I really quite enjoyed this book - much like the 3 Body Problem, there's a grounding in a specific type of physics, so it was interesting and expanded my curiosity and knowlege in various places. I'm currently reading the Eternal Golden Braid because of the 3 Body Problem, so I'll be looking into everything that's been raised in here.
An incredibly good sci-fi book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. 4.5 stars

I had to DNF this. It was so slow moving, which I’m ok with for certain genres but just doesn’t work for me for sci-fi.

I DNF'd this book early on as it was clear it was not the type of story for me. It was slow and complex off the bat, and I prefer sci fi that is easier to get into and has a quicker pace.

2.5
I was very excited for this book from seeing the cover alone. A Sci-fi mystery set underwater sounded creepy and delicious. Unfortunately I went into this book with the wrong expectations - that's on me not the book. A large portion of the book was above ground, not underwater. The story was slow moving and very science heavy. I think that this would be a great book for someone who enjoys books like that, it just wasn't for me.

An absolutely amazing sci-fi book! I cannot wait for more in the series.
As someone with a PhD, often reading sci-fi books can be painful, chemistry that is so painfully wrong/impossible, physics explanations that are impossible... I understand its fiction, but when authors explain the fantasy so badly, it upsets my brain. All the science in this book is pleasing to read, close to the truth and beautifully explained. It is my favourite book I've read in this regard.
The character introductions were perfect, humans and not. You will fall in love with all the main characters, even if it is for their flaws or their journey throughout the story.
The descriptions of the underwater labs, underground train systems, basically anywhere underground I could perfectly imagine everything.

The largest negative I would say is that it is extremely science heavy (huge positive for me but I appreciate that most people in the world don't have a PhD in Physical Chemistry), which I would assume would be too much/confusing for every day readers. The big romance of the book was also very predictable, which is normal in books, but I do like not immediately knowing two characters will clearly end up together from the second they are introduced.

DNF

I'm afraid I couldn't finish this one. The book got off to a great start, I enjoyed the underwater portion at the start but the enjoyment of the book soon dropped off after Jonathan was introduced. There was a lot of military acronyms and additional detail that I think wasn't entirely necessary.

A lot of the weapons, people and scenes were over described. I like to imagine some things for myself and create the world in my head but the enjoyment of using my imagination was taken away with such a descriptive book.

There wasn't enough underwater scenes for me and that's why I chose the book. Great idea, nicely crafted characters but this one missed the mark for me.

I had trouble getting into this one and staying with it. It's not bad. I just doesn't have the polish of a more experienced author. I hope the author continues to write.

Ebook/SciFi Thriller: I really did not like this 75% of this book. I liked several characters, but there was so much backstory and narrative. For example, it took several pages for Johnathan to get an implant out of his shoulder. While getting his numbing agent, we also had to wait for the drug to take affect while he looks around the room. The backstorys became redundant with characters and events that I found interesting, but they went on and on. For an sci-fi underwater book (which is a favorite genre of mine) they were aboveground for over half the book. I can't even tell you what I read three days ago because I stopped caring. I finally finished this monstrosity after a week. I only got through it because I had my Kindle's computer voice read to me while I was doing chores.

DNF


This is by no means a bad book! Personally I did not enjoy it and could not finish it. That doesn’t mean you won’t.

The pacing of this book is off. The author would tell the reader events that have already happened in excessive detail which I personally find unnecessary. If you want me to know a particular event that already happened mention it in a few sentences not pages.

The dialogue feels forced and stiff.
There is excessive detail on everything from creatures (Gilla’s body and features) to weapons.

I think this book would be more suited for people who like details and slower burning books. Maybe, as another reviewer put it, older generations. This book does have a particular audience that would enjoy this book however I am just not one of them.

I liked the plot possibilities, the world building, and I liked that you did know absolutely everything about this world.

However I got fed up with the excessive amount of details and do not feel like finishing the book.

Great potential, but has some awkward moments with writing/dialogue- like how Jonathan sees himself as having sex appeal and carries himself that way- Show! Don't tell!

Through the Abyss really shines when it comes to details and descriptions of the aliens, technology, and setting of the story. However, I found myself unable to enjoy the very long and repetitive pacing and sometimes awkward or forced dialogue. I think this book is well suited for sci-fi fans of long, slow burns and is for an older age group than myself. In terms of setting, characters, and writing style, it felt slightly reminiscent of Sphere by Michael Crichton.

While I didn't find myself enjoying this book, I would recommend it to older generations who prefer detail and precision over characters and internal conflict (while the latter are there, they didn't suit my personal taste).

What I liked:
- The writing is very descriptive, making everything easy to picture. The author spares no expense when it comes to describing weapons, set pieces, technology, and people (or aliens).
- The setting is rich and well thought out (particularly when it comes to different alien races and locations).
- It's refreshing to see alien characters like Gil play an extended part in the story. It was also fun to have their differences from humans addressed so often, making it clear the author thought the aliens through when making them similar to other things like reptiles. (However, Gil's slurred dialogue could get tedious after a while, as I would have pause to analyze what he was actually saying and it would take me out of the story.)

What I didn't like:
- The dialogue, while fine for the most part, suffers from being awkward or forced at times
- Characters can feel a little stereotyped (by gender and race).
- There's a lot of filler and a lot of extra scenes where characters are rehashing what already happened, which could have been cut out so the story could flow at a faster pace.
- Speaking of pacing, this one takes its time and could get boring at points. I am personally a fan of fast reads so it wasn't to my personal taste. This is a very long book and a lot of it is full of repetition and scenes that feel unnecessary.
- There were some grammar or spelling mistakes every few chapters (saying "solider" instead of "soldier", for example).

Overall, I didn't enjoy this book but can recommend it to older readers who like a long and detailed story that is in no hurry to get to the plot. Older generations in particular may like this, especially those who enjoy when a book goes into detail about the technology, sciences, etc.

[This book was provided as a free e-arc]