. But I also had misgivings, a lot of them.
World building: The story is set in the not so distant future and we get some backstory about a black-out scenario in Dubai. Why is the story set in the future? Why did the blackout happen? What is the state of society? The setting in the future has no relevance to the story at all and is just an unnecessary distraction.
The relationship between the two main characters is interesting enough, although the romance is pretty much non-existent. If it was supposed to be an important part of the story, it could have done with some more fleshing out.
Sex scenes are not shown in the beginning, you get the usual fade-out of books with a low PG rating. Until about 40% into the book, when out of the blue there is a pretty detailed and explicit scene. I like explicit sex, but either you write descriptive sex scenes or you don't. Both in the same book does not work.
At that point in the book the writing suddenly started to get pretty uneven and scattered and I almost stopped reading. There was no real tension to the story, and unexplained leaps and holes in the plot, that had me going back whole chapters to re-read and figure out what I had missed. Action scenes were only talked about, but not shown.
You never get a feel for how many people are on board of the pod. You are told, but not really shown. During the course of the book people change and die and I had no grip at all, how many were left. New people kept popping up to do things, when needed and it threw me to read sentences like "Most of the pod is still confined to quarters." At that point I was surprised that anybody was left to be confined. They all felt interchangeable and did not get any backgrounds with the exception of Mo and his unexplained past in Dubai.
The scientific setting could have added interest, but also did not happen. They bring the mysterious rock on board and I would have thought you get some insight in what they do with it and maybe some technobabble, but nothing.
So, the beginning is interesting, but lacks character and world building. The romance is lacklustre. The sex happens out of sight with the exception of one scene, followed by nothing. Instalove with some sort of happily ever after. Some action, a little creepiness early on, but it didn't hold my attention through the story. Plot holes, leaps in logic, very meh experience for me. I am glad I made it through the book and read the ending, but if I had dumped it halfway through, I would have been ok with that, too.
I was debating between giving this one or two stars and finally chose two -- it is a good plot idea and there were parts that I enjoyed, even if the book as a whole left me diasappointed.
Free ARC, provided by NetGalley, thank you!
I really wanted to like this. I expected a mix of The Abyss, which I love to pieces, and The Last Days on Mars (Liev Schreiber, zombies on Mars, very creepy) and I wasn't that far off. The first 40% or so of the story were interesting enough, with some nice, initial story set-up. I liked the two main characters. But I also had misgivings, a lot of them.
World building: The story is set in the not so distant future and we get some backstory about a black-out scenario in Dubai. Why is the story set in the future? Why did the blackout happen? What is the state of society? The setting in the future has no relevance to the story at all and is just an unnecessary distraction.
The relationship between the two main characters is interesting enough, although the romance is pretty much non-existent. If it was supposed to be an important part of the story, it could have done with some more fleshing out.
Sex scenes are not shown in the beginning, you get the usual fade-out of books with a low PG rating. Until about 40% into the book, when out of the blue there is a pretty detailed and explicit scene. I like explicit sex, but either you write descriptive sex scenes or you don't. Both in the same book does not work.
At that point in the book the writing suddenly started to get pretty uneven and scattered and I almost stopped reading. There was no real tension to the story, and unexplained leaps and holes in the plot, that had me going back whole chapters to re-read and figure out what I had missed. Action scenes were only talked about, but not shown.
You never get a feel for how many people are on board of the pod. You are told, but not really shown. During the course of the book people change and die and I had no grip at all, how many were left. New people kept popping up to do things, when needed and it threw me to read sentences like "Most of the pod is still confined to quarters." At that point I was surprised that anybody was left to be confined. They all felt interchangeable and did not get any backgrounds with the exception of Mo and his unexplained past in Dubai.
The scientific setting could have added interest, but also did not happen. They bring the mysterious rock on board and I would have thought you get some insight in what they do with it and maybe some technobabble, but nothing.
So, the beginning is interesting, but lacks character and world building. The romance is lacklustre. The sex happens out of sight with the exception of one scene, followed by nothing. Instalove with some sort of happily ever after. Some action, a little creepiness early on, but it didn't hold my attention through the story. Plot holes, leaps in logic, very meh experience for me. I am glad I made it through the book and read the ending, but if I had dumped it halfway through, I would have been ok with that, too.
I was debating between giving this one or two stars and finally chose two -- it is a good plot idea and there were parts that I enjoyed, even if the book as a whole left me diasappointed.
Free ARC, provided by NetGalley, thank you!
June 11, 2018
Eerie at places and quite original--the premise was interesting and the ending was enjoyable, especially how the last line circled back to the beginning.
Read
April 14, 2021Down by Ally Blue is a surprisingly creepy book! The setting is one of the least explored vistas on Earth, the ocean floor, seven thousand metres down. They might as well be in space. The BathyTech 3 mineral mining facility is pressurized and air-locked. Any trip outside requires specialised equipment, including an oxygenated mist to keep the miners’ lungs from collapsing.
The story begins with the discovery of a spherical rock that cannot be identified. On scans, the object disappears, as if it were not there. Yet it can be picked up and carried. It exists. A team of scientists is called in to retrieve and examine the rock. They bring it aboard BT3 and weird stuff begins to happen. Seriously creepy stuff. Flickers at the edge of vision, whispering voices, and the feeling someone is watching. The auditory and visual hallucinations can be put off as just that until some of the crew begin to exhibit physical changes, fangs, claws, and purple glowing eyes.
When the changed crew become violent – as in partying with the guts of their victims – the connection between the horror and the rock is tenuous at best. But if the rock isn’t causing havoc, what is? This is the mystery that must be solved as one by one, much of the crew succumbs to the odd plague.
The story is split in to two points of view: Maximo Rees, a miner hailing from the streets of Dubai, and Dr. Armin Savage-Hall, one of the scientists sent to investigate the rock. A shared affinity for the mysteries of the deep brings these men together. For Maximo, who obviously had a rough childhood, the mining facility is more than a peaceful refuge. The explorer within can roam unfettered, appreciating the unique flora and fauna of the ocean floor and his natural curiosity makes him a natural addition to the investigative team when things start to go wrong. Armin is drawn to Maximo by that spark of curiosity, and the two men begin a physical relationship which deepens as they come to rely on one another through the days of horror.
For Armin, the mystery of the rock is an almost personal matter. There was another rock and another team – friends and colleagues – and no survivors. He is looking for answers to public and private questions. As the bizarre plague ravages the BT3 facility, he can’t help feeling partly responsible. Guilt is such a strong and interesting emotion.
I really enjoyed Down. As a novel, it met and even exceeded my expectations. I hadn’t expected the visceral horror, but it really suited the unfolding story. I did expect a little more romance, as Riptide usually publishes romance, but didn’t miss the hearts and flowers. There is a deepening affection between Maximo and Armin, and their relationship becomes important by the end of the story, but it isn’t the story. I liked that balance. This is science fiction horror, and when your crewmates are growing fangs and eyeing your midsection as if your intestines were a link of breakfast sausages, taking time out for more than a reassuring kiss on the cheek or a frenzied oh-my-God-we’re-all-going-to-die coupling would be unrealistic.
Also, I love that we’re seeing more books in all genres, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal as well as mystery, historical, and contemporary fiction featuring LGBT characters, whether there are romantic elements or not. Including these characters in our stories is a natural reflection of continued inclusion outside the world of fiction. I’m excited to see more books from LGBT publishers addressing this change.
Reviewed for SFCrowsnest.
The story begins with the discovery of a spherical rock that cannot be identified. On scans, the object disappears, as if it were not there. Yet it can be picked up and carried. It exists. A team of scientists is called in to retrieve and examine the rock. They bring it aboard BT3 and weird stuff begins to happen. Seriously creepy stuff. Flickers at the edge of vision, whispering voices, and the feeling someone is watching. The auditory and visual hallucinations can be put off as just that until some of the crew begin to exhibit physical changes, fangs, claws, and purple glowing eyes.
When the changed crew become violent – as in partying with the guts of their victims – the connection between the horror and the rock is tenuous at best. But if the rock isn’t causing havoc, what is? This is the mystery that must be solved as one by one, much of the crew succumbs to the odd plague.
The story is split in to two points of view: Maximo Rees, a miner hailing from the streets of Dubai, and Dr. Armin Savage-Hall, one of the scientists sent to investigate the rock. A shared affinity for the mysteries of the deep brings these men together. For Maximo, who obviously had a rough childhood, the mining facility is more than a peaceful refuge. The explorer within can roam unfettered, appreciating the unique flora and fauna of the ocean floor and his natural curiosity makes him a natural addition to the investigative team when things start to go wrong. Armin is drawn to Maximo by that spark of curiosity, and the two men begin a physical relationship which deepens as they come to rely on one another through the days of horror.
For Armin, the mystery of the rock is an almost personal matter. There was another rock and another team – friends and colleagues – and no survivors. He is looking for answers to public and private questions. As the bizarre plague ravages the BT3 facility, he can’t help feeling partly responsible. Guilt is such a strong and interesting emotion.
I really enjoyed Down. As a novel, it met and even exceeded my expectations. I hadn’t expected the visceral horror, but it really suited the unfolding story. I did expect a little more romance, as Riptide usually publishes romance, but didn’t miss the hearts and flowers. There is a deepening affection between Maximo and Armin, and their relationship becomes important by the end of the story, but it isn’t the story. I liked that balance. This is science fiction horror, and when your crewmates are growing fangs and eyeing your midsection as if your intestines were a link of breakfast sausages, taking time out for more than a reassuring kiss on the cheek or a frenzied oh-my-God-we’re-all-going-to-die coupling would be unrealistic.
Also, I love that we’re seeing more books in all genres, science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal as well as mystery, historical, and contemporary fiction featuring LGBT characters, whether there are romantic elements or not. Including these characters in our stories is a natural reflection of continued inclusion outside the world of fiction. I’m excited to see more books from LGBT publishers addressing this change.
Reviewed for SFCrowsnest.
May 18, 2015
Very cool book. I loved it. Spooky, original, sweet in places, scarier than hell in others. I'll never look at mermaids the same way again, I know that much.
April 4, 2015
Ally Blue’s Down was something wholly different than what I expected. Maybe the cover should have been an indicator (it’s rather disturbing and horror like), but there are clearly two men mentioned in the blurb (while there is romantic involvement the situation around the Bathy Tech 3 is clearly the story), and I received the book from Riptide (they do romance mostly). I was expecting romance. What I got was a horror, very creepy horror. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn’t even remotely disappointed that I didn’t get my romantic love story in the end.
Armin Savage-Hall and his team of fellow scientists are called to board the Bathy Tech 3 to investigate an anomaly. The team immediately makes correlations to another ocean floor research station and something they found. The speculations begin and never stop. The similarities are obvious yet there is no one to answer any of the endless questions from the other find. Everything unfolds and comes to a head in a little over a week. The questioning of others behavior starts early on, the psychosis soon follows, thus of course bone chilling, blood spilling mayhem is the only option for this tale to go.
Miner Mo Rees watches the station he has called home fall into the madness that has infiltrated the minds of the people he has worked with. He witnesses the doctor he wants to get to know better struggle to find answers to the nightmare that has come to be the norm. With every secret that is uncovered more questions arise and the few living people that remain unchanged discover that the impossible is happening right before their eyes.
I’m happy that this futuristic deep sea horror snuck its way onto my Kindle. I like a good scary book on occasion to mix things up a bit. Down certainly kept me guessing while making me notice all the little things that go bump.
Armin Savage-Hall and his team of fellow scientists are called to board the Bathy Tech 3 to investigate an anomaly. The team immediately makes correlations to another ocean floor research station and something they found. The speculations begin and never stop. The similarities are obvious yet there is no one to answer any of the endless questions from the other find. Everything unfolds and comes to a head in a little over a week. The questioning of others behavior starts early on, the psychosis soon follows, thus of course bone chilling, blood spilling mayhem is the only option for this tale to go.
Miner Mo Rees watches the station he has called home fall into the madness that has infiltrated the minds of the people he has worked with. He witnesses the doctor he wants to get to know better struggle to find answers to the nightmare that has come to be the norm. With every secret that is uncovered more questions arise and the few living people that remain unchanged discover that the impossible is happening right before their eyes.
I’m happy that this futuristic deep sea horror snuck its way onto my Kindle. I like a good scary book on occasion to mix things up a bit. Down certainly kept me guessing while making me notice all the little things that go bump.
May 19, 2015
Make no mistake, this is a well crafted, well written, strong science fiction book which I thoroughly enjoyed and yet I struggled so with the rating for it.
The MCs, Armin and Mo, are well written and developed but that spark of sexiness was lacking. I know it wasn't a book with smexiness, but it could have had a couple of hot moments between them.
The rest of the characters are strong and the whole story carries out well, with one big flaw... we never really find out the why behind it all... what's the 'thing'?
I'm looking forward to other books by Ally Blue as the writing is really good.
The MCs, Armin and Mo, are well written and developed but that spark of sexiness was lacking. I know it wasn't a book with smexiness, but it could have had a couple of hot moments between them.
The rest of the characters are strong and the whole story carries out well, with one big flaw... we never really find out the why behind it all... what's the 'thing'?
I'm looking forward to other books by Ally Blue as the writing is really good.
June 30, 2017
Oh my gosh! This is horrifying and amazing and intriguing all at once!!!
The implications of what the "mermaids" are and where they are from (also what they are doing) is super creepy! This book is gruesome, bloody, grabs a hold of you and doesn't let you go... until you choose:
"Change, or die."
The implications of what the "mermaids" are and where they are from (also what they are doing) is super creepy! This book is gruesome, bloody, grabs a hold of you and doesn't let you go... until you choose:
"Change, or die."
May 20, 2015
4.75 stars. Down is not a romance. This is pure science fiction survival horror where the protagonists just happen to be gay. All but one of the sex scenes happen off-page. And that single sex scene is twisted and weird, pretty much dubious consent, showcasing how far off the deep end they’ve all gone. So if you’re looking for sex or sensuality, erotic or romance, look elsewhere.
The main characters are Mo Rees, a miner, and Armin Savage-Hall, a scientist. To me, their connection deepened too fast and felt unrealistic—if that can even be said with a futuristic horror story.
The writing is evocative and immersive, the plot twists show something new every couple of pages, and the pace keeps you firmly on the edge of your seat, turning pages constantly to find out what else could possibly go wrong. There’s a new discovery in every chapter. Ally Blue has written a story that’s almost cinematic in its approach, with lots of action, terrifying scenes, unseen dangers, horrible violence, and gruesome deaths. At times I felt like I was watching a movie, as Blue’s powerful, vivid writing awakened every scene before my eyes in stark details.
Read the full review at Joyfully Jay.
The main characters are Mo Rees, a miner, and Armin Savage-Hall, a scientist. To me, their connection deepened too fast and felt unrealistic—if that can even be said with a futuristic horror story.
The writing is evocative and immersive, the plot twists show something new every couple of pages, and the pace keeps you firmly on the edge of your seat, turning pages constantly to find out what else could possibly go wrong. There’s a new discovery in every chapter. Ally Blue has written a story that’s almost cinematic in its approach, with lots of action, terrifying scenes, unseen dangers, horrible violence, and gruesome deaths. At times I felt like I was watching a movie, as Blue’s powerful, vivid writing awakened every scene before my eyes in stark details.
Read the full review at Joyfully Jay.
June 26, 2015
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the blurb for this book, I was thinking something like The Abyss, Sphere, maybe even Starfish (Peter Watts)?
The horror component of the book was fairly decent. It was creepy in parts, and the sense of isolation many leagues down in the dark, cold ocean was well done. However, the plot was a bit disjointed. There was a secret that was kept for too long, and people who allowed themselves to be isolated instead of seeking help, and others who didn't bother to check on characters who were in trouble. A lot of horror tropes, but also bad horror movie tropes relied upon to keep the story tense.
Then there was the romance. I didn't know before opening the book that this author makes her living mostly writing gay romance. And I have to say I was disappointed. The writing didn't feel very smooth and I never got why the two guys fell so deeply in love beyond physical attraction. The sex scenes were not as hot as I'd expect from a romance writer, either.
While the beginning of the book was suspenseful, the mystery was a little weird, the writing a bit clunky, and not quite original or interesting enough to keep me reading.
When I read the blurb for this book, I was thinking something like The Abyss, Sphere, maybe even Starfish (Peter Watts)?
The horror component of the book was fairly decent. It was creepy in parts, and the sense of isolation many leagues down in the dark, cold ocean was well done. However, the plot was a bit disjointed. There was a secret that was kept for too long, and people who allowed themselves to be isolated instead of seeking help, and others who didn't bother to check on characters who were in trouble. A lot of horror tropes, but also bad horror movie tropes relied upon to keep the story tense.
Then there was the romance. I didn't know before opening the book that this author makes her living mostly writing gay romance. And I have to say I was disappointed. The writing didn't feel very smooth and I never got why the two guys fell so deeply in love beyond physical attraction. The sex scenes were not as hot as I'd expect from a romance writer, either.
While the beginning of the book was suspenseful, the mystery was a little weird, the writing a bit clunky, and not quite original or interesting enough to keep me reading.
March 21, 2015
I would like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
I have never read anything from this author before. I thought the picture on the front of the book looked really creepy and the synopsis sounded even creepier.
I think anything at the bottom of the ocean would freak me out anyway, but throw in some weird contagion changing people and that would just make it complete!
I wasn't too sure about the book at first because it seemed like the love interest portion was taking over most of the beginning of the book. I realized why all of this happens at the end.
I must say this was one wild ride. The idea the author had for this book is really cool and I would love to see this have a sequel!
There is not too much I can say without giving out spoilers so I'm just going to say if you love books under water that contain some kind of horror to it that leads to a whole new world then you will love this book.
I'm going to look for more from this author for sure!
I have never read anything from this author before. I thought the picture on the front of the book looked really creepy and the synopsis sounded even creepier.
I think anything at the bottom of the ocean would freak me out anyway, but throw in some weird contagion changing people and that would just make it complete!
I wasn't too sure about the book at first because it seemed like the love interest portion was taking over most of the beginning of the book. I realized why all of this happens at the end.
I must say this was one wild ride. The idea the author had for this book is really cool and I would love to see this have a sequel!
There is not too much I can say without giving out spoilers so I'm just going to say if you love books under water that contain some kind of horror to it that leads to a whole new world then you will love this book.
I'm going to look for more from this author for sure!
April 20, 2015
Review: DOWN by Ally Blue
Exciting, entertaining, intriguing, riveting--and best of all, apocalyptic! A truly engrossing story of one of the few remaining frontiers--the extreme ocean depths. Set far into the future 22nd century, mineral miners discover a suspicious unknown "something" deep in the Pacific. It's not just unknown--it's earth-changing. The Gay element between miner Mo and theoretical marine geologist Dr. Armin is delectable and heartwarming. DOWN is a re-reader, and I'd like to see it continue.
Exciting, entertaining, intriguing, riveting--and best of all, apocalyptic! A truly engrossing story of one of the few remaining frontiers--the extreme ocean depths. Set far into the future 22nd century, mineral miners discover a suspicious unknown "something" deep in the Pacific. It's not just unknown--it's earth-changing. The Gay element between miner Mo and theoretical marine geologist Dr. Armin is delectable and heartwarming. DOWN is a re-reader, and I'd like to see it continue.
November 18, 2015
There's bad, there's worse, and then there's this story... I look at some of these other ratings and it's like we have been reading different books. Or the bar is so low, one might trip over it...
May 4, 2016
Mo has wanted to work in the deep of the ocean since he was a kid running around the blood-soaked streets of his home. And he loves being on BathyTech 3, working as a miner, even if the company can get a bit dull after months underwater. However, when something new and strange is found, and a group of scientist, led by Dr. Armin, come down to check it out, dull is smashed to peaces like a coke can at the bottom of the ocean.
But while Mo and Armin hit it off (and hook up) nearly moments after seeing each other, the object that Armin was sent to study sets off a series of strange and deeply troubling events. Soon the crew of BathyTech 3 is having to fight for their lives against something that cannot exist, but does. And if they are not careful, not only will no one on board survive, but they could very well damn the rest of the planet as well.
Ok. Wow. I really don’t know how to describe how I feel about this book. It’s a…. Yeah, I got nothing. Or, rather, I have lots of somethings I just can’t quite figure them out.
First off, I guess…this book is fucking freaky. Like the kind of story I usually take one look at and go running in the completely opposite direction from. It reminds me a lot of a movie I saw as a kid (I want to say it was called The Abyss but I might be misremembering the name) that went a long way (in conjunction with Jaws) in convincing me to never ever go into the ocean (I’m also a bit iffy about lakes and other large bodies of water, but for a different reason). So to be honest I have no fucking clue why I picked up this book. I could totally tell from the blurb what type of book it was…and yet, I still picked it up. Sometimes I think I need to sit my brain down and have a long conversation about not feeding my already overstuffed fears.
