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Dark Island: The Definitive Edition - Foreword by Ernest Dempsey

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*Dark Island 3: Extinction Evolved (coming soon)

Like the "Dark Continent" of Africa, the island of Madagascar holds many chilling secrets.

A massive earthquake rocks the mountains within Madagascar’s Andringitra National Park, exposing a network of hidden tunnels, and releasing a pack of hypersensitive predators.

Unfortunately, they aren't alone when they reach the surface...

Ian Hunt lost his wife to the creatures that fateful night. Seven years later, he's still haunted by the tragedy.

Found inside a local watering hole, Ian reluctantly accepts an offer to lead an exploratory team deep beneath the surface in search of the truth.

What he and the others discover is the find of a lifetime...if they survive long enough to tell anyone.

Extinction is alive and well at the heart of the “Dark Island.”

The "Definitive Edition" of Matt James' action-packed, international bestselling novel Dark Island features expansive rewrites, revised edits, a reformatted interior, stunning new cover art, and a foreword by USA Today bestselling author Ernest Dempsey.

From Ernest Dempsey's

"From the beginning, you feel excitement, terror, grief, wonder. Matt pulls your emotional strings. He makes you feel the environment around the characters. You can smell the air, and feel the darkness.

His word choices create powerful, punchy sentences and paragraphs that imbed you in the story without making you drowsy.

The action sequences are hard, and highly intense. It’s truly difficult to put down.

Dark Island is, put simply, a fun, and exciting story
."

What Amazon readers are saying about Dark Island:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Very Verne-like!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Mr. James once again shows his talent for creating worlds we may never have thought of!"

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "I have read all his books and this one is with the best!"


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "The author makes his beasties very believable and I simply loved our characters!"

317 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2024

733 people are currently reading
307 people want to read

About the author

Matthew James

44 books124 followers
MATT JAMES is the international bestselling author of over thirty-five action-packed titles, including the fan-favorite Jack Reilly series, The Cursed Thief, and The Blood King. He specializes in globetrotting thrillers that fans of James Rollins, Steve Berry, and Ernest Dempsey will devour!

He lives twenty minutes from the beach in sunny South Florida with his amazing wife, three beautiful children, a lovable pitty, and an overly dramatic black cat.

Go to MattJamesAuthor.com and subscribe to his newsletter for early and exclusive news and updates! You will NOT be mercilessly spammed with junk mail. And don't forget to click the FOLLOW button on his Amazon page to receive new release alerts!

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Community Reviews

5 stars
388 (49%)
4 stars
247 (31%)
3 stars
116 (14%)
2 stars
24 (3%)
1 star
9 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Profile Image for Joe Newman.
78 reviews
August 5, 2025
A total cheeseball that makes you think of a Saturday matinee you'd watch on the old scifi channel on cable. Or, and i mean this nicely, a story you'd write in middle school that featured all your friends and you'd write it in your notebook instead of paying attention to the teacher.
The writing is very basic in most ways but has an interesting structure that I didn't personally like but others may. There are a lot of moments where the characters are either finishing the narrator's POV or having thoughts that react to the narrations. They aren't full fourth wall breaks although it breaks the immersion every time but the narrative will be explaining someone's background and often ends with "Yeah, that was a crazy time," or something like that being muttered by the character. So either the narrative is constantly just running in the character's heads or they're all horrifically schizophrenic.

Another thing that was both distracting and nostalgic in the sense of my middle school comparison is how often the author will use a pop culture reference in place of actually describing sometimes. The characters Nash is almost entirely described as just "Chris Pine's character from Wonder Woman" and a few key elements of dinosaurs are described as "you know like that thing from Alien Covenant"

Which this definitive edition came out in 2024, Alien Covenant was a movie released in 2017. Now the original Dark Island book was published in 2018. So for the characters to make this reference either to themselves or to us, it would mean Ian, who has been in Madagascar as a nomad for almost a decade, most of that time in jail, and Mack who is basically just as restless and in third world countries would have somehow found a way to make seeing this new movie at the time a priority in order for even the characters to connect the reference.
Its extremely lazy, just pull up your photo reference and explain what you're seeing to your audience. its one of those, well if you dont care then why should i? moments

The action is fun and silly, you never feel tension because the author basically lets you know everyone is going to be fine the entire time. Ian is basically the most badass man in the world unless the plot suddenly calls for him to be hilariously clumsy and starts slipping and sliding everywhere. But 90% of the time he's hulked out Batman fighting multiple armed men with his bare hands with ease or dinosaurs like their puppies.

Mack is a pretty decent albeit shallow female lead. The author isnt overwhelmingly horny for her which is very nice and refreshing. Like she is just a woman in a camp of men who occasionally ogle her but she holds her own and is her own character. Even if sometimes she's weirdly helpless or serves as cliche female trope of "i dont wanna kill a living thing even if its trying to kill us,"

I loved that the dinosaurs we got are all native to Madagascar, that was a really cool and exciting feature. You can tell the author did their research and really kept it accurate with fossil records. This not only made it feel a lot stronger and more interesting but gave the book a nice weight of lore.

Overall, it's not bad but its very basic and straightforward. The author had an idea and then kept having more ideas to stack on. I dont think it needs a sequel and the epilogue is entirely unnecessary but clearly the author wanted to expand these ideas more or just have fun with the characters. Which was my overall mood towards the book.

My ending thought was a genuine laugh and telling my boyfriend "Well, I'm glad he had fun writing this,"
Profile Image for Nicole LaPapa.
23 reviews
January 19, 2026
3.5 ⭐️If loving dinosaur books is wrong, I don’t wanna be right. Not anywhere near Jurassic Park level, but It was still very entertaining to say the least!
Profile Image for Jacqui.
936 reviews8 followers
April 22, 2025
4.5 stars.

I absolutely loved this! When I tested the waters I had no idea this would be the book to get me out of a horrific reading slump. This was unputdownable.

After a tragic accident, a former Navy SEAL and a National Geographic reporter trek deep into the jungles of Madagascar for the story of a lifetime. Little do they know, the jungle holds many secrets, including dark creatures long thought extinct. I instantly feel in love with these characters. They were real and raw. The world-building was incredible, with the whole storyline playing out like a movie in my head.

Part King Kong's Skull Island part The Descent, this was a wild ride I never wanted to get off. The only reason I didn't give it the full five stars was because it did go off the rails a little bit right at the end. There were some paragraphs that felt like reading a textbook but minor gripe. Highly recommended for action junkies. Can't wait for book two.
110 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2025
Fun and a pretty quick read, but not very well thought out

I appreciated the author's choice to only include predators that are native to Madagascar instead of just slapping every well known dinosaur into the fray. It's a really refreshing change of pace to have giant crocodiles instead of tyrannosaurs and a type of Rhamphorhynchus instead of azdarchids.
I like the note of the largest bird likely being the matriarch, but the animal colors don't really make sense.
They're all blind, so why would the raptors have rainbow feathers and a cockatiel-esque headcrest. Why would the Giant Fossa need to have fur camouflaged for darkness when both it and it's prey are blind? Why would the elephant bird have bright streaks through its plumage if they couldn't use them for display?
Also why would the vertebrates all be blind? They aren't in an environment that's totally dark all the time, there's glowing mushrooms mentioned every other page so they'd be able to see. That kind of thing doesn't just appear, the mushrooms would've evolved right alongside the rest of the cave animals.
The author also seems to think that juvenile Beatles are just smaller versions of the adults for some reason, which is not how any species of bug works. They hatch as grubs and then metamorphasize into their adult forms, they don't start out like that!
I'm also curious how big the author thinks 50 pounds is. That's 2.5 pounds bigger than the average male Border Collie. Two armed people aren't going to have any issues taking down something that small, and it really wouldn't be going after prey that large unless it was REALLY desperate.
I also did find it really funny when the author just completely gave up on realism halfway through with the dragon though.

As for the writing itself, it's pretty good. It's written in a snappy way that makes scenes not get old, and the character interactions are great!
However the author writes in a way that looks like they want to swear but also don't want to. The story swaps between actual curses and the clean versions of them people use a lot, which breaks up the dialogue a lot. The characters also have a tendency to stop halfway through a tense situation and have long chains of thought, which break up the tension of the scene and mess with how the sentence flows.
Profile Image for BookishDramas.
875 reviews33 followers
September 11, 2025
I must confess to having a soft corner for creature features and cryptid tales whether they lean towards dinosaurs in a modern setting or classic lost world adventures. Add in a touch of hollow earth speculation or a sprinkling of science and technology and my imagination is instantly engaged.
Matt James has always been a writer whose ideas I admire. His concepts are strong and imaginative yet I often find myself caught between extremes in his execution. At times he rushes too quickly at others he lingers too long and the balance never quite strikes the sweet spot I look for. That said the conceptual canvas he paints on is always enticing enough to keep me reading regardless of these quirks.

I had completed Dark Island earlier but this new version had to be re-read and that I did. The story opened beautifully and closes solidly. The prologue was poignant almost lyrical in the way it set up the coming adventure. Now I imagined a trilogy with deeper world building and room for character arcs which will happen with book 2.
Even so I enjoyed the journey. The emotional note of the prologue lingered with me and the climactic set piece was imaginative and cinematic in scope. It is easy to picture it playing out spectacularly on screen. I also warmed to the lead characters and would like to see them given space to breathe and grow across future stories.
Profile Image for Martin Murray.
19 reviews
October 4, 2025
Book Review - - - No Spoilers ---

Title - Dark Island
Author - Matt James
Rating - 4.5⭐

Summary - Like the "Dark Continent" of Africa, the island of Madagascar holds many chilling secrets.

A massive earthquake rocks the mountains within Madagascar’s Andringitra National Park, exposing a network of hidden tunnels, and releasing a pack of hypersensitive predators.

Unfortunately, they aren't alone when they reach the surface...

Ian Hunt lost his wife to the creatures that fateful night. Seven years later, he's still haunted by the tragedy.

Found inside a local watering hole, Ian reluctantly accepts an offer to lead an exploratory team deep beneath the surface in search of the truth.

Review - This is the second book from Matt James that I have read and was a massive improvement on the first one. The entire premise of this story is right up my alley - a lost world being discovered, new species, action and danger? Sign me right up.

I loved the four main characters, they all had unique personalities which were allowed to shine through and the focus on local prehistoric Madagascan life was a welcome change from every dinosaur like species consisting of T-Rex etc.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Jurassic Park and wants to dip their toes into a somewhat similar, if less scientific book. I'll definitely be checking out the sequel in the future.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Robert.
172 reviews12 followers
January 31, 2025
Dark Island, the definitive edition, is billed as Jules Verne-ish with four adventuring individuals who are: (1) Looking for adventure, (2) Looking to solve a mystery, and (3) Looking for monetary gain of some sort. None of the four adventurers seemed to be prepared for what they encountered in this earthquake-prone, mountainous region of Madagascar.

There have been many novels written that delve into exploring a deep-dive into earth’s unexplored inner layers. The ones that come to mind are Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, Greig Beck’s To the Center of the Earth series, Jeff Long’s Descent series, and James Rollins novel, Subterranean. This one is more like an underground Jurassic Park with prehistoric animals that defy description and don’t match up with known prehistoric (or current animal) relatives. The amazing aspect of these large, fast-moving, creatures is their ability to function in such confined spaces with limited sources of food for long periods of time. Or, is there more to the story?
Profile Image for Ness VDH.
226 reviews
November 23, 2025
Dark Island had an intriguing premise, but unfortunately it never fully delivered for me. The biggest issue was the pacing—the plot takes far too long to get moving, and by the time things finally start to pick up, I found my engagement had already faded. What should feel tense and atmospheric often ends up feeling slow and directionless.

Another challenge was keeping track of perspectives. The story shifts between characters, but there’s nothing at the start of each chapter—no name, location, or even a hint—to help anchor the reader. Adding something as simple as a character name or coordinates could have made the transitions much smoother and more immersive. Instead, I was regularly pulled out of the narrative while trying to figure out whose head I was in.

There are moments of excitement and some solid ideas here, but overall, the structure and pacing made it difficult for me to stay invested. A promising concept, but for me, it didn’t quite come together.
Profile Image for A.J..
Author 2 books3 followers
September 16, 2025
Having enjoyed "The Charlee Flynn Adventures" and "Blood King," I was eager to explore more from this author and picked up the newly released "Definitive Edition." Unfortunately, this one was a miss for me.

While I'm familiar with the author's campy, action-oriented style, this one dialed it up to a level that didn't work for me. It felt less like a adventure and more like an over-the-top B-movie, which made the story difficult to invest in.

On a positive note, the narrator did an good job with character voices and performance, providing a better listening experience despite the material.
Profile Image for Matt Egan.
680 reviews11 followers
February 11, 2025
Creature laden subterranean fun; Jurassic Park underground

Dark Island is the story of a party that strikes out into the Madagascar wilderness in search of a rumored avian/dinosaur hybrid and end up finding creatures far, far more massive and dangerous than they ever imagined. The protagonists all have their own flaws and quirks, making them very believable. Descriptions of both the underground world and its denizens are vivid and well written. This book is good for any audience old enough not to have nightmares from it, probably 12+. 4/5 stars, its a fun, fast paced ride!
85 reviews
October 24, 2025
I do not understand why this book has such great reviews. I got about 50% through and just had to put it down. It was a chore to read I had hoped it would pick up steam once we got underground but now just got worse. Nothing about the characters was believable. I had no experience with this writer before and have to say his female character was awful. I'm not surprised with the comparison to Michael Bay. The female character read like it was written through the eyes of a man who doesn't think very highly of women.
huge waste of my time. If I could give this book a zero I would.
Profile Image for James Slater.
72 reviews
November 28, 2024
Working for National Geographic Mackenzie (Mack) is sent to Madagascar to investigate her late father's last "mission" a series of earthquakes have let to some alarming discoveries and she along with Ian Hunt and several others discover something no one has ever imagined nor would they want to. It falls on them to keep the secret of Madagascar from the world. What is the secret... Take a chance and go for a thrill ride into the secret of Madagascar!
Profile Image for Dale Robertson.
Author 6 books37 followers
January 3, 2025
I really enjoyed this action adventure tale. It's fairly fast paced with good characters. Decent size chapters that aren't too long, you could get a few done at a time, if pushed for time. Reminded me a bit of a Tomb Raider and Jurassic Park mash up. I don't want to go into too many details as it could give away the storyline, you're best going in blind.
Profile Image for Margaret.
792 reviews5 followers
January 29, 2025
Lower Than The Abyss!

What an incredible story! Yet believable in its way. This is the first Matt James book I’ve read. So amazingly great. It has everything. World building, amazing animals - the villains (even protectors, and extremely diverse and fascinating humans! And the excitement! Fabulous! And, this is book 1 of a trilogy!
Profile Image for Calvin.
264 reviews6 followers
January 29, 2025
Hollow Earth Adventure

I thought this was going to be a run of the mill monster book, but it turned out to be a hollow earth one, and I'm not complaining. Overall it was really good. Some iffy dialogue and editing mistakes but no major complaints. Definitely excited to read the next one
104 reviews2 followers
February 24, 2025
You will be intrigued.!

I was raised on stories like Journey to the center of the earth I have always believed in them. because Some of us believe that just because i wasn't there doesn't mean it isn't true. There is A whole unexplored universe out there. Give this story A chance. I think the sequel will be astounding!!!
46 reviews
April 4, 2025
Jurassic park Madagascar

It was really a truly a trip like when you saw Jurassic park to see all these dinosaurs and Trex and and all these funky mushroom , giant trees,all matter strange things. All these animals are coming at you right and left , hairy situation. Great adventure, would highly recommend
365 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2026
Great book

I really liked this book. It was fast paced and lots of action with a great cast of characters. Every time I thought someone was going to die I would quit reading for a while until I got my courage up so I continue and then nobody would die. It really is a good story. I recommend reading this to all that love fiction.
29 reviews
February 3, 2025
Kept me reading late into the night!

If you like lots of edge of your seat action, this book is for you! You never know what new terror is going to jump into the scene as each chapter unfolds.
35 reviews
February 12, 2025
Attention holding

Overall a good story that begins at a good pace and keeps going. There were far too many editing errors in the age of spell and grammar check … the reason I took off one star. Looking forward to the next in the series.
112 reviews1 follower
February 22, 2025
Monsters!

What are you doing? Some parts of the book are space fillers which kind of throws the story off a little bit. But a good solid Reed. Lots of adventure. Very much enjoyed the entire story
40 reviews1 follower
March 19, 2025
At first, really liked this book. A very different story line. But then things became really dragged out. Author didn't seem to know how to end the book. Read this one for a change, but skip the next in the series.
73 reviews2 followers
March 27, 2025
Definitely enjoyed this book

Upon finishing this book I found myself questioning things that didn’t make sense. Attempting to avoid spoilers I won’t bring them up here. Hopefully the sequel will answer my queries. Putting that aside this was a fun story.
17 reviews
April 13, 2025
Excellent

This is a page turner! This author has a way of
involving you in the book. Well written and absolutely addictive. It is one of those books you read a 2nd time. It really is that good.
105 reviews3 followers
April 29, 2025
Good Swashbuckling Adventure Tale

One of the reviews I read about this story said it was like a blend of Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. Exactly ly right! Add a blush of romance and you’ve got it. Not great literature, but good fun reading indeed.
98 reviews1 follower
May 21, 2025
Inner Earth Beware

As always his books are amazing. The storyline and characters won't let go of you until the last page. Amazing imagination keeps you turning the pages. I loved the character interaction.
10 reviews
May 28, 2025
Wow! I couldn't put it down!!

Excellent writing, and, what a story. I can't wait to read the next book.
If action and terrifying creatures aren't enough, y you may want to check your pulse! This thriller will keep your pulse pounding!
Profile Image for Susan Slater.
12 reviews1 follower
February 13, 2026
Excellent Book 5/5

Really great plot. Loved the characters. Kept me on the edge of my seat. A must read if you like mystery animals and dinosaurs in a subterranean environment. I give this book a 5/5. Bonus points for flawless editing!
19 reviews
January 3, 2025
Could not put this book down

I just could not put this book down, what an amazing story. Totally loved it.
Can’t wait to start the second book.
Profile Image for Cody .
499 reviews5 followers
January 25, 2025
Journey to the Center of the Earth redux

I'm not sure how this trash received so many great reviews?!
Definitely won't be reading the next in this series. Not recommended.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews

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