Book Review: Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant 5/5 Stars

 Wow! Into the Drowning Deep did not disappoint!  If you've ever, wondered what happens when you combine mermaids, science academics, and slashers in a beautiful oceanic setting, then this book is for you.  Me?  I never even imagined this particular scenario, but I am glad that Mira Grant (Seanan McGuire)  did it for me! 

This book came out in 2017 - so it's ideal for a Beat the Backlist choice, but it reads as if it were published last week. If you are down for some diverse representation with gory science-y horror which does not sacrifice character development for thrills, this is one you'll want to pick up. 

Spoiler free (I hope) summary:  Seven years prior a ship was found drifting, with all crew gone. Footage showed some strange creatures, but since the ship was crewed by Imagine entertainment, no one was exactly sure what was real.  Imagine downplayed whispers of "mermaids are real" but eventually- wanted to get at the truth... or as close to the truth as an entertainment network can go. (This entire event is captured in the novella Rolling in the Deep, which was also fantastic. It helped to have read this short one first, kind of primed the pump!) 

  A new crew is put together with a combination of great minds, great game hunters and great personalities.  What could go wrong?  Oh - reader friends- so much can go so deliciously wrong- but...it can also "go right" in the form of two awesome "final girls"  (and a cast of others) who make choices and decisions that will result in devastation or safety.  What happens? Well, this is a spoiler free review,

so I suggest you go read it. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire last half of the book. 

 What sets Into the Drowning Deep apart from many maritime sci-fi/horror/"something's in the water" novels for me, is the author's obvious familiarity with the current science, research techniques and research environment. The sci-fi scenarios created are so believable, because they really are kind of- one step away from what we currently know about deep ocean creatures. Grant captures the foibles of academic life with refreshing clarity- and if you've been a grad student in certain fields, the characters are recognizable and relatable without being flat stereotypes. And the fantastic elements are so detailed, that you know you're right there on the ship deck, waiting for the next wave of terror! 

If you want to read it - you might have a wait, however, if you go for it via the library.  For a book published in 2017 I noted a 9 week wait at one library and a 7 week wait at another.  In comparison- Sleeping Beauties by Stephen King - also published in 2017 - is "ready to borrow",  As is Grisham's Camino Island, and Paula Hawkin's Into the Water. Sooooo, it seems that this book is Hot stuff at the moment. 

(Illustration shows Theodore Roosevelt setting a back-fire showing the face of William H. Taft, to break the progress of a fire labeled "3rd Term" and showing the face of Roosevelt, in the background.) Keppler, Udo J., Artist. The back fire / Keppler. , 1907. N.Y.: J. Ottmann Lith. Co., Puck Bldg. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2011647233/.

Why do I bring this up?  

I was hoping for another book.  Into the Drowning Deep has a definite conclusion, but there are many things I want to know more about- there are new relationships developing, interesting sci-fi biology situations, and lots of ethics questions to delve into. There is not another book, and according to an author post from 2021 this is why:

Someone needs to pick up the sequel, at least one of them. PLEASE.  I need to know!  Maybe 2018 readers weren't ready for this, but I feel like in 2025- we readers have "Seen some things" and we're ready to learn more about the fate of the remaining crew and their mysterious cargo. Orbit - one of my favorite imprints published this novel, and I mean, I could go for more today, immediately. 

Put this one on hold at the library, or better yet, pick up a copy from your local independent bookseller- they will be happy to order it for you, and then... you get to go back to the bookstore to pick it up!  (BONUS!) 

Let me know if you've read this one, or if you pick it up! 

First Published : November 2017 

Pages: 480

Available as an Audio Book : YES 

Trigger Warnings:  Death of sibling, Gun violence, body horror, dismemberment, poisoning ,blood, drowning, animal death,  As always, not a complete list- read responsibly.