Review by Rox Burkey
Aquasaurus is a tale that takes place across parts of Texas that are beautiful, rich in history, endearing, and often dangerous. When the drive to strike it rich, an oil driller using an illegal fracking method which sets off a chain reaction that devastates San Antonio and traps some young spelunkers in an extensive cave system in Central Texas. A monster crocodile, 40-feet long and weighing in at an estimated 8-tons, is thought to be a descendent of the extinct Carnufex known as “The Butcher” is freed from his underground prison in the cavernous caves with disaster survivors available to stalk and kill. Jesse and Jake are trapped but college friends, Katie and Rita, commit to finding and rescuing them after the earthquake. The search for them is seriously scary, and so believable,
I promise you’ll look up the last earthquake in San Antonio. This Action-Thriller Fiction will grab you for the entire ride, just to find out the fate of everyone and everything.
What was most impressive in this story were the pictures, sounds, and imagery that Author, Ernie Lee painted with his words. All of my senses became engrossed in this story, right from the start. For example, you get the first glimpse of the monster from this passage. “Exploding from the murky water, the predator’s crocodilian maw, gaping wide, engulfs the cloud of surprised bats. The jaws snare a huge segment of the moving cloud, fifteen feet wide, which disappears inside the creature’s massive mouth. Splashing back into the water the massive animal twists and turns, and churns the water, devouring hundreds of bats in huge snaps and chomps. The sounds of water roiling, wings flapping, and bones crunching fill the cavern.” The descriptions of the locations like Enchanted Rock, the Texas Hill Country, and the Texas oil business pulls you in, keeps you reading.
I loved the characters, Katie and Rita, who are strong females forced to overcome their deep-seated fears to locate their friends, Jake and Jesse. The strength of these young folks, causes them to grow up fast as well as realize the value of teamwork and friendships as they search for solutions. Katie’s father, Clint Marshall, is so desperate to reach the oil that he uses a faster but far more dangerous method to attempt to crack the granite dome blocking him from success. His actions and the results did not disappoint me.
Ernie Lee clearly knows the history, charm, and geology of Texas. He takes that knowledge and undoubtedly hours of research weaving a story that captivated my imagination. The character development is exceptionally good. He models very different characters with varied backgrounds, fears, and dispositions which allows for some interesting interactions. In placing them into difficult situations, he tests the best and worst in each of them. I look forward to reading about these characters in the next adventure. I hope I never have to face these kinds of challenges. A must read if you like being on the edge of your seat.
Side note: Search for Aquasaurus available since March 2019 for the raving fans who can’t get enough.
The Bard of the Blanco, Ernie Lee, is a Texas award-winning author, poet, songwriter, often referred to as the Bard of Blanco. Ernie writes a continuing column in the Hill Country Sun magazine. His True-Badour literary newsletter is filled with insights, subscribe to it from his website.
He writes on a variety of subjects through Aim-Hi Publishing. He is a retired career US Air Force veteran, a consultant for state and local governments, and an educator. His books are infused with adventure, excitement, suspense, and the pure joy of life. Ernie is married and lives in Canyon Lake, Texas with his lovely wife Donna.
