Thought I’d already sent this but I absolutely adore anything she comes out with. No exceptions were found here. No matter the pen name you won’t be disappointed.

Now this is what I call the perfect beach read! It has been a while since an author made me care so much about the fate of so many different characters. I felt as if I knew them all personally, and even though there were many I didn't like, I still cared. Or at least felt enough curiosity that I didn't skim their parts.

The suspense was real, and the fear palpable. The monsters did not disappoint, and their appearance felt believable. I'm not a scientist, so I can't comment on any level of accuracy, but I wouldn't want to. As a regular person it felt conceivable and that's all I ask.

Finishing this felt almost disappointing that it was over, and made me immediately go peruse this author's blacklist.

This book was excellent! Im upset I waited o long to read this. Filled with terror and doom- I never knew I could be this afraid of mermaids. This book gets you from the beginning and never let's go. There were excellent depictions of actual science, great characters, and hauntingly beautiful.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys horror, thriller, or fantasy. This book has it all.


(I have since bought a copy for myself and read it a while ago, forgot to include the review here-my apologies).



I received a copy of this book through Netgalley; however, my opinions are my own. I wasn't to sincerely thank the publisher for allowing me to read this fantastic book!

Another interesting and imaginative (not to mention creepy) novel from Mira Grant. A horror novel about mermaids doesn't come around very often, and Grant has written a suitably creepy, interesting story. It's not my favourite of the author's novels (under any of her pseudonyms), but it's definitely worth checking out.

Remarkably written and thoroughly creepy, INTO THE DROWNING DEEP is the perfect kind of dread-inducing horror I love. Sharp writing, stellar characters, and a plot I am not about to spoil!

Into the Drowning Deep by Seanan McGuire features killer!mermaids and a large cast of scientists and other interesting people, some of whom get their faces eaten, alas, so I had to stay braced for that. However, I loved the worldbuilding of the siren creatures and their physiologies and hunting techniques, the sort of thing that would have likely been left out had this been a disaster movie instead of a book.

I was drawn to this book based on the cover. But the story inside fits it well. It had a slightly creepy vibe for me but then again anything dealing with deep water usually does. (For me.) This book brought mermaids to life in a way I've never before seen and it is well worth reading whether you like mermaids or not. In this book they are so very different than what you're used to seeing..

One of my favorite lines: “It was beautiful, in its own terrible way. So many monsters are.”

Horror! Mermaids! Vivid descriptive writing that leaves goosebumps!
Into The Drowning Deep pretty much checks every box for things I love in a book.
It was a twisted but delightful story about mermaids/sirens, packed with deep characters,
a thrilling plot, and a touch of danger.

Would highly recommend!

I absolutely adore Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire and this foray into the world of mermaids was fantastic. Dark, spooky, and unsettling, this is not a story about Ariel meeting her prince. This is the "what if mermaids were real" approach that seeks to blend mermaids into the ocean biosphere as we currently know it. Between interesting characters, horrifying creatures and a fascinating marine environment, Into the Drowning Deep is a must-read for fans of Grant/McGuire and fans of horror/mythology. Enjoy a spooky read about creatures who just "wanna be where the people are"...

I loved this book! It was so unexpected and the horror just kept building until you nearly couldn't stand it anymore. I cried over the dolphins (you will understand when you read it). LGBT positive :)

Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant

5 stars

“There was no such thing as silence in the sea.”

Seven years ago, the Atargatis set sail with the hopes of encountering mermaids. Imagine Network was well-known for their foray into mockumentary style searches for cryptozoological breeds. It should’ve been an easy expedition, but something went terribly wrong the mermaids are very, very real and they have a hunger for humans. The crew was lost and all that remained was the floating vessel. Now another voyage, the Melusine, is embarking in hopes of repairing Imagine’s damaged reputation. Many with connections to the ship have arrived with the intention of revenge against the naysayers or against the mermaids themselves. Grant is a fantastic horror writer. I was on the edge of my seat and shocked by all the gory bits. I love horror. I love the feeling of being unsettled and feeling a little queasy if the gore is too much because I love people and even the worse of the characters in this book don’t deserve what they got. Mira Grant is not afraid to go there with the scary bits and it is a bit unnerving. I was incredibly impressed by the first encounter on the Atargatis where we see the mermaids for the first time. As the novel progresses, the science and biology behind these creatures lends for a fascinating and fear-inducing discovery. These “mermaids” who are actually sirens are horrifying and unsettling. They make your skin crawl and are not pretty to look at. The very genetic makeup of them is created to paralyze you, poison you, and allow them to chomp on you. You can’t escape what lurks in the Challenger Deep and if you come face to face with something in its own habitat, does it have the right to kill you or do you have the right to imprison it, dissect it, and discover it? These are some questions Grant subtly addresses. The question that is tackled the most: are humans still the natural born killers they once were and when faced with a predator of higher rank than they, will they kill mindlessly in turn?


Whimsical Writing Scale: 5

“The seas of the world were a vast and interconnected graveyard, every inch riddled with bones and haunted by the ghosts of the lost.”

This novel will try to say that Tory is the main character, but I disagree. We follow so many POVs that this novel has no central character besides the mermaids. Tory is the main focus for the majority of the story because of her connection to the Atargatis and the loss of her sister. Dr. Toth steals the show with her no-nonsense brilliance and her desire to prove that the mermaids she has been giving lectures on and studying are not myths and are not friendly. They are dangerous and her presence throughout this story kept me on the edge of my seat because there is nothing this woman can’t do. Without her half the ship would’ve been rendered even more incapable after the major attacks. There’s Olivia who is the face of this ship and is well-known by the Imagine fanbase. She offers a desire to prove herself as more than a pretty face and overcome her anxiety of social situations. She’s pretty ballsy and has some of the better ideas when it comes to surviving this attack. Theodore Blackwell, who is Dr. Toth’s ex (but not really because they never signed the papers)-husband and the right hand to Imagine’s CEO. I love Theo because of his level-headedness, but also his quiet vibe of being a villain when he’s definitely not. He’s a driven man who will do anything to make sure Imagine doesn’t fail and I also was living for the quiet tension between him and Dr. Toth. My favorite character was Ray, Olivia’s camera man. He was short-lived, but he had great lines. Luis is Tory’s partner (not romantically, think biological team of misfits) and I loved him. He was great comic relief and a definite underdog of not only the biological world but also in this novel. Another great group we follow is three sisters—two deaf twins—and their sister who is well-versed in sign language and hoping to communicate with the mermaids. As well as two very controversial animal hunters named Mishi and Jacques who would be serial killers if they weren’t game hunters (although if I’m not mistaken it was mentioned that they are not opposed to taking out a human who stands in the way of their game). We even follow three dolphins sent in to see the mermaids and I absolutely loved that chapter. More sentient dolphin fiction please. This cast is huge and cinematic. I loved following all of them and I was constantly wondering what was going to happen next to them. Would they survive or would they succumb to the quiet slithering around the ship? I think this quote sums up this story best,
“Every person on this vessel was a story in the process of telling itself, and all of them were fascinating, and all of them deserved to be heard.”
I should probably also mention that besides the deaf-representation, there is also representation of a mobile impaired individual, a bisexual female, and an individual with autism who is also a lesbian. There is also a large variety of characters from around the world, so this book tackles a large scope of humanity. Which is great because humanity is the focus of this novel as it is pitted up against its greatest predatory foe.


Character Scale: 5

“They evolved on their own. They stayed in their own environment until we started sending ships into their living room. To them, we’re the myths. We’re the monsters.”

I will say though that the mermaids don’t show up until Chapter 12. That’s when we have our first encounter and boy is it scary. Absolutely horrifying to follow someone with ambition and hopes of taking their submarine vessel into the Challenger Deep only to realize that they’ve intruded on a fabled creatures’ habitat. So, the pacing up to the showdown is slow, but once we hit the first kill and encounter the pacing speeds up because these creatures are not happy with the intrusion and they are hunting not only for sport but to feed themselves and something much, much scarier than them. (I mean did you really think that the mermaids were the biggest predator of the Challenge Deep? Think again.)


The Villain- These mermaids are horrifying. They have three languages- signing, singing, and one that they steal. Meaning that they can mimic your distressed syllables which makes for a great hunting technique to lure prey. I mean, there’s not a whole lot I want to say besides that because learning and uncovering what makes these creatures horrifying is what makes Into the Drowning Deep so much fun.


Villain Scale: 5

“The Atargatis had found the mermaids because the people on the ship were made of meat, and the mermaids had empty stomachs that they wanted to fill. That was how you found things, in the sea. Be delicious. That was all you ever had to do.”

I only have very small complaints, but they are minor. The romance between Olivia and Tory reminded me of the romance from Jurassic World. Look, I get that you may die so you want to hook up and fall in love, but it just doesn’t make any sense to me as a human being. If I’m being chased by monsters, the least of my worries is my sex drive. (I also just have a problem with this trope in general, so this is a personal preference.) It wasn’t done badly and so it didn’t ruin the novel for me, so props to Grant for not making the sole focus and motivation of these characters for survival it was just an added bonus for them. Finally, the ending seemed to be wrapped up way too easily. I was also unsatisfied. What happens when those who survive get to land and most of all what about that [mermaid in the tank? I need a sequel to follow Hallie and her adventures with this creature. (hide spoiler)] I can overlook how easily everything came together because it was still a lot of fun for me. If you are a fan of horror, sirens, mermaids, or the SYFY channels old TV shows like Fact or Faked then this novel is your jam. Seriously, I can’t recommend this enough and I’m so glad it was first official finished novel of 2019 because what a way to start the year. This novel had me at the edge of my seat and I can’t believe it took me so long to read it because this is exactly the type of creepy stuff I love. I will definitely be checking out more Mira Grant (aka Seanon McGuire) in the future because her writing is not only stunning, but I was invested in this epic cast of characters and horrified by the “lovely ladies of the sea”.


“They existed only to catch and snatch and devour. They sang no songs of their own, only songs stolen from the victims of their hunger.”

Plotastic Scale: 4.5

Cover Thoughts: I love this cover. It’s dark and creepy. More creepy siren covers, please.

Thank you, Netgalley and Orbit, for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Typically, I don't have much trouble reading horror. I'm so very much not a visual reader that it doesn't bother me the way that filmed horror does, which I absolutely can't watch. This book, though, did get to me. Grant has this way of writing that's incredibly visceral and detailed in a way that makes me feel squeamish at multiple points.

Couple that with the fact that it was entirely possible for Grant to murder everyone in the cast, I couldn't read too much of this book at one time without getting stressed out and needing a mental break. <i>Into the Drowning Deep</i> is a great book absolutely, and I'd put it on a list of Mira's best, though it doesn't make my list of favorites quite. <i>Into the Drowning Deep</i> focuses less on characterization than it does on plot and world building, which it does fabulously. Admittedly, maybe I'm grateful I wasn't particularly invested in the cast, since it was horrific enough as it was.

Grant has an amazing facility with science fiction, a facility probably stemming largely from doing her research. She has this ability to write about something that most of us don't really think exists, like zombies or mermaids, and make it seem all too real and believable. You could not make me go near the Mariana Trench right now.

This was the first book by Grant that I read and loved it. I'm looking forward to reading more in the series, and by her in general.

*An advanced reader ebook copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I found Grant's mermaid concept intriguing. Unlike my last review of To Kill a Kingdom, where the mermaid were more fantastical and had surrounding magical mythology, Grant's mermaids are firmly of this world. Set in the near future (2022) the "mermaids" or "sirens" are creatures that have evolved to live in the deepest parts of the Mariana Trench. With vicious teeth, bio-luminescent "hair", etc. these creatures having no claims of magical powers or even being human hybrids. I love the grounding in science, the connections to "mockumentaries" that have aired on channels like SyFy, and the premise that this is set in our world. Though I haven't read Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park, this book made me think it was written in that vein.

Perhaps I had my hopes set to high for this book because I found that it was not the 5 star read that I've seen my fellow bookstagrammers promoting. I found the initial setting in Monterrey Bay pretentious. The repetition of the dire consequences of global warming and human destruction tiresome, and most of the scientist were selfish with unlikely reactions. As Publisher's Weekly wrote, "the prose gets bogged down in cliché ('She would show them all' appears, unironically, as a standalone paragraph) and long and meandering passages with little payoff." I thought the book took too long to get to the main action. Once the horror really started to occur I enjoy the book more. There are some good nods to diversity throughout the book in regards to sexuality and ability, but at other times I thought it was curious that most - if not all - of the female scientist were working or driven by emotion. Seemingly this reaffirms the stereotypes that woman cannot be impartial scientists.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book! However, after thinking about it more the book just hit the mark for me. I think folks that into cryptids, science, and the plausibility of new deep water discovers would love this book. But as a reader who is lukewarm about science heavy stories and honestly could get over some the characters' reactions this was just okay for me. Though this might not have been the book for me, I am interested in reading other works by Mira Grant/Seanan McGuire.

Into the Drowning Deep made me hyperventilate. The mermaids in this book are biologically possible, or at least it all seemed to make sense to me. It felt like the author did a lot of research on marine animals, and should something like a mermaid exist, how could it be biologically possible. It was more than that too, because the mermaids felt like their existence could be real but it was also tied with all the mermaid lore. Where did the idea of ‘sirens’ come from? What about the legend of the singing mermaids calling sailors to their doom? Into the Drowning Deep answers all of those questions, and the marriage of science and myth brought these creatures to life for me.

Into the Drowning Deep was everything I expected it to be and more. It was intelligent, believable, and creepy as all hell. Those three adjectives are the ones I’d use for all the Mira Grant books I’ve read.

This book promised killer "mermaids" and boy did it deliver
I was on the edge of my seat the whole time
I don't easily scare but there were parts of this book that terrified me so much
catch me never going in the ocean again

This is the book I wanted after I finished Rolling in the Deep. More killer mermaid mayhem! While I was reading it, it seemed like the setup before they got out on the ocean was taking a long time, but then once the action started I was wishing there had been a little more introduction because I found myself not really attached to a lot of the characters. I found myself shrugging a little too often when I probably should have been caring about characters being in danger. But overall I really enjoyed it and thought there was a great cast of characters. I did feel like the end was somewhat implausible to me. Which, yes it's a book about killer mermaids, there's only so much plausibility to be had. But the whole deal with the female mermaid attacking the ship felt off. If that's what had happened to the Atargatis, wouldn't it have damaged the boat in some way and wouldn't people have noticed that? I don't know. It just felt off to me and I couldn't stop thinking about it. Still, I'm hopeful there'll be another book after this to explore the mermaids/sirens even more.

First off, thanks again to Orbit Books for my review copy.

It’s not safe to go in the water. It never was.

Nearly seven years ago, media moguls Imagine Entertainmentset sail on a cryptozoology expedition to find mermaids in the ocean above the Mariana Trench. The ill-fated voyage of their ship, the Atargatis, ended in tragedy – the entire ship disappeared without a trace. The only clue to the disappearance of the crew is a single bit of discovered video footage – in which mermaids devour the ship’s passengers. This isn’t The Little Mermaid though – these monsters have gaunt simian faces, mouths bristling with teeth, and wicked claws.

Now, with more sophisticated security measures and a full scientific research crew, Imagine is ready to send another ship, the Melucine, out to the Trench to discover what exactly happened to its ill-fated voyage. Some crew come aboard the ship with sophisticated scientific equipment, ready to learn more about the mysterious denizens of the deep. Others are out for blood – and won’t let science stand in their way.

Tori Stewart, the main protagonist, falls somewhere in the middle. Having lost a sister to the mermaid attack on the doomed Atargatis mission, she’s devoted years of study to the ocean and the things that lurk there. Tori is torn by both fascination and hatred for the monsters that killed her sister.

Dr. Jillian Toth is a no-nonsense sirenologist, perhaps the only scientist that’s devoted her life to finding, understanding, and documenting the existence of mermaids. And her relationship with Imagine’s director makes the mission… complicated.

Olivia is Imagine’s media correspondent on the biggest assignment of her career – uncovering the mystery of what happened to the Atargatis mission. She is almost immediately set at odds with Tori, since Olivia is Tori’s dead sister’s replacement.

Holly, Hannah, and Hallie are deaf twin scientists and their ASL translator, respectively. Hannah is on the mission to dive further than any human ever has – to the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Holly is a worried twin sister that wants to keep Hannah safe. And Hallie, the only real translator aboard the Melucine, is the twins’ beleaguered mouthpiece to the rest of the crew.

The rest of the crew consists of the best navigators, security officers, and scientists money can buy. But, like any situation where hundreds of people are isolated in close proximity, tensions rise. Will the crew of the Melucine discover what happened to the doomed Atargatis? Finding the truth could cost them their lives.

My Thoughts
Mira Grant, who you might recognize as Seanan McGuire, writes with scientific acuity, leaving no room for hand-waving in her horror. The mermaids are plausible from a scientific perspective, making them all the more terrifying. As the crew unravels the mystery of the mermaids, each revelation is more interesting and horrifying than the last.

Like a siren, Into the Drowning Deep really lured me in. (That’s as close as I’ll get to a hook-line-sinker pun.) I’m a sucker for monster stories, and this book delivers on that promise in a big way. I enjoyed all of the accurate science of the book too – swim bladders and desalination and neurotoxins and all the other scientific references in the book helped make the mermaids (or sirens) more flesh and blood than other monster books I’ve read.

If I have a criticism of Into the Drowning Deep, it’s that the ending felt rushed. That’s not to say it didn’t pay off, though. The pace just increased dramatically in the last few pages. This could easily set up for another book, which seems to be the case from the book’s title (Rolling in the Deep #1).

Why should I read Into the Drowning Deep?
If you love suspense and factual science-fiction, monster stories, along with no small amount of Stephen King-esque writing from many characters’ perspectives, you’ll love Into the Drowning Deep. This book impressed me and I’ll definitely be reading more of Mira Grant’s sci-fi thrillers.

Oh. And the secret of the sirens reveal was terrifying. And amazing. But mostly terrifying.

Into the Drowning Deep is the first book of the Rolling in the Deep series. Mira Grant has also completed a prequel novel, Rolling in the Deep, about the Atargatis mission itself.

This is scheduled to post on VBPL Recommends on Tuesday, April 17, 6 am.

Into the Drowning Deep takes The Little Mermaid and strips it of any sugary sweetness while ripping into the mermaid fairy tale and leaving its bloody corpse on the examining table.
Mermaids were trending in teen fiction for a bit, but Mira Grant’s brutal, science fiction-horror version of mermaids is not for little kids or the faint-hearted.
The story is set seven years after a ship’s crew filming a mockumentary on mermaids all disappeared, supposedly attacked by mermaids in the Mariana Trench. Some consider it a clever hoax. Now, another crew that is better prepared with the best scientists, top-of-the-line research equipment, and safety precautions is going back to find out what really happened. For some characters, the trip is a fun cruise and research opportunity, but, for some of the characters, this trip is personal and a chance for closure. Tory Stewart’s sister was one of those who disappeared seven years ago. For Dr. Jillian Toth, mermaids are her life’s work.
This story has quite a bit of bite, with high body count and plenty of blood to go with it. Grant juggles a large cast of characters who come on the trip with different goals and varying world views, putting them on a boat they cannot get off. Of course, people clash, but ideas clash, too, so there is constant debate on issues ranging from politics to diversity to morals. The mermaids are the central mystery, and how they function is uncertain, but Grant develops some fascinating ideas that portray them as the apex predator of the waters. There are thriller elements, as the characters, all specialists figuring out a small piece of the puzzle, race to understand the mermaids and survive. The setting of the deep seas serves as an intriguing frontier that is both familiar and lurking with the unknown to set a story of scientific discovery and survival against. The science fiction elements and speculative what-if’s are all the more horrifying for how likely they could be.
Look for Into the Drowning Deep in the VBPL catalog. For more of Grant’s horror sci-fi, try her Newsflesh series (see review) and her Parasitology trilogy (see review). For more mermaid tales, try Mermaids and Other Mysteries of the Deep short story collection and A Treasury of Mermaids: Mermaid Tales from Around the World.