Bone Quarry is a 2019 science fiction and thriller
novel by K.D. McNiven. It was self-published in November of 2019. I was
provided with an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows a team of marine researchers trying to
discover why a number of dead fish are washing ashore off the coast of Brazil. On
their first dive to collect water and coral samples, they discover what looks
like an underground graveyard heaped with bones, both human and animal alike. After
calling in a paleontologist to investigate their findings, the team discovers
they might be dealing with a dinosaur believed to be extinct for millions of
years. The research trip soon turns into a quest for survival as they find
their lives threatened both in and out of the water.
Bone Quarry was a book I found myself somewhat
disappointed in. This story could very easily be a good, strong thriller, with
just enough sci-fi to explain how the events of the plot could happen. Unfortunately,
it waffled on both fronts. There isn’t a great deal of science in this science fiction
story and based on my limited knowledge of the scientific fields shown in this
story, there wasn’t enough research done. Additionally, for a thriller, it
stops being very thrilling early on. About 30% of the way through the story,
the reader is shown the person responsible for the creation and care of the animals
responsible for the underwater graveyard. From that point, it isn’t difficult
to figure out where the story is going to go and what’s going to happen in the
end. It’s your classic evil scientists vs. good scientists battle. The problem
with this reveal happening so early is that it really slows the plot down. By this
point, the reader already knows what the animal is, and now we know who’s
responsible, so the middle part of the novel, where the team is looking for
proof and runs into more trouble, falls flat. It starts to get boring as the
research team sets up traps and cameras to catch the animals in action and the
shady scientist tries to keep them from digging further. Additionally, the
search for evidence about the dinosaurs is taking place at the same time that
the research team is still trying to figure out why a bunch of fish are dying.
Meaning that, in at least one part, the dinosaur hunt is sidelined in favor of
trying to find the source of the fish deaths. It’s jarring and I feel like, if
they’d found the answer to the fish mystery, and then the plot became about the
dinosaur, it would flow a lot better.
The characters themselves aren’t overly interesting and the reason
for that becomes obvious the further into the book you read. Meg, the dive team
leader and main character, and Rourke, the paleontologist they call in
regarding their findings, are the only ones that have any real development or somewhat
consistent behavior. A good deal of the “character moments” are very
straightforward scenes of people talking about whatever event just occurred and
how they’re going to find answers. Dialogue is necessary for storytelling, but
a lot of it feels flat. Certain characters will flip-flop their feelings on the
situation from one page to the next and almost no indication of why is given. As
an example, as things get more dangerous, one character, Jayden, keeps
insisting that he needs to come along with the others as they investigate, but
there’s never any real motive given as to why. As for the antagonists in this
story, they’re entirely one-dimensional. There’s the scientist that’s
fascinated by this horrifying animal, one who regrets how things turned out and
that people have died, but is in too deep to stop now and lastly, the shady
businessman providing the money. Their interactions are all cliché, their arcs
conclude in the most predictable way possible and I spent a number of pages
thinking “get on with it”. Speaking of characters and character dynamics, Bone
Quarry has an aspect that’s really not needed in this type of story, and that’s
a romantic subplot. Meg happens to be Rourke’s ex-wife and in between trying
out outrun a man-eating dinosaur, they start to reconnect, which just felt unnecessary
and tacked on. Not every story needs a romance, especially if it adds almost nothing
to the plot.
While I have some criticism of the story, it isn’t all bad. The cover design is mesmerizing. The
tension of the story, up until the mad scientist reveal, did create a sense of
suspense. I’m of the opinion that, had the reveal happened later in the book, I
might’ve liked it better. I appreciated the attempt to give very detailed and
accurate descriptions, even if it didn’t always work out. Another thing I liked
was that the “creature feature” aspect of the plot wasn’t the reason why the
team went to the Amazon in the first place. The dinosaur running around Brazil wasn’t
the reason dead fish were washing up on the beach. I know this might not seem
like an important detail, but I would’ve been annoyed if the dinosaurs were
somehow responsible for both the dead humans and the dying fish population. McNiven
clearly was passionate about this story, but there were a few things that need adjusting
in order for it to read well.
Bone Quarry is an average book, but it had a lot of
potential. There were just too many story elements missing, or introduced too
early to keep the reader engaged. Thrillers are meant to be thrilling, but this
one lost my interest about a third of the way through it. The author clearly
has a passion for this type of story, but there’s a lot that could be improved
upon. There was potential for a story similar to Lake Placid here, but
by revealing too much too early, the story as a whole began to fall apart and fall
flat. It’s a fun read, if you’re willing to not get too invested and just go
along for the ride.
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