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Loch #2
Vostok
East Antarctica: The coldest, most desolate location on Earth. Two-and-a-half miles below the ice cap isVostok, a six thousand square mile liquid lake, over a thousand feet deep, left untouched for more than 15 million years. Now, marine biologist Zachary Wallace and two other scientists aboard a submersible tethered to a laser will journey 13,000 feet beneath the ice into this unexplored realm to discover Mesozoic life forms long believed extinct and an object of immense power responsible for the evolution of modern man.
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First published September 23, 2014
173 people are currently reading
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About the author
Steve Alten
62 books1,363 followersSteve Alten grew up in Philadelphia, earning his Bachelors degree in Physical Education at Penn State University, a Masters Degree in Sports Medicine from the University of Delaware, and a Doctorate of Education at Temple University. Struggling to support his family of five, he decided to pen a novel he had been thinking about for years. Working late nights and on weekends, he eventually finished MEG; A Novel of Deep Terror. Steve sold his car to pay for editing fees. On September (Friday) the 13th, 1996, Steve lost his general manager’s job at a wholesale meat plant. Four days later his agent had a two-book, seven figure deal with Bantam Doubleday.
MEG would go on to become the book of the 1996 Frankfurt book fair, where it eventually sold to more than a twenty countries. MEG hit every major best-seller list, including #19 on the New York Times list (#7 audio), and became a popular radio series in Japan.
Steve’s second release, The TRENCH (Meg sequel) was published by Kensington/Pinnacle in 1999 where it also hit best-seller status. His next novel, DOMAIN and its sequel, RESURRECTION were published by St. Martin’s Press/Tor Books and were runaway best-sellers in Spain, Mexico, Germany, and Italy, with the rights selling to more than a dozen countries.
Steve’s fourth novel, GOLIATH, received rave reviews and was a big hit in Germany. It is being considered for a TV series. MEG: Primal Waters was published in the summer of 2004. A year later his seventh novel, The LOCH, hit stores — a modern-day thriller about the Loch Ness Monster. Steve’s eighth novel, The SHELL GAME, is about the end of oil and the next 9/11 event. The book was another NY Times best-seller, but the stress of penning this real-life story affected Steve’s health, and three months after he finished the manuscript he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Steve’s ninth novel, MEG: Hell’s Aquarium, is considered to be the best of the best-selling MEG series. Steve says his best novel is GRIM REAPER: End of Days. The story, a modern-day Dante’s Inferno, takes place in New York when a man-made plague strikes Manhattan.
Steve’s novels are action-packed and very visual. He has optioned DOMAIN, MEG and The LOCH to film producers. Steve has written six original screenplays. His comedy, HARLEM SHUFFLE was a semi-finalist in the LA screenwriting contest, his comedy MINTZ MEATS was selected as a finalist at the Philadelphia film festival as was his psychological thriller, STRANGLEHOLD. Steve’s reality series, HOUSE OF BABEL won at Scriptapalooza. He has also created a TV Drama, PAPA JOHN, based on his years coaching basketball with Hall of Fame coach John Chaney.
Over the years, Steve has been inundated with e-mail from teens who hated reading …until they read his novels. When he learned high school teachers were actually using his books in the classroom (MEG had been rated #1 book for reluctant readers) Steve launched Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide non-profit program designed to encourage students to read. Teachers who register for the program (it’s free) receive giant shark posters, free curriculum materials, student-author correspondence, an interactive website, and classroom conference calls/visits with the author. To date, over 10,000 teachers have registered, and the success rate in getting teens to read has been unprecedented. Steve now spends half his work week working with high schools. For more information click on www.AdoptAnAuthor.com
As an author, Steve has two goals. First, to continue to work hard to become a better storyteller and create exciting page turning thrillers. Second, to remain accessible to his readers. Steve reads and answers all e-mails, uses the names and descriptions of his loyal fans as characters in all his novels, and even hires readers as editors, depending on their particular expertise.
MEG would go on to become the book of the 1996 Frankfurt book fair, where it eventually sold to more than a twenty countries. MEG hit every major best-seller list, including #19 on the New York Times list (#7 audio), and became a popular radio series in Japan.
Steve’s second release, The TRENCH (Meg sequel) was published by Kensington/Pinnacle in 1999 where it also hit best-seller status. His next novel, DOMAIN and its sequel, RESURRECTION were published by St. Martin’s Press/Tor Books and were runaway best-sellers in Spain, Mexico, Germany, and Italy, with the rights selling to more than a dozen countries.
Steve’s fourth novel, GOLIATH, received rave reviews and was a big hit in Germany. It is being considered for a TV series. MEG: Primal Waters was published in the summer of 2004. A year later his seventh novel, The LOCH, hit stores — a modern-day thriller about the Loch Ness Monster. Steve’s eighth novel, The SHELL GAME, is about the end of oil and the next 9/11 event. The book was another NY Times best-seller, but the stress of penning this real-life story affected Steve’s health, and three months after he finished the manuscript he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Steve’s ninth novel, MEG: Hell’s Aquarium, is considered to be the best of the best-selling MEG series. Steve says his best novel is GRIM REAPER: End of Days. The story, a modern-day Dante’s Inferno, takes place in New York when a man-made plague strikes Manhattan.
Steve’s novels are action-packed and very visual. He has optioned DOMAIN, MEG and The LOCH to film producers. Steve has written six original screenplays. His comedy, HARLEM SHUFFLE was a semi-finalist in the LA screenwriting contest, his comedy MINTZ MEATS was selected as a finalist at the Philadelphia film festival as was his psychological thriller, STRANGLEHOLD. Steve’s reality series, HOUSE OF BABEL won at Scriptapalooza. He has also created a TV Drama, PAPA JOHN, based on his years coaching basketball with Hall of Fame coach John Chaney.
Over the years, Steve has been inundated with e-mail from teens who hated reading …until they read his novels. When he learned high school teachers were actually using his books in the classroom (MEG had been rated #1 book for reluctant readers) Steve launched Adopt-An-Author, a nationwide non-profit program designed to encourage students to read. Teachers who register for the program (it’s free) receive giant shark posters, free curriculum materials, student-author correspondence, an interactive website, and classroom conference calls/visits with the author. To date, over 10,000 teachers have registered, and the success rate in getting teens to read has been unprecedented. Steve now spends half his work week working with high schools. For more information click on www.AdoptAnAuthor.com
As an author, Steve has two goals. First, to continue to work hard to become a better storyteller and create exciting page turning thrillers. Second, to remain accessible to his readers. Steve reads and answers all e-mails, uses the names and descriptions of his loyal fans as characters in all his novels, and even hires readers as editors, depending on their particular expertise.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
May 28, 2015
VOSTOK is the latest addition to an ever-growing list of Steve Alten novels ruined by the author's insistence on cramming his nutty political and religious viewpoints down readers' throats.
Worst of all, he saves this crap for the second half, after you're already invested in the story and can't just put the book down and walk away. The first half of VOSTOK is actually quite excellent. Not just good... Excellent. Like something Michael Crichton might have written. There're all kinds of exciting revelations about Antarctica, and Alten provides the perfect environment for introducing us to a new host of prehistoric creatures.
And then the subject of UFOs comes up, leading to lengthy rants about Roswell and government coverups. Which then leads to rants about America's military-industrial complex and the evils of the Bush administration. In the novel, the military-industrial complex is out to quash any attempts to develop clean alternative energy, leading to even more rants about Big Oil and "false flag" events. Once all this conspiracy theory mumbo-jumbo is out of the way, our main character can go about saving the world--a process which includes string theory, time travel, the universal consciousness, soul-swapping, panspermia, reincarnation, God, guided evolution, perpetual energy, Kabbalah, alien benevolence, lucid dreaming, and the kitchen sink.
The whole thing got so convoluted, nonsensical, and ridiculous that I wanted to either laugh or throw up. What I didn't want to do was keep reading. Yet I soldiered on.
Ultimately the book reads like a "Greatest Hits" compilation of everything that ruined his previous novels over the past ten years: PHOBOS (time paradoxes, government conspiracies, Kabbalah), THE SHELL GAME (Big Oil, evil Republicans, government conspiracies), GRIM REAPER (government conspiracies, evil Republicans, Kabbalah), THE OMEGA PROJECT (Big Oil), etc. In every single book, the American government brings about the apocalypse somehow. Steve Alten is a broken record, and the song that keeps repeating isn't any good.
At least he's finally stopped writing in present tense.
VOSTOK is a continuation of two different series--a "shared universe," so to speak. The upside of this is that you get to see all your favorite Steve Alten characters in one place. The downside is that Alten feels the need to sum up everything that happened in the series prior, resulting either in boredom or whirlwind confusion depending on how familiar you are with the series.
Have I learned my lesson? Will I finally stop reading Steve Alten? The answer is no, because all he has to do in order to be a great writer again is simplify his stories (no more time-jumping, soul-switching, and multiple universes) and jettison all the political/spiritual baggage. The first half of VOSTOK demonstrates what a great storyteller Alten can be, and hopefully he'll listen to his fans and go back to being the modern Peter Benchley instead of trying to blow our minds all the time like a wannabe Christopher Nolan. I miss the Steve Alten who wrote MEG and THE LOCH. Screw this new version who reads like a cross between Deepak Chopra, Al Gore, and Alex Jones.
I bought VOSTOK as a Christmas present for my sister because she was a big fan of THE LOCH. Unfortunately, that's like buying a fan of the movie THE LAWNMOWER MAN a copy of THE LAWNMOWER MAN II: JOBE'S WAR. I would have been better off sending her fruitcake.
Worst of all, he saves this crap for the second half, after you're already invested in the story and can't just put the book down and walk away. The first half of VOSTOK is actually quite excellent. Not just good... Excellent. Like something Michael Crichton might have written. There're all kinds of exciting revelations about Antarctica, and Alten provides the perfect environment for introducing us to a new host of prehistoric creatures.
And then the subject of UFOs comes up, leading to lengthy rants about Roswell and government coverups. Which then leads to rants about America's military-industrial complex and the evils of the Bush administration. In the novel, the military-industrial complex is out to quash any attempts to develop clean alternative energy, leading to even more rants about Big Oil and "false flag" events. Once all this conspiracy theory mumbo-jumbo is out of the way, our main character can go about saving the world--a process which includes string theory, time travel, the universal consciousness, soul-swapping, panspermia, reincarnation, God, guided evolution, perpetual energy, Kabbalah, alien benevolence, lucid dreaming, and the kitchen sink.
The whole thing got so convoluted, nonsensical, and ridiculous that I wanted to either laugh or throw up. What I didn't want to do was keep reading. Yet I soldiered on.
Ultimately the book reads like a "Greatest Hits" compilation of everything that ruined his previous novels over the past ten years: PHOBOS (time paradoxes, government conspiracies, Kabbalah), THE SHELL GAME (Big Oil, evil Republicans, government conspiracies), GRIM REAPER (government conspiracies, evil Republicans, Kabbalah), THE OMEGA PROJECT (Big Oil), etc. In every single book, the American government brings about the apocalypse somehow. Steve Alten is a broken record, and the song that keeps repeating isn't any good.
At least he's finally stopped writing in present tense.
VOSTOK is a continuation of two different series--a "shared universe," so to speak. The upside of this is that you get to see all your favorite Steve Alten characters in one place. The downside is that Alten feels the need to sum up everything that happened in the series prior, resulting either in boredom or whirlwind confusion depending on how familiar you are with the series.
Have I learned my lesson? Will I finally stop reading Steve Alten? The answer is no, because all he has to do in order to be a great writer again is simplify his stories (no more time-jumping, soul-switching, and multiple universes) and jettison all the political/spiritual baggage. The first half of VOSTOK demonstrates what a great storyteller Alten can be, and hopefully he'll listen to his fans and go back to being the modern Peter Benchley instead of trying to blow our minds all the time like a wannabe Christopher Nolan. I miss the Steve Alten who wrote MEG and THE LOCH. Screw this new version who reads like a cross between Deepak Chopra, Al Gore, and Alex Jones.
I bought VOSTOK as a Christmas present for my sister because she was a big fan of THE LOCH. Unfortunately, that's like buying a fan of the movie THE LAWNMOWER MAN a copy of THE LAWNMOWER MAN II: JOBE'S WAR. I would have been better off sending her fruitcake.
March 10, 2015
First half is a great example of what I like about the majority of Alten's books. Last half was terrible. It ruined the theme, tone, and direction.
September 12, 2015
Such a HAWT mess. Seriously. All I wanted was a "there's a scary sea monster" summer read. I didn't in any way want the acid trip of spiritual gobbledegook that this book turned into. It was a chore to get through.
ETA: The more I think about it the more I wonder what on earth compelled me to give this two stars. So I knocked it down to 1.
ETA: The more I think about it the more I wonder what on earth compelled me to give this two stars. So I knocked it down to 1.
March 18, 2015
*spoiler alert!!!!!*
what in the world did I just read? I was so excited about reading this book, because I love Steve Alten's books. The story kicked off very well and seemed to be leading to a strong middle, then BOOM!!! He throws in space aliens, quantum physics, time travel, mind reading and tons of things that make absolutely zero sense! I'm still confused....
what in the world did I just read? I was so excited about reading this book, because I love Steve Alten's books. The story kicked off very well and seemed to be leading to a strong middle, then BOOM!!! He throws in space aliens, quantum physics, time travel, mind reading and tons of things that make absolutely zero sense! I'm still confused....
July 6, 2015
I’m a big fan of Steve Alten’s Meg series as well as Loch. That being said, I honestly had to force myself to finish Vostok. It started off fairly well. Zach and Brandi have hit a rough patch in their marriage when an opportunity arises that result in his having to dive into Lake Vostok. If you’ve seen the cover of this book, then it should come as little surprise that once again in an Alten novel, a unique enclave of ancient marine life has managed to thrive. Cool, right? That’s why we bought this book after all. But this is when everything begins to go off the rails. I won’t spoil the “plot twist” if you still decide to read the book, but suffice it to say that it makes absolutely no sense in the continuity of the series. But even that wouldn’t have been so bad if Alten hadn’t spent the next two-thirds of his book preaching about the evils of Big Oil, nuclear weapons and certain politicians that were not mentioned as Republicans, but left little doubt as to who they were meant to portray. It felt as if every five to ten pages we got to hear about “Big Oil this” and “Big Oil that”. It’s fine that an author has his own beliefs. I don’t even mind when they include them in their books… just don’t beat a dead horse in a vain attempt to sway your readership to your way of thinking. Larry Correia borders on making the same mistake from a conservative perspective in his series, but not nearly to this extent. It seriously felt like one of those Family Guy episodes in which Seth MacFarlane uses Bryan as a mouthpiece by having him stare into the camera and deadpan his liberalisms to the audience. Vostok may have been intended to be a direct sequel to the Loch, but it feels like the spiritual successor to his “Shell Game” instead. That’s another book I don’t recommend wasting your time on by the way. If this is the “new and improved” method of writing for Mr. Alten, then I may be done with him as an author. I read for fun, not to be lectured.
October 29, 2016
2.5 stars
I need to explain this rating....I really enjoy the MEG series, and I LOVED The LOCH. The combination of the two takes place after Meg 4: Hell's Aquarium, and The Loch. We start out with our main character, Zach Wallace, and his family (from the Loch); the plot moves along rapidly at this point. The first 200-250 pages were exactly what I was expecting from this novel--a combination of underwater creatures and new technology to get to some "unexplored" areas in the depths.
Unfortunately, then Steve Alten went on a completely different tangent that I just wasn't expecting. It may have worked better if this book hadn't been advertised as a combination of the other two books, because when he deviated from this path and took things . . . elsewhere . . ., I completely lost interest. I stuck to it until the end (which was at least "slightly" palatable), but honestly wish I had just skipped over this book. If Alten had kept things in the "ocean", this could have been a great tie-in. Unfortunately, the "new" set-up was not something I was prepared to read, nor would I have picked up the book had I suspected this.
I'm only hoping that Alten doesn't try this technique on future "sequels".
I need to explain this rating....I really enjoy the MEG series, and I LOVED The LOCH. The combination of the two takes place after Meg 4: Hell's Aquarium, and The Loch. We start out with our main character, Zach Wallace, and his family (from the Loch); the plot moves along rapidly at this point. The first 200-250 pages were exactly what I was expecting from this novel--a combination of underwater creatures and new technology to get to some "unexplored" areas in the depths.
Unfortunately, then Steve Alten went on a completely different tangent that I just wasn't expecting. It may have worked better if this book hadn't been advertised as a combination of the other two books, because when he deviated from this path and took things . . . elsewhere . . ., I completely lost interest. I stuck to it until the end (which was at least "slightly" palatable), but honestly wish I had just skipped over this book. If Alten had kept things in the "ocean", this could have been a great tie-in. Unfortunately, the "new" set-up was not something I was prepared to read, nor would I have picked up the book had I suspected this.
I'm only hoping that Alten doesn't try this technique on future "sequels".
March 2, 2015
I really wanted to like this, as I love this author's books, but the plot was just too far out and all over the place for me. I was hoping for something more like Meg and far less Ancient Alien Theory.
May 12, 2020
This book is a sequel to The Loch. In this one, Zachary is approached to lead a mission to explore the depths of Lake Vostok. This lake is a subterranean lake that exists below the ice of Antarctica and a group of scientists would like to explore it as they believe it holds secrets of Earth's past. Zachary gets way more than a simple exploratory mission.
When one goes into a Steve Alten book they usually expect a book about prehistoric monsters that exist today with pseudo science. For the first third of this book that is what this book was and I was loving it. I could not understand all the negative reviews. Then this book took an abrupt change of genre and this book went off the railroads. With this change we get aliens, multiverses, and time travel. While reading about these aspects all I could wonder "How did I get here when I was suppose to be reading a book about monsters". My theory is the author wanted to write a different kind of book and I have no problem with that. My problem is that this book was marketed as a monster thriller within an already established universe. It seems like a cheap ploy to entice readers to read this.
The only reason I am giving this book a two star rating is that Alten does have the formula down pat when writing his forte about sea monsters. I loved this aspect of the story. The problem is the meat of the story was not what I was looking for. The author could have written this book without putting it into this established universe and nothing would have been different. That way I would probably have different feelings toward this book.
When one goes into a Steve Alten book they usually expect a book about prehistoric monsters that exist today with pseudo science. For the first third of this book that is what this book was and I was loving it. I could not understand all the negative reviews. Then this book took an abrupt change of genre and this book went off the railroads. With this change we get aliens, multiverses, and time travel. While reading about these aspects all I could wonder "How did I get here when I was suppose to be reading a book about monsters". My theory is the author wanted to write a different kind of book and I have no problem with that. My problem is that this book was marketed as a monster thriller within an already established universe. It seems like a cheap ploy to entice readers to read this.
The only reason I am giving this book a two star rating is that Alten does have the formula down pat when writing his forte about sea monsters. I loved this aspect of the story. The problem is the meat of the story was not what I was looking for. The author could have written this book without putting it into this established universe and nothing would have been different. That way I would probably have different feelings toward this book.
April 19, 2015
I have read many Steve Alten novels and have really enjoyed them, however this novel went too far into the realm of craziness! This book had so much potential and I truly loved the first half of the book with the characters truly trying to solve the mysteries and the science of Lake Vostok. The second half of the novel took a strange turn into more science fiction and less science. I really enjoy the characters and the humor Mr. Alten interjected into the story, but the plot line went to far for me.
December 22, 2015
I received this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review and as part of a blog tour. My thanks to iRead Book Tours for contacting me.
This has been a truly weird reading experience, because what started with certain premises transformed, around the midway point, into something else - into several somethings to be precise. But let's proceed with order.
Marine biologist Zachary Wallace, a man who had several brushes with death and as a consequence has developed a serious phobia about going underwater, is contacted for an expedition to Antarctica to explore the mysteries of lake Vostok, a huge body of water buried under polar ice, where the life forms that might still be dwelling there are the same of our prehistoric past. Wallace accepts despite his above-mentioned psychological problems and some serious misgivings about the effects of a prolonged absence on his already shaky marriage, and is soon plunged into an adventure that goes from the discovery of a few incredible scientific facts to the uncovering of multi-layered plots and conspiracies with world-wide scope.
As far as beginnings go, this one was promising enough, despite a few narrative "hiccups" due to the author's penchant for imparting a brusque stop to the story in order to provide in-depth details about a character or a situation: the most glaring example is the chapter-long synopsis of events contained in the previous book, The Loch, so that the reader is brought up to speed about Zach Wallace and everything that happened to him from childhood to present day. I found this narrative technique quite peculiar, to say the least, as was the choice of using a phonetical rendition of the Scottish brogue every time a Scottish national was on the scene. This particular quirk became a little annoying in the not-so-long run, but still I played along because the just-discovered mystery at the bottom of lake Vostok was too intriguing and I was eager to see where the story would lead me.
Once the action went underway (or rather under water…) I felt that my patience might have been rewarded, since the exploration of lake Vostok was carried out with a submersible probe whose launch also meant the launch of the promised story: indeed I was somewhat reminded of the Clive Cussler books I used to read and enjoy in the early '80s, but with a substantial difference. Cussler's hero, Dirk Pitt, was a square-jawed, larger than life, danger-defying character, wading into peril with almost supreme indifference, while Zach Wallace, with his issues and phobias, not to mention heavy family burdens, is a more relatable individual - flawed, human. His efforts in overcoming those flaws and the courage he's able to summon when faced with tremendous odds, make him an interesting protagonist and show him off well against the darkening background of the story as some elements come to the fore to show that there is more behind the scientific expedition he's been enlisted in. An expedition rife with secrets, double-dealings and mysteries within mysteries, including the presence of an artifact of unquestionable alien origin.
And here is where the narrative fabric began to unravel before my eyes, because a huge number of elements and sub-plots were introduced, with somewhat tenuous links between each other and the context of the story: conspiracy theories mixed with jumps in space-time; past and present alien visitations and wise aliens watching over wayward humanity; secret organizations and corrupt movers and shakers shaping politics and economy, with the required twisted military thrown into the mix; out of body experiences linking human and alien consciousness, telepathy and so on, including a peppering of extra-terrestrial mysticism - all of the above again related in long, often debilitating explanations about past events and their influence on the present. What had begun as an intriguing and sometimes humorous adventure had morphed into something I could not find a name for anymore.
I confess I wondered more than once where all this was headed to, what the author's intentions might be, and I despaired to be able to make head or tails of it, so I let myself flow with the current, but the damage had been done: the unwritten contract between writer and reader about suspension of disbelief had been breached beyond repair and I found myself falling prey to the strange dichotomy of following the events out of bewildered curiosity, but without the slightest interest for the story's outcome or the characters' fate. The last straw - mercifully placed toward the end of the book - was the "lucid dream" in which Wallace re-lives (at length and with abundance of detail, of course) the experiences of an alien scientist, involving slavery and exploitation of a people dreaming of a better land and of relocating there after a hazardous voyage, the metaphor complete with the mention of a succession of plagues hitting the place where they were being mistreated. If this sounds biblically familiar… yes, you can rest assured that no myth, no legend, no allegory or tired trope was left unturned for this book.
Not a book for me - not with the problems I listed, to which I must add an annoying portrayal of female characters that covered the whole spectrum from cliché (the proverbial nagging wife) to teenager-like wish-fulfillment (a human-looking beautiful alien, raised in a lab and trained in the arts of Kama Sutra? Seriously???).
Definitely not my kind of preferred reading material.
https://spaceandsorcery.wordpress.com...
This has been a truly weird reading experience, because what started with certain premises transformed, around the midway point, into something else - into several somethings to be precise. But let's proceed with order.
