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Megashark
When the death rate of sperm whales rises dramatically, a well-respected environmental activist puts together a ragtag team to hit the high seas to investigate the matter. They suspect that the deaths are due to poachers and they are all driven by a need for justice. Elsewhere, an experimental government vessel is enhancing deep sea mining equipment. They see one of these dead whales up close and personal...and are fairly certain that it wasn't poachers that killed it. Both of these teams are about to discover that poachers are the least of their worries. There is something hunting the whales... Something big Something prehistoric. Something terrifying. MEGATOOTH!
124 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 2, 2015
72 people are currently reading
55 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
June 24, 2016
So Amazon has been recommending me a bunch of Megalodon books lately now that it has somehow realized my enormous love for sharks, specifically giant prehistoric ones. And given my love for Meg by Steve Alton, I am more than willing to give in and try some of these recommendations. I started with the most recent recommendation, Megatooth by Viktor Zarkov, a book about a few college age students on an environmental preservation trip who encounter the prehistoric Megalodon.
As of late there’s been a lot of dead whales showing up in one particular area so they’re heading out to find the poachers and put an end to the recent killing spree. So there’s Emily, the main character, a grad student working in marine biology, Steve, who Emily is fairly certain is there just because he has a crush on her, Zoe the young and dumb ‘save the whales’ environmentalist who doesn’t really have much of a clue, and their expedition leader Cliff, who Emily has a giant girl crush on. On another nearby vessel are Carl, Trevor, and Bo who are all working on some mysterious underwater mining research. Within the first few pages I could tell: This is definitely not Meg.
So I’ll begin with this: How much science do you like in your science fiction? If the answer is little to none, this may be a decent read. After all, who doesn’t love a bunch of annoying and self righteous college students getting snapped up by a megalodon? If you do like a little scientific basis I would recommend steering clear because it becomes fairly obvious that the author did zero research when he decided to start writing about megalodons. One of the things I liked about Meg was that the author grounded his readers fairly early on by explaining where the megalodon was, how it had survived, and why it was just now beginning to wreak havoc. This author didn’t really do that. The shark is just suddenly there. If he’d made up his own toothy sea monster, this might have been easier to read, but there are a lot of glaring errors and oversights about sharks, and it’s only exacerbated by many more editing errors. I was able to sort of look past that. After all, it’s more of an adventure survivor story anyways. Maybe not five star material, but I might still like it.
This is where the characters come in. A lot of these characters spell fodder from the beginning. The quiet guy that doesn’t talk too much, the permanently angry man that no one talks to because he’s always in a bad mood… underdeveloped background characters spell out chum. It takes away a lot of suspense and sympathy when people no one cares about are getting picked off because main character needs to be upset about something. With just a little extra effort and a few more pages this book could have been better by just giving these people a little more of a story, a little more substance. The characters that were developed though were frankly pretty unlikable. Emily is pretty arrogant and self absorbed. I mean, you kind of have to be to assume this random college guy would pay hundreds or possibly even thousands of dollars to follow you from Minnesota to Hawaii just to annoy you on a two day boat trip for a cause he has no interest in. Zoe is painted to be a ditzy and reckless environmentalist who only really cares for the cause because she’s young and passionate rather than having any real motivation for doing it. Again, not the best element for a fictional survivor story since it leaves you rooting for no survivors. Go Megalodon! Kill em all! Eat their faces! Woohoo!
Despite all this, I was actually on my way to giving this a decent review. I was enjoying it. Perhaps not the way it was intended to be enjoyed, but I was having fun with it and that’s what matters. Up until the end. Beware of spoilers ye who forge onward…
So that’s my rant… I don’t know if I can give it one star, since like I said, I did at least enjoy some of the book, but wow. Hopefully some of the other recommendations are a little better than this one turned out to be.
As of late there’s been a lot of dead whales showing up in one particular area so they’re heading out to find the poachers and put an end to the recent killing spree. So there’s Emily, the main character, a grad student working in marine biology, Steve, who Emily is fairly certain is there just because he has a crush on her, Zoe the young and dumb ‘save the whales’ environmentalist who doesn’t really have much of a clue, and their expedition leader Cliff, who Emily has a giant girl crush on. On another nearby vessel are Carl, Trevor, and Bo who are all working on some mysterious underwater mining research. Within the first few pages I could tell: This is definitely not Meg.
So I’ll begin with this: How much science do you like in your science fiction? If the answer is little to none, this may be a decent read. After all, who doesn’t love a bunch of annoying and self righteous college students getting snapped up by a megalodon? If you do like a little scientific basis I would recommend steering clear because it becomes fairly obvious that the author did zero research when he decided to start writing about megalodons. One of the things I liked about Meg was that the author grounded his readers fairly early on by explaining where the megalodon was, how it had survived, and why it was just now beginning to wreak havoc. This author didn’t really do that. The shark is just suddenly there. If he’d made up his own toothy sea monster, this might have been easier to read, but there are a lot of glaring errors and oversights about sharks, and it’s only exacerbated by many more editing errors. I was able to sort of look past that. After all, it’s more of an adventure survivor story anyways. Maybe not five star material, but I might still like it.
This is where the characters come in. A lot of these characters spell fodder from the beginning. The quiet guy that doesn’t talk too much, the permanently angry man that no one talks to because he’s always in a bad mood… underdeveloped background characters spell out chum. It takes away a lot of suspense and sympathy when people no one cares about are getting picked off because main character needs to be upset about something. With just a little extra effort and a few more pages this book could have been better by just giving these people a little more of a story, a little more substance. The characters that were developed though were frankly pretty unlikable. Emily is pretty arrogant and self absorbed. I mean, you kind of have to be to assume this random college guy would pay hundreds or possibly even thousands of dollars to follow you from Minnesota to Hawaii just to annoy you on a two day boat trip for a cause he has no interest in. Zoe is painted to be a ditzy and reckless environmentalist who only really cares for the cause because she’s young and passionate rather than having any real motivation for doing it. Again, not the best element for a fictional survivor story since it leaves you rooting for no survivors. Go Megalodon! Kill em all! Eat their faces! Woohoo!
Despite all this, I was actually on my way to giving this a decent review. I was enjoying it. Perhaps not the way it was intended to be enjoyed, but I was having fun with it and that’s what matters. Up until the end. Beware of spoilers ye who forge onward…
So that’s my rant… I don’t know if I can give it one star, since like I said, I did at least enjoy some of the book, but wow. Hopefully some of the other recommendations are a little better than this one turned out to be.
March 24, 2017
Four people are on a scientific boat trip to observe whalers from a safe distance. ManneEx has a three man crew out on an experimental mining project. Both are about to come into contact with a very intelligent super sized shark that is determined to kill them all.
I liked the characters in the book. Emily is very dedicated to the anti-whaling cause and is delighted to be invited along on the trip, where they plan to stay well away from the whalers and gather evidence of what they are doing. Steve has come along more out of interest in Emily than anything else and soon gets bored, but he seems quite genuine as a person in spite of his stalking. I liked Zoe as she seemed like a person I could get along with. It is while en route to the position of the whaler that they first see the movement in the water. It becomes clear that it is a megalodon from the size of it and it is getting closer and closer to their small boat...Over on the mining vessel are Carl, Trevor and Bo, who are getting a bit fed up with each other's company on a long trip. They put differences aside when they are called to the aid of Emily's boat and come face to face with the shark.
The shark was very cool. It is intelligent and hell bent on destruction but seems capable of planning its next move which means our survivors are trying to think of ways to trick or defeat it. We see lots of the shark, which I liked, and there is tension on virtually every page as they wait for the next attack or death. It certainly kept up a good pace as they wait and hope that the coastguard will rescue them.
The sexist rubbish that appears in the book did annoy me a bit. The men seem to think that a driven woman can't possibly ever marry as she would be too focused on other things to look after her husband and it is such a waste because Zoe is so pretty! Gah pass the vomit bucket please. So because she is pretty, Zoe must have a man to complete her in some way? Jeez. Thankfully it was just a minor thing near the start of the book but I just felt it didn't need to be there. It added nothing to the story when the main interest was people being eaten. It didn't detract from the story though.
I've now read three books by this author and I very much like his work. He knows how to write exciting plots around dinosaurs and sharks and I look forward to more from him in the future.
I liked the characters in the book. Emily is very dedicated to the anti-whaling cause and is delighted to be invited along on the trip, where they plan to stay well away from the whalers and gather evidence of what they are doing. Steve has come along more out of interest in Emily than anything else and soon gets bored, but he seems quite genuine as a person in spite of his stalking. I liked Zoe as she seemed like a person I could get along with. It is while en route to the position of the whaler that they first see the movement in the water. It becomes clear that it is a megalodon from the size of it and it is getting closer and closer to their small boat...Over on the mining vessel are Carl, Trevor and Bo, who are getting a bit fed up with each other's company on a long trip. They put differences aside when they are called to the aid of Emily's boat and come face to face with the shark.
The shark was very cool. It is intelligent and hell bent on destruction but seems capable of planning its next move which means our survivors are trying to think of ways to trick or defeat it. We see lots of the shark, which I liked, and there is tension on virtually every page as they wait for the next attack or death. It certainly kept up a good pace as they wait and hope that the coastguard will rescue them.
The sexist rubbish that appears in the book did annoy me a bit. The men seem to think that a driven woman can't possibly ever marry as she would be too focused on other things to look after her husband and it is such a waste because Zoe is so pretty! Gah pass the vomit bucket please. So because she is pretty, Zoe must have a man to complete her in some way? Jeez. Thankfully it was just a minor thing near the start of the book but I just felt it didn't need to be there. It added nothing to the story when the main interest was people being eaten. It didn't detract from the story though.
I've now read three books by this author and I very much like his work. He knows how to write exciting plots around dinosaurs and sharks and I look forward to more from him in the future.
July 9, 2016
A Fun Way to Spend a Day
I chose three stars because, while I liked the book and was entertained by it, I thought that it could have been a bit shorter. The POV switched at first, when the two boats and sets of characters were apart, but once the two crews met there was very little change in POV and what there was, was lighter and less substantial than it was initially. While not necessarily a bad thing, it just felt inconsistent. It was a good story about a giant shark, but there was no real description of the shark. The inference is that it is just a very large Great White, but if that is the case, say so. If it isn't, describe the differences. Other than that, a fun time and a good time killer.
I chose three stars because, while I liked the book and was entertained by it, I thought that it could have been a bit shorter. The POV switched at first, when the two boats and sets of characters were apart, but once the two crews met there was very little change in POV and what there was, was lighter and less substantial than it was initially. While not necessarily a bad thing, it just felt inconsistent. It was a good story about a giant shark, but there was no real description of the shark. The inference is that it is just a very large Great White, but if that is the case, say so. If it isn't, describe the differences. Other than that, a fun time and a good time killer.
January 8, 2016
read in one sitting
really enjoyed it; about 2 boat parties getting attacked/stalked by a megalodon shark
characters are very real as they reacted the way most of use would by shouting; panicking and freezing
really enjoyed it; about 2 boat parties getting attacked/stalked by a megalodon shark
characters are very real as they reacted the way most of use would by shouting; panicking and freezing
November 19, 2020
Enjoyable
While it was the typical scenario huge shark eats almost everyone, it did leave some questions as where and why that shark was around. The main character did a lot of mistakes and quite frankly, I was routing for the shark to get her. I also did not like the point how selfish she was toward the guy who liked her and saved her life numerous time. In the end I did agreed with the ending the author chooses, i it isn't broken, why fix it.
While it was the typical scenario huge shark eats almost everyone, it did leave some questions as where and why that shark was around. The main character did a lot of mistakes and quite frankly, I was routing for the shark to get her. I also did not like the point how selfish she was toward the guy who liked her and saved her life numerous time. In the end I did agreed with the ending the author chooses, i it isn't broken, why fix it.
July 13, 2020
5 Stars
I read Jurassic Island by Zarkov in 2016 and for some reason waited 4 years to read the sequel Jurassic Seas I enjoyed both and now Megatooth may have been the best of the three. Three grad students and an environmentalists looking for sperm whale poachers run across a shark bigger than any whale they've ever seen and now it's hunting them.
I read Jurassic Island by Zarkov in 2016 and for some reason waited 4 years to read the sequel Jurassic Seas I enjoyed both and now Megatooth may have been the best of the three. Three grad students and an environmentalists looking for sperm whale poachers run across a shark bigger than any whale they've ever seen and now it's hunting them.
March 1, 2025
NOT THE AUTHOR’S BEST
Bad editing, wrong words. I don’t read dinosaur stories to see two dumb post adolescents stumble around. Didn’t seem like any research was used, only imagination.
Bad editing, wrong words. I don’t read dinosaur stories to see two dumb post adolescents stumble around. Didn’t seem like any research was used, only imagination.
May 4, 2017
Fast paced creature thriller. It could have used a little more editing. Good entertainment for a couple of hours.
May 9, 2017
Different take on the Megalodon stories. Not created by the governments this time.
May 28, 2023
I should have known what to expect after reading two other books by this author. But like a glutton for punishment I thought I'd try this.
Bland, boring and utterly predictable.
Bland, boring and utterly predictable.
March 10, 2017
Shark 8 Humans 2
Not a lot of meat to the story. However it was an enjoyable with characters that were okay although a bit one dimensional. By the end of the it was looking like this time the shark would win. There were some typos in the story but they aren't to much of distraction if spot them and then figure out what is misspelled. There is one passage that did have me scratching my head and that dealt with a reference to have escaped the men trying to kill Emily and Steve, the two major characters and the start of a romance. Despite the minor flaws in the editting this was an enjoyable for me.
