New fiction book about cavern diving: The Cavern Kings

[islanddream]

This is my review that I put on Amazon:

I just finished reading "The Cavern Kings" by Jeff Bauer and thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm a scuba diver but not certified for caverns or caves. After reading this book, I think I'll just stay an open water diver! I've read information about the caves and caverns in Florida and was curious about the diving. Jeff did a great job describing the Florida cavern/cave system. He did a wonderful job creating the characters and making them come alive in the book. From beginning to end, Jeff showed his expertise in how a person needs to be trained to dive caverns. If someone is considering going into a cavern or cave without proper training, he needs to read this book....it might save his life.


My only complaint about the book was it started off a bit slow. By page 40 I was hooked. Some of the outcomes in the book were predictable. I think the element of surprise would have made the book even better.


I hope Jeff writes a sequel to this book. I liked his characters and would love to see their progression through life. Just don't let Josh take Elsie back!

 

[ScubaSteve]

OK, I have finally finished the book. Jeff sent me the copy before the Holidays and with the holidays and some travel, it seemed to take me some time to get traction on actually sitting down and reading it. This time is in no way due to any feelings for the book.....just scheduling issues.

Now my review......I will send some to Jeff via PM because they are specific enough to the story line that it would give too much away. The rest will go here.

The book was a fairly good read. I enjoyed the story and when I found the time to read this weekend, I finished the last 60% of the book in two days. I was hooked. At times the story seemed to conveniently fit together (some good and some bad). I believe that this is only because Jeff is a new writer. I think that once a writer finds their groove, their stories just seem to flow out with the right amount of back story, plot and character development, technical stuff versus gleaning over the technical stuff. I have no doubt that Jeff, if he chooses to write a second book, will grow as a writer for his second story. I felt for the characters over all meaning that Jeff had sold them and their stories to me.

There were a number of spelling mistakes and confusion over "ascent" and "descent" as well as a couple other things that showed that the editing job was done quickly. While this irked me while reading, the story caused me to forget quickly.

I would absolutely not hesitate to read Jeff's next book. This one was a very good read and even though Jeff has some room for growth as a writer, he has done a great job IMO. Good Job Jeff. Definitely let us know when you publish the next one

 

[JeffBauer]

Thanks for the great feedback. I've started the second one and the plot comments you and others have sent me privately are definitely helping that one come together in a better woven story. I agree this is definitely a learning process. The writing for the second half of this book flowed a lot better than the first. Sort of like diving; you get better as you do more of it (assuming you are doing it correctly of course!).

 

[chs8084]

I am definitely looking forward to the second book--I would be glad to be a test reader again (but would also happily buy it this time too!).