“This is the book that made me realize that there is more to be afraid of in the ocean than just sharks. Every time I go in the water and dive down and look into the abyss, I can picture these eyes looking back. Scary as hell!”

“Astounding and very well written. I was instantly hooked like the Sharks that fell victim to the Fishermen. My adrenaline spiked when the creature pulled down on the crane, and I cried when the first mate was killed. Truly remarkable, Max Hawthorne may be the Peter Benchley of the twenty-first century.”

“Best paleo fiction writer out there, hands down! Move over Steve Alten, there's a new sheriff in town and his name? Max Hawthorne!”

“Really great book, it gives the Jaws feeling to it, only with a pliosaur. I enjoyed every minute of it and it is recommended to those who enjoy marine terror!”

“This book featured the quintessential, unstoppable monster. However, what proved to be the real bite, the addictive can’t-put-it-down/what-happens-next quality of the work was the development/unfolding of the characters. These individuals were more than just fabrications of the author’s fertile imagination, they were people. Real people whom you came to know, understand, and care about. In fact, if I didn’t know better, I’d think this book was a chronicle of actual events!”

“Prehistoric predator on the loose off the coast of Florida, a heroic flawed hero, a conservationist minded scientist, a corrupt politician and a band of cutthroat mercenaries combine for a great creature thriller! My guilty pleasure is reading creature thrillers and this was one of the best I've read. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!”

“SNAPS MEG IN TWO! I adore this book, plain and simple. I can’t describe the feelings I have toward it. Mainly because I feel an unknown emotion that not even I can understand. When I finished the book, I felt that an adventure had just ended. It made me crave for more. This behemoth of a book is such a fast read and I highly anticipate Max Hawthorne’s new upcoming book, Kraken. I cannot recommend this story enough.”

“I typically get bored with fiction books. My friend suggested this book for me to get lost in and boy did I! I wasn’t able to stop reading. My 2.5-hour flights and waiting at the airport were welcomed reading times. Love this book. Reading the second one now.”

“Reminiscent of The Meg, this book was action packed and attention grabbing. Looking forward to the sequel. Great read for the beginning of a series!”

“I am not even going to attempt to write a colorful clever review for ‘Kronos Rising’, so I will get to the point! For the first time in a long time (since ‘Meg’ by Steve Alten) I have found a completely original story that kept my interest. A great summertime read.”

“This book...where to begin. WOW! I was just so surprised at how well this book was researched and written. The characters are deep and very rich with personality. You really begin to care about them throughout the book. The plot was beautifully done with such creativity that I am so surprised it has yet to reach a top 10 list in all categories. I love this book and recommend it to all my friends.”

“Stories about giant sea monsters are definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. Not too many books in this genre that are particularly satisfactory reads. But this book is one of those exceptions. The Kronosaurus in the book is a worthy successor to the great white in JAWS. All in all, a very fun read.”

“…a mix of Jaws, Lake Placid, and Steve Alten’s Deep Terror series. That being said, I’m all in!”

“Kronos Rising Diablo is the ultimate novelette. It grabbed me from the very first line “There is no greater test of vision than to foresee one’s own death” and never let up. If I had to relate the book to movies or such it would be like Skull Island meets Pompeii. You’ve got this island with a lake filled with prehistoric critters and the whole place about to break part and burn before your eyes. The suspense starts off hot and then gets hotter. Great job Max Hawthorne. You truly are the new Michael Crichton!”

“I read all the ‘Meg’ books. Liked those, but…Hawthorne gives us interesting characters with wounded pasts that allow us to care for them. And those action scenes: killer whales vs. sea-monster, sea-monster vs. mercenaries. It makes the threat very real. I’ll be reading book two very shortly.”

“Max Hawthorne's Kronos Rising is a must. A true page turner. Action/adventure, a little romance, likeable believable characters and oh yeah, a giant prehistoric man-eating sea monster. What more do you need for a great summer read? As for Max's title as the Prince of Paleo fiction, I don't think so. I say all hail the king!”

“Absolutely wonderful, one I will read again and again. Can't wait to read the next I still feel like I'm there in the water watching. Phenomenal!”

“If this book needs anything then it’s a slower pace from time to time so we can breathe! The author took some risks that if it where any other author the fan base would have turned on the author similar to what happened with Laurell K. Hamilton. He juggled a lot of characters not to mention a 30 year time jump. That to me is taking a huge risk, especially when characters from the first book a lot of fans had invested in emotionally…they are present in their own way in this sequel the main protagonists are the children in the book. And it works! I'm so glad I continued reading instead of getting pissed and throwing down the book. And funny enough the author (writes) really good hetero sex scenes it even made (me) blink and go my almost Queer As Folk worthy lol. I highly recommend it it’s worth every penny.”

“This book is amazing. It has an edge of your seat suspense, and always keeps you coming back for more. It is very cool how the creature is not a mindless killing machine, but you begin to understand him and he really grows on you. I would take this over Steve Alten’s books any day. I would highly recommend this book to everyone it is a must read. A movie of this would certainly be great. I can’t wait for the next installment in the series, and thanks for renewing my childhood fantasies of dinosaurs.”

“Where do I start? Whereas the first Kronos Rising book chilled my blood, Kraken made me hot. No, I’m not referring to the steamy love scenes, although I will admit they were so torrid I had to keep putting the book down to attack my poor husband! (Needless to say, he’s now a huge fan of the series) The story in Kraken was epic. There were terrifying marine beasts and the non-stop action and suspense that Hawthorne is famous for. Lots of new nasty things to worry about, too, and not just the Kraken itself. The pliosaur tape worm is hands down, the vilest, most disgusting creation ever, and I literally shuddered while reading that scene. Love the advanced tech and the exciting cast of characters. Of course, this is just the first half of an epic adventure, and I’m getting impatient for Hawthorne to release the second half. Come on, man, but don’t do this to me! Bring on Kronos Rising Kraken part 2!”

“Going through withdrawal! I am unable to wait for it, Max. You are making me go through withdrawal and the generic/knockoff substances to your brilliant mind/series is making me throw up. I need the name brand and soon!!”

“Kronos Rising: Kraken, the follow up to Kronos Rising, was in a word AMAZING. After reading both novels Max Hawthorne makes me never, ever want to go near ANY BODY OF WATER, EVER!!! The way Mr. Hawthorne has us interacting with the monsters, I'm not sure I will be able to sleep at night. The fights were so real (monsters/and with one another) that I could see it all playing out in my head and what a fabulous movie it was…Max Hawthorne I applaud you and look forward to the next. Now on to Diablo and Plague. Anxiously awaiting your next great story.”

“As I dived into the second Kraken novel by Max Hawthorne, I was grabbed from the beginning and the action never stopped. I was gripped by the tentacles of the plot-action, love, betrayal, and surprises galore. Max Hawthorne's writing only gets better with this one.”

“I am such a huge fan of this book series! Max is an absolute GENIUS writer! This is the most exceptionally written book series ever! If you haven't read this book series then you are most certainly in for a real treat! The characters are awesome, the story line is fast paced, with lots of thrilling twists and turns and you'll end each book totally satisfied and yet wanting more! Kronos Rising: Kraken (volume 2 of 3) is so beyond awesome and BONUS it literally has the ABSOLUTE BEST ending I've ever read! You're going to be blown away and you certainly won't have seen this ending coming which of course means that you'll be wanting to pick up the story again immediately as soon as the next volume in the series is released! Thank you so much Max for sharing your fabulous talent with the world! Your creativity as an author and storyteller is exceptional!”

“Unlike alien stories, Max's Kraken series is based on what could be in our oceans and he is extremely accurate in his descriptions of vessels, machinery, weapons and very detailed in telling of the adventures of his characters. He is obviously very learned of his subjects and adds realism to the extent that you can actually visualize the scenes. I'm looking forward to another volume of KRAKEN!!”

“Read the book and it screams Jaws and Jurassic Park! The first page gets you hooked and leave you wanting more. Great book that belongs on the same list as Steve Alten and Michael Crichton are. An instant classic!”

“This second book in the Kraken series of Kronos Rising books is ambitious and full of everything about this series I enjoy. Hawthorne pulls no punches, as per usual, and after it really built up its momentum, not that it ever really lacks it, I had to finish. I hope it’s sooner than later, but I cannot wait for the next installment!”

“OMG! Just when I thought this series couldn’t get any better, Max Hawthorne proves me wrong. Kraken 2 sucked me in from the first sentence of the first page and never let up. So many things from Kraken 1 came back in ways I never suspected and hit me so hard I was left reeling. At one point I actually got teary-eyed and the final scene which left me dying to have Kraken 3 in my hands left me sitting there staring into space. I was like No Way and seriously had to go back and reread it just to make sure and let it sink in a second time. I want more! Thankfully if what I’ve heard is true the next installment is only a few months away. Woo Hoo!”