Marine biologist Zachary Wallace, a man who had several brushes with death and as a consequence has developed a serious phobia about going underwater, is contacted for an expedition to Antarctica to explore the mysteries of lake Vostok, a huge body of water buried under polar ice, where the life forms that might still be dwelling there are the same of our prehistoric past. Wallace accepts despite his above-mentioned psychological problems and some serious misgivings about the effects of a prolonged absence on his already shaky marriage, and is soon plunged into an adventure that goes from the discovery of a few incredible scientific facts to the uncovering of multi-layered plots and conspiracies with world-wide scope.
As far as beginnings go, this one was promising enough, despite a few narrative "hiccups" due to the author's penchant for imparting a brusque stop to the story in order to provide in-depth details about a character or a situation: the most glaring example is the chapter-long synopsis of events contained in the previous book, The Loch, so that the reader is brought up to speed about Zach Wallace and everything that happened to him from childhood to present day. I found this narrative technique quite peculiar, to say the least, as was the choice of using a phonetical rendition of the Scottish brogue every time a Scottish national was on the scene. This particular quirk became a little annoying in the not-so-long run, but still I played along because the just-discovered mystery at the bottom of lake Vostok was too intriguing and I was eager to see where the story would lead me.
Once the action went underway (or rather under water…) I felt that my patience might have been rewarded, since the exploration of lake Vostok was carried out with a submersible probe whose launch also meant the launch of the promised story: indeed I was somewhat reminded of the Clive Cussler books I used to read and enjoy in the early '80s, but with a substantial difference. Cussler's hero, Dirk Pitt, was a square-jawed, larger than life, danger-defying character, wading into peril with almost supreme indifference, while Zach Wallace, with his issues and phobias, not to mention heavy family burdens, is a more relatable individual - flawed, human. His efforts in overcoming those flaws and the courage he's able to summon when faced with tremendous odds, make him an interesting protagonist and show him off well against the darkening background of the story as some elements come to the fore to show that there is more behind the scientific expedition he's been enlisted in. An expedition rife with secrets, double-dealings and mysteries within mysteries, including the presence of an artifact of unquestionable alien origin.
And here is where the narrative fabric began to unravel before my eyes, because a huge number of elements and sub-plots were introduced, with somewhat tenuous links between each other and the context of the story: conspiracy theories mixed with jumps in space-time; past and present alien visitations and wise aliens watching over wayward humanity; secret organizations and corrupt movers and shakers shaping politics and economy, with the required twisted military thrown into the mix; out of body experiences linking human and alien consciousness, telepathy and so on, including a peppering of extra-terrestrial mysticism - all of the above again related in long, often debilitating explanations about past events and their influence on the present. What had begun as an intriguing and sometimes humorous adventure had morphed into something I could not find a name for anymore.
I confess I wondered more than once where all this was headed to, what the author's intentions might be, and I despaired to be able to make head or tails of it, so I let myself flow with the current, but the damage had been done: the unwritten contract between writer and reader about suspension of disbelief had been breached beyond repair and I found myself falling prey to the strange dichotomy of following the events out of bewildered curiosity, but without the slightest interest for the story's outcome or the characters' fate. The last straw - mercifully placed toward the end of the book - was the "lucid dream" in which Wallace re-lives (at length and with abundance of detail, of course) the experiences of an alien scientist, involving slavery and exploitation of a people dreaming of a better land and of relocating there after a hazardous voyage, the metaphor complete with the mention of a succession of plagues hitting the place where they were being mistreated. If this sounds biblically familiar… yes, you can rest assured that no myth, no legend, no allegory or tired trope was left unturned for this book.
Not a book for me - not with the problems I listed, to which I must add an annoying portrayal of female characters that covered the whole spectrum from cliché (the proverbial nagging wife) to teenager-like wish-fulfillment (a human-looking beautiful alien, raised in a lab and trained in the arts of Kama Sutra? Seriously???).
Definitely not my kind of preferred reading material.
https://spaceandsorcery.wordpress.com...
August 29, 2018
This book is a sequel to Alten’s previous book, The Loch. It also ties in with the Meg series. It is not absolutely essential to have read those five books, though, to enjoy this one. Alten does a nice job of summarizing them at the appropriate times without getting too exposition-y.
Marine biologist Zachary Wallace is going through a rough patch. The local tourism industry took a nosedive after he was responsible for the demise of the Loch Ness Monster. Financial pressures have put a strain on his marriage, so it's almost with relief that he considers the offer of a lifetime: the chance to be part of the first manned expedition to the depths of Lake Vostok in Antarctica! Untouched beneath the ice for millennia, who knows what awaits them? And what are the odds that one man will battle two giant underwater cryptids in a single lifetime …?
I’ve been a fan of Alten’s work since the first Meg book, and it's been a treat to watch his work develop over the years. His work has gotten decidedly crazier--in a good way--over time. His early works were fairly conventional thrillers, but a glorious sense of madness began to creep in. There's a sense of the author, with a gleam in his eye, saying, “Right? So you think things can't get any stranger? Right. Hold my beer …” This book chugs along smoothly until about halfway through when it morphs into a science fiction novel with possible theological implications and goes gloriously, insanely off the rails. It's like watching a good magic act. Not only do I not know how he did it, but I was having too much fun to care.
And the ending is something that--without giving too much away--would normally be a cop out, but, because Alten has done such a superb job of setting it up as the only possible resolution, it actually works. Amazing!
This book is supposedly also a prequel to Meg: Nightstalkers, which I’m currently waiting for my wife to finish. Do hurry, dear (I love you, hon!) This is one of Alten’s best. Highly recommended!
Marine biologist Zachary Wallace is going through a rough patch. The local tourism industry took a nosedive after he was responsible for the demise of the Loch Ness Monster. Financial pressures have put a strain on his marriage, so it's almost with relief that he considers the offer of a lifetime: the chance to be part of the first manned expedition to the depths of Lake Vostok in Antarctica! Untouched beneath the ice for millennia, who knows what awaits them? And what are the odds that one man will battle two giant underwater cryptids in a single lifetime …?
I’ve been a fan of Alten’s work since the first Meg book, and it's been a treat to watch his work develop over the years. His work has gotten decidedly crazier--in a good way--over time. His early works were fairly conventional thrillers, but a glorious sense of madness began to creep in. There's a sense of the author, with a gleam in his eye, saying, “Right? So you think things can't get any stranger? Right. Hold my beer …” This book chugs along smoothly until about halfway through when it morphs into a science fiction novel with possible theological implications and goes gloriously, insanely off the rails. It's like watching a good magic act. Not only do I not know how he did it, but I was having too much fun to care.
And the ending is something that--without giving too much away--would normally be a cop out, but, because Alten has done such a superb job of setting it up as the only possible resolution, it actually works. Amazing!
This book is supposedly also a prequel to Meg: Nightstalkers, which I’m currently waiting for my wife to finish. Do hurry, dear (I love you, hon!) This is one of Alten’s best. Highly recommended!
August 18, 2018
I came for giant man-eating crocodiles... I left feeling like I read a manifesto written on the walls of a padded cell.
January 27, 2021
Allen had a good thing with Meg but he is stretching things a bit too much.
May 20, 2015
No sir, I didn't like it.
Meh. Once again Alten ruins another decent sci-fi premise with his unhinged kabbalist technospiritualism. I wish he would just write a "NON" fiction book espousing all of his beliefs & get it out his system for good & all. The dude has been bonkers ever since "Shell Game".
It's not that I disagree or agree with any of this, it's just that I'm sick of being tricked into reading something I didn't sign up for. I wanted to read a decent sea monster follow-up to "The Loch", instead I got *YET ANOTHER* helping of Alten shoe-horning his Khazar propaganda into an improper vehicle for such things.
He blew it with the "Domain" trilogy & now he's doing it again with "The Loch" & "Vostok". When does it end, Steve? WHEN?!
Sure am glad I bootlegged this...
Meh. Once again Alten ruins another decent sci-fi premise with his unhinged kabbalist technospiritualism. I wish he would just write a "NON" fiction book espousing all of his beliefs & get it out his system for good & all. The dude has been bonkers ever since "Shell Game".
It's not that I disagree or agree with any of this, it's just that I'm sick of being tricked into reading something I didn't sign up for. I wanted to read a decent sea monster follow-up to "The Loch", instead I got *YET ANOTHER* helping of Alten shoe-horning his Khazar propaganda into an improper vehicle for such things.
He blew it with the "Domain" trilogy & now he's doing it again with "The Loch" & "Vostok". When does it end, Steve? WHEN?!
Sure am glad I bootlegged this...
April 6, 2015
I have never read a book that start as well that ended as badly. What started out as a science fiction adventure, which is why I like Alten in the first place, ended with a lot of metaphysical clap trap, and talking. It even took the cheap way in the end and altered probability so that nothing ever happened. That being said I will still read the upcoming MEG book because I still like that series. Hopefully it will be better than VOSTOK.
May 26, 2015
Never thought I'd give Alten lower than four stars.
This one changed my mind.
I signed up for a creature feature, and the croc on the cover was something I was really looking forward to.
I got the croc for about fifty pages.
I also got a multitude of other beasties, but never for long enough.
Then, about halfway through, I got an entirely new theme of wise old aliens and the decimation of our planet by Big Oil Republicans.
I'm happy to read alien conspiracy theory books, but I like to know they ARE alien conspiracy theory books before I grab them.
This time, I wanted a creature feature, and instead got something completely different.
Disappointed.
This one changed my mind.
I signed up for a creature feature, and the croc on the cover was something I was really looking forward to.
I got the croc for about fifty pages.
I also got a multitude of other beasties, but never for long enough.
Then, about halfway through, I got an entirely new theme of wise old aliens and the decimation of our planet by Big Oil Republicans.
I'm happy to read alien conspiracy theory books, but I like to know they ARE alien conspiracy theory books before I grab them.
This time, I wanted a creature feature, and instead got something completely different.
Disappointed.
March 1, 2015
This is my first introduction to author, Steve Alten. While this book does feature characters from his prior novel, The Loch, you don't have to have read The Loch to read this book.
When the first discovery was found with the preserved beasts I was interested and the story lit up the light in my head. Yet, when Zach, Ming, and Ben plunged into the depths of Lake Vostok and encountered all that the lake had to offer, I was hooked and could not stop reading. It was like I was with the crew as they were experiencing every thing for the first time. I could picture the creatures as if they really could exist. Although, I had no problems imaging them, I did appreciate Mr. Alten adding illustrations of the creatures.
As I was reading the book, I never really thought about the rhyme or reason for the whole story. So when it was revealed, at first I was not sure if I liked this angle but the more I thought about it, the more I got it and liked it. It was like a "Ah Ha" moment. It totally made sense for the story. I plan to go back and read the prior novels by Mr. Alten.
Warning: Don't read this book at night or you will find yourself up until the early hours of the morning making yourself go back to sleep!
When the first discovery was found with the preserved beasts I was interested and the story lit up the light in my head. Yet, when Zach, Ming, and Ben plunged into the depths of Lake Vostok and encountered all that the lake had to offer, I was hooked and could not stop reading. It was like I was with the crew as they were experiencing every thing for the first time. I could picture the creatures as if they really could exist. Although, I had no problems imaging them, I did appreciate Mr. Alten adding illustrations of the creatures.
As I was reading the book, I never really thought about the rhyme or reason for the whole story. So when it was revealed, at first I was not sure if I liked this angle but the more I thought about it, the more I got it and liked it. It was like a "Ah Ha" moment. It totally made sense for the story. I plan to go back and read the prior novels by Mr. Alten.
Warning: Don't read this book at night or you will find yourself up until the early hours of the morning making yourself go back to sleep!
March 6, 2015
Well that was interesting...
I started this novel looking to lose myself in another great marine thriller with Zachary Wallace. The first 1/3 of the book was just that. But then it got weird...like (spoiler alert) alien weird. But I stuck with it and the remaining 2/3 of the novel was interesting but at times hard to follow. Some characters didn't seem three dimensional and the jumping back and forth between story arcs could have been handled better. But overall it was at least an interesting read and despite the setbacks I enjoyed it. If you keep an open mind about where you want some of Steve Alten's beloved characters should go, I think you'll enjoy it too.
I started this novel looking to lose myself in another great marine thriller with Zachary Wallace. The first 1/3 of the book was just that. But then it got weird...like (spoiler alert) alien weird. But I stuck with it and the remaining 2/3 of the novel was interesting but at times hard to follow. Some characters didn't seem three dimensional and the jumping back and forth between story arcs could have been handled better. But overall it was at least an interesting read and despite the setbacks I enjoyed it. If you keep an open mind about where you want some of Steve Alten's beloved characters should go, I think you'll enjoy it too.
February 11, 2021
Wow, what the hell happened here; Steve Alten? After writing such an incredibly suspenseful and fucking scary as hell first book......then put out this piece of Under Ice Shit? What started out as I thought was going to be another great and action packed scare monster fest.....turned into 'Moses on the mountain, and Sheldon Cooper RANTING at each other for 3oo pages of just science stupidity'!
Skip it!
2 💩💩
March 23, 2015
When I am looking for a story that I know I am going to enjoy, I always find myself drawn to fiction featuring monsters. There is something insanely entertaining about humanity going up against creatures that they haven’t seen before, and are totally unprepared for. The Loch by Steve Alten had exactly that premise, and I enjoyed that for the most part, so when the opportunity to read the sequel came along I was powerless to resist.
When you have uncovered the truth behind an age-old legend that is known across the world, the chances of being left alone by the media are unsurprisingly slim. Zachary Wallace has attempted to move on, to start a life with his young family, but once again fate is conspiring against him. He is drawn towards a new project deep under the ice of Antarctica. A discovery has been made that requires Zach’s unique skillset to help unravel. As before, Zach remains a compelling lead. He is still the quick thinking problem solver who often finds himself in the trickiest of situations. Some of the other cast from The Loch pop up as well, most notably Angus Wallace and True.
Moving from Scotland to Antarctica, and covering hundreds of miles of ocean, there is a much larger sense of scale to Vostok than with The Loch. The environment is far harsher than before. I know from personal experience that Scottish summers are bad, but that is nothing compared to East Antarctica. In Vostok everything is bigger and badder than before. There are more monsters, much more at stake, and far larger consequences to the events that unfold. I think thrillers like this work best when everything is just a little bit over the top and exaggerated slightly. There are some awesome set pieces and daring escapes that are great fun.
I suspect this book is going to split fan opinion right down the middle. Some will love it, while others will loathe it. About half way through the narrative the story veers off on a tangent that moves the entire novel into truly unexpected territory. By the end of the novel there are discussions regarding multiverse theory, time travel and quantum physics. I’ll be honest, I was not expecting any of that when I started on page one. I’m pleased to say however that I think it makes Vostok a far more enjoyable read because of it. I certainly preferred it over reading The Loch. This book has moved the story from the realms of the thriller genre into pure science fiction.
Though the focus of Vostok is more firmly directed toward action than the courtroom drama of The Loch, there is still a nice secondary thread to the narrative that details how a conspiracy is working against Zach and his colleagues. This part of the story helps to flesh out the human cost of exploring the unknown. There are always going to be those who are resistant to change and will do anything to try and stop it from happening.
I did have a couple of issues when I read The Loch, which I mentioned when I reviewed it, but I’m pleased to discover that these are no longer present. With those minor quibbles removed, I had much more fun with Vostok than its predecessor. It strikes me that Steve Alten’s best books are the one where he goes all out and lets his imagination run riot. Turns out I have a lot of time for huge prehistoric apex predators, laser beams, global conspiracies and everything that goes along with it.
Vostok is not only a sequel to The Loch, but also acts as a prequel to the next book in the MEG series, Nightstalkers, which is due out later this year. Personally I’m a huge fan of the MEG franchise and I really like how this novel brings together characters from it and The Loch to form a shared universe. It’s pretty darn cool when Jonas Taylor from MEG and Zachary Wallace get to share the same stage.
There is a real sense with Vostok that events are building toward something and the book ends on an extremely interesting note. I’ll say no more than that, for fear of spoilers, but it really makes me keen to know what happens next. A few years ago I read Alten’s Domain trilogy, which has a distinctly science fictional tone, and Vostok explores some similar ideas and themes. I really enjoyed those books and I had a blast with Vostok. I can’t wait to see where Mr Alten and the next Meg book take us.
When you have uncovered the truth behind an age-old legend that is known across the world, the chances of being left alone by the media are unsurprisingly slim. Zachary Wallace has attempted to move on, to start a life with his young family, but once again fate is conspiring against him. He is drawn towards a new project deep under the ice of Antarctica. A discovery has been made that requires Zach’s unique skillset to help unravel. As before, Zach remains a compelling lead. He is still the quick thinking problem solver who often finds himself in the trickiest of situations. Some of the other cast from The Loch pop up as well, most notably Angus Wallace and True.
Moving from Scotland to Antarctica, and covering hundreds of miles of ocean, there is a much larger sense of scale to Vostok than with The Loch. The environment is far harsher than before. I know from personal experience that Scottish summers are bad, but that is nothing compared to East Antarctica. In Vostok everything is bigger and badder than before. There are more monsters, much more at stake, and far larger consequences to the events that unfold. I think thrillers like this work best when everything is just a little bit over the top and exaggerated slightly. There are some awesome set pieces and daring escapes that are great fun.
I suspect this book is going to split fan opinion right down the middle. Some will love it, while others will loathe it. About half way through the narrative the story veers off on a tangent that moves the entire novel into truly unexpected territory. By the end of the novel there are discussions regarding multiverse theory, time travel and quantum physics. I’ll be honest, I was not expecting any of that when I started on page one. I’m pleased to say however that I think it makes Vostok a far more enjoyable read because of it. I certainly preferred it over reading The Loch. This book has moved the story from the realms of the thriller genre into pure science fiction.
Though the focus of Vostok is more firmly directed toward action than the courtroom drama of The Loch, there is still a nice secondary thread to the narrative that details how a conspiracy is working against Zach and his colleagues. This part of the story helps to flesh out the human cost of exploring the unknown. There are always going to be those who are resistant to change and will do anything to try and stop it from happening.
I did have a couple of issues when I read The Loch, which I mentioned when I reviewed it, but I’m pleased to discover that these are no longer present. With those minor quibbles removed, I had much more fun with Vostok than its predecessor. It strikes me that Steve Alten’s best books are the one where he goes all out and lets his imagination run riot. Turns out I have a lot of time for huge prehistoric apex predators, laser beams, global conspiracies and everything that goes along with it.
Vostok is not only a sequel to The Loch, but also acts as a prequel to the next book in the MEG series, Nightstalkers, which is due out later this year. Personally I’m a huge fan of the MEG franchise and I really like how this novel brings together characters from it and The Loch to form a shared universe. It’s pretty darn cool when Jonas Taylor from MEG and Zachary Wallace get to share the same stage.
There is a real sense with Vostok that events are building toward something and the book ends on an extremely interesting note. I’ll say no more than that, for fear of spoilers, but it really makes me keen to know what happens next. A few years ago I read Alten’s Domain trilogy, which has a distinctly science fictional tone, and Vostok explores some similar ideas and themes. I really enjoyed those books and I had a blast with Vostok. I can’t wait to see where Mr Alten and the next Meg book take us.
April 25, 2022
Originally published on the book blog Creature From the Book Lagoon.
Trigger warning: Animal death D:
Well. Oh boy… I’m not sure how I feel about this one. :/
On one hand the plot was very fun. I really enjoyed the new creature crocodile that is introduced. Uh, AWESOME! I’m also a big fan of Antarctic / Vostok / other isolated cold area stories. Something about a cold, scary story UPs the creep factor of any novel by at least 20% coolness. 😀
Vostok’s story starts off interesting in getting the Scottish lads to Vostok with the big monsters and new characters introduced. I still enjoy our main character, Zach, and I was happy to see him back and revisiting his (bad?) life choices.
The same narrator from book 1 is back for Vostok. Once again, he does a pleasant job. I love his voice for Zach. It is spot on. He is pretty good at accents and gender as well. He is very easy to listen to.
HOWEVER…. things start to go sideways in some areas. Things were going well, but about halfway through, we start getting a LOT of super science info dumps! Like…. freaking string theory?! Wha-?? It’s very detailed, very long, and I often was struggling to figure out what I’m even reading about. :/
TOO MUCH detail definitely was a problem in this book! All that super detailed science talk really weighed down the plot. A. LOT. Vostok is 400+ pages! It felt wayyyyyyy too long in some spots, making it feel more like a chore to get through than a pleasant read. D: There is also a lot of animal death, in detail that was hard to get through.
On top of too much details on stuff like string theory, Man, I just want a giant crocodile doing giant crocodile stuff!! You know? When I go see a Superman movie, do I want to watch 120 minutes of Clark Kent or do I want to see Superman doing cool shit the whole time? -.-* I did not want to watch Zach or WHATEVER was going on here. :/ I don’t mind those themes, either, but it just felt SO out of place here in a Loch book. D:
This is the 2nd book in a row by Steve that felt too beau-coups and over booked. Dude, we don’t need every idea plus the kitchen sink. We want big creatures doing big creature things and the people trying to deal with them. That’s it. That’s all we ask for. 😦 It would be so much easier to read this one if it was trimmed up and reigned in a bit. D:
Trigger warning: Animal death D:
Well. Oh boy… I’m not sure how I feel about this one. :/
On one hand the plot was very fun. I really enjoyed the new creature crocodile that is introduced. Uh, AWESOME! I’m also a big fan of Antarctic / Vostok / other isolated cold area stories. Something about a cold, scary story UPs the creep factor of any novel by at least 20% coolness. 😀
Vostok’s story starts off interesting in getting the Scottish lads to Vostok with the big monsters and new characters introduced. I still enjoy our main character, Zach, and I was happy to see him back and revisiting his (bad?) life choices.
The same narrator from book 1 is back for Vostok. Once again, he does a pleasant job. I love his voice for Zach. It is spot on. He is pretty good at accents and gender as well. He is very easy to listen to.
HOWEVER…. things start to go sideways in some areas. Things were going well, but about halfway through, we start getting a LOT of super science info dumps! Like…. freaking string theory?! Wha-?? It’s very detailed, very long, and I often was struggling to figure out what I’m even reading about. :/
TOO MUCH detail definitely was a problem in this book! All that super detailed science talk really weighed down the plot. A. LOT. Vostok is 400+ pages! It felt wayyyyyyy too long in some spots, making it feel more like a chore to get through than a pleasant read. D: There is also a lot of animal death, in detail that was hard to get through.
On top of too much details on stuff like string theory, Man, I just want a giant crocodile doing giant crocodile stuff!! You know? When I go see a Superman movie, do I want to watch 120 minutes of Clark Kent or do I want to see Superman doing cool shit the whole time? -.-* I did not want to watch Zach or WHATEVER was going on here. :/ I don’t mind those themes, either, but it just felt SO out of place here in a Loch book. D:
This is the 2nd book in a row by Steve that felt too beau-coups and over booked. Dude, we don’t need every idea plus the kitchen sink. We want big creatures doing big creature things and the people trying to deal with them. That’s it. That’s all we ask for. 😦 It would be so much easier to read this one if it was trimmed up and reigned in a bit. D:
November 27, 2020
I'm so disappointed on this book!!!!! I loved The Loch and Meg so I was hoping since this is the sequel of The Loch that it would be about another giant animal story. I wasn't expecting or wanting it to become a crazy conspiracy theory filled SciFi. The idea of them being at a Antarctic base trying survive against a giant crocodile sounds amazing and the cover makes it seem that's what it's going to be but the crocodile is barley even in the book. Instead you get confusing time jumps, crazy conspiracy theories, aliens from mars, secret government agencies, and dimensional travel that all gets shoved together into a really sloppy story. It honestly seems like the author just wrote this to try and push his own political views. I will always recommend reading The Loch to people but just stop there don't go on and ruin the series for yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2017
I... I don't even really have words for this book. I've been a fan of Alten's MEG books for a while now, starting with the first one and up to Hell's Aquarium. And, of course, The Loch. It's been hard to admit that the shark books have gotten less and less good with the series low point easily being Primal Waters. But I persevered because, in all honesty, nobody else really writes sharks like Alten. But I never ventured beyond his creature features since it really didn't fit my interests and mostly seemed to revolve about doom and gloom and conspiracies in general. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying they're bad but they're simply not for me.
Enter Vostok. And oh boy...
Sold as a sequel to The Loch, Zachary Wallace returns to venture beneath the ice of Antarctica to explore Vostok Lake, a subglacial lake hypothesized to be the home to very different forms of life. Stuck in a sub together with two others, they soon get more than they bargained for, discovering the lake teeming with life. A whole ecosystem, in fact, that has somehow remained despite being isolated for millions of years. And to make matters worse, his companions are hiding a big secret about Vostok and their mission.
If the science there doesn't make a whole lot of sense it's because it... makes no sense. This is less science fiction and more fantasy. Far more so than any of Alten's previous books that I've read. While his science has always been a bit dodgy, this one simply doesn't care about the science it's trying to portray. And I'm okay with that. Ultimately I'm here for the monsters and creatures and things that go bump in ancient lakes and for the first third or so of the book, that's what I got. The book opens in a very movie-like manner, teasing a big battle between two creatures which I was sure foreshadowed a climactic ending battle. There's a prehistoric killer whale in it and a giant caiman so it was all set for a predictable yet entertaining conclusion.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
If you're reading this then chances are you've read other reviews and heard that roughly halfway through the book, it goes completely bananas. Up the walls nutty. 'Insane' is a singular word that describes it well. What follows after the halfway point is a lesson in metaphysics, quantum physics, spirituality, alternate dimensions and realities, aliens and time travel. All blended together and topped with an unhealthy dose of conspiracy. If you thought Scientology was a bit nutty, make way for something that will change your views... of Steve Alten forever.
The first half of the book does very little to carry the rest of the book and even actively serves to undermine it. Not only that but this is a crossover with MEG, the third act even makes Jonas Taylor an active participant. And it has far reaching consequences for the whole universe this has now created that I'm not sure how Alten is EVER going to reconcile. How do you even continue with this universe after reading this book? The sharks and all their ilks seem like small potato now that we know what is waiting for us beyond the reaches of Earth. Hell, we even know what is waiting for us here. The sharks are, quite frankly, completely irrelevant in the grand scheme.
I have no idea what happened to Alten to make him write like this but I'd bet the farm on this book having been written at two distinct times. No doubt work was started on Vostok after the Loch was released in 2005 but due to whatever reason was shelved for a later date or cancelled outright because of a lack of interest in the Loch. But all of a sudden MEG is becoming a movie and shared universes are all the rage so... why not? It could be the key to a lot of money. But something has changed with Alten. In between The Loch and this, his ideology definitely seems to have changed. Or at the very least surfaced more in his writing. It reads a lot more like what I imagine his Domain trilogy reads like or one of his standalones like The Shell Game or Project Omega. I haven't read them but judging from the synopsis of the books and some of the reviews, this seems to be a running theme with Alten lately.
But even judging the book from a more objective platform, it's riddle with spelling mistakes, extremely poorly paced in the latter half, absolutely terrible at explaining itself or anything it talks about and the entire third act, so to speak, just comes out of nowhere with little to no real setup. Alten had a point to make and he wasn't going to let little things like science, consistency, build up or sense get in the way. The monsters are more or less a footnote at this point (don't let the cover fool you, the caiman is barely in this thing) and trying to understand their journey back to Vostok through the ice left me seriously confused as to what was going on. And the last twenty pages or so are just completely unreadable, pages that previously only took me a minute or two to read suddenly took almost ten times that because it kept throwing things at me so fast I could barely process it. Alien names and concepts and a twist to the story that completely threw me for a loop did not make for good reading and it was all in italics. It didn't even make sense in the story it was telling. I'm not gonna go into spoilers here more than I have to but... yeah, I was just left extremely confused by the ending and not in a good way.
So not only was I left extremely disappointed by the bait and switch, it's not even well written or entertaining. Just a confusing mess that has me extremely close to swearing of Alten forever. And it's made worse because the initial setting, even if a bit... out there, was something I was curious in exploring. But instead... well, I don't recommend this book. In fact, I heartily recommend people to not read this. Especially if you're invested in MEG and/or liked The Loch. It actually makes those books worse in retrospect.
Enter Vostok. And oh boy...
Sold as a sequel to The Loch, Zachary Wallace returns to venture beneath the ice of Antarctica to explore Vostok Lake, a subglacial lake hypothesized to be the home to very different forms of life. Stuck in a sub together with two others, they soon get more than they bargained for, discovering the lake teeming with life. A whole ecosystem, in fact, that has somehow remained despite being isolated for millions of years. And to make matters worse, his companions are hiding a big secret about Vostok and their mission.
If the science there doesn't make a whole lot of sense it's because it... makes no sense. This is less science fiction and more fantasy. Far more so than any of Alten's previous books that I've read. While his science has always been a bit dodgy, this one simply doesn't care about the science it's trying to portray. And I'm okay with that. Ultimately I'm here for the monsters and creatures and things that go bump in ancient lakes and for the first third or so of the book, that's what I got. The book opens in a very movie-like manner, teasing a big battle between two creatures which I was sure foreshadowed a climactic ending battle. There's a prehistoric killer whale in it and a giant caiman so it was all set for a predictable yet entertaining conclusion.
Boy, was I ever wrong.
If you're reading this then chances are you've read other reviews and heard that roughly halfway through the book, it goes completely bananas. Up the walls nutty. 'Insane' is a singular word that describes it well. What follows after the halfway point is a lesson in metaphysics, quantum physics, spirituality, alternate dimensions and realities, aliens and time travel. All blended together and topped with an unhealthy dose of conspiracy. If you thought Scientology was a bit nutty, make way for something that will change your views... of Steve Alten forever.
The first half of the book does very little to carry the rest of the book and even actively serves to undermine it. Not only that but this is a crossover with MEG, the third act even makes Jonas Taylor an active participant. And it has far reaching consequences for the whole universe this has now created that I'm not sure how Alten is EVER going to reconcile. How do you even continue with this universe after reading this book? The sharks and all their ilks seem like small potato now that we know what is waiting for us beyond the reaches of Earth. Hell, we even know what is waiting for us here. The sharks are, quite frankly, completely irrelevant in the grand scheme.
I have no idea what happened to Alten to make him write like this but I'd bet the farm on this book having been written at two distinct times. No doubt work was started on Vostok after the Loch was released in 2005 but due to whatever reason was shelved for a later date or cancelled outright because of a lack of interest in the Loch. But all of a sudden MEG is becoming a movie and shared universes are all the rage so... why not? It could be the key to a lot of money. But something has changed with Alten. In between The Loch and this, his ideology definitely seems to have changed. Or at the very least surfaced more in his writing. It reads a lot more like what I imagine his Domain trilogy reads like or one of his standalones like The Shell Game or Project Omega. I haven't read them but judging from the synopsis of the books and some of the reviews, this seems to be a running theme with Alten lately.
But even judging the book from a more objective platform, it's riddle with spelling mistakes, extremely poorly paced in the latter half, absolutely terrible at explaining itself or anything it talks about and the entire third act, so to speak, just comes out of nowhere with little to no real setup. Alten had a point to make and he wasn't going to let little things like science, consistency, build up or sense get in the way. The monsters are more or less a footnote at this point (don't let the cover fool you, the caiman is barely in this thing) and trying to understand their journey back to Vostok through the ice left me seriously confused as to what was going on. And the last twenty pages or so are just completely unreadable, pages that previously only took me a minute or two to read suddenly took almost ten times that because it kept throwing things at me so fast I could barely process it. Alien names and concepts and a twist to the story that completely threw me for a loop did not make for good reading and it was all in italics. It didn't even make sense in the story it was telling. I'm not gonna go into spoilers here more than I have to but... yeah, I was just left extremely confused by the ending and not in a good way.
So not only was I left extremely disappointed by the bait and switch, it's not even well written or entertaining. Just a confusing mess that has me extremely close to swearing of Alten forever. And it's made worse because the initial setting, even if a bit... out there, was something I was curious in exploring. But instead... well, I don't recommend this book. In fact, I heartily recommend people to not read this. Especially if you're invested in MEG and/or liked The Loch. It actually makes those books worse in retrospect.
January 20, 2023
I expected a SciFi Thriller set in one of the most exotic, exciting, settings on Earth: Lake Vostok, approximately 1,640 feet BELOW the East Antarctic Ice Sheet [also below Russia's Vostok Station]. It is that, but I didn't expect
I feel impelled to note that both VOSTOK and VOSTOK STATION (earlier reviewed) contain one or more sub-characters representing the absolute worst of humanity; interestingly, in both novels these characters have government sanction, or at least some measure of it, or approval from a sub-class of government [read, Black Ops, clandestine-to-the-max agencies]. Skin-crawling types, nightmare-inciting.
I feel impelled to note that both VOSTOK and VOSTOK STATION (earlier reviewed) contain one or more sub-characters representing the absolute worst of humanity; interestingly, in both novels these characters have government sanction, or at least some measure of it, or approval from a sub-class of government [read, Black Ops, clandestine-to-the-max agencies]. Skin-crawling types, nightmare-inciting.
September 6, 2020
Note to Self:
Tried a few of the books by this author and it's not for me.
Tried a few of the books by this author and it's not for me.
October 4, 2023
Man, talk about jumping the megalodon. What starts off as an exciting tale of underwater terror with a host of new beasties goes off the rails and turns into Close Encounters. It's like two different books were merged into one. 4 ⭐ to the first half; the remainder, 1 ⭐, as I'm not a huge fan of science fiction.
September 26, 2017
I was really looking forward to this when i heard about it. I loved The Lock, and I loved the first three Meg Books, however i thought the fourth was pushing it abit. However this one i had to put down part way. Firstly I hate crossover sequels, I hate particulary in this case. It's obvious Meg and The Lock wern't intended to cross paths, otherwise the Lock would have worked out very differently. Then to top it off, Vostock stumbles well into the realm of science fiction. The Lock was a believable political drama with a monster thrown in, it's hard to bring it onto pair with Vostok. I also wish Mr Alten would change his plots a little. Why do his Characters go underwater, everytime something happens and someone gets killed. Why not let them take a trip or two and merely hint at it, then on the thir trip the giant croc attacks.
Not sure if i'll bother with nightstalkers, maybe it's time to kick the bucket and let the megs die.
(Update)
Let me start by saying the low review isbased on what i felt is deliberate missrepresentation. The cover, the description, they indicait another moster thriller. Well let me tell you this is anything but. I won't go into too much detail to avoid ruining the surprise but if the cover had had a big alien ship instead of the cover, it might just surgest the story is about Exterterestials in stead of an over sized camon. Don't get me wrong, there is a croc in the book, but it's a passing thrill and a foot note, not the new eel.
Honestly, i bought this because i thought it was the Loch 2, if i had known the truth i wouldn't have touched it because it's just not my thing.
The writing is Alten's usual style, low detail and very reliant on the author's own imagination. The plot is interesting in itself but i thought there were a lot of questions left un answered, like how can a food chain be considered thriving when there are almost all super predators and only a few types of prey animals?
In all honesty, this book feels like something Alten dreamt up but the publishers didn't have faith in it so he combined his Wallace and Taylor story lines in a way to give it a selling angle.
I will say, if it hadn't been for the dishonest marketing, i would have given it 3 stars. But i hate this sort of marketing, it's practically a con.
Not sure if i'll bother with nightstalkers, maybe it's time to kick the bucket and let the megs die.
(Update)
Let me start by saying the low review isbased on what i felt is deliberate missrepresentation. The cover, the description, they indicait another moster thriller. Well let me tell you this is anything but. I won't go into too much detail to avoid ruining the surprise but if the cover had had a big alien ship instead of the cover, it might just surgest the story is about Exterterestials in stead of an over sized camon. Don't get me wrong, there is a croc in the book, but it's a passing thrill and a foot note, not the new eel.
Honestly, i bought this because i thought it was the Loch 2, if i had known the truth i wouldn't have touched it because it's just not my thing.
The writing is Alten's usual style, low detail and very reliant on the author's own imagination. The plot is interesting in itself but i thought there were a lot of questions left un answered, like how can a food chain be considered thriving when there are almost all super predators and only a few types of prey animals?
In all honesty, this book feels like something Alten dreamt up but the publishers didn't have faith in it so he combined his Wallace and Taylor story lines in a way to give it a selling angle.
I will say, if it hadn't been for the dishonest marketing, i would have given it 3 stars. But i hate this sort of marketing, it's practically a con.
March 11, 2015
After much waiting, the book I have desired has finally appeared in my grasp...well, browser. To say that I was looking forward to the said literary jewel would be an understatement. It was good, even very good but not brilliant. Why? Without giving away any of the story, Zachary has experienced what I expected in Vostok and much more. However, it was too much of the unexpected (those who read it will know) and too little of the expected that I came to associate Steve Alten with. There appeared to have been too little of the exciting harder science and facts, fascinating creatures sprinkled in between just for the hell of it and the focus has shifted to The Other. The writing style also changed a bit and Zachary or the storyteller actually seemed crude and unnecessarily rough-sounding. All in all great, did not stop reading for a moment but I think I expected something more. Vostok in itself has so much potential! On the other hand, I could easily be told to stop whining and just write something myself. That, though, is not the purpose of a review.
Did I like this? Yes. As much as The Loch or the Megs? Regrettably, no. Will I write my own Vostok? I just might...at least a synopsis anyway.
Did I like this? Yes. As much as The Loch or the Megs? Regrettably, no. Will I write my own Vostok? I just might...at least a synopsis anyway.
March 16, 2015
With VOSTOK Steve Alten has combined two of my favorite worlds. The sequel to The Loch also includes Jonas Taylor and the Tanaka Institute from the Meg series. Filled with the action and terror that comes from mankind meeting creatures from the Mesozoic era, aliens, and a shadow government with it's own secret agenda. This book carries you from Scotland to the Antarctic and places beyond in a non-stop thrill ride. You won't want to put it down. A fast paced, super fun read! Do yourself a favor and grab this (and the rest of these two series of novels) 4.5 star read.
I received an ARC of this novel from iRead Book Tours. This in no way affects my review or opinion of this book.
You can find my interview with Steve here:
http://horrormaiden.blogspot.com/2015...
March 25, 2015
I must admit I was really looking forward to this book.
The sequel to The Loch (A story about a giant aquatic beast) and the prequel to the next in the
excellent Meg series (Also about giant aquatic beasts).
Unfortunately about half way through Vostok the author decided to try something new and takes the
story in a vastly different direction.
Without going into details the problem is that the 'new' direction is very clichéd and has
been done far too many times in just about every medium there is.
Maybe my disappointment all comes from expecting another one of the author's great stories about
giant aquatic beasts.
But let's be honest, if you were a fan of The Loch and a fan of the Meg series then you would
expect the sequel/prequel to fit somewhere into that story area.
It's made me look forward to the next Meg novel that little bit less.
The sequel to The Loch (A story about a giant aquatic beast) and the prequel to the next in the
excellent Meg series (Also about giant aquatic beasts).
Unfortunately about half way through Vostok the author decided to try something new and takes the
story in a vastly different direction.
Without going into details the problem is that the 'new' direction is very clichéd and has
been done far too many times in just about every medium there is.
Maybe my disappointment all comes from expecting another one of the author's great stories about
giant aquatic beasts.
But let's be honest, if you were a fan of The Loch and a fan of the Meg series then you would
expect the sequel/prequel to fit somewhere into that story area.
It's made me look forward to the next Meg novel that little bit less.
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