What do you think?
Rate this book
Vengeance from the Deep #1
Pliosaur
Archeologist John Paxton has always been eluded by the great find. But his luck is about to change on a mysterious island near South Africa, where he seeks a rare prehistoric fish. Deep inside the caves, John finds more than he bargained for. He encounters the tribal elder, Kota―practically the devil himself with a plan straight from hell. Within the caverns beneath the island, the tribe worships and nurtures a prehistoric marine reptile that could engulf T-Rex. The size of a sperm whale, and equipped with ten-foot jaws bristling with eighteen-inch teeth, this pliosaur is the last remaining member of the greatest predator species that ever lived. Only then does John realize Kota’s true agenda―to unleash the leviathan on the modern world to fulfill the tribe’s bloodlust for revenge. Now it’s all up to John to warn humanity of the fifty-ton killing machine headed its way―before the Ivory Coast washes blood red. But first, he has to get off the island . . . alive.
280 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2014
193 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 23, 2014
I planned to give this two stars. Grammatically, the writing is correct. The problem is the structure and engagement-level. The characters are bland. The storyline is vaguely interesting, but that's all. The pacing is varied, from very slow to average. There are too many storylines competing with each other.
That all makes it a two-star read.
Then I get to the end. What there was of it.
No climax, no resolution, no denouement.
Nothing.
It just stops mid-story, and the author expects you to go and buy the second book, which is really just the second half of a long, slow, hard-to-read jaunt into boredom.
Not recommended.
That all makes it a two-star read.
Then I get to the end. What there was of it.
No climax, no resolution, no denouement.
Nothing.
It just stops mid-story, and the author expects you to go and buy the second book, which is really just the second half of a long, slow, hard-to-read jaunt into boredom.
Not recommended.
January 17, 2015
Just when all the sea creature stories seem to blend together, Vengeance offers something new. From the Indian Jones-like beginning, this story transforms into a high seas adventure filled with chilling attack sequences that would make Jaws and Jurassic Park envious--and the creature is absolutely enormous! No doubt T-Rex was afraid of the water. The story also held up nicely between attack sequences, which isn't always the case with such creature features. It's a page turner with believable characters. Reading the vivid writing style felt like watching a movie. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed Jurassic Park, Jaws, and Meg. There are 2 books in this series. This is book 1. Can't wait to see what happens in book 2...
May 29, 2015
I could not stop turning the pages of this Book! The Character development and realistic portrayal of the most fearsome predator that ever lived making an appearance in modern day society was a fantastic roller coaster of fear and excitement. Russ Elliot has taken the reigns from Peter Benchley and taken the monsters of the deep to a whole new level! I ordered the second book within minutes of finishing this one. The fact that this creature actually existed never seizes to amaze me, and I remain shocked that "Pliosaur" is not a household name as "T-Rex" is. The book is begging to be adapted to the big screen and I'll be the first in line. Great Book!
January 19, 2015
Definitely reccommend. Great plot, great read. Nice pace.
November 12, 2020
This book is not great. I didn't stop reading it for more than a month because I thought it was great. The only reason I give it two stars is because of a recurring joke and the fact that something finally happened in the last fifth of the book!
A giant marine reptile far larger than it has any right to be starts terrorizing the neighborhood after escaping from an island where it was worshiped like a god and it's up to one man with a past that haunts him to this day to save the day.
If that comically explained summary sounds oddly familiar, it's because it's more or less the exact same plot as Max Hawthorne's Kronos Rising. In fairness, the origin of the plesiosaur in Kronos Rising wasn't revealed until Diablo, so if anyone stole from the other, it'd be Hawthorne. The fact that both books came out in 2014 is just a very odd coincidence.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just the plot that drew comparisons to Kronos Rising. Even early on I was getting the feeling that I was reading the same book again, with many of the same faults. But where Kronos Rising ended in an undersea battle, submersible vs marine reptile, Pliosaur... never ends! If you want any sort of conclusion to this plot, prepare for another two books of, no doubt, more of the same. There's no cheeky setup for a sequel, no hatching egg hinting at future carnage or a hint that the big bad reptile might have survived their encounter after all! No, the marine reptile just swims off and the book goes "Read part 2 to find out more!" And since I know there's a part 3, I assume book 2 ends very similarly.
