Tim The Enchanter's Reviews > Leviathan

Posted to The Literary Lawyer.ca

The Series is Solidly Back on Track - 5 Stars

This is one of the best Action Adventure books I have read in quite some time. Maybe it isn't really a 5 star read to you, but for me there was so much to love about the story that it gets 5 stars for enjoyment alone.

Plot Outline

The Event Group finds itself under attack by an unknown assailant. This group has infiltrated their ranks and uses this to both destroy several vaults in their facility and abduct multiple high ranking individuals in the organization. All that is known about the organization is that they possess superior technology and they have a very advanced submarine right out of a Jules Verne novel. This group is attempting to close the worlds commercial waterways as pollution is killing a majority of sea life. These are not the run of the mill "eco-terrorists" and they will stop at nothing to reach their goals.

The Good

20,000 Leagues of Awesome

The author take a page out of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In fact, in early flashback scenes, Jules Verne makes a guest appearance. The submarine itself is fashioned on descriptions from the Jules Verne story. My bias for this story stems from my childhood fascination the with the movie 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (The 1954 version with Kirk Douglas). Fans of both the film and the original Jules Verne novel will appreciate the homage to the classic tale.

Beside the fact that I loved the story, the oceans are the greatest and largest unmapped and substantially unexplored areas of our planet. We know so little about what is really lurking in its depths. Stories that explore the seas and expose "mysteries" of the oceans have always fascinated me.

Living Up to my Expectations

I have had high hopes for this series since the very first novel. This series has a good balance between the action and adventure you might expect from James Rollins, Matthew Reilly or Steve Berry but it tosses in some light sci-fi elements. The science fiction elements never overwhelm the story but provide a great second layer.

In my earlier reviews of the series, I complained about the author's writing style. The series has improved and at this point I have no complaints about the ebb and flow of the story. The cast of characters, while large, is clear. The prose is clean and the plot makes sense. This series is a great example of improvement as the series progresses.


Can it Stand Alone

Yes. There are reoccurring characters in the series but their positions are generally explained. There is an issue that is held over from the previous novel but it is explained. While knowledge of the previous novels does provide background information, you could read this one without the others and you could enjoy it.

Final Thoughts

This novels provides some great deep sea adventure with some science fiction elements. Like most novels in this genre, the characters are not especially deep or developed but the plot and creative elements of the story are what propel it. In my opinion, this installment stands up to any Rollins, Reilly or Berry novel out there.

Scale 1 - Lowest 5 - Highest

Sex - 1.5

There is a bare minimum of sexual content. There is small amount of chaste kissing and one or two suggestive comments. The content is appropriate for all ages.

Language - 2.5

Occasional use of adult language. It tends to be mild.


Violence - 2.5

While there is some violence, it is "war-like" violence in this installment. Warships and submarines are shot down. While there is a loss of life, it is not graphic. There are a few killings but they are not graphic.