But for all the horror and downright creeptasticness of this story…it wasn’t bad. Which from me, is saying it was pretty damn good. I have to give myself a pep-talk to watch The Mummy; my threshold for horror is pretty damn low. The voices and things that these people keep seeing/hearing are written very well so that when Mo and Armin (and just about everyone else) start freaking the fuck out, you kinda do as well (hence why I have been jumping at shadows for the last four days).
The premise of this story was very interesting (and there are so many things I would like to say about it, but my god, the spoilers), though I have to say I spent a good portion of the story going “JUST CHUCK THE GODDAMN BALL INTO THE GODDAMN OCEAN AND RUNAWAY, YOU FUCKING MORONS.” I could have also done without the whole eyeball scene. Or, well, any scene where things that should not come out of the body come out of the freaking body! *shudders* They are really good scenes, but man am I going to be having nightmares about them for a while. (This, my people, is why I do not watch horror movies. I am about as squeamish as they get.)
I know this is kinda sounding like I didn’t enjoy the book, or it wasn’t good. But I did, and it was. I just guess I enjoyed it rather reluctantly. It left me feeling a bit (a lot) unsettled and uneasy, but I am thinking that was the whole point. This will never be my idea of light reading, but I can’t say I regret reading it. And for someone who likes horror a lot more than I do, I really recommend it. Even if I am a bit traumatized by that ending (which I can’t talk about, because SPOILERS!, but man I was totally ?!!??!!!).
So. Yeah.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
But while Mo and Armin hit it off (and hook up) nearly moments after seeing each other, the object that Armin was sent to study sets off a series of strange and deeply troubling events. Soon the crew of BathyTech 3 is having to fight for their lives against something that cannot exist, but does. And if they are not careful, not only will no one on board survive, but they could very well damn the rest of the planet as well.
Ok. Wow. I really don’t know how to describe how I feel about this book. It’s a…. Yeah, I got nothing. Or, rather, I have lots of somethings I just can’t quite figure them out.
First off, I guess…this book is fucking freaky. Like the kind of story I usually take one look at and go running in the completely opposite direction from. It reminds me a lot of a movie I saw as a kid (I want to say it was called The Abyss but I might be misremembering the name) that went a long way (in conjunction with Jaws) in convincing me to never ever go into the ocean (I’m also a bit iffy about lakes and other large bodies of water, but for a different reason). So to be honest I have no fucking clue why I picked up this book. I could totally tell from the blurb what type of book it was…and yet, I still picked it up. Sometimes I think I need to sit my brain down and have a long conversation about not feeding my already overstuffed fears.
But for all the horror and downright creeptasticness of this story…it wasn’t bad. Which from me, is saying it was pretty damn good. I have to give myself a pep-talk to watch The Mummy; my threshold for horror is pretty damn low. The voices and things that these people keep seeing/hearing are written very well so that when Mo and Armin (and just about everyone else) start freaking the fuck out, you kinda do as well (hence why I have been jumping at shadows for the last four days).
The premise of this story was very interesting (and there are so many things I would like to say about it, but my god, the spoilers), though I have to say I spent a good portion of the story going “JUST CHUCK THE GODDAMN BALL INTO THE GODDAMN OCEAN AND RUNAWAY, YOU FUCKING MORONS.” I could have also done without the whole eyeball scene. Or, well, any scene where things that should not come out of the body come out of the freaking body! *shudders* They are really good scenes, but man am I going to be having nightmares about them for a while. (This, my people, is why I do not watch horror movies. I am about as squeamish as they get.)
I know this is kinda sounding like I didn’t enjoy the book, or it wasn’t good. But I did, and it was. I just guess I enjoyed it rather reluctantly. It left me feeling a bit (a lot) unsettled and uneasy, but I am thinking that was the whole point. This will never be my idea of light reading, but I can’t say I regret reading it. And for someone who likes horror a lot more than I do, I really recommend it. Even if I am a bit traumatized by that ending (which I can’t talk about, because SPOILERS!, but man I was totally ?!!??!!!).
So. Yeah.
4.5 stars
This book was provided free in exchange for a fair and honest review for Love Bytes. Go there to check out other reviews, author interviews, and all those awesome giveaways. Click below.
May 17, 2015
Fantastic Leviathanesque deep sea horror story. Excellent world building of a futuristic society not too varied from our own. The whole of the story takes place within maybe a week. It seems like such a short period of time to get to know the characters, much less for the two main characters to begin to like each other, but it really works, and you want them to make it out alive and together even though they know they're all doomed.
The pacing is wonderful and just what you would expect from a good horror, going from "well that's odd," to "that . . . nah, must be seeing things," to "What in the hell?" to "We are screwed," to "Even if that is the case, what do we do about it?" The beginning is all about the thrill of the unknown, the middle is the discovery and disquiet, and the end is a race-against-the-clock thrill ride you would expect.
There is quite a bit of violence mentioned in the story, though actions happen primarily off-screen and the reader sees the aftermath mostly. And while the publisher has "dubious consent" as a tag, I didn't really feel like that was the case, though technically I suppose it was.
The ending is quite satisfying in its own way, though it certainly leaves us with questions, as a good horror story should.
If it sounds like the sort of story which might appeal to you, then you will probably highly enjoy it. It does the genre justice.
(Sorry for the multiple updates. I had formatting issues.)
The pacing is wonderful and just what you would expect from a good horror, going from "well that's odd," to "that . . . nah, must be seeing things," to "What in the hell?" to "We are screwed," to "Even if that is the case, what do we do about it?" The beginning is all about the thrill of the unknown, the middle is the discovery and disquiet, and the end is a race-against-the-clock thrill ride you would expect.
There is quite a bit of violence mentioned in the story, though actions happen primarily off-screen and the reader sees the aftermath mostly. And while the publisher has "dubious consent" as a tag, I didn't really feel like that was the case, though technically I suppose it was.
The ending is quite satisfying in its own way, though it certainly leaves us with questions, as a good horror story should.
If it sounds like the sort of story which might appeal to you, then you will probably highly enjoy it. It does the genre justice.
(Sorry for the multiple updates. I had formatting issues.)
March 8, 2015
Originally published at West Coast Book Reviews.
Down is my first Ally Blue novel and I'm now a fan. I will definitely read more.
Down takes us deep, very deep, to a place where sunlight is no more than a memory and the ocean pressure will crush a person beyond recognition. For the men and women of BathyTech, however, much more waits.
I like Armin and Mo very much, particularly together. Theirs is a story of romance under pressure.
I also really liked that in addition to excellent suspense and tension pulling me through scenes, we also see so many things only by discovering the aftermath. I found this well done particularly since in many cases the unknown action is so much more scary than if the action had been laid out. We don't know who did it or how but it was bad and frightening.
The whole sense of being trapped deep below the surface added even more delicious scariness. The author is subtle about it, which I really enjoyed. The characters don't fear living underwater, they don't fear the ocean. They come to fear the people they live with, however, and for me setting the action underwater gave a whole other layer of creepy.
Definitely recommended to anyone who likes the feel of movies like Leviathan and Event Horizon.
I received a copy from Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Down is my first Ally Blue novel and I'm now a fan. I will definitely read more.
Down takes us deep, very deep, to a place where sunlight is no more than a memory and the ocean pressure will crush a person beyond recognition. For the men and women of BathyTech, however, much more waits.
I like Armin and Mo very much, particularly together. Theirs is a story of romance under pressure.
I also really liked that in addition to excellent suspense and tension pulling me through scenes, we also see so many things only by discovering the aftermath. I found this well done particularly since in many cases the unknown action is so much more scary than if the action had been laid out. We don't know who did it or how but it was bad and frightening.
The whole sense of being trapped deep below the surface added even more delicious scariness. The author is subtle about it, which I really enjoyed. The characters don't fear living underwater, they don't fear the ocean. They come to fear the people they live with, however, and for me setting the action underwater gave a whole other layer of creepy.
Definitely recommended to anyone who likes the feel of movies like Leviathan and Event Horizon.
I received a copy from Riptide Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
October 2, 2018
It's pretty insta-lovey. The protagonists start with a several-nights stand, but they're having intense feelings almost immediately.
The characters in general aren't memorable.
Their behavior of the medical personnel in the event of a contagious outbreak is ridiculous. There are protocols for these things, you know? Well, they don't. People make the typical mistakes that must be made in bad horror, if everyone was smart and efficient shit would be too easily solved. Christ, most of the time I felt like I was ten steps ahead of the characters simply because they can't ever put two and two together. This is bad writing.
The characters in general aren't memorable.
Their behavior of the medical personnel in the event of a contagious outbreak is ridiculous. There are protocols for these things, you know? Well, they don't. People make the typical mistakes that must be made in bad horror, if everyone was smart and efficient shit would be too easily solved. Christ, most of the time I felt like I was ten steps ahead of the characters simply because they can't ever put two and two together. This is bad writing.
April 24, 2015
I pre-ordered this on Riptide. Ally Blue was, till now, an auto-buy for me. I only glanced at the blurb, and assumed it was paranormal. Silly me.
It's a horror novel. If I wanted to read horror, I'd buy Stephen King.
I deleted it from my iPad, and threw away the PDF.
Yes, I'm pouting.
It's a horror novel. If I wanted to read horror, I'd buy Stephen King.
I deleted it from my iPad, and threw away the PDF.
Yes, I'm pouting.
April 8, 2017
I liked this book. It reminded me a lot of Event Horizon. All in all 3.5-4 stars.
February 29, 2016
Not a bad horror it reminded me of Alien a bit
April 22, 2015
Spectacular novel! I had a hard time putting it down. I really love the ending .....
May 12, 2018
While I was happily surprised to find this on shelf at my library, that was probably the most satisfaction I got from this book. It's not bad by any means, and I loved the creatures and the science behind what was going on. It's clear Blue has thought out the process and the purpose, from the stones to the changing and everything between.
What kind of disappointed me was there weren't any surprises. Blue does a good job at setting things up so a reader wouldn't be angry over something happening out of nowhere, but I think it's so heavy handed that it takes away the element of apprehension. I had a pretty good guess about the things she foreshadowed, and if I was wrong, it was only ever about a detail or two.
