Scan barcode
omgshnicholas's review
4.0
Starting with the pros, because they are numerous and praise is well deserved. Tim Curran is a master of description and a great storyteller. It would be difficult to read about drifting in a soupy sea and being afraid of fog for 98% percent of a VERY dense book, but Curran makes it hard to put the book down.
I’ve learned a ton of new words, I’m impressed with how much knowledge the author has about boats, I’m fully invested in the world and want to know more about it. I devoured the entire book without distraction from any other titles.
The cons: although there are few, they’re glaring enough that I feel compelled to write about them. First, the humor. I don’t feel like any of it landed and it was frankly uncomfortable. I understand that we were supposed to hate Saks, the character, but I just ended up hating the Saks sections of the book. I wanted to actually skip paragraphs just to move the story enough. It was too repetitive and it was EVERY sentence. If he was going to be that mind numbingly abrasive, I would have assumed the characters would try harder to get rid of him.
But the biggest let down of the book was the fog devil. Maybe it’s my fault for having expectations but with the book being described as fitting into the cthululu mythos and feeling lovecraftian, I expected a more well rounded final monster. There weren’t enough hints or peaks at it. And when we finally did get to see it, it was a confusing description of something people really tough to picture. I get it, he’s from another dimension. But I’m in this dimension. So I’m disappointed that the monster, essentially the big reveal, was more of a concept.
If the reveal was more satisfying it would have been an EASY five stars. Even hating Saks is really me nitpicking. But after 400 pages of me expecting Godzilla, and getting geometry clouds, it just feels like a let down.
I’ll still recommend it to anyone. Wonderful book regardless.
I’ve learned a ton of new words, I’m impressed with how much knowledge the author has about boats, I’m fully invested in the world and want to know more about it. I devoured the entire book without distraction from any other titles.
The cons: although there are few, they’re glaring enough that I feel compelled to write about them. First, the humor. I don’t feel like any of it landed and it was frankly uncomfortable. I understand that we were supposed to hate Saks, the character, but I just ended up hating the Saks sections of the book. I wanted to actually skip paragraphs just to move the story enough. It was too repetitive and it was EVERY sentence. If he was going to be that mind numbingly abrasive, I would have assumed the characters would try harder to get rid of him.
But the biggest let down of the book was the fog devil. Maybe it’s my fault for having expectations but with the book being described as fitting into the cthululu mythos and feeling lovecraftian, I expected a more well rounded final monster. There weren’t enough hints or peaks at it. And when we finally did get to see it, it was a confusing description of something people really tough to picture. I get it, he’s from another dimension. But I’m in this dimension. So I’m disappointed that the monster, essentially the big reveal, was more of a concept.
If the reveal was more satisfying it would have been an EASY five stars. Even hating Saks is really me nitpicking. But after 400 pages of me expecting Godzilla, and getting geometry clouds, it just feels like a let down.
I’ll still recommend it to anyone. Wonderful book regardless.
scotchcrowley's review
A bit too slow paced for me. Just didn't seem to be going anywhere interesting. I may try again at a later date.
esieho's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
The monsters were the best part. His descriptions are fantastic and you do feel the horror and dread. That's about where my praise ends.
Characters and dialogue felt clunky to me, cookie cutter even. And let's talk about all the "locker room" "blue collar" "man's man" talk.... It was a lot to look past. And it read just like a B-movie - take that how you want. I like a B-movie. Give me LL Cool J and a shark! But I don't want my books to read like that.
Characters and dialogue felt clunky to me, cookie cutter even. And let's talk about all the "locker room" "blue collar" "man's man" talk.... It was a lot to look past. And it read just like a B-movie - take that how you want. I like a B-movie. Give me LL Cool J and a shark! But I don't want my books to read like that.
avangron's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
jellybean_gene's review
4.0
Incredibly well constructed eldritch horror. Seriously one of the best executions I've ever read for Lovexraftian-style creatures.
My only criticism is that it was way too long for what it was. It could have easily been about a hundred pages shorter.
My only criticism is that it was way too long for what it was. It could have easily been about a hundred pages shorter.
mihknael's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
jasecorn's review against another edition
3.0
Good story, but over long
I'll start by admitting that I don't read a lot of books. Maybe that reflects in my review of this.
I found myself completely engrossed for about the first half of this book. After that it all just started dragging for me. Tim is undoubtedly a very talented writer, but I found this book getting too bogged down in overly descriptive text. There's only so many times you want to read about what a fog looks like. I feel this book could have trimmed a good 100 pages and would have been much more dramatic for it.
That said, I did very much enjoy the story and the character interaction.
I'll start by admitting that I don't read a lot of books. Maybe that reflects in my review of this.
I found myself completely engrossed for about the first half of this book. After that it all just started dragging for me. Tim is undoubtedly a very talented writer, but I found this book getting too bogged down in overly descriptive text. There's only so many times you want to read about what a fog looks like. I feel this book could have trimmed a good 100 pages and would have been much more dramatic for it.
That said, I did very much enjoy the story and the character interaction.
shelflife's review against another edition
5.0
That was some crazy scary, chutulu like, dark and dreadful, lovecraftian wild ride! It had mood, monsters, and survival all rolled into one giant dismal lovefest for me. I hardly ever come across good, solid horror like like!
A smart and inventive description to the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and Sargasso Sea.
A freight ship 🚢 and her crew experience strange sensations of their breath being taken away while out at sea then come to to find themselves engulfed in a strange, yellow and bad smelling fog with a dead calm sea that looks and feels more like embryonic fluid than water. Where are they and can they escape. This is the beginning of an unputdownable journey into one of the darkest worlds I've encountered in a long time.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
A smart and inventive description to the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle and Sargasso Sea.
A freight ship 🚢 and her crew experience strange sensations of their breath being taken away while out at sea then come to to find themselves engulfed in a strange, yellow and bad smelling fog with a dead calm sea that looks and feels more like embryonic fluid than water. Where are they and can they escape. This is the beginning of an unputdownable journey into one of the darkest worlds I've encountered in a long time.
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
daltonlaut's review against another edition
3.5
This was a hard rating for me. I love descriptive cosmic horrors but the first 300 pages were really too slow for me. The final act really picked up though and ultimately I enjoyed the book
horrorholmes's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0