Hunters of the Dark Sea

by Mel Odom

They were the whalers of the nineteenth century, leaving home for months, nay years at a time, in search of the largest creatures of the earth. It was their job to hunt these mammoth sea dwellers for their oil and feed the trade in hopes of raising enough coin to feed their families back in port. They are the hunters of the dark sea, in search of the deadly behemoth that is their stock and trade. It is a life and death profession where even the greenest member of the crew knows the odds of survival . . . until these odds are changed by an even deadlier hunter than an unearthly predator that is now stalking them.

"Smartly told," "a surefire pageturner," "Mel Odom really knows how to keep a reader turning pages," are only some of the accolades bestowed on award-winning author Mel Odom. Turning his attention away from his usual fantasy kingdoms to the high seas of the nineteenth century in this pageturning adventure of the whaling trade, Odom combines the suspense of Alien with the historical storytelling of Caleb Carr and Michael Crichton.

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Fiction, Mystery, Science Fiction

400 pages, Hardcover

First published July 18, 2003

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

aka Jordan Gray

Mel Odom is a bestselling writer for hire for Wizards of the Coast's Forgotten Realms, Gold Eagle's Mack Bolan, and Pocket's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel book lines. His debut SF novel Lethal Interface made the Locus recommended list . The Rover was an Alyx Award winner. He has also written a scientific adventure of the high seas set in the 19th century entitled Hunters of the Dark Sea. He lives in Oklahoma.

Reviews

[Joe Aguiar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mel Odom delivers an old-fashioned sea faring adventure that mixes sailors, pirates, privateers, massive sea creatures and one deadly space monster. It's 1813 and the crew of the whaling vessel Reliant and their former pirate first mate Ethan Swain must not only battle the high seas in search of whales to fill their hold with whale oil but, contend with Swain's vengeful former pirate captain and a giant predator that arrived here on a falling star… and it's quite intelligent and very hungry. This is a charming mix of old-style tale of the sea and sci-fi thriller with a tentacled creature from space that has the ability to manipulate other animals including a gruesome habit of using corpses to make it's point. Even without this ornery critter this is a fun and fast paced tale of sea adventure where there is danger and possible death at every turn. We get some endearing characters to root for such as the valiant Swain and Professor Bullock and his charming and smart daughter Katharine and we have some dastardly villains to boo such as the vile pirate McAfee and of course, our slimy space monster. It is a highly enjoyable read and the type of adventure that is rarely written anymore but, will still charm and entertain the heck out of us landlubbers! A really enjoyable read.

[Michael Fierce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I 'love' this book! I first read it when I worked at Sam's Club way back when [the store was shut down for a couple of hours and I had to sit by a fire escape door, so I asked permission to read a book from the shelf while sitting there - this was the book I took with me]. Even after multiple reads, I still enjoy the book. It is obviously not as suspenseful as the first time or two reading it, but enough time passes between each reading that I still enjoy it.

It is quite a cast of characters. It takes place during a period of time when England and the United States were not in a state of peace with each other. There is a whaling vessel nearing the end of its voyage; the crew only needs two or three more whales and then they can return home. There is a science vessel where the scientist onboard [and his lovely daughter] are attempting to discover why animals [sea life] is being mysteriously killed in the ocean. There are pirates and British privateers. And, best of all, a hideous, alien life form that is battled in the climactic conclusion of the novel . There is love, betrayal, hidden lives, violence, and mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I know other reviewers have commented on the section briefly attempting to detail the whale's thoughts was an unnecessary addition to the book [my paraphrase]. This time around, I would have to agree. I think it was an interesting attempt on the author's part to show how this parasitic relationship [or symbiotic relationship] caused the whale to be able to 'move past itself' or to 'grow' from an 'unintelligent life form' up the ladder to having some form of rudimentary intelligence beyond its original limited abilities. But, in terms of the overall story, it was unnecessary. What was revealed about the alien organism through the whale's thoughts/mind/memories could have just as easily been revealed when the creature began absorbing a human .

The story starts off with our hero Ethan Swain as a young boy in Nantucket. He makes a discovery before attending a funeral. During the funeral, there is a falling star that plummets overhead to the west-southwest. It then picks up sixteen years later and we find Ethan is First Mate on the whaling ship Reliant. The Captain, Folger, is driving the crew hard , attempting to force them to 'jump ship and forfeit their pay, but never realizing he is driving them to mutiny . The Second Mate, Larson, is a bully who deserves to die. The Third Mate, Stroud, is a hired killer to keep Folger safe from the crew. We find out how hard whaling was as a lifestyle; I found it rather interesting to read about how a Sperm Whale was harvested by a whaling vessel in the early 1800s. The crew needs between two and three more whales to harvest before they can return to Nantucket with a full load.

There is also a USN vessel, the Blue-Eyed Sue, that has been chartered to act as transport for a scientist, Bullock, and his daughter, Katherine. Bullock has been authorized to discover what is killing sea life and humans in the South Pacific Ocean. Just after he is introduced, he discovers a dying man who has been horribly ravaged by an unknown disease. Despite his best efforts to save the dying sailor, Bullock fails. We discover that Bullock secretly thinks the deaths have something to do with the falling star that landed near his vessel sixteen years previously and killed his wife may have something to do with the deaths. He fears something was awakened at the ocean's floor and is now preying on all life forms. Unbeknownst to him and his daughter, his attempts to educate the Sue's crew are secretly backfiring; the crew is becoming more terrified of the sea and what lies hidden beneath the waves.

Jonah McAfee, captain of the Sunfish, is a pirate and a slave-runner. He initially attempts to take the Reliant but is thwarted by Ethan [despite Ethan not being in command]. Faking a friendly demeanor, he sails away to find a market for his cargo of slaves. He is not a nice man. He is an accomplished killer, slaying his victims with the greatest of expediency. He hates Ethan with a passion because not only did Ethan fall in love with McAfee's former lover Teresa, but Ethan also killed Teresa in pitched battle. She had fallen in love with Ethan while using him to get back at Jonah, but she was also crazier than a loon. Ethan killed her because of her madness and penchant for murdering innocents; Jonah thought he had killed Ethan after Teresa's death only to discover Ethan was still alive . He breaks bread with the British privateer Harrington; while breaking bread, Harrington points McAfee to the Brown-Eyed Sue while McAfee points Harrington to the Reliant. Jonah is able to pretend to be a man of distinction from the South, but his madness cannot help but come to the fore over time.

Harrington is an officer in the British Navy and in command of the Formidable. He only appears twice in the book [and his crew three times], but he is a necessary part of the narrative. He makes an interesting observation to McAfee that the two men are like healthy sharks - as there is not blood on either of them, they will agree not to attack each other. But that situation could quickly change like the flowing tide. He is a large man, both in height and in girth. His conversation with Ethan is rather funny [due, in part, to Ethan's lack of respect for the man].

Ethan is a man who was once filled with dreams of being in command of a merchant vessel, of being master of his own destiny. He is a man who has worked hard at being a good sailor, moving up the 'chain of command' [as it were] to eventually earn the 'right' to one day be a captain of a vessel. Eventually due in part to his past he comes to believe he will never be more than a First Mate. We also find out that he had been forced to become a pirate or die, that Teresa Santiago's father was a swordsman par excellence and he taught his daughter well, and that Teresa taught Ethan how to use a sword as well. At one point, based on Ethan's internal dialogue, he was a Captain at one time. However, he was also still a pirate at the time. He and Teresa had become lovers, even though both knew Jonah wanted her for himself and was insanely jealous of Ethan. However, Teresa's mental madness drove Ethan to kill her to prevent her from killing any more innocent victims of their marauding ways. After Teresa died, Jonah shot Ethan in the chest, thinking Ethan had died while falling overboard. Ethan survived the gunshot as well as the three-day swim to shore. Ethan left the pirating life behind him in order to make a go an an honest lifestyle. He takes a shine to Bullocks daughter Katherine after the two meet, and she reciprocates [despite having initially fallen for Jonah]. After the climactic battle where the Reliant and Sunfish are destroyed and the Formidable has been captured, Ethan is declared to be captain of the former British vessel and the survivors of the Reliant have sworn to be his crew. The Formidable becomes his vessel by virtue of the same Acts of War Claim that Harrington intended to use to take command of the Reliant. Having been told of his dreams of being in command of a merchant vessel, Katherine has spread his dreams amongst the surviving crew members and they are more than happy to 'climb on board' under Ethan's captaincy.

The one thing about the book that kind of bugged me this time around: It did not make any sense to me as to why the alien organism singled Ethan out at the end of the book. Perhaps Ethan had such a strong personality that it stood out in the minds of the fellow sailors who had been captured by the alien? It just seemed silly to me that the alien was SO focused on Ethan at the end of the book that it ignored everything else. Perhaps it somehow figured out that Ethan was the source of its recent pain[s]? It was Ethan's plans that were geared toward killing the creature and trying to escape, so perhaps the most recent deaths amongst the crew led the creature to believe Ethan was its biggest threat. I don't know. That would make the most sense, I guess. Otherwise, the whole thing seemed too silly .

There was one disturbing scene in which an older man was going to rape a younger man in the hold. Ethan beats the older man bloody in part because of the intended violation and in part because of what Ethan has to do to a friend to save that friend's life. I did not think this scene was necessary in the overall narrative of the book.

I doubt this book will ever be seen as a 'classic tale of horror and suspense' [whatever that is], but I thought it was an excellent book. Well, overall excellent. I greatly enjoyed reading it [again].

[Angharad · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had everything I could ever have wanted- pirates, science, whaling, high seas adventure, drama, suspense, and a touch of Lovecraftian horror.

If HP Lovecraft, Jules Verne, Michael Crichton, and Melville worked together on a novel, this might be the result.

It's been quite some time since a book has held my attention the way this one did. I binge read most of it in large bursts. I couldn't put it down, and that's very rare for me.

The ONLY reason I wouldn't give it a 5 out of 5 is that the ending felt a tad rushed. At 400 pages, I imagine the author was starting to feel fatigued towards the end. It shows a little bit, but a quick ending doesn't diminish my overall enjoyment of this wonderful book.

I would've enjoyed it as a teenager, and I enjoy it now. I would read it again! I will definitely read more of this author's works in the future. Odom is an amazing author that really understands how to captivate and hold your attention.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Monsters, it seemed, were everywhere."

Old-time Nantucket whalers (and more than a few pirates) square-off against a John Carpenter-esque Thing from Another World in Mel Odom’s Hunters of the Dark Sea, a rollicking genre mash-up that comes together as a pretty good (and entertaining) yarn. Odom rather smartly balances the jigsaw parts of this puzzle – his whalers’ tale feels authentic, his pirates wax just a bit desperate as the golden days of the buccaneers sink toward sunset, and his murderous cetacea is just creepy enough to raise a few shivers.

My only gripe might be with the main character -- young Ethan Swain -- who trends too much toward ‘super-man’ by book’s end … even as the other significant characters drift to the sidelines. I tend to think monster stories work better with an ensemble cast. Give me a big alien threat and it hardly seems like one person is enough of a counter. Plus, as a few main heroes get picked off, it does tend to rachet the stakes.

Still, I going to give this one four stars for its rippingly good finale as multiple boats (and one monster) come together in a bloody tangle on the high seas. Odom’s bad guys are also really good and – sap that I am – the final sentence made me all warm inside. I knew from Odom’s other work – namely his Forgotten Realms: Threat from the Sea trilogy – that he could certainly tell a good sea shanty but it was rather nice to see him step past the limitations of the Dungeons and Dragons milieu to deliver a much more well-rounded and ultimately more satisfying independent tale.

[Fishface · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really wild ride, full of twists and turns. Just when I thought nothing crazier could happen, something more always did. The story was do compelling that the frequent anachronisms -- like the surgeon sterilizing his knife more than 50 years before anyone had invented sterile technique -- didn't faze me. Highly recommended!

[Sinjon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fine balance between thoroughly researched naval action-adventure and pulpy, creature-feature horror.

[Richard Radgoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a nautical adventure!

Really enjoyed this novel, from setting, to characters, to plot. This has a cthulueaque flavor along side it's wailing backdrop. Well done.

[Joel Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aliens meets Moby Dick...with pirates.

[Bill Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunters of The Dark Sea
By Mel Odom

Mel Odom weaves an intricate tale in his historical horror and sci-fi adventure in Hunters of the Dark Sea. The main story opens in 1813. The young United States is at war with Great Britain and the high seas are crawling with British war-ships, privateers, cutthroat pirates and a visitor from not of this world.

Twenty-six year old Ethan Swain is first mate of the whaling ship Reliant. He and the crew have been at sea for two years and the ships holds are half full with the precious cargo of whale oil. Ethan has a dark past he must hide in order to keep his life intact. Keeping his past a secrete and being torn between the ships captain and the crew which is on the verge of a mutiny is only a small part of the turmoil he must juggle.


On board the research ship Brown-Eyed Sue is Professor Bullock and his intelligent and artistic daughter Katherine. They have been dispatched by the President of the United Sates to investigate reports of a sea monster named Death-in-the-water by the natives of Easter Island. Bullock soon learns the beginning of the reports coincide with a falling star hitting the water 16 years back. While anchored off the coast of Easter Island a dying man washes ashore with his painful and swollen skin practically blistering off the bone. A futile attempt by Bullock at saving the mans life renders an unknown venom the monster uses to kill its prey.


Vengeful Jonah McAfee, part of Ethan Swain’s dark past, is captain of the pirate ship Sunfisher. McAfee in pursuit of Ethan for revenge, catches wind of the monster and focuses his efforts on finding the monster.Hunters of the Dark Sea ends with Ethan battling McAfee, a British war ship, and the monster in a dynamite finish.


This is one of my favorite books of all time. Odom brings the characters to life in a way comparable to King. I also enjoyed the life-like setting of the high seas and the day-to-day life in my opinion was probably close to the real thing for the whalers of that time period. It’s quite obvious Mel Odom did his research for this book.

[Mia Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I've never gone so far as to seek out and research whaling in its heyday, whenever I do read stories in that time period (such as "Moby Dick" and this story), I'm very intrigued and engaged by it. I wonder if it has something to do with growing up so close to Mystic, Connecticut, and something of that time and age just being in the blood.

Either way, it was a fascinating backdrop to a story that's only one part monster tale, then one part high seas adventure and one part redemption story.

Odom is a very skilled writer, to draw things out so that you're a ways into the story and realize that not much "action" has happened and yet you're not displeased. It carries you right along. Some of his time jump segues were a little jarring, but never so much that it knocks you out of the story.

I really only have two complaints here: there was one section written from the perspective of "the whale" (which you'll understand when you get there) that really kind of annoyed me. I thought it detracted from the story and spoiled some mystique of it, rather than enhancing it. And then there were elements of the ending (though not the entirety) that wrapped too fast for the build-up given.

Otherwise, it lacked that special reader connective spark that makes me go OMGBESTBOOKEVAR and give it five stars, but damn, it was pretty close. If this were on my blog, it would be 4.5 stars but, sadly, this means four stars to goodreads. But still, really good book and worth reading.

[Greggd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great rip-roaring alt history/fantasy read

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite books. For some reason, this story just scratched an itch that I didn't know I had.

[Kirstin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just realized I've read this before

[Ben Pollaci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maybe I'm just a sucker for adventure stories, but I honestly couldn't stop reading this book. I was young, in high school, when I read this, and it greatly reminded me of a Robert Louis Stevenson type of story. It has whalers, pirates, scientists, danger, action, and an exciting climax.

The book follows one Ethan Swaine, who is a lower officer on a whaling ship, the Reliant, from Nantucket in the beginning of the 19th century. The nice thing about each chapter is that it will give you an exact Longitude and Latitude, allowing you to get a feel for where the characters are at the time. I'm not a fan of giving away spoilers, but this is no ordinary tale of whales and swashbucklers. Something horrific and mysterious is hunting ships in the Pacific, which is where Professor Bullock and his daughter, Katharine, come in. They initially discover this unknown hunter's method of killing, and are soon off to discover just what it is. And if that isn't enough, there's Pirate Captain Jonah McAfee and Privateer Captain George Harrington of the British Royal Navy out on the hunt for treasure and prizes of their own.

The story gives a scientific perspective on what hunter of the Pacific, and really plays well into the characters' backstories. All in all, I highly recommend this t anyone who loves adventure stories. Keep in mind, it's definitely an adult story, so I wouldn't recommend this as a bed-time story anytime soon. But if you look to read in high school, or are even an adult fan of reading and need to pass the time away on a good book, I highly recommend Hunters of the Dark Sea.

[Morgan McGuire]

I'm 100% in favor of swashbuckling plus aliens.

Mel Odom's first novel with an original setting (vs. the licensed movie tie-ins he'd previously been trapped in) is auspicious. It mixes elements of Moby Dick and a Michael Crichton story, and eventually delivers most of the set pieces you'd hope for.

He deserves a better editor--cutting about 200 pages from the middle and reducing the repeated phrases (e.g., maybe "gossamer threads" and "blown to doll rags" only once per book?) would have magnified the impact of the ideas in the book. Odom evidences a vague notion of how muskets and sailing ships worked. An expert's comments on the manuscript there would have fixed some awkward plot points of snap hundred-yard shots to the heart with smoothbore muskets and tall ship charging directly "into the wind" exceed the limits of even fantasy for classical maritime readers.