Cretaceous Canyon by Deborah Sheldon
Cretaceous Canyon is a horror, action adventure book by Deborah Sheldon. It was published August 28, 2023 by Severed Press. This creature feature weighs in at 191 pages.
I’ve loved every book of Sheldon’s I’ve read so far, but this one might have nudged its way to the top for me. I’m an avid and longtime fan of the Jurassic Park book series and movies, of course the original always being the favorite. Anytime I see a book cover with a gorgeous and dangerous dinosaur, my mind goes to that storyline.
Cretaceous Canyon’s only similarity is a cast of characters who excel in their field. Sheldon brings us a dinosaur story that turns up the thrills as soon as the crew boards a helicopter bound for the canyon. Once they leave the board room and head for the helicopter, it’s non-stop. This is a pedal to the metal thrill ride.
What could go wrong when a group of seven people at odds with each other from the start gets dropped in a canyon where cell service is unavailable and their only escape isn’t coming for six hours? A lot. And that’s what I’m here for!
Prior to reading this novel, I read Sheldon’s novella Thylacines. She brought a ton of adventure and excitement in that story. Cretaceous Canyon dials it up a few notches! She isn’t afraid to show you what can truly happen when you mix present-day humans with cretaceous creatures. There’s no hiding the pain or the injuries inflicted by dinosaurs protecting their domain. Danger lurks around every corner, and Sheldon is more than happy to share it with readers and her unsuspecting characters.
One of the things I love about this story is how Sheldon introduces us to dinosaurs that existed in Australia but never got the notoriety or esteem as more well-known species such as Velociraptors. Readers will get up close and uncomfortably personal with Australovenator and Diamantinasaurus, just to name a few. The descriptions of the dinosaurs along with their actions, noises, and authenticity will wow you.
I also love a thrilling humans vs nature story. Cretaceous Canyon hits the spot. The dinosaurs are intelligent, much to the chagrin of a few arrogant members of the expedition. Both the humans and the creatures show their ingenuity and their will to survive. If you like a book with an obnoxious character or two who get their come-uppances, grab a copy now. There were times I rooted for the team and times I rooted for the dinosaurs. Truth be told, I rooted for the dinosaurs a lot.
As for the humans, Sheldon does a fantastic job showing us the reasons why they behave the way they do. I enjoyed getting little snippets of their life stories here and there, a personal glimpse at the emotional baggage and damage they’re carrying. In some scenes, it made my heart break. There were a few moments in this novel where I hurt for the characters and felt their sorrow and fear. It was gut-wrenching, and it kept me engrossed in the book.
This story also has intense moments of suspense and terror. Talk about having bated breath! I definitely stayed up too late reading this book, because I needed to know what was going to happen next. I highly recommend Cretaceous Canyon, especially if you’re a creature feature lover like me!
Other books from Deborah Sheldon:
From Deborah Sheldon’s website:
I’M AN AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR FROM MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.
I WRITE SHORT STORIES, NOVELLAS AND NOVELS ACROSS THE DARKER SPECTRUM OF HORROR, CRIME AND NOIR.
MY CREDITS ALSO INCLUDE TV SCRIPTS, STAGE PLAYS, MAGAZINE ARTICLES, AND AWARD-WINNING ANTHOLOGY EDITING AND MEDICAL WRITING.
Check out my other reviews of books written or edited by Deborah Sheldon:
From the Severed Press website:
Established in 2008 Severed Press is a leading independent publisher of horror and science fiction. Publishing trade paperbacks and E-Books. Severed Press has earned a reputation for excellence, quality and commitment to new and established authors alike. We are proud of the diversity of our authors and aim in continuing to build strong relationships worldwide.
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The Lost Sea by Toby J. Nichols
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Primordial by David Wood & Alan Baxter
