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The Maw
Winner of the 2018 Clive Cussler Grandmaster Adventure Writer's Competition
2019 Oregon Book Awards Finalist
For fans of Clive Cussler and Michael Crichton, a thrilling tale of an underground expedition to the deep . . . and the ultimate struggle for survival.
Milo Luttrell never expected to step inside the mouth of an ancient cave in rural Tanzania. After all, he's a historian—not an archaeologist. Summoned under the guise of a mysterious life-changing opportunity, Milo suddenly finds himself in the midst of an expedition into the largest underground system in Africa, helmed by a brash billionaire-turned-exploration guru and his elite team of cavers. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally solve a century-old disappearance of the famed explorer Lord Riley DeWar, an enigmatic figure who both made—and nearly ruined—Milo's fledgling career.
Determined to make the most of his second chance, Milo joins the team and begins a harrowing descent into one of Earth's last secrets: a dangerous, pitch-black realm of twisting passages and ancient fossils nearly two thousand feet underground. But when a storm hits the surface base camp, stranding the cavers and washing away supplies, all communication to the outside world is lost. As the remaining resources dwindle and members of the team begin to exhibit strange and terrifying abilities, Milo must brave the encroaching darkness to unearth the truth behind DeWar's fascination with the deep—and why he never left.
2019 Oregon Book Awards Finalist
For fans of Clive Cussler and Michael Crichton, a thrilling tale of an underground expedition to the deep . . . and the ultimate struggle for survival.
Milo Luttrell never expected to step inside the mouth of an ancient cave in rural Tanzania. After all, he's a historian—not an archaeologist. Summoned under the guise of a mysterious life-changing opportunity, Milo suddenly finds himself in the midst of an expedition into the largest underground system in Africa, helmed by a brash billionaire-turned-exploration guru and his elite team of cavers. It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance to finally solve a century-old disappearance of the famed explorer Lord Riley DeWar, an enigmatic figure who both made—and nearly ruined—Milo's fledgling career.
Determined to make the most of his second chance, Milo joins the team and begins a harrowing descent into one of Earth's last secrets: a dangerous, pitch-black realm of twisting passages and ancient fossils nearly two thousand feet underground. But when a storm hits the surface base camp, stranding the cavers and washing away supplies, all communication to the outside world is lost. As the remaining resources dwindle and members of the team begin to exhibit strange and terrifying abilities, Milo must brave the encroaching darkness to unearth the truth behind DeWar's fascination with the deep—and why he never left.
312 pages, Paperback
First published June 5, 2018
142 people are currently reading
1005 people want to read
About the author
Taylor Zajonc
10 books57 followersWinner, 2018 Clive Cussler "Grandmaster" Adventure Writers Competition
Finalist, 2019 Oregon Book Awards / Ken Kesey Award for Fiction
As an award-winning novelist, maritime historian, Explorers Club member, and deep-sea shipwreck expert, Taylor Zajonc's real-life adventures nearly exceed those of his fictional counterparts. His fascination with exploration began when he joined a Russian expedition to the deepest archaeological site on the planet, descending nearly three miles into the abyss of the Bermuda Triangle aboard a Soviet-era submersible. Since then, Taylor has joined two RMS Titanic expeditions and contributed to some of the most important shipwreck finds of the past decade, including World War II treasure ships and U-boats, Admiral Balchen's HMS Victory, and the treasure steamship SS Connaught. His novels include THE WRECKING CREW (Blank Slate 2016), RED SUN ROGUE (Blank Slate 2017), and THE MAW (Skyhorse 2018).
Finalist, 2019 Oregon Book Awards / Ken Kesey Award for Fiction
As an award-winning novelist, maritime historian, Explorers Club member, and deep-sea shipwreck expert, Taylor Zajonc's real-life adventures nearly exceed those of his fictional counterparts. His fascination with exploration began when he joined a Russian expedition to the deepest archaeological site on the planet, descending nearly three miles into the abyss of the Bermuda Triangle aboard a Soviet-era submersible. Since then, Taylor has joined two RMS Titanic expeditions and contributed to some of the most important shipwreck finds of the past decade, including World War II treasure ships and U-boats, Admiral Balchen's HMS Victory, and the treasure steamship SS Connaught. His novels include THE WRECKING CREW (Blank Slate 2016), RED SUN ROGUE (Blank Slate 2017), and THE MAW (Skyhorse 2018).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
June 13, 2019
I think I will leave this as a 4. The tension does build. I can say it is a bit of a horror novel for those with fear of caves and being stranded in the deep and starving, running out of light- that kind of thing. But there is more. There is another kind of threat. This isn’t some creature feature like some of the other works I have read. It was very different. It’s not your conventional threat in the darkness type of cave adventure. There are the real usual dangers of caving and then ones you can’t see. Double entendrè.
January 23, 2018
What lies in the depths of the earth? Jules Verne was fascinated by a journey to the Center of the Earth. Burroughs had Perry's prospector to dig five hundred miles through the surface to find the inner world of Pellucidar. The Maw takes us on an expedition deep into the earth, where the few intrepid explorers have to survive and struggle on their own. The story seems pretty routine till they get into the cave and then the adventures begin and the book really shines as interpersonal relationships are tested and physical endurance is tested. It somehow becomes a great survival story - with some fascinating mysteries too - that's really hard to put down. Well written, indeed.
Thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for a review copy.
Thanks to Skyhorse Publishing for a review copy.
July 11, 2018
Why I Will Never Voluntarily Enter a Cave, exhibit B (exhibit A = Sarah Lotz's The White Road).
April 11, 2019
Immediately after reading this, I picked up Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne, because this book quotes that book quite a few times. Somehow, I'd never read Verne's classic story before ...
This was a pretty good read. Set in Africa, Tanzania, a group of interesting and varied characters is set to (illegally) explore a previously unknown, or more accurately, lost to modern knowledge, supercave.
The premise for the main character, an academic (historian) from Georgetown being included in the handpicked by a billionaire tycoon adventurer is to search for a mysteriously vanished playboy adventurer from the early 1900s, a Lord Dewar, who is thought to have absconded with his investor's money and vanished. The main character, Milo, is a bit of an unusual academic, and doesn't pursue 'normal' tenure tracks in his investigations/pursuits into history, and sort of tanked his career prospects with a paper on the vanished Lord Dewar, which is how he (Milo) comes to the attention of the billionaire tycoon adventurer, and is invited to join the expedition. "Invited" might not be the right word - the tycoon offers his Georgetown department a large donation if Milo joins the expedition, and Milo, who is sort of forced to join it by his department chair, does so without any foreknowledge at all of what the expedition will be. He is given no information until he signs a non-disclosure agreement, upon his arrival in Tanzania.
Anyway, it's a pretty damn good story. Not sure why I only went with 3 stars ... might have to bump that up to four. I'll think about it. :D
This was a pretty good read. Set in Africa, Tanzania, a group of interesting and varied characters is set to (illegally) explore a previously unknown, or more accurately, lost to modern knowledge, supercave.
The premise for the main character, an academic (historian) from Georgetown being included in the handpicked by a billionaire tycoon adventurer is to search for a mysteriously vanished playboy adventurer from the early 1900s, a Lord Dewar, who is thought to have absconded with his investor's money and vanished. The main character, Milo, is a bit of an unusual academic, and doesn't pursue 'normal' tenure tracks in his investigations/pursuits into history, and sort of tanked his career prospects with a paper on the vanished Lord Dewar, which is how he (Milo) comes to the attention of the billionaire tycoon adventurer, and is invited to join the expedition. "Invited" might not be the right word - the tycoon offers his Georgetown department a large donation if Milo joins the expedition, and Milo, who is sort of forced to join it by his department chair, does so without any foreknowledge at all of what the expedition will be. He is given no information until he signs a non-disclosure agreement, upon his arrival in Tanzania.
Anyway, it's a pretty damn good story. Not sure why I only went with 3 stars ... might have to bump that up to four. I'll think about it. :D
January 23, 2018
The premise and the set up of a group of cavers in search of a lost expedition was interesting but the plot became too convoluted with a psychedelic turn that didn't really work with the rest of the story.
Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley
Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley
September 27, 2018
I love adventure stories and the synopsis of this book sounded like it was right up my alley. Unfortunately, the story itself was quite a letdown for me. Here's why:
***Very Minor SPOILERS Below***
And that sums up the story pretty good overall: Tons of squandered potential. Rather than focus on character building and adventures and mysteries, the author went in too many direction and the result was not very satisfying as a reader.
Sadly, not recommended.
***Very Minor SPOILERS Below***
And that sums up the story pretty good overall: Tons of squandered potential. Rather than focus on character building and adventures and mysteries, the author went in too many direction and the result was not very satisfying as a reader.
Sadly, not recommended.
June 11, 2018
Kind of intriguing at first. Descriptive and live writing style, not as lyrical as I would have hoped but maybe adventure books shouldn't even be poetic or lyrical in the first place.
I wasn't too keen on all the historic details and psychedelic aspects. Good adventure, though. I've read better, but I've also seen a lot worse.
A great read for crazy adventure lovers who don't get too claustrophobic - there are a lot of "tight spaces" in this story. (cover design is there for a reason)
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I wasn't too keen on all the historic details and psychedelic aspects. Good adventure, though. I've read better, but I've also seen a lot worse.
A great read for crazy adventure lovers who don't get too claustrophobic - there are a lot of "tight spaces" in this story. (cover design is there for a reason)
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2020
Effective mix of history, adventuring and more... The first half was brisk and fun. Then it bogged down, but finished with a fascinating and extremely compelling ending.
January 24, 2018
4 stars
I read the Kindle edition.
Milo Luttrell is an adjunct professor of history at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. His university is given a huge donation with the proviso that Milo go to a so far unknown location on an expedition. Milo’s boss tells him that he has no choice for he hasn’t published anything for quite a while. In the “publish or perish” world of university politics, this is a serious lapse.
When he finally arrives at the site, Milo learns that Dale Brunsfield in charge of the site. He is both a rich guy and an enthusiastic hunter of fortunes. He is on the trail of the lost DeWar expedition of 1901. DeWar’s expedition is the reason Milo has fallen from grace with his colleagues. He put forth a theory that was later disproven and Milo’s reputation suffered greatly from this. The location of the hunt is in Tanzania where the largest prehistoric cave in Africa is located.
Apparently all that is really known about the lost expedition is that Lord Riley DeWar and twenty-two others disappeared after leaving Dar-es-Salaam, never leaving another trace of their existence. Brunsfield hopes to find the remains of the expedition in the cave.
Odd things are already happening at the camp. Milo finds that his backpack has been gone through and some things, such as his cell phone, are missing. As the group, including a reality television film crew enters the cave, Milo and the others are awestruck. There are cave paintings, animal bones and other wonders to behold.
When Dr. Bridget suspects that the Marburg virus is present in the cave, the group runs headlong back to near the entrance. An argument takes place about the truth of whether Marburg is present or not. They enter in another place and witness more spectacular sights. Milo finds an item that was from an earlier expedition. He also sees on the wall a carving from Lord Riley. He was really there!
During another cave crawl, disaster strikes. Rushing to safety is the only thing on the team’s mind now. One tragedy after another befalls the group. They continue to explore the cave until they can go no further. The things they see and feel are horrific and wondrous. Milo and Bridget locate Sir Riley DeWar. And they discover what happened to him.
This is an adventure story. It is dramatic and action-packed. The writing is fairly good, but the plotting tends to skip here and there. I would call this speculative fiction. A “what if” story. It is good reading, if you like this sort of novel. I like going on these flights of fancy once in a while and I like action. So, all in all, it was a pretty good read. I went to Amazon to look for others of Taylor Zajonc’s novels as I do believe I will try another of his books. I enjoyed this one.
I want to thank NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.
I read the Kindle edition.
Milo Luttrell is an adjunct professor of history at Georgetown University in Washington, DC. His university is given a huge donation with the proviso that Milo go to a so far unknown location on an expedition. Milo’s boss tells him that he has no choice for he hasn’t published anything for quite a while. In the “publish or perish” world of university politics, this is a serious lapse.
When he finally arrives at the site, Milo learns that Dale Brunsfield in charge of the site. He is both a rich guy and an enthusiastic hunter of fortunes. He is on the trail of the lost DeWar expedition of 1901. DeWar’s expedition is the reason Milo has fallen from grace with his colleagues. He put forth a theory that was later disproven and Milo’s reputation suffered greatly from this. The location of the hunt is in Tanzania where the largest prehistoric cave in Africa is located.
Apparently all that is really known about the lost expedition is that Lord Riley DeWar and twenty-two others disappeared after leaving Dar-es-Salaam, never leaving another trace of their existence. Brunsfield hopes to find the remains of the expedition in the cave.
Odd things are already happening at the camp. Milo finds that his backpack has been gone through and some things, such as his cell phone, are missing. As the group, including a reality television film crew enters the cave, Milo and the others are awestruck. There are cave paintings, animal bones and other wonders to behold.
When Dr. Bridget suspects that the Marburg virus is present in the cave, the group runs headlong back to near the entrance. An argument takes place about the truth of whether Marburg is present or not. They enter in another place and witness more spectacular sights. Milo finds an item that was from an earlier expedition. He also sees on the wall a carving from Lord Riley. He was really there!
During another cave crawl, disaster strikes. Rushing to safety is the only thing on the team’s mind now. One tragedy after another befalls the group. They continue to explore the cave until they can go no further. The things they see and feel are horrific and wondrous. Milo and Bridget locate Sir Riley DeWar. And they discover what happened to him.
This is an adventure story. It is dramatic and action-packed. The writing is fairly good, but the plotting tends to skip here and there. I would call this speculative fiction. A “what if” story. It is good reading, if you like this sort of novel. I like going on these flights of fancy once in a while and I like action. So, all in all, it was a pretty good read. I went to Amazon to look for others of Taylor Zajonc’s novels as I do believe I will try another of his books. I enjoyed this one.
I want to thank NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing for forwarding to me a copy of this good book to read and enjoy.
August 28, 2019
What a thrilling ride this was! To be honest, I was expecting something different (for some reason, I thought it would be some sort of “creature” thriller) but I’m actually glad that the plot evolved in a way that it did; it definitely kept me in suspense all the way through and I couldn’t guess for the life of me what was going to happen next. I love it when novels unravel in this manner, so “The Maw” was just a perfect choice for me.
The setting deserves a special mention as it was definitely meticulously researched and presented in such a vivid way that I could easily picture myself inside the ancient cave, exploring it along with our heroes and getting lost (and discovering the most unimaginable things) along with them as well. The cave fever, the inevitable accidents, the deadly virus and the researches’ obsession to which not just one person succumbed - all this made “The Maw” a truly thrilling ride, of which I couldn’t get enough. If you enjoy well-researched, unique thrillers/suspense, this one is definitely for you. Five stars!
The setting deserves a special mention as it was definitely meticulously researched and presented in such a vivid way that I could easily picture myself inside the ancient cave, exploring it along with our heroes and getting lost (and discovering the most unimaginable things) along with them as well. The cave fever, the inevitable accidents, the deadly virus and the researches’ obsession to which not just one person succumbed - all this made “The Maw” a truly thrilling ride, of which I couldn’t get enough. If you enjoy well-researched, unique thrillers/suspense, this one is definitely for you. Five stars!
May 1, 2018
A historian with a particular speciality, Milo Luttrell is recruited for a dangerous expedition into an underground cave system larger than any other in Africa in THE MAW by Taylor Zajonc. According to the information Milo has been provided, eight people (including Milo) are searching for an infamous lost explorer from the turn of the 20th century who Milo happens to be an expert on. As the cave exploration deepens and several clues are stumbled upon, it becomes clear that this mission is wrought with problems and false pretenses. The real question becomes, what are they really looking for and will they survive to tell the tale?
Part of me is yearning to go cave exploring while the other part of me wants to never go near a cave and tell everyone I love to avoid them. That's what make a good story, it excites and scares at the same time. Zajonc has crafted a story with eight very interesting and well thought out characters and placed them in a perilous, beautiful and certainly unique setting of a giant underground cave system. I was reminded of Preston & Child books while I was reading THE MAW, where ancient discoveries and true intentions are slowly doled out and the truths that are revealed are layered, surprising, and yet completely believable within the context of the book.
I really had a fun time reading THE MAW and I'll just leave this one last thought: the ending is monumental and profound and I didn't see it coming at all.
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing, Taylor Zajonc, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Part of me is yearning to go cave exploring while the other part of me wants to never go near a cave and tell everyone I love to avoid them. That's what make a good story, it excites and scares at the same time. Zajonc has crafted a story with eight very interesting and well thought out characters and placed them in a perilous, beautiful and certainly unique setting of a giant underground cave system. I was reminded of Preston & Child books while I was reading THE MAW, where ancient discoveries and true intentions are slowly doled out and the truths that are revealed are layered, surprising, and yet completely believable within the context of the book.
I really had a fun time reading THE MAW and I'll just leave this one last thought: the ending is monumental and profound and I didn't see it coming at all.
Thank you to Skyhorse Publishing, Taylor Zajonc, and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
March 18, 2019
Good lord it took all my dedication and an Overdrive speed of 2X to get through this book. I just was NOT feeling it about halfway through and unfortunately it never picked up. My wife pushed me to finish it because I'm a serial giver-upper when it comes to books I start and never finish. I could not get immersed in the atmosphere of the cave and even though so many others praised the claustrophobic atmosphere, it just felt so detached from the narrative. The characters had the depth of a run-of-the-mill action movie and the relationship between Milo and his "just so happens to be included on the team" former girlfriend is forced and borderline creepy. It was like a Jurassic Park sequel movie without dinosaurs and in a cave with some weird psychedelic scenes thrown in. Totally meh IMO.
June 24, 2023
Archeological caving expedition/psychedelic fiction/thriller?? How FUN I’ve never read anything like it. I can’t help but feel like the story was rushed, like if the 300 pages were expanded to 600 and the story developed a little more it could be a realgoodbook.. like better set the background of the protagonists’ relationship and (okay, here it comes) I FIND THE EXPEDITION PREP AND GUIDING PRACTICES SO SO UNREASONABLE and the way onceinacentury-grade catastrophe sort of just piled up at once. Some cool ideas and moments of really thoughtful writing and symbolism AND REAL BANG UP JOB OF PICKING OF REAL GOOD QUOTES AT THE CHAPTERS IT REALLY ADDS TO THE BOOK I LOVE WHEN THEY DO THAT but backed up by a sort of rushed or lazy job to stitch up the plot.
To be fair, I just couldn’t even put it down so I guess Zajonc still takes this round. It sounds like this guy has his hands full with a whole other career as an actual archaeologist so maybe I will just cool it
To be fair, I just couldn’t even put it down so I guess Zajonc still takes this round. It sounds like this guy has his hands full with a whole other career as an actual archaeologist so maybe I will just cool it
September 26, 2018
I used to like reading adventure novels when I was a teen and a tween, and not so much as an adult. Some spark was lost for me, the novelty disappeared, the appeal was not there - a "you-name-it" reason.
I saw this book on the new fiction shelf in my library, and I ended up checking it out and reading it. The main pull was the title ( it promised intense narrative) and the cover. Well, many of us are suckers for good cover. Shame on us, I guess.
The book did not disappoint in the sense that it is a typical adventure book. I also think that the title and the book cover give book too much credit. It promises so much, and it delivers only half. The claustrophobic feeling is somewhat there in the book, but I did not feel walls moving on me.
The characters were so -so. I can not say that they were too formulaic, but there was never true depth in them. The novel moved with good pace, but it was never a roller-coaster.
Plus, there was a little bit of too many "ANDS". Let me explain what I mean - the expedition is in Africa and it is in one of the deepest caves and there was mystery associated with the lost expedition and it turned out that it is not the only expedition that was lost and there were dead bodies of animals and their excreta and it might be the natural reservoir for Marburg virus and the silly explanation of what Marburg virus is ( it could have been simplified saying that the Ebola virus and the Marburg virus are related, but oh, no, then the excitement is lost) and then the enhanced memory and the psychedelic experiences and the new language to cope with the pace of comprehension and the death of expedition members and starvation and misery and infection and etc etc etc.
I understand that it is an adventure novel, but one can only suspend the disbelief only for a certain amount of time or for a certain scope of improbabilities.
The writing was not too low brow, but a couple of times the author annoyingly told me that was going on instead of showing it.
Of course, I am uber sensitive to religious allusions because I am so anti religious. I do not know how religious metaphors were appropriate when the author often mentions how long ago certain evolutionary things happened and then alludes to the Bible and wishes characters godspeed. This one was quite annoying. Can authors do it subtly if they are also trying to reach the audience of spiritual readers?
Overall, it was better than I expected and did not annoy me too much. I am sure it is not exactly a fair criterion, but I think this is what I honestly feel.
I saw this book on the new fiction shelf in my library, and I ended up checking it out and reading it. The main pull was the title ( it promised intense narrative) and the cover. Well, many of us are suckers for good cover. Shame on us, I guess.
The book did not disappoint in the sense that it is a typical adventure book. I also think that the title and the book cover give book too much credit. It promises so much, and it delivers only half. The claustrophobic feeling is somewhat there in the book, but I did not feel walls moving on me.
The characters were so -so. I can not say that they were too formulaic, but there was never true depth in them. The novel moved with good pace, but it was never a roller-coaster.
Plus, there was a little bit of too many "ANDS". Let me explain what I mean - the expedition is in Africa and it is in one of the deepest caves and there was mystery associated with the lost expedition and it turned out that it is not the only expedition that was lost and there were dead bodies of animals and their excreta and it might be the natural reservoir for Marburg virus and the silly explanation of what Marburg virus is ( it could have been simplified saying that the Ebola virus and the Marburg virus are related, but oh, no, then the excitement is lost) and then the enhanced memory and the psychedelic experiences and the new language to cope with the pace of comprehension and the death of expedition members and starvation and misery and infection and etc etc etc.
I understand that it is an adventure novel, but one can only suspend the disbelief only for a certain amount of time or for a certain scope of improbabilities.
The writing was not too low brow, but a couple of times the author annoyingly told me that was going on instead of showing it.
Of course, I am uber sensitive to religious allusions because I am so anti religious. I do not know how religious metaphors were appropriate when the author often mentions how long ago certain evolutionary things happened and then alludes to the Bible and wishes characters godspeed. This one was quite annoying. Can authors do it subtly if they are also trying to reach the audience of spiritual readers?
Overall, it was better than I expected and did not annoy me too much. I am sure it is not exactly a fair criterion, but I think this is what I honestly feel.
January 30, 2024
I first reviewed this book 3 years ago and I decided to reread it because I have thought it about it a lot since that first reading.
Having enjoyed a bit of caving in my high school years, I have always appreciated a good thriller set in an underground environment. The Maw is that and more. Milo is an historian who has all but killed his career by pushing a theory about how explorer Lord Riley DeWar met his end and getting involved in a romantic relationship with one of his students. Now he has a bizarre chance to fix both of these errors by joining a top secret expedition exploring a super cave in Tanzania. The expedition’s billionaire funder has a theory that, contrary to popular belief, DeWar met his end in this cave. More important to Milo, the student he had the relationship with, now a well-respect physician, is also going on the expedition.
So, Milo, with no experience in caving, joins a trip that is figuratively going to the center of the earth and everything goes wrong right from the beginning. The billionaire has not shared all of his information with his team. Another expedition between DeWar’s and their own has found the cave and tried to seal it with explosives. There is also evidence that native peoples with stone-age level technology have impossibly found their way thousands of feet beneath the earth’s surface millennia before the current expedition. Something unusual exists in this cave and it is changing the explorers in ways that are both exciting and terrifying. Cut off from the surface both by a hemorrhagic disease infecting the camp and a huge storm, the explorers find themselves seeking to understand a mystery that dates back to the beginning of the human species while surviving tremendous challenges thousands of feet below the surface in utter darkness.
This sort of novel usually promises more than it can provide, but not in this case. Zajonc has put together a remarkable mystery that truly does explain why humans are different than all the other species on this planet. And he accomplishes this while conveying the claustrophobic terror of trying to survive without support deep in the bowels of the earth. It’s a truly remarkable accomplishment.
Having enjoyed a bit of caving in my high school years, I have always appreciated a good thriller set in an underground environment. The Maw is that and more. Milo is an historian who has all but killed his career by pushing a theory about how explorer Lord Riley DeWar met his end and getting involved in a romantic relationship with one of his students. Now he has a bizarre chance to fix both of these errors by joining a top secret expedition exploring a super cave in Tanzania. The expedition’s billionaire funder has a theory that, contrary to popular belief, DeWar met his end in this cave. More important to Milo, the student he had the relationship with, now a well-respect physician, is also going on the expedition.
So, Milo, with no experience in caving, joins a trip that is figuratively going to the center of the earth and everything goes wrong right from the beginning. The billionaire has not shared all of his information with his team. Another expedition between DeWar’s and their own has found the cave and tried to seal it with explosives. There is also evidence that native peoples with stone-age level technology have impossibly found their way thousands of feet beneath the earth’s surface millennia before the current expedition. Something unusual exists in this cave and it is changing the explorers in ways that are both exciting and terrifying. Cut off from the surface both by a hemorrhagic disease infecting the camp and a huge storm, the explorers find themselves seeking to understand a mystery that dates back to the beginning of the human species while surviving tremendous challenges thousands of feet below the surface in utter darkness.
This sort of novel usually promises more than it can provide, but not in this case. Zajonc has put together a remarkable mystery that truly does explain why humans are different than all the other species on this planet. And he accomplishes this while conveying the claustrophobic terror of trying to survive without support deep in the bowels of the earth. It’s a truly remarkable accomplishment.
June 29, 2018
I really wanted to like this book. I love a good adventure story and to have one set in a cavern? Wow, that awakened memories of my teenage years in the Black Hills of South Dakota. I spent a summer as a tour guide at the Sitting Bull Crystal Caverns and spelunked with like-minded guys in a number of caves both commercial and unknown to the general public. (Oh, the caves I saw....) And I've been ghostwriting a book with both adventure and a cave full of treasure. What more reason not to pick up this interesting work by an author who sounded like he was up to the task?
Didn't quite work out that way. The premise is good: a supercave, a lost expedition, a spelunk full of risks and dangers of all sorts, but sadly perforated with plot holes and, it seems, a lack of imaginative vision. In other words, it starts to feel like the author didn't know what he was writing about. Not that the story itself and the stuff the characters went through wasn't plausible, but the narrative didn't consistently cohere into believability. I really struggled with trying understand what was happening, and struggled even more with thinking it was me, not the author, but in the final analysis had to conclude that Douglas Preston he ain't.
This is another book reviewing instance where I have to wonder about the other reviewers. How can there be five-star raves next to one- and two-star thumbs-down write-ups right beside them? How can one person see delightful coherence where another sees utter chaos? Can one mind simply skip over stuff that's mushy and incoherent and still think it's a great read? One reviewer mentioned comparison and contrast with Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," hands-down one of the best adventure novels ever written. I found myself turning the last page and lamenting the story this could have been.
Didn't quite work out that way. The premise is good: a supercave, a lost expedition, a spelunk full of risks and dangers of all sorts, but sadly perforated with plot holes and, it seems, a lack of imaginative vision. In other words, it starts to feel like the author didn't know what he was writing about. Not that the story itself and the stuff the characters went through wasn't plausible, but the narrative didn't consistently cohere into believability. I really struggled with trying understand what was happening, and struggled even more with thinking it was me, not the author, but in the final analysis had to conclude that Douglas Preston he ain't.
This is another book reviewing instance where I have to wonder about the other reviewers. How can there be five-star raves next to one- and two-star thumbs-down write-ups right beside them? How can one person see delightful coherence where another sees utter chaos? Can one mind simply skip over stuff that's mushy and incoherent and still think it's a great read? One reviewer mentioned comparison and contrast with Jules Verne's "Journey to the Center of the Earth," hands-down one of the best adventure novels ever written. I found myself turning the last page and lamenting the story this could have been.
November 10, 2022
I wish I weren’t a completionist because this book should’ve ended on my DNF shelf. It is readable, absolutely, and interesting at times, but it’s obvious the author did their research in the most sterile way possible. No character development, but everyone just word vomits facts about spelunking, caving, history, etc. It reads as an omniscient narrator but coming from the characters.
I have quite a few issues with this book. I can just throw my CPR training certificate in the trash. Apparently, if someone stops breathing, you don’t check if their heart has stopped, you just “pound at their chest” until they wake up. I’m not even making that up. The author shouldn’t have either. If you can’t get away from a bad situation, just reel in a deus ex machina. Or two. Or three. I mean, why not have a character figure out they could echo locate in the last 5% of the book?
TLDR if you want a Wikipedia article, read the first 25% of book and just stop there. You won’t be missing much.
I have quite a few issues with this book. I can just throw my CPR training certificate in the trash. Apparently, if someone stops breathing, you don’t check if their heart has stopped, you just “pound at their chest” until they wake up. I’m not even making that up. The author shouldn’t have either. If you can’t get away from a bad situation, just reel in a deus ex machina. Or two. Or three. I mean, why not have a character figure out they could echo locate in the last 5% of the book?
TLDR if you want a Wikipedia article, read the first 25% of book and just stop there. You won’t be missing much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 28, 2023
Going into this was I was expecting a quick read about cave creatures and a surviving expedition, but it was SO much more. I loved the way the author really thoroughly researched the subject and combined that research with his own expertise on outdoorsman-ship. The characters felt way too real and I knew the type of person the author was portraying to a tee. I was also really happy with the way the author talked about Africa. It’s often an exploited continent in horror lit (and elsewhere…) so the respect and way in which Africa was treated made me really appreciate what was being done. The slow discoveries and unraveling story were chilling and did NOT prepare me for what was coming next. I was in awe of the grand room thousands and thousands of feet below the surface, and the way it utilized foreshadowing was satisfying. A UNIQUE and well executed novel that exceeded my expectations!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 11, 2023
HOOOOO BOY THIS WAS A DOOZY.
Spoilers ahead, but don't waste your time. Just go read it for yourself. Or don't. It's missable. 🤷♀️
I'd read some so-so ratings of this elsewhere on the web, (didja think we were exclusive, Goodreads? Eh, sorry...?) so I was bracing for a poorly written slog, but this wasn't that bad. Honestly, it was fun. Truly. However, yes, the author is a white, heterosexual male, and he writes his female characters...like a white, heterosexual male, i.e., "she was abour five years older than him, but wore it well." Um, excuse me? You mean a, what, 37 year old woman DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE CRYPT KEEPER...?! OMG SHOCKER!!! But then we meet Dale, who's like, what, 65? Or something? 20 pages on, and the comments about him wearing HIS "AGE WELL...?" YEAH. NON-EXISTENT. And then multiple times throughout the book, Milo relates how Bridget's body looks, how he tries (and fails!) to NOT look down her shirt, and how he "forced himself" too look at Isabelle's blackened and bruised chest...? Like, why the fuck is Charlie being so god damn cavalier when he pulls the blanket back to show "THE DAMAGE?" Girlfriend done fucked her leg up and her arms, you don't need to flash her top around too Jesus.
Like, okay, so I overlooked a lot of this because I was genuinely invested in the morphology of the cave, and could even get past the, "OHMYGODMARBURG!" suddenly flying out of nowhere (pun intended, because bats) but that's the last part of the book that even hinted at a genuine timeline. Yep. There's a storm. Oh shit there's a flood, but it'll be okay because our buddies at the surface will come to save us because we've only been down here for what, like three days maybe? Less...? And then-
WHAM.
Suddenly 20 years have gone by. They've been in that cave forever. There's no food. Everybody's dead. But wait! No, actually it's only been a few hours, because of the darkness! But in the next chapter, they're starving, because it's been a year, or maybe only a couple months. But the batteries are running out. They've been running out the whole book! Time here is apparently irrelevant, and I'm not entirely sure if the author did that because human beings get extremely disoriented in total darkness...? Or because he genuinely didn't bother to actually write it out, but either way we are left (literally in the character's case) in the dark as to how much time has passed.
And then there's some weird sex dreams, and the thing about the Japanese caver dying the same way Isabelle did but that's never explained, (also said caver apparently swallowed two human fingers whole...? Bones and all...?) And then Dale is an asshole but that's okay because he's still our friend but wait he abandoned us but wait he's still our friend...AAAHHHH!!! MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!!!!!
The ending was weird, there's no explanation for how errbody on the surface got Marburg but only Joanne got it in the cave, time is meaningless as are the hundreds of pathways that our protagonists never seem to get lost and/or trapped in, something prophetic about the "womb of humanity" or whatever, and then the end of the epilogue just stops. That's it.
All in all yeah, this was a fun book. I've rappelled a decent amount in my life and gone kind of spelunking exactly twice, I think? But I've got horrific claustrophobia so I definitely am NOT a caver, and yeah this book scratched a bit of that itch of, "what's down there?" especially since the author IS a caver. Ultimately, unless you're into semi-horror disaster survival stories with one dimensional characters and a weird psychopharmaceutical bend, (see: "The Ruins" by Scott Smith) then this isn't for you.
Three stars.
Spoilers ahead, but don't waste your time. Just go read it for yourself. Or don't. It's missable. 🤷♀️
I'd read some so-so ratings of this elsewhere on the web, (didja think we were exclusive, Goodreads? Eh, sorry...?) so I was bracing for a poorly written slog, but this wasn't that bad. Honestly, it was fun. Truly. However, yes, the author is a white, heterosexual male, and he writes his female characters...like a white, heterosexual male, i.e., "she was abour five years older than him, but wore it well." Um, excuse me? You mean a, what, 37 year old woman DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THE CRYPT KEEPER...?! OMG SHOCKER!!! But then we meet Dale, who's like, what, 65? Or something? 20 pages on, and the comments about him wearing HIS "AGE WELL...?" YEAH. NON-EXISTENT. And then multiple times throughout the book, Milo relates how Bridget's body looks, how he tries (and fails!) to NOT look down her shirt, and how he "forced himself" too look at Isabelle's blackened and bruised chest...? Like, why the fuck is Charlie being so god damn cavalier when he pulls the blanket back to show "THE DAMAGE?" Girlfriend done fucked her leg up and her arms, you don't need to flash her top around too Jesus.
Like, okay, so I overlooked a lot of this because I was genuinely invested in the morphology of the cave, and could even get past the, "OHMYGODMARBURG!" suddenly flying out of nowhere (pun intended, because bats) but that's the last part of the book that even hinted at a genuine timeline. Yep. There's a storm. Oh shit there's a flood, but it'll be okay because our buddies at the surface will come to save us because we've only been down here for what, like three days maybe? Less...? And then-
WHAM.
Suddenly 20 years have gone by. They've been in that cave forever. There's no food. Everybody's dead. But wait! No, actually it's only been a few hours, because of the darkness! But in the next chapter, they're starving, because it's been a year, or maybe only a couple months. But the batteries are running out. They've been running out the whole book! Time here is apparently irrelevant, and I'm not entirely sure if the author did that because human beings get extremely disoriented in total darkness...? Or because he genuinely didn't bother to actually write it out, but either way we are left (literally in the character's case) in the dark as to how much time has passed.
And then there's some weird sex dreams, and the thing about the Japanese caver dying the same way Isabelle did but that's never explained, (also said caver apparently swallowed two human fingers whole...? Bones and all...?) And then Dale is an asshole but that's okay because he's still our friend but wait he abandoned us but wait he's still our friend...AAAHHHH!!! MAKE UP YOUR MINDS!!!!!
The ending was weird, there's no explanation for how errbody on the surface got Marburg but only Joanne got it in the cave, time is meaningless as are the hundreds of pathways that our protagonists never seem to get lost and/or trapped in, something prophetic about the "womb of humanity" or whatever, and then the end of the epilogue just stops. That's it.
All in all yeah, this was a fun book. I've rappelled a decent amount in my life and gone kind of spelunking exactly twice, I think? But I've got horrific claustrophobia so I definitely am NOT a caver, and yeah this book scratched a bit of that itch of, "what's down there?" especially since the author IS a caver. Ultimately, unless you're into semi-horror disaster survival stories with one dimensional characters and a weird psychopharmaceutical bend, (see: "The Ruins" by Scott Smith) then this isn't for you.
Three stars.
December 5, 2021
This one is so hard to rate. Let’s say 3.5, rounding up to four stars! I enjoyed the heck out of this, which I’ve come to realize is the most important element of reading for me, at least for my “fun” reading that I do when I could be watching a TV show or movie instead. The book was entertaining and I plowed through it in a couple of days.
I loved the premise. I have a hate/fascination thing with caves. Just reading about them makes me feel physically anxious, on the other hand, I am amazed by all there is to discover within the depths of the earth!
I do agree with most of the negative reviews, though. This book has a lot of “too much” going on. It’s one of those stories where the main character gets hit by a truck, and then a hot air balloon malfunctions and drops him in Brazil, and then he gets hit by a radioactive lizard, and then his wife ends up in an iron lung, and then he turns INTO a radioactive lizard spouting profundities about the meaning of life. That sort of thing.
Content wise, from a Christian perspective (particularly those of us who don’t buy into the evolution narrative and who see the Bible as reliable) there’s one sex scene and several times the Lord’s name is taken in vain. There’s violence and some gore, unsurprisingly.
There’s of course some weird stuff about the secrets of humanity (can’t get into it without spoilers) and blah blah, but of course it’s fiction and I wasn’t offended or anything, just rolled my eyes.
There’s one continuity error, and several other moments where I questioned how they got from point a to point b.
Despite these shortcomings, I still really liked the book. It’s great fun. Sort of Indians Jones meets a more corny bit of Crichton sci-fi fun. I think the author has talent, and I hope to see more from him. I liked the prose.
I loved the premise. I have a hate/fascination thing with caves. Just reading about them makes me feel physically anxious, on the other hand, I am amazed by all there is to discover within the depths of the earth!
I do agree with most of the negative reviews, though. This book has a lot of “too much” going on. It’s one of those stories where the main character gets hit by a truck, and then a hot air balloon malfunctions and drops him in Brazil, and then he gets hit by a radioactive lizard, and then his wife ends up in an iron lung, and then he turns INTO a radioactive lizard spouting profundities about the meaning of life. That sort of thing.
Content wise, from a Christian perspective (particularly those of us who don’t buy into the evolution narrative and who see the Bible as reliable) there’s one sex scene and several times the Lord’s name is taken in vain. There’s violence and some gore, unsurprisingly.
There’s of course some weird stuff about the secrets of humanity (can’t get into it without spoilers) and blah blah, but of course it’s fiction and I wasn’t offended or anything, just rolled my eyes.
There’s one continuity error, and several other moments where I questioned how they got from point a to point b.
Despite these shortcomings, I still really liked the book. It’s great fun. Sort of Indians Jones meets a more corny bit of Crichton sci-fi fun. I think the author has talent, and I hope to see more from him. I liked the prose.
May 30, 2018
The Maw by Taylor Zajonc is a highly recommended action/adventure story set in a supercave in Tanzania.
Milo Luttrell is a historian who is mysteriously invited to Tanzania under the pretense of a project that may help him keep his job. When he arrives he discovers he has been invited by Dale Brunsfield, a billionaire explorer, to join an expedition that will be exploring a new supercave. Milo has been invited because of his research into the life of famed explorer Lord Riley DeWar. Dale believes that DeWar's last, lost expedition may have been to this cave and he needs Milo along for his expertise. Milo, who has no spelunking experience, is joining the team of seven that just happens to include his ex-girlfriend and a reality TV show star.
This is a thrilling adventure story that is full of intrigue and suspense. There are enough complications and emergencies in the narrative to leave you expecting a unanticipated catastrophe around even corner. The descriptive passages make you even more cognizant of the unknown discovers awaiting along with the danger as the situation deteriorates for the expedition. Zajonc keeps the pace quick, moving the plot along, as the challenges mount. The Maw will hold your attention throughout.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing.
