Into the Drowning Deep (Rolling in the Deep, #2)

by Mira Grant

'VISCERAL . . . IRRESISTIBLE . . . a claustrophobic, deep-sea terror tale that will leave readers glad to be safely on dry land' Kirkus

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR MIRA GRANT RETURNS WITH A RAZOR-SHARP TALE OF THE HORRORS THAT LIE BENEATH . . .

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary, bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend.

It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a tragedy; others have called it a hoax.

Now, a new crew has been assembled to investigate. And they'll discover that whatever is down there is definitely no joke . . .


Praise for Mira Grant:

'ASTONISHING' New York Times

'GRIPPING, THRILLING AND BRUTAL . . . A MASTERPIECE OF SUSPENSE' Publishers Weekly

'INTELLIGENT AND EXCITING' Telegraph

'MYSTERY, DANGER AND EXCITEMENT ABOUND' RT Book Reviews

• ISBN10: 0356508102
• ISBN13: 9780356508108
• Publish Date: 16 November 2017 (first published 14 November 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[Berls]

My top thoughts:
When Lenore asked me if I wanted to buddy read Into the Drowning Deep for the Recommend Me a Book Readathon (COYER Community), I was happy someone was going to push me to actually read one of the books I’d been recommended so I was in without even really checking it out lol! And then I started and basically couldn’t stop! I did slow down a bit so Lenore could catch up because OMG I just took off! So yes, it was good — but I will say I was a little disappointed with the ending.

What I liked/didn’t like:
Into the Drowning Deep captivated right off the bat. I will say it lost me a little directly after grabbing me because of the multiple POVs. There were so many people that I lost track and got confused a bit, Lenore aptly described it as “3rd person roaming” — I didn’t know names, I just figured out who it was based on what was going on. That said, with some time that confusion dwindled and I got so I knew them all very well. And the different POVs introduced a lot of really interesting vantage points, it was just initially confusing.

Quick note about the characters – I was really pleased with the diversity that Mira Grant included. We have LGTBQIA+ characters, disabled characters, as well as racially diverse characters .

This was a plot driven book, though, so a little character confusion wasn’t THAT big of a deal. I was more just incredibly anxious about the mermaids/sirens and what was going to happen. This is not your “ahh, mermaids are so romantic” book. They are TERRIFYING. I think I would describe this as Lovecraftian Horror — probably the main kind of Horror that I’m open too. I yelled at characters frequently for being dumb — because they are scientists who are brilliant and thus lack common sense LOL. Lenore and I chatted quite a bit throughout wondering when the next awful thing would happen and trying to predict who would actually survive this voyage to discover mermaids.

As much as I was sucked in and constantly on the edge of my seat, yelling at characters and covering my eyes (because that will keep things from happening lol)… the ending was kind of anti-climatic. I won’t spoil for you nor would I say it ruined the book – I’d definitely still recommend you read it – but it did knock my overall rating down a half-star. I wanted just a bit more from the conclusion.

As an aside — I was SO IMPRESSED with the scientific knowledge in this book. In fact, I was so impressed that I looked up the author to see if she was a scientist or something (she’s not, but as has audited college classes and it shows). Mira Grant is very skilled at giving you the details in the way you’d expect a scientist to be thinking through the situations while also not making it something that distracts or loses the novice reader. A hard line to balance, but she did it well and it brought an extra layer to the story.

Narration thoughts:
The narration was good and Christine Lakin delivered a solid performance. However, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this book in audio — at least not to novice audio listeners. As I mentioned above, there are multiple POVs. At least 6… probably more. That’s an awful lot to keep straight when listening to a book with one narrator, no matter how good the narrator. This book really could have benefited from a full cast of narrators. I know, that would be expensive and is likely why it didn’t happen… but just be warned you may find it difficult to keep straight, at least at the start. I was actually able to listen at 2x speed and by about chapter 15 I wasn’t struggling anymore. I know Lenore almost DNFd until she switched to reading, though, for that very reason. So I’d definitely listen to Christin Lakin again, I just would be cautious about this book in audio.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 4 Stars

Good God!

RTC

[Nessa Luna]

Well fuck. Honestly, the whole killer mermaid thing didn't scare me. It was the fact that they were in the middle of the ocean, on a boat, with no way of escaping. I am terrified of open water and this just stressed me THE FUCK OUT. Also, I wasn't a huge fan of the way it ended? Like the whole story kind of dragged out and then the ending happens SUPER FAST and I really wished it had been a bit more fleshed out I guess?). Still, I will probably have nightmares about being attacked by sirens for the rest of my life, thanks Mira Grant.

[empressbrooke]

Seanan McGuire's last outing under her Mira Grant brand started off strong and then left me bored, and unfortunately, this one did too. I bought it when it was on sale for $2.99 on Kindle and Seanan noted on Twitter she hoped that a large volume of sales that day would convince her publisher to go for a sequel. At the time I was like, "Hell yeah," but now I'm pretty sure I'd pass on the sequel.

Every single one of the billions of characters talk in the exact same voice, which is a very familiar and hyperverbal Seanan voice that punctuates every other sentence with an italicized word for emphasis, but usually she at least confines it to a specific character in each book. Applying it to everyone results in pages and pages and pages of elaborate talking and musing and very little of anything happening, to the point where I spent the second half of the book just dragging my feet about finishing it because I was so not engaged.

I also didn't buy that the ship's security staff had to be models hired for their looks, or that they really would have prepared for the voyage for as long as they did without making sure their security shutter system worked first. With a single cameraman on board, and a single journalist whose contract required her to interview only half the scientists on board, the explanation that all of the security staff must be photogenic for the documentary just did not pass muster. The shutter system gets fixed by mechanics without any notable obstacle toward the end of the book, there wasn't any time-sensitive reason they set sail when they did, and therefore these issues that were supposed to create suspense were just exasperating and made me roll my eyes.

[cornerfolds]

Read more of my reviews at Cornerfolds.com!

I picked up Into the Drowning Deep after seeing several people talk about how absolutely horrifying it was. I didn't have a great experience with my first Mira Grant book, but this one was written many years after that one and wasn't YA. The idea of a crew being trapped on a ship is also WAY up my alley, so I decided to give it a shot.

Victoria is a scientist whose sister was lost at sea under mysterious circumstances that she believes had to do with mermaids. When given the opportunity to go on a very similar mission to the same location, she takes it, for science and for her sister. Tory is not the only person on this mission, of course. The cast of this book is large and full of scientists, TV personalities, and security. They all have their own reasons for wanting to go on this excursion, but the most interesting to me was Dr. Jillian Toth, the mermaid expert. A mermaid expert in a world where mermaids aren't believed to exist.

For a book about killer mermaids coming after people stranded on a ship, I expected this book to inspire a little more fear. There's lots of action starting once they make it to their location, but getting there takes quite a while. A significant portion of this book is spent on setting up why this voyage is happening, who every single person going is, what their functions are, and even the layout of the ship. Really much more setup than I need in a horror book, but I guess that's personal preference.

The killer mermaid action happens fairly late in the book and wasn't quite as scary as people made it out to be. Tensions were not nearly as high as they could have been and the author really didn't play up the claustrophobia of being stuck and hunted on a ship. There's a revelation that's made out to be earth shattering and I just didn't care that much about it. It really didn't make much difference to the story.

I thought the idea of this book was great! The characters were fine and the romance was even cute (although I'm not sure if we needed romance in a horror at sea book, but okay). The diversity was fantastic and honestly bumped my rating up just a bit. Overall, this book was okay, but I had hoped for a lot more.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars

[leahrosereads]

Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire) is officially one of my favorite authors. I loved the Wayward Children series, but this, holy crap is this something else entirely. I loved the setting and the chilling vibes that started at the very beginning. The author weaved this story so fantastically. I was on the edge of my seat and absolutely could not put it down!

Tory is a very likeable character in an amazing situation, and everyone we meet along the way has a story that we get a chance to glimpse and become more invested in their well-being.

I want more! Of this, of the author's horror filled stories in general, of just her stories in general. I plan to consume it all.

[Quirky Cat]

Into the Drowning Deep is the second book in the Rolling in the Deep series by Mira Grant. I know sometimes you can skip the novella that comes before a novel, but trust me: don’t do that here. If you haven’t read Rolling in the Deep, go read that before you start Into the Drowning Deep. It’ll have so much more impact if you do.
A lot of the events in this novel refer back to events in Rolling in the Deep, so I really do mean it when I say you should read them in order. Plus, it’s just more fun this way. You’ll have a better understanding of the characters and the situation. Okay, I’m done pressing the point. I promise.
Also, just a quick side note before we begin: Mira Grant is also known as Seanan McGuire. Mira Grant is the pen name she uses for her science fiction and thriller series.
If you’ve ever wanted to read a series about killer mermaids, then this is the series for you. Best of all, Mira Grant writes them in a way where they seem biologically feasible. It adds to the believability in the series.
Mira Grant has quickly become one of my favorite authors, and it’s all because of this series. Rolling in the Deep was the first Mira Grant novel I read. And from that moment on I was sold.



Warnings: This is a novel about killer mermaids. There are going to be graphic points in it, for obvious reasons. The worst parts include animal death (you can see when this scene is coming, and can easily skip it if you need to, I promise), and abusive behavior from an ex-boyfriend (the type that hasn’t really gotten over the breakup, and wants to make their ex pay).
Into the Drowning Deep was a captivating story. I love that it tied in so heavily with the events of Rolling in the Deep. It added more emotional impact, for one thing. It also made for a stronger starting point with this novel. There was less work to be done, so we could more easily get on to the fun parts, so to speak.
The novel is written in an interesting storytelling style. At the beginning of every chapter there are newspaper excerpts, journal logs, or other things like that. It added to the reality of the situation, while also giving us different perspectives and facts without really disrupting the plot.
There was so much I loved about this novel. The killer mermaids are an obvious part. I love how much work was put into having them make sense. I know I said that in my review of the novella, but that’s even more the case now. These people were expecting to find something, and were ready to study it. Thus we learned even more about the mermaids, or rather, sirens, this time around.
I particularly enjoyed the parts discussing their language. And honestly, I did enjoy the unintentional biological defense they had. It makes complete sense, and it did sort of lend to the perfect karmic moment along the way.
During Rolling in the Deep I mentioned how appreciative I was that they warned us right from the start that none of the crew survived. In the Drowning Deep didn’t do that. It simultaneously terrified me and gave me hope. I bounced back and forth between those two emotions the whole novel. I immediately got attached to some characters, while also being too terrified to be fond of them (again, for obvious reasons). The whole thing was really well done.
I don’t know if Mira Grant is going to write another sequel or not. I’d honestly love to see more from this world, but I also understand if she decides not to do so. At least there’s plenty of other works by her that I can read next.


For more reviews, check out Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Leigha]

A research voyage turns deadly as myth becomes reality in this adult science fiction novel.

I. Loved. This. Book. It is atmospheric and creepy in all the right ways. Science and myth interweave together seamlessly to create a believable plot. While it initially focuses on Victoria, it quickly expands to include a large cast of complex, intriguing characters. The representation in this novel is marvelous. Several character are disabled, but they are never defined by their disability. A subtle and sweet romance blossoms between two women as the plot intensifies. The setting is absolutely fascinating. As soon as I finished the novel, I searched for more information on the Challenger Deep and Mariana Trench. I love books that inform while they entertain!

So why is it not five stars? The timeline seemed wonky. I hate trying to figure out why it's later in an earlier part of the novel, but magically earlier in the later part of the novel. I suspect it was a typo, but it pulled me out of the novel long enough to be annoying. Additionally, I thought the ending a little too convenient. All they had to do was turn on all the cruise ship lights, and the sirens disappeared? Not sure I buy it.

tl; dr An atmospheric and thrilling novel with complex characters and a surprisingly realistic plot guaranteed to keep you up at night and away from the water.

[Melanie]

My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.

I have been a huge fan of Mira Grant’s writing, since I listened to Feed, the first book in her zombie series, Newsflesh. Now, I jump at every chance I get to read her stuff (though I’ll admit that I still need to try her work under her main pen name of Seanan McGuire). When I heard that she was starting a new series, I jumped at the chance to listen to it.

Into the Drowning Deep is the story of a group of scientist who go out on the search for mermaids. The story start with Imagine Network, a science-fiction TV station that has done some documentary style stories on things like Bigfoot, Yeti and more. Imagine sends a crew out in search for mermaids. The ship and all passengers are never seen again, but there is some footage that was uploaded before the ship went silent.

Fast forward several years and Imagine wants to find out exactly what happened. They get a group of scientists together to go out and find these mermaids. They start with Tory, whose sister was on the original ship.

This book has a great cast of well-developed, diverse characters, which is a standard for Grant. Her characters are completely unique in every way. Dr. Jillian Toth is the scientist who has always believed that mermaids exist. Theo Blackwell is the right-hand man of the CEO of Imagine Network. He’s also got a leg injury that’s left him disabled. Toth and Blackwell are in an estranged marriage. Hallie, Holly and Hannah are sisters and each in their own disciplines of science. Holly and Hannah are twins and both were born deaf. Hallie is their older sister and also the twins’ translator. Olivia is the “host” of this voyage for the Imagine Network. She is the on air personality that will tie all the scientists stories together along with her cameraman, Ray. Olivia is also mildly autistic and doesn’t deal with crowds. Ray is also her protector, when the need arises.

I think two of my favorite characters are Jacques and Michi Abney. I don’t think I would like these two if I ever met them in real-life, but I do like them in this book. I know that sounds weird, but I’ve never claimed to not be weird. Anyway, they are big game hunters (anyone who knows me, knows that I’m completely against trophy hunting, so you are probably really confused as to why I like them). There was just something about these two and their deep love for each other that made me love them. I didn’t like them at the beginning, but the more I got to know them and see them together, I just fell in love (I still don’t like big game hunters though, that will never change).

There aren’t any “bad” characters in this book. I don’t think there is any Grant book that I’ve read. There are “bad guys”, but they are written so well, that you can’t help but fall in love with each and every character (even if you love to hate them). The problem then arises that never in any of Grant’s books that all the characters will make it out alive. These are a sci-fi/horror books after all. I don’t believe you can have a horror story where everyone makes it out alive. That just wouldn’t work.

I really love how Grant writes these stories with excerpts from interviews, news articles and other clips (again, a common theme in her books). You also get POVs from many different characters (though Tory is really the “main character” in this story). I love that you also get POVs from the dolphins (the dolphins were really amazing. I loved them) and even the mermaids, at times. It really helps to get every side of this story. I really hope that we are getting more books in this series. I really want to learn more about this world and about these mermaids. If you’ve never tried Mira Grant, I highly recommend her stories.

Narration
I’ve listened to Christine Lakin in the past, with Rise (an anthology of short stories from the Newsflesh world) and Mira Grant’s Parasitology series. I knew going in that I would like her narration. I thought she did a great job with this series and cast of characters. There wasn’t a single voice that I didn’t think fit the characters. I think part of the reason I loved Jacques and Michi Abney so much, is the way that Christine Lakin voiced them. I thought their voices were perfect for their characters (I wonder if I would’ve liked them as much if I had read the story??)

**I like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[llamareads]

KILLER. MERMAIDS. Look, if that doesn’t interest you, I’m not sure what will.

Seven years ago, a mockumentary crew from Imagine Entertainment disappeared at sea. Recovered footage showed the crew being attacked and eaten by the very mermaids they were trying to film. Now, a new expedition is going out to investigate what happened.

What can I compare this to? For people of a certain age, remember that first time you watched Jurassic Park? That feeling of awe and wonder when you first saw the dinosaurs that slowly descends into terror as the characters realize they’re in way over their heads? This book has the same feel. And like that classic, the mermaids are out to eat a well-developed cast of diverse characters. There’s the main character, Tory, whose sister was lost on the first ship, and her research partner, Luis. They’re almost immediately at odds with Olivia, the TV personality, who is the counterpart to Tory’s sister on this mission. Dr. Jillian Toth, whose research into mermaids spurred the first expedition, and Theo, her estranged husband who now works for Imagine, are the older counterpoints to the young scientists, and are obviously hiding secrets. Oh, there’s also Deaf twin scientists and their translator older sister, Tory’s ex-boyfriend, a pair of big game hunters, and a security crew hired more for looks than skill.

The action builds slowly until about three-quarters of the way through the book, when all hell broke loose and the pace stayed frenetic through the end. I stayed up way, way past my bedtime to finish this (and then had terrifying dreams, but hey, that’s to be expected with a good horror book!). Ms. Grant is a brilliant writer, and there’s plenty of plot twists and “NO, DON’T DO THAT!” moments. Though, to be clear, those moments aren’t of the “hey, let’s split up and explore this creepy haunted house!” idiocy but more “OK, we’re probably going to get our faces chewed off but this is the best choice among a bunch of bad choices.” There’s enough threads left hanging at the end that I’m hoping desperately for a sequel.

Overall, this book is a brilliant and scary voyage to the unexplored depths of the ocean.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.