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The Teeth Of The Sea
They glide through dark waters, sleek and silent as death itself. Ancient predators with only two desires – to feed and reproduce. They’ve traveled to the resort island of Las Dagas to do both, and the guests make tempting meals. The humans are on land, though, out of reach. But the resort’s main feature is an intricate canal system . . .
. . . and it’s starting to rain.
. . . and it’s starting to rain.
182 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2017
About the author
Tim Waggoner
279 books780 followersTim Waggoner's first novel came out in 2001, and since then, he's published over sixty novels and eight collections of short stories. He writes original dark fantasy and horror, as well as media tie-ins. He's written tie-in fiction based on Supernatural, The X-Files, Alien, Doctor Who, Conan the Barbarian, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Grimm, and Transformers, among others, and he's written novelizations for films such as Ti West’s X-Trilogy, Halloween Kills, Terrifier 2 and 3, and Resident Evil: The Final Chapter. He’s also the author of the award-winning guide to horror Writing in the Dark. He’s a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award, a one-time winner of the Scribe Award, and he’s been a two-time finalist for the Shirley Jackson Award and a one-time finalist for the Splatterpunk Award. He’s also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 8, 2023
This was my first Tim Waggoner book. I did my very best to stay with the story, but it was difficult to do so for several reasons. There were a great deal of characters, including the individual creatures, the placeholder victims, and our leads. When I hit 29% in, and there were still more people being brought in, I began to lose interest. And as I got deeper into the story, also as things jumped all over the place, I started losing track of everything. The plot was very simplistic, but there was just way too much ‘noise’ that clouded what otherwise was a very good creature feature. The plesiosaurs were fine in their roles, the action and gore were good, and the ending was a pleasant surprise. Usually these stories end up with a massive explosion and the monsters are left in pieces, floating down to the depths of the deep, blue sea. I even enjoyed the quality of the writing, despite a handful of odd typos in the earlier portion of the book. I’m not sure if I would read another story by the author in the immediate future, but may revisit, especially if anyone can convince me that this wasn’t the best example of his abilities.
October 19, 2017
Review copy
Teeth of the Sea begins from the point of view of some very large sea creatures and returns to that viewpoint periodically throughout, to great effect.
Most of the action takes place in and around the relatively new luxury resort, Elysium, far from anywhere, in the middle of the ocean.
Ancient sea creatures return to the place where they've come every ten years or so to lay their eggs and they are terribly hungry.
The best quotes are expletive-laden but are oh so good.
"Some deeply buried primal instinct rose within him and shrieked a warning. He stopped climbing and looked over his shoulder, and what he saw was too much for his conscious mind to process all at once. Something was coming at him – something huge – gliding through the water with silent, graceful speed. He thought it was a whale at first, but when he saw its mouthful of sharp teeth, he amended his identification to shark. A big-ass shark. Jaws on {EXPLETIVE DELETED} steroids. Except that didn’t seem right, either. The thing’s head was long, narrow, and tapered at the snout, more like a crocodile than a marine animal. Then the creature lunged forward, fastened those teeth around Spencer's legs, and pulled him beneath the water."
Teeth of the Sea is filled with both likable characters (Joel Tucker and the crew of The Hidden World and researcher Andrew Rivera and his daughter Lara) and those you can't wait to see become the next meal for these pre-historic monsters (The king of gross-out comedies, Shayne Ferreira, and any number of clueless Millennials).
One of the things I liked about Waggoner's latest tale of terror is that no one is safe...in the
water...or on land.
I know it's cheezy, but this is the kind of story where cheezy seems fitting. Teeth of the Sea has real bite.
Recommended.
Teeth of the Sea is available in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and he’s published over thirty novels and three collections of short stories since. He’s written tie-in fiction for Supernatural, Grimm, the X-Files, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Transformers, among others. In 2016, the Horror Writers Association honored him with the Mentor of the Year Award, and in 2017 his novella The Winter Box won the Bram Stoker Award for Long Fiction. In addition to writing, Tim is also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College.
Teeth of the Sea begins from the point of view of some very large sea creatures and returns to that viewpoint periodically throughout, to great effect.
Most of the action takes place in and around the relatively new luxury resort, Elysium, far from anywhere, in the middle of the ocean.
Ancient sea creatures return to the place where they've come every ten years or so to lay their eggs and they are terribly hungry.
The best quotes are expletive-laden but are oh so good.
"Some deeply buried primal instinct rose within him and shrieked a warning. He stopped climbing and looked over his shoulder, and what he saw was too much for his conscious mind to process all at once. Something was coming at him – something huge – gliding through the water with silent, graceful speed. He thought it was a whale at first, but when he saw its mouthful of sharp teeth, he amended his identification to shark. A big-ass shark. Jaws on {EXPLETIVE DELETED} steroids. Except that didn’t seem right, either. The thing’s head was long, narrow, and tapered at the snout, more like a crocodile than a marine animal. Then the creature lunged forward, fastened those teeth around Spencer's legs, and pulled him beneath the water."
Teeth of the Sea is filled with both likable characters (Joel Tucker and the crew of The Hidden World and researcher Andrew Rivera and his daughter Lara) and those you can't wait to see become the next meal for these pre-historic monsters (The king of gross-out comedies, Shayne Ferreira, and any number of clueless Millennials).
One of the things I liked about Waggoner's latest tale of terror is that no one is safe...in the
water...or on land.
I know it's cheezy, but this is the kind of story where cheezy seems fitting. Teeth of the Sea has real bite.
Recommended.
Teeth of the Sea is available in both paperback and for the Kindle. If you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited you can read it at no additional charge. Also, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can read it for FREE using the Kindle Owners Lending Library.
From the author's bio - Tim Waggoner’s first novel came out in 2001, and he’s published over thirty novels and three collections of short stories since. He’s written tie-in fiction for Supernatural, Grimm, the X-Files, Doctor Who, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Transformers, among others. In 2016, the Horror Writers Association honored him with the Mentor of the Year Award, and in 2017 his novella The Winter Box won the Bram Stoker Award for Long Fiction. In addition to writing, Tim is also a full-time tenured professor who teaches creative writing and composition at Sinclair College.
November 10, 2018
2 AND 1/2 STARS
For years, a new Tim Waggoner novel was a time to celebrate. His early books, Like Death, Pandora Drive, Darkness Wakes, and the more recent, The Way of All Flesh, were incredibly original works of horror that held up to any modern "master" of the genre. However, with Teeth of the Sea, I did not find Tim's voice anywhere in the book. Characters were bland and the scenes moved predictably along until the final page. The writing, itself, was not bad. I just expected a lot more from this massive talent who I suspect felt limited in writing a more standard monster book for Severed Press.
And speaking of Severed Press, shame on them for not catching the over two dozen typos throughout the book. This is not acceptable in self-publishing, and certainly not with a real publisher like them. They have been consistently putting out books for years, so there is no excuse. The good news is that I just received a new Tim Waggoner book in the mail, The Mouth of the Dark, where, by the description, it seems that Tim has returned to his roots with completely original and mind-blowing horror. I look forward to reading it soon.
For years, a new Tim Waggoner novel was a time to celebrate. His early books, Like Death, Pandora Drive, Darkness Wakes, and the more recent, The Way of All Flesh, were incredibly original works of horror that held up to any modern "master" of the genre. However, with Teeth of the Sea, I did not find Tim's voice anywhere in the book. Characters were bland and the scenes moved predictably along until the final page. The writing, itself, was not bad. I just expected a lot more from this massive talent who I suspect felt limited in writing a more standard monster book for Severed Press.
And speaking of Severed Press, shame on them for not catching the over two dozen typos throughout the book. This is not acceptable in self-publishing, and certainly not with a real publisher like them. They have been consistently putting out books for years, so there is no excuse. The good news is that I just received a new Tim Waggoner book in the mail, The Mouth of the Dark, where, by the description, it seems that Tim has returned to his roots with completely original and mind-blowing horror. I look forward to reading it soon.
February 16, 2023
This was absolutely, utterly fun. It's a heavily detailed, bloody frolic with ancient sea creatures, hapless tourists, and geysers of blood. I hope they make it into a creature feature so I can watch and enjoy every over-the-top second. This was just what I needed.
August 25, 2025
This was a fun enough short novel that lost its way for me the further I read. The decision to switch from limited first-person perspective when writing the human characters to an almost omniscient view when writing the creatures' chapters was the most jarring element, but there were some truly baffling character choices which came out of nowhere and did not feel earned. To say what they were would be spoilers, so I won't lay them out here, but at a broad level, most concern the idiotic moments characters did something monumentally stupid that led to their demise. There were also far too many typos for a professionally published novel, so I have to ding it for that.
Sadly, I can't recommend this one.
But what the hell do I know? I'm just an unpublished schmuck on the internet! If you like ocean-based monster novels, give it a whirl ...
2 Ocean-Side Snacks for Teeth of the Sea.
Sadly, I can't recommend this one.
But what the hell do I know? I'm just an unpublished schmuck on the internet! If you like ocean-based monster novels, give it a whirl ...
2 Ocean-Side Snacks for Teeth of the Sea.
January 8, 2018
Tim Waggoner has written some very serious and subtlety nuanced dark literary works, quietly challenging think-pieces that one must study carefully and slowly in order to appreciate the work in full. This ain't one of them; this is a pedal-to-the-metal and jaws-to-the-wall story about giant monsters munching down on folks. It's like the novelization of a SyFy Saturday night film that never got made because it was too good. Grab some popcorn and ask for extra butter.
July 4, 2018
A perfect resort is built on an isolated island, linked by a series of canals that stretch through it and home to a luxury resort for rich people looking to get away from it all. Echo, the famous pop star is shooting footage there for her social media accounts with boyfriend and wannabe action star Shayne. Rich kids are enjoying a vacation and messing around beside the water. None of them know that a family of anceient beasts long thought to be extinct are staking a claim in the area, the island where the adults themselves were born and where their offspring manage to get into the canal system ready to feast on the unwary while their parents stalk the many pleasure boats just off shore...
When the monsters start to attack people, the resort manager hopes to keep it quiet and deal with the problem but video of the attacks is about to leak online. Now Lara and her scientist father arrive at the island, searching for the beasts similar to the one that killed her mother years ago. Joel's team of cryptid hunters are also there looking for their biggest break after chasing countless dead end stories and legends. But this is no shark, confined only to the water. They are beasts that can come out of the canal like deadly crocodiles in search of food and with the storm coming in, the water levels are rising and threatening to flood the streets of the resort.
This is one of the best horror creature features that I've read this year. The action is non stop throughout the book, starting with the attacks on the guests-the death of faceless people doing dumb stuff is always a lot of fun for me! It's an 'ooh there's a deadly beast killing guests that go into the canal so let's lie on the bank and stick our heads in the water for a giggle like the idiots we are!' sort of thing. There is the hunt on boats in the canal system where the teams have no clue exactly what kind of danger they are in, the boats off the island being attacked by things from their worst nightmare and it all comes to a very dramatic showdown at the end as the resort begins to flood. It keeps the reader interested the whole time, and the body count was high enough which is why I enjoyed it so much!
My favourite character in the book was Tomas, the kickass get it done kind of guy who is head of security for the resort and in charge of hunting down the beasts. I also liked the Cryptid chasing team that work for The Hidden World tv show, who are tired of dead end stories and happy to be actually trying to find real monsters for a change. Joel, Ricky, Pam and Owen have no idea just how deadly the hunt is going to turn. Then there is the obsessed scientist and his daughter, looking for confirmation of the creatures and a bit of revenge, while nursing a grudge against the Cryptid team leader. We also get the viewpoints from the monsters themselves which divides opinions in the reviews but it gives an insight into the behaviour of this family group and how feeding on each other will come before any kind of family bond if the food gets scarce. I found it quite interesting.
I also enjoyed the setting. I'm always a fan of the isolated island with deadly monsters kind of thing and this was one of the better ones. At first you're safe if you stay away from the water as security tells you to do but as the inevitable storm moves in, the rain starts to unleash on the resort and flooded streets prove to be the perfect environment for the creatures to start hunting those that were hunting them. I always like the storm causing things to go really wrong element in these books too. I think this plot might put you off this kind of holiday resort though! Don't get too attached to the characters as you never know what is coming next for each of them.
I had read and abandoned Necropolis by the author and hadn't enjoyed it at all but I can never resist a good sea monster horror offering which is why I tried it. I'm glad that I did and would certainly look at similar books by Waggoner in the future if he has other straightforward non weird creature features to enjoy. He just got on with the story with little fuss and just enough description to tell the reader what they needed to know. The attack scenes were tense and exciting, and there was enough gory death to make most people happy. This is very much the kind of film I'd like to see on the SF channel with mindless death filled entertainment and most fans of this kind of thing with dinosaur sea monsters should enjoy the book.
When the monsters start to attack people, the resort manager hopes to keep it quiet and deal with the problem but video of the attacks is about to leak online. Now Lara and her scientist father arrive at the island, searching for the beasts similar to the one that killed her mother years ago. Joel's team of cryptid hunters are also there looking for their biggest break after chasing countless dead end stories and legends. But this is no shark, confined only to the water. They are beasts that can come out of the canal like deadly crocodiles in search of food and with the storm coming in, the water levels are rising and threatening to flood the streets of the resort.
This is one of the best horror creature features that I've read this year. The action is non stop throughout the book, starting with the attacks on the guests-the death of faceless people doing dumb stuff is always a lot of fun for me! It's an 'ooh there's a deadly beast killing guests that go into the canal so let's lie on the bank and stick our heads in the water for a giggle like the idiots we are!' sort of thing. There is the hunt on boats in the canal system where the teams have no clue exactly what kind of danger they are in, the boats off the island being attacked by things from their worst nightmare and it all comes to a very dramatic showdown at the end as the resort begins to flood. It keeps the reader interested the whole time, and the body count was high enough which is why I enjoyed it so much!
My favourite character in the book was Tomas, the kickass get it done kind of guy who is head of security for the resort and in charge of hunting down the beasts. I also liked the Cryptid chasing team that work for The Hidden World tv show, who are tired of dead end stories and happy to be actually trying to find real monsters for a change. Joel, Ricky, Pam and Owen have no idea just how deadly the hunt is going to turn. Then there is the obsessed scientist and his daughter, looking for confirmation of the creatures and a bit of revenge, while nursing a grudge against the Cryptid team leader. We also get the viewpoints from the monsters themselves which divides opinions in the reviews but it gives an insight into the behaviour of this family group and how feeding on each other will come before any kind of family bond if the food gets scarce. I found it quite interesting.
I also enjoyed the setting. I'm always a fan of the isolated island with deadly monsters kind of thing and this was one of the better ones. At first you're safe if you stay away from the water as security tells you to do but as the inevitable storm moves in, the rain starts to unleash on the resort and flooded streets prove to be the perfect environment for the creatures to start hunting those that were hunting them. I always like the storm causing things to go really wrong element in these books too. I think this plot might put you off this kind of holiday resort though! Don't get too attached to the characters as you never know what is coming next for each of them.
I had read and abandoned Necropolis by the author and hadn't enjoyed it at all but I can never resist a good sea monster horror offering which is why I tried it. I'm glad that I did and would certainly look at similar books by Waggoner in the future if he has other straightforward non weird creature features to enjoy. He just got on with the story with little fuss and just enough description to tell the reader what they needed to know. The attack scenes were tense and exciting, and there was enough gory death to make most people happy. This is very much the kind of film I'd like to see on the SF channel with mindless death filled entertainment and most fans of this kind of thing with dinosaur sea monsters should enjoy the book.
November 10, 2017
Note: I was given a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review.
Tim Waggoner's Teeth of the Sea is exactly what you want from a sea monster novel. It starts off with a prologue from the creatures' point of view, proceeds to a scenic introduction to the little island resort of Elysium, then immediately goes full throttle with violence, teeth, and blood everywhere. This is far from a book that uses gore for the sake thereof, though. Every death serves a purpose, whether distracting one of the Pliosaurs from eating the protagonists, to dragging the readers deeper into the story's emotional waters.
There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but they're all distinct enough that they don't overlap (and several die within pages of their introduction). No reader is going to like every character, but there's going to be someone in the main crew that you wind up rooting for. Besides, if everyone was the same likeable blob, it wouldn't be as effective a narrative.
As far as action-oriented horror goes, the pacing is pretty solid. Some deride the scenes set from the monsters' perspectives, but these do wonders for building the tension, especially when the human characters aren't aware they're in danger. One or two moments felt forced, yet remained effective in the end.
The monsters themselves are well-described, and fit perfectly for some subtler elements of the story. Let's just say the bulletproof shell but a soft underbelly could metaphorically describe a few human characters, too. Likewise, two of the monsters, dubbed One-Eye and Brokejaw for their damaged anatomy, have interesting narrative counterparts. I personally had a few misgivings about the creatures' anatomy, but recognize I'm a stickler for the science side of monsters, and don't hold these against the writer.
While the ending has a slight feeling of "Haven't we seen corporations make this mistake before?", the book is overall an excellent read. Well-written, engaging, and funny without breaking the serious tone, it's sure to make people think twice about their next island vacation. With Teeth of the Sea, Waggoner delivers a great reminder as to why he's one of the more prolific horror writers out there today, and this particular book deserves a spot on the shelf of anybody who loves monster stories, but doesn't plan to go out in the ocean anytime soon.
Tim Waggoner's Teeth of the Sea is exactly what you want from a sea monster novel. It starts off with a prologue from the creatures' point of view, proceeds to a scenic introduction to the little island resort of Elysium, then immediately goes full throttle with violence, teeth, and blood everywhere. This is far from a book that uses gore for the sake thereof, though. Every death serves a purpose, whether distracting one of the Pliosaurs from eating the protagonists, to dragging the readers deeper into the story's emotional waters.
There are quite a few characters to keep track of, but they're all distinct enough that they don't overlap (and several die within pages of their introduction). No reader is going to like every character, but there's going to be someone in the main crew that you wind up rooting for. Besides, if everyone was the same likeable blob, it wouldn't be as effective a narrative.
As far as action-oriented horror goes, the pacing is pretty solid. Some deride the scenes set from the monsters' perspectives, but these do wonders for building the tension, especially when the human characters aren't aware they're in danger. One or two moments felt forced, yet remained effective in the end.
The monsters themselves are well-described, and fit perfectly for some subtler elements of the story. Let's just say the bulletproof shell but a soft underbelly could metaphorically describe a few human characters, too. Likewise, two of the monsters, dubbed One-Eye and Brokejaw for their damaged anatomy, have interesting narrative counterparts. I personally had a few misgivings about the creatures' anatomy, but recognize I'm a stickler for the science side of monsters, and don't hold these against the writer.
While the ending has a slight feeling of "Haven't we seen corporations make this mistake before?", the book is overall an excellent read. Well-written, engaging, and funny without breaking the serious tone, it's sure to make people think twice about their next island vacation. With Teeth of the Sea, Waggoner delivers a great reminder as to why he's one of the more prolific horror writers out there today, and this particular book deserves a spot on the shelf of anybody who loves monster stories, but doesn't plan to go out in the ocean anytime soon.
February 17, 2018
Let me start by stating that this book is NOT for everybody. It is formulaic, full of tropes and would make an excellent SyFy channel "Saturday Night Special" along the lines of "Ice Spiders" and similar films.
That being said, I am the reader for this novel. As a kid, I'd gather my meager allowance, bike to the local drugstore and spend my hard-earned cash on the most gruesome, outlandish discount paperbacks I could find. Just read the excellent "Paperbacks from Hell" to either refresh your memory or, perhaps, learn about a time you were too unfortunate to enjoy.
I loved those books and they were responsible for creating a passion for the macabre which has lasted to this day.
"The Teeth of the Sea" transported me back to that time.
Waggoner does a number of things in his novel which serve to reinforce the finer points of the genre. Big monsters with a clear motive and reason for the action. Isolation. ALWAYS inclement weather. Characters who are depicted in easily recognized archetypes. Near misses and constant peril. A never-ending series of "raising the stakes" for the hapless victims, er...main characters. Early proof that NO character is safe. Ever. Even when you think they are. The action is over the top, the pace blistering. There is a complex algorithm one can use when writing such a work similar to Lester Dent's advice for writing pulp fiction. And Waggoner nails EVERY landing.
While nobody would ever confuse this work with literary fiction, I loved every page. Like hanging out with your good friend whom you've not seen in a while.
Just enjoyable schlock of the highest pedigree.
That being said, I am the reader for this novel. As a kid, I'd gather my meager allowance, bike to the local drugstore and spend my hard-earned cash on the most gruesome, outlandish discount paperbacks I could find. Just read the excellent "Paperbacks from Hell" to either refresh your memory or, perhaps, learn about a time you were too unfortunate to enjoy.
I loved those books and they were responsible for creating a passion for the macabre which has lasted to this day.
"The Teeth of the Sea" transported me back to that time.
Waggoner does a number of things in his novel which serve to reinforce the finer points of the genre. Big monsters with a clear motive and reason for the action. Isolation. ALWAYS inclement weather. Characters who are depicted in easily recognized archetypes. Near misses and constant peril. A never-ending series of "raising the stakes" for the hapless victims, er...main characters. Early proof that NO character is safe. Ever. Even when you think they are. The action is over the top, the pace blistering. There is a complex algorithm one can use when writing such a work similar to Lester Dent's advice for writing pulp fiction. And Waggoner nails EVERY landing.
While nobody would ever confuse this work with literary fiction, I loved every page. Like hanging out with your good friend whom you've not seen in a while.
Just enjoyable schlock of the highest pedigree.
February 21, 2023
Anyone looking for an exceptional creature feature should look no further than Tim Waggoner’s Teeth of the Sea. It’s as fast paced and thrilling as you could hope for, but it’s also incredibly well written with many fully fleshed out characters, including the killer sea creatures themselves. Really the characters were one of my favorite parts of the book (outside of the bloody monster action of course). They don’t conform to general stereotypes. For instance, the head of the resort isn’t some money loving scoundrel out to protect the corporation she works for at all costs. She’s actually one of the more relatable characters in the book, legitimately concerned for people’s lives. The main scientist isn’t out to preserve the creatures at the expense of human life either. Quite the opposite, in fact. And the shallow movie star ended up being the most interesting character of all (at least to me), even if he wasn’t exactly the most likable.
Teeth of the Sea is an action packed thrill ride that would make a great movie, one bolstered by great writing and believable characters. I highly recommend this to horror fans looking for a fun monsters run amok good time. Perfect for the beach (even if it might make you afraid to go in the water).
Teeth of the Sea is an action packed thrill ride that would make a great movie, one bolstered by great writing and believable characters. I highly recommend this to horror fans looking for a fun monsters run amok good time. Perfect for the beach (even if it might make you afraid to go in the water).
October 15, 2018
A fun, B-Movie type of water horror. The creatures are creative enough for a new type of monster, although how they have gone this long without notice, even with hibernation periods, doesn't make full sense. There are plenty of disposable characters to munch on, almost too many, but the main interesting scenes were through the point of views of the monsters themselves. While acting on basic instinct and mainly just carrying about food, it was the winning parts of the book and I couldn't help but become invested. Blood flies and gore is spilled in a decent amount, and what else would be expected from this type of book. There's plot holes of course - wouldn't the actual government be involved and coming down on this quickly? - but plot holes like that are to be forgiven for this type of fan fare.
June 19, 2024
A Bibliophilia Templum review
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/06/19/teeth-of-the-sea/
Teeth of the Sea by Tim Waggoner is a fantastic, fun, and riveting read. I really enjoyed everything about this story. I dare say that even though there is definitive homage to the classic shark movies, this story is better by far.
The story has a very interesting and engaging cast of characters who are well defined through their thoughts, memories, conversations, and actions. I really dug the characterization through brevity; it is skillfully done and fits the flow of the story. And the brilliant cast of characters includes the sea beasties themselves (no spoilers), who get their own perspective sections intermittently. It’s a fun touch, if a bit gruesome in places.
Speaking of gruesome, yes, it’s brutal and gruesome and gory in places, and in the best possible way. Of course it is, though, because it’s a creature story! It’s also full of action, suspense, light humor, dark humor, and very visual sequences. There are even horror-movie-like moments where you’re telling the characters, “Don’t!” because you know what’s coming because that’s what happens in horror and now you’re just waiting for it and the tension is insane and . . .
Ahem. Anyway, to sum up . . .
Teeth of the Sea has an excellent and fresh storyline and is a must-read for everyone who enjoys a good creature story. Shelf-worthy and highly recommended.
https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2024/06/19/teeth-of-the-sea/
Teeth of the Sea by Tim Waggoner is a fantastic, fun, and riveting read. I really enjoyed everything about this story. I dare say that even though there is definitive homage to the classic shark movies, this story is better by far.
The story has a very interesting and engaging cast of characters who are well defined through their thoughts, memories, conversations, and actions. I really dug the characterization through brevity; it is skillfully done and fits the flow of the story. And the brilliant cast of characters includes the sea beasties themselves (no spoilers), who get their own perspective sections intermittently. It’s a fun touch, if a bit gruesome in places.
Speaking of gruesome, yes, it’s brutal and gruesome and gory in places, and in the best possible way. Of course it is, though, because it’s a creature story! It’s also full of action, suspense, light humor, dark humor, and very visual sequences. There are even horror-movie-like moments where you’re telling the characters, “Don’t!” because you know what’s coming because that’s what happens in horror and now you’re just waiting for it and the tension is insane and . . .
Ahem. Anyway, to sum up . . .
Teeth of the Sea has an excellent and fresh storyline and is a must-read for everyone who enjoys a good creature story. Shelf-worthy and highly recommended.
December 7, 2024
Ending was good (review contains mild spoilers)
The only problem I had with this book was that people were dying so fast, that it was hard to invest in a lot of the characters initially. It got better as the book went along, but there was a lot of apathy at the death scenes because they were just a name, age, and basic character synopsis, and so the payoff of their deaths was a little empty to the point of asking "why are these people so stupid and reckless to just be sacrificing themselves? It seems unrealistic" cause a lot of people would be cowering in fear.
But, the story got better as I went along, and I became more invested in the story and the remaining characters, and was a little shocked at who lived and who died.
I think the whole thing reads like a cheesy B rate creature feature, which, given that angle, it's really good for a book. And not having the expectation that it's high brow literature but pulp, it's really good pulp. And for that, I enjoyed it.
I finished it in less than a day, so that means something to me as far as readability, which is why I scored it higher.
Definitely worth a dip into, if you're in the mood.
The only problem I had with this book was that people were dying so fast, that it was hard to invest in a lot of the characters initially. It got better as the book went along, but there was a lot of apathy at the death scenes because they were just a name, age, and basic character synopsis, and so the payoff of their deaths was a little empty to the point of asking "why are these people so stupid and reckless to just be sacrificing themselves? It seems unrealistic" cause a lot of people would be cowering in fear.
But, the story got better as I went along, and I became more invested in the story and the remaining characters, and was a little shocked at who lived and who died.
I think the whole thing reads like a cheesy B rate creature feature, which, given that angle, it's really good for a book. And not having the expectation that it's high brow literature but pulp, it's really good pulp. And for that, I enjoyed it.
I finished it in less than a day, so that means something to me as far as readability, which is why I scored it higher.
Definitely worth a dip into, if you're in the mood.
January 22, 2025
Did you see that cover? Holy cow! I spotted it and had to check it out. Then I saw who the author was and made my purchase. I’ve read other books by Tim and had faith this would be another good one.
The scenario. A resort built on an island. Remote. Fancy. So much to do. And surrounded by water…. jump right in. Or not. There’s something ancient in the water. It’s hungry. But wait. You aren’t safe on land either. And there’s a storm coming with the potential to flood the streets. Uh Oh.
I jumped in. The book, not the water. I’m no fool. I have to say I appreciate it when the author gives me human chum to shake my head at. Someone has to feed the creatures and I thought some of their foolish choices were believable. People do the strangest things and don’t think anything bad will happen to them.
There were some cool characters too. Some with smarts and a drive to destroy the creatures. That’s where the suspense came in. Would they survive? I sure hoped so but, the author isn’t afraid to feed his characters to the beast.
It was a blast. No dull moments. Fortuitous mayhem. And some really cool creatures.
The scenario. A resort built on an island. Remote. Fancy. So much to do. And surrounded by water…. jump right in. Or not. There’s something ancient in the water. It’s hungry. But wait. You aren’t safe on land either. And there’s a storm coming with the potential to flood the streets. Uh Oh.
I jumped in. The book, not the water. I’m no fool. I have to say I appreciate it when the author gives me human chum to shake my head at. Someone has to feed the creatures and I thought some of their foolish choices were believable. People do the strangest things and don’t think anything bad will happen to them.
There were some cool characters too. Some with smarts and a drive to destroy the creatures. That’s where the suspense came in. Would they survive? I sure hoped so but, the author isn’t afraid to feed his characters to the beast.
It was a blast. No dull moments. Fortuitous mayhem. And some really cool creatures.
October 14, 2017
This would make such a killer movie. This book is full of people trapped on an island, and being hunted by prehistoric creatures who have come from the depths to what used to be their egg-laying ground. Think sea turtles, who swim great lengths to the same hatching grounds from where they first emerged in life themselves.
A variety of voices are heard in this book, but not all who speak will endure.
Lots of visceral scenes to be found, this is definitely horror. Tim Waggoner is one to read.
Pros: Plenty of points of view, action, gory scenes of animal vs human, some very exciting progress!
Cons: A couple of scenes felt a little flat, but not enough to rub off the shine on this new story. Stray errors snagged attention needlessly, but nothing more than I tend to find in other books.
Recommend for those who enjoyed Sharknado, Jaws, and other animal vengeance stories.
A variety of voices are heard in this book, but not all who speak will endure.
Lots of visceral scenes to be found, this is definitely horror. Tim Waggoner is one to read.
Pros: Plenty of points of view, action, gory scenes of animal vs human, some very exciting progress!
Cons: A couple of scenes felt a little flat, but not enough to rub off the shine on this new story. Stray errors snagged attention needlessly, but nothing more than I tend to find in other books.
Recommend for those who enjoyed Sharknado, Jaws, and other animal vengeance stories.
April 13, 2024
This book is about dinosaurs eating people. No more, no less. It is well written, linear, and deeply satisfying. If you want to read a book about dinosaurs eating people, you'd do well to read this one.I have read other books about dinosaurs eating people (like Devour, and Leviathan). I will read more. It's a thing.
January 28, 2025
This is how you do it, folks.
This Tim Waggoner fellow just never fails to entertain and impress. For those of you out there who are like me, and have a pet peeve about typos, factual mistakes, and other errors in Kindle novels, let me assure you; though not error-free, his works are much, much cleaner than the novels of the other authors in my library. Coming to a screeching halt every time I run face-first into a napping proofreader gets old real quick. His free and seamless way with the written word is just plain relaxing - that is until the monster shows up, of course.
This Tim Waggoner fellow just never fails to entertain and impress. For those of you out there who are like me, and have a pet peeve about typos, factual mistakes, and other errors in Kindle novels, let me assure you; though not error-free, his works are much, much cleaner than the novels of the other authors in my library. Coming to a screeching halt every time I run face-first into a napping proofreader gets old real quick. His free and seamless way with the written word is just plain relaxing - that is until the monster shows up, of course.
February 19, 2018
4 1/2 actually. Received this from the author for an honest review.
If you enjoyed watching those sea monsters sci-fi movies of the 50s and the dinosaur ones of the 60s, you’ll enjoy this story. It’s a quick read, too. Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water again, Waggoner has the reader rethinking that.
Read the rest of the review at http://www.ismellsheep.com/2018/02/bo...
If you enjoyed watching those sea monsters sci-fi movies of the 50s and the dinosaur ones of the 60s, you’ll enjoy this story. It’s a quick read, too. Just when you thought it was safe to go in the water again, Waggoner has the reader rethinking that.
Read the rest of the review at http://www.ismellsheep.com/2018/02/bo...
July 23, 2024
Best sea creature book I've read!
Teeth of the Sea is, by a significant margin, the best 'sea creature' book I've read. The plot, the characters, dialog and every other aspect of the book stands head and shoulders above the rest of the genre, which should make it more attractive to the wider audience. If you read only one book of this type, make it Teeth of the Sea!
Teeth of the Sea is, by a significant margin, the best 'sea creature' book I've read. The plot, the characters, dialog and every other aspect of the book stands head and shoulders above the rest of the genre, which should make it more attractive to the wider audience. If you read only one book of this type, make it Teeth of the Sea!
July 8, 2025
if you take it as just a B-rated horror movie it was fine. But there were way to many plot holes and POV of the monsters were annoying - pick a lane are they following instinct or are they aware. Its super annoying that the author kept adding little pieces that were not needed in this book. Literally took me over a year to finish this 150pg book.
September 7, 2019
Great creature thriller!
I knew this would be a good read when it began with the creature's point of view. Although a short read, it was peppered with well written characters who you cared whether they lived or died. One of the best creature thrillers I've read!
I knew this would be a good read when it began with the creature's point of view. Although a short read, it was peppered with well written characters who you cared whether they lived or died. One of the best creature thrillers I've read!
December 19, 2017
A fast paced and hard to put down once started. A book about monster ocean beasts with lots of blood and violence which doesn’t try to be anything else.
July 13, 2020
So totally enthralling
I really loved this book. It is one of my favorite reads so far this year. My first novel from this author and I am surely going to read more from him.
I really loved this book. It is one of my favorite reads so far this year. My first novel from this author and I am surely going to read more from him.
September 29, 2022
Very fun read!!
August 5, 2026
Decent.
It held my attention and checked every box.
Read this book if you get a chance.
Gore, monster action, reasonably well-executed plot and characters.
It held my attention and checked every box.
Read this book if you get a chance.
Gore, monster action, reasonably well-executed plot and characters.
June 12, 2018
This book is fun. It reads like a SyFy Channel movie, so much so, that it seems like an obvious choice to turn it into a movie for the network.
What happens when a group of people staying at a private island resort meet an ever increasing number of prehistoric creatures who are descending on the island? Carnage. Lots of it.
Don't get too close to any of the characters in the book, because chances are that they won't be around too long.
Again, it's a very fun read. I'd like to see Tim Waggoner visit this genre again.
What happens when a group of people staying at a private island resort meet an ever increasing number of prehistoric creatures who are descending on the island? Carnage. Lots of it.
Don't get too close to any of the characters in the book, because chances are that they won't be around too long.
Again, it's a very fun read. I'd like to see Tim Waggoner visit this genre again.
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