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Titanoboa: Journey To The Amazon
Professor Hank Newstead has been making expeditions to the Amazon River for years. They've become routine to him. But this time, the expedition is going to be anything but normal. Hank, along with a hardened river boat captain, his much younger girlfriend, and his main professional rival, are in the Amazon purely to study frogs. All their plans vanish quickly, however, when they are attacked by a Titanoboa, an enormous prehistoric snake that should be millions of years in its grave. As their crew dwindles from a series of terrifying attacks, they discover a a long lost colleague of the professor has taken up residence on an island in the deepest parts of the jungle. And if Hank and the others can't find and stop her, then the Titanoboa will not be the only extinct monster unleashed back into the world.
134 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2017
201 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
July 25, 2018
Dr Hank Newstead is taking a few of his students on an Amazon expedition to a site looking for the disappearing tree frogs that he studies. He already has fears about being forced into retirement by an eager young rival and whether his new relationship is doomed by the time they set sail and he wonders if he is getting too old for field work just as Erin craves the opportunity to take part in it. However, it doesn't take long for the Captain-Hank's friend Morgan to see something unusual in the water on his radar and they go straight into a deadly encounter with a giant snake that is meant to be long extinct. It is only the first deadly episode with extinct creatures and soon the survivors are wondering if they need to make a run for it on land to get help.
I was actually surprised to like this one as much as I did. I had concerns about the romance mentioned in the blurb in case it took away from the story but it is very much a background detail and not the focus of the story which was fine with me. It is there to gain an introduction to two of the characters more than anything. It is the same with the tension between Hank and Randy. We see it in the first few pages but it's there for character development and it isn't in any way annoying to me. Actually, despite an instant dislike of Randy in the first few pages, I soon grew to like him! I liked the characters in general, especially the gruff grumpy boat captain who doesn't like jokes about his name being Captain Morgan.
We also follow the antics of Dr Annalisa Sanderton, an intelligent scientist colleague of Hank who has an interest in extinct species. She has been suffering from a mental illness which is affecting her thought processes and has convinced herself that she must bring back these extinct species and unleash them on the Amazon to kill people. She is working in a remote, protected camp near the river and this is where Hank thinks they might find some kind of help or at least answers to what is going on. Annalisa, in her few lucid moments is horrified by her own actions but can't stop herself. I liked this twist of having the evil scientist actually being mentally ill instead of being just a bad person. It was interesting to follow what she was doing and I certainly had sympathy for her situation.
The book gets into the story straight away after a few pages introducing the characters. We meet the snake very early on and from that moment the story moves along at a good pace. For those of you who like creature feature, there are a few fun ones in this book including a shoal of giant pirhana and tree frogs that you don't want to mess with. And that is before they try to run through the Amazon to escape Titanoboa! The monster scenes are a lot of fun to read and are as you would expect in this kind of book. It is nicely paced and something is happening all the time to keep the reader interested. It is a pretty quick read but keeps a good standard and I enjoyed the way that the story unfolded.
If you like this b movie creature feature where people get eaten, then why not try this one for a fun horror read!
I was actually surprised to like this one as much as I did. I had concerns about the romance mentioned in the blurb in case it took away from the story but it is very much a background detail and not the focus of the story which was fine with me. It is there to gain an introduction to two of the characters more than anything. It is the same with the tension between Hank and Randy. We see it in the first few pages but it's there for character development and it isn't in any way annoying to me. Actually, despite an instant dislike of Randy in the first few pages, I soon grew to like him! I liked the characters in general, especially the gruff grumpy boat captain who doesn't like jokes about his name being Captain Morgan.
We also follow the antics of Dr Annalisa Sanderton, an intelligent scientist colleague of Hank who has an interest in extinct species. She has been suffering from a mental illness which is affecting her thought processes and has convinced herself that she must bring back these extinct species and unleash them on the Amazon to kill people. She is working in a remote, protected camp near the river and this is where Hank thinks they might find some kind of help or at least answers to what is going on. Annalisa, in her few lucid moments is horrified by her own actions but can't stop herself. I liked this twist of having the evil scientist actually being mentally ill instead of being just a bad person. It was interesting to follow what she was doing and I certainly had sympathy for her situation.
The book gets into the story straight away after a few pages introducing the characters. We meet the snake very early on and from that moment the story moves along at a good pace. For those of you who like creature feature, there are a few fun ones in this book including a shoal of giant pirhana and tree frogs that you don't want to mess with. And that is before they try to run through the Amazon to escape Titanoboa! The monster scenes are a lot of fun to read and are as you would expect in this kind of book. It is nicely paced and something is happening all the time to keep the reader interested. It is a pretty quick read but keeps a good standard and I enjoyed the way that the story unfolded.
If you like this b movie creature feature where people get eaten, then why not try this one for a fun horror read!
December 9, 2022
The story is fast-paced and filled with action and suspense with some science fiction, but I believe there should have been more science fiction added to the account as we learn how the extinct Titanoboa came to be in the present-day world.
Some characters had enough development to explain why they were crucial to the story whereas others felt like they were only added just to give more body counts to this adventure/horror literature. I mean I do like to see characters bite the dust, but I really want to know a little more about them.
Most importantly the title indicates that the story is going to involve a giant snake and it will be the main part of the story. However, that was not the case as the giant serpent does not have as much page time as I was hoping for and it was more or less thrown into the story just to give the story a whole reason why the plot must progress. If you asked me I believe "Journey to the Amazon" would have just been fine or something like "Mystery in the Amazon" or something that would not give the readers the idea that they are going to be seeing a giant snake for a majority of the time.
Some characters had enough development to explain why they were crucial to the story whereas others felt like they were only added just to give more body counts to this adventure/horror literature. I mean I do like to see characters bite the dust, but I really want to know a little more about them.
Most importantly the title indicates that the story is going to involve a giant snake and it will be the main part of the story. However, that was not the case as the giant serpent does not have as much page time as I was hoping for and it was more or less thrown into the story just to give the story a whole reason why the plot must progress. If you asked me I believe "Journey to the Amazon" would have just been fine or something like "Mystery in the Amazon" or something that would not give the readers the idea that they are going to be seeing a giant snake for a majority of the time.
October 21, 2017
Great Adventure
Great story would love a sequel! Snake adventure stories are awesome! Action packed! Crazed villain and killer piranhas! Need another!
Great story would love a sequel! Snake adventure stories are awesome! Action packed! Crazed villain and killer piranhas! Need another!
October 21, 2017
Fun, Fast and Forgotable. Didn't bring anything new to the table.
April 13, 2025
A classic story of scientists messing with something they shouldn't. When gigantic species go extinct, maybe they should stay that way.
We have a group setting out on an expidition to study frogs. They are horrified when they are attacked by a gigantic snake. After seeing the beast & seeing the horror it would inflict, they desperately tried to get away. Then when they discover the reason for the beasts presence a new horror unfolds.
We have a group setting out on an expidition to study frogs. They are horrified when they are attacked by a gigantic snake. After seeing the beast & seeing the horror it would inflict, they desperately tried to get away. Then when they discover the reason for the beasts presence a new horror unfolds.
March 28, 2025
This was a good story and kept my attention throughout. A lot of action and lots of dangers and some deaths. Narrator does a good job with the various characters voices and the entire storyline.
February 15, 2021
This book has elements of Anaconda (the author's edition book not the movie)--a group taking a boat trip down the Amazon, a giant snake, and an interesting tale of Amazonian Jungle. The departure comes in that the titanoboa is a creation of a mad scientist. I really enjoyed how the snake was taken down. The take down is NOT anticlimactic, but a true culmination of the story. The author's descriptive ability is amazing. There were parts that made me sick to my stomach--WELL DONE!!
October 12, 2017
I loved this book. The characters were wonderful and I did not want to say goodbye to them. Looking to put this on my save bookshelf and find more by this author.
Great book.
Great book.
June 8, 2023
Review of this book.
This was an astounding book. The story was very believable. I am sure that the author did quite a bit of research before writing this book. I know that scientists have done a lot of experimenting with genetics, trying to recreate extinct species. They have also experimented with crossing different species to create more exotic species. This excellent book brings to reality what can happen. The story was so realistic that it was terrifying. I enjoyed every minute of this book. Keep up the good work.
This was an astounding book. The story was very believable. I am sure that the author did quite a bit of research before writing this book. I know that scientists have done a lot of experimenting with genetics, trying to recreate extinct species. They have also experimented with crossing different species to create more exotic species. This excellent book brings to reality what can happen. The story was so realistic that it was terrifying. I enjoyed every minute of this book. Keep up the good work.
July 24, 2023
A Fun Trip Down the Amazon
Titanoboa: Journey To The Amazon by P.K. Hawkins is a fun ride. Do not let the title make you think this is just a story about people getting picked off on the Amazon by a giant snake. There is so much that happens in this book that it is a non stop roller coaster. The pacing of the book was great. I also really enjoyed the characters in the story finding most of them to be quite likable. All in all I would recommend Titanoboa: Journey To The Amazon by P.K. Hawkins to anyone who likes creature features or enjoys horror/thrillers.
Titanoboa: Journey To The Amazon by P.K. Hawkins is a fun ride. Do not let the title make you think this is just a story about people getting picked off on the Amazon by a giant snake. There is so much that happens in this book that it is a non stop roller coaster. The pacing of the book was great. I also really enjoyed the characters in the story finding most of them to be quite likable. All in all I would recommend Titanoboa: Journey To The Amazon by P.K. Hawkins to anyone who likes creature features or enjoys horror/thrillers.
July 30, 2022
?
Idk I guess it just wasn't for me. The mad scientist,romance between professor and student. Just didn't care for it. Some characters you just want to kill yourself. And just didn't really care for the ending. All and all it was just average for me.
Idk I guess it just wasn't for me. The mad scientist,romance between professor and student. Just didn't care for it. Some characters you just want to kill yourself. And just didn't really care for the ending. All and all it was just average for me.
February 9, 2023
Unexpected Plot
The story of a mad scientist re-creating prehistoric animals from extracted DNA is a spell-binding read and makes the reader wonder what other prehistoric animals can be recreated!
The story of a mad scientist re-creating prehistoric animals from extracted DNA is a spell-binding read and makes the reader wonder what other prehistoric animals can be recreated!
June 22, 2023
Ahhh nothing like an oversized snake book to get you through the week.
Randy surviving pissed me off a bit but i guess he did redeem himself towards the end.
Captain Morgan: i knew he would die and it did make me sad, but it was a really cool death so its alright.
Randy surviving pissed me off a bit but i guess he did redeem himself towards the end.
Captain Morgan: i knew he would die and it did make me sad, but it was a really cool death so its alright.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2025
Mad Scientist!
At last, A mad scientist! Mad from having her brilliant mind destroyed by prions. Before she meets her end though she manages to create a Titanoboa, giant piranha, and an over-sized tree frog.
At last, A mad scientist! Mad from having her brilliant mind destroyed by prions. Before she meets her end though she manages to create a Titanoboa, giant piranha, and an over-sized tree frog.
March 10, 2022
Not good, not bad. Could have used an editor badly...spelling and grammar mistakes throughout.
November 24, 2023
The book is a nice and fun little ride, it would make a great movie.
January 14, 2018
I really wanted to like it. After all we are talking gigant snake here.
However, I kept waiting for it to be better, but it never did. It had a lot of potential but did not use it.
Mostly it was okay, but very uneven. All the explainations came far too quickly to enjoy the mystery. Only character I cared about was the captain.
The gory scenes were fine and fun and the author seems to know his science.
However, I kept waiting for it to be better, but it never did. It had a lot of potential but did not use it.
Mostly it was okay, but very uneven. All the explainations came far too quickly to enjoy the mystery. Only character I cared about was the captain.
The gory scenes were fine and fun and the author seems to know his science.
November 15, 2017
Very good book
I enjoyed from the first page...good characters and lots of action...I hope there are more books to come...very good read
I enjoyed from the first page...good characters and lots of action...I hope there are more books to come...very good read
January 29, 2018
Wow
Scary stuff out there. Didn't want to put it down.
An Amazon river trip. Huge hungry creatures and a mad scientist. What possibly go wrong.
Scary stuff out there. Didn't want to put it down.
An Amazon river trip. Huge hungry creatures and a mad scientist. What possibly go wrong.
June 16, 2018
Titanoboa
I liked it more than I thought I would, but then I’m a sci-fi fan. Make a movie out of this😉
I liked it more than I thought I would, but then I’m a sci-fi fan. Make a movie out of this😉
June 17, 2018
Good but too short
I liked this book. The idea behind the story was good, but I felt it came to an end too soon. Worth a try
I liked this book. The idea behind the story was good, but I felt it came to an end too soon. Worth a try
August 29, 2018
Titanoboa
I personally loved this book. Was different and amusing. I read these kind of stories for pleasure and amusement. Great fun.
I personally loved this book. Was different and amusing. I read these kind of stories for pleasure and amusement. Great fun.
September 1, 2018
A quick fun romp.
May 19, 2019
Loved the mad scientist as the evil villian who replicates long thought to be extinct animals. Some from thousands of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the earth.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews