Bea Reviews Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

Series: Rolling in the Deep #1
Publisher: Orbit
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 14th, 2017
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

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 hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.

Now, a new crew has been assembled. But this time they’re not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life’s work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost.

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves.

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

Bea Reviews Chimera by Mira Grant

Series: Parasitology #3
Publisher: Orbit
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 24, 2015
Challenges: Finishing the Series
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit* | iTunes* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The final book in Mira Grant's terrifying Parasitology trilogy.

The outbreak has spread, tearing apart the foundations of society, as implanted tapeworms have turned their human hosts into a seemingly mindless mob.

Sal and her family are trapped between bad and worse, and must find a way to compromise between the two sides of their nature before the battle becomes large enough to destroy humanity, and everything that humanity has built...including the chimera.

The broken doors are closing. Can Sal make it home?

Bea Reviews Rolling in the Deep by Mira Grant

Publisher: Subterranean Press 
Source: the local library
Release Date: April 6, 2015
Challenges:
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Kobo  | iTunes* | Subterranean Press | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

Waiting on Wednesday: Chimera by Mira Grant

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where bloggers have the chance to spotlight upcoming releases they're anticipating.

I am anxiously waiting for the November release of "Chimera", the final book in Mira Grant's science fiction/dystopian trilogy, Parasitology. The series is creepy, terrifying, and much too likely for my comfort. It's also twisty, crazy, shocking, philosophical, full of humor both sharp and soft, and with characters who are so real you'd swear you know them even though some are larger than life. I want to read this book but I don't because it's the end of the series.

The final book in Mira Grant's terrifying Parasitology trilogy.

The outbreak has spread, tearing apart the foundations of society, as implanted tapeworms have turned their human hosts into a seemingly mindless mob.

Sal and her family are trapped between bad and worse, and must find a way to compromise between the two sides of their nature before the battle becomes large enough to destroy humanity, and everything that humanity has built...including the chimera.

The broken doors are closing. Can Sal make it home?

Bea Reviews Symbiont by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit
Series:Parasitology #2
Format Read: hardcover
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: November 25, 2014
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | OmniLit*' | Barnes & Noble | 
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

THE SECOND BOOK IN MIRA GRANT'S TERRIFYING PARASITOLOGY SERIES.


THE ENEMY IS INSIDE US.

The SymboGen designed tapeworms were created to relieve humanity of disease and sickness. But the implants in the majority of the world's population began attacking their hosts turning them into a ravenous horde.

Now those who do not appear to be afflicted are being gathered for quarantine as panic spreads, but Sal and her companions must discover how the tapeworms are taking over their hosts, what their eventual goal is, and how they can be stopped.

The Friday 56 Symbiont by Mira Grant

This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join in the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

After the glut of Christmas romances that I read for the Ho Ho Ho Read-A-Thon, I needed something with some meat to it. I decided the newest Parasitology book, Symbiont by the ever fabulous Mira Grant, fit the bill. It's a science fiction dystopian, set 13 years in the future. The quote is from page 56  in the hard cover.

The man standing on the other side was almost an anti-climax. He was barefoot, and his pants were unfastened, like he had been in the process of getting undressed when his thoughts became scrambled and unclear. 

New Mira Grant Book!

Subterranean Press announced that they are taking pre-orders for the new story they are publishing, "Rolling in the Deep" by Mira Grant. It's scheduled to be published next year, in April 2015. It will be a limited edition, with a run of 1000 signed and numbered hardcover editions, for $40US.

The blurb ~

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids. They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

I don't love the cover but it's eye-catching; I want to know what's on her face, or is that her face? And the background color is lovely. It's Mira Grant so I know the story will be good.


Go here to pre-order.


What do you think, will you order a copy?

Release Day Review of Parasite by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit
Series: Parasitology Volume 1
Format Read: both egalley & hardcover
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble
* affiliate link; the blog receives a small commission for purchases made through this link.

Blurb from goodreads:

A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives...and will do anything to get them.  

The Friday 56 #4

This is a fun meme to do hosted by Freda's Voice. If you'd like to join on the fun go to The Friday 56.

Rules:
*Grab a book, any book.
*Turn to page 56 or 56% in your eReader.
*Find any sentence that grabs you.
*Post it.
*Link it here.

I'm reading "Parasite" by Mira Grant, who is a favorite author of mine. It's sci fi dystopian horror. My review will be up next week. Click on the cover to go to it's goodreads page.

"There were these people at the mall, I think they were sick." I lifted my head to see Joyce grabbing the remote off the coffee table. She clicked the TV on, flipping channels until she landed on CNN. They were airing a story about reality-star salaries. She snarled. "Why aren't they saying anything? I'm going to my room. Maybe the Internet will have a clue." She whirled and went stomping out of the room. Her bedroom door slammed a few seconds later. 

I pulled away from Mom. "So what was that you were saying last week, about how I used to be the dramatic one? Can we have a re-vote on that title?"

Related articles

• The Friday 56 #3 (beasbooknook.blogspot.com)
• Book Beginnings and Friday 56 - 10/18/13 (leeniealwaysreading.wordpress.com)
• Book Beginnings and Friday 56 - Panic In Pittsburgh (Oct 18) (wcs53.wordpress.com)

New Mira Grant Cover!!!!!!!!!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There's a new Mira Grant book coming out in November and today Orbit Books unveiled the cover.  I couldn't find anything about the book on either the Mira Grant site or the Seanan McGuire site but goodreads has a blurb. It looks to be the first book in a new series.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Book Blurb from goodreads ~

A decade in the future, humanity thrives in the absence of sickness and disease.

We owe our good health to a humble parasite - a genetically engineered tapeworm developed by the pioneering SymboGen Corporation. When implanted, the tapeworm protects us from illness, boosts our immune system - even secretes designer drugs. It's been successful beyond the scientists' wildest dreams. Now, years on, almost every human being has a SymboGen tapeworm living within them.

But these parasites are getting restless. They want their own lives... and will do anything to get them.

Is it November yet?

When Will You Rise? Cover for Mira Grant's New Book

It's hardly a secret that I'm a fan of Mira Grant and her Newsflesh trilogy. "When Will You Rise", from Sunterranean Press, contains a novella and a short story set in the world of Grant's award-nominated Newsflesh trilogy, along with seven black and white illustrations. "When Will You Rise" is right on schedule to ship this fall, according to the publisher. Now, the cover!

Zombies! Run!

Review of Blackout by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit
Series: Newsflesh #3
Release Date: May 22, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):


Rise up while you can. -Georgia Mason

The year was 2014. The year we cured cancer. The year we cured the common cold. And the year the dead started to walk. The year of the Rising.

The year was 2039. The world didn't end when the zombies came, it just got worse. Georgia and Shaun Mason set out on the biggest story of their generation. The uncovered the biggest conspiracy since the Rising and realized that to tell the truth, sacrifices have to be made.

Now, the year is 2041, and the investigation that began with the election of President Ryman is much bigger than anyone had assumed. With too much left to do and not much time left to do it in, the surviving staff of After the End Times must face mad scientists, zombie bears, rogue government agencies-and if there's one thing they know is true in post-zombie America, it's this:

Things can always get worse.

Blackout is the conclusion to the epic trilogy that began in the Hugo-nominated Feed and the sequel, Deadline.

Reviewed By: Bea


Bea's Thoughts:

"conspiracy" the blurb says. Yeah, more like Holy Cow!  You need a score card, I swear, to keep track of the conspiracies and the players. Like "Feed" and "Deadline" this is a dark, intense, dense book, not to be read quickly or without your full attention. While it didn't hold my attention the way the first book did, it was a good read, that also gave me a lot to think about. Part of what, to me, makes this series so scary and horrific, is how plausible so much of it is. I can easily see so many of the events actually occurring, or something awfully similar. Considering Grant's disdain for conventional media, politics, medicine, and the government, that may seem cynical, but look at the US's history and current events, and really, not so different. Some of what happens, including the science, gets pretty wild and far out, and some authors would not have been able to make it believable, but Grant does. I didn't question the science, she made it very plausible, helped by the fact, as mentioned, that much of it really is plausible and possible.


Shaun, Becks, Mahir, Maggie, and Alaric are back in this book, as are the Masons, and Dr. Abbey, whom we met in "Deadline". If you read that book (and if you haven't read that one yet, stop reading me and go read the books!), there's a surprise appearance at the end of that book. All I will say (cuz I'm really trying to keep this review spoiler free) is that everything gets explained. Actually, a lot of things get explained in this book, loose ends tied up, and even some loose ends that I didn't realize were loose. :D Peter Ryman and Rick also make appearances towards the latter part of the book.


"Blackout" is a roller coaster ride, with emotion, action, character growth, more action, quirky characters, and not a lot of zombies. I actually would have liked more of them (and I'm not a zombie fan), but when they do appear, watch out! Grant has no qualms about maiming or killing characters. It's one of the things I like about her writing - she takes chances, and her characters never are stagnant (for those of you who don't know, she writes modern day fairy tales disguised as urban fantasy under her "real" name of Seanan MacGuire.) It's a long book, they all are, but they are definitely worth re-reading and they're the kind of books where you pick up on things that you missed the first time. In fact, you almost have to re-read them in order to get everything and fully appreciate the world that Grant has built. I love her world building, it's so utterly believable.


The ending was a bit of a letdown for me. It's not a happy ending, but "happy for now" is a good description of it. But, it was also a bit pat and after everything else, a bit rushed. That said, it's open ended enough that Grant could return to that world, if she chose, though maybe with different main characters. I don't use ratings here on the blog, but at goodreads, I gave it 4 stars.

Some spoiler-free quotes:

...it wasn't like they could advertise for staff on the local message boards. "Mad Scientist seeks Minions. Must be detail-oriented, well educated, and unconcerned by the idea of being charged with terrorism if caught." Just no.

"Less talky more shooty!" I snapped, and started firing.

"You're a crazy bastard, Shaun Mason, and I think sometimes you're not going to be happy until you've managed to get every last one of us killed, but you're a good man, all the same."

"You know, addressing my crazy by name doesn't exactly help me stay sane."

My review of FEED.

My review of DEADLINE.

I received a paperback from the publisher for review.

Review of Deadline by Mira Grant

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: June 1, 2011

Series: #2 in the Newflesh Trilogy

More Info:  Amazon   The Book Depository


Book Blurb:

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun. 

**Contains spoilers for the first book,  "FEED"**

My Thoughts:


Loved it :)

OK, OK, I'll elaborate. :D

I liked "Feed" but it took me about the first 100 pages or so to get into it. I almost put it down and gave up  on several occasions. Happily, I didn't. It was an awesome, well written, all too viable look at what could happen when viruses mutate and the political and sociological ramifications.

"Deadline" picks up about a year after the events in "Feed". Shaun is coping, sort of, with the death of his sister, Georgia, better known as George. Although she is dead, she lives on in Shaun's head: she talks to him, he replies, they have entire conversations. He knows he's crazy, his coworkers know he's crazy, but it works for him. Sort of. He now runs the news organization that he and his sister built and he's given up the crazy adventures he used to love indulging in. He's not the same man he was before and every day is a struggle for him.

"Deadline" is both more personal than "Feed" and a closer look at the science behind the Rising. It's more personal in that we see more of the personal lives, relationships and feelings of the characters involved. But the story also digs deeply into the Kellis-Amberlee virus - how it spreads, how the human body reacts to it, etc. My knowledge and understanding of biology, chemistry, virology etc are not good enough to say how accurate or viable Grant is but it certainly sounds and reads as accurate and possible. 


The book is a balanced mix of characters, action, science, relationships and "Oh F**k!" moments. It's very good, compelling and engaging. Read it. :)


This paperback was received from the publisher for review.

Review: Feed by Mira Grant

Book Blurb: 

“Alive or dead, the truth won't rest. My name is Georgia Mason, and I am begging you. Rise up while you can.” The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we had created something new, something terrible. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

Now, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives – the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

My Thoughts:

I don't consider myself a zombie fan, it's never been a genre that interested me. But, the author, who also writes (lighter) urban fantasy involving the fey,  under the name of Seanan McGuire, is one whose writing that I enjoy and I had heard good buzz about the book.  Combine that with the above blurb, which piqued my interest, and I had to check it out. It's the first book of The Newsflesh Trilogy.

The beginning of the book starts out fast with a close encounter between a group of zombies and the two main leads, brother and sister, Shaun and Georgia Mason. Then it becomes one slow, long info dump that gives the background needed for the story. We meet their parents, their business partner and friend, Buffy, the computer geek and fiction writer, and learn about the virus which turns people into zombies, and some of the resulting social, political, and cultural changes. The book is set in the USA, but occasionally references other parts of the world and how they were affected.

The book picks up the pace when Georgia, Shaun and Buffy are chosen to be the official, resident bloggers for one of the candidates in the race to determine party candidates for the US presidential election. It's a bold strategy for the candidate to have bloggers (who are considered respectable journalists in this world) living with, and following him, daily on the campaign trail. What follows is an inside look at an election campaign complete with betrayal, intrigue, medicine, politics, and life in general.

Grant takes a while to establish her world and is occasionally stingy about revealing information but overall, the book is a solid, fascinating read, well worth the reader's patience. It's an intriguing mix of science fiction, sociology, current events, action, horror and politics. One note: hardcore zombie fans may wish there were more zombie appearances but it was just right for me.

Publisher: Orbit Books


Format: Paperback


This book was purchased with the reviewer's own funds.