The other thing was the relationship. I was doubly excited for this to be horror/scifi and a gay romance, but it's honestly not. This book should be read primarily for the plot, so I'm not taking away that much rating wise for the relationship. But after some casual hook ups, suddenly these two guys are in love with each other, and both of them seem surprised by this. At least one of them wasn't in it for a relationship to start with, but then they get super attached. There was a lot of hugging and kissing and 'don't be scared' comfort, which is fine in itself, but a) as the author so blatantly reminds us, this book takes place over about 10 days. Is it realistic for them to be acting like that after 10 days? and b) it was excessive, bleeding into my main issue of:
WHY THE HELL WAS EVERYONE SO CALM?
You have people on your ship cutting their eyes out and morphing into sea monsters and you guys are acting like it's just another day at the lab. Yes, you need to research and whatnot to figure out the cause, but not one of them ever screamed or cussed or fainted or anything. It was much too level headed for me to believe it.
I think this is where the book fell most short for me. I liked it, I wouldn't even hesitate to say I enjoyed it, but I wasn't invested in it whatsoever. Once I got 1/3 through, I did want to sit down and read it in one sitting, but it had everything to do with plot development and nothing to do with characters. I enjoyed the cast, but I wasn't emotionally attached to them in the slightest, leaving the "ending" rather flat for me, and the real ending as more of an ellipsis than anything else. Sure, a reader gets their HEA, but what about the rest of the world? What happens? The book is never really about the relationship, and then suddenly at the end it is. A very important thread gets dropped there, leaving too many open ends for a reader to be fully satisfied.
What kind of disappointed me was there weren't any surprises. Blue does a good job at setting things up so a reader wouldn't be angry over something happening out of nowhere, but I think it's so heavy handed that it takes away the element of apprehension. I had a pretty good guess about the things she foreshadowed, and if I was wrong, it was only ever about a detail or two.
The other thing was the relationship. I was doubly excited for this to be horror/scifi and a gay romance, but it's honestly not. This book should be read primarily for the plot, so I'm not taking away that much rating wise for the relationship. But after some casual hook ups, suddenly these two guys are in love with each other, and both of them seem surprised by this. At least one of them wasn't in it for a relationship to start with, but then they get super attached. There was a lot of hugging and kissing and 'don't be scared' comfort, which is fine in itself, but a) as the author so blatantly reminds us, this book takes place over about 10 days. Is it realistic for them to be acting like that after 10 days? and b) it was excessive, bleeding into my main issue of:
WHY THE HELL WAS EVERYONE SO CALM?
You have people on your ship cutting their eyes out and morphing into sea monsters and you guys are acting like it's just another day at the lab. Yes, you need to research and whatnot to figure out the cause, but not one of them ever screamed or cussed or fainted or anything. It was much too level headed for me to believe it.
I think this is where the book fell most short for me. I liked it, I wouldn't even hesitate to say I enjoyed it, but I wasn't invested in it whatsoever. Once I got 1/3 through, I did want to sit down and read it in one sitting, but it had everything to do with plot development and nothing to do with characters. I enjoyed the cast, but I wasn't emotionally attached to them in the slightest, leaving the "ending" rather flat for me, and the real ending as more of an ellipsis than anything else. Sure, a reader gets their HEA, but what about the rest of the world? What happens? The book is never really about the relationship, and then suddenly at the end it is. A very important thread gets dropped there, leaving too many open ends for a reader to be fully satisfied.
July 30, 2020
A vision of vast black seas exploded behind Armin’s eyes—oceans spanning entire worlds, deep and crushing, cold as space. In that endless void swam things whose shape and substance defied description, whose thoughts cut like razor wire and left his psyche slashed and bleeding. [loc. 4671]
A science fiction novel with horror elements, set seven kilometres beneath the ocean's surface, and featuring a romance between two male characters. Mo Rees is a deep-sea miner, part of the team on the BathyTech 3 facility which sits at the edge of Richards Deep, off the coast of Chile. Their rover has picked up images of a strange spherical object on the ocean floor: a team of scientists, led by Dr Armin Savage-Hall who has seen something similar in Antarctica, arrives to examine it.
Mo and Armin hook up almost immediately, but that's not the focus of the novel. The thing they bring back from the deep begins to affect the crew of the BathyTech 3, and the visiting scientists: hallucinations, mood swings, and worse. And the strange mermaid-fish -- which most still believe are just stories -- seem to be gathering in the darkness beyond the module.
Down is extremely atmospheric and generally well-paced, though I was not entirely convinced by Mo and Armin's instant connection. Still, they both have something to bring to the story. Less convincing was the future setting: it's some time in the 22nd century, but the technology (apart from, importantly, the actual deep-sea mining module) doesn't seem especially advanced. And apart from Mo's backstory, which involves a long blackout in Dubai during his childhood -- it's made him tough and resourceful -- there's little sense of the outside world.
The ending is unsettling, and I felt Mo and Armin's responses to its implications were a little out of character, a little too blase: but then, they've been changed by their experiences in the deep.
Would make an excellent film!
February 28, 2019
Absolutely loved this. It's always so refreshing to find a book that features queer characters as just a part of the story, not the main focus. The relationship in this book is not front and center, and honestly isn't really fully formed until 2/3 of the way through.
This is first and foremost a horror story, and what a great horror story it is! There were moments in this book where I literally got a chills -- and I consider myself pretty jaded to the genre. The tension is perfectly paced, with enough time between thrills to help you unwind just enough to be ready to wind back up again. The creatures and the descriptions of such are deliciously envisioned, with enough left to the imagination to spark terror.
The characters themselves are so beautifully formed and fleshed-out. I love the inclusion of characters of color, and women! SO MANY WOMEN! IN A STEM FIELD! Ugh it's so great. My little social justice heart wept with joy.
Even the ending, was just as fulfilling as the rest of the story. It pulled together all the loose ends and questions I had, and resolved the main arch in a beautiful and true way that suited the story best.
I can't recommend this book enough (if you like horror! because this is very solidly a horror story). I couldn't put it down, and I plan on buying a copy for my own bookshelf at home.
This is first and foremost a horror story, and what a great horror story it is! There were moments in this book where I literally got a chills -- and I consider myself pretty jaded to the genre. The tension is perfectly paced, with enough time between thrills to help you unwind just enough to be ready to wind back up again. The creatures and the descriptions of such are deliciously envisioned, with enough left to the imagination to spark terror.
The characters themselves are so beautifully formed and fleshed-out. I love the inclusion of characters of color, and women! SO MANY WOMEN! IN A STEM FIELD! Ugh it's so great. My little social justice heart wept with joy.
Even the ending, was just as fulfilling as the rest of the story. It pulled together all the loose ends and questions I had, and resolved the main arch in a beautiful and true way that suited the story best.
I can't recommend this book enough (if you like horror! because this is very solidly a horror story). I couldn't put it down, and I plan on buying a copy for my own bookshelf at home.
April 18, 2019
Definitely somewhere between 3.5/4*
A chilling read about deep sea miners and scientists- and all the horrors of something going wrong at 7000ft down. And go wrong they do!
Armin and Mo got together v quickly - maybe we can blame the lack of dating opportunities at that depth!
Once strange things keep happening no one is safe - either from contamination or from those affected. Some gruesome deaths. Seemingly no way out. No obvious cause - beyond the ‘rock’ - for infection and who will or will not.
Set appx 115 yrs in future, we learn of things not going well for the world in short bios of crew when selected as soldiers. Creepy slithery things and a spider! Could definitely visualise as a movie and definitely in the region of a number of deep sea disaster movies.
Some good plot ideas - I was imagining USS Enterprise for the bathyshpere! Sliding doors etc.
The creepy voices. The discovery of a clue in peoples heads and who has it.
Armin and Mo did grow closer in adversity though the ending whilst kind of expected did kind of come quickly so I would have liked more of they why, how etc.
A chilling read about deep sea miners and scientists- and all the horrors of something going wrong at 7000ft down. And go wrong they do!
Armin and Mo got together v quickly - maybe we can blame the lack of dating opportunities at that depth!
Once strange things keep happening no one is safe - either from contamination or from those affected. Some gruesome deaths. Seemingly no way out. No obvious cause - beyond the ‘rock’ - for infection and who will or will not.
Set appx 115 yrs in future, we learn of things not going well for the world in short bios of crew when selected as soldiers. Creepy slithery things and a spider! Could definitely visualise as a movie and definitely in the region of a number of deep sea disaster movies.
Some good plot ideas - I was imagining USS Enterprise for the bathyshpere! Sliding doors etc.
The creepy voices. The discovery of a clue in peoples heads and who has it.
Armin and Mo did grow closer in adversity though the ending whilst kind of expected did kind of come quickly so I would have liked more of they why, how etc.
June 20, 2019
I picked this up because it was recommended for people who liked Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant. While I prefer that book, this book hits a lot of the same beats in interesting ways. I liked the premise and think the horror and science aspects were pretty well done, and I liked the characters. The sex scenes sort of smacked me in the face at first - I was expecting a little more of a slow burn, and the continuing romance didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense with all the horror bits happening simultaneously. Honestly the one very explicit sex scene felt more like a kink prompt than an organic part of the book. However, I do really like how it all came together at the end, and what can I say - I'm a sucker for any and all queer underwater horror.
October 15, 2024
Very fun story, even if it was pretty predictable. The horror aspect was really enjoyable, but the science fiction part was weaker, and the romance part felt entirely ridiculous. Mo and Armin weren’t very interesting characters, but I really enjoyed Mandala and Youssouf. It also annoyed me that the book spent so much time talking about the enticing wonders unknown to man, but only managed to actually convey some shortcuts for traveling under the ocean. It would’ve been really cool if we could’ve gotten some of the story from a mermaid’s perspective, even if it was just an epilogue.
March 7, 2023
This is one of the best things I've ever read. Could be that I was coming from another book that was absolute torture to read but this one is solid. Queer romance, eldrichesque horrors, murder and gore, what more could I ask for? I'm not a huge fan of sexual scenes, and the handful of times the two got together for that, only one was very descriptive and. Man. That was very much up my alley and pretty well written. Even though I could see how it was going to end, I still did a good cry.
December 24, 2023
The fact that this isn't more popular is criminal. One of the best books I've read this year. It's also my favourite underwater sci-fi horror book now.
I read this with a friend and that probably made it more fun. We were screaming and theorizing and crying together, and that's a sign of a good story ❤️ I need this book to get the This Is How You Lose The Time War treatment immediately
I read this with a friend and that probably made it more fun. We were screaming and theorizing and crying together, and that's a sign of a good story ❤️ I need this book to get the This Is How You Lose The Time War treatment immediately
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