Milo Luttrell is a historian who is mysteriously invited to Tanzania under the pretense of a project that may help him keep his job. When he arrives he discovers he has been invited by Dale Brunsfield, a billionaire explorer, to join an expedition that will be exploring a new supercave. Milo has been invited because of his research into the life of famed explorer Lord Riley DeWar. Dale believes that DeWar's last, lost expedition may have been to this cave and he needs Milo along for his expertise. Milo, who has no spelunking experience, is joining the team of seven that just happens to include his ex-girlfriend and a reality TV show star.
This is a thrilling adventure story that is full of intrigue and suspense. There are enough complications and emergencies in the narrative to leave you expecting a unanticipated catastrophe around even corner. The descriptive passages make you even more cognizant of the unknown discovers awaiting along with the danger as the situation deteriorates for the expedition. Zajonc keeps the pace quick, moving the plot along, as the challenges mount. The Maw will hold your attention throughout.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Skyhorse Publishing.
March 12, 2022
"Everything about caves is the antithesis of life on the surface."
I really enjoyed this book. Everything from the stunning earthen imagery to the exploration of human morality to the definition of what specifically constitutes a human mind was spectacularly done, especially because the themes were set against the backdrop of a caving expedition gone wrong--something that is all too real and a chillingly possible occurrence. The characters were distinctive in their personalities and I found myself becoming very attached to some and very opposed to others. Still, all of the characters' terror-filled desperation as they realized their situation thousands of feet below the surface gripped my emotions and drew--though in variable amounts--sympathy out of my heart.
As for the organization of the book, I am in love with the way Zajonc subdivided the story into sections of Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, and Genesis. Every chapter fit so snugly within its respective section, which itself perfectly accompanied the book's exploration of subterranean contrast and divine creation.
I really enjoyed this book. Everything from the stunning earthen imagery to the exploration of human morality to the definition of what specifically constitutes a human mind was spectacularly done, especially because the themes were set against the backdrop of a caving expedition gone wrong--something that is all too real and a chillingly possible occurrence. The characters were distinctive in their personalities and I found myself becoming very attached to some and very opposed to others. Still, all of the characters' terror-filled desperation as they realized their situation thousands of feet below the surface gripped my emotions and drew--though in variable amounts--sympathy out of my heart.
As for the organization of the book, I am in love with the way Zajonc subdivided the story into sections of Thesis, Antithesis, Synthesis, and Genesis. Every chapter fit so snugly within its respective section, which itself perfectly accompanied the book's exploration of subterranean contrast and divine creation.
April 21, 2019
The Maw, by Taylor Zajonc, is fast-paced and suspenseful with an engrossing storyline. At times, disturbingly claustrophobic, the Maw features characters that are interesting, sometimes quirky and largely relatable. The story moves fast with unexpected twists and turns throughout and an ending that is thoughtful and completely trippy. This is one of the few books I have read that I can honestly say I didn't have the slightest idea how it would end half way through. If you're looking for another predictable read, this book might not be for you. However, if you're in the mood for an outside-the-box head trip of an adventure, the Maw will be right up your alley!
January 24, 2021
gonna bump it up from my initial 3 to a 3.5, rounded up to 4.
engaging and tense with strikingly vivid visuals, but the mythology presented feels shaky, and the ending too brief to be satisfactory, while the characters stay comfortably close to their assigned stereotypes, never managing to feel more than the roles initially presented as. i think the story would've benefitted from being written more omnisciently rather than contained to milo's inner monologue given the sweeping ideas; it would've made the reveals and conclusions a little cleaner and more believable, and the set-up for the end less (seemingly) rushed.
engaging and tense with strikingly vivid visuals, but the mythology presented feels shaky, and the ending too brief to be satisfactory, while the characters stay comfortably close to their assigned stereotypes, never managing to feel more than the roles initially presented as. i think the story would've benefitted from being written more omnisciently rather than contained to milo's inner monologue given the sweeping ideas; it would've made the reveals and conclusions a little cleaner and more believable, and the set-up for the end less (seemingly) rushed.
September 27, 2018
There's nothing special about the prose or the character development, but the setting of this book is AMAZEBALLS. I 80% want this cave to be a real place, while 20% really hopes there's nothing remotely like it on the planet. Given the locale, you will be unsurprised to know I spent half the book cringing in claustrophobic suspense.
The ending is pure Indian Jones-level nonsense, but don't let that stop you!
The ending is pure Indian Jones-level nonsense, but don't let that stop you!
June 5, 2018
Oh, man. What a wild ride full of mystery, adventure and betrayal. Milo is a history professor at Georgetown University. He is told to go to Tanzania but hasn't a clue why. Georgetown University was given a large donation so he has no choice. Once he gets there, he learns that some research on a missing expedition that almost cost him his career is very important to someone leading a mission to find the first explorers. There's a super cave where they believe this expedition disappeared in 1901. The expedition that Milo is on has plenty of professionals, including an old love of his. So many things found, so much history seen. When you're going down 1500 feet and have never even been repelling like Milo, you wonder why you came. Everything starts out fine, then hell breaks loose a little at a time. Will anyone survive, will they find what they're looking for? This book is well written and told in great detail. I absolutely loved this book. I received this book from Net Galley for an honest review and no compensation.
October 15, 2019
I loved this book. The protagonist, Milo, brings a history angle to a team of explorers determined to solve a mystery inside a supercave in Africa. He also brings his past mistakes and his dream of academic redemption, but a lot can happen in a small space. And there are very small spaces even inside a supercave....this kept me turning pages to find out what would happen next.
January 27, 2025
Caving survivoral horror. I found this after searching for something similar to Greig Beck and Douglas Preston. I enjoyed this one which leant more towards survival horror than creature horror like I was expecting. I read it mostly over one sitting. This would make a fantastic movie, it was well written with lots of suspense and it was easy to picture the characters in this confining setting.
October 23, 2018
I enjoyed this book to the end... learned a lot about caving, learned I'd never want to do it! Descriptions really made the scenes come alive. Good suspense, with many twists along the way. I never expected the ending.
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