Not a lot of meat to the story. However it was an enjoyable with characters that were okay although a bit one dimensional. By the end of the it was looking like this time the shark would win. There were some typos in the story but they aren't to much of distraction if spot them and then figure out what is misspelled. There is one passage that did have me scratching my head and that dealt with a reference to have escaped the men trying to kill Emily and Steve, the two major characters and the start of a romance. Despite the minor flaws in the editting this was an enjoyable for me.
January 18, 2016
A group of people set out to see to discover what is killing the sperm whale population in this area. They think that maybe it's poachers. They are wrong!
This was a nice, quick book to read. If you are a fan of megalodon stories, you will probably enjoy this. There was lots of shark carnage without ever really giving too violent of descriptions. Interesting method of how they took the shark out.
I had a few small problems with this book. 1., the main character was not very like able. She seemed kind of like a jerk ( towards Steve). 2., the book should have ended with getting rescued and taken to the hospital. The last chapter at the airport felt tacked on. 3., I read the kindle version, and there were a LOT of typos. It felt like whoever typed this up got lazier and lazier the more they typed. The book starts off fine, but the more you read, the more the typos crop up, until you get to the last little bit of the book and they are everywhere and now it's not just misspellings but just the entirely wrong words ( that's not even remotely close to the right word!) start showing up! I can over look some typos if they are few and far between, but it got super ridiculous in this book! 4., this story was a little predictable (as far as who was going to die next, what wrecked next, etc.)
Over all, I had fun reading it. It's not the greatest shark story but it was alright.
This was a nice, quick book to read. If you are a fan of megalodon stories, you will probably enjoy this. There was lots of shark carnage without ever really giving too violent of descriptions. Interesting method of how they took the shark out.
I had a few small problems with this book. 1., the main character was not very like able. She seemed kind of like a jerk ( towards Steve). 2., the book should have ended with getting rescued and taken to the hospital. The last chapter at the airport felt tacked on. 3., I read the kindle version, and there were a LOT of typos. It felt like whoever typed this up got lazier and lazier the more they typed. The book starts off fine, but the more you read, the more the typos crop up, until you get to the last little bit of the book and they are everywhere and now it's not just misspellings but just the entirely wrong words ( that's not even remotely close to the right word!) start showing up! I can over look some typos if they are few and far between, but it got super ridiculous in this book! 4., this story was a little predictable (as far as who was going to die next, what wrecked next, etc.)
Over all, I had fun reading it. It's not the greatest shark story but it was alright.
May 11, 2016
Megatooth let down
This book was written really well. The storyline excellently done and the pace super fast. Just when the story has got you hooked the author ends it. It was like a 50 page term paper was expected but only 4 pages got turned in. I will not buy anything else from this author. I will not recommend this book or any of his others to anyone! You just feel cheated after reading
This book was written really well. The storyline excellently done and the pace super fast. Just when the story has got you hooked the author ends it. It was like a 50 page term paper was expected but only 4 pages got turned in. I will not buy anything else from this author. I will not recommend this book or any of his others to anyone! You just feel cheated after reading
Read
January 21, 2016I may biased about this book due to my love for all things shark related, but this was a very well put together novel. Perhaps a little better proofreading was needed, but I can over look that on the count of this being top notch. The action and suspense were in good supply, and you never really knew who would make it out alive. A pleasant read and we'll worth checking out.
January 18, 2016
Read this book in one sitting, not bad if you're looking for a quick read about the terrors of the deep. Not too deep or full of character development but it does what it says on the tin: giant prehistoric shark terrorizing humans in the open ocean.
March 12, 2016
Excellent Creature Feature
Quick, exciting read with some really scary scenes. Never really rises above B-level status, but it also never gets boring. I will be reading other works by this author.
Quick, exciting read with some really scary scenes. Never really rises above B-level status, but it also never gets boring. I will be reading other works by this author.
January 5, 2016
Exciting
From the beginning to the end this book held my attention. Good character development and quite exciting. Could use a better proofreader.
From the beginning to the end this book held my attention. Good character development and quite exciting. Could use a better proofreader.
June 11, 2016
Good
I like stories about fictional creatures and about ones that existed in past history and when a writer tells a. Good story
I like stories about fictional creatures and about ones that existed in past history and when a writer tells a. Good story
February 6, 2026
It was ok, just a little generic and very little character development.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews