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The Rise of Oceania #3
Fatal Depth: The Rise of Oceania
THE MISSION: Sink an unsinkable warsub.
It seems futile.
It’s a vessel created to start — and end — wars: a dreadnought.
At over four hundred meters long with a crew of six hundred, it’s the largest submarine in the world.
Sixty-eight torpedo tubes. Twenty nuclear ballistic missiles with one hundred and sixty warheads. Mines. Grapples. A revolutionary propulsion system.
And a brand new weapon: The Tsunami Plow.
The warsub has just devastated the United States Submarine Fleet HQ on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Coasts. Thousands are dead and the subsequent environmental disaster has pushed the US economy to the breaking point.
Now Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste City on the shallow continental shelf just off the coast of Florida, has given his team an impossible task: infiltrate the enemy warsub, blend in with a hostile crew, damage the vessel from within, and hope to hell they can escape before it takes them all down.
But they have no choice. They have to sink the warsub, or die trying.
Because its next target is the one that would spell doom to The Rise of Oceania: Trieste City.
It seems futile.
It’s a vessel created to start — and end — wars: a dreadnought.
At over four hundred meters long with a crew of six hundred, it’s the largest submarine in the world.
Sixty-eight torpedo tubes. Twenty nuclear ballistic missiles with one hundred and sixty warheads. Mines. Grapples. A revolutionary propulsion system.
And a brand new weapon: The Tsunami Plow.
The warsub has just devastated the United States Submarine Fleet HQ on both the Atlantic and the Pacific Coasts. Thousands are dead and the subsequent environmental disaster has pushed the US economy to the breaking point.
Now Truman McClusky, Mayor of Trieste City on the shallow continental shelf just off the coast of Florida, has given his team an impossible task: infiltrate the enemy warsub, blend in with a hostile crew, damage the vessel from within, and hope to hell they can escape before it takes them all down.
But they have no choice. They have to sink the warsub, or die trying.
Because its next target is the one that would spell doom to The Rise of Oceania: Trieste City.
416 pages, Paperback
Published May 27, 2021
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Timothy S. Johnston
9 books35 followersTimothy S. Johnston is a lifelong fan of techno-thrillers and science-fiction thrillers in both print and film. His greatest desire is to contribute to the genre which has given him so much over the past four decades. He wishes he could personally thank every novelist, screenwriter, filmmaker, director and actor who has ever inspired him to tell great stories. He has been an educator for nearly twenty years and a writer for twenty-five. Timothy is the author of The Furnace, The Freezer, and The Void. He lives on planet Earth, but he dreams of the stars.
Visit www.timothysjohnston.com to register for news alerts, read reviews and learn more about his current and upcoming techno-thrillers. Follow Timothy on Facebook and Twitter @TSJ_Author.
Visit www.timothysjohnston.com to register for news alerts, read reviews and learn more about his current and upcoming techno-thrillers. Follow Timothy on Facebook and Twitter @TSJ_Author.
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May 20, 2021Truman McClusky is a man on a mission. Since the beginning of Timothy S. Johnston’s ‘The Rise Of Oceania’ series, Mac has twice prevented war and ensured the safety of Trieste, the underwater city he governs. He has incorporated new technology into his submarine fleet: faster drives and deeper dives. Weapons and defences. He has offered and made bargains of incalculable cost as he strives to unite the underwater cities of the world into a new nation, one with allegiance to itself first and the grasping hand of the crumbling overworld second. Mac has sacrificed much for his cause. But like any true hero, he knows the only way out is forward.
In ‘Fatal Depth,’ the third novel in the series, that way forward is blocked by his greatest challenge yet. Mac’s mission: To sink the unsinkable, a massive submarine unlike anything they’ve ever encountered before. Over 400 metres in length, 100 metres high and able to travel at an astounding 467 kph.
For those of you on my side of the pond, that’s over four football fields in length and nearly another high with thirty decks in between. It’s a skyscraper turned on its side and powering through the ocean at seven times the speed of a conventional submarine.
Imagine how many torpedo tubes can fit along one side. Finished with that? Now imagine what would happen if an object this massive were to come to a sudden stop in the ocean. Further imagine such an action was planned and that the submarine has been outfitted with an apparatus to drive water forward. It’s called a tsunami plow and it’s about the most devastating weapon the oceans have seen since supercavitating technology was attached to torpedoes.
Sinking such a massive submarine is nearly impossible. It’s so large, that even if all the submarine fleets of the world were to expend all of their ordinances, thus blowing apart every square meter of the hull, the interior of the submarine would maintain neutral buoyancy. Such a vessel has to be taken down from the inside.
With the city of Trieste once more in danger, it’s a ‘do or die’ mission. Perhaps both because Trieste isn’t just Mac’s home it’s the birthplace of his dream, the city that will hopefully give rise to a united Oceania.
Timothy S. Johnston is also a man on a mission. With every new novel, in this series and ‘The Tanner Sequence’, he seeks out not only a new story to tell and the right way to tell it, but new technology to examine, explain and exploit. For me, one of the delights of picking up one of Johnston’s novels is the tech. He has a knack for creating not only what feels possible but explaining it in a way that makes sense and then further using that technology in a way that rivets the reader. The deeper into one of these novels you get, the faster you will turn the pages.
The excitement factor in ‘Fatal Depth’ is no joke. You could almost compare it to a tsunami plow. The threads in the story culminate in an almighty push that will carry you all the way to the end in a dizzying rush. I read the second half of the book in one sitting.
Johnston strives to develop his characters just as thoroughly, introducing new folds and wrinkles into his existing cast while adding new names and faces. Heroes to cheer for and villains to growl at. Old faces pop up now and again, too. Friend and foe and every character is an emotional body rather than a cardboard cut-out. They have goals, motivations, and conflicts.
I especially appreciate the way Johnston writes women. They’re as tough and strong as his male characters but also read as female. They’re allowed to be scared and unsure and emotional, as are the men. They’re allowed to be women. It’s a fine distinction and not always easy to carry off. But it’s part of why all the characters in this series matter and why I look forward to catching up with them in each new novel.
Then we have Truman McClusky, the hero who never stops. I especially appreciate the time taken to get inside Mac’s head now and again so the reader remains fully in touch with the awesome cost of what one man will sacrifice to achieve what must at times feel like an impossible dream.
I almost don’t want to see what he’ll have to give up next and, in fact, hope he might gain something instead. Thankfully, the wait won’t be long. We can expect to see ‘An Island Of Light,’ the fourth novel in the series, later this year.
Reviewed for SFcrowsnest.
In ‘Fatal Depth,’ the third novel in the series, that way forward is blocked by his greatest challenge yet. Mac’s mission: To sink the unsinkable, a massive submarine unlike anything they’ve ever encountered before. Over 400 metres in length, 100 metres high and able to travel at an astounding 467 kph.
For those of you on my side of the pond, that’s over four football fields in length and nearly another high with thirty decks in between. It’s a skyscraper turned on its side and powering through the ocean at seven times the speed of a conventional submarine.
Imagine how many torpedo tubes can fit along one side. Finished with that? Now imagine what would happen if an object this massive were to come to a sudden stop in the ocean. Further imagine such an action was planned and that the submarine has been outfitted with an apparatus to drive water forward. It’s called a tsunami plow and it’s about the most devastating weapon the oceans have seen since supercavitating technology was attached to torpedoes.
Sinking such a massive submarine is nearly impossible. It’s so large, that even if all the submarine fleets of the world were to expend all of their ordinances, thus blowing apart every square meter of the hull, the interior of the submarine would maintain neutral buoyancy. Such a vessel has to be taken down from the inside.
With the city of Trieste once more in danger, it’s a ‘do or die’ mission. Perhaps both because Trieste isn’t just Mac’s home it’s the birthplace of his dream, the city that will hopefully give rise to a united Oceania.
Timothy S. Johnston is also a man on a mission. With every new novel, in this series and ‘The Tanner Sequence’, he seeks out not only a new story to tell and the right way to tell it, but new technology to examine, explain and exploit. For me, one of the delights of picking up one of Johnston’s novels is the tech. He has a knack for creating not only what feels possible but explaining it in a way that makes sense and then further using that technology in a way that rivets the reader. The deeper into one of these novels you get, the faster you will turn the pages.
The excitement factor in ‘Fatal Depth’ is no joke. You could almost compare it to a tsunami plow. The threads in the story culminate in an almighty push that will carry you all the way to the end in a dizzying rush. I read the second half of the book in one sitting.
Johnston strives to develop his characters just as thoroughly, introducing new folds and wrinkles into his existing cast while adding new names and faces. Heroes to cheer for and villains to growl at. Old faces pop up now and again, too. Friend and foe and every character is an emotional body rather than a cardboard cut-out. They have goals, motivations, and conflicts.
I especially appreciate the way Johnston writes women. They’re as tough and strong as his male characters but also read as female. They’re allowed to be scared and unsure and emotional, as are the men. They’re allowed to be women. It’s a fine distinction and not always easy to carry off. But it’s part of why all the characters in this series matter and why I look forward to catching up with them in each new novel.
Then we have Truman McClusky, the hero who never stops. I especially appreciate the time taken to get inside Mac’s head now and again so the reader remains fully in touch with the awesome cost of what one man will sacrifice to achieve what must at times feel like an impossible dream.
I almost don’t want to see what he’ll have to give up next and, in fact, hope he might gain something instead. Thankfully, the wait won’t be long. We can expect to see ‘An Island Of Light,’ the fourth novel in the series, later this year.
Reviewed for SFcrowsnest.
June 1, 2021
The third book in the Oceania series is wide in scope - there’s a whole world to explore in TSJ's stories and Fatal Depth is no exception.
Johnston’s evocative style is here, used well for the high science detail of this underwater thriller. Is it okay to learn something while you’re having this much fun? I feel like I know how to pilot a 22nd century submarine fighter, or at least I know some physics behind the very cool supercavitating drive.
I like the well-researched details TSJ includes, such as why needles make effective bullets underwater. When a mysterious, gigantic submarine capable of causing tsunamis attacks the world’s underwater nations, new and uneasy alliances form.
Truman MacClusky returns with a mission to bring down a submarine dreadnaught. He's got a Seven Samurai-like team of agents and specialists with him. I like TSJ's multi-cultural characters. Fatal Depth's Roddenberry-esque optimism is appealing. Race and language don't bring together people as much as common values and purpose in this future, so diverse new nations abound.
The story torpedoes forward with blood-wet battles, swaggering navy dudes and plenty of technical complexity. Imagine being in a deep water air-bubble moving at 400 km/hr - you'll get enough detail to see it in your mind's eye clearly. Underlying it is a satisfying story with ticking clocks, desperate politics and enough water pressure to compress a human body into a lacrosse ball.
TSJ brings you along into the kinds of tense scenarios he's written about in the previous two books of the Oceania series, but this story has strong momentum because of its simple focus - stop the Dreadnought. This is the second trilogy TSJ has completed now, and it fits nicely with his first - different enough for novelty, but similar enough that you can imagine it being in the same universe. Would love to see the whole series on Netflix as binge-worthy TV. It's certainly binge-worthy reading.
Johnston’s evocative style is here, used well for the high science detail of this underwater thriller. Is it okay to learn something while you’re having this much fun? I feel like I know how to pilot a 22nd century submarine fighter, or at least I know some physics behind the very cool supercavitating drive.
I like the well-researched details TSJ includes, such as why needles make effective bullets underwater. When a mysterious, gigantic submarine capable of causing tsunamis attacks the world’s underwater nations, new and uneasy alliances form.
Truman MacClusky returns with a mission to bring down a submarine dreadnaught. He's got a Seven Samurai-like team of agents and specialists with him. I like TSJ's multi-cultural characters. Fatal Depth's Roddenberry-esque optimism is appealing. Race and language don't bring together people as much as common values and purpose in this future, so diverse new nations abound.
The story torpedoes forward with blood-wet battles, swaggering navy dudes and plenty of technical complexity. Imagine being in a deep water air-bubble moving at 400 km/hr - you'll get enough detail to see it in your mind's eye clearly. Underlying it is a satisfying story with ticking clocks, desperate politics and enough water pressure to compress a human body into a lacrosse ball.
TSJ brings you along into the kinds of tense scenarios he's written about in the previous two books of the Oceania series, but this story has strong momentum because of its simple focus - stop the Dreadnought. This is the second trilogy TSJ has completed now, and it fits nicely with his first - different enough for novelty, but similar enough that you can imagine it being in the same universe. Would love to see the whole series on Netflix as binge-worthy TV. It's certainly binge-worthy reading.
May 1, 2025
2.5/5
Another fun Triestrian thriller from Timothy S Johnston. I enjoyed this one more than the first but less than the second book; the fught for independence taking a bit of a backseat to the dreadnought felt like an odd choice, but I was soon onboard.
I enjoyed Mac and friends again, although Kat was sorely missed. old Lazlow was an especially bright point, with his euphoria at being underwater. The dreadnought and the russians make for solid, if not compelling villains, and the entire third act where they infiltrate and destroy the dreadnought was a classic fun thriller read.
Most of my issues with this book stem from two separate sources; one, that the characters are wooden. Renne and Lau just kind of start adoring Mac, without it feeling natural or earned. Benning is easily manipulated, and his lersonality varies wildly; is he a rage machine like heller, or cold and calculating? Butte cares desperately about Trieste, but also unnecesarily calls for its destruction.
The second issue I had was that Benning makes terrible choices constantly. It is never made clear what exactly he thought Mac was bringing to the table for the search, since Trieste's navy is a secret. It also made no sense for him to go on the mission to the dreadnought personally, rather than commanding. At least Mac was a spy and has limited manpower. Benning could have sent any number of USSF agents, and still claimed the glory of the victory afterwards as generals have done throughout history.
Overall, still a fun read really saved by the setting and sci-fi fun of underwater travel. I'm excited to read what comes next for Trieste.
Another fun Triestrian thriller from Timothy S Johnston. I enjoyed this one more than the first but less than the second book; the fught for independence taking a bit of a backseat to the dreadnought felt like an odd choice, but I was soon onboard.
I enjoyed Mac and friends again, although Kat was sorely missed. old Lazlow was an especially bright point, with his euphoria at being underwater. The dreadnought and the russians make for solid, if not compelling villains, and the entire third act where they infiltrate and destroy the dreadnought was a classic fun thriller read.
Most of my issues with this book stem from two separate sources; one, that the characters are wooden. Renne and Lau just kind of start adoring Mac, without it feeling natural or earned. Benning is easily manipulated, and his lersonality varies wildly; is he a rage machine like heller, or cold and calculating? Butte cares desperately about Trieste, but also unnecesarily calls for its destruction.
The second issue I had was that Benning makes terrible choices constantly. It is never made clear what exactly he thought Mac was bringing to the table for the search, since Trieste's navy is a secret. It also made no sense for him to go on the mission to the dreadnought personally, rather than commanding. At least Mac was a spy and has limited manpower. Benning could have sent any number of USSF agents, and still claimed the glory of the victory afterwards as generals have done throughout history.
Overall, still a fun read really saved by the setting and sci-fi fun of underwater travel. I'm excited to read what comes next for Trieste.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2021
This book was amazing! I had many fears coming into this book, that it wouldn't hold up to the standard of the previous books in the series and that it would delve too far into the cliches of action stories. But none of my fears were founded! (Well, a little bit, it is an action story after all, but nothing that remotely took away from my enjoyment!) The story has everything you could want, from amazing action to great character developpement to plot twists and interesting and evolving universe. The world building is great, it takes its time, which doesn't happen enough nowadays. The characters are a bit simple, I hope future books develop them even more, but having strong archetypes can also make a story more epic (think LOTR, Star Wars... or in a completely different gernre, the Bible). Another great point is the submarine setting is extremely claustrophobic, for me anyway; as a sci-fi fan, it "scares" me much more than open space, even if it doesn't make much of a difference in the end.
One small issue I had with, and it is very small, is that it would have greatly benefited from being read immediately after the second book of this series as it picks up right as it ends, but otherwise, this book was pure fun in written form!
Johnston is an amazing author, I also loved all of his previous books. I cannot wait for the sequel to this one!
One small issue I had with, and it is very small, is that it would have greatly benefited from being read immediately after the second book of this series as it picks up right as it ends, but otherwise, this book was pure fun in written form!
Johnston is an amazing author, I also loved all of his previous books. I cannot wait for the sequel to this one!
December 11, 2024
As the author himself would point out, this is a book involving a small group of people on a seemingly suicidal mission. This manifests itself in the form of the largest submarine that exists in this world, and its omnipotence lends a sense of urgency that really keeps you on your toes. The underwater world here is rich and I love how it calls back to the events and people of the previous two books in the trilogy (and you don't have to have read them for these things to be noticeable). My only complaint is that the ending felt a bit rushed, which would've been better addressed by maybe an extra chapter or two. All in all, this was an absolute page turner that I can definitely recommend!
June 27, 2021
Fantastic read for the third instalment of the series. Having read the previous books I saw that Timothy wrote in a manner that does not require the reader to have to read the first two books. Read it over two heart pounding days. Loved the real world science and military tactics Timothy uses to engage the reader and make fictional world seem believable. Can’t wait for the next book!!!
May 14, 2021
There’s so much to say about this book. This book was one of the best books I’ve ever read. It’s compelling, the right amount of action and a little bit of romance. 5/5 would definitely recommend
May 14, 2021
My heart was pounding from start to finish. Full of action. So entertaining. I couldn’t put it down!
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews