Vostok (MEG)

From New York Times Best-selling Author Steve Alten, author of the Legal/Thriller “The Loch,” comes the sequel to the 2005 page-turner and prequel to “Meg: Night Stalkers.” Two years after the terrifying events in Loch Ness, Scotland changed world-renowned Scientist’s Zachary Wallace’s life forever; a more foreboding journey with life-altering implications looms on the horizon. That’s the premise behind Steve Alten’s Sci-Fi/Thriller “Vostok.” Here, we catch up with Dr. Wallace whose famed reputation and family life is in turmoil. With tourism at an all-time low and his abusive father, Angus Wallace, stirring the pot of misery for Zachary and his wife Brandy, Dr. Wallace is desperate for a reprieve from his troubles. Fate intervenes on one dark night when the remains of a half-eaten deer are discovered at the edge of Loch Ness. Suggesting the work of a monstrous creature not seen lurking in the depths of the world’s most famous lake since Zachary Wallace slayed the malevolent beast of Loch Ness in the late 2000’s; the scientific world thrusts Dr. Wallace into the spotlight once again. This time, the rough-around-the-edges scientist will embark on the most daring, frightening, and perilous journey of his life. Tasked with leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore the unknown 1,000 feet depths of the more than 6,000 mile long hidden lake, Vostok, Zachary Wallace’s latest endeavor will make his exploits at Loch Ness seem like a leisurely summer dip. Encountering unknown species, psychological terrors, and a government conspiracy that has dire consequences for his family and humanity, the stakes have never been higher and the dangers more imminent than in the dark and perilous depths of Vostok. Having read “The Loch” and seen a really cool promotional trailer about “Vostok,” I was curious whether it would surpass my engrossing summer read of “The Loch.” Unfortunately, I was woefully disappointed with the latter part of the storyline in “Vostok.” The first half of the novel starts out very well giving the reader an immersive experience traveling to Antarctica and the science behind deep sea exploration with a laser-powered sub to penetrate the mammoth ice shelf concealing Vostok. However, when Mr. Alten goes on a relentless writing tirade, talking about fringe obsessions such as: global warming, government conspiracies regarding UFO’s, traveling through paralleled dimensions and changing history one has to wonder where the author’s true intentions lie in this ridiculously long and monotonous science fiction novel. I was fortunate enough to find this book on Audio CD, and I have to say that I was never more relieved to hear the narrator get to the Epilogue. Even afterwards, sitting back in my recliner, it took me a while to come back down to earth and get my head around what I just heard. In 2005, once I began reading “The Loch” I couldn’t put it down. Now, after listening to the sequel, “The Loch” is still my favorite Steve Alten novel! You know when film critics warn audiences that the sequel to a movie is always worse than the original, in the literary case of “The Loch,” it’s true with “Vostok.” This novel is the equivalent of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” and a really bad episode of “The X-Files.” I hope Steve Alten’s “Meg: Night Stalkers” has a much more engaging storyline. From New York Times Best-selling Author Steve Alten, author of the Legal/Thriller “The Loch,” comes the sequel to the 2005 page-turner and prequel to “Meg: Night Stalkers.” Two years after the terrifying events in Loch Ness, Scotland changed world-renowned Scientist’s Zachary Wallace’s life forever; a more foreboding journey with life-altering implications looms on the horizon. That’s the premise behind Steve Alten’s Sci-Fi/Thriller “Vostok.” Here, we catch up with Dr. Wallace whose famed reputation and family life is in turmoil. With tourism at an all-time low and his abusive father, Angus Wallace, stirring the pot of misery for Zachary and his wife Brandy, Dr. Wallace is desperate for a reprieve from his troubles. Fate intervenes on one dark night when the remains of a half-eaten deer are discovered at the edge of Loch Ness. Suggesting the work of a monstrous creature not seen lurking in the depths of the world’s most famous lake since Zachary Wallace slayed the malevolent beast of Loch Ness in the late 2000’s; the scientific world thrusts Dr. Wallace into the spotlight once again. This time, the rough-around-the-edges scientist will embark on the most daring, frightening, and perilous journey of his life. Tasked with leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore the unknown 1,000 feet depths of the more than 6,000 mile long hidden lake, Vostok, Zachary Wallace’s latest endeavor will make his exploits at Loch Ness seem like a leisurely summer dip. Encountering unknown species, psychological terrors, and a government conspiracy that has dire consequences for his family and humanity, the stakes have never been higher and the dangers more imminent than in the dark and perilous depths of Vostok. Having read “The Loch” and seen a really cool promotional trailer about “Vostok,” I was curious whether it would surpass my engrossing summer read of “The Loch.” Unfortunately, I was woefully disappointed with the latter part of the storyline in “Vostok.” The first half of the novel starts out very well giving the reader an immersive experience traveling to Antarctica and the science behind deep sea exploration with a laser-powered sub to penetrate the mammoth ice shelf concealing Vostok. However, when Mr. Alten goes on a relentless writing tirade, talking about fringe obsessions such as: global warming, government conspiracies regarding UFO’s, traveling through paralleled dimensions and changing history one has to wonder where the author’s true intentions lie in this ridiculously long and monotonous science fiction novel. I was fortunate enough to find this book on Audio CD, and I have to say that I was never more relieved to hear the narrator get to the Epilogue. Even afterwards, sitting back in my recliner, it took me a while to come back down to earth and get my head around what I just heard. In 2005, once I began reading “The Loch” I couldn’t put it down. Now, after listening to the sequel, “The Loch” is still my favorite Steve Alten novel! You know when film critics warn audiences that the sequel to a movie is always worse than the original, in the literary case of “The Loch,” it’s true with “Vostok.” This novel is the equivalent of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” and a really bad episode of “The X-Files.” I hope Steve Alten’s “Meg: Night Stalkers” has a much more engaging storyline. From New York Times Best-selling Author Steve Alten, author of the Legal/Thriller “The Loch,” comes the sequel to the 2005 page-turner and prequel to “Meg: Night Stalkers.” Two years after the terrifying events in Loch Ness, Scotland changed world-renowned Scientist’s Zachary Wallace’s life forever; a more foreboding journey with life-altering implications looms on the horizon. That’s the premise behind Steve Alten’s Sci-Fi/Thriller “Vostok.” Here, we catch up with Dr. Wallace whose famed reputation and family life is in turmoil. With tourism at an all-time low and his abusive father, Angus Wallace, stirring the pot of misery for Zachary and his wife Brandy, Dr. Wallace is desperate for a reprieve from his troubles. Fate intervenes on one dark night when the remains of a half-eaten deer are discovered at the edge of Loch Ness. Suggesting the work of a monstrous creature not seen lurking in the depths of the world’s most famous lake since Zachary Wallace slayed the malevolent beast of Loch Ness in the late 2000’s; the scientific world thrusts Dr. Wallace into the spotlight once again. This time, the rough-around-the-edges scientist will embark on the most daring, frightening, and perilous journey of his life. Tasked with leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore the unknown 1,000 feet depths of the more than 6,000 mile long hidden lake, Vostok, Zachary Wallace’s latest endeavor will make his exploits at Loch Ness seem like a leisurely summer dip. Encountering unknown species, psychological terrors, and a government conspiracy that has dire consequences for his family and humanity, the stakes have never been higher and the dangers more imminent than in the dark and perilous depths of Vostok. Having read “The Loch” and seen a really cool promotional trailer about “Vostok,” I was curious whether it would surpass my engrossing summer read of “The Loch.” Unfortunately, I was woefully disappointed with the latter part of the storyline in “Vostok.” The first half of the novel starts out very well giving the reader an immersive experience traveling to Antarctica and the science behind deep sea exploration with a laser-powered sub to penetrate the mammoth ice shelf concealing Vostok. However, when Mr. Alten goes on a relentless writing tirade, talking about fringe obsessions such as: global warming, government conspiracies regarding UFO’s, traveling through paralleled dimensions and changing history one has to wonder where the author’s true intentions lie in this ridiculously long and monotonous science fiction novel. I was fortunate enough to find this book on Audio CD, and I have to say that I was never more relieved to hear the narrator get to the Epilogue. Even afterwards, sitting back in my recliner, it took me a while to come back down to earth and get my head around what I just heard. In 2005, once I began reading “The Loch” I couldn’t put it down. Now, after listening to the sequel, “The Loch” is still my favorite Steve Alten novel! You know when film critics warn audiences that the sequel to a movie is always worse than the original, in the literary case of “The Loch,” it’s true with “Vostok.” This novel is the equivalent of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” and a really bad episode of “The X-Files.” I hope Steve Alten’s “Meg: Night Stalkers” has a much more engaging storyline. From New York Times Best-selling Author Steve Alten, author of the Legal/Thriller “The Loch,” comes the sequel to the 2005 page-turner and prequel to “Meg: Night Stalkers.” Two years after the terrifying events in Loch Ness, Scotland changed world-renowned Scientist’s Zachary Wallace’s life forever; a more foreboding journey with life-altering implications looms on the horizon. That’s the premise behind Steve Alten’s Sci-Fi/Thriller “Vostok.” Here, we catch up with Dr. Wallace whose famed reputation and family life is in turmoil. With tourism at an all-time low and his abusive father, Angus Wallace, stirring the pot of misery for Zachary and his wife Brandy, Dr. Wallace is desperate for a reprieve from his troubles. Fate intervenes on one dark night when the remains of a half-eaten deer are discovered at the edge of Loch Ness. Suggesting the work of a monstrous creature not seen lurking in the depths of the world’s most famous lake since Zachary Wallace slayed the malevolent beast of Loch Ness in the late 2000’s; the scientific world thrusts Dr. Wallace into the spotlight once again. This time, the rough-around-the-edges scientist will embark on the most daring, frightening, and perilous journey of his life. Tasked with leading an expedition to Antarctica to explore the unknown 1,000 feet depths of the more than 6,000 mile long hidden lake, Vostok, Zachary Wallace’s latest endeavor will make his exploits at Loch Ness seem like a leisurely summer dip. Encountering unknown species, psychological terrors, and a government conspiracy that has dire consequences for his family and humanity, the stakes have never been higher and the dangers more imminent than in the dark and perilous depths of Vostok. Having read “The Loch” and seen a really cool promotional trailer about “Vostok,” I was curious whether it would surpass my engrossing summer read of “The Loch.” Unfortunately, I was woefully disappointed with the latter part of the storyline in “Vostok.” The first half of the novel starts out very well giving the reader an immersive experience traveling to Antarctica and the science behind deep sea exploration with a laser-powered sub to penetrate the mammoth ice shelf concealing Vostok. However, when Mr. Alten goes on a relentless writing tirade, talking about fringe obsessions such as: global warming, government conspiracies regarding UFO’s, traveling through paralleled dimensions and changing history one has to wonder where the author’s true intentions lie in this ridiculously long and monotonous science fiction novel. I was fortunate enough to find this book on Audio CD, and I have to say that I was never more relieved to hear the narrator get to the Epilogue. Even afterwards, sitting back in my recliner, it took me a while to come back down to earth and get my head around what I just heard. In 2005, once I began reading “The Loch” I couldn’t put it down. Now, after listening to the sequel, “The Loch” is still my favorite Steve Alten novel! You know when film critics warn audiences that the sequel to a movie is always worse than the original, in the literary case of “The Loch,” it’s true with “Vostok.” This novel is the equivalent of Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues under the Sea” and a really bad episode of “The X-Files.” I hope Steve Alten’s “Meg: Night Stalkers” has a much more engaging storyline.

First off, because of certain comments that Dr. Greer has made and continues to make, as well as his use of illuminati symbolism, I believe he cannot be trusted. This is coming from someone who looked up to Greer as a hero. While I fully support the disclosure of ETs, free energy and anti-gravitational technologies, I believe he is being used to control this issue, just as the hippie movement was controlled in the 60s, just as the Occupy Wall Street movement is controlled.I'm not quite sure what his agenda is. Is he simply there to prepare the human race for the inevitable contact with our extra terrestrial brothers and sisters? After all, even the pope said it's okay to believe in aliens. The Vatican is also under the position that aliens are "good" because they didn't suffer Original Sin. Really? Maybe the Pope has been in contact with the ETs to know this information.I also wonder if Greer is on the payroll of high-ranking officials, such as the current president and previous presidents to absolve their sinful involvement with the ETs, since Greer insists that presidents such as Clinton and Obama want to reveal the ET presence, but are prevented from doing so.By his statements that all ETs are benevolent, perhaps Greer is paving the way for immunity to the ETs, who have been involved nefariously with our government. I'm not saying that all ETs are bad, but it is quite evident some advanced group is behind most governments and religions, as magnificently evidenced by Scott Onstott's secretsinplainsight.com.Whatever the case, I look for the programming being pushed when Greer makes a statement or promotes a book such as Vostok (which sports an all-seeing eye in the pyramid on its cover and a reptile! (Think David Icke or better yet David Bowie! "I'm an alligator. I'm a mama papa coming for you. I've been the space invader... Keep your 'lectric eye on me, babe… Press your space face close to mine...)).So what is Vostok promoting?The author does side with Greer in promoting the immunity of presidents by saying that they were prevented to reveal ET information and also uses an ET character in the book to model the forgiveness of oppressors. From what I have investigated, Obama, Bush, Clinton, et al, are all part of the same group. After all, what are the chances that Obama is Cheney's eighth cousin? Or that most presidents are related to each other?? I don't think these are regular people who who happened to win the presidency. They were chosen and the public was manipulated to vote for them.Perhaps the book is giving us a subliminal message of an extinction level event, in which a massive volcano erupts (either naturally or through HAARP) and spews tons of ash into the skies. Who knows?I personally believe a possible scenario that might be played out is world leaders with create WWIII, hit us with their Ebola virus, and then set off a volcano or some other "natural" disaster. Then when all looks bleak and people are citing "revelations" and looking for Jesus, they'll cue the Elohim envoy ship to land on the UN lawn and the 12' tall ETs will end all war and suffering and proclaim themselves as our creators. Thanks but no thanks!The leviathans in the book seem more like a side show act and used only to create the high adrenalin "car chase" scenes to add excitement to the book. To me, these giant prehistoric creatures seems implausible to exist in our current gravitational state. I believe that the dinosaurs are hard evidence that our planet was once smaller, which would dictate a lower field of gravity.I also had a problem with his conjecture of the Big Bang theory as fact and the suggestion that humans evolved naturally on our planet, when it is quite obvious that humans are a result of hybridization or genetic manipulation. Even our DNA shows evidence that it was altered unnaturally.On the up side, I am happy that it proclaims very healthy and important ideals such as universal consciousness, the potential of spirit, the urgent need to release free energy and anti-gravitation technologies, the acceptance of our ET counterparts, and the exposing of those who wish to keep this all secret and hidden from the public. These are reasons enough to read this book. The author does possess excellent writing skills, exhibiting clever twists, deep philosophy and humor.Overall, I enjoyed this book and subtract one star for its subtle ulterior agenda.

I loved 'The Loch' so thought I'd be equally enthralled with 'Vostok'. This definitely wasn't the case! It starts off well, with lots to get your imagination going, but by the middle I was struggling to get through just one chapter at a time without nodding off. I did read it until the end, but to be perfectly honest I was bored stiff by then!

Although no-one could accuse Steve Alten of high literature, The Loch and the Meg series were fun and Vostok started in a similar vein. However, the second half of the book is virtually unreadable. Deviating from the usual monster-danger fare it suddenly becomes a dreadful conspiracy theory rant with added aliens. Unfortunately, this really isn't Mr. Alten's forte and the story becomes an illiterate mess. Hopefully Nightstalkers will see a return to form.

I purchased this novel on the back of the Meg series and the throughly excellent loch, but unfortunately I feel this book was a let down '. I starts of well and I was thouroughly enjoying reading it but about 3/4 of the way through it changes tact and becomes a strange mix of sci-fi and conspiracy that I just couldn't enjoy. I did finish the book but do feel let down by the last part as I genuinely struggled to understand the plot and story from this point. I still look forward to the next book in the Meg series however and feel this may just have been a minor blemish on the authors otherwise excellent collection of books.

This is one I have not read. Can't wait to start reading.

A terrible blend of half-digested research and weak characterisation. No suspense or sense of mystery and I have to admit I couldn't bear to finish it. My review is therefore based on about 70% of the novel.