“The best review I can give for this book is a verbatim quote I sent to Mr. Hawthorne last night, right after finishing Vol. 2. He’s not your typical author in any way shape or form. We’ve actually spoken in detail when I had tech questions about the first books. It’s great to know that he values his fans. Don’t blow up his inbox though. “WOW. I definitely didn’t see that one coming. It’s quarter to four in the morning.... & I really hope this doesn’t wake you, hahaha. Had to thank you, again, for an amazing read. I started when I got home from work today at one o’clock. Besides a bathroom break or two & two slices of pizza, I didn’t put it down. Can. Not. Wait. for Volume 3. Thanks again Max. Best, RWW” If you’re seeing this review, hurry up and buy the book. If you haven’t read the others in the series, hurry up and buy them all.”

“Max Hawthorne has done it again! I’ve been eagerly awaiting this book, and it was well worth the wait! I highly recommend “Kronos Rising” and Kronos Rising: Kraken” to any science fiction, horror, adventure, and/or paleo-fiction fan. If you enjoyed “Jaws” and “Jurassic Park”, you MUST read this series. It is, in my opinion, easily the best science fiction/adventure series of its genre that I’ve ever read! Now I’m anxiously awaiting the next book!”

“This book really kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time!! Much different from Kronos (by Jeremy Robinson).”

“Let me start by saying I have this fear of the water. Well, not the water, really, but what lives inside it. You see, I saw Jaws when I was young, and I live on the Gulf of Mexico, so you can see how all of that conspired to keep my feet firmly on dry land. But I never lost my fascination with the sea, and authors like Benchley, Alten, and now Max Hawthorne thrill me like no others. In his Kronos Rising series, Max has raised the bar. No longer are orcas and sharks the scariest critters in the world’s oceans. There’s a new (ancient) top predator species and they have found that humans are crunchy and taste good, with or without ketchup.”

“Throughout KRONOS RISING, I found myself holding my breath without even realizing it-until the scene was over, and then taking a deep cleansing breath!! I enjoyed every word, character description, the reality of the “monster”, the conflict of good vs evil… the length of the book allowed the author and the reader to savor the chapters, and not miss one important detail. The reader never feels cheated, and is given such rich descriptions through the characters experiences!! I love ocean thrillers (I was attacked by a shark at the age of 14), and I this is among the absolute very best I have read. And now I am on to the sequel!!”

“Max…I’m in love with this book and all the characters!! The Kronosaurus was my favorite as a child and you brought it to life in an amazing way!! Thanks so much!!

“Jurassic Park meets Jaws meets Moby Dick. That is what I think of this intriguing story by Max Hawthorne. It is a near-perfect blend of action, horror, suspense, and drama that made the similar works of Peter Benchley (Jaws) and Steve Alten (Meg, Loch) so appealing.”

“I Truly Enjoyed this Book from start to the Last Page! It felt more like I was at the Movies watching a story that Blew Jaws out of the Water! The Story was very strong & Riveting and the cast of the book was superb. a MOST EXCELLENT READ! I hope this becomes a series of books {a Movie} and I am waiting for the next adventure from Mr. Hawthorne!!! If you should happen to get this book, you WILL NOT be Disappointed !!!”

“While Kraken – Volume 2 has plenty of twists, turns and mysteries to be explored, fans who read for the sake of the near Kaiju-esque battle sequences between larger than life monstrosities will not be disappointed. Highlights include a cataclysmic encounter between a nuclear submarine and a giant octopus, as well as, for the first time in the series, the introduction of fierce land-based creatures (just when you thought it was safe to get out of the water). All of these are tackled with the gusto and excitement that we have come to expect of a Max Hawthorne novel.”

“Master of Marine Terror, Max Hawthorne pens the perfectly crafted blockbuster, taking his readers on the thrill ride of their lives! To say that ‘Kronos Rising: Kraken (Volume 2) is a ‘page turner’ is an understatement! Equally rivaling the likes of Crichton’s ‘Jurassic World’, Benchley’s ‘Jaws’ and Alten’s ‘MEG’ book and movie franchises, ‘Kraken V2’ truly earns its proverbial place on the shelf! Hawthorne is, indeed, a deserving member of that celebrated group of storytellers, and Hollywood film producers will, no doubt, SOON be all over HIS literary franchise! Hawthorne’s ‘Kraken V2’ reads like a bullet train thrill ride from the first gripping page and takes you hostage until the explosive end! Hawthorne’s original characters possess the dimension and sparkle, deserving of a cast of Hollywood’s top A-list stars to bring them to life on the big screen! It’s brilliant storytelling and THE way a story should be told! Now, that’s entertainment!!!”

“This is the most realistic story I’ve encountered that brings prehistoric creatures into the present. The story is punctuated with extraordinary detail and facts, bringing both the technology and the creature a level of realism not often reached . . . Hawthorne’s mix of science fiction, adventure, and character development puts his books squarely on the shelf next to Michael Crichton’s.”

“Batten down the hatches and brace yourself… Hawthorne delivers suspense at a breakneck pace in his terrifying debut.”

“With Michael Crichton passing, Steve Alten, author of the popular Meg franchise, has enjoyed a monopoly since 1997. This changed in 2014 with the emergence of Max Hawthorne’s Kronos Rising, a gripping yarn about a hungry pliosaur terrorizing a coastal community. The success of Kronos Rising proved there’s plenty of room for at least two big ‘fish’ in the sea as far as crafting monster stories is concerned.”

“Congratulations to author Max Hawthorne, for his novelette Kronos Rising: Diablo – one of 2016’s Top 10 Books.”

“Congratulations to author Max Hawthorne, for his novelette Kronos Rising: Diablo – the Silver Medal Winner in 2016’s First Lines Contest!”

“The entire horror universe now has a new writer. Kronos Rising, by Max Hawthorne is a delightful edge-of-your-seater, guaranteed to leave readers wanting to keep the lights on . . .”

“Congrats to author Max Hawthorne for his novella, Kronos Rising: Plague – our Horror 2017 Gold Medal Winner!”

“. . . Diablo Caldera, a volcanic island off the coast of Cuba, has been the home of some terrifying monsters of the deep since the Cretaceous. But their imprisonment in this secluded lake is about to come to an end, and a nightmare is about to be unleashed into the open ocean. Max spins another harrowing, action-packed monster tale, painstakingly researched, and rich in scenic and historic detail, while delivering the same true-to-form, page-turning intensity as always.”

“In 2014, Max Hawthorne’s KRONOS RISING became a huge hit. Now, two years later, he has returned with the hotly demanded sequel. While most authors would have played it safe and stuck to a formula emulating the successful elements of the first novel (think the Meg series by Steve Alten), Hawthorne’s vision is cast on a larger canvas. KRAKEN jumps ahead 30 years into the future, depicting a worldwide ecological shift in earth’s oceans as a consequence of the events in the first novel. While the pliosaurs are very much center stage in the tale, an evil and even more ancient biological terror from the deep is the novel’s namesake. Max Hawthorne certainly knows how to tell and pace a fine adventure tale, in the tradition of Robert E. Howard.”

“It's Jurassic World on steroids…a fun, fast read, even if you have to take the kids to the ball game and mow the lawn.”

"While stories of resurrected prehistoric monsters are well known in the big screen, when it comes to books, they are a niche topic. With Michael Crichton passing, Steve Alten, author of the popular Meg franchise, has enjoyed a monopoly since 1997. This changed in 2014 with the emergence of Max Hawthorne’s Kronos Rising, a gripping yarn about a hungry pliosaur terrorizing a coastal community. The success of Kronos Rising proved there’s plenty of room for at least two big ‘fish’ in the sea as far as crafting monster stories is concerned."

“A word to the wise: if you bite your nails, you’d better wear oven mitts when reading Kronos Rising. It will drag you down to the depths of fear and take you back for a breath of air as fast as you can turn the pages. Readers beware: a new master of marine terror is in your bookstore, and his name is Max Hawthorne!”

“What a ride! An adrenaline pumping, non-stop descent into terror, Kronos Rising will do for this generation what JAWS did for the last one. Forget going into the water; I’m not going near it!”

“Until today, the deepest, darkest depths of the ocean remained an impossible mystery. But no more – a violent earthquake has finally unleashed a wonderfully horrific secret waiting to eat you alive. From the opening scene of black market shark hunters invading forbidden waters, Kronos Rising sweeps you onto a surprising, wildly inventive, thrill ride. A fabulous debut by Max Hawthorne. Simply put, it’s got teeth. Big ones!”

“Max Hawthorne explores the sinister side of the dark abyssal world with a new kind of beast, one that makes white sharks and giant squid as threatening as guppies and tadpoles.”

“Max Hawthorne’s “Kronos Rising” takes readers on a roller coaster ride of gigantic scale. We’re talking prehistoric big. “Kronos Rising” is a solid read. Hawthorne is good at writing action sequences and keeps the story moving at a brisk pace. Reminiscent of “Jurassic Park” or “Jaws,” “Kronos Rising” shows Hawthorne really did his homework. He occasionally writes from the viewpoint of the monster in a way that pulls readers in. It’s a good adventure story and a pretty easy read, which doesn’t slow down or bore the reader.”

“I love horror movies and books that deal with the ocean. DEEPSTAR SIX, LEVIATHAN, and JAWS are some of my favorite horror flicks, while MEG by Steve Alten and DAGON by H. P. Lovecraft are two of my favorite written works. I’m very proud to add KRONOS RISING to that elite list of favorites. Author Max Hawthorne serves up bucketsful of horror in this terrifying tale, and I can guarantee it will keep people out of the water for a long time to come! With heart-stopping intensity and insane action that will leave you begging for air, KRONOS RISING is a major win for me. I recommend this to anyone and everyone looking for a good read. Hawthorne is a major talent, and I cannot wait to see what he does next. In the meantime, pick up a copy of KRONOS RISING today; you won’t be disappointed.

“…a masterclass in the suspension of disbelief. Kronos Rising is reminiscent of the work of Michael Crichton (Jurassic Park, Congo) in that it weaves together an exciting and gripping yarn which, despite depicting fantastical subject matter, doesn’t insult the reader’s intelligence by appealing to the lowest common denominator.”

“Written in the same vein as Jaws and Meg, Kronos Rising takes every Loch Ness Monster myth and sea monster rumor up to eleven and beyond. What truly makes this story hit home on an intrinsic level is the treatment Hawthorne endows his creature. It’s a cold, calculating, almost sentient entity. You can almost imagine it plotting its next attack, figuring out how best to tackle its prey, human and otherwise. It adds a sense of urgency to the story. This treatment extends to Hawthorne’s characters as well. In addition to deciding how to deal with the primordial threat in their midst, each character brings a backstory and their own demons who they must confront, raising the tension exponentially. Kronos Rising is no mere, everyday horror story; it is a tale that balances and combines every possible literary conflict without missing a beat or losing its purpose. And that purpose is to scare the living hell out of its readers. Be warned, if Jaws made you afraid to venture into the ocean, Kronos Rising will make you never want to go near a pool, bathtub, or spa ever again.”

“Every once in a blue moon, a page-turning adventure novel of theatrical proportions hits the shelves, and “Kronos Rising” is the new leader of the pack. Max Hawthorne’s first major foray into the fiction arena envelopes all the elements of a major blockbuster film or network mini-series that will keep readers and fans of this genre glued to the pages. He skillfully takes his readers on an E Ticket/ “Six Flags” roller coaster ride that never stops! With the dexterity of similar genre legends such as Michael Crichton, Peter Benchley and James Patterson, Hawthorne weaves a credible and believable account of the shocking and horrifying appearance of one of the prehistoric world’s apex marine predators. “Kronos Rising” definitely thrills and rises out of the water as this year’s “man vs. nature” epic tale of terror that leaves readers gasping for air through its climactic end……or, has it truly ended??!”

“Marine horror isn’t new. Peter Benchley started the modern trend with Jaws. Steve Alten gave us Meg, and now we have giant lizards gnawing at our fears. It still works. I love the genre, but it’s hard to do anything new with it. Max has managed to give me a couple surprises. Kronos is a well-written story, better than it had to be to deliver its biting horror. There are flawed heroes that are likeable. Villains that I looked forward to being eaten, and a back story that’s both feasible, and well researched, and most importantly, it’s fun.”

“This is a fun, entertaining thriller in the tradition of so many greats before it: MOBY DICK, JAWS, BEAST, the writings of Steve Alten. However, it is not derivative of those works and stands on its own merits. At 562 pages, it is not just a pulp novel, either. The characters are well-realized and help carry the story in a compelling fashion. Portions of the novel also carry you back to cataclysmic events in the Age of the Dinosaurs that are as exciting as the modern-day drama. I highly recommend KRONOS RISING as a great summer read, just in time for “sea monster” season at the beach! Max Hawthorne’s debut novel is hopefully the beginning of more, equally compelling work in a similar vein in the future.”