What do you think?
Rate this book
Center of the Earth #1
Zum Mittelpunkt der Erde
Tief unter der Erde, jenseits der tiefsten bekannten Höhlen, liegt eine verborgene Welt. Eine alte Frau in einem russischen Gefängnis hütet dieses Geheimnis … festgehalten in einem über fünfhundert Jahre alten Manuskript, welches den Weg zum sagenumwobenen Mittelpunkt der Erde weist. Sie weiß, dass diese Welt real ist. Denn vor fünfzig Jahren war sie selbst mit einem Team dorthin aufgebrochen – und kehrte als Einzige zurück. Nun führt der Höhlenforscher Mike Monroe ein Team in die tiefste bekannte Höhle der ehemaligen Sowjetunion. Er folgt den Hinweisen einer verrückten alten Frau und den Worten einer mysteriösen Aufzeichnung, welche die Basis für Jules Vernes weltberühmte Abenteuergeschichte bildeten. Doch die grauenhaften Dinge, die dort unten auf ihn warten, drohen nicht nur seinen Verstand zu kosten, sondern auch sein Verständnis der Evolution und der gesamten Welt auf den Kopf zu stellen.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2020
1161 people are currently reading
1519 people want to read
About the author
Greig Beck
47 books1,157 followersHi GoodReaders, I’m an Australian author residing in Sydney with my wife, son and a mad Golden Retriever named Jessie. My novels are now available globally, also in Large Print and now in full AUDIO format.
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
I grew up spending my days surfing at Bondi Beach before entering a career in Information technology which took me around the world. After completing an MBA, i was appointed both an Australasian director of a multinational software company, and tasked with setting up the USA arm of the organisation.
Today, I spend most of my time writing... with plenty left over for surfing.
More information about me and my works can be found at either www.greigbeck.com, or join me on FaceBook (Greig Beck Author).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews
February 6, 2021
Tomorrow 😊
An interesting book. You may be wondering if this has any connection to the wonderful Jules Verne novel A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and the answer is , yes it does have connections to it. I'm careful in my choice of words, because it is not a sequel in any way. It references the classic novel as just that, a novel. What it does do is suggest that Verne wrote his novel based on an ancient manuscript by a speleologist that was actually the truth.
So this book, set in the present day, is based around a group of cavers who have discovered details from this ancient manuscript and are looking to set records around the deepest cave exploration. Following clues in the manuscript they plunge deeper and deeper until the centre of the Earth beckons. Unfortunately the Earth's core is not such a mild mannered and carefree place as the Jules Verne version, in fact at times it was scary. Couple that with some of the descriptions of their descent, and at times this book had the hairs on my arm twitching. I am a little claustrophobic, no problems with lifts or the tube (London Underground), although I wouldn't like to be stuck in either in the dark, but cave exploration with tight spaces, NO WAY
I have to say this book is well written, a great story and a non stop adventure, worth a go certainly, in fact I may well read the sequel.
An interesting book. You may be wondering if this has any connection to the wonderful Jules Verne novel A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and the answer is , yes it does have connections to it. I'm careful in my choice of words, because it is not a sequel in any way. It references the classic novel as just that, a novel. What it does do is suggest that Verne wrote his novel based on an ancient manuscript by a speleologist that was actually the truth.
So this book, set in the present day, is based around a group of cavers who have discovered details from this ancient manuscript and are looking to set records around the deepest cave exploration. Following clues in the manuscript they plunge deeper and deeper until the centre of the Earth beckons. Unfortunately the Earth's core is not such a mild mannered and carefree place as the Jules Verne version, in fact at times it was scary. Couple that with some of the descriptions of their descent, and at times this book had the hairs on my arm twitching. I am a little claustrophobic, no problems with lifts or the tube (London Underground), although I wouldn't like to be stuck in either in the dark, but cave exploration with tight spaces, NO WAY
I have to say this book is well written, a great story and a non stop adventure, worth a go certainly, in fact I may well read the sequel.
May 6, 2023
A heart in mouth adventure!
This was Jules Verne's classic novel updated for the 21st century and, in my opinion, better than the original. Mind you, we do tend to have a broader imagination these days. This was a real page turner of a story with nightmare inspiring monsters, the death of friends and escapes that defied logic. Five hundred years ago a Russian alchemist claimed to have travelled to the centre of the Earth and wrote a journal detailing his exploits. Fifty years ago a group of Russian cavers discovered the ancient manuscript and attempted their own journey to the Earth's centre. Only one returned, declared insane by the Soviet authorities she was locked up in a mental asylum. Today a group of American cavers attempts to emulate the two Russians in their mind blowing adventure. And what follows is a journey into Hell! A wonderful story that I recommend most highly.
This was Jules Verne's classic novel updated for the 21st century and, in my opinion, better than the original. Mind you, we do tend to have a broader imagination these days. This was a real page turner of a story with nightmare inspiring monsters, the death of friends and escapes that defied logic. Five hundred years ago a Russian alchemist claimed to have travelled to the centre of the Earth and wrote a journal detailing his exploits. Fifty years ago a group of Russian cavers discovered the ancient manuscript and attempted their own journey to the Earth's centre. Only one returned, declared insane by the Soviet authorities she was locked up in a mental asylum. Today a group of American cavers attempts to emulate the two Russians in their mind blowing adventure. And what follows is a journey into Hell! A wonderful story that I recommend most highly.
September 4, 2021
An updated version of Verne's classic, this is an interesting cross between adventure novel and creature feature.
Two teams of cavers are taking part in a competition, where the one that manages the deepest descent is rewarded with one million dollars. And, as they hope, quite a bit of fame. They both go for the Krubera Cave in Georgia, with one of the groups expecting to go about 7,200 feet deep. The other one, though, expects to go much deeper. They get in contact with a russian caver that had descended into the cave in the 70s and is now in an asylum, as it took her a year to get back out and no one believed her when she reported of the horrors she had seen. Well, that and a hidden world underground with never before seen flora and fauna.
What she's saying is that Verne's book was actually based on a true story by the long-dead alchemist Arkady Saknussov, who over 500 years ago had found another world at the center of the earth, underground oceans, giant mushrooms and all.
They go for it. And, surprise, they find it. They find the horror as well.
This was a lot of fun. I feel a little bad for rating this higher than Jule Verne's classic. But it is just more entertaining and better paced. The experience went from being claustrophobic to a sense of wonder and discovery. It is not a welcoming world, though, and the sheer variety of different threats the characters are going to face was probably the best part of it.
It's decently written, too, and I only wished that Beck had taken a little more time to establish the characters. They were serviceable at best, and apart from the teamleaders and one or two others I sometimes had trouble telling them apart. They pretty much got the treatment of the characters in creature features (everyone making dumb choices included). And that was a bit of a problem. Because this book is much more than just that. Don't get me wrong, I love me some good creature feature. But that's just not quite what this book is. With better characters it could have been a five star read. It still came close.
4.5 stars rounded down.
Two teams of cavers are taking part in a competition, where the one that manages the deepest descent is rewarded with one million dollars. And, as they hope, quite a bit of fame. They both go for the Krubera Cave in Georgia, with one of the groups expecting to go about 7,200 feet deep. The other one, though, expects to go much deeper. They get in contact with a russian caver that had descended into the cave in the 70s and is now in an asylum, as it took her a year to get back out and no one believed her when she reported of the horrors she had seen. Well, that and a hidden world underground with never before seen flora and fauna.
What she's saying is that Verne's book was actually based on a true story by the long-dead alchemist Arkady Saknussov, who over 500 years ago had found another world at the center of the earth, underground oceans, giant mushrooms and all.
They go for it. And, surprise, they find it. They find the horror as well.
This was a lot of fun. I feel a little bad for rating this higher than Jule Verne's classic. But it is just more entertaining and better paced. The experience went from being claustrophobic to a sense of wonder and discovery. It is not a welcoming world, though, and the sheer variety of different threats the characters are going to face was probably the best part of it.
It's decently written, too, and I only wished that Beck had taken a little more time to establish the characters. They were serviceable at best, and apart from the teamleaders and one or two others I sometimes had trouble telling them apart. They pretty much got the treatment of the characters in creature features (everyone making dumb choices included). And that was a bit of a problem. Because this book is much more than just that. Don't get me wrong, I love me some good creature feature. But that's just not quite what this book is. With better characters it could have been a five star read. It still came close.
4.5 stars rounded down.
April 29, 2021
Well now, what did I just read?
Was it a slightly updated version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth with modern characters and equipment? With fantastical underground scenarios and adventuresome events?
Or was it a weak soup of characters that I could never get into even enough to enjoy their horrible deaths?
Hmm. I suppose it could be both?
This is an example of a pretty interesting and hopeful re-creation of a classic that I admit I was pretty enthusiastic about, despite some slight trepidation, all the way to their first descent into the bowels of hell.
And then it kinda fizzled. What descriptions of those bowels there were, it never felt like there was enough. The treatments of the characters as they died, or even the basic wear and care of said characters, was almost nonexistent -- even compared to a very low-bar mass-produced slasher flick.
"Ah, he died, ah well, kthxbye."
Fortunately, there were two teams trying to race down to the bottom, so we had plenty of fresh human stock for the cave-grinder.
It's really a shame tho. There WAS some promise. And if you don't care about characters at all, this is probably a fine, adventuresome, read.
Was it a slightly updated version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth with modern characters and equipment? With fantastical underground scenarios and adventuresome events?
Or was it a weak soup of characters that I could never get into even enough to enjoy their horrible deaths?
Hmm. I suppose it could be both?
This is an example of a pretty interesting and hopeful re-creation of a classic that I admit I was pretty enthusiastic about, despite some slight trepidation, all the way to their first descent into the bowels of hell.
And then it kinda fizzled. What descriptions of those bowels there were, it never felt like there was enough. The treatments of the characters as they died, or even the basic wear and care of said characters, was almost nonexistent -- even compared to a very low-bar mass-produced slasher flick.
"Ah, he died, ah well, kthxbye."
Fortunately, there were two teams trying to race down to the bottom, so we had plenty of fresh human stock for the cave-grinder.
It's really a shame tho. There WAS some promise. And if you don't care about characters at all, this is probably a fine, adventuresome, read.
April 29, 2021
That was ... anticlimactic.
One of the deepest caves in the world is in Russia. In the 70s, a team of explorers went down to break records ... and in a way, they did. Only one made it out and she was locked up in an asylum.
Now, two teams of cavers are racing to win a bet (and thus 1 million dollars): to be the first to go that deep. Though one of the teams, led by Michael (the MC), actually has other plans since they know of the supposed wonders waiting at the mythic center of the Earth. Which is also why they go visit the woman in the Russian asylum to obtain information from her (a sort of roadmap).
The rest is a typical story of dumb people doing even dumber things. That was one of the most unrealistic aspects of this story, if you can believe that. Because cavers (like climbers) are usually very diligent people who not only know their stuff but also prepare ad nauseum. Unlike these "explorers". *lol*
Inside the cave, there are many pathways leading to numerous different landscapes that were truly awesome to "see". Unfortunately, at that point the author apparently couldn't decide whether to have a fast-paced slasher story with lots of gruesome deaths or stay with the adventure theme, resulting in the reader getting neither, fully.
Not enough blood and gore, not enough time spent describing the surroundings. I think the former weighed heaviest for me. Because the characters weren't just reckless but also stupid and I wanted to have some fun with them dying horrible deaths. *evil grin*
However, the story was still fun and the writing style wasn't bad at all (fast-paced action even if it wasn't in any way ground-breaking). It was just utterly forgettable (I couldn't remember the names of the people after they had died *lol*). But it was still good enough, I suppose.
One of the deepest caves in the world is in Russia. In the 70s, a team of explorers went down to break records ... and in a way, they did. Only one made it out and she was locked up in an asylum.
Now, two teams of cavers are racing to win a bet (and thus 1 million dollars): to be the first to go that deep. Though one of the teams, led by Michael (the MC), actually has other plans since they know of the supposed wonders waiting at the mythic center of the Earth. Which is also why they go visit the woman in the Russian asylum to obtain information from her (a sort of roadmap).
The rest is a typical story of dumb people doing even dumber things. That was one of the most unrealistic aspects of this story, if you can believe that. Because cavers (like climbers) are usually very diligent people who not only know their stuff but also prepare ad nauseum. Unlike these "explorers". *lol*
Inside the cave, there are many pathways leading to numerous different landscapes that were truly awesome to "see". Unfortunately, at that point the author apparently couldn't decide whether to have a fast-paced slasher story with lots of gruesome deaths or stay with the adventure theme, resulting in the reader getting neither, fully.
Not enough blood and gore, not enough time spent describing the surroundings. I think the former weighed heaviest for me. Because the characters weren't just reckless but also stupid and I wanted to have some fun with them dying horrible deaths. *evil grin*
However, the story was still fun and the writing style wasn't bad at all (fast-paced action even if it wasn't in any way ground-breaking). It was just utterly forgettable (I couldn't remember the names of the people after they had died *lol*). But it was still good enough, I suppose.
February 6, 2021
This is an example of why I love Greig Beck's novels. Exciting adventures with lots of horror and thrills as the humans come upon creatures we pray never venture up from the center of earth - A nail-biter is putting it mildly!
Hope book #2 of this ('To the Center of the Earth') series is available on Audible VERY soon!
Hope book #2 of this ('To the Center of the Earth') series is available on Audible VERY soon!
April 10, 2020
“I declare the earth is hollow, habitable within, and that it can be reached via deep caverns hidden about the world. I pledge my life to this truth and I am ready to prove my theory true.”
Cavers go down deeper and deeper, in search of rumours, old tales and whoever inspired Jules Verne. Here there be monsters.
I was in search of something light, some underwater/caving creature feature and this looked interesting. There was one editing mistake early on, otherwise the writing was good. The characters were fleshed out sufficiently. I connected enough to care. It was suspenseful. There was humour. The critters were creepy and the world very imaginative and believable. I had fun.
The ending was maybe a touch too fantastic, however also left the reader with two small plot bunnies, making me wonder if maybe there was a sequel? I would read it. Door 2 would mean reading Jules Verne...
The cave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krubera...
4.5 troglodytes, rounded up.
Cavers go down deeper and deeper, in search of rumours, old tales and whoever inspired Jules Verne. Here there be monsters.
I was in search of something light, some underwater/caving creature feature and this looked interesting. There was one editing mistake early on, otherwise the writing was good. The characters were fleshed out sufficiently. I connected enough to care. It was suspenseful. There was humour. The critters were creepy and the world very imaginative and believable. I had fun.
The ending was maybe a touch too fantastic, however also left the reader with two small plot bunnies, making me wonder if maybe there was a sequel? I would read it. Door 2 would mean reading Jules Verne...
The cave: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krubera...
4.5 troglodytes, rounded up.
November 13, 2020
What a perfect book! One of the best I've read this year. Pure fun and reading pleasure in almost forgotten genre of total adventure. You know, the kind in which characters go about doing impossibly brave things just trying to keep themselves alive, without the factor of human plotting, scheming and intrigue, freaking gadgets, computers, networks, goddamn mobile phones and other paraphernalia that turn even the most promising attempts in this class into classic or techno thrillers. Nothing against those, but there's... how do I put it? Sense of purity, of getting down to basics of what makes a good and interesting book. If there could ever be equivalent of paleo diet in the literature, this would be it.
September 25, 2021
Once again, Grieg Beck reinterprets a classic tale, this time, Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, to create an exciting and thoroughly modern tale. This time, he focuses on two teams of cavers who separately sneak into a closed off cave system in Russia to attempt to win a prize by going lower than any cavers have gone before. One of the teams, however, has a much more ambitious plan than the other. They have uncovered evidence—some of it going back 500 years—that this cave system is actually an entrance to a hollow earth and as a result both teams get a heck of a lot more than they bargained for.
In classic Beck style, he spices things up by thinking quite carefully about how the ecology of a hollow earth would diverge from that of the rest of the planet. So we do not encounter dinosaurs but something far more unexpected and frightening. Also, unlike Verne, Beck has never been afraid to kill off his cast so once again the novel quickly moves into territory in which the question is who, if anyone, will survive the horrors he has created for his readers.
Yet the novel is not completely about the danger. Some of the elements are simply fascinating—even delightful—to think about, such as the tubes of fluctuating gravity that permit the cavers to actually descend so deep into the planet. As in his other novels, Beck has a gift for surprising the reader which makes each adventure a wonderfully unique experience.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
In classic Beck style, he spices things up by thinking quite carefully about how the ecology of a hollow earth would diverge from that of the rest of the planet. So we do not encounter dinosaurs but something far more unexpected and frightening. Also, unlike Verne, Beck has never been afraid to kill off his cast so once again the novel quickly moves into territory in which the question is who, if anyone, will survive the horrors he has created for his readers.
Yet the novel is not completely about the danger. Some of the elements are simply fascinating—even delightful—to think about, such as the tubes of fluctuating gravity that permit the cavers to actually descend so deep into the planet. As in his other novels, Beck has a gift for surprising the reader which makes each adventure a wonderfully unique experience.
If you liked this review, you can find more at www.gilbertstack.com/reviews.
December 21, 2021
1 star
“ Those who descend into the void find monsters. Or become them. „
I've been scared of caves ever since I watched (and was traumatised by) the film Sanctum as a child, so this scifi horror that takes place in the Krubera cave, one of the world's deepest caves, is quite literally my worst nightmare! <3 And it did great! I loved the scifi aspects, and the horror of what our cavers found in the literal depths of hell was pretty scary too.
But that's where my praise ends! Because these characters SUCKED. Get rid of their names and replace them with Main Character, Love Interest, Russian Dude, Evil Guy; one defining characteristic was all they had to differentiate themselves from each other, and some weren't even lucky enough to get that. Every single one of these characters, even the protagonist, felt unnecessary and dispensable.
I wouldn't be surprised if the characters saw their fellow cavers as unnecessary and dispensable as well, because there's no other explanation for how they were able to witness their friends' horrific deaths and then continue to make jokes and banter with one another as if what they had just seen wasn't incredibly traumatising. Yeah, positivity and optimism and all that, but your friend was just devoured!! ALIVE!! Can you maybe hold off on the jokes until after you recover from your PTSD and major depressive disorder brought on by your life threatening experiences and grief???!!!
It's unfortunate, because I really did enjoy their journey to the centre of the Earth, but I cannot, and will not, forgive these characters for ruining the entire story. And why, for the love of God, did no one have a camera?
“ Those who descend into the void find monsters. Or become them. „
I've been scared of caves ever since I watched (and was traumatised by) the film Sanctum as a child, so this scifi horror that takes place in the Krubera cave, one of the world's deepest caves, is quite literally my worst nightmare! <3 And it did great! I loved the scifi aspects, and the horror of what our cavers found in the literal depths of hell was pretty scary too.
But that's where my praise ends! Because these characters SUCKED. Get rid of their names and replace them with Main Character, Love Interest, Russian Dude, Evil Guy; one defining characteristic was all they had to differentiate themselves from each other, and some weren't even lucky enough to get that. Every single one of these characters, even the protagonist, felt unnecessary and dispensable.
I wouldn't be surprised if the characters saw their fellow cavers as unnecessary and dispensable as well, because there's no other explanation for how they were able to witness their friends' horrific deaths and then continue to make jokes and banter with one another as if what they had just seen wasn't incredibly traumatising. Yeah, positivity and optimism and all that, but your friend was just devoured!! ALIVE!! Can you maybe hold off on the jokes until after you recover from your PTSD and major depressive disorder brought on by your life threatening experiences and grief???!!!
It's unfortunate, because I really did enjoy their journey to the centre of the Earth, but I cannot, and will not, forgive these characters for ruining the entire story. And why, for the love of God, did no one have a camera?
April 16, 2020
I was one of the LUCKY ONES! I got to read this gem long before others. To the Center of the Earth is all about crazy people, going into the most crazy of places and encountering the crazies of things. This story is the tale of people looking to do something so extreme, so different, it kills them in the most dire, the most nightmarish of ways.
A group of friends belong to a club where venturing into the deepest of caves is life. They pay money to see who’s gone the deepest and how much further do they have to travel in order to get paid and gain popularity. Now these are highly intelligent people: teachers and professors amongst the lot. Yet when dollar signs are present, they do things they’d never thought possible. They become foolish by going underground, possibly for years!
When Mike Monroe and his friends go to Russia to gain in-depth information on a cave in particular, (and a person) they receive the worst story and a warning. Do they heed it? Of course not. They go and they go hard, but competition is what spurs them most, since a pompous club mate got there ahead of them. What they encounter is of my worst dreams and phobias. Will they make the goal? Win the money? All come out alive?
I read this in bed every night, until I finished it. I have to tell you, many times, I had to stop reading, because I just knew what was coming! I knew they were being incredibly stupid and like, WOW- they really went anyway?! I also had trouble because of my phobia: a debilitating fear of being eaten alive, and so many times, something I knew would lead them to an awful end was coming and I had to stop! YES, I had to stop. OMGoodness- the things they encountered. I also got angry with them and wanted to slap them all- especially Mike, who seemed to derail.
Greig Beck knows how to get into your head when he writes tales of this nature. He takes something mysterious and makes it monstrous! I take it as therapy, because it’s the only way I’m going to experience what these people do, ‘cause black folks do not venture to the center of anything! Are you crazy??? LOL This book was amazing. I loved it and I can’t wait for the next Beck release. He can’t pump them out fast enough.
A group of friends belong to a club where venturing into the deepest of caves is life. They pay money to see who’s gone the deepest and how much further do they have to travel in order to get paid and gain popularity. Now these are highly intelligent people: teachers and professors amongst the lot. Yet when dollar signs are present, they do things they’d never thought possible. They become foolish by going underground, possibly for years!
When Mike Monroe and his friends go to Russia to gain in-depth information on a cave in particular, (and a person) they receive the worst story and a warning. Do they heed it? Of course not. They go and they go hard, but competition is what spurs them most, since a pompous club mate got there ahead of them. What they encounter is of my worst dreams and phobias. Will they make the goal? Win the money? All come out alive?
I read this in bed every night, until I finished it. I have to tell you, many times, I had to stop reading, because I just knew what was coming! I knew they were being incredibly stupid and like, WOW- they really went anyway?! I also had trouble because of my phobia: a debilitating fear of being eaten alive, and so many times, something I knew would lead them to an awful end was coming and I had to stop! YES, I had to stop. OMGoodness- the things they encountered. I also got angry with them and wanted to slap them all- especially Mike, who seemed to derail.
Greig Beck knows how to get into your head when he writes tales of this nature. He takes something mysterious and makes it monstrous! I take it as therapy, because it’s the only way I’m going to experience what these people do, ‘cause black folks do not venture to the center of anything! Are you crazy??? LOL This book was amazing. I loved it and I can’t wait for the next Beck release. He can’t pump them out fast enough.
December 6, 2020
Personally this author is really growing on me. He manages to write some vastly crazy AF fiction that both thrills me and freaks me the F out. When I saw this book was not only about a deep underground cave diving team and them following the path left by previous explorers to a hidden world within our own I had to read it. Sign me the hell up. I loved the blend of ancient history with cave diving and science. While you’d never catch me dead cave diving in any form or even volunteering to explore a new world, I’m all for fictional characters doing it for me. I’ll sit back with my kindle and popcorn clutching a blanket while a group of ignoramuses slowly get killed off one by one in a vicious world filled with hideous creatures and ginormous bugs. Nothing was held back down below and the author really explored his wildest imagination creating some horrifying scenes and creatures not suitable at any time or place 😂 I’m not a fact-checker so I’m sure some will argue the many inaccuracies the author wrote about either scientifically or even geographically. I could care less how accurate anything was, I was so eager when the book began, the buildup was well done and then I was just as quickly wishing they’d turn back around lol. I will say the characters at times were dumb as hell, I mean who in their right mind would ever think boldly walking into a village of an unknown species would go over well and you’d be welcomed with open arms? Then again I’m still questioning why they were dumb enough to walk into the jungle, where Godzilla sized bugs most certainly live and then later set sail across an unknown vast lake with lord knows what living in it 🤦🏽♀️ But again it’s better them than me and it made for a great read. I’m always a sucker for a center of the earth story, no matter what is encountered and so I really enjoyed this book and only wish it could have been expanded a bit more.
July 1, 2021
This turned out to be a really great book. I have always loved Journey to the Centre of the Earth so I decided to give this book a go. This is a really faced paced read with plenty of action to keep it moving. There is some gore in this book but it is done well.
This book is a book about the characters getting by with nothing more than their wits and there was something refreshing about that in a world of technology.
I will be continuing on with this series and I am going to search in more books by this author.
This book is a book about the characters getting by with nothing more than their wits and there was something refreshing about that in a world of technology.
I will be continuing on with this series and I am going to search in more books by this author.
February 28, 2022
Where are you off too?
I'm going to climb down to the center of the Earth.
Will you pick up some milk on your way back?
Sure thing.
I still remember reading Journey to the Center of the Earth several times as a child growing up in the 60s. The imagery was captivating AND it had dinosaurs and cool lights and giant mushrooms and stuff. What a great book...but totally preposterous! Now Greig Beck has written an updated version, and like Michael Crichton, he seems to have the ability to make the unbelievable suddenly seem possible. He's done his research too.
The characters were a little bit vanilla, so you didn't really mind if they got chewed up and spat out - which is just as well. This was a good little adventure story which had plenty of action, but not enough blood and guts (in my humble, evil opinion). The ending was done very well and if anyone asks me, "Hey, you want to go caving?" I'll be answering, "F*** that." Well worth a read.
I'm going to climb down to the center of the Earth.
Will you pick up some milk on your way back?
Sure thing.
I still remember reading Journey to the Center of the Earth several times as a child growing up in the 60s. The imagery was captivating AND it had dinosaurs and cool lights and giant mushrooms and stuff. What a great book...but totally preposterous! Now Greig Beck has written an updated version, and like Michael Crichton, he seems to have the ability to make the unbelievable suddenly seem possible. He's done his research too.
The characters were a little bit vanilla, so you didn't really mind if they got chewed up and spat out - which is just as well. This was a good little adventure story which had plenty of action, but not enough blood and guts (in my humble, evil opinion). The ending was done very well and if anyone asks me, "Hey, you want to go caving?" I'll be answering, "F*** that." Well worth a read.
January 30, 2021
Was this book ridiculous? Yes. Was the science believable? Not really. Did I still have a great time reading it? Absolutely.
This was a fun read with a few interesting twists I didn't anticipate. The book follows a group of hobbyist cavers competing with other groups to explore the deepest cave and win millions of dollars. Mike Monroe has a plan to win which involves finding a woman who was the sole survivor of an expedition into a cave in Russia in the 1950s. Guided by the woman's journal, which is written entirely in Russian and only able to be read by Mike, their team races to reach the bottom of the cave first and then beyond.
A wild adventure from start to finish, To The Center of the Earth is a fititng homage to Jules Verne and a thrilling easy read.
This was a fun read with a few interesting twists I didn't anticipate. The book follows a group of hobbyist cavers competing with other groups to explore the deepest cave and win millions of dollars. Mike Monroe has a plan to win which involves finding a woman who was the sole survivor of an expedition into a cave in Russia in the 1950s. Guided by the woman's journal, which is written entirely in Russian and only able to be read by Mike, their team races to reach the bottom of the cave first and then beyond.
A wild adventure from start to finish, To The Center of the Earth is a fititng homage to Jules Verne and a thrilling easy read.
August 22, 2021
Well, another adventure/thriller/monster kind of novel... Another Greig Beck miss.
I will not be buying more of his books. I've gave him 2 novels and all of his novels are rather bland.
What I mean by bland is that it's not a awesome book, didn't make me Ahhh. It's full of holes, scientific holes- but we are reading a novel where the earth is hollow so there's that. But even this highways down to the center of the earth are far fetch.
When you are reading this novels, you want two things - ideas and views that go far behind our own reality like ancient hidden tribes with interesting powers; in the jungles some monsters that stay hidden and so on. Here, we've got some people who want to dive furthest in caverns than anyone has ever done. We learn a bit of cave climbing and we can see Greig studied about this.
But then we arrive at a junction where laws of nature disappear and we are thrown into a hidden world within ours. The monsters and such are very interesting because it make us wonder what if evolution had gone other way - what would life turn out? How many life cycles have occur in our earth? Or is this the only time intelligent life has appear on earth? If it happen 500 millions or 1 billion ago all of their vestiges would have disappear by now.
My main problem is the characters themselves. Boring and plain... This already happen with other Greg Beck novel I've read. Great setup but alas...
I will not be buying more of his books. I've gave him 2 novels and all of his novels are rather bland.
What I mean by bland is that it's not a awesome book, didn't make me Ahhh. It's full of holes, scientific holes- but we are reading a novel where the earth is hollow so there's that. But even this highways down to the center of the earth are far fetch.
When you are reading this novels, you want two things - ideas and views that go far behind our own reality like ancient hidden tribes with interesting powers; in the jungles some monsters that stay hidden and so on. Here, we've got some people who want to dive furthest in caverns than anyone has ever done. We learn a bit of cave climbing and we can see Greig studied about this.
But then we arrive at a junction where laws of nature disappear and we are thrown into a hidden world within ours. The monsters and such are very interesting because it make us wonder what if evolution had gone other way - what would life turn out? How many life cycles have occur in our earth? Or is this the only time intelligent life has appear on earth? If it happen 500 millions or 1 billion ago all of their vestiges would have disappear by now.
My main problem is the characters themselves. Boring and plain... This already happen with other Greg Beck novel I've read. Great setup but alas...
July 11, 2022
First Read May 2020
This book was exactly what I have been looking for!! All adventure and no military action.
I absolutely LOVED IT!!
Second Read July 2022
This book was exactly what I have been looking for!! All adventure and no military action.
I absolutely LOVED IT!!
Second Read July 2022
February 11, 2022
What a mastermind of a story teller. Such a thrilling tale of a journey. The world described in the center earths core is mind blowing. The author keeps you glued to the pages with his descriptive details of what each character is seeing, feeling, and experiencing to include some horrifying screaming of human and creatures. The writing is smooth and easy to follow and I really enjoy this book. I’m excited to dive into the next book. I’m curious to find out if they go back to learn what happened to the lost civilization and if the creatures from below make it to our world. Will they go back more prepared? I really enjoyed the characters and felt the author gives you enough of their personality to get attached to them.
Excellent Read.
Excellent Read.
July 16, 2021
That was wild!!!!
I loved the non-stop action and adventure.
Going into the unknown and trying to survive the unfamiliar elements and…….creatures….. it’s absolutely TERRIFYING and I freakin love reading books about it!
Greig Beck is still fairly new to be but I am looking forward to reading more of his books!!!!
I loved the non-stop action and adventure.
Going into the unknown and trying to survive the unfamiliar elements and…….creatures….. it’s absolutely TERRIFYING and I freakin love reading books about it!
Greig Beck is still fairly new to be but I am looking forward to reading more of his books!!!!
April 28, 2021
Definitely a fast-paced, exciting adventure story - a good pick for those who want some escapism in their lives.
That being said, as mentioned in other reviews, the characters were definitely a bit lacking - there was little character development through the book, the relationships between the characters were very shallow, I did not relate to any of them, and they face very little consequences for any of their actions.
I picked this book up to get back into reading, and was able to finish it within 3-4 sessions. It was a light-hearted adventure story that was fun to experience, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend, and I wouldn't go on to read the second book of this series.
That being said, as mentioned in other reviews, the characters were definitely a bit lacking - there was little character development through the book, the relationships between the characters were very shallow, I did not relate to any of them, and they face very little consequences for any of their actions.
I picked this book up to get back into reading, and was able to finish it within 3-4 sessions. It was a light-hearted adventure story that was fun to experience, but I wouldn't recommend it to a friend, and I wouldn't go on to read the second book of this series.
February 16, 2021
Genuinely cannot understand all the 4-5 star reviews. It reads like it was written by a 13 year old. Too many "sins" (lol) to count but one I have to mention is how (spoiler alert) whenever a lifelong friend gets brutally killed they all just go "poor [friend's name]!" before instantly forgetting that they ever existed. Much of the plot was boring af, there's some of the worst info-dumps I've encountered near the start of the book (it reads like the author's basic notes on each character - they are so forgettable that the author needed reminding or something), and I can't remember having endured dialogue as cringeworthy as this since I last read my own from age 13. Thing is, this guy has dozens of books and thousands of top reviews. By this I am actually, genuinely, certifiably fucking baffled.
I'm a bit of a pos for not holding back and will likely remove this review in a few days once I've reflected on just how much of a cynical and bad person I am (I've never reviewed so negatively?!) but omd the situation is just so utterly perplexing!!
I will say in its favour - some bits in the first fifth were all right.
I'm a bit of a pos for not holding back and will likely remove this review in a few days once I've reflected on just how much of a cynical and bad person I am (I've never reviewed so negatively?!) but omd the situation is just so utterly perplexing!!
I will say in its favour - some bits in the first fifth were all right.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2021
In some horror stories, characters make ridiculous decisions and get themselves into silly situations, and you have absolutely no sympathy for them - it was like that for quite a while.
The writing is a bit clumsy and on the nose at times. A quarter of the way through the book a character says "I don't think it can get any worse than this" - hmmm, let me try and read between the lines here and guess what might happen next...
Having said that, my sympathy did eventually grow for the characters and the adventure kept me turning the pages. Not bad really.
The writing is a bit clumsy and on the nose at times. A quarter of the way through the book a character says "I don't think it can get any worse than this" - hmmm, let me try and read between the lines here and guess what might happen next...
Having said that, my sympathy did eventually grow for the characters and the adventure kept me turning the pages. Not bad really.
April 20, 2023
Wow!! This is a fantastic retelling/rehashing of a classic! Perfect for fans of Jules Verne, and those new to the Hollow Earth theories! A mixture of thriller, adventure, and horror, this book caught me in its grip and I couldn’t put it down, (until I realized there were two more books in the series; quickly ordered them on Amazon and went back to reading!) it was too intense to stop!
Be forewarned: if you’re scared of bugs, this book will have your skin crawling!
Be forewarned: if you’re scared of bugs, this book will have your skin crawling!
August 23, 2020
well this one was interesting. I like the ideas used and the deaths were great. I loved the idea that the world was were the bugs evolved and took over and the idea of all the different creatures was cool. I felt a few bits didn't really add up right but hay I did enjoy it. I was surprised to find out so many of them made it out I was hoping that they all would have been wiped out or got lost and couldn't get back out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2021
Ich hab absolut keine Ahnung was die anderen, die hier 4-5 Sterne Bewertungen abgegeben haben, gelesen haben.
Muss was anderes gewesen sein, als das was ich gelesen habe, denn das war wirklich schlecht.
Absolut langweilig, mit Charakteren, die einem vollkommen egal und ebenfalls absolut öde sind.
Dazu noch Fachblabla zum Thema Höhlenklettern...
Leider absolut nicht das spannende, Action-Abenteuer, das ich erhofft hatte...
Muss was anderes gewesen sein, als das was ich gelesen habe, denn das war wirklich schlecht.
Absolut langweilig, mit Charakteren, die einem vollkommen egal und ebenfalls absolut öde sind.
Dazu noch Fachblabla zum Thema Höhlenklettern...
Leider absolut nicht das spannende, Action-Abenteuer, das ich erhofft hatte...
December 5, 2020
Quick read .... loved this fast faced thriller. What is at the center of the earth? A team of cave divers attempt to win a million dollars to see who can go the furthest to the center of the earth. They never expect to find a whole civilization waiting for them.
October 2, 2021
Great monsters and creatures. Dumb humans.
A group of cave divers find out about a cave that could go to the center of the earth, they get warned not to as it's hell. They go and (pikachu surprised face) are surprised that it turns out to be hell.
I really like Greig as a horror writer more for his creature creations and details of deaths and destruction. However, the man wrote some of the most boring characters I've ever read in this book. I honestly lost track of who was still around at the end as they were all boring idiots.
Read for the creatures, monsters, and world-building. Slightly hate it for the dumbshit people who go there
A group of cave divers find out about a cave that could go to the center of the earth, they get warned not to as it's hell. They go and (pikachu surprised face) are surprised that it turns out to be hell.
I really like Greig as a horror writer more for his creature creations and details of deaths and destruction. However, the man wrote some of the most boring characters I've ever read in this book. I honestly lost track of who was still around at the end as they were all boring idiots.
Read for the creatures, monsters, and world-building. Slightly hate it for the dumbshit people who go there
April 5, 2020
This is a dark and fast-moving story that kept my mind engaged. Think of it as a "dark" Pellucidar, a modern-day take on Edgar Rice Burroughs by way of Jules Verne.
The story was familiar enough to be comforting, yet different enough to make you wonder.
The story was familiar enough to be comforting, yet different enough to make you wonder.
April 5, 2020
I freaking LOVED this book!!!! Kept me up till 4 in the morning two nights in a row!! Just could not put it down!!!
June 26, 2021
In einem russischen Gefängnis hütet eine alte Frau ein strenges Geheimnis, da sie ein geheimnisvolles Manuskript aufweist, das den Weg zum Mittelpunkt der Erde voraussagen soll. Sie weiß viel über diese Welt dort unten, da sie vor fünfzig Jahren als Einzige aus ihrem Team aus dieser Welt entkommen ist. Nun möchte der Höhlenforscher Mike Monroe ein Team engagieren, um in diese Welt mithilfe des Manuskripts einzudringen. Am Ort angekommen merkt das Team das die Geschichten wahr sind und jegliche Vorstellungen der Evolution und der gesamten Welt auf den Kopf gestellt werden. Was passiert dort wirklich?
Als Kind haben mich Bücher und Filme, die sich mit dem Mittelpunkt der Erde auseinandersetzen, total interessiert. Und ich meine wer kennt nicht den Film mit Brendan Fraser, der sich mit derselben Thematik befasst? Deswegen habe ich mich auf dieses Buch gefreut!
In diesem Buch überschreitet der Autor jegliche Grenzen der Realität, sodass man sich als Leser darauf einstellen muss, dass unser Verständnis der Evolution auf den Kopf gestellt wird. Dies gefiel mir sehr gut, da man was “Neues“ kennenlernen konnte. Es ging spannend umher und ich merkte, dass die Spannung an keiner Seite zum Erliegen kam. Dies ist damit zu begründen, dass der Autor sehr actionreiche Szenen einbaut, die ein rasantes Tempo im Buch erzeugen. Schon beim Thriller „Holly Lin“ aus dem Luzifer Verlag war ich hinsichtlich der Action begeistert. Teilweise ähnelten beide Bücher einem Hollywood-Film. Richtig gut!
Wie ich es schon vermutet habe, waren die Figuren in dem knapp 340 seitigen Buch nicht tiefgründig ausgearbeitet worden. Dies passte aber sehr gut zu diesem Buch, da hier der Fokus wirklich auf der Darstellung der Welt sowie der Handlung gelegt worden ist. Apropos Setting – auch wenn der Autor die Welt an manchen Stellen recht detailliert präsentiert, bin ich der Meinung, dass es an manchen Stellen doch zu kurz kam. Hier würde es sich empfehlen noch detaillierter vorzugehen und wirklich eine Seite pro Kapitel noch stärker dem Setting zu widmen. So hatte ich das Gefühl, dass ich “den Mittelpunkt der Erde“ doch nicht so ausführlich kennengelernt habe. Dann würde auch ein gutes Zwischenspiel zwischen detaillierten Beschreibungen sowie einem actionreichen sowie spannendem Plot vorliegen.
Fazit: Der Autor entwirft mit diesem Buch einen spannenden Plot. Mir hat es Spaß gemacht das Team von Mike auf diese Reise zu begleiten. Es wird spannend, actionreich und emotional. Dennoch weist das Buch Schwächen in der Darstellung des Settings/Handlungsort auf.
Als Kind haben mich Bücher und Filme, die sich mit dem Mittelpunkt der Erde auseinandersetzen, total interessiert. Und ich meine wer kennt nicht den Film mit Brendan Fraser, der sich mit derselben Thematik befasst? Deswegen habe ich mich auf dieses Buch gefreut!
In diesem Buch überschreitet der Autor jegliche Grenzen der Realität, sodass man sich als Leser darauf einstellen muss, dass unser Verständnis der Evolution auf den Kopf gestellt wird. Dies gefiel mir sehr gut, da man was “Neues“ kennenlernen konnte. Es ging spannend umher und ich merkte, dass die Spannung an keiner Seite zum Erliegen kam. Dies ist damit zu begründen, dass der Autor sehr actionreiche Szenen einbaut, die ein rasantes Tempo im Buch erzeugen. Schon beim Thriller „Holly Lin“ aus dem Luzifer Verlag war ich hinsichtlich der Action begeistert. Teilweise ähnelten beide Bücher einem Hollywood-Film. Richtig gut!
Wie ich es schon vermutet habe, waren die Figuren in dem knapp 340 seitigen Buch nicht tiefgründig ausgearbeitet worden. Dies passte aber sehr gut zu diesem Buch, da hier der Fokus wirklich auf der Darstellung der Welt sowie der Handlung gelegt worden ist. Apropos Setting – auch wenn der Autor die Welt an manchen Stellen recht detailliert präsentiert, bin ich der Meinung, dass es an manchen Stellen doch zu kurz kam. Hier würde es sich empfehlen noch detaillierter vorzugehen und wirklich eine Seite pro Kapitel noch stärker dem Setting zu widmen. So hatte ich das Gefühl, dass ich “den Mittelpunkt der Erde“ doch nicht so ausführlich kennengelernt habe. Dann würde auch ein gutes Zwischenspiel zwischen detaillierten Beschreibungen sowie einem actionreichen sowie spannendem Plot vorliegen.
Fazit: Der Autor entwirft mit diesem Buch einen spannenden Plot. Mir hat es Spaß gemacht das Team von Mike auf diese Reise zu begleiten. Es wird spannend, actionreich und emotional. Dennoch weist das Buch Schwächen in der Darstellung des Settings/Handlungsort auf.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 290 reviews