What do you think?
Rate this book
MEG #5
Nightstalkers
In this fifth installment of Steve Alten's New York Times bestselling MEG series--the basis for the feature film The Meg, starring Jason Statham as Jonas Taylor--Nighstalkers picks up where MEG: Hell's Aquarium left off.
Bela and Lizzy, the dominant Megalodon siblings from Angel's brood, have escaped the Tanaka Institute to roam the Salish Sea in British Columbia. While Jonas Taylor and his friend Mac attempt to either recapture or kill the "sisters," Jonas's son, David, embarks on his own adventure, motivated by revenge. Having witnessed his girlfriend's gruesome death, David has joined a Dubai Prince's ocean expedition, tracking the 120-foot, hundred-ton Liopleurodon that escaped from the Panthalassa Sea. Haunted by night terrors, David repeatedly risks his life to lure the Lio and other prehistoric sea creatures into the fleet's nets, while battling his own suicidal demons.
Steve Alten weaves these storylines together in a page-turning thriller that culminates in a final showdown between the most dangerous predators ever to inhabit the planet.
Bela and Lizzy, the dominant Megalodon siblings from Angel's brood, have escaped the Tanaka Institute to roam the Salish Sea in British Columbia. While Jonas Taylor and his friend Mac attempt to either recapture or kill the "sisters," Jonas's son, David, embarks on his own adventure, motivated by revenge. Having witnessed his girlfriend's gruesome death, David has joined a Dubai Prince's ocean expedition, tracking the 120-foot, hundred-ton Liopleurodon that escaped from the Panthalassa Sea. Haunted by night terrors, David repeatedly risks his life to lure the Lio and other prehistoric sea creatures into the fleet's nets, while battling his own suicidal demons.
Steve Alten weaves these storylines together in a page-turning thriller that culminates in a final showdown between the most dangerous predators ever to inhabit the planet.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published June 14, 2016
220 people are currently reading
2387 people want to read
About the author
Steve Alten
62 books1,358 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews
July 4, 2022
And this concludes my Shark Week(s). I started it with a book where the main character had a rather intimate experience with a group of sharks, and who would have thought that I would finish it with a book that would be equally as bad?
Steve Alten has completely run out of ideas. In this book there’s not only a lot of recounting of previous events, he also recycles so much material that he has singlehandedly reversed climate change.
With the last book already, he had introduced some unlikely new predators, and he clearly seems to think that bigger is better. So he just continues to do that. The main threat to the dumb humans is no longer any of the megalodons. It’s this beast here:
But no matter how often you mention the length of something, Mr. Alten, it’s still important what you do with it. And here he comes up short. Some of the underwater action was entertaining, sure. But that’s about it. Seriously, a book where people are trying to capture prehistoric beasts for amusement parks should never end up with a rating of less than three stars, if you ask me. It really needs a bad writer to achieve this seemingly impossible feat. Cue Steve Alten.
It basically comes down to this. When you write a creature feature in which every single character makes a piece of bread appear like it were Albert Einstein, it is of utmost importance that you yourself are aware of how dumb your characters are. That’s why in these books they are only there to become fish fodder, or reptile fodder or whatever. Not here, though. Because Alten isn’t aware. His characters are a product of bad writing and not one of a writer setting them up to die a horrible death for the amusement of the reader. *sighs*
Even worse than the characters themselves are their relationships. The main one here starts as gently as a porn movie and then somehow ends up becoming something that resembles the most dramatic of teenage dramas. Alten should just stop writing women altogether. At this point it has become rather embarrassing.
Okay, I’ve been here for people to get eaten by sharks. Does it happen? Eh … barely. But I guess I must be glad. Since Alten can’t let go of any of his characters he constantly has to introduce new ones to have at least some fish fodder handy. And I don’t need any more of that. You know what I also do not need in a book like this? Time travel.
This has been a buddy read with Cathy, Russ and Trish. Above you can see our reaction to Alten introducing that shit, which wasn’t only super stupid but also completely irrelevant to the plot.
1.5 annoyed sharks
Recommended by Cathy
Steve Alten has completely run out of ideas. In this book there’s not only a lot of recounting of previous events, he also recycles so much material that he has singlehandedly reversed climate change.
With the last book already, he had introduced some unlikely new predators, and he clearly seems to think that bigger is better. So he just continues to do that. The main threat to the dumb humans is no longer any of the megalodons. It’s this beast here:
But no matter how often you mention the length of something, Mr. Alten, it’s still important what you do with it. And here he comes up short. Some of the underwater action was entertaining, sure. But that’s about it. Seriously, a book where people are trying to capture prehistoric beasts for amusement parks should never end up with a rating of less than three stars, if you ask me. It really needs a bad writer to achieve this seemingly impossible feat. Cue Steve Alten.
It basically comes down to this. When you write a creature feature in which every single character makes a piece of bread appear like it were Albert Einstein, it is of utmost importance that you yourself are aware of how dumb your characters are. That’s why in these books they are only there to become fish fodder, or reptile fodder or whatever. Not here, though. Because Alten isn’t aware. His characters are a product of bad writing and not one of a writer setting them up to die a horrible death for the amusement of the reader. *sighs*
Even worse than the characters themselves are their relationships. The main one here starts as gently as a porn movie and then somehow ends up becoming something that resembles the most dramatic of teenage dramas. Alten should just stop writing women altogether. At this point it has become rather embarrassing.
Okay, I’ve been here for people to get eaten by sharks. Does it happen? Eh … barely. But I guess I must be glad. Since Alten can’t let go of any of his characters he constantly has to introduce new ones to have at least some fish fodder handy. And I don’t need any more of that. You know what I also do not need in a book like this? Time travel.
This has been a buddy read with Cathy, Russ and Trish. Above you can see our reaction to Alten introducing that shit, which wasn’t only super stupid but also completely irrelevant to the plot.
1.5 annoyed sharks
Recommended by Cathy
June 14, 2016
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/06/14/...
Oh boy, this was exactly the kind of book I needed in my life.
Not that my current to-read list is lacking by any means, being well stocked with all kinds of offerings from mind-blowing cerebral science fiction to sweeping epic fantasies. But sometimes you just gotta kick back with some giant rampaging shark action, you know?
Hence, the Meg, short for Megalodon or Carcharodon megalodon, a species of prehistoric shark that lived more than 2.6 million years ago and makes its extant cousin the Great White look like a precious little baby.
Thank all that is good and holy that these guys are extinct.
Steve Alten’s MEG series, the first book of which is soon to be adapted into a movie, follows the exciting and oftentimes terrifying underwater adventures of former US Navy deep sea diver Jonas Taylor and his family. Meg: Nightstalkers is the fifth novel of the sequence, though like all the other books it can be read perfectly fine on its own as a standalone. Being new to the series, I was grateful for the plentiful background information provided by the author which gently eased me back into this next chapter of the story. The first part technically began in the previous installment Meg: Hell’s Aquarium, and considering that it was published a little more than seven years ago, I am likely not the only reader who would appreciate all the recap details. Regardless, whether you’re a newcomer or just continuing the series, you shouldn’t have any problems at all.
The book starts off following a nightmare situation already underway, with Lizzy and Bela, the two massive Megalodon sisters, having been set loose from the marine facility owned by the Taylor and Tanaka families. They’ve been storming up the coast ever since, ultimately winding up in the Salish Sea off British Columbia. But while Jonas has his hands full trying to figure out how to recapture or kill the Megs, his son David is also dealing with some prehistoric sea monster problems of his own. After witnessing his girlfriend die in a gruesome attack, David has agreed to join the hunt for the creature responsible—a 120-foot, hundred-ton Liopleurodon which had escaped from its refuge in the Panthalassa Sea.
Because giant sharks obviously aren’t enough.
I’m not even going to try and pretend these books are anything more than they appear to be, nor will I deny the fact I read this simply out of pure guilty pleasure. The writing isn’t going to be raking in any awards. The plot is laughably absurd. The violence and gore is flagrantly gratuitous, the science lacks any kind of logic or credibility, and most of the characters are stupid arrogant blowhards with more balls than brains (plenty of shark fodder, yay!)
But man, did I have a helluva fun time with this one.
I’ll be the first to admit a weakness for the kinds of creature features made popular during the 70s and 80s, or those cheesy made-for-TV horror films featuring animals running amok or going on killing sprees. Meg: Nightstalkers felt a lot like the book version of that, and to be honest, I wasn’t about to pass up a chance to read about gigantic prehistoric sea monsters swimming around wreaking havoc on quaint seaside properties, sinking a bunch of boats, and devouring a crap ton of people.
Every once in a while I’ll find myself in a mood for an unassuming and shamelessly pulpy novel like this one, just to let loose and have fun. And I have to say, I was extremely satisfied to get my five hours of guts-splattering, blood-spewing terror and entertainment out of this book. From its fascinating intro to that explosive ending worthy of Jurassic World, I enjoyed every moment. Will it be for everyone? Probably not. But as the old saying goes, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. With books like these, what you see is what you get, which can be unbelievably refreshing and cathartic. I feel that my reading routine is made much richer by mixing in light and fun offerings on occasion, the sort of stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously. When I get the chance to sneak them in between my longer heavier reads, they can be a real treat. After my experience with Nightstalkers, I would definitely read more MEG books. In fact, I’ve already placed a hold on the first one at my library.
So, when you’re heading out to the beach this summer, to hell with the other beach-goers who’ll probably give you and this book funny looks! Consider packing along a copy in your day bag. You’ll have a great time…even if you’ll want to stay out of the water.
Oh boy, this was exactly the kind of book I needed in my life.
Not that my current to-read list is lacking by any means, being well stocked with all kinds of offerings from mind-blowing cerebral science fiction to sweeping epic fantasies. But sometimes you just gotta kick back with some giant rampaging shark action, you know?
Hence, the Meg, short for Megalodon or Carcharodon megalodon, a species of prehistoric shark that lived more than 2.6 million years ago and makes its extant cousin the Great White look like a precious little baby.
Thank all that is good and holy that these guys are extinct.
Steve Alten’s MEG series, the first book of which is soon to be adapted into a movie, follows the exciting and oftentimes terrifying underwater adventures of former US Navy deep sea diver Jonas Taylor and his family. Meg: Nightstalkers is the fifth novel of the sequence, though like all the other books it can be read perfectly fine on its own as a standalone. Being new to the series, I was grateful for the plentiful background information provided by the author which gently eased me back into this next chapter of the story. The first part technically began in the previous installment Meg: Hell’s Aquarium, and considering that it was published a little more than seven years ago, I am likely not the only reader who would appreciate all the recap details. Regardless, whether you’re a newcomer or just continuing the series, you shouldn’t have any problems at all.
The book starts off following a nightmare situation already underway, with Lizzy and Bela, the two massive Megalodon sisters, having been set loose from the marine facility owned by the Taylor and Tanaka families. They’ve been storming up the coast ever since, ultimately winding up in the Salish Sea off British Columbia. But while Jonas has his hands full trying to figure out how to recapture or kill the Megs, his son David is also dealing with some prehistoric sea monster problems of his own. After witnessing his girlfriend die in a gruesome attack, David has agreed to join the hunt for the creature responsible—a 120-foot, hundred-ton Liopleurodon which had escaped from its refuge in the Panthalassa Sea.
Because giant sharks obviously aren’t enough.
I’m not even going to try and pretend these books are anything more than they appear to be, nor will I deny the fact I read this simply out of pure guilty pleasure. The writing isn’t going to be raking in any awards. The plot is laughably absurd. The violence and gore is flagrantly gratuitous, the science lacks any kind of logic or credibility, and most of the characters are stupid arrogant blowhards with more balls than brains (plenty of shark fodder, yay!)
But man, did I have a helluva fun time with this one.
I’ll be the first to admit a weakness for the kinds of creature features made popular during the 70s and 80s, or those cheesy made-for-TV horror films featuring animals running amok or going on killing sprees. Meg: Nightstalkers felt a lot like the book version of that, and to be honest, I wasn’t about to pass up a chance to read about gigantic prehistoric sea monsters swimming around wreaking havoc on quaint seaside properties, sinking a bunch of boats, and devouring a crap ton of people.
Every once in a while I’ll find myself in a mood for an unassuming and shamelessly pulpy novel like this one, just to let loose and have fun. And I have to say, I was extremely satisfied to get my five hours of guts-splattering, blood-spewing terror and entertainment out of this book. From its fascinating intro to that explosive ending worthy of Jurassic World, I enjoyed every moment. Will it be for everyone? Probably not. But as the old saying goes, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it. With books like these, what you see is what you get, which can be unbelievably refreshing and cathartic. I feel that my reading routine is made much richer by mixing in light and fun offerings on occasion, the sort of stuff that doesn’t take itself too seriously. When I get the chance to sneak them in between my longer heavier reads, they can be a real treat. After my experience with Nightstalkers, I would definitely read more MEG books. In fact, I’ve already placed a hold on the first one at my library.
So, when you’re heading out to the beach this summer, to hell with the other beach-goers who’ll probably give you and this book funny looks! Consider packing along a copy in your day bag. You’ll have a great time…even if you’ll want to stay out of the water.
July 16, 2021
I don't know what this woman is so cheery about, but maybe she's just as stupid as the characters in this book.
This is the 5th book in Alten's MEG series and it shows. I'd say the author is running out of steam. Not only has he introduced another prehistoric beast in what I thought was an unrelated book, he now made a connection here and it was ... bullshit.
Yes, Jonas Taylor is still alive but no longer kicking as he's simply too old for this shit. Still, when his son gets himself into a "let's catch a prehistoric monster" gig, he takes his best friend (also way too old for this shit by now) and tries to ... I honestly don't think he knew what he was actually planning on doing but away they went. So the entire family is involved and not only because of all the law suits against the Tanaka Institute.
Angel's offspring (two especially) is terrorizing the seas but they are far from the only ones as there is not one but TWO other prehistoric animals now roaming the ocean.
Where it all leads? Good question. I'm not really sure. Humans are still acting as if nothing new was in the water, rich people still are trying to capture the animals for amusement parks and I sat there and felt as if I had read all of this before. Which I have. Four other times.
Like I said, the author is running out of steam.
Why am I reading books like this in the first place? Because I'm a big fan of creature features. I don't need a Pulitzer-winning book, I want the characters to be silly and dumb - all so I can enjoy them dying horribly.
The problem is that the deaths, here, were pretty unsatisfying, especially thanks to the moping from the remaining characters. There was no "yesssss" moment.
*sighs* Not the year of nice Shark Week reads, it seems. :/ 2.5 stars and thanks to the Vostok mess, I shan't round up.
July 25, 2024
Meg: Nightstalkers
By Steve Alten
This was a bit disjointed at times. The story just threw in time travel, didn't exactly explain it well, but made the outcome of fighting with the prehistoric creatures even more of a wild chance. Confused? Me too.
2 1/2 stars rounding up to 3. For the sake of those sharks not destroyed yet.
By Steve Alten
This was a bit disjointed at times. The story just threw in time travel, didn't exactly explain it well, but made the outcome of fighting with the prehistoric creatures even more of a wild chance. Confused? Me too.
2 1/2 stars rounding up to 3. For the sake of those sharks not destroyed yet.
August 20, 2025
Angel is dead, but her ferocious little girls---Bela and Lizzy---are still alive, wreaking havoc in the high seas, gobbling up sea lions, orcas, surfers, and wayward fisherman galore. But the megaladon sisters aren’t the worst things in the oceans, as David Taylor knows only too well. Jonas’s son is still grieving over the loss of his girlfriend, eaten by a prehistoric alligator in the last book, and while massive amounts of alcohol have succeeded in numbing the pain a little bit, David knows that the only closure he’ll get is to hunt down the Liopleurodon and kill it.
This is the set-up for the fifth book in Steve Alten’s ridiculously addictive giant shark series, “MEG: Nightstalkers”. What started out as “Jaws” on steroids has evolved into an epic underwater monster battle series to rival the best (and cheesiest) of the original “Godzilla” movies. It’s silly good fun in the Michael Crichton/Clive Cussler vein.
My one gripe (which isn’t really a gripe so much as an inconvenience) is that this book references characters and events from another Alten series started in his book “The Loch” and continued in “Vostok”, neither of which I have read. This will be rectified soon. Of course, not having read either books will not, in any way, hinder one’s following of the plot. It is, like most of Alten’s books, a straightforward “man-chases-monster-while monster-eats-lots-of-innocent-bystanders-along-the-way” thriller.
I’m not gonna lie: If you’re not into books or movies about giant underwater creatures with sharp teeth that can eat boats whole, the “MEG” series isn’t for you.
If, however, like me, you have reached the fifth book in the series and still have a bloodthirsty need for more, then this series is definitely for you.
This is the set-up for the fifth book in Steve Alten’s ridiculously addictive giant shark series, “MEG: Nightstalkers”. What started out as “Jaws” on steroids has evolved into an epic underwater monster battle series to rival the best (and cheesiest) of the original “Godzilla” movies. It’s silly good fun in the Michael Crichton/Clive Cussler vein.
My one gripe (which isn’t really a gripe so much as an inconvenience) is that this book references characters and events from another Alten series started in his book “The Loch” and continued in “Vostok”, neither of which I have read. This will be rectified soon. Of course, not having read either books will not, in any way, hinder one’s following of the plot. It is, like most of Alten’s books, a straightforward “man-chases-monster-while monster-eats-lots-of-innocent-bystanders-along-the-way” thriller.
I’m not gonna lie: If you’re not into books or movies about giant underwater creatures with sharp teeth that can eat boats whole, the “MEG” series isn’t for you.
If, however, like me, you have reached the fifth book in the series and still have a bloodthirsty need for more, then this series is definitely for you.
October 2, 2018
I was wondering when a Meg book would get less than 4 stars from me and here we finally have it with book five in the series.
Sadly, the author felt the need to bog down this episode in the Meg series with all the terrible sub-standard time travel mumbo-jumbo that ruined his previous book 'Vostok'. I was REALLY hoping he was going to leave all that nonsense out of the Meg books proper. Unfortunately, it would seem he couldn't resist.
Still, there was enough Meggy goodness in this one to warrant 3 stars (which is still 'I liked it', lest we forget) and I did enjoy the parts that weren't tainted by the 'Vostok' Stick a great deal. On to the sixth (and, apparently, final) book in the series, with my fingers crossed that parallel universes and time travel don't make an appearance in that one...
Sadly, the author felt the need to bog down this episode in the Meg series with all the terrible sub-standard time travel mumbo-jumbo that ruined his previous book 'Vostok'. I was REALLY hoping he was going to leave all that nonsense out of the Meg books proper. Unfortunately, it would seem he couldn't resist.
Still, there was enough Meggy goodness in this one to warrant 3 stars (which is still 'I liked it', lest we forget) and I did enjoy the parts that weren't tainted by the 'Vostok' Stick a great deal. On to the sixth (and, apparently, final) book in the series, with my fingers crossed that parallel universes and time travel don't make an appearance in that one...
i-need-dis
August 6, 2016Been waiting for this for 7 years!! Hurry up, June 14th!!!
July 21, 2021
The prologue was a smart way of summarizing the salient points of the previous book. The first chapter though… did he just copy and paste that complete chapter with the kayak tourists and the pod of orca from the previous book?
Early on we meet the main character from The Loch and the subsequent novels of that series. Cross-over time! Unfortunately that character talks with a Scottish brogue. I don‘t mind (too much), however it‘s pretty inconsistent. Whole sentences in the Queen‘s English and then a few Scottish things thrown in. Nobody talks that way.
Alten sticks to his tried and tested routine: two plots with distinct sets of main characters that each face their challenges—the respective monster of the day. First they alternate by chapter and eventually, as the suspense heats up towards the later parts of the book, the narrative switches between the plotlines faster and faster. Chapters usually finish with cliffhangers and then move on to the other plot. Which is annoying and means that you basically have to rush from one chapter to the next, driven by the momentum of whatever crazy thing just happened.
Somewhere in or after the middle Alten throws in some weird development from the other series, specifically from Vostok (I think—I haven‘t actually read that one). You have to suspend your disbelief very hard. He went into a very ridiculous, superfluous direction. Which is saying much, considering that this is about the appearance of pre-historic sharks, Liopleurodons and a ton of other bizarre creatures. My reading buddies and I all rolled our eyes so much…
Up to that point the plot was more or less a repetition of the last book. Felt a bit like Alten plagiarizing himself. Copy-and-paste-a-lot…. I wish that Alten had just stayed with the main plot — chasing the megs and capturing that Liopleurodon. Adding another monster and the character from the other books with his own brand of crazy… what‘s next, sharks in space?
And for the characters — I didn‘t have many expectations, but even those are completely interchangeable. David is Jonas, Monty is Mac… Never mind David‘s squeeze of the day. That romance/friendship-with-benefits was implausible at best. The way Alten writes the female characters is just atrocious. Again. Hoping for an improvement on that front was probably naive.
Why did I think picking up this book was a good idea? And why on Earth did I finish it? Embarrassingly enough I quite enjoyed the action in Part 3 and 4, despite there being too may different monsters. I didn‘t mind all the new monsters in the last book, they worked within the setting of that book. Here it read like a hodgepode of (more) crazy. *head desk*
And you know what? Apparently there will be only one more book. I can‘t not read that one, even it it will be another 2 start rating. Oh boy.
Early on we meet the main character from The Loch and the subsequent novels of that series. Cross-over time! Unfortunately that character talks with a Scottish brogue. I don‘t mind (too much), however it‘s pretty inconsistent. Whole sentences in the Queen‘s English and then a few Scottish things thrown in. Nobody talks that way.
Alten sticks to his tried and tested routine: two plots with distinct sets of main characters that each face their challenges—the respective monster of the day. First they alternate by chapter and eventually, as the suspense heats up towards the later parts of the book, the narrative switches between the plotlines faster and faster. Chapters usually finish with cliffhangers and then move on to the other plot. Which is annoying and means that you basically have to rush from one chapter to the next, driven by the momentum of whatever crazy thing just happened.
Somewhere in or after the middle Alten throws in some weird development from the other series, specifically from Vostok (I think—I haven‘t actually read that one). You have to suspend your disbelief very hard. He went into a very ridiculous, superfluous direction. Which is saying much, considering that this is about the appearance of pre-historic sharks, Liopleurodons and a ton of other bizarre creatures. My reading buddies and I all rolled our eyes so much…
Up to that point the plot was more or less a repetition of the last book. Felt a bit like Alten plagiarizing himself. Copy-and-paste-a-lot…. I wish that Alten had just stayed with the main plot — chasing the megs and capturing that Liopleurodon. Adding another monster and the character from the other books with his own brand of crazy… what‘s next, sharks in space?
And for the characters — I didn‘t have many expectations, but even those are completely interchangeable. David is Jonas, Monty is Mac… Never mind David‘s squeeze of the day. That romance/friendship-with-benefits was implausible at best. The way Alten writes the female characters is just atrocious. Again. Hoping for an improvement on that front was probably naive.
Why did I think picking up this book was a good idea? And why on Earth did I finish it? Embarrassingly enough I quite enjoyed the action in Part 3 and 4, despite there being too may different monsters. I didn‘t mind all the new monsters in the last book, they worked within the setting of that book. Here it read like a hodgepode of (more) crazy. *head desk*
And you know what? Apparently there will be only one more book. I can‘t not read that one, even it it will be another 2 start rating. Oh boy.
July 3, 2016
It's about fricken time! This book was supposed to come out 3 yrs ago but they kept changing the release date because Alten's people wanted it to coincide with the release of the MEG movie of the first book in this series, which keeps changing too. The movie still hasn't been made but has a tentative March 2018 release date. Glad they stopped waiting to release this book until the damn movie gets made! But this isn't the final chapter as stated in the synopsis. Alten has MEG: Generations #6 proposed to be released June 2017 and a 7th book in the series, no release date, with a tentative title MEGnificent.
Edit 7/2/16: Well, I finally got to read this book and was very disappointed! There is about 1/4 of the book devoted to the Megs. The rest is just a continuance of Vostok...which I did not care for. Alten's writing seems to suffer here as well. I found myself skimming the pages towards the last half of the book as it had too many things going on and some of it was redundant. All in all, I was pretty bummed that I have waited all this time for something that fell far short of what I expected from this author.
Edit 7/2/16: Well, I finally got to read this book and was very disappointed! There is about 1/4 of the book devoted to the Megs. The rest is just a continuance of Vostok...which I did not care for. Alten's writing seems to suffer here as well. I found myself skimming the pages towards the last half of the book as it had too many things going on and some of it was redundant. All in all, I was pretty bummed that I have waited all this time for something that fell far short of what I expected from this author.
June 15, 2016
I waited 7 years for this book, and I didn't want it to end. What do I read now? NOTHING CAN COMPARE.
March 1, 2017
Actual rating is 3.5 stars.
This is the fifth book of a series. It can be read as a stand alone but reading its predecessors will only heighten the experience of this one. In this one David is still reeling from his girlfriend's death. He has a chance to go after the Liopleurodon. Meanwhile the Meg sisters are still loose out in the open sea.
This is not meant to be serious literature. It is meant to be entertainment with over the top creatures on a killing spree of stupid humans who make boneheaded decisions. It is like one of those B movies that are on Syfy. I was really enjoying this book until the final third of the novel. The action was great and I loved the descriptions of these wonderful creatures. The human race would be in serious trouble if these monsters existed today. This was going to be a four star rating until he introduced a concept from a different series. I like when authors tie in their work but this tie seemed like he was trying to inform fans of this series of his other stuff. Time travel? Really? Why have this concept when I am reading about fifty feet sharks? This concept slowed down the momentum of a wonderful action book that did not recover until the final scenes.
Sometimes a person needs some senseless fun and that is this book. It isn't the best offering in this series but it is a worthy addition.
This is the fifth book of a series. It can be read as a stand alone but reading its predecessors will only heighten the experience of this one. In this one David is still reeling from his girlfriend's death. He has a chance to go after the Liopleurodon. Meanwhile the Meg sisters are still loose out in the open sea.
This is not meant to be serious literature. It is meant to be entertainment with over the top creatures on a killing spree of stupid humans who make boneheaded decisions. It is like one of those B movies that are on Syfy. I was really enjoying this book until the final third of the novel. The action was great and I loved the descriptions of these wonderful creatures. The human race would be in serious trouble if these monsters existed today. This was going to be a four star rating until he introduced a concept from a different series. I like when authors tie in their work but this tie seemed like he was trying to inform fans of this series of his other stuff. Time travel? Really? Why have this concept when I am reading about fifty feet sharks? This concept slowed down the momentum of a wonderful action book that did not recover until the final scenes.
Sometimes a person needs some senseless fun and that is this book. It isn't the best offering in this series but it is a worthy addition.
August 29, 2016
I used to be a die hard fan of the series and author but now that he's gone off the deep end with conspiracy theories and going after reviewers on Amazon and here on Goodreads I've become skeptical of each release.
As for this book my biggest problem was the terrible characterization of women. Either they were manipulative sexpots or irrational whiners giving ultimatums to their "man". This has been an issue in his previous books but never to this degree. Even the main characters had no depth. Combine this with unexplained plot twists and a heavy reliance on rehashing previous events and you have a book full of promise but very little rewards. I couldn't finish this (75% read) and I used to be a die hard fan. Speaking of which I highly recommend Meg: Hell's Aquarium and the Loch if you're looking for something similar but without these problems.
As for this book my biggest problem was the terrible characterization of women. Either they were manipulative sexpots or irrational whiners giving ultimatums to their "man". This has been an issue in his previous books but never to this degree. Even the main characters had no depth. Combine this with unexplained plot twists and a heavy reliance on rehashing previous events and you have a book full of promise but very little rewards. I couldn't finish this (75% read) and I used to be a die hard fan. Speaking of which I highly recommend Meg: Hell's Aquarium and the Loch if you're looking for something similar but without these problems.
September 6, 2016
For a book in a series about sharks there wasn't that much shark action. The characters are - very literally - tired and to be honest, so was I after forcing my way through this. I am so disappointed as the original Meg novel is one of my favourite books and past sequels have been decent. Also, the bizarre and total unnecessary addition of time travel and prophetic dreams (seriously) was the death of this book. Very poor.
June 30, 2016
Where are the megs? This book is so redundant of the others that even if its the first one you read in the series you won't be lost. Way too much redundant details, useless and repetitive descriptions not at all helping the story progress, world conspiracy theory crap, not enough meg actions, not enough people eaten by sharks or other sea monsters. The series took a repetitive turn with book 3, this is by far the worst instalment of the series. I was so disappointed with Vostok that I almost didn't pick this one, but my love of the meg series won me over and it is the only reason it has a star and that I've kept on reading until the end.
April 5, 2024
Gave this a go when I saw that all except for 2 are currently included with audible. Just in time to head into October spooky reads, and I love some scifi shark horror. Each one’s been a little less science and a bit more fiction, but parts have remained fun.
So I should have been expecting the curve ball. I mean, coming from the guy that has apparently edited/rereleased books post publishing, getting his own characters ages wrong, entirely stepping away from his somewhat ‘plausible’ science behind the survival of megalodon, his continued harping on them being gigantic great white sharks—years after they were removed from the same scientific family, the fact that every plot is virtually 100% the same, but I honestly didn’t. Didn’t see it coming.
This book mixes Alten’s Jonas Taylor with Zachary Wallace, the biologist from his Loch series. I really typically like when authors add snippets of their other books into the same world. Whether it be names, locations, or characters. However, out of absolutely nowhere, he has completely meshed the two, so that with next to no explanation, their worlds are the same. Oh, and did I mention time travel? Well…not exactly, but ‘multiple futures’ make an appearance in this one. Not only are they after one of the largest sea creature to ever live, a Liopleurodon, but guess what, Wallace is saying that they’ve already done this before.
The rails are right here where I’m writing…
…and here’s where Alten’s plot has fallen. Absolutely insane. Unhinged. Completely irrelevant to the series. How do you write five books about megalodon? By making them about anything but.
Somehow, unbelievably, perhaps even insanely, personally still a 3/5*. He does write thrilling ocean action.
So I should have been expecting the curve ball. I mean, coming from the guy that has apparently edited/rereleased books post publishing, getting his own characters ages wrong, entirely stepping away from his somewhat ‘plausible’ science behind the survival of megalodon, his continued harping on them being gigantic great white sharks—years after they were removed from the same scientific family, the fact that every plot is virtually 100% the same, but I honestly didn’t. Didn’t see it coming.
This book mixes Alten’s Jonas Taylor with Zachary Wallace, the biologist from his Loch series. I really typically like when authors add snippets of their other books into the same world. Whether it be names, locations, or characters. However, out of absolutely nowhere, he has completely meshed the two, so that with next to no explanation, their worlds are the same. Oh, and did I mention time travel? Well…not exactly, but ‘multiple futures’ make an appearance in this one. Not only are they after one of the largest sea creature to ever live, a Liopleurodon, but guess what, Wallace is saying that they’ve already done this before.
The rails are right here where I’m writing…
…and here’s where Alten’s plot has fallen. Absolutely insane. Unhinged. Completely irrelevant to the series. How do you write five books about megalodon? By making them about anything but.
Somehow, unbelievably, perhaps even insanely, personally still a 3/5*. He does write thrilling ocean action.
February 6, 2021
Just finish the series.
Honestly you read the Meg series for monster action. However, after 30 years you would assume they knew how to handle them, but no, people still do stupid things and now there's more monsters because there's only so many ways a shark can eat you.
What I disliked with this book is the unnecessary additional 50 new monsters, crap Sci Fi (time travel really?), plugging his other book series (the Loch) and how every main character that at their core, are glory hunting dicks.
I hate not finishing a series especially as I'm so close, but this has become a struggle and reading reviews that the next book is mostly about finding a cure for cancer using sharks. Ugh did Steve Allen watch deep blue sea recently for more ideas?
Theres nothing left. Stop beating the dead horse.
Honestly you read the Meg series for monster action. However, after 30 years you would assume they knew how to handle them, but no, people still do stupid things and now there's more monsters because there's only so many ways a shark can eat you.
What I disliked with this book is the unnecessary additional 50 new monsters, crap Sci Fi (time travel really?), plugging his other book series (the Loch) and how every main character that at their core, are glory hunting dicks.
I hate not finishing a series especially as I'm so close, but this has become a struggle and reading reviews that the next book is mostly about finding a cure for cancer using sharks. Ugh did Steve Allen watch deep blue sea recently for more ideas?
Theres nothing left. Stop beating the dead horse.
July 6, 2017
NIGHTSTALKERS, by Steve Alten is the fifth installment of his "MEG" series. References to THE LOCH, and VOSTOK are made, but you don't need to have read those to understand NIGHTSTALKERS. Since it is a series, however; I highly recommend reading the previous four books in the MEG series, first.
Taking off where MEG: Hell's Aquarium left off, there are even more "monsters" in the sea for the Taylor family to deal with. I enjoyed this novel as it pertained to the MEG series, but as I did not like the direction VOSTOK eventually took, the references to that were a bit "too much", in my opinion. Otherwise, a solid novel backed with many researched facts, and an ending that leaves room for the projected Book 6: MEG: Generations.
Recommended for fans of the MEG series.
Taking off where MEG: Hell's Aquarium left off, there are even more "monsters" in the sea for the Taylor family to deal with. I enjoyed this novel as it pertained to the MEG series, but as I did not like the direction VOSTOK eventually took, the references to that were a bit "too much", in my opinion. Otherwise, a solid novel backed with many researched facts, and an ending that leaves room for the projected Book 6: MEG: Generations.
Recommended for fans of the MEG series.
June 28, 2019
This series is going downhill, unfortunately, and the peak of that hill was not particularly high. The action is becoming more and more repetitive and frequently arises from characters making TRULY stupid decisions over and over again. Throw in a healthy dose of a variety of absurd conspiracy theories, and you've got Nightstalkers. I'd have quit the series here, but I, unfortunately, purchased this and the next book at the same time, so I'll be giving Alten one more chance.
August 11, 2018
This is my second time reading the book; I have been reading the series one-after-the-other partly in preparation for watching the movie when it comes out "soon" and partly because I was in the mood to read the whole series and see how it "lines up" when reading the books consecutively. I think it helps, in some respects, to be able to read them all in a row. At the same time, it does make some errors pretty glaring [like the time and age differences between some of the books]. The author does some "retconning" in this book to explain away a "mistake" in the fourth book as well as "what REALLY happened to Jonas" during his Top Secret Mission with the U.S. Navy. The character development is so-so; I still really disliked David Taylor whereas my disliking of Jonas was for different reasons than the first time I read the book. It does have some crazy moments in the book, as additional prehistoric sea creatures are added to the mix.
I am going to start right off and say I misread [misunderstood] the ending the first time I read it. For some reason, I though David had actually escaped the Liopleurodon by rocketing into the crowded stands and killing untold numbers of innocent bystanders in order to escape the Liopleurodon before Bella and Lizzy ganged up on it. So, I was grateful to discover how wrong I was about the actions taken by David.
There were two specific bits of retconning of history in this book.
The "treatment of women" in the book was "odd" for "today's world" but still was probably "realistic" in many ways.
I would like to give the book three stars, but there was enough "stupid crap" [the attitudes of David and Jonas Taylor towards the stupid sharks, primarily] that prevent me from giving it three stars or even rounding up to three stars [I would call it 2.5 rounded down]. There were parts I really liked; there were parts I had to suspend my disbelief and still enjoyed the story. There were parts I really disliked, and there were parts I "not-quite' hated. Overall, though, in spite of the behavior and attitudes of both Jonas and David, I did enjoy reading the book more this time around than the first time.
--------
I am going to bump this up to three stars after all. In retrospect, I am assuming the author wanted both Jonas and David to come across as they did [stupid, obsessed, and driven] which is why they were written the way they were. David, I could understand [as this book takes place essentially after Hell's Aquarium and he is still coping with the death of Kaylie. At the same time, he was portrayed as being reckless, brash, and obsessed with Angel in the third book, as well, only it has become magnified since he became an adult AND after the death of his girlfriend/lover. Jonas does not have any kind of excuse - he keeps vacillating between both hating the Megs and wanting to kill them and wanting to save them. Whereas David "merely" seeks revenge/redemption and freedom [from his nightmares], Jonas is an idiot who cannot break from his cycle of self-destruction when it comes to these prehistoric sharks. David is after his personal "whale" to resolve his "Ahab-issues," but his "issues" are much deeper than killing the Liopleurodon and time will tell [and the next book] if those issues are resolved or only get worse. Jonas alternates between having an albatross tied around his neck and obsession the size of a "whale" that he is choosing NOT to deal with appropriately, and his family [especially his marriage] is suffering for it. So, that being the case, I will bump up my rating of the book, as I will give the author credit for how Jonas and David have developed [or, regressed, depending on how you look at it] as characters.
I am going to start right off and say I misread [misunderstood] the ending the first time I read it. For some reason, I though David had actually escaped the Liopleurodon by rocketing into the crowded stands and killing untold numbers of innocent bystanders in order to escape the Liopleurodon before Bella and Lizzy ganged up on it. So, I was grateful to discover how wrong I was about the actions taken by David.
There were two specific bits of retconning of history in this book.
The "treatment of women" in the book was "odd" for "today's world" but still was probably "realistic" in many ways.
I would like to give the book three stars, but there was enough "stupid crap" [the attitudes of David and Jonas Taylor towards the stupid sharks, primarily] that prevent me from giving it three stars or even rounding up to three stars [I would call it 2.5 rounded down]. There were parts I really liked; there were parts I had to suspend my disbelief and still enjoyed the story. There were parts I really disliked, and there were parts I "not-quite' hated. Overall, though, in spite of the behavior and attitudes of both Jonas and David, I did enjoy reading the book more this time around than the first time.
--------
I am going to bump this up to three stars after all. In retrospect, I am assuming the author wanted both Jonas and David to come across as they did [stupid, obsessed, and driven] which is why they were written the way they were. David, I could understand [as this book takes place essentially after Hell's Aquarium and he is still coping with the death of Kaylie. At the same time, he was portrayed as being reckless, brash, and obsessed with Angel in the third book, as well, only it has become magnified since he became an adult AND after the death of his girlfriend/lover. Jonas does not have any kind of excuse - he keeps vacillating between both hating the Megs and wanting to kill them and wanting to save them. Whereas David "merely" seeks revenge/redemption and freedom [from his nightmares], Jonas is an idiot who cannot break from his cycle of self-destruction when it comes to these prehistoric sharks. David is after his personal "whale" to resolve his "Ahab-issues," but his "issues" are much deeper than killing the Liopleurodon and time will tell [and the next book] if those issues are resolved or only get worse. Jonas alternates between having an albatross tied around his neck and obsession the size of a "whale" that he is choosing NOT to deal with appropriately, and his family [especially his marriage] is suffering for it. So, that being the case, I will bump up my rating of the book, as I will give the author credit for how Jonas and David have developed [or, regressed, depending on how you look at it] as characters.
July 4, 2020
It's summertime...you know what that means?! Another review of an Alten/MEG book!
One of my favorite, time-honored summer traditions.
Book 5...here we go...
First, Alten must have been a very horny boy writing this. I'm not one to horny-shame a creator, but this reads like a 13-year-old cis boy just discovered what Letter to Penthouse was and wrote his own with sharks added. I often pick gems of quotes to enhance these reviews, and there was a plethora this time. Pick your favorite and try to use it in real life! Bonus points if you don't get slapped!
" 'Well, Hoda, I'd love to check under your hood-a.'" (51)
" 'That'd be my dream job, hymen inspector.' " (84)
"She stood on her toes, her leg muscles flexing as she assumed a ballet pose, her raised arms causing her shirt to ride up her hips, revealing a flash of her shaved vagina." (87) (Just a flash! Alten, you tease!)
"And there it was--the offer that every female desiring to succeed in the business world feared--the enticement to spread her legs in order to move up the company hierarchy." (153) (Biting #metoo commentary!)
" 'It seems pretty tight.' 'A virgin's tight until she's been ridden a few times.'" (304)
Now, you may have forgotten that this is a book about prehistoric monsters wreaking havoc after reading those literary lines above. Ironically, this novel actually had the most prehistoric monster action in a long time, maybe since the first book. It's just that the immature, juvenile terribleness of passages like I mentioned above detract so much from what could have otherwise been a perfectly serviceable monster thriller.
There are about 57.7 plots going on here, some just fizzling away. Why was there the reality show with Arabic models? Why did we retcon the first book by adding in the Agricola character? Time travel plot from Volstok back, kind of?
Also, there are a LOT of prehistoric monsters out there now. How the earth hasn't descended into biological chaos yet is quite astounding.
Also, the characters are really, predictably dumb. STOP TRYING TO SAVE THE MONSTERS. YOU HAVE THE SAME PLAN AND IT ALWAYS FAILS. Actually, no...DO save the monsters. They will hopefully eat all the dumb characters and we can have the great novel that I know is somewhere in this series where giant monsters destroy everything.
Finally, and this is true, there is a minor character with Tourette's who keeps screaming TACO when he talks. Yes, you TACO read that correctly. I'm assuming this character is a TACO nod to a young person from Alten's work with high school literacy programs, so I'm not going to TACO mock it too much...but, I mean, come on. With everything else going on here, did we really need TACO to add this?
However, this can still get a 2. An albino Meg eats a Faye who was dumb enough to free dive with it, and I like that moxie.
One of my favorite, time-honored summer traditions.
Book 5...here we go...
First, Alten must have been a very horny boy writing this. I'm not one to horny-shame a creator, but this reads like a 13-year-old cis boy just discovered what Letter to Penthouse was and wrote his own with sharks added. I often pick gems of quotes to enhance these reviews, and there was a plethora this time. Pick your favorite and try to use it in real life! Bonus points if you don't get slapped!
" 'Well, Hoda, I'd love to check under your hood-a.'" (51)
" 'That'd be my dream job, hymen inspector.' " (84)
"She stood on her toes, her leg muscles flexing as she assumed a ballet pose, her raised arms causing her shirt to ride up her hips, revealing a flash of her shaved vagina." (87) (Just a flash! Alten, you tease!)
"And there it was--the offer that every female desiring to succeed in the business world feared--the enticement to spread her legs in order to move up the company hierarchy." (153) (Biting #metoo commentary!)
" 'It seems pretty tight.' 'A virgin's tight until she's been ridden a few times.'" (304)
Now, you may have forgotten that this is a book about prehistoric monsters wreaking havoc after reading those literary lines above. Ironically, this novel actually had the most prehistoric monster action in a long time, maybe since the first book. It's just that the immature, juvenile terribleness of passages like I mentioned above detract so much from what could have otherwise been a perfectly serviceable monster thriller.
There are about 57.7 plots going on here, some just fizzling away. Why was there the reality show with Arabic models? Why did we retcon the first book by adding in the Agricola character? Time travel plot from Volstok back, kind of?
Also, there are a LOT of prehistoric monsters out there now. How the earth hasn't descended into biological chaos yet is quite astounding.
Also, the characters are really, predictably dumb. STOP TRYING TO SAVE THE MONSTERS. YOU HAVE THE SAME PLAN AND IT ALWAYS FAILS. Actually, no...DO save the monsters. They will hopefully eat all the dumb characters and we can have the great novel that I know is somewhere in this series where giant monsters destroy everything.
Finally, and this is true, there is a minor character with Tourette's who keeps screaming TACO when he talks. Yes, you TACO read that correctly. I'm assuming this character is a TACO nod to a young person from Alten's work with high school literacy programs, so I'm not going to TACO mock it too much...but, I mean, come on. With everything else going on here, did we really need TACO to add this?
However, this can still get a 2. An albino Meg eats a Faye who was dumb enough to free dive with it, and I like that moxie.
March 5, 2021
Picks up where Hell's Aquarium ends.
Angel is dead, but Bela and Lizzy are alive. Davis is still depressed, after his girlfriend's death, but he has a chance to go after the Liopleurodon, and avange her.
The book references characters and events from the authors other series. I still need to read those, so some parts of this book were confusing for me.
I love this series, but this was definitely my least favorite. I missed the Megalodons in this book. The story focuses more on the other creatures, which is fine, but I fell in love with this series because of the sharks.
And what's with the confusing time -travel/vison thing? Was it necessary for the plot? I don't know.
Will see, what happens in the next book.
Angel is dead, but Bela and Lizzy are alive. Davis is still depressed, after his girlfriend's death, but he has a chance to go after the Liopleurodon, and avange her.
The book references characters and events from the authors other series. I still need to read those, so some parts of this book were confusing for me.
I love this series, but this was definitely my least favorite. I missed the Megalodons in this book. The story focuses more on the other creatures, which is fine, but I fell in love with this series because of the sharks.
And what's with the confusing time -travel/vison thing? Was it necessary for the plot? I don't know.
Will see, what happens in the next book.
November 5, 2025
So, I have really enjoyed all of the books in this series so far. Definitely balls-to-the-wall reading and not for the squeamish. So about two thirds of the way through this book, we come to the part where Jonah’s Scottish friend, Dr. Zack Wallace, fesses up about Lake Vostok. I believe I said out loud, “Now you’ve got to be kidding me!” The book certainly takes a different tone and one needs to suspend their beliefs to move along. But then I stopped to think about what I’ve been reading in these novels all this time. Several prehistoric sea creatures escaping the deep trenches and hidden spots in the ocean and surviving closer to the surface where they can wreak their havoc. I’ve been just settling in for the ride and enjoying them for the entertainment aspect. So, I went right on ahead and did the same with this little tidbit and continued to enjoy this book just as well. If you’re a fan of the series, I think you will, too.
October 30, 2016
Hurrah it's the last in the series.
So last book I used the joke jump the shark. If I had know what this book had I would have said the last book was on the motorcycle lazily driving around the shark tank getting ready.
Spoilers.
So far in this series we have had
Giant prehistoric sharks living in the Mariana Trench.
Giant air breathing dinosaurs who de-evolved to live in water hiding in the Mariana Trench.
A bond villain who built a giant submarine.
A previously undiscovered sea hiding under the ground which is under another ocean.
At least 6 different types of extinct dinosaurs living in this sea.
Sharks deciding to clone themselves.
Subs that can jump
Sharks and dinosaurs destroying helicopters, restaurants, boats, and too many subs to count, at least one of them nuclear.
How could this get worse you may ask....
How about we up the ante with hidden lakes underneath the antarctic ice.
Inside the lakes are giant prehistoric whales and octopuses that breath air.
Did I mention that these lakes and whales are somehow the secret to unlimited energy and that killing them could kill the earth?
Oh and of course we can't forget...time travel and prophetic dreams.
Character.
Jonas: Still an asshole. Does not die again. Survives a helicopter crash because he can. Survives being chased through ice, yes through ice the subs have super lasers, by whales.
Terry: Actually does something in this book. The first half is spent talking about how bad the stress is for her Parkinsons and her yelling at Jonas, the second half is her throwing up on a boat, and about five minutes of her driving a sub to save her son.
Danielle: She was in this book....heck if I can remember what she did that's how small of a part she had.
Mac: Does not crash anything this time...well he does crash a man's neurosystem with a taser. Has a baby now.
David: Last book I mentioned how he was the new Mary Sue for Steve Alten. And how a wealthy Saudi Arabian used a beautiful woman as a honey trap to get him to work for him. Well this book we find that he has gotten smarter after a lot of sessions of counseling. He quits counseling and...goes to work for the wealthy Saudi Arabian who then sends a pretty woman to seduce David to keep him working. He also now has dreams that tell him the future.
Zachary Wallace: A character from another of Steven's books The Loch and Vostok. He is able to tell the future because he is able to time travel. Oh and if you like Scottish accents badly written, well be happy because EVERY FREAKING SENTENCE this dude says is in accent.
So the prince from last book is hunting all the dinosaurs he and David lured out of the hidden sea. David starts the book with a transcript of what he said in his therapy session at the end of the last book. (Note if you are going to have a tape recording of what was said in the last book, maybe re-read that section of the last book so that they match.) He is unable to sleep unless he is drunk or has had his brains screwed out by energetic sex partners. In order to sleep again he decides to help the Saudi Prince capture the monsters, which monsters...all of them! Seriously in the six months since the last book not one of them is caught, and within 36 hours monsterwhisper David has caught 3 of them.
Meanwhile Jonas makes a deal with someone who was in the Mariana Trench with him when he first met Meg, to capture the two escaped shark sisters. Oh wait you say the only people in the trench was Jonas and two red shirt scientists? Nope we now learn that there was another marine biologist in the trench, the same part of the trench, the same day, for totally unrelated reasons. This biologist, Paul, accidentally lured Meg up which then chased Jonas starting this whole series. (Don't worry Steven handles his retrofitting of the history with the normal finesse he is known for, sledgehammer and spike.)
The sharks kill people, including a couple of retired teachers who decide it would be a good idea to swim with the sharks. Yes they knew the sharks were there but thought they could be tamed with some fish. The dinosaurs kill some people. And then everyone but Paul and the sharks end up in the antarctic.
David and Jonas catches the baby of the largest dinosaur carnivore ever, oh who also clones herself. Terry kills the largest dinosaur carnivore ever, but she really doesn't because this thing is like a serial killer and will live long enough for one last scare. David and the Saudi capture an ancient giant whale, who is somehow sexually compatible with modern species of whales. Meanwhile in somewhere else, I don't remember and don't care, Paul catches one of the sisters and uses her as bait to lure the other sister.
They all end up in the Tanaka institute...on the same day, the same hour.
All the monsters get loose inside the giant pool.
Sharks and the giant carnivore kill each other. The whale and the baby carnivore clone survive.
Terry and Jonas sell the aquarium and retire. David decides to keep working with the monsters and Danielle gets forgotten, she probably was lost in an airport somewhere.
In conclusion I found that there was one line in this whole book that scared me. And I quote it
"The Meg Series Continues with Meg: Generations"
So last book I used the joke jump the shark. If I had know what this book had I would have said the last book was on the motorcycle lazily driving around the shark tank getting ready.
Spoilers.
So far in this series we have had
Giant prehistoric sharks living in the Mariana Trench.
Giant air breathing dinosaurs who de-evolved to live in water hiding in the Mariana Trench.
A bond villain who built a giant submarine.
A previously undiscovered sea hiding under the ground which is under another ocean.
At least 6 different types of extinct dinosaurs living in this sea.
Sharks deciding to clone themselves.
Subs that can jump
Sharks and dinosaurs destroying helicopters, restaurants, boats, and too many subs to count, at least one of them nuclear.
How could this get worse you may ask....
How about we up the ante with hidden lakes underneath the antarctic ice.
Inside the lakes are giant prehistoric whales and octopuses that breath air.
Did I mention that these lakes and whales are somehow the secret to unlimited energy and that killing them could kill the earth?
Oh and of course we can't forget...time travel and prophetic dreams.
Character.
Jonas: Still an asshole. Does not die again. Survives a helicopter crash because he can. Survives being chased through ice, yes through ice the subs have super lasers, by whales.
Terry: Actually does something in this book. The first half is spent talking about how bad the stress is for her Parkinsons and her yelling at Jonas, the second half is her throwing up on a boat, and about five minutes of her driving a sub to save her son.
Danielle: She was in this book....heck if I can remember what she did that's how small of a part she had.
Mac: Does not crash anything this time...well he does crash a man's neurosystem with a taser. Has a baby now.
David: Last book I mentioned how he was the new Mary Sue for Steve Alten. And how a wealthy Saudi Arabian used a beautiful woman as a honey trap to get him to work for him. Well this book we find that he has gotten smarter after a lot of sessions of counseling. He quits counseling and...goes to work for the wealthy Saudi Arabian who then sends a pretty woman to seduce David to keep him working. He also now has dreams that tell him the future.
Zachary Wallace: A character from another of Steven's books The Loch and Vostok. He is able to tell the future because he is able to time travel. Oh and if you like Scottish accents badly written, well be happy because EVERY FREAKING SENTENCE this dude says is in accent.
So the prince from last book is hunting all the dinosaurs he and David lured out of the hidden sea. David starts the book with a transcript of what he said in his therapy session at the end of the last book. (Note if you are going to have a tape recording of what was said in the last book, maybe re-read that section of the last book so that they match.) He is unable to sleep unless he is drunk or has had his brains screwed out by energetic sex partners. In order to sleep again he decides to help the Saudi Prince capture the monsters, which monsters...all of them! Seriously in the six months since the last book not one of them is caught, and within 36 hours monsterwhisper David has caught 3 of them.
Meanwhile Jonas makes a deal with someone who was in the Mariana Trench with him when he first met Meg, to capture the two escaped shark sisters. Oh wait you say the only people in the trench was Jonas and two red shirt scientists? Nope we now learn that there was another marine biologist in the trench, the same part of the trench, the same day, for totally unrelated reasons. This biologist, Paul, accidentally lured Meg up which then chased Jonas starting this whole series. (Don't worry Steven handles his retrofitting of the history with the normal finesse he is known for, sledgehammer and spike.)
The sharks kill people, including a couple of retired teachers who decide it would be a good idea to swim with the sharks. Yes they knew the sharks were there but thought they could be tamed with some fish. The dinosaurs kill some people. And then everyone but Paul and the sharks end up in the antarctic.
David and Jonas catches the baby of the largest dinosaur carnivore ever, oh who also clones herself. Terry kills the largest dinosaur carnivore ever, but she really doesn't because this thing is like a serial killer and will live long enough for one last scare. David and the Saudi capture an ancient giant whale, who is somehow sexually compatible with modern species of whales. Meanwhile in somewhere else, I don't remember and don't care, Paul catches one of the sisters and uses her as bait to lure the other sister.
They all end up in the Tanaka institute...on the same day, the same hour.
All the monsters get loose inside the giant pool.
Sharks and the giant carnivore kill each other. The whale and the baby carnivore clone survive.
Terry and Jonas sell the aquarium and retire. David decides to keep working with the monsters and Danielle gets forgotten, she probably was lost in an airport somewhere.
In conclusion I found that there was one line in this whole book that scared me. And I quote it
"The Meg Series Continues with Meg: Generations"
November 18, 2016
It's no secret to some of my old blog readers. I love books with monsters, dinosaurs and prehistoric beasts that terrorize humanity. I'd say it's a guilty pleasure but I have no guilt. I love the genre especially this series in particular.
The Meg series is one I've been reading for over a decade. I remember when my brother bought me a copy of what turned out to be the third book in this series, which led to me gobbling up all the other books in this series (and a few of Steve Alten's other titles) over the years. This one, Nightstalkers has been a long time coming. 7 years to be exact and I'm so happy that I was finally able to get my hands on a copy and read it this past week.
This one takes place after the events in Meg: Hell's Aquarium. It's told in shifting points of view mostly from those of David Taylor and his father Jonas Taylor (whom the books started with), however other points of view (from the victims) are also on offer. Plus, Steve Alten continued to write some parts of the book from the perspective of the creature(s) in the book as well. I really love how the author is able to really make me feel as though I am whomever (or whatever) depending on what point of view he's writing from. He truly puts me right there smack dab in the middle of all the blood curdling chaos.
When I started reading Nightstalkers I had only planned to read the first 50 pages, then wouldn't you have it I was 3/4 of the way through and my clock was reading 3 a.m. it well and truly sucked me in.I loved the blood and gore in this one and it had all the heart-pounding action and you know...death that I've come to love and expect from Steve Alten. He gives readers a smorgasbord of prehistoric creatures to choose from as well as lots of foul language and a bit of a natural history lesson about the creatures and their environments thrown in making it a splendid read. He takes the readers on a global pursuit of beasts that have no business being in the 21st century and he does it with flare.
I enjoyed seeing how characters have aged and changed since the 4th book and it was really awesome to see that Mac (Jonas's best friend) is still kicking around. He's always been a favourite side character of mine. I also like how David, again played a bigger role in this series. He grew up with the Megaldon's and cared for them and he has the same fire in his soul that his dad has and I can see where Alten is maybe going in terms of him taking up the family mantle and I think it's great. I can't wait to see where the story goes as the series moves forward.
My only complaints for this one is that it did seem short. I wish that the book had maybe an extra 50 pages because some parts really felt rushed and I wish certain things had been expanded on more than they were hence the 4.5 star rating.
Overall if giant sharks and other prehistoric creatures along with death, deep sea exploration and cussing are your thing I highly suggest giving the Meg series a try.
The Meg series is one I've been reading for over a decade. I remember when my brother bought me a copy of what turned out to be the third book in this series, which led to me gobbling up all the other books in this series (and a few of Steve Alten's other titles) over the years. This one, Nightstalkers has been a long time coming. 7 years to be exact and I'm so happy that I was finally able to get my hands on a copy and read it this past week.
This one takes place after the events in Meg: Hell's Aquarium. It's told in shifting points of view mostly from those of David Taylor and his father Jonas Taylor (whom the books started with), however other points of view (from the victims) are also on offer. Plus, Steve Alten continued to write some parts of the book from the perspective of the creature(s) in the book as well. I really love how the author is able to really make me feel as though I am whomever (or whatever) depending on what point of view he's writing from. He truly puts me right there smack dab in the middle of all the blood curdling chaos.
When I started reading Nightstalkers I had only planned to read the first 50 pages, then wouldn't you have it I was 3/4 of the way through and my clock was reading 3 a.m. it well and truly sucked me in.I loved the blood and gore in this one and it had all the heart-pounding action and you know...death that I've come to love and expect from Steve Alten. He gives readers a smorgasbord of prehistoric creatures to choose from as well as lots of foul language and a bit of a natural history lesson about the creatures and their environments thrown in making it a splendid read. He takes the readers on a global pursuit of beasts that have no business being in the 21st century and he does it with flare.
I enjoyed seeing how characters have aged and changed since the 4th book and it was really awesome to see that Mac (Jonas's best friend) is still kicking around. He's always been a favourite side character of mine. I also like how David, again played a bigger role in this series. He grew up with the Megaldon's and cared for them and he has the same fire in his soul that his dad has and I can see where Alten is maybe going in terms of him taking up the family mantle and I think it's great. I can't wait to see where the story goes as the series moves forward.
My only complaints for this one is that it did seem short. I wish that the book had maybe an extra 50 pages because some parts really felt rushed and I wish certain things had been expanded on more than they were hence the 4.5 star rating.
Overall if giant sharks and other prehistoric creatures along with death, deep sea exploration and cussing are your thing I highly suggest giving the Meg series a try.
August 26, 2017
I'm so in love with this series!!!
Fictitious or not, the creatures and the characters held me completely captivated through the entire book!! This is another series that I will reread and continue to enjoy, each and every time!
Fictitious or not, the creatures and the characters held me completely captivated through the entire book!! This is another series that I will reread and continue to enjoy, each and every time!
July 13, 2024
A estupidez humana só piora e a inteligência de animais brutos só aumenta.
Na verdade, essa é a única premissa necessária para saberem se querem ler uma série sobre bestas marinhas, personagens irracionais e até crossovers entre séries que me despertaram o interesse - Loch.
Na verdade, essa é a única premissa necessária para saberem se querem ler uma série sobre bestas marinhas, personagens irracionais e até crossovers entre séries que me despertaram o interesse - Loch.
August 15, 2023
I didn't want to put it down! I think this is my favorite 1 yet!!! Can't wait for the next!
October 7, 2018
Another gem by Alten! Thrilling and non-stop action as usual. Loved it!
September 9, 2017
It’s a terrifying life and death family affair to capture and slay the most dangerous creatures to inhabit the ocean depths since the Jurassic in Steve Alten’s horror/thriller “Meg: Night Stalkers.” In the fifth installment of the best-selling Meg series, “Meg: Night Stalkers” picks up where “Hell’s Aquarium” left off. Here, we catch up with David Taylor, a submersible pilot and the pride and joy of famed Marine Biologist Jonas Taylor.
Still reeling from the horrific loss of his girlfriend Kaylee, David is at his wits end getting professional help from an uncompassionate shrink when he is called back out to sea yet again for another daring and perilous expedition. The mission, to hunt down and capture a 160-foot long prehistoric Crocodile known as “Liopleurodon” and put it on display in Dubai, as the main attraction for Crown Prince Bin Rashidi. Desperate for a reprieve from horrific night terrors, David embarks on what will become a baptism by fire that will put him and his entire family in mortal danger beneath the depths of the Western Pacific.
Closer to home, Jonas Taylor has his heart and his sights set on capturing his escaped Megalodons: Bella and Lizzy as they stalk pods of Orcas and lurk off the coast of British Columbia. With the support of military veteran and best friend “Mac,” the intrepid duo has their hands full. When Scottish Cryptozoologist Zachary Wallace enters the picture, things get weird for the Taylor’s. Promoting a new energy source spurred by his Galactic time traveler experience in Vostok, Taylor and Wallace join forces to track down creatures that will make Jaws seem tame. The action and the danger only intensifies from there when a new species of prehistoric whale is discovered in the depths of Antarctica. Known as “Leviathan Melvillei,” Jonas Taylor and his wife will take the plunge one last time to save their son as a death-defying duel to the death ensues beneath the surface where only one prehistoric beast will emerge victorious and take its rightful place as the dominate marine predator at the top of the food chain.
I was lucky to find this book on Audible and after listening to it, I found the storyline to be quite boring and the reality-based science too distracting from the novel’s adventure-themed plot. I enjoyed reading “Hell’s Aquarium” much more than listening to the Soap Operaesque plot of sex, ambitious greed, and peril as David is drawn to a charming Dubai love interest “Jackie” who’s involved only for promotional reasons rather than true love. Rumor has it that Steve Alten might be working on a sixth installment of the Meg series but if “Night Stalkers” is truly the conclusion to the Taylor family saga, than Steve Alten misses the mark with malevolent sea monsters swimming in lukewarm waters.
My money’s on “The Loch” as my all-time favorite Steve Alten novel; can’t wait to see the movie!
Still reeling from the horrific loss of his girlfriend Kaylee, David is at his wits end getting professional help from an uncompassionate shrink when he is called back out to sea yet again for another daring and perilous expedition. The mission, to hunt down and capture a 160-foot long prehistoric Crocodile known as “Liopleurodon” and put it on display in Dubai, as the main attraction for Crown Prince Bin Rashidi. Desperate for a reprieve from horrific night terrors, David embarks on what will become a baptism by fire that will put him and his entire family in mortal danger beneath the depths of the Western Pacific.
Closer to home, Jonas Taylor has his heart and his sights set on capturing his escaped Megalodons: Bella and Lizzy as they stalk pods of Orcas and lurk off the coast of British Columbia. With the support of military veteran and best friend “Mac,” the intrepid duo has their hands full. When Scottish Cryptozoologist Zachary Wallace enters the picture, things get weird for the Taylor’s. Promoting a new energy source spurred by his Galactic time traveler experience in Vostok, Taylor and Wallace join forces to track down creatures that will make Jaws seem tame. The action and the danger only intensifies from there when a new species of prehistoric whale is discovered in the depths of Antarctica. Known as “Leviathan Melvillei,” Jonas Taylor and his wife will take the plunge one last time to save their son as a death-defying duel to the death ensues beneath the surface where only one prehistoric beast will emerge victorious and take its rightful place as the dominate marine predator at the top of the food chain.
I was lucky to find this book on Audible and after listening to it, I found the storyline to be quite boring and the reality-based science too distracting from the novel’s adventure-themed plot. I enjoyed reading “Hell’s Aquarium” much more than listening to the Soap Operaesque plot of sex, ambitious greed, and peril as David is drawn to a charming Dubai love interest “Jackie” who’s involved only for promotional reasons rather than true love. Rumor has it that Steve Alten might be working on a sixth installment of the Meg series but if “Night Stalkers” is truly the conclusion to the Taylor family saga, than Steve Alten misses the mark with malevolent sea monsters swimming in lukewarm waters.
My money’s on “The Loch” as my all-time favorite Steve Alten novel; can’t wait to see the movie!
April 1, 2024
Okay, so let me start off by saying that I've come to expect a certain level of sexism in these books and I usually just kind of ignored it because I'm here for the sharks, not Alten's stunning characterization. With this book though, he really dialed it up to 11. Even just aside from the fact that the way he writes women is atrocious, he also had his men throw in such stunning one-liners such as:
"That's my dream job- hymen inspector."
"That is why G-d made Adam before Eve; he didn't want a woman nagging Him about the specs."
"A virgin's tight until she's been ridden a few dozen times."
And so many more... And joining the ranks of Alten's decrepit characterizations were any and all people with mental health issues. This character has his "brain scrambled" in Iraq so now he's bi-polar and ADHD and that apparently means that he blurts out random trivia whenever he talks. And this character has Tourettes, so he says the word Taco in every sentence. And this guy is depressed so he cuts his wrists.
Like really, tell me you have no knowledge on a subject without telling me you have no knowledge on the subject. I almost want to know who this guy's editor is because they're clearly not doing their job.
Now ALL THAT ASIDE, no seriously- lets put aside all the characters for a second, because like I said before- I'm here for the sharks. Even then this book was kind of atrocious. The sharks presence is kind of lacking to begin with, but what is there Alten has even managed to get wrong even though he's the one that came up with the rules for how these sharks behaved! Angel's mother was happy with trying to devour her offspring, Angel herself was aggressive towards her offspring, and this apparently bonded Bela and Lizzy so they stuck together- but apparently this also means that now they protect their pups AND hunt and bring back food for them like they're birds, And just to really make sure these books jump the proverbial Meg, lets also throw in because everything else wasn't nonsensical enough. Just 1 star because I cannot wrap my head around what I just read.
"That's my dream job- hymen inspector."
"That is why G-d made Adam before Eve; he didn't want a woman nagging Him about the specs."
"A virgin's tight until she's been ridden a few dozen times."
And so many more... And joining the ranks of Alten's decrepit characterizations were any and all people with mental health issues. This character has his "brain scrambled" in Iraq so now he's bi-polar and ADHD and that apparently means that he blurts out random trivia whenever he talks. And this character has Tourettes, so he says the word Taco in every sentence. And this guy is depressed so he cuts his wrists.
Like really, tell me you have no knowledge on a subject without telling me you have no knowledge on the subject. I almost want to know who this guy's editor is because they're clearly not doing their job.
Now ALL THAT ASIDE, no seriously- lets put aside all the characters for a second, because like I said before- I'm here for the sharks. Even then this book was kind of atrocious. The sharks presence is kind of lacking to begin with, but what is there Alten has even managed to get wrong even though he's the one that came up with the rules for how these sharks behaved! Angel's mother was happy with trying to devour her offspring, Angel herself was aggressive towards her offspring, and this apparently bonded Bela and Lizzy so they stuck together- but apparently this also means that now they protect their pups AND hunt and bring back food for them like they're birds, And just to really make sure these books jump the proverbial Meg, lets also throw in because everything else wasn't nonsensical enough. Just 1 star because I cannot wrap my head around what I just read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 254 reviews