Vostok (Meg) Hardcover – 17 Feb. 2015

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!

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.

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.

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.

Steve Alten takes a Steven Greer sermon and turns it into a monster story, The result is a didactic but sometimes thrilling book. Not a worthy follow-up to Lake Vostok IMO and at times it's downright annoying if you arew familiar with The Disclosure Project.

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

A good holiday read

A worthy successor to The Loch, and a brilliant bridge between it and Nightstalkers. Vostok represents a new pinnacle in the Alten canon.