Pliosaur is also ridiculously long, just like Kronos Rising. Events have a nasty tendency to happen twice or even thrice in some cases. Two helicopter crashes, our protagonist is marooned at sea twice, two navy men the protagonist have to convince, there's two teeth and so forth. And yet, miraculously, nothing ever seems to actually happen in this book. For huge swaths of it, the book seemed far more interested in what the human characters got up to and the intrigue they were suffering through rather than anything related to the reptile.
When the reptile does appear, it's usually to kill someone I don't particularly care about. Like introducing another group of campers at the end of the slasher flick for the murderer to murderize. It's there to pad the runtime and give people more carnage which is, to be fair, why most of us show up for the film. But I'll be honest, most of the time I was just rolling my eyes dismissively because even the attacks were so droll and basic, I felt nothing for it.
In my review of Kronos Rising, I accused the book of reading like a movie. I take that back now. THIS reads like a movie. A very bad SyFy flick that would become the butt of many jokes online if they could ever get the budget to animate a half decent pliosaur. It has the dialog down pat: complete drivel with a side of snark. The one recurring joke is not enough to save it and even though I liked the joke, I couldn't help but to think "This joke would've worked much better in a movie than in a book." Of course, if they ever did make a movie, I sure hope they give it a decent ending rather than hope they get two sequels to tie up lose ends. Cause that might be a stretch!
I still haven't decided if I'm going to read the sequels or not. I'll admit I got moderately interested towards the end when the plot actually went somewhere instead stalling in the parking lot. But the characters are boring and I don't care to know what happens to them. Is this finally the book that broke my "If I start a series, I finish the series"-mantra? Possibly? Even the recurring joke will no doubt become tiresome if it's kept up through the entire trilogy.
Honestly, a part of me thinks the series would've benefited from changing the protagonist for the sequel but, like Steve Alten, I suspect Elliott would rather take a scissor to himself than ever cut anything from one of his book. Even my untrained eye could tell at least 50% of this book was completely unnecessary for the plot and I was forcing myself through the last two thirds just to get this done so I could move on to other books.
And if that's not the whole review, I don't know what would be.
A giant marine reptile far larger than it has any right to be starts terrorizing the neighborhood after escaping from an island where it was worshiped like a god and it's up to one man with a past that haunts him to this day to save the day.
If that comically explained summary sounds oddly familiar, it's because it's more or less the exact same plot as Max Hawthorne's Kronos Rising. In fairness, the origin of the plesiosaur in Kronos Rising wasn't revealed until Diablo, so if anyone stole from the other, it'd be Hawthorne. The fact that both books came out in 2014 is just a very odd coincidence.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just the plot that drew comparisons to Kronos Rising. Even early on I was getting the feeling that I was reading the same book again, with many of the same faults. But where Kronos Rising ended in an undersea battle, submersible vs marine reptile, Pliosaur... never ends! If you want any sort of conclusion to this plot, prepare for another two books of, no doubt, more of the same. There's no cheeky setup for a sequel, no hatching egg hinting at future carnage or a hint that the big bad reptile might have survived their encounter after all! No, the marine reptile just swims off and the book goes "Read part 2 to find out more!" And since I know there's a part 3, I assume book 2 ends very similarly.
Pliosaur is also ridiculously long, just like Kronos Rising. Events have a nasty tendency to happen twice or even thrice in some cases. Two helicopter crashes, our protagonist is marooned at sea twice, two navy men the protagonist have to convince, there's two teeth and so forth. And yet, miraculously, nothing ever seems to actually happen in this book. For huge swaths of it, the book seemed far more interested in what the human characters got up to and the intrigue they were suffering through rather than anything related to the reptile.
When the reptile does appear, it's usually to kill someone I don't particularly care about. Like introducing another group of campers at the end of the slasher flick for the murderer to murderize. It's there to pad the runtime and give people more carnage which is, to be fair, why most of us show up for the film. But I'll be honest, most of the time I was just rolling my eyes dismissively because even the attacks were so droll and basic, I felt nothing for it.
In my review of Kronos Rising, I accused the book of reading like a movie. I take that back now. THIS reads like a movie. A very bad SyFy flick that would become the butt of many jokes online if they could ever get the budget to animate a half decent pliosaur. It has the dialog down pat: complete drivel with a side of snark. The one recurring joke is not enough to save it and even though I liked the joke, I couldn't help but to think "This joke would've worked much better in a movie than in a book." Of course, if they ever did make a movie, I sure hope they give it a decent ending rather than hope they get two sequels to tie up lose ends. Cause that might be a stretch!
I still haven't decided if I'm going to read the sequels or not. I'll admit I got moderately interested towards the end when the plot actually went somewhere instead stalling in the parking lot. But the characters are boring and I don't care to know what happens to them. Is this finally the book that broke my "If I start a series, I finish the series"-mantra? Possibly? Even the recurring joke will no doubt become tiresome if it's kept up through the entire trilogy.
Honestly, a part of me thinks the series would've benefited from changing the protagonist for the sequel but, like Steve Alten, I suspect Elliott would rather take a scissor to himself than ever cut anything from one of his book. Even my untrained eye could tell at least 50% of this book was completely unnecessary for the plot and I was forcing myself through the last two thirds just to get this done so I could move on to other books.
And if that's not the whole review, I don't know what would be.
December 15, 2015
An archaeologist is sent to a mystery island off of South Africa in search of an extinct prehistoric fish. There is much more going on at the island then he bargained for and soon a much more terrifying monster is released in to the ocean.
Even though this book didn't waste any time jumping right in to the action, the first half of the book kind of drags a little. There are a lot of chapters dedicated to showing the pliosaur's path of destruction. It wasn't a bad touch to add those in, but sometimes it felt like there was too much going on with those and not enough going on with the main character. It ended up filling more like filler in some spots. There are plenty of chapters with the leading character, but most of it feels like nothing actually happens with the character. He spends most of the time stuck in a helicopter, or stuck in a boat, with nothing really progressing except for him just feeling tired and anxious. I know in reality, you do get stuck with a lot of down time between what you are trying to accomplish, especially when you have to constantly go between a point a. and a point b., but in a book, I don't really want to read every. Single. Down time. This guy has. A little went a long way. Way too much time was spent on the non-action part of his day. I don't want real time in my book. I'm not saying there had to be action 24/7, but it felt like the main character pretty much did nothing the whole book.
The end of the book really picked up it's pace and you finally got to see the pay off... except you didn't. Right as the confrontation was about to happen between the main characters and the pliosaur, the book ends, leaving everything to pick up in the second book. That was a little aggravating. It would have felt cleaner if there had been some sort of battle and you end the book thinking the pliosaur was defeated when it actually wasn't, and THEN book two starts.
Over all it was an ok book. Pretty fun in some spots. A little slow in others. I will pick up book two to read at some point... just maybe not immediately.
Even though this book didn't waste any time jumping right in to the action, the first half of the book kind of drags a little. There are a lot of chapters dedicated to showing the pliosaur's path of destruction. It wasn't a bad touch to add those in, but sometimes it felt like there was too much going on with those and not enough going on with the main character. It ended up filling more like filler in some spots. There are plenty of chapters with the leading character, but most of it feels like nothing actually happens with the character. He spends most of the time stuck in a helicopter, or stuck in a boat, with nothing really progressing except for him just feeling tired and anxious. I know in reality, you do get stuck with a lot of down time between what you are trying to accomplish, especially when you have to constantly go between a point a. and a point b., but in a book, I don't really want to read every. Single. Down time. This guy has. A little went a long way. Way too much time was spent on the non-action part of his day. I don't want real time in my book. I'm not saying there had to be action 24/7, but it felt like the main character pretty much did nothing the whole book.
The end of the book really picked up it's pace and you finally got to see the pay off... except you didn't. Right as the confrontation was about to happen between the main characters and the pliosaur, the book ends, leaving everything to pick up in the second book. That was a little aggravating. It would have felt cleaner if there had been some sort of battle and you end the book thinking the pliosaur was defeated when it actually wasn't, and THEN book two starts.
Over all it was an ok book. Pretty fun in some spots. A little slow in others. I will pick up book two to read at some point... just maybe not immediately.
August 24, 2016
Excellent!
I am writing this review quickly so I can hurry up and begin book 2 in this series. In other words, I enjoyed every page of book 1! At first, I thought this book was going to be a story about a huge prehistoric shark that hung around a small island to protect the natives who worshipped and fed the creature. However, I was so wrong. That is one part of the story but only a small part. The creature is not a shark but a huge prehistoric creature that sets off on a killing spree across the ocean. Each page made me want to read more. Great storyline and character development! Read it and I bet you will head on to book 2, just as I am doing right now.
I am writing this review quickly so I can hurry up and begin book 2 in this series. In other words, I enjoyed every page of book 1! At first, I thought this book was going to be a story about a huge prehistoric shark that hung around a small island to protect the natives who worshipped and fed the creature. However, I was so wrong. That is one part of the story but only a small part. The creature is not a shark but a huge prehistoric creature that sets off on a killing spree across the ocean. Each page made me want to read more. Great storyline and character development! Read it and I bet you will head on to book 2, just as I am doing right now.
January 19, 2022
the author REAL wanted to write a series... as in it simply doesn't conclude. it just sort of ends with a cliffhanger. Which is a shame because it's a fun story, the climax is just kind of a let down. Instead of killing the thing they just manage to temporaraly drive it off and escape, which isn't quite as satifying, at least for me.
There's a good chance I'll read the next one at some point, I just get the annoying sense that I only read part of a book. It's less of a sequel hook and more of an orphaned first act of a larger story. A fun first act though...
There's a good chance I'll read the next one at some point, I just get the annoying sense that I only read part of a book. It's less of a sequel hook and more of an orphaned first act of a larger story. A fun first act though...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2022
Love creature horror books, and while I can admit that the bar in this genre is somewhat low, this book fails dismally even by those standards. The first chapter alone was a foreshadowing of the overall poor quality here. It's an immediate red flag when an author feels the need to capitalize things to get the emphasis across ("SPLENDID! You leave tomorrow morning" or "WHOOOSH" and "SWOOOSH" for example - not kidding, that's in there). As an Australian, I was rolling my eyes every time the stereotypical Aussie pilot opened his mouth. Yes it's common slang, but we really don't add "mate" and "ay" to the end of every single sentence. Of course there's also the fact there's no ending. I know, I know, it's Book 1 and that's made clear but at least stop it somewhere where the reader can feel some satisfaction of finishing, while looking forward to the next one. I can usually find some redeeming factors in even the worst of books, but this was just a poor effort. Try the early books in the Meg series for some good deep sea creature reading
June 26, 2020
The best dinosaur book ever......
This is undoubtedly the best dinosaur book I've ever read. It is hard to remember it's just a story. BUT I'LL NEVER SWIM IN THE OCEAN AGAIN, just in case he knows something we don't!!!! Very well written and with likeable characters. No for anyone with a weak stomach and a strong imagination. I see a few nightmares in my future. Anxious to read the next book. Will they live through it????? Highly recommended..
This is undoubtedly the best dinosaur book I've ever read. It is hard to remember it's just a story. BUT I'LL NEVER SWIM IN THE OCEAN AGAIN, just in case he knows something we don't!!!! Very well written and with likeable characters. No for anyone with a weak stomach and a strong imagination. I see a few nightmares in my future. Anxious to read the next book. Will they live through it????? Highly recommended..
April 11, 2023
One serious bite
I love all types of cryptid stories and this one is so well written that i felt as if I was sitting in the living room listening to John tell me personally what had happened. The story has everything you want in a great read. Action, horror, blood, surprises and more surprises. Just know i wont be getting in the water after reading this. Cant wait for the next chapter..
I love all types of cryptid stories and this one is so well written that i felt as if I was sitting in the living room listening to John tell me personally what had happened. The story has everything you want in a great read. Action, horror, blood, surprises and more surprises. Just know i wont be getting in the water after reading this. Cant wait for the next chapter..
September 19, 2019
Vengeance
I gave five stars because of the lack of profanity and hope the other two books are the same. Really a lot of close calls and twists and turns in this book and I am enjoying the issues with the different characters. Story does not stall at all. I do wonder why black characters have to be pointed out. Annoying. Is it to show the main characters are white? Who cares?
I gave five stars because of the lack of profanity and hope the other two books are the same. Really a lot of close calls and twists and turns in this book and I am enjoying the issues with the different characters. Story does not stall at all. I do wonder why black characters have to be pointed out. Annoying. Is it to show the main characters are white? Who cares?
November 14, 2023
Big pliosaur
I can recommend this book with one caveat: it is continued to the second book. So, if you are aware of that, you can decide on the book. It is well done. Good characters and fearsome monster. I will not be going to #2 yet because of all my other books I have to read.
I can recommend this book with one caveat: it is continued to the second book. So, if you are aware of that, you can decide on the book. It is well done. Good characters and fearsome monster. I will not be going to #2 yet because of all my other books I have to read.
Read
June 18, 2021Good story
I wish there was more scenes where humans got eaten or were able to escape. I thought it was idiotic of the main character not to realize he was going to become lunch on the island. All the action was good...
I wish there was more scenes where humans got eaten or were able to escape. I thought it was idiotic of the main character not to realize he was going to become lunch on the island. All the action was good...
June 8, 2024
Review of this book.
This is a fantastic series. The action is almost non stop. The hero is after the beast, not even aware of the other danger to him. The two might meet. The series is well worth reading. Just enjoy it and do not be critical of the actions of the sharks.
This is a fantastic series. The action is almost non stop. The hero is after the beast, not even aware of the other danger to him. The two might meet. The series is well worth reading. Just enjoy it and do not be critical of the actions of the sharks.
March 18, 2019
Biggest predator ever!?
Besides the question of the role of pliosaurs as predators, the story does move fast and keeps us alert for confrontations
Besides the question of the role of pliosaurs as predators, the story does move fast and keeps us alert for confrontations
April 16, 2019
Good story
A little bit long. Did not realize it's part 1 of 3. Monster is unrelenting and terrifying. Like the characters.
A little bit long. Did not realize it's part 1 of 3. Monster is unrelenting and terrifying. Like the characters.
June 5, 2019
A fun read
June 27, 2019
Ha. I love my scary water creatures in all their crazy forms. You may not like the blood and gore.
February 23, 2020
Fun, dinosaur runs amok- in- the- sea story. On to book 2.
July 15, 2020
DNF'd the action didn't make up for the weak characteers, I am all for a good/bad creature feature but this one just didn't do it.
June 23, 2022
This story is an unbelievable storyline. A creature as huge as this animal is wouldn't waste the energy chasing a single human for food. I decided not to waste time with the other 2 books.
July 8, 2025
3.5 That was a fun one to read on vacation!! Really easy enjoyable sea monster story. Definitely continuing with book 2!
January 31, 2016
I think you are going to need a bigger boat.
A much larger boat is required if you are going out after this beastie. A good book with a lot of potential. I didn't realize that the story would be continued in a second volume. But that's ok with me, the more mayhem the better. I thought it had a rocky start, but it picked up pretty quickly. I enjoyed it and soon I will read the second half of the story. Good fun.
A much larger boat is required if you are going out after this beastie. A good book with a lot of potential. I didn't realize that the story would be continued in a second volume. But that's ok with me, the more mayhem the better. I thought it had a rocky start, but it picked up pretty quickly. I enjoyed it and soon I will read the second half of the story. Good fun.
January 30, 2016
Decent sea monster story
This was a decent sea monster novel with the usual mayhem, action and adventure. I would have liked more character development, however. I will read Book 2 as Book 1 left the story hanging.
This was a decent sea monster novel with the usual mayhem, action and adventure. I would have liked more character development, however. I will read Book 2 as Book 1 left the story hanging.
January 6, 2015
I enjoyed this read. Lots of action. For lovers of Jurassic Park and dinosaurs in general. Kind of makes you not want to go in the water. Makes you wonder what is undiscovered in the oceans.
June 12, 2016
Fair
Way too complex. Obviously the author was wrangling for a movie offer. "Well here we go again" way too much, and then stopping in the middle?
Way too complex. Obviously the author was wrangling for a movie offer. "Well here we go again" way too much, and then stopping in the middle?
Currently reading
August 6, 2015Not a bad book, but it is really just the 1st half of a longer book.
April 21, 2017
An "OK" monster yarn -- not sure I'll read the sequel book
"Vengeance from the Deep" got off to a good start as it introduced both the pliosaur monster and the main human characters. The unveiling of the beast was vaguely reminiscent of the sequence in King Kong where the outsiders realize that the islanders worship Kong and make sacrifices to him.
Once the "hero" escapes from the island, "Vengeance" unfortunately starts to feel derivative -- all too much like dozens of other killer shark and sea monster books: a series of escalating encounters between sea-going men and women and an increasingly voracious giant pliosaur, culminating in "the big showdown" between the beast and our hero. The ending had potential, but lost a large margin of its drama due to the author's determination to set up the sequel book. I felt a little robbed, thinking I had come to the climax, only to see the author's heavy-handed set-up of "Book 2" deny the reader a sense of true closure. Kind of like one of those 1930s movie serials -- lacking only the mellifluous announcer saying, "Tune in again next time, when our heroes face death and struggle to escape the juicy jaws of fate!".
Good monster (a mega-pliosaur), teasingly grounded in some real paleontological discoveries (the author could have done so much more with that backstory!!), well-described and frightening. Overall, well-written and well-paced...but it could have been so much more!
Maybe, when combined with book 2, the story will fulfill its potential, but I fear I'll have to wade through too many more random sea monster attacks to get there.
"Vengeance from the Deep" got off to a good start as it introduced both the pliosaur monster and the main human characters. The unveiling of the beast was vaguely reminiscent of the sequence in King Kong where the outsiders realize that the islanders worship Kong and make sacrifices to him.
Once the "hero" escapes from the island, "Vengeance" unfortunately starts to feel derivative -- all too much like dozens of other killer shark and sea monster books: a series of escalating encounters between sea-going men and women and an increasingly voracious giant pliosaur, culminating in "the big showdown" between the beast and our hero. The ending had potential, but lost a large margin of its drama due to the author's determination to set up the sequel book. I felt a little robbed, thinking I had come to the climax, only to see the author's heavy-handed set-up of "Book 2" deny the reader a sense of true closure. Kind of like one of those 1930s movie serials -- lacking only the mellifluous announcer saying, "Tune in again next time, when our heroes face death and struggle to escape the juicy jaws of fate!".
Good monster (a mega-pliosaur), teasingly grounded in some real paleontological discoveries (the author could have done so much more with that backstory!!), well-described and frightening. Overall, well-written and well-paced...but it could have been so much more!
Maybe, when combined with book 2, the story will fulfill its potential, but I fear I'll have to wade through too many more random sea monster attacks